EXERCISE ACCESSORY
An exercise accessory, such as a towel or scarf, includes a fabric article having a length and a width and at least one slot formed through the article. An edge of the fabric article is insertable through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to a user's body.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/760,513, filed Feb. 4, 2013, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/823,751, filed May 15, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to a towel or scarf accessory for exercise, particularly for use during or after performing Yoga, Pilates, weightlifting, running and other perspiration-causing exercises.
Certain types of exercises, such as Yoga, are performed in hot and humid conditions which cause a significant amount of perspiration to drip from the body. Other exercise activities also result in significant perspiration. Towels and scarves are frequently used during or following such exercises to wipe perspiration from a user's body.
Many users keep a towel or scarf around their necks or other parts of the body during exercise in order to help remain cool and absorb perspiration. However, such conventional exercise towels and scarves often fall out of place during exercise. Falling or slipping towels or scarves distract the user during exercise and hinder the user's body from properly cooling down.
SUMMARYIn one embodiment, an exercise accessory comprises a layer or article (hereinafter collectively referred to as an “article”) having a length and a width, and at least one slot formed through the article. An edge of the article is insertable through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to a user's body.
In another embodiment, an exercise accessory comprises an article having a length and a width, and at least one slot formed through the article. The article includes a sweat-absorbing material that cools upon application and evaporation of water. An edge of the article is insertable through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to a user's body. A high-friction material is disposed along a portion of the slot.
In another embodiment, a method of cooling off during or after an exercise comprises placing an exercise accessory, including an article and a slot formed in the article, around a part of a user's body, and inserting at least a portion of an edge of the article through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to the part of the user's body.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe towel 10 can be made from a variety of materials or fabrics including cotton, acrylic, and various synthetic blends. However, in a preferred embodiment, the towel 10 is made from materials which allow the towel to become cold upon application and evaporation of water. The towel 10 may include a strap (not shown) to facilitate transport, as described in U.S. Pat. Application No. 13/028,328, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
In one embodiment shown in
In an alternative embodiment shown in
In the exemplary embodiment of
As shown in
The non-slip, high-friction material 45, 45′ can be any rubbery substance made from any material such as rubber, plastic, PVC, silica gel, or any other substance that creates a high-friction, non-slip finish. Other high-friction rubbery materials may be used in place of the PVC vinyl material. The high-friction material 45 preferably forms a smooth finish without projections.
To use the towel 10, 10′, the exerciser first places the towel 10, 10′ around his or her body, for example, around the neck, waist, or hips, as shown in FIGS. 3,4, and 6. Then, the exerciser takes one end of the towel 10, 10′ (e.g., including one of the two short edges and adjacent portions of the long edges), which can be folded, rolled, or otherwise manipulated, and inserts at least a portion of the end/edge through at least one of the slots 40, 40′, pulling the end/edge through the chosen slot(s) 40, 40′ to secure the towel against his or her body, as best viewed in
While embodiments of the invention disclosed herein describe exercise towels or scarves having at least one slot, one skilled in art should recognize that alternative configurations may be employed without deviating from the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An exercise accessory, comprising:
- a fabric article having a length and a width; and
- at least one slot formed through the article,
- wherein an edge of the article is insertable through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to a user's body.
2. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a plurality of the slots spaced across the width of the article.
3. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slot is centered across the width of the article.
4. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein a high-friction material is disposed along a portion of the at least one slot.
5. The exercise accessory according to claim 4, wherein the high-friction material covers an entire periphery of the at least one slot.
6. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein a material of the fabric article cools upon application and evaporation of water.
7. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the slot is spaced from an edge of the article in a direction of the length of the article by approximately one-fourth of the length of the article.
8. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the article is a towel.
9. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the article is made of a sweat-absorbing material.
10. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the article is approximately four feet in length.
11. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slot is oriented parallel to the width of the article.
12. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the article comprises at least two slots, wherein the slots are evenly spaced across the width of the article.
13. The exercise accessory according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of slots are disposed symmetrically along one of the width of the article.
14. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of slots are disposed asymmetrically along the length and the width of the article.
15. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a plurality of slots spaced along the length of the article.
16. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the at least one slot is oriented parallel to the length of the article.
17. The exercise accessory according to claim 1, wherein the article comprises at least two slots, wherein the slots are evenly spaced along the length of the article.
18. An exercise accessory, comprising:
- an article having a length and a width, the article including a sweat-absorbing material that cools upon application and evaporation of water; and
- at least one slot formed through the article,
- wherein an edge of the article is insertable through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to a user's body, and
- wherein a high-friction material is disposed along a portion of the slot.
19. A method of cooling off during or after an exercise, the method comprising:
- placing an exercise accessory, including a fabric article and a slot formed in the fabric article, around a part of a user's body; and
- inserting at least a portion of an edge of the article through the slot to secure the exercise accessory to the part of the user's body.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the part of the user's body is a neck, wrist, waist or hips.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 1, 2014
Publication Date: Aug 7, 2014
Applicant: Stick-e Products, LLC (Chicago, IL)
Inventor: Elizabeth M. Andrews (Flossmoor, IL)
Application Number: 14/170,594
International Classification: A41D 23/00 (20060101);