MULTI-FUNCTIONAL BLANKET
A multi-functional blanket may be provided for use as a lap blanket. The multi-functional blanket may include a pocket, a pouch, and apertures. The pocket may store items a seated user needs to access. The pouch may accommodate a seated users feet or the remainder of the blanket when the blanket is in a different configuration. The apertures may accommodate a seat belt providing visibility of the seat belt during use.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/573,801, filed Oct. 18, 2017, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to a blanket, and more specifically to a multi-functional blanket.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWhen traveling, seated travelers are faced with cold temperatures on airplanes, car, and other methods of transportation. In response, travelers often bring blankets, jackets, dress in heavy clothing, layer clothing, etc. to maintain warmth of their body and extremities. To carry all of these items is not practical as space is limited in cars, airplanes, and other modes of travel. Carrying bulky and/or additional items may be cumbersome. Additionally, this may result in the traveler arriving improperly dressed for their final location. There is additionally difficulty in ensuring your safety belt is visible for flight attendants due to large blankets covering the safety belt. There may be discomfort and safety issues arising from blankets or jackets stuffed underneath the safety belt. When in a seat position, a traveler may hold or carry a phone or other items. These items are easily dropped and may go missing on the ground and into seat. A need exists for a travel sized blanket which is easily transported and has the ability to be moved between configurations such that the blanket is multi-functional.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to an embodiment of the invention, a blanket may include a blanket portion; a pouch; a first aperture positioned on the blanket portion; a second aperture positioned on the blanket portion; and a pocket. The pocket may be positioned relative to the first aperture such that in a first configuration of the blanket, the pocket is located on a lap of a user. In the first configuration, the first aperture is configured to receive a first seat belt portion and the second aperture is configured to receive a second seat belt portion, such that when the first seat belt portion and second seat belt portion are connected, the first seat belt portion and the second seat belt portion are visible on a top surface of the blanket.
The blanket may be configured to be moved from a first predetermined configuration to a second predetermined configuration. The first predetermined configuration is a blanket configuration and the second predetermined configuration is a pillow configuration. The first predetermined configuration is a pillow configuration and the second predetermined configuration is a muff configuration.
The blanket may include at least one closure device. The at least one closure device positioned on the pocket or the pouch for securing an opening of the pocket or the pouch. The at least one closure device located on an upper surface of the pouch, wherein the at least one closure device is configured to secure the blanket around an object. The object is a purse strap or a luggage handle.
The pocket may be a plurality of pockets arranged in a row along the width of the blanket. The blanket portion may include a length extending between a first end and a second end; and a width extending between a third end and a fourth end. The first aperture and the second aperture may be located along the length between the pocket and the first end. The pocket may be located along the length between the first aperture and the second end. The pocket may be located along the width between the first aperture and the second aperture. The blanket may be symmetric such that opposing sides of the blanket portion are mirror images of each other.
Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention are set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description and drawings. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
The multi-functional blanket may include a travel sized blanket that is easily transported, is configured and sized for usage in travel environments such as airplane seats, has the ability to be moved between configurations such that the blanket is multi-functional and has multi-functional uses, and in-use has the advantages of holding valuables during use while allowing use with a seat belt. In one aspect, a traveling and/or seated person blanket may be used for the lap. Various implementations of the invention are contemplated. One implementation is a blanket with flanges. The blanket is capable of being transformed between various predetermined configurations, such as a pillow, blanket, muff, neck pillow, or seat cushion, etc. Another implementation is a blanket with the flanges omitted, where this blanket is also capable of being transformed between various configurations, such as a pillow, blanket, muff, neck pillow, or seat cushion, etc. Various configurations are contemplated depending up the environment for use and the user.
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The pouch 14 may include closure devices 42a, 42b. The closure devices 42a may interact with the closure devices 42b in a manner which will be described to follow. The closure devices 42a, 42b may be, for example, but not limited to a button, snap, zipper, hook and loop, clasp, pin, tie, elastic, or other closing device. Although three closure devices 42a and three closure devices 42b are depicted, it may be appreciated that more or fewer closure devices may be provided.
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It may be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that the pouch 14, pocket 12, and apertures 16 and 18 may any size, shape, orientation, or configuration. Additionally, although the blanket 10 is depicted as generally rectangular, the blanket 10 may be any shape, including, but not limited to circular, square, or oblong, etc. The blanket 10 may be shaped such that the distal end 30 and/or pouch 14 has a smaller width than a width of the proximal end 34. In this shape, one or both of sides 24 may be angled (other than 90 degrees) from one or both of the sides 22. The pocket 12 may be any shape including, but not limited to circular, square, or oblong, etc. The pocket 12 may be located on the upper surface 20 with respect to the apertures 16 and 18. The pocket 12 may be located such that when the blanket is on a user's lap, the pocket 12 is located on the lap of the user or on the legs of the user. The apertures 16 and 18 may be located such that when the blanket is on the users lap, the apertures 16 and 18 are readily accessible for threading a seat belt there through. The apertures 16 and 18 may be angled with respect to the side 22 and/or the side 24. Alternatively, the apertures 16 and 18 may be substantially parallel to the side 22 and/or the side 24.
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Although four pockets 212 are shown, more or fewer may be provided. Although the pockets are shown horizontally across the width of the blanket 200, other arrangements are contemplated. For example, the plurality of pockets may be arranged diagonally (e.g. similar to
The blanket 200 may include apertures 216, 218. The apertures 216, 218 may be the same or similar as the apertures 16, 18 of blanket 10. The apertures 16, 18 may accommodate a seat belt or safety belt as previously described. Although not visible, the blanket 200 may have a pouch as previously described. The pouch may be the pouch 14 or the pouch 114. The blanket 200 may be formed as a rectangle, similar to the blanket 100 or may be formed with flanges, such as the blanket 10.
