FIELD This disclosure generally relates to a towel that can be worn by a user when engaging in sports or exercise.
BACKGROUND Users engaging in physical activities such as exercising at a health club, playing sports, dancing, running, cycling or weight-training, for example, often use a towel to wipe off perspiration. Typically, users wear the towels loosely around their necks which does not adequately secure the towel to the user's body, resulting in the towel falling off when the user is participating in the physical activity. While a user can tie the towel into a knot to secure it around her body (e.g., neck, waist, etc.) fastening a towel in such a way may interfere with the physical activity, make it difficult for the user to use the towel and/or may be cumbersome to the user because she would need to secure and release the towel during use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the present invention and therefore do not limit the scope of the invention. The drawings are not necessarily to scale (unless so stated) and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a sports towel according to a first embodiment shown in an unlooped configuration;
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the sports towel of FIG. 1A shown in a looped configuration;
FIG. 1C is a view of a portion of FIG. 1C shown without the fabric member;
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a sports towel according to a second embodiment shown in an unlooped configuration;
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the sports towel of FIG. 2 shown in a looped configuration;
FIG. 4 is a top view of an end portion of the sports towel of FIG. 2 showing a looping member according to a first embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a top view of the end portion of the sports towel of FIG. 2 showing the looping member according to a second embodiment;
FIG. 6A is a top view of the end portion of the sports towel of FIG. 2 showing the looping member according to a third embodiment;
FIG. 6B is a top view of an end portion of the sports towel of FIG. 2 showing the looping member according to a fourth embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a top view of an end portion of the sports towel of FIG. 2 showing the looping member according to a fifth embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a sports towel according to a third embodiment;
FIG. 9A is a front perspective view of a sports towel according to a fourth embodiment shown in an unlooped configuration; and
FIG. 9B is a top perspective view of the sports towel of FIG. 9A shown in a looped configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description is exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides some practical illustrations for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Examples of constructions, materials, dimensions, and manufacturing processes are provided for selected elements, and all other elements employ that which is known to those of ordinary skill in the field of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the noted examples have a variety of suitable alternatives.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a sports towel 10 according to a first design. FIG. 1A shows the towel 52 in an unlooped configuration, whereas FIG. 1B shows the towel 52 in a looped configuration. The towel 52 can be worn around a portion of the user's body 12 during sports or exercise activities for wiping perspiration. Additionally, the towel 52 can be used to wipe down surfaces of exercise equipment (not shown) after a user has operated the exercise equipment and/or to form a barrier between the exercise equipment and the user's skin. The towel 52 is generally made of a material that is substantially liquid absorbent to absorb perspiration from a user's body. In some embodiments, the towel 52 is made of at least one of terry fabric, cotton, lycra, polyvinyl alcohol, viscose, polyamides, polyesters and microfiber fabric. For instance, the towel 52 can have microfiber woven with polyester resulting in substantial durability and have substantially liquid-absorbent properties. Additionally, the towel 52 may have anti-microbial properties (e.g., include anti-microbial elements or compounds such as silver ions) so as to prevent microbial growth and/or odor.
As seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the towel 52 comprises a towel body 16. In some cases, when unfurled and laid flat on a surface, the towel body 16 can be of standard shapes such as rectangular or square. The towel body 16 can have a first surface 20 and a second surface 24 opposite to the first surface 20 when the towel 52 is unfurled and laid flat on a surface. When worn around the user's neck 28, for example, the first surface 20 can face generally outward (e.g., away from the user's body) and the second surface 24 can face generally inward (e.g., toward the user's body). The user 12 can wrap the towel 52 around their neck and form a loop therewith as will be described below. Once the towel 52 is secured in a looped configuration, it may not loosen and/or be releasable from the user's neck 28 until the user 12 manually removes the towel 52 from the looped configuration. The looped configuration of the towel 52 can therefore allow the user 12 to continue exercising or playing sports without having to hold on to the towel 52.
As seen in FIG. 1A, the towel body 16 can have a length 32 and a towel width 36. For instance, in the design illustrated in FIG. 1, the length 32 can be measured between a first end 40 located at a proximate end of the towel body and a second end 50 located at distal end and opposite the proximate end, along a direction parallel to a major axis of the towel 52. The first and second ends can therefore be separated by the length 32. The towel width 36 can be measured from a first lateral edge 56 to a second lateral edge 60. As seen in FIG. 1A, the first and second lateral edges are opposite to each other, and are each substantially parallel to the axis of the towel 52. In some cases, the first end 40 comprises a first linear edge 62 and the second end 50 comprises the second linear edge 66. In the illustrated embodiments, the first and second linear edges are both disposed perpendicularly between the first and second lateral edges. While not illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B the towel 52 can have a pocket 70 provided at the second end 50 as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3. The pocket 70 can be useful for securing a user's personal belongings (e.g., access cards, keys, phone and the like).
