U.S. patent application number 12/352599 was filed with the patent office on 2010-07-15 for hygiene gym sports towel.
Invention is credited to Terry Morris Morris.
Application Number | 20100178821 12/352599 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42319393 |
Filed Date | 2010-07-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100178821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Morris; Terry Morris |
July 15, 2010 |
Hygiene Gym Sports Towel
Abstract
A towel with a non-skid, antimicrobial, polyester mesh material
(nylon PVC) backing affixed to the back of the towel for a person
exercising or weight training at the gym. The non-skid
antimicrobial side of the towel, protects the person from the
spread of germs. The antimicrobial side of the towel acts like a
barrier from the person and the exercise apparatus during usage.
The towel is used to protect the person from the germs at the gym
as well as use to wipe sweat from the body. The towel is comprised
of two distinctive sides. Top side of the towel is made of a terry
cloth material or other soft micro-fiber material. The bottom side
of the towel contains the non-skid backing that helps keep the
towel in place and allows the person to distinguish the side of the
towel that lays on the exercise apparatus. The back also has Velcro
closure strips across the top and approximately 4 inches down from
the top. This offers the versatility of the towel to be able of
wrapping over or hanging onto a bench or upright exercise machine
with the use of Velcro on the top back side of the towel. Towel
could also be used in the locker or a sauna to allow the person to
use it to sit on instead of sitting directly on the bench or the
seats. The towel will be in a rectangular size either in the size
of a hand towel or the size of a full size towel.
Inventors: |
Morris; Terry Morris;
(Wheatley Heights, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Terry Morris
66 Willow Street
Wheatley Heights
NY
11798
US
|
Family ID: |
42319393 |
Appl. No.: |
12/352599 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
442/1 ;
24/442 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/27 20150115;
Y10T 442/10 20150401; A47K 10/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
442/1 ;
24/442 |
International
Class: |
D03D 9/00 20060101
D03D009/00; A44B 18/00 20060101 A44B018/00 |
Claims
1. A towel comprising: a. A sheet having a top surface and a bottom
surface; b. A flat, non-skid, antimicrobial, polyester mesh (e.g.
vinyl) attached to said towel on said bottom surface; wherein said
backing substantially covers said bottom surface of said sheet.
2. The towel as recited in claim 1, wherein said sheet is comprised
of a cotton terry material.
3. The towel as recited in claim 1, wherein said polyester mesh
(e.g. vinyl) is comprised of nylon.
4. The towel as recited in claim 1, wherein said polyester mesh is
attached to said sheet by stitching.
5. The towel as recited in claim 4 wherein said stitching holds
said polyester mesh to said bottom surface of said sheet by
stitching.
6. The towel as recited in claim 4 wherein said stitching holds
said polyester mesh to said bottom surface of said sheet such that
the polyester mesh will allow the towel not to slip onto the
floor.
7. The towel as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one layer of
nylon mesh covers said bottom surface.
8. The towel as recited in claim 1, wherein said top surface is
comprised of soft fabric loops.
9. The towel as recited in claim 1, wherein said sheet has Velcro
closures attached to the bottom surface.
10. The towel as recited in claim 9, wherein said Velcro is
attached to bottom surface is attached to top corners of sheet and
approx 4'' down from top.
11. The towel as recited in claim 10, wherein said Velcro fasteners
are 2 strips affixed to the top corners of sheet.
12. The Velcro fasteners as recited in claim 11, wherein said
Velcro in alternating mating position to allow the towel to close
vertically and horizontally.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional applications
No. 61/-1-,770 filed on Jan. 11, 2008, the entire disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to towels and more
specifically relates to hygienic towels.
[0003] People who work out at the gym should use a towel when they
are using exercise equipment to reduce the spread of fungal
infections. They gym contains millions of germs. There are millions
and millions of germs on the human skin. When anyone sweats, these
germs come pouring off. Therefore, when a person uses exercise
equipment in the gym, they are leaving behind germs. Since an
exercise apparatus is continuously used by a variety of persons,
the possibility of germs on a machine is likely. One recommended
method of avoiding germs at the gym would be for a person to
utilize an exercise towel to protect themselves from the germs.
