U.S. patent application number 11/264682 was filed with the patent office on 2006-07-06 for wearable towel.
This patent application is currently assigned to Geetu PATHAK. Invention is credited to Roanie I. Levy, Geetu Pathak.
Application Number | 20060143769 11/264682 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36283154 |
Filed Date | 2006-07-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060143769 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pathak; Geetu ; et
al. |
July 6, 2006 |
Wearable towel
Abstract
There is provided an article adapted for wearing by a user while
giving and removing an infant, individual or animal from a bath.
The article has a body portion made from a flexible, fabric-based
material capable of absorbing water. The body portion includes an
upper portion that comprises a left upper portion and a right upper
portion. There is an opening defined within the upper portion and
which is adapted to allow the user to slip her head through the
opening and thereby wear the article. The opening also defines a
loop portion that rests around the back of the user's neck when the
user wears the article. When the user wears the article, the left
upper portion and the right upper portion rest on the respective
shoulders of the user, thereby permitting the user to wear the
article without having the article hang only from the user's neck,
and distributing the weight of the article across the shoulders of
the user.
Inventors: |
Pathak; Geetu; (Toronto,
CA) ; Levy; Roanie I.; (Toronto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KILYK & BOWERSOX, P.L.L.C.
400 HOLIDAY COURT
SUITE 102
WARRENTON
VA
20186
US
|
Assignee: |
PATHAK; Geetu
Toronto
CA
|
Family ID: |
36283154 |
Appl. No.: |
11/264682 |
Filed: |
November 1, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60623630 |
Nov 1, 2004 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/48 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/048 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/04 20060101
A41D013/04; A41B 13/10 20060101 A41B013/10 |
Claims
1. An article adapted for wearing by a user while giving and
removing an infant, individual or animal from a bath, said article
comprising: (a) a body portion made from a flexible, fabric-based
material capable of absorbing water; (b) the body portion having an
upper portion which comprises a left upper portion and a right
upper portion; (c) an opening defined within the upper portion and
adapted to allow the user to slip her head through the opening and
thereby wear the article; (d) the opening defining a loop portion
that rests around the back of the user's neck when the article is
worn by the user; and (e) the left upper portion and the right
upper portion rest on the respective shoulders of the user when the
article is worn by the user, thereby permitting the user to wear
the article without having the article hang only from the user's
neck, and distributing the weight of the article across the
shoulders of the user.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the body portion has a width
sufficient to allow the user to wrap the body portion around the
infant, individual or animal.
3. The article of claim 2, wherein one of the left upper portion or
the right upper portion comprises a hood adapted for covering the
head of the infant.
4. The article of claim 1, wherein the loop portion has two
cooperating ends, and fasteners are provided on the two cooperating
ends to allow the user to releasably fasten the two ends
together.
5. The article of claim 4, wherein the fasteners comprise hook and
loop fasteners, snaps or clips.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable article in the
form of a towel useful in bathing infants, young children and other
individuals needing assistance to bathe, and in bathing domestic
animals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Washing or bathing an infant, individuals needing assistance
to bathe, and domestic animals can be difficult. An adult must
supervise and assist with the bathing. Once bathing is completed,
the adult delicately and quickly removes the infant from the bath
receptacle, or assists the individual needing assistance to bathe
or the domestic animal in leaving the bathing area. A drying towel
must be within easy reach of the adult so that the infant,
individual or animal can be dried. In the case of an infant, the
adult caregiver must hold the towel first and simultaneously pick
up the infant and wrap the infant with the towel.
[0003] In light of the drawbacks with using conventional bath
towels, there exists the need for a bath towel that can be worn by
the adult caregiver thereby freeing the adult's hands. A wearable
towel would be advantageous as the infant can be picked up and
wrapped in the towel quickly and easily in an uninterrupted,
continuous motion.
[0004] Numerous designs for towel designs are disclosed in the
prior art. Examples of these towel designs are shown in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,075,901, issued on Dec. 31, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,102,
issued on Dec. 16, 1997; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,021, issued on
Jan. 5, 1999. However, these towel designs suffer from several
drawbacks. U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,367 issued Jan. 14, 2003 discloses a
bath towel that may be worn by an adult during and after bathing an
infant or small child. The towel has a releasable, fixed or elastic
neck strap attached to the top end of the towel, a lower end that
may be pulled up and over the infant and a surface area adapted for
substantially covering the lap and torso area of an adult in order
to keep the adult user dry. The towel also includes wrap fasteners
affixed to the towel for securing the lower end of the towel to
another section of the towel proximal the strap edge. A major
drawback is that this towel is worn by the user as an apron and is
not comfortable for the user because the entire weight of the wet
towel is supported by the user's neck. The towel does not cover or
rest the shoulders of the user, and this towel requires that the
infant be held and dried in the horizontal position, which may not
be comfortable for the infant.