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As may be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure, a multi-functional blanket is provided. The blanket may function as a pillow, hand warmer, muff (a cylinder for keeping hands warm), blanket for legs, or neck support. The blanket may have loops or apertures for safety belts and/or seat belts on both sides of the blanket. The blanket may include a front pocket and a pouch or pouches for feet. The blanket may be self-closing. The closure may be a button closure or a zipper closure. The blanket may function like a purse and have a strap or straps to carry the blanket. The blanket may be customized such that it matches the dimensions of the user. The blanket may be a rectangle, square, or other shape. The blanket may be shaped such that the distal end has a smaller width than the proximal end. This shape may allow the blanket to be carried and/or packed smaller and tighter. The blanket may have a button, clasp, or tie for carrying which may be located on a lower surface or upper surface of the blanket. The blanket may be formed from any number of materials, including, but not limited to fleece, cashmere, quilted fabric, polyester, cotton, sweatshirt material, etc. The pouch may be lined with a fabric to provide warmth, such as, for example, fleece. Additional heating options such as electric blanket type heating may be included. The blankets of the foregoing disclosure may be symmetric such that opposing halves or sides of the blankets are mirror images. When folded, the symmetric blanket may allow for features of the blanket to be aligned.
It may be appreciated from the foregoing disclosure that the blanket may be a lap blanket in the first predetermined configuration designed to keep a user's lower body warm. The blanket may be used by a seated user. When seated, the blanket may accommodate a user's feet and may include a pocket for storing a user's items. The apertures may allow for a seat belt to be visible even when the blanket is on the user's lap. In other predetermined configurations, the blanket may be used as a pillow, muff, hand warmer, lumbar support, neck support, or other configurations. For example, the second predetermined configuration may be the pillow of
It may be further appreciated that the foregoing disclosure alleviates the following problems:
1. Carrying Bulk/Additional Items: The blanket may fold compactly into itself. The blanket may be attached to luggage, or other item, using an opening that is created by connecting the compacted ends together. The blanket may include a pouch for feet warming which may negate the need to carry extra socks.
2. Improper arrival dress: The blanket may allow a user to maintain a warm body temperature and may negate the need to dress in layers for warmth. The user may thus dress for their destination.
3. Safety Belt Visibility: The blanket may include two openings at the top of the blanket to allow for a seat belt to be slid through in order to maintain visibility of the seat belt and safety of a seated person.
4. Storage: The blanket may include one or multiple pockets on the lap of the blanket to create a place to store a user's phone or other items to prevent them from falling in-between seats or onto the floor. In addition, this creates easy access for items you may need if traveling, for example, gum, phone, or chap stick, etc.
5. Functionality: The blanket may include additional features to provide versatility in carrying one product for multiple uses such as a pillow, blanket, neck support, lumbar support, and hand warmer.
6. Size: The blanket may be customized. The blanket may be sized and/or shaped to fit the user (waist down/width) and/or the environment (airplane seat, car seat, or wheel chair, etc.).
Although the foregoing description is directed to the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is noted that other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Moreover, features described in connection with one embodiment of the invention may be used in conjunction with other embodiments, even if not explicitly stated above.
Claims
1. A blanket comprising:
- a blanket portion;
- a pouch;
- a first aperture positioned on the blanket portion;
- a second aperture positioned on the blanket portion; and
- a pocket,
- wherein the pocket is positioned relative to the first aperture such that in a first configuration of the blanket, the pocket is located on a lap of a user.
2. The blanket of claim 1, wherein, in the first configuration, the first aperture is configured to receive a first seat belt portion and the second aperture is configured to receive a second seat belt portion, such that when the first seat belt portion and second seat belt portion are connected, the first seat belt portion and the second seat belt portion are visible on a top surface of the blanket.
3. The blanket of claim 1, wherein the blanket is configured to be moved from a first predetermined configuration to a second predetermined configuration.
4. The blanket of claim 3, wherein the first predetermined configuration is a blanket configuration and the second predetermined configuration is a pillow configuration.
5. The blanket of claim 3, wherein the first predetermined configuration is a pillow configuration and the second predetermined configuration is a muff configuration.
6. The blanket of claim 1, further comprising at least one closure device.
7. The blanket of claim 6, the at least one closure device positioned on the pocket or the pouch for securing an opening of the pocket or the pouch.
8. The blanket of claim 6, the at least one closure device located on an upper surface of the pouch, wherein the at least one closure device is configured to secure the blanket around an object.
9. The blanket of claim 8, wherein the object is a purse strap or a luggage handle.
10. The blanket of claim 1, wherein the pocket is a plurality of pockets arranged in a row along a width of the blanket.
11. The blanket of claim 1, the blanket portion further comprising a length extending between a first end and a second end; and a width extending between a third end and a fourth end.
12. The blanket of claim 11, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are located along the length between the pocket and the first end.
13. The blanket of claim 11, wherein the pocket is located along the length between the first aperture and the second end.
14. The blanket of claim 13, wherein the pocket is located along the width between the first aperture and the second aperture.
15. The blanket of claim 1, wherein the blanket is symmetric such that opposing sides of the blanket portion are mirror images of each other.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 18, 2018
Publication Date: Apr 18, 2019
Inventor: Kristina ANDERSON (Alexandria, VA)
Application Number: 16/164,642