The first end 40 of the towel can be formed into an end loop 74 to allow the towel 52 to be formed into a looped configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the towel 52 is substantially two-dimensional, wherein the thickness of the towel 52 is negligible in comparison to the length 32 and towel width 36. In such cases, the first end 40 may be formed into an end loop 74 by bringing the first and second lateral edges toward each other such that the first end 40 forms a first portion 78 of the end loop 74. A fabric 82 coupled to the first and second lateral edges of the towel 52 forms a second portion 82 of the end loop 74. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, the first and second lateral edges are folded toward each other such that the first end 40 forms the first portion 78 of the end loop 74 having a substantially semi-circular shape. The fabric is attached (e.g., by sewing or other methods of attaching a fabric) at, or proximal to, the first and second lateral edges, such that the fabric forms the second portion 82 of the end loop 74 and also has a substantially semi-circular shape. Once the fabric is attached, the first end 40 has the end loop 74 having a substantially circular shape. Alternatively, the end loop 74 can be oval or of irregular shapes.
With continued reference to FIG. 1A, the end loop 74 of the first end 40 can have a first perimeter 86 in the unlooped configuration of the towel 52. The first perimeter 86 can equal the length of the closed curve of the end loop 74 as shown in FIG. 1A. In embodiments where the first end 40 is formed into a substantially circular end loop 74, the perimeter can equal the circumference of the end loop 74. In some embodiments, the first perimeter 86 can be sufficiently large to allow the second end 50 to pass through the first end 40 to secure the towel around the user's neck 28, for example.
The first end 40 can have substantially elastic properties. For instance, the first end 40 can be expandable in the widthwise direction 110 to allow passage of the second end 50 having a width 134 greater than the first perimeter 86. The first end 40 can be collapsible along the widthwise direction 110 once the second end 50 has passed through the first end 40 to securely fasten the towel around a user's body.
As described herein, the first end 40 is formed into an end loop 74 by attaching (e.g., sewing or other methods of connecting a fabric known in the art) a fabric proximal to the first end 40. In such cases, the fabric comprises an elastic member 90. Once attached to form an end loop 74, the elastic member 90 provides the first end 40 with substantially elastic properties. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, the elastic member 90 is an elastic ring having a cylindrical shape. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1B, the elastic member 90 is an elastic band having a substantially planar (e.g., rectangular) shape. In some cases, the elastic member 90 comprises an elastomeric fabric. In some cases, the elastic member 90 can be one of polyester, natural rubber, spandex, and neoprene. In some embodiments, the elastic member 90 is at least partially enclosed within the towel body 16 at the first end 40 such that the elastic member 90 is partially unexposed in the looped configuration as shown in FIG. 1B. Alternatively, the elastic member 90 can be completely enclosed with the towel body 16 such that the elastic member 90 is not visible. Such embodiments can provide a towel 52 that is aesthetically pleasing.
With continued reference to FIG. 1B, a towel loop 94 is formed in the looped configuration when the second end 50 is passed through the first end 40 and the first end 40 substantially surrounds and/or contacts the towel body 16. The towel loop 94 has a towel loop perimeter 98 sufficient to allow a user's head to pass through the towel loop 94. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1B, the towel loop perimeter 98 can equal the length of the closed curve formed by the towel body 16 along the path 100 as illustrated. The towel loop perimeter 98 can be substantially equal to between about 10% and about 90% of the length 32. The towel loop perimeter 98 can be sufficiently large to allow the towel 52 to be worn around user's with different neck sizes (e.g., children or adults), or by a user 12 around other parts of their body (e.g., waist, torso, etc.)
Prior to attaching the elastic member 90 to the first end 40, the first and second ends of the towel 52 can both be substantially similar. The first end 40 can resemble the second end 50 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. For instance, both the first and second ends can be substantially linear edges as described previously, such that the towel 52 is rectangular. As mentioned above, the first end 40 can have elastic properties by attaching the elastic member 90 (e.g., ring or band) to the first end 40. Prior to attaching the elastic member 90, the elastic member 90 can be placed proximal to the first end 40 on the first surface 20 of the towel body 16. As illustrated in FIG. 1C, the first edge can be folded about itself in a widthwise direction 110 to form a gap 120 therein. In FIG. 1C, the elastic member 90 is not shown for clarity and to illustrate the gap 120 formed at the first end 40. The elastic member 90 can be attached by attaching (e.g., by sewing, stapling, with button or snap closures, hook and loop fasteners, and other methods of securing fabrics known in the art) the first edge with the towel body 16. Once attached, the connection between the first edge and the towel body 16 forms seam-lines 130 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In such cases, the elastic member 90 can be cylindrical allowing for a narrow seam as illustrated in FIG. 1A, or the elastic member 90 can be band-shaped as shown in FIG. 1B, allowing for a wider seam in comparison to the width 134 of the seam in FIG. 1A, because the width 134 of the band-shaped elastic member 90 shown in FIG. 1B is greater than the diameter 138 of the cylindrical elastic member 90 in FIG. 1A. Once attached, the fabric member can either be substantially exposed and external to the towel body 16 as shown in FIG. 1A, or can be substantially enclosed within the towel body 16, with a portion of the fabric member being exposed to the user 12.