[0005] There, therefore, remains a need to provide an article that
can be worn by a user while giving and removing an infant,
individual or animal from a bath and that is comfortable to
wear.
[0006] The disclosures of all patents/applications referenced
herein are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides an article adapted for
wearing by a user while giving and removing an infant, individual
or animal from a bath, said article comprising: [0008] a. a body
portion made from a flexible, fabric-based material capable of
absorbing water; [0009] b. the body portion having an upper portion
which comprises a left upper portion and a right upper portion;
[0010] c. an opening defined within the upper portion and adapted
to allow the user to slip her head through the opening and thereby
wear the article; [0011] d. the opening defining a loop portion
that rests around the back of the user's neck when the article is
worn by the user; and [0012] e. the left upper portion and the
right upper portion rest on the respective shoulders of the user
when the article is worn by the user, [0013] thereby permitting the
user to wear the article without having the article hang only from
the user's neck, and distributing the weight of the article across
the shoulders of the user.
[0014] Numerous other objectives, advantages and features of the
process will also become apparent to the person skilled in the art
upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments
and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like
numerals refer to the same parts in the several views and in
which:
[0016] FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the article of the
present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a user of the article of FIG. 1
holding and drying an infant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now
be described with reference to the accompanying figures.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the article 10 comprises a main body
portion 12 preferably made of a flexible, fabric that is capable of
absorbing water. The article 10 includes an upper portion 14 and a
lower portion 16. An opening 18 is defined in the upper portion 14.
The opening 18 may include an elastic material around its edges 19
and is adapted to allow a user's head to fit within the opening 18
so that the article 10 may be worn by the user. A loop portion 20
is also present in the upper portion, resulting from the opening 18
in the upper portion. The loop portion 20 is adapted to fit around
the back of a user's neck when the article 10 is worn by the
user.
[0020] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the loop portion 20 is shown as
having two ends 21 and 23. Fasteners 25, such as hook and loop
fasteners sold as VELCRO.RTM., snaps, clips, and the like, may be
used to allow the user to releasably fasten the two ends 21 and 23
together. Alternatively, the loop portion 20 is continuous so that
the user simply slips her head through the opening 18.
[0021] The opening 18 within the upper portion 14 is located such
that the left upper portion 22 and the right upper portion 24 sit
on and over the respective shoulders of a user when the article 10
is worn by the user. In other words, the article 10 does not simply
hang from the user's neck as a typical apron does, but instead the
upper portion 14 rests on the shoulders, thereby distributing the
weight of the wet towel across the shoulders of the user, thus
making it more comfortable for the user to wear.
[0022] With reference to FIG. 2, the article 10 is therefore worn
by a user 26 bathing another individual, such as an infant 28, or
animal. The article 10 allows the hands of the user 26 to remain
free to bathe and pick up the individual, infant 28 or animal, and
also to dry the other individual, infant 28 or animal after the
bathing. The article 10 is worn around the neck of the user 26 and
the upper portion 14 of the article 10 rests on the shoulders of
the user 26 so that the user's arms are free at all times to bathe
the other individual, infant 28 or animal, to pick up and remove
from the bath the individual, infant 28 or animal and to wrap and
dry the individual, infant 28 or animal with the article 10. Once
the individual, infant 28 or animal is dry, the user 26 can remove
the article 10 pulling the article 10 over the user's head 30 or by
releasing the fasteners 25 while keeping the individual, infant 28
or animal wrapped at all times.
[0023] As better seen in FIG. 1 article 10 is generally shaped as a
large bib. The article 10 is worn around the neck 30 of the user 26
bathing the infant 28. By being worn around the neck 30, it keeps
the user's hands free and available to bathe the infant 28 and then
to remove from the bath and to dry the infant 28 with the said
article. The body portion 12 of the article 10 generally serves two
purposes: (i) it is used to keep the user 26 dry, including the
user's shoulders, during the bathing process, and (ii) it is used
to wrap around and dry the individual, infant 28 or animal being
bathed. The body portion 12 can be of varying dimension depending
on the size of the individual, infant 28 or animal being bathed.
The upper portion 14 of the article 10 is shaped in such a way as
to rest securely on the shoulders of the user 26. The body portion
12 of the article 10 should preferably be large enough to protect
the clothing of an adult user from getting wet while bathing the
individual, infant 28 or animal. The body portion 12 may also
include a hood 32, for example located at one of the left upper
portion 22 or right upper portion 24, that can be applied on the
head of the infant 28 or animal for drying.
[0024] Although the present invention has been shown and described
with respect to its preferred embodiments and in the examples, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that other changes,
modifications, additions and omissions may be made without
departing from the substance and the scope of the present invention
as defined by the attached claims.
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