Abstract:
The blanket for use during bodyworking or massage is a blanket having laterally extending slits defined therein that define an upper portion and a lower portion of the blanket, and an axially extending slit medially disposed in the lower portion defining individual leg drapes. The slits enable the left and right upper and lower portions and the two leg drapes to be independently manipulated to drape desired portions of the body when administering a massage. Alternatively, the leg drapes may be disposed over the shoulders and chest with the upper portion covering the back in order to wear the blanket as a poncho. The leg drapes may have pockets opening on their rear surfaces for tucking the feet in for warmth. Releasable fasteners may be disposed on the blanket for adapting the blanket for other uses.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to blankets, and particularly to a blanket for use during a massage that is convertible into use as a poncho, or that can be used as a cover for additional warmth and comfort while reading, lounging, or the like.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Many people find that massage is a useful form of therapy that reduces stress, relieves tension, and tones the muscles. The massage may be prescribed as part of conventional medical treatment, may form part of an alternative health program, may be provided by gyms and other exercise facilities after strenuous workouts, or may be sought simply for the relaxation benefits provided by the massage. Massages may be administered by physical therapists, by licensed or certified massage therapists, or by one&#39;s spouse or significant other.  
         [0005]     In order to place the person being given the massage at ease, as well as to keep the muscles warm, typically the body is covered with a sheet, blanket, or other cover that is draped over the body, and which is folded back to uncover the limb or portion of the torso that is currently being rubbed, kneaded, or otherwise manipulated. Conventional sheets and blankets are not efficient for this purpose, however, since the sheet or blanket is an elongated rectangle designed to cover the entire body. It is difficult to fold back a portion of the sheet, blanket, or other drape to expose one portion of the body without also exposing an adjacent portion of the body. Also, the person being massaged often finds the conventional sheet too thin to provide sufficient warmth and comfort during the course of the massage, and will complain about being cold or chilly.  
         [0006]     It would therefore be desirable to provide a blanket or drape that is specifically designed for use in administering a massage. The utility, economy, and versatility of such a blanket or drape may be further enhanced by designing the blanket or drape in such a manner that it may be easily converted for use as a poncho or other garment, or for use while reading, lounging, or similar activities.  
         [0007]     There are many one-piece garments that cover the front and back of at least the upper body and that are open along at least a portion of the sides, such as hospital gowns, but such garments are not suitable for use in administering a massage.  
         [0008]     There are also so-called convertible garments, which can be converted from one form of garment to another, often by attaching detachable pieces, but these garments are also not suitable for use in administering a massage. Thus, a blanket for use during bodyworking or massage solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The blanket for use during bodyworking or massage is a blanket having laterally extending slits defined therein that define an upper portion and a lower portion of the blanket, and an axially extending slit medially disposed in the lower portion defining individual leg drapes. The slits enable the left and right upper and lower portions to be independently manipulated to drape desired portions of the body when administering a massage. Alternatively, the leg drapes may be disposed over the shoulders and chest with the upper portion covering the back in order to wear the blanket as a poncho. The leg drapes may have pockets opening on their rear surfaces for tucking the feet in for warmth. Releasable fasteners may be disposed on the blanket for defining armholes or sleeves, for closing the front or sides of the poncho, or for fastening the leg drapes to each other or to the upper portion for use as a conventional blanket.  
         [0010]     The blanket may have a scallop defined in the edge of the upper portion so that the blanket leaves the neck exposed when administering a massage. Alternatively, a scallop may be defined at the junction of the leg drapes that defines a neck opening when the blanket is used as a poncho. A surface of the blanket may have a loop attached thereto for hanging the blanket on a hook for storage, or for receiving a belt, strap, or sash so that the blanket may be rolled up and secured by the belt or strap for storage or transport. The upper portion may have a pocket defined therein for containing scented material when performing massage as part of an aromatherapy program. Instead of linear slits, the laterally extending slits may be wedge-shaped in order to provide greater flexibility, both in manipulating the blanket during massage and in using the garment as a poncho. Furthermore, the slits may be filleted to prevent ripping or tearing the blanket with extended use.  
         [0011]     The blanket may be made from fleece, wool, vinyl, or Vellux (Vellux is a registered trademark of West Point-Pepperell, Inc.), and may have a water-resistant surface coating or layer.  
         [0012]     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is an environmental, top view of a blanket for use during bodyworking or massage according to the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the blanket of  FIG. 1 , the bottom view being symmetrical.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the blanket of  FIG. 1  being worn as a poncho.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a blanket for use during bodyworking or massage according to the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a second alternative embodiment of a blanket for use during bodyworking or massage according to the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a third alternative embodiment of a blanket for use during bodyworking or massage according to the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a top view of a fourth alternative embodiment of a blanket for use during bodyworking or massage according to the present invention.  
         [0020]     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     The present invention is a blanket for bodyworking and massage. The blanket is made from a material that provides the person being massaged with greater warmth and comfort than the conventional sheet and has slits defined therein that provide the masseuse or massage therapist with a cover that is easily manipulated to expose only those areas of the body requiring immediate attention. The location of the slits on the blanket also permits the use of the blanket as a poncho, reading blanket, lounging blanket, or generally as a warm, comfortable cover.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 1-3  show a first embodiment of the blanket, designated generally as  10  in the drawings. The blanket  10  is generally rectangular, having a head end  12 , a foot end  14 , and opposing sides  16  and  18 . The blanket  10  has laterally extending slits  20  and  22 , which an upper portion  24  and a lower portion  26 . The lateral slits  20  and  22  extend from the sides  16  and  18  medially towards the longitudinal centerline of the blankets  10 , leaving a central bight  28  between the vertices  30  or endpoints of the slits  20  and  22 . The slits  20  and  22  may have a reinforcement seam  32  sewn along their perimeter, and the vertices  30  may be filleted or curved to prevent tearing from frequent use when performing massages.  
         [0023]     The blanket  10  also has an axially extending slit  34  medially disposed in the lower portion  26 , defining two leg drapes  36  and  38 . The axially extending slit  34  may have a reinforcement seam  40  sewn about the periphery of the slit  34 , and the vertex  42  of the slit  34  may be filleted or curved to prevent tearing of the blanket  10  with repeated use. The axially extending slit  34  does not extend to the plane of the laterally extending slits  20  and  