US20080115250A1

US20080115250A1 - Cover - towel for use in gyms

Info

Publication number: US20080115250A1
Application number: US11/801,052
Authority: US
Inventors: Greg Tousant
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-08-15
Filing date: 2007-05-08
Publication date: 2008-05-22

Abstract

A pair of straps or a single strap attaches to the top of a towel portion. The ends of the straps or single strap extend around a user and are tied together. Each strap end has an enlarged end that is between the user's legs to act as a sight barrier to block view inside the user's shorts. If two straps are used, they can be sewn to the towel portion, but a single strap could attach by a releasable fastener so that the strap could stay on the users though the user's removes the towel. Pockets on the towel body, straps or connections between the straps and towel body can hold personal objects.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/837,926, filed Aug. 15, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of exercise accessories and gym equipment, and more particularly to a cover or towel that persons may use during gym exercise.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Towels are a common sight in gyms. People sit or lie on them when using exercise benches or mats, or they may use towels to prevent other body parts from touching exercise equipment. Likewise, people use towels to wipe off perspiration during or after vigorous exercise. Gym etiquette and hygiene requires such towel use.
A person may wrap a towel around his or her waist instead of carrying the towel in one's hands. When a person with a towel around his or her waist sits on equipment, a bench or a mat, the towel, if properly positioned, allows one to sit or lie on a bench or mat without much of the person's skin touching the bench or mat. Unfortunately, using conventional towels in such ways creates problems and difficulties. Though wrapping a towel around one's waist (or chest for women) secure the towel in the shower or locker room, it will not stay in place and falls off during exercise.
Persons wearing standard shorts find the shorts riding up their legs when exercising on a bench. That can lead to exposing the crotch. In addition, if a person uses a towel when working on one piece of equipment, he or she may leave the towel on that equipment when going to the other equipment. The next person using the first piece will find someone else's towel, and the first person will need a new towel. If the towel belongs to the gym, forgetting one's towel on a piece of equipment leads to inconvenience. The gym will eventually wash and reuse the towel. If, however, the gym does not provide towels and people bring their own, leaving a towel on equipment can cause it to be lost. Though someone may return the towel to a lost and found, that may not happen.
Many gym users want to carry items such as keys, wallets, identification cards, credit cards, cell phones (if allowed in the gym), radios, MP3 players or the like in the gym. Some exercise clothes lack pockets to carry these items. Although one can wear a “fanny” pack or similar carrier, it is an extra piece of apparel to wear. Conventional gym towels do not have pockets or pouches for holding personal items. Even if towels had pockets or pouches, the towels do not necessarily stay attached to the user as discussed above. Therefore, conventional towel are not good for carrying such items.

