Self-storing Beach Blanket

A self-storing beach blanket is formed of flexible material and has an outer surface and an inner surface. A retaining sleeve is centrally located upon the outer surface and forms a continuous loop with an opening at either of an inner edge or an outer edge. A drawstring is is formed as a loop and located within the sleeve. A portion of the drawstring extends outwardly from the opening. A central aperture is sized and shaped to permit introduction of a beach umbrella shaft. A drawstring locking mechanism has a sliding mode and a locking mode and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism into the opening in the retaining sleeve. The drawstring is pulled through the mechanism when the mechanism is in the sliding mode and prevented from entering the opening when in the locking mode, thereby controlling a length of the drawstring within the sleeve.

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Description
RELATED APPLICATION

The instant application is a non-provisional application and claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/874,251 filed Sep. 5, 201.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of outdoor ground coverings and more specifically to a compact beach blanket with integral storage system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Beach blankets are typically recycled household blankets or bedspreads that have seen better days and have been related to outdoor use at the beach or picnic grounds. Such coverings tend to be heavy, easily absorb dirt and moisture and must be folded for storage and transport. The present invention addresses these shortcomings by providing a beach blanket that is lightweight, dirt and moisture resistant and provides its own storage container. Some examples of self-storing beach blanket systems and related inventions include the following.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,906, issued to Roberts, is directed to a beach blanket having rectangular shape and four corners has a right triangular pocket at each corner to receive and temporarily hold a quantity of sand for anchoring the blanket, the pockets being closable to secure the sand therein and openable for discharge of the sand.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,430, issued to Nicoll is directed to a A multi-purpose weighted blanket for covering areas of beaches or like terrain comprising first and second flexible cloth panels substantially rectangular in shape and identical in size. The first and second cloth panels having a border extending continuously along the outer perimeter edges thereof forming a reinforced retaining pocket for securing an anchoring device thereto. The anchoring device includes a non-metallic tube filled with a liquid weight such as water. The non-metallic tube has a memory for restoring the tube to its original configuration upon the removal of an external force acting thereon. The anchoring devices operates to aid an individual in positioning the blanket as well as maintaining the blanket in its fully extended position. Additionally, the anchoring device prevents foreign particles such as sand or the like from soiling the reclining surface of the blanket.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,331, issued to Badillo illustrates a beach blanket assembly includes a beach blanket, an inflatable beach bumper, and a multiplicity of stakes. The beach blanket has a central portion and a surrounding peripheral border wherein the peripheral border is held in a supported generally upright position by the stakes and the inflatable beach bumper. The stakes each have a lower end portion which is embedded in the beach surface and an upper end portion which abuts the inflatable beach bumper. The upper end portions are further releasably attached to the peripheral border of the beach blanket. A multiplicity of fastener type hook and loop material patches permits the peripheral border of the blanket to be releasably attachable to the inflatable bumper. An alternative embodiment of the present beach blanket assembly includes a beach blanket and a multiplicity of stakes which are shaped and configured to support the entire peripheral border of the beach blanket above the beach surface as well as securely anchor the beach blanket to the beach surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,333, issued to Kaiser is directed to a self-supporting beach blanket having two layers of fabric joined at their edges with a single spring steel hoop inside sized to hold the blanket open and flat on the ground. The hoop is compressible so that it can be removed through a small slit in the side allowing the blanket to be machine washed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,813, issued to Wilburn is directed to a system for anchoring an outer periphery of a beach blanket to the ground or sand is disclosed. The blanket is anchored by a plurality of stakes which are manually insertable into the ground. A tether fastens the stake to the outer periphery of the blanket so that the stakes are not separated from the blanket when not in use.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,264,471, issued to Glenn discloses a beach blanket comprising, a base layer of canvas, one end of the base layer being folded back upon itself longitudinally, spaced parallel lines of stitching connecting the side edges of the folded portion to the side edges of the base layer, a line of stitching parallel with and midway between the first named lines of stitching connecting the folded portion centrally to the base layer from the free edge of the folded portion to the folded end of the base layer, said lines of stitching forming two open pockets, fasteners removably securing the free edges of the pockets to the base layer, and a towel detachably connected to the base layer on the same face thereof as the pockets and extending from a point adjacent the pockets to the extreme opposite end of the base layer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,131, issued to Kilby discloses a beach blanket includes a central fabric web, having a plurality of perimeter flap members defining individual pockets thereabout, with the flap members arranged to accommodate various portions of a granular material therewithin for securement of a beach blanket relative to an underlying beach surface.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a beach blanket that is compact, light-weight and resistant to dirt and moisture. It is a further objective to provide a beach blanket that provides its own container for transport and storage. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a beach blanket that can be rapidly put in place and quickly stored. It is yet a further objective to provide such a system that provides a beach blanket from which sand and dirt can be easily and quickly removed. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a beach blanket that is durable and inexpensive to manufacture.

While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses all of the deficiencies of prior art self-storing beach blankets and satisfies all of the objectives described above.

