Abstract:
A weighted towel with handles manufactured from an absorbent material having weights near or at one end which allows a person with limited mobility, dexterity or range of motion to have the ability to dry himself; the end having hook and loop fasteners which attach and allow the end to wrap around a body extremity to dry areas of a limb which are difficult to reach or touch, where the weights are heavy material enclosed in a tough, flexible bag that allows the weight to conform to the limb, or the foot and toes when pressed against.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/780,215 filed Mar. 13, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable. 
     APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The art of the present invention relates to towels for drying in general and more particularly to a weighted towel having one or more handles at one end or in the middle portion which allows persons having limited mobility or range of motion to perform a drying motion with a minimum of assistance from others or with no assistance. 
     Towels utilized for drying are well known in the art. Presently, said towels are typically manufactured from a terrycloth material having a rectangular form or outline which is also absorbent to water and other liquids. U.S. Pat. No. 6,849,055 discloses a towel having ribs for drying the back using opposing handles and the user must use both hands to move the towel up and down along the back to dry it. U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,618 discloses a beach towel that has weights around the towel perimeter to prevent the towel from being blown on the beach. 
     The present art provides a towel with weights, and in an alternative embodiment, with handles at one end or position which allows a person having limited mobility or range of motion to effectively dry portions of the body, especially the limb extremities and back. The present art uniquely provides a towel having one or more top end handles or the middle portion and a bottom end weighted portion which allows a person to reach and dry his back or his extremities such as legs and arms. The towel does not have opposing handles that require the use of two hands to provide a drying movement. The bottom end weighted portion allows positive contact with the person&#39;s body with the use of only one hand or both hands positioned together. The bottom end, via the action of gravity, is extended to the lower portion of the back or a limb even though the user cannot reach to the lower portion with his hand. 
     An embodiment of the present invention has hook and loop fasteners near the bottom end which cause the towel to conform and wrap around the person&#39;s limb while performing the drying process when the towel is draped over the leg or other extremity. In another embodiment, a pair of magnets or a magnet and a ferrous metal portion is positioned near the bottom end which cause the towel to conform and wrap around the person&#39;s limb while performing the drying process. These embodiments allow the back of the leg or other extremity to be easily dried. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a weighted towel with handles having one or more handles at a top end or central portion and one or more weights at a bottom or top end which allows a person to dry a portion of the body while having limited mobility or reach. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a weighted towel with handles at one position on the towel that allow a person with mobility impairment to have more independence without continually relying on another person for help with drying portions of the body. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a weighted towel with handles having one or more hook and loop fasteners at a bottom end or top end that naturally contact when the towel is placed around the leg or other extremity and allows a person to dry the back portion of said limb. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment represents a weighted towel with handles comprising a towel, one or more handles at a top end, and one or more weights at a bottom end. Another preferred has weights on the bottom end and one or more handles within the middle portion of the towel, which allows a person more flexibility in drying the extremities. The natural drape formed as a result of the weight allows the towel to wrap around the extremity. When the towel is held by the handle in the central portion, the unweighted top of the towel acts as a lap covering while the weighted end of the towel wraps around the leg or other extremity. The handles are located in one position on the towel and the towel does not have opposing handles. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the towel has hook and loop fasteners proximate to the weights, on the same side of the towel, so that when the towel is wrapped around a limb, the fasteners attach, creating a loop that enhances the drying of the limb. A fastener at a left side near or at the bottom end in conjunction with a fastener on the right side near or at the bottom end conform and hold the towel around the limb to be dried. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic attachment at the bottom end allows the towel to wrap around the leg or limb of the user. 
     For all embodiments, the weights and/or magnet(s) are preferably held in pouches near the end where placed. Preferably said pouches are formed from via rolling over and attaching a towel end to form a pouch structure. Also for the preferred embodiment, a strip of hook and loop fasteners are placed near the open ends of said pouches and allow the weight(s) or magnet(s) to be enclosed in the pouch when the fastener is closed and to be removed prior to laundering. Alternative embodiments may utilize a plurality of fastener techniques including but not limited to snaps, buttons, hooks, or latches. 
     The present invention may be manufactured from a plurality of materials including but not limited to a plurality of moisture absorbent cloths, absorbent polymers, or other flexible materials. The weights are of a dense material such as metallic iron or lead, preferably pelletized, or sand, and placed within one or more protective weight bags which fit within the pouches. The magnets can take a plurality of forms including but not limited to rectangular, cubic, circular, conical, or elliptical. Preferably said magnets are manufactured from a neodymium material known for its high remnant magnetic flux but may be manufactured from a plurality of materials including but not limited to ferrites, alloys, or simply iron. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances, various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention; therefore the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, like reference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or near identical structural elements. 