In use, a towel 52 can be secured to the user 12 according to a method. The method can involve the step of providing a towel 52 according to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, positioning the towel 52 in an unlooped configuration around the user's neck 28, for example, such that the first and second ends are directed away from the user's neck 28, passing the second end 50 through the first end 40 to form a towel loop 94 and securing the towel 52 by positioning the towel loop 94 around and proximate to the user's neck 28. Optionally, a user 12 may expand the first end 40 in a widthwise direction 110 (e.g., outwardly along arrows 140 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) to accommodate towel 52 widths greater than the first perimeter 86 of the end loop 74. Once the second end 50 passes through the first end 40, the user 12 can release the first end 40, and due to its elastic properties, the first end 40 collapses along the widthwise direction 110 (e.g., inwardly along arrows 150 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) and substantially surround and/or contact the towel body 16.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a sports towel 200 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Sports towel 200 can be substantially similar in dimensions, properties and materials as towel 10. In this embodiment, instead of having an end loop with elastic properties formed at an end, an end loop 210 is attached (e.g., sewn, or by other methods of securing fabrics known in the art) into an end (230, 240) of the towel. For instance, the end loop 210 is sewn into the first end 230, proximal to the first and second lateral edges 250, 260. The second end 240 can then be passed through the end loop 210. The second end 240 can be pulled through the end loop 210 to bring the end loop 210 proximal to the user's body (e.g., neck or waist). Once the end loop 210 is brought proximal to the user's body, the towel 200 is secured and prevented from falling off when the user engages in sports or exercise.
With continued reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the end loop 210 can be formed, for instance, by sewing a rectangular looping member 270 to the first end 230 of the towel 200 such that a first edge 280 of the rectangular looping member 270 and a second edge 290 of the rectangular looping member 270 are both sewn to the first end of the towel. Referring now to FIG. 4, the first edge 280 can be sewn proximal to the first lateral edge 250 and the second edge 290 can be sewn proximal to the second lateral edge 260 of the towel 200. The end loop 210 can have any size sufficiently large to allow the second end 240 of the towel to pass through to form a towel loop 294 around a user's body, while substantially enclosing the user's body and remaining securely thereon. Alternatively, the looping member 270 can have elastic properties to allow towel widths greater than the perimeter of the end loop to pass through the second end. Other dimensions are within the scope.
FIGS. 5-7 illustrate various configurations of the first end 230 and the end loop 210 attached thereon. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the first end 230 comprises a first oblique edge 300 and a second oblique edge 310. The first and second oblique edges 300, 310 are directly in contact with the first lateral edge 250 and the second lateral edge 260, and form an angle 320 of between about 95 degrees and about 175 degrees therewith. In other words, the first end 230 of the towel 200 is trapezoidal. The looping member 270 is attached to the first edge 280 that forms an angle 324 of between about 95 degrees and about 175 degrees with each of the first and second oblique edges 300, 310. The first edge 330 of the looping member 270 and a second edge 332 of the looping member 270 are attached to the first edge 280 of the towel.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6A, the first end 230 of the towel 200 is trapezoidal. The looping member 270 is attached to the first and second oblique edges 300, 310 of the first end 230, along a first lateral edge 340 of the rectangular looping member 270. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6B, the first and second lateral edges 250, 260 are angled at an angle between about 95 degrees and about 175 degrees with the first edge 280. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6B can be formed by bringing the first and second lateral edges 250, 260 of the towel 200 such as that illustrated in FIG. 2 towards each other such that the towel 200 forms crease lines 350 as illustrated in FIG. 6B, and attaching the crease lines 350 with each other at an attachment region 360 shown by dotted lines. For instance, the crease lines 350 can be sewn with each other at the attachment region 360. The looping member 270 can then be attached to the first and second lateral edges 250, 260 along the first lateral edge 340 and the second lateral edge 370 of the looping member 270. The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B can provide an increased surface area of contact between the towel 200 and the looping member 270 than the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, and thereby allow the connection between the towel 200 and the looping member 270 to be secure.