[0004] It was observed that persons in the gym are completely
focused on their workout regimen and not on the usage of their
towel. Many individuals will utilize one side of their towel to
wipe the sweat from their face or body and then place the towel on
the exercise apparatus, not knowing exactly which side was
previously placed on the exercise apparatus and, therefore, may be
using the side with the germs.
[0005] A second observation was that, when a person uses a seated
exercise apparatus with an ordinary towel and places their towel on
the back of the seated bench, the towel slides to the bottom of the
equipment thus exposing the individual to the germs on the machine
if they are unaware of the towel falling. The towel sometimes even
falls onto the dirty floor, where the individual will pick up the
towel and not become aware of which side was previously in contact
with the germy exercise apparatus. As a result, this causes the
person to be exposed to the germs from the machine or previous
machines during their workout regimen.
[0006] It has been a practice for a person who visits the gym and
alike or who exercises carries with him/her an ordinary household
towel to wipe perspiration. It becomes a health concern when the
individual places the towel on the exercise apparatus and, not
knowing which side was placed on the equipment, the individual uses
the side of the towel that comes into contact with the germs. To
avoid the spread of germs, it is necessary that the person uses the
proper side of the towel and use a towel as a barrier on the
machines. Also, to avoid a person from coming in contact with the
bench-like exercise machines during his workout, when the towel
slides down the back of the machine or falls off the machine, it is
necessary to provide a towel that will stay in place during the
workout on the machines.
[0007] Prior art reveals the need for a towel specifically designed
to stay on the machines and has the versatility to be used on a
bench like exercize apparatus and an upright apparatus and allow
the person to use the side of the towel that was not in contact
with the machines in order to prevent the transfer of germs onto
his body. U.S. Published Pat. Application No. 2006/0105138
discloses a large towel cover that provides a conforming snug fit
over the exercise apparatus. This towel has elastic borders to
prevent the towel from moving and slipping off the equipment. U.S.
Pat. No. 6,186,155 discloses a spa towel divided by color into
sections, where one portion is used to remove perspiration from the
user's face/body while another portion of the towel is used to
remove perspiration from the fitness machine. U.S. Pat. No.
7,069,607 discloses a towel that includes a liquid-absorbing base
layer and a plurality of discontinuously positioned raised
projections projected away from the base layer of the towel. This
towel is used for stability on a surface (any type of flooring
material, table or other furniture, the ground or any other type of
supporting surface) that can become slick or slippery when moisture
is introduced onto the surface. U.S. Published Pat. Application No.
2006/01089463 discloses an exercise towel for storing at lease one
personal item and comprises a main body, a sleeve portion and at
one pocket. The sleeve portion fits over the main body of the
exercise apparatus for use during workout.
[0008] The hygiene towel of the present invention differs from the
towels described in the above patents and published applications as
a result of the non-skid, antimicrobial backing that stops bacteria
and thus aids in the prevention of germs spreading and the
horizontal and vertical Velcro mating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a towel having an absorbent
material used as the front base (side) with a non-skid,
antimicrobial, polyester mesh material (or covered with a PVC or
vinyl material or any other type of material that acts like a
bacteria barrier backing) affixed to the back of the towel for a
person exercising or weight training at the gym. The non-skid
antimicrobial component of the backing helps stop mold and bacteria
from spreading, thus protecting the person from the spread of
germs. The non-skid antimicrobial side of the towel comes in
contact with the exercise apparatus and thus comes in direct
contact with the germs. The towel is used to protect the person
from the germs at the gym as well as used to wipe perspiration from
the person's body.
