Patent Application
20200037827
In daily activities, including sports events, it is not uncommon for a person to use a towel to remove moisture and debris from their body. For example, when sweating, a tennis player will often go to the bench or to an attendant behind the baseline between plays to wipe their face, arms, and sometimes the grip of their racket. In another example, a football player, such as the quarterback, will stuff a small towel into the band of uniform pants to be used to remove sweat and debris from their face, arms, and hands. Further, especially in sports, there is an increased desire (and need in some cases) to increase advertising revenue. Towels can sometimes be branded with advertiser or sponsor logos.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.
Technologies are described herein for a removably affixable towel system. In some examples, the towel system includes a towel made from a cloth or material having a size, construction, and shape suitable for a particular purpose. The towel system further includes an affixable section on the towel. The affixable section includes an adhesive, hook and loop system, magnets, and the like. The affixable section is designed to allow the towel to be affixable and removable from an article of clothing or a person's skin, in some examples. The affixable section allows the towel system to be applied and temporarily affixed, used, and then discarded or cleaned.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of technologies in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
The following detailed description is directed to technologies for a towel system. While the presently disclosed subject matter may be described with respect to what is termed as examples, embodiments, and the like, it is understood that the presently disclosed towel system is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials, and modifications described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.
The towel includes a bottom portion 104, a middle portion 106, and a top portion 108, with each of the bottom portion 104, the middle portion 106, and the top portion 108 contiguous with its adjacent portion in some examples. On the top portion 108 of the towel 102, the towel includes a removably affixable portion 110. The removably affixable portion 110 includes an adhesive 112 and a cover 114. The cover 114 is designed to be removable from the adhesive 112. The cover 114 may have a waxy coating or other coating suitable for removal from the adhesive 112 with minimal damage or effect on the adhesive 112. In some examples, the cover 114 may not be used. For example, the adhesive 112 may be a material or the towel system 100 may be in a situation in which the cover 114 may not be necessary. For example, the adhesive may be magnetic or part of a hook and loop design that does not require the cover 114. Thus, in various embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to the use of the cover 114.
If a cover 114 is used, once the cover 114 is partially or fully removed from the adhesive 112, the adhesive is used to affix the towel system 100 to an article of clothing or a person by placing the adhesive 112 on the item. The adhesive 112 can be an adhesive that is designed to be affixed or removably affixed to another item. In some examples, adhesives such as SCOTCH SPRAY MOUNT™ Spray Adhesive or ODIF STICKY NOTE SPRAY may be used. However, other adhesives may be used and are considered to be within the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter. In some examples, the adhesive 112 and the towel system 100 can be washed and reused. Including the examples provided above, other examples of adhesives may include, but are not limited to, HEMMING TAPE PEEL & STICK FABRIC ADHESIVE. These and other adhesives 112 may be used and are considered to be within the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter.
The use of the towel system 100 can provide various benefits not found in conventional technologies. For example, when playing tennis, in order for player to remove sweat or debris from their person, the player will often need to halt play, walk either to the sideline area or behind the baseline, retrieve a towel, and wipe the sweat or debris from them using the towel. In some examples, this can interrupt game play and affect the flow of the game. Because of the inconvenience, tennis players often wait until the end of a set or during a switchover to use the towel. This time delay can cause issues with visibility, comfort, and safety, especially if the sweat is affecting the ability of the player to hold the tennis racket or see clearly.
Various examples of the towel system 100 can overcome these and other issues with conventional technologies. Instead of having to wait until the end of a set or a switchover, the player can remove the cover 114 (if used) and, using the adhesive 112, affix the towel 102 to an article of clothing, for example. The adhesive 112 allows for a player to use the towel system 100 without, in most instances, needing any special apparatus or gear to affix the towel 102. The adhesive 112 allows for the affixing of the towel 102 to an article of clothing, for example. The player thereafter can use the towel 102 that is affixed to an article of clothing, for example, after each game without breaking up the flow of the game.
Further, the towel 102 can be sized to be relatively smaller than the size of a bath towel, which is what is normally used in a sporting event such as tennis. Another issue when using a single, large towel is that sweat wiped off using one portion of the towel tends to migrate through capillary action to other portions of the towel. Thus, even with minimal use, the towel may become quickly unusable. In some examples, during a switchover or after a set, the player can quickly remove a used towel system 100 and replace it with a fresh towel system 100 that is ready to adsorb sweat.
In some examples, the towel system 100 can be provided in packs or packages of 1, 5, or 10, or more, towel systems 100 depending on the preference of the player. For example, the towel system 100 can be packaged with 9 other towel systems 100 for use in one or more games or situations. Thus, the player can quickly dispose of a used towel system 100 and retrieve a new towel system 100 to use. Conventional towels, which are typically bath towel-sized towels, are not readily replaceable and would require significant space to store multiple towels. Further, conventional towels are not typically sold in packages of more than one towel, requiring a player to transport multiple individual, relatively large towels if the player wishes to use more than one towel. This can be problematic and difficult.
It is not uncommon in sports to have equipment labeled with the manufacturer of the equipment or a sponsor of an event. For example, promotional products are often given to tournament or event participants as a way to advertise the products or goods of sponsors. In
Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that technologies for a towel system have been disclosed herein. It is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described herein. Rather, the specific features or acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes can be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example configurations and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, aspects of which are set forth in the following claims.