(1) A self-storing beach blanket providing the desired features may be constructed from the following components. A blanket portion is provided. The blanket portion is formed of flexible material and has an outer surface and an inner surface. A retaining sleeve is provided. The sleeve is centrally located upon the outer surface and forms a continuous loop. The loop has an opening at either of an inner edge or an outer edge. A drawstring is provided. The drawstring is formed as a loop and located within the sleeve. A portion of the drawstring extends outwardly from the opening.

(2) In a variant of the invention, a central aperture is provided. The aperture is sized and shaped to permit introduction of a beach umbrella shaft.

(3) In another variant, a drawstring locking mechanism is provided. The mechanism has a sliding mode and a locking mode and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism into the opening in the retaining sleeve. The drawstring is pulled through the mechanism when in the sliding mode and prevented from entering the opening when in the locking mode, thereby controlling a length of the drawstring within the retaining sleeve.

(4) In still another variant, the mechanism includes a spring-loaded cylinder having a transverse aperture. The transverse aperture is sized and shaped to fit slidably about the loop of the drawstring. The mechanism has a cinching portion with a matching transverse aperture. The cinching portion is adapted to slide within the cylinder and secure the cylinder to the drawstring through action of a spring urging the cinching portion outwardly from the cylinder.

(5) In yet another variant, the retaining sleeve is formed as part of a reinforcing panel centrally located upon the blanket portion.

(6) In a further variant, the blanket portion is circular.

(7) In a final variant of the invention, at least one of the blanket portion and reinforcing panel is formed of moisture resistant material.

(8) A method of using self-storing beach blanket includes the steps of:

  • providing beach blanket that includes:
    • a blanket portion formed of flexible material and having an outer surface and an inner surface;
    • a retaining sleeve centrally located upon the outer surface and forming a continuous loop, the loop having an opening at either of an inner edge or an outer edge;
    • a drawstring formed as a loop and located within the sleeve with a portion of the drawstring extending outwardly from the opening; and
    • a drawstring locking mechanism that has a sliding mode and a locking mode and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism into the opening in the retaining sleeve;
  • moving the locking mechanism to the sliding mode, thereby releasing the drawstring;
  • stretching the blanket portion away from the retaining sleeve and extending the blanket portion to its full extent, whereby the blanket portion is usable as a beach blanket;
  • moving the locking mechanism to the locking mode; and subsequently
  • inverting the beach blanket to remove sand and debris;
  • gathering the blanket portion within an inner perimeter of the retaining sleeve;
  • moving the locking mechanism to the sliding mode;
  • pulling the drawstring to tighten the retaining sleeve around the blanket portion;

moving the locking mechanism to the locking mode, thereby forming a compact bundle for transporting and storage of the beach blanket.

An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and an understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of a preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating a location of a retaining sleeve and drawstring;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the drawstring;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the FIG. 1 embodiment illustrating folding of the blanket;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial section of the receiving sleeve illustrating the drawstring within the retaining sleeve;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the blanket being stored within the center section bounded by the retaining sleeve;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the stored FIG. 1 embodiment with the drawstring in tightened position;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a drawstring locking mechanism for the FIG. 1 embodiment in the locking mode; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a drawstring locking mechanism for the FIG. 1 embodiment in the sliding mode.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(1) FIGS. 1-8 illustrate a self-storing beach blanket 10 providing the desired features that may be constructed from the following components. A blanket portion 14 is provided. The blanket portion 14 is formed of flexible material 18 and has an outer surface 22 and an inner surface 26. A retaining sleeve 30 is provided. The sleeve 30 is centrally located upon the outer surface 22 and forms a continuous loop 34. The loop 34 has an opening 38 at either of an inner edge 42 or an outer edge 46. A drawstring 50 is provided. The drawstring 50 is formed as a loop 54 and located within the sleeve 30. A portion 58 of the drawstring 50 extends outwardly from the opening 38. See FIGS. 2 and 4.

(2) In a variant of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a central aperture 62 is provided. The aperture 62 is sized and shaped to permit introduction of a beach umbrella shaft (not shown).

(3) In another variant, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8, a drawstring locking mechanism 66 is provided. The mechanism 66 has a sliding mode 70 and a locking mode 74 and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism 66 into the opening 38 in the retaining sleeve 30. The drawstring 50 is pulled through the mechanism 66 when in the sliding mode 70 and prevented from entering the opening 38 when in the locking mode 74, thereby controlling a length 78 of the drawstring 50 within the retaining sleeve 30.

(4) In still another variant, the mechanism 66 includes a spring-loaded cylinder 82 having a transverse aperture 86. The transverse aperture is sized and shaped to fit slidably about the loop of the drawstring. The mechanism 66 has a cinching portion 90 with a matching transverse aperture 94. The cinching portion 90 is adapted to slide within the cylinder 82 and secure the cylinder 82 to the drawstring 50 through action of a spring 98 urging the cinching portion 90 outwardly from the cylinder 82.

(5) In yet another variant, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the retaining sleeve 30 is formed as part of a reinforcing panel 102 centrally located upon the blanket portion 14.

(6) In a further variant, the blanket portion 14 is circular.

