Patent Application
20170196410
The present invention relates to beach accessories and in particular relates to a beach towel that includes an attachable bath for cleaning the feet of the user prior to leaving the beach.
One of the most common beach accessories is a beach towel. A traditional beach towel for use at the beach is typically larger than a normal household towel so that a person can use it to lie on the sand. One of the challenges of going to the beach is the sand itself. Sand is an abrasive and as beachgoers understand sand readily sticks to wet sink.
Many people find it very difficult to put on beach footwear without having sand sticking to the calves and feet and further, most beachgoers dislike getting into a clean car with a fine layer of sticky, salty sand on one's calves and feet. While many people try to enter the ocean in order to do a final rinse, the difficulty is that the beachgoer has to walk across the sand, thereby causing sand to stick back onto the wet skin, e.g., wet feet.
There is therefore a need for an improved solution as to how to clean a person's feet from sand at the beach. The present invention addresses and provides such solution.
The container 110 can be in the form of beach bucket or pail. The container 110 can come into any number of different shapes and can be formed of different materials, such as plastics or metal. The container 110 can also include a handle 111 or the like to make it easier to carry the container 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the container 110 is in the form of a round bucket or pail. As described herein, the container 110 is preferably shaped and sized so that it can contain and carry the towel 300 and foot bath 400.
The towel 300 is formed of conventional materials, such as a fabric, such as cotton or synthetic fabrics. The towel 300 can also come in any number of different shapes and sizes. For example, the towel 300 can be formed to have a circular shape (as shown) or a rectangular or square shape or some other shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the towel 300 has a circular shape defined by a peripheral (circumferential) edge 302. The towel 300 can have edging that has a different construction than the rest of the main body of the towel 300.
The foot bath 400 is designed to be in the form of a bath that can hold a liquid, e.g., water (ocean water), that can be used to rinse a person's body and more particularly, can be used to rinse the sand from a person's body, such as the calves and/or feet. The foot bath 400 preferably has a storage state and an in-use state. In the storage state, the foot bath 400 has a more compact condition and is meant to be stored with the folded towel 300 and conversely, in the in-use state, the foot bath 400 is configured to hold and contain the fluid.
In one preferred embodiment, the foot bath 400 is in the form of an inflatable foot bath. As shown in
More specifically, the foot bath 400 can be in the form of a first (upper) layer of material and a second (lower) layer of material. The two layers are sealed along a perimeter seam so as to define a peripheral air compartment which is defined by one or more peripheral side walls 415. Air is received within the peripheral air compartment 410 to cause inflation thereof. Within (between) the peripheral air compartment 410, a central recessed fluid compartment/chamber 420 is formed and is configured to hold fluid, such as water (ocean water, etc.). This central recessed fluid compartment 420 is configured for placement of a person's foot or feet. When the foot bath 400 has a circular shape, the peripheral air compartment 410 has an annular shape and the central recessed fluid compartment 420 has a circular shape. When the foot bath 400 has a square shape, the peripheral air compartment 410 likewise has a square shape.
It will be understood that a floor of the central recessed fluid compartment 420 is recessed relative to upper edges of the one or more side walls 415 when the foot bath 400 is inflated. In one embodiment, there is a small air compartment below the floor of the central recessed fluid compartment 420 which when inflated provides a small air cushion below the floor. In an alternative embodiment (as shown), there is no air compartment below the floor of the central recessed fluid compartment 420 and the floor is disposed directly against the ground (sand).
The height of the inflated peripheral air compartment 410 can vary; however, it is of sufficient size to allow a sufficient amount of water to be held and contained within the central recessed fluid compartment 420 for cleaning a person's foot or feet.
In accordance with the present invention, the foot bath 400 is attachable and detachable from the towel 300 using a pair of complementary first and second fasteners 450, 350, respectively, or the like. The first fastener 450 is associated with the foot bath 400 and the second fastener 350 is associated with the towel 300. The first fastener 450 is disposed along one edge of the towel 300 and similarly, the second fastener 350 is disposed along one edge of the foot bath 400.
In some embodiments, the first fastener 450 can be provided on a tab or extension 451 that extends outwardly from the peripheral edge of the foot bath 400. For example, the extension 451 can be in the form of a polymer film (non-inflatable) that extends outwardly from the foot bath 400. The first fastener 450 can be any number of different types of fasteners that are suitable for use in the present application. For example, the first fastener 450 can be in the form of a button, a snap, a hook and loop type fastener, a zipper part, etc. The first fastener 450 should be of a type that can withstand exposure to sand, water and other elements. In the illustrated embodiment, the first fastener 450 is a piece of hook and loop material.
In some embodiments, the second fastener 350 can be provided on a tab or extension 351 that extends outwardly from the peripheral edge of the towel 300. For example, the extension 351 can be in the form of fabric piece that extends outwardly from the peripheral edge of the towel 300. The second fastener 350 can be any number of different types of fasteners that are suitable for use in the present application. For example, like the first fastener 450, the second fastener 350 can be in the form of a button, a snap, a hook and loop type fastener, a zipper part, etc. The second fastener 350 should be of a type that can withstand exposure to sand, water and other elements. The first and second fasteners 450, 350 are complementary to one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the second fastener 350 is a piece of hook and loop material.
The attachment and subsequent detachment of the foot bath 400 relative to the towel 300 occurs by mating and then separating the first and second fasteners 450, 350. The mating between the first and second fasteners 450, 350 results in the secure attachment of the foot bath 400 to the towel 300.
As shown in
In another embodiment, the covers 375, 475 can be attached to the peripheral edges of the towel 300 and foot bath 400, respectively. In this design, the integral cover can be a piece of fabric that is shaped to define a pocket that receives the respective fastener. The extension of the fastener can be centrally located within the pocket and to protect the fastener, the fastener is simply inverted (folded over itself) and folded into the pocket.
As shown in
It will be appreciated that the present disclosure and figures are merely exemplary in nature and not limiting of the scope of the invention.