[0010] This towel can be used on various exercise apparatus' as a
barrier between the person and the equipment. The towel is
comprised of two distinctive sides. The top side of the towel is
made of a terry cloth material or other absorbent or soft
micro-fiber material. The bottom side of the towel contains the
non-skid backing that helps keep the towel in place and allows the
person to distinguish the side of the towel that comes in contact
with the exercise apparatus. On the back of the towel, preferably
top left and right corners of the towel on top of the backing, will
contain 2 vertical strips of Velcro fasteners (one Velcro fastener
on each side) and 2 vertical strips of Velcro fasteners along the
side edges (approximately four inches down from the top). This
offers the versatility of hooking or hanging the towel onto a bench
or uprights exercise apparatus with the se of the Velcro
fasteners.
[0011] The towel could also be used in he locker or a sauna for the
person to use by sitting on it instead of sitting directly on the
bench or the seats. The towel will be preferably in a rectangular
shape, and either in the size of a hand towel or the size of a full
length towel.
[0012] The towel is completely machine washable, making it easy to
clean after each use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of the hygiene gym towel and the
absorbent material thereon formed in accordance with the present
invention
[0014] FIG. 2 is a back view of the hygiene gym towel formed in
accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hygiene gym towel formed
in accordance with the present invention in it's horizontally
folded orientation.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side view of the hygiene gym towel formed in
accordance with the present invention in it's horizontally folded
orientation.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hygiene gym towel formed
in accordance with the present invention in it's vertically folded
orientation.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hygiene gym towel lying
flat with polyester mesh side faced down and the soft terry side on
top.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems
such as the confusion as to which side of the towel to use for the
exerciser's face and body and which side touches the machine, and
the problem of the towel sliding onto the floor down the back of
the machine and the placement of the towel on an upright
machine.
[0020] The present invention provides a towel to use for the gym or
any other workout facility that will protect the person from the
germs on the machines, as well as a device to use to wipe
perspiration from the face and body. The invention has a top layer
(FIG. 1) made of a terry cloth material or of any other material
that absorbs sweat or perspiration from the face/body. The
invention also has a bottom (base) layer (FIG. 2) made of a smooth
flat, non-skid, non-adhesive, antimicrobial polyester or vinyl
material (or any other similar material) that is sewn (or affixed
in any other manner such as glued, tacked, stapled, etc.) to the
top layer (FIG. 1) of the material. The non-skid backing is
preferably attached to one side of the terry cloth layer (FIG. 1)
covering the entire back of the towel. The non-skid backing (FIG.
6) is preferably sewn or affixed around the edges with the terry
hem covering the edges of the backing material.
[0021] The back portion of the towel utilizes Velcro hook and loop
fasteners to secure the towel in a plurality of orientations. Two
vertical fasteners, a left vertical fastener 7 and a right vertical
fastener 8, are secured to the upper end of the towel, preferably
1/2'' from the top edge of the towel (FIG. 1). The top vertical
fasteners are preferably four inches in length. The left fastener 7
(that is, on the left side when viewing FIG. 2) is preferably the
hook mating section and the right fastener 8 is preferably the loop
mating section. Two vertical Velcro fasteners, a left vertical
fastener 9 and a right vertical fastener 10, are secured towards
the left and right edges, respectively, of the upper end of the
towel (FIG. 1). The vertical fasteners 9, 10 are preferably about
four inches from the top edge of the towel (FIG. 1). The left
vertical fastener 9 is preferably the loop mating section and the
right vertical fastener 10 is preferably the hook mating section.
The Velcro fasteners 7, 8, 9, 10 may be affixed to the towel (FIG.
1) by sewing, gluing, taping, stapling or any other way known to
affix such to a fabric material.
[0022] The specific orientation and placement of the hook and loop
mating sections allow the towel to be folded in multiple
orientations. For example, the towel may be folded horizontally
(FIG. 3) along the short axis of the towel and the left vertical
fastener (hook) 7 will mate with the left vertical fastener (look)
9 and the right vertical fastener (loop) 8 will mate with the right
vertical fastener (hook) 10. Contrastingly, the towel may be folded
vertically (FIG. 5) along the long axis of the towel and the left
vertical fastener (hook) 7 will mate with the right horizontal
fastener (loop) 8 and the left vertical fastener (loop) 9 will mate
with the right vertical fastener (hook) 10. In the horizontal
folding orientation, the towel 2 may be secured to a bench-type
exercise apparatus, where the towel is fitted over the top portion
of the bench, providing a double secure fit when folded over
horizontally and then fitted securely over the back of any bench
like exercise apparatus (11). Also, in the vertical folding
orientation, where at least the top left and right Velcro fasteners
7, 8, are secured together, the towel (FIG. 1) may be secured about
the arm or handle (12) of an exercise apparatus, such as where it
is wrapped around the bar of a treadmill or upright standing
exercise machine or any machine that has a pole or pipe-like
structure.