         FIG. 1 a    is a front side plan view of an embodiment of the weighted towel of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1 b    is a front side plan view of an embodiment of the weighted towel with handles showing two slot type handles. 
         FIG. 2  is a right front perspective view thereof showing a weight removed from a pouch near a bottom end. 
         FIG. 3  is a first alternative embodiment of the art of  FIG. 1  with a multiple loop type handle. 
         FIG. 4  is a second alternative embodiment with a single handle or grip. 
         FIG. 5 a    is a third alternative embodiment with handles in the central position and weights at both the top and bottom ends. 
         FIG. 5 b    is another embodiment with handles in the central position and weights at the bottom end. The top end is unweighted. 
         FIG. 6 a    is an enlarged view of a bottom end right side embodiment having magnets and showing placement of the magnets. 
         FIG. 6 b    is an enlarged view of a bottom end embodiment having hook and loop fasteners. 
         FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of a person using the present invention with hook and loop fasteners to dry his leg. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of a weighted foot towel. 
     
    
    
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1 a    preferred embodiment of the weighted towel  10  with weights at the bottom end  20  and the center portion  36  and the top end  12  are un-weighted. In  FIGS. 1 b   ,  2 ,  3  and  4  are additional preferred embodiments of the weighted towel  10  with handles  16 .  FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    show a preferred embodiment of the weighted towel with handles  38  in the center portion  36 .  FIG. 5 a    has weights at the bottom end  20  and the top end  12  with the center portion  36  un-weighted.  FIG. 5 b    shows weights at the bottom end  20  and an un-weighted top end  12 . In  FIG. 6 a    is an enlarged view of the magnetic portion  30  which may be utilized with all embodiments. In  FIG. 6 b    is an enlarged view of the hook and loop corner fasteners  40 , which may be utilized with all embodiments. The apparatus  10  allows a user to quickly and easily dry the legs, back, or other body portions even when the user has limited use of one or more hands and arms, or a limited range of motion. The handles are located at one position on the towel and the towel does not have opposing handles to create a drying motion. 
     For all embodiments, the apparatus  10  is preferably formed into a towel shape from a flexible absorbent material  11 . The shape is preferably of a conventional rectangular towel shape but may take a plurality of forms in alternative embodiments including but not limited to circular, square, elliptical, triangular, or any polygonal form. Also for all embodiments, the apparatus  10  has a top end  12 , a bottom end  20 , a left side  32 , a right side  34 , end corners  21  and a central portion  36 . 
     For the preferred embodiment, the apparatus  10  has two slot  16  handles near or at a top end  12  and one or more weights  26  forming a weighted portion  22  near or at a bottom end  20 . For the preferred embodiment, the weights  26  are placed within one or more pouches  24  formed at said bottom end  20  by rolling over the towel material  11  and attaching the material  11  together via sewing, adhesives, snaps, hook and loop fasteners or other accepted means of joining fabric at the material attachment area  23 . Preferably, the weights  26  are formed from a dense pelletized material such as iron, lead or sand which is housed or placed in protective weight bags  28  prior to placement within said pouches  24 . The preferred material is sand, because it provides a comfortable cushion when rubbed against, and when a foot is pressed against the weight, the sand allows the pouch  24  to conform to the foot and toes, effectively drying between the toes. 
     The preferred weight bags  28  are made from low density polyethylene film which is flexible and resilient, further enhancing the drying effectiveness of the towel. The film is of sufficient thickness to enclose and protect the enclosed material. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the film is at least 2 mil. In a more preferred embodiment the thickness of the film is from 2 to 6 mil thick. Optionally, the bag  28  is enclosed in a second bag to further strengthen the enclosure. The second bag can be a poly tubing plastic which is sealed on both ends. In a preferred embodiment the thickness of the film of the poly tubing is from 2 to 6 mil thick. The weight bags are strong enough not to tear or rupture if the full weight of the user is placed on the bag, yet flexible enough that when a foot is pressed on it, the bag and pouch conform to the foot and effectively dry between the toes. 
     Alternative embodiments may utilize solid weights or weights attached directly with the material  11  without the pouches  24 . Preferably the pouches  24  may be sewn closed on the end corners  21  and have an opening facing the center portion  36  of the towel, as shown in  FIG. 5 b   . Alternatively, each of said pouches  24  may be closed at an end via utilization of a fastener  25  such as hook and loop fasteners in order to retain said weights  26 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Further alternative embodiments may utilize a plurality of fastener types including but not limited to snaps, hooks, stitches, adhesives, pins, or heat seals. 
