GB2480878A - Wearable towel - Google Patents

Abstract

A towel comprises a pair of straps 1 attached to one of the longer edges of the towel to enable the user to put their arms through the straps so that the towel hangs from their shoulders and does not fall down while they dry themselves or carry out other activities. The towel may have one or more button or hook fastenings 2 to fasten one open side of the towel over the other side to hold the towel in place across the front of the body. The towel may have a length of towelling or other fabric 3 akin to a belt attached to the towel or slotted through one or more loops to the middle of the towel for use to dry between the toes of the user and/or for further holding the towel in place around the body.

Description

Patent Specification

Description

Title Towel with improved functionality This invention provides a solution to difficulties experienced when drying oneself with a conventional towel. A conventional towel will fall down from the body during the process of drying oneself, unless it is either held up with one or both hands of the user or by the user tucking or securing the towel firmly across their chest or waist. A conventional towel does not serve you well if you wish to pause during the drying process nor if for example you wish to have a towel around you when in a sauna or steam room or if you wish to keep towel round you when applying moisturiser/body lotion to arms/legs. If you tuck a conventional towel across the chest or waist this involves wrapping the towel firmly or even tightly around the body which significantly reduces air circulation to the skin. This is also the case if the towel is fitted with Velcro or similar mechanism to secure it in place when wrapped or tucked, as that holds the towel firmly or even tightly over the chest reducing air circulation and in any event such Velcro fastening is not completely reliable. Also a conventional towel lacks any specific way of drying between ones toes: if the user dries in between their toes with the same towel they have been using for their body they must have ceased using it for their body and have put on a dressing gown or clothes or be naked when drying in between the toes, or if they keep their towel tucked around them then they need to use a second towel to deal with their toes. In either case the towel itself is not of the shape and size to deal easily with the spaces between the toes. These difficulties are solved by the present invention.

An example of the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4.

Figure 1 shows how the present invention enables the towel to hang securely yet loosely on the body by means of shoulder straps [1] and to be held in place across the front by one or more button fastenings [2] together with a length of towelling or other fabric akin to a belt [3] which provide significantly enhanced functionality for the towel as a drying tool.

Figure 2 shows how the pair of straps are attached to one of the long sides of the towel [4] these straps being positioned to allow the user to place one arm through one of the straps and the other arm through the other strap so that the towel hangs loosely from the shoulders down around the back of the body held up by the shoulder straps with the two shorter sides of the towel open. The shoulder straps are attached to the towel edge by neat stitching [5]. The position of the straps are set some distance apart to accommodate comfortable use by persons of a range of build. The length of the shoulder strap preferably may be adjustable, by a mechanism similar to braces/or bra strap [6] so that the straps can be set at a comfortable length according to the user's own body size. The length of towelling or other fabric akin to a belt is attached to the towel by stitching at the centre of the back of the towel [7] and/or by loops at the sides [8].

Figure 3 shows how the user can thereby carry on the drying process with the towel hanging by the shoulder straps by moving the open sides of the towel across the body and limbs without risk of dropping the towel or the towel falling. The shoulder straps take the weight of the towel reducing the strain on the user's arms and hands making the drying process more relaxed and the process of applying moisturiser/lotion easier. The looseness of the towel hanging from the shoulders allows better air circulation to the skin while carrying out drying. The user may pause during the drying process for example to carry out another activity in the bathroom while keeping the towel loosely on the body by means of the straps, and can then resume the drying process. With a conventional towel when one pauses one wraps the towel and tucks it in across the chest but such tucking method can come apart and so can fall down or even if secured using Velcro or such like, there is a loss of air circulation leading to discomfort.

The present invention proposes one or more button fastenings to the towel as well as the shoulder straps. Figure 1 shows how the user may fasten one open flap of the towel over the other flap so that the towel is held in place across the front of the body. This is looser than conventional tucking or securing by for example Velcro so the present invention maintains air circulation to the skin of the body aswell as keeping the towel in place around the body, while the user pauses during the drying process or for example sits in a steam room or sauna.

The present invention proposes a length of towelling or other fabric akin to a belt which has a combination of uses. Figure 1 shows how it can be used like a belt to secure the towel more firmly around the body when pausing for a longer period during the drying process to carry out another activity. In addition Figure 4 shows how the length of towelling which is incorporated with the main towel akin to a belt is readily available to be used to dry in between the toes while the towel remains upon the body of the user by means of the shoulder straps.

Claims (3)

1. Claims 1. A towel which has a pair of straps attached to one of the longer edges of the towel to enable the user to put their arms through the straps so that the towel hangs from their shoulders and so does not fall down while they dry themselves or carry out other activities.
2. 2. A towel with straps according to claim I in which the towel has one or more button or hook fastenings enabling the user to fasten one open flap of the shorter side of the towel over the other side to hold the towel in place across the front of the user's body.
3. 3. A towel with straps according to claim 1 in which the towel has a length of towelling or other fabric akin to a belt attached to or slotted through one or more loops on the towel for use to dry between the toes of the user and/or for further holding the towel in place around the body.