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the first end 230 of the towel 200 has an interior surface 400 having an interior edge 410 obliquely disposed between the first lateral edge 250 and the first edge 280 of the towel 200. The interior surface 400 can be sandwiched between a first surface 420 and the second surface 430 of the towel 200. The second surface 430 can have a third edge 440 and a third lateral edge 450 shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8. The interior surface 400 can be accessed by separating the first surface 420 from the second surface 430 along the seams 460 (e.g., formed along the first lateral edge 250 and the first edge 280, or the third edge 440 and the third lateral edge 450). The looping member 270 can be attached to the interior edge 410 using methods described herein (e.g., sewing). As mentioned previously, the looping member 270 can be rectangular with the first edge 330 and the second edge 332. In such cases, the first and second edges 330, 332 of the looping member 270 can be attached to the interior edge 410. Alternatively, the looping member 270 can be cylindrical (e.g., ring-shaped). In such cases, a portion of the looping member 270 can be attached to the interior edge 410. Once the looping member 270 is attached, the first and second surfaces 420, 430 of the towel 200 can be left unattached to each other, or reattached along the first lateral edge 250 and the first edge 280 of the towel 200 from a first point 470 to a second point 480. In such cases, the connection between the interior surface 400 and the looping member 270 (e.g., seams, threads from sewing, fastening members etc.) can be hidden from view so that the towel 200 is aesthetically pleasing.
FIG. 8 illustrates a sports towel 500 according to a third embodiment. Sports towel 500 can be substantially similar to towel 12 in dimensions, properties and materials. In this embodiment, the towel 500 comprises a body portion 510 having a first end 520 and a second end 530 separated from the first end 520 by a body portion length. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the length 540 represents one half of the body portion length. The towel 500 comprises an end portion 550 attachable to the body portion 510. The end portion 550 has a first end 560 and a second end 570 separated from the first end 560 by an end portion length. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the length 580 represents one half of the end portion length. The first end 520 of the body portion 510 and the first end 560 of the end portion 550 can be connectable with each other, and the second end 530 of the body portion 510 and the second end 570 of the end portion 550 being connectable with each other, such that when connected the towel 500 is formed into a closed loop around a user's neck 28. Once formed into the closed loop, the towel 500 continuously and entirely surrounds the user's neck 28. Each of the first and second ends 520, 530 of the body portion 510 and each of the first and second ends 560, 570 of the end portion 550 can be fixedly or removably connected with each other. For instance, the first and second ends 520, 530 of the body portion 510 can be sewn with the first and second ends 560, 570 of the end portion 550 respectively. Alternatively, the first and second ends 520, 530 of the body portion 510 can be removably connected (e.g., with buttons and snap closures, straps, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like) with the first and second ends 560, 570 of the end portion 550. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the end portion 550 can have a width 590 less than the width 592 of the body portion 510. In such cases, the end portion 550 can be placed proximal to the user's neck 28. Alternatively, the body and end portions 510, 550 can have any size. In some cases, the end portion 550 can have elastic properties such that the user can stretch the body portion 510 with respect to the end portion 550 to distances away from the user 12. For instance, the end portion 550 can be sufficiently elastic to allow a user 12 to stretch the body portion 510 toward a user's legs (not shown) or toward exercise equipment (not shown) so that the user 12 can wipe down perspiration on their legs or on surfaces of the exercise equipment.
FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a sports towel 600 according to another embodiment. Sports towel 600 can be substantially similar in materials, properties and dimensions to towel 12. In this embodiment, a towel body 610 comprises an opening 620, through which a second end 630 of the towel 600 can be looped. The placement of the opening 620 can be such that when an end (e.g., second end 630) is pulled through the opening 620, it forms a towel loop 640 sufficiently large to loop around a user's neck (not shown) or another part of the body (e.g., waist, not shown). The opening 620 can be positioned centrally in a widthwise direction 650. Additionally, the opening 620 can be positioned proximal to a first end 660. For instance the opening 650 can be positioned at a distance 670 of about one-quarter of a length 680 from the first end 660 as seen in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9A. While the illustrated embodiments disclose example positions of the opening 620, other locations which allow a user (not shown) to easily loop an end (e.g., second end 630) of the towel 600 through the opening 620 and pull the second end 630 through to form a loop are contemplated.
Sports towel as disclosed herein can have one or more advantages. The towel can be secured to a user's body to prevent the towel from disengaging from the user when the user is exercising or playing sports. The towel can include pockets to store a user's personal belongings.
Thus, embodiments of the invention are disclosed. Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain disclosed embodiments, the disclosed embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation and other embodiments of the invention are possible. One skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