INVENTION SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gym or exercising towel or cover that solves these problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gym or exercising towel or cover that attaches to a user without falling off, that is of a material and texture for absorbing moisture, that can hold personal items and that blocks the view of the user's crotch when the user performs particular exercises.
Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are avoided by providing a gym or exercising towel that has a rectangular length of material or other shape to cover the user's abdomen and buttocks. One side of the material is relatively smooth and the opposite side includes a moisture absorbing material. One end of the towel includes a pair of ties that can be tied together to hold the towel to the user.
The free ends of the ties include enlarged ends that, when tied together, form a drape in front of the wearer when in a sitting or lying position to block the view of the user's crotch. The towel portion or one or both ties may have a pocket or pouch for carrying personal items. In one exemplary embodiment, the ties attach permanently to the towel portion, but in another embodiment, the tie is one piece that attaches to the towel portion with Velcro® or other fasteners. That allows the ties to stay around the user's waist or hips while the user removes the towel for wiping his or her face or other body part.
Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel gym or exercise towel that includes ties that can be wrapped about the girth of the user and releasably knotted to provide a sight barrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the gym or exercising towel of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the body of the towel shown in FIG. 1 as taken through plane 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front fragmentary perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the ties of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the gym or exercising towel of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the gym or exercising towel or cover 10 of the present invention. It includes an elongated body or towel portion 11 that may be rectangular, square, oval or another shape that is large enough to act as a towel and cover. Those sizes and shapes may vary for different users. The FIG. 1 embodiment has a curved cutout at the top 19 of the towel portion 11, but it is optional. Compare towel portion 31 in FIG. 4. For reference purposes, the towel portion has two sides 26 and 27 and a bottom 28.
The upper end of the body 11 includes a pair of ties or straps 12 and 13 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The proximal ends of each tie fasten to the towel at 24 and 25 respectively. Sewing is the preferred fastening means, but an adhesive or other type of fabric fastening can be used.
Extensions 16 and 17 attach to the upper part of the towel portion 11. They are triangular in the FIG. 1 exemplary embodiment, but they could be curved or have other shapes. See curved extensions 36 and 37 in FIG. 4, for example. Extensions 16 and 17 attached to the towel portion (FIG. 1) and the respective ties also attach to the extension.
Ties 12 and 13 are long enough to extend about the waist or hips of a user. Again, the ties may be sized for different people. They are long enough so that the distal or free ends of the respective ties can be tied together. See FIG. 3. Rather than tying the free ends as per FIG. 3, spaced fastener on the straps could attach together.
The free end of each respective tie 12, 13 includes an enlarged end such 14, 15. FIGS. 1 and 3. The enlarged ends are substantially broader in width than the width of most of each tie 12 and 13. The shape of the enlarged ends is a matter of choice. The enlarged ends can be fastened onto the end of each tie, or the tie can be cut with an enlarged end and a narrower tie region.
Each extension holds a pocket 18 and 20 for holding personal items. In the exemplary embodiment, the pockets are on extensions 16 and 17. The pockets can hold personal items such as keys, wallets, identification cards, credit cards, cell phones, radios, MP3 players or the like. In the exemplary embodiments, the pockets are formed of fabric, but other material may be acceptable. The pockets may have an enclosed or open bottom. Compare pockets 18 and 20. Moreover, instead of a pocket, the present invention could have a bar or ring for attaching keys or similar items. The pocket attaches to the extensions in the FIG. 1 embodiment, but they could attach to the towel portion 11 or to the ties 12 or 13 distal to the extensions.
Towel portion 11 may have two separate materials for its faces. One side 21 is relatively smooth and can slide on equipment. The other side 22 is terry cloth or other moisture absorbent material. Though applicant refers to element 11 as a “towel portion,” the material is not necessarily towel material. Applicant anticipates that the user would position the towel portion covering the buttocks with surface 21 facing outward and surface 22 facing the user. The towel portion 11 is sized such that pockets 18 and 20 are positioned on the side or near the front of the user.
The free ends of ties 12 and 13 tie together in a knot 23. FIG. 3. Enlarged ends 14 and 15 hang between the user's legs in front of his or her crotch. If the user sits or lies on a bench or mat, the ends form a sight barrier to the inside of the user's shorts. This sight barrier avoids potential embarrassment especially when someone of the opposite sex is looking.
Towel or cover 30 in the FIG. 4 exemplary embodiment differs from the FIG. 1 embodiment in several ways. Most important, strap ends 32 and 33 are a single strap that releasably attaches to the towel portion 21 and extensions 36 and 37. Velcro® or other fasteners are the preferred way of holding the straps to the towel portion. Note also that the top 29 of towel portion 31 is flat; the curved portion 19 in FIG. 1 was eliminated.
With the FIG. 4 embodiment, the user can position the towel as he or she did with the first embodiment. That is, the free or distal ends of straps 32 and 33 are tied in a knot, and the enlarged ends 34 and 35 hang in the same location. However, if the user wants to wipe another part of the body such as the face or arms, the towel portion 31 detaches from the ties and then reattaches.
The previous description of the invention and the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Further, many modifications and changes will occur readily to those skilled in the art. Therefore, applicants do not intend to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described.

Claims

1. A cover for covering a portion of a person comprising:

a) a towel portion sized to cover at least a first portion of the person, the towel portion having first and second faces and two opposite sides;

b) at least one strap attached to the towel portion adjacent the sides and having strap ends extending distally from the towel portion, the strap ends being sized to extend around the person sufficiently far when the towel portion is on the person to connect with each other at a connection location; and

c) each strap extending beyond the connection location for covering a second portion of the person.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the first and second faces are formed of different material.

3. The cover of claim 1 further comprising pocket means on the cover for holding items.

4. The cover of claim 1 wherein the cover has two straps permanently attached to the towel portion.

5. The cover of claim 1 further comprising at least one extension attached to one side of the towel portion, the at least one strap attached to the extension.

6. The cover of claim 5 further comprising pocket means on the cover for holding items, the pocket means attaching to the at least one extension.

7. The cover of claim 1 further comprising pocket means on the cover for holding items, the pocket attaching to the at least one strap.

8. The cover of claim 1 wherein the at least one strap is generally narrow distally from the cover and further comprising a wider portion on at least one of the ends of the strap.

9. The cover of claim 1 wherein the at least one strap comprises a single strap, the cover further comprising fastening means between the strap and the cover portion for releasably holding the strap to the cover portion.