(7) In a final variant of the invention, at least one of the blanket portion 14 and reinforcing panel 102 is formed of moisture resistant material 106.

(8) A method of using self-storing beach blanket 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, includes the steps of:

  • providing beach blanket 10 that includes:
    • a blanket portion 14 formed of flexible material 18 and having an outer surface 22 and an inner surface 26;
    • a retaining sleeve 30 centrally located upon the outer surface 22 and forming a continuous loop 34, the loop 34 having an opening 38 at either of an inner edge 42 or an outer edge 46;
    • a drawstring 50 formed as a loop 54 and located within the sleeve 30 with a portion 58 of the drawstring 50 extending outwardly from the opening 38; and
    • a drawstring locking mechanism 66 that has a sliding mode 70 and a locking mode 74 and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism 66 into the opening 38 in the retaining sleeve 30;
  • moving the locking mechanism 66 to the sliding mode 70, thereby releasing the drawstring 50;
  • stretching the blanket portion 14 away from the retaining sleeve 30 and extending the blanket portion 14 to its full extent, whereby the blanket portion 14 is usable as a beach blanket 10;
  • moving the locking mechanism 66 to the locking mode 74; and subsequently
  • inverting the beach blanket 10 to remove sand (not shown) and debris (not shown);
  • gathering the blanket portion 14 within an inner perimeter 110 of the retaining sleeve 30;
  • moving the locking mechanism 66 to the sliding mode 70;
  • pulling the drawstring 50 to tighten the retaining sleeve 30 around the blanket portion 14;
  • moving the locking mechanism 66 to the locking mode 74, thereby forming a compact bundle 114 for transporting and storage of the beach blanket 10.

The self-storing beach blanket 10 has been described with reference to particular embodiments. Other modifications and enhancements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A self-storing beach blanket comprising:

a blanket portion, said blanket portion being formed of flexible material and having an outer surface and an inner surface;
a retaining sleeve, said sleeve being centrally disposed upon said outer surface and forming a continuous loop, said loop having an opening at either of an inner edge and an outer edge; and
a drawstring, said drawstring being formed as a loop and disposed within said sleeve, a portion of said drawstring extending outwardly from said opening.

2. The self-storing beach blanket, as described in claim 1, further comprising a central aperture, said aperture being sized and shaped to permit introduction of a beach umbrella shaft.

3. The self-storing beach blanket, as described in claim 1, further comprising a drawstring locking mechanism, said mechanism having a sliding mode and a locking mode and being sized and shaped to prevent entry of said mechanism into said opening in said retaining sleeve, wherein said drawstring is pulled through said mechanism when in said sliding mode and prevented from entering said opening when in said locking mode, thereby controlling a length of said drawstring within the retaining sleeve.

4. The self-storing beach blanket, as described in claim 3, wherein said mechanism comprises a spring-loaded cylinder having a transverse aperture, said transverse aperture being sized and shaped to fit slidably about said loop of said drawstring, said mechanism having a cinching portion with a matching transverse aperture, said cinching portion adapted to slide within said cylinder and secure said cylinder to said drawstring through action of a spring urging said cinching portion outwardly from said cylinder.

5. The self-storing beach blanket, as described in claim 1, wherein said retaining sleeve is formed as part of a reinforcing panel centrally disposed upon said blanket portion.

6. The self-storing beach blanket, as described in claim 1, wherein said blanket portion is circular.

7. The self-storing beach blanket, as described in claim 5, wherein at least one of said blanket portion and reinforcing panel is formed of moisture resistant material.

8. A method of using self-storing beach blanket comprising the steps of:

providing beach blanket comprising: a blanket portion, said blanket portion being formed of flexible material and having an outer surface and an inner surface; a retaining sleeve, said sleeve being centrally disposed upon said outer surface and forming a continuous loop, said loop having an opening at either of an inner edge and an outer edge; a drawstring, said drawstring being formed as a loop and disposed within said sleeve, a portion of said drawstring extending outwardly from said opening; and a drawstring locking mechanism, said mechanism having a sliding mode and a locking mode and being sized and shaped to prevent entry of said mechanism into said opening in said retaining sleeve;
moving said locking mechanism to said sliding mode, thereby releasing said drawstring;
stretching said blanket portion away from said retaining sleeve and extending said blanket portion to its full extent, whereby said blanket portion is usable as a beach blanket;
moving said locking mechanism to said locking mode; and subsequently
inverting said beach blanket to remove sand and debris;
gathering said blanket portion within an inner perimeter of said retaining sleeve;
moving said locking mechanism to said sliding mode;
pulling said drawstring to tighten said retaining sleeve around said blanket portion;
moving said locking mechanism to said locking mode, thereby forming a compact bundle for transporting and storage of said beach blanket.
Patent History
Publication number: 20150059091
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 2, 2014
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2015
Inventor: Sophia S.H. Jung (Vancouver)
Application Number: 14/474,522
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Ground Mat (5/417)
International Classification: B65D 30/00 (20060101); B65D 33/16 (20060101); A47G 9/06 (20060101);