[0023] The towel preferably will be approximately 16
inches.times.27 inches (but can be in a longer length for use in
the locker room and in the sauna). The towel also may be placed on
a dry surface and will not skid. In the disengaged state, when the
Velcro fasteners are not mated, the towel (FIG. 1) of the present
invention may be laid flat (FIG. 6) on an exercise apparatus.
[0024] The fabric used for the top layer (FIG. 1) can be of high
quality or regular terry cloth material that is absorbent, light
weight and quick drying. A micro-fiber material could be used. The
towel (FIG. 1) may also be treated with a chemical (e.g.,
Silverion.RTM. disinfectant) that will combat the spread of
infection, retard oders and wash cleaner than a conventional towel.
This antimicrobial protection is preferably permanent and stands up
against harsh commercial laundering. This is an added benefit to
protect the person from the spread of germs. This Silverion.RTM.
disinfectant combats the spread of infection and inhibits the
growth of bacteria. Also, the chemical Silverion.RTM. controls the
order in the towel.
[0025] Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention
have been described herein with reference to the accompanying
drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and
modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art
without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
What is Featured is:
[0026] An exercise towel that consists of a base layer and an upper
layer. The upper layer of the towel is made of an absorbent terry
cloth towel like material to absorb perspiration and wipe sweat
from the face and body. The upper layer of the towel could also be
treated with a chemical (e.g., Silverion.RTM. disinfectant) which
also aids in combating the spread of infection, and retards odor
and the growth of bacteria.
[0027] The base layer of the towel contains a flat, level,
non-skid, antimicrobial, polyester mesh (e.g., vinyl) material
backing hat is sewn (or glued, stapled, taped or any other means to
affix to the back) along the side and bottom edges of the upper
layer portion of the towel. The side and bottom edges may contain a
hem that overlaps the base layer material. The top side of the
backing material will be sewn approximately one to about seven
inches from the top of the towel. The backing material will be sewn
across the top edge, together with the terry cloth (upper layer) of
the towel. This material keeps the towel from slipping, sliding or
falling off the machine. The antimicrobial material also aids in
stopping the growth of bacteria, thus creating a barrier from the
individual and the exercise apparatus.
[0028] The towel will preferably include four Velcro fastening
strips. The Velcro fastening strips allows versatility in ways to
keep towel on the machine. The strips allow the towel to attach to
a machine that is upright as well as to a bench of a bench-type
exercise machine and give the towel the versatility to lay flat.
With the use of the Velcro fastening strips, the towel can be
folded over as well as wrapped around a machine.
[0029] The Velcro fasteners are preferably two four inch strips
horizontally affixed to the upper portion of the back of the terry
cloth material (o any other type of material used). The four inch
hook portion of the Velcro fasteners will be affixed (glued, taped,
stapled, sewn or any other means to attach) on the upper right
side, of the back of the terry cloth material.
[0030] Preferably, two two inch strips of Velcro fasteners are
vertically affixed on the back of the towel about four to about six
inches from the top and close to the edge of the back of the terry
cloth material (or any other type of material used). The two inch
hoop portion of the Velcro fasteners will be affixed (glued, taped,
stapled, sewn or any other means to attach) on the back left side
on top of the non-skid backing and the two inch loop portion of the
Velcro fasteners will be affixed vertically (glued, taped, stapled,
sewn or any other means to attach) on the back right side on top of
the terry cloth material.
* * * * *