     An embodiment of the present art is presented in  FIG. 3  and has all of the elements of the preferred embodiment with the exception that the handles are represented by loop handles  18  located at the top end instead of the slot handles  17  of the preferred embodiment. The loop handles are formed by attaching a strip of material near or at the top end  12  at periodic or one or more positions whereby a gap between said strip and the absorbent material  11  is present at one or more locations. For the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , there are three loop handles  18  and four attachment points  19 . Again, the strip attachment may be achieved via a plurality of methods, including but not limited to stitching, adhesives, pins, hook and loop fasteners, or heat sealing. 
     Another embodiment of the present art is presented in  FIG. 4  and has all of the elements of the preferred embodiment with the exception that only one slot handle  17  is formed as the handle. 
     A preferred embodiment is presented in  FIG. 5 b   , where weights  26  are placed near the bottom end  20  and near the central portion  36  is placed a central handle  38 . The pouches  24  are open upward, as the corners are closed by stitching or other appropriate means. The top end  12  and the center portion  36  is un-weighted. 
     Another embodiment of the present art is presented in  FIG. 5 a    and has weights  26  placed near or at both the top end  12  and the bottom end  20 . At or near the central portion  36  of the embodiment is placed a central handle  38  which functions as the handles for the apparatus  10 . Although optionally utilized for all embodiments and shown in  FIG. 6 a    in exploded form, the embodiment is shown with magnets  30  placed near the top end  12  or end corners  21 . Preferably the magnets  30  are placed within the pouches  24  or in one or more compartments of said pouches  24 . Also, preferably one or more of the pouch fasteners  25  close or seal the corners  21  and retain said magnets  30  within the pouches  24 . As understood within the arts, magnets will attract any ferromagnetic material. Thus, as defined herein, a magnet  30  need only be placed at or near a single corner  21  at an end  12 ,  20  with the opposite corner having a ferromagnetic material which the magnet  30  may attract. The magnets  30  allow a portion or all of the top end  12  or the bottom end  20  to wrap around a leg or other extremity, attract or adhere to the opposite magnet or material, and let the user dry areas underneath the leg or other extremity. 
     In another preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 6 b   , in place of magnets are hook and loop corner fasteners  40  which are attached on the same side of the towel on the pouches  24  proximate the corners  21 . 
     In operation or use, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the user holds the apparatus  10  via the handles  16  with one or both hands and places the weighted bottom end  20  onto or over the leg, limb, back, or other body portion to be dried. Gravitational force upon the weights  26  allows the user to easily drape the end  20  at a desired place on the body. The user creates a drying motion by grasping the towel at one point, the center and allowing gravity to pull the towel down, then moving the towel up and down. If the user is utilizing an embodiment having the hook and loop fasteners  40 , once placed over the leg or limb, the fasteners  40  will cause the towel to conform and the fasteners to adhere to each other around the leg or limb and allow drying of the area under the leg or limb. When placed, the user moves the apparatus  10  via the handles  16 ,  18 ,  38  to complete the drying of the body portion. For other areas of the body, the user repeats the process, all with limited or no assistance from other persons. The process also works for the magnet embodiment wherein magnets  30  are used rather than hook and loop corner fasteners. 
       FIG. 8  is a foot towel  50  having a top end  12 , a bottom end  20 , a right side  34  and a left side  32 , and a center  36 , wherein located in the center is at least one pocket  24  into which at least one weight  26  is inserted, wherein the at least one weights comprise at least one flexible bag sealingly containing heavy material, and wherein the bags are compressible and resilient to effectively dry a foot and between the toes. Optionally, the foot towel  50  has a handle  16  attached to the top end  12 . 
     The pouches  24  allow easy removal of the weights  26  and/or magnets  30  before laundering and replacement thereof after laundry completion. 
     Although described for enablement purposes, the lengths, widths, and other dimensional attributes may depart significantly from those specified. The shape, size, location, component numbers and mounting methods utilized for each of the components or constituent elements may take a plurality of forms as recognized within the pertinent arts without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     For a rectangular towel of about 28 inches by 50 inches, the pouches are about 8 inches long by 5 inches deep. For such a towel, the weight bags are about 3 inches by 3 inches. The weight of the bags when filled is sufficient to cause the towel to drape downward when used. Preferably, the weight of the filled bag  28  is from about 4 to 16 ounces. More preferably, the weight of the filled bag is from about 6 to 14 ounces. For the rectangular towel, the pouches  24  are spaced apart, proving a flexible, flat un-weighted center portion  27 , which is from about 4 to 12 inches wide. More preferably, the un-weighted center portion  27  is from about 6 to 10 inches wide. In one embodiment the width of the un-weighted center portion  27  is the same as the width of the pouch  24 . This center portion works as a fulcrum about which the weights move to wrap around the body part. It is critical to have the center portion wide enough to allow the weights to wrap around the body part. 
     The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to persons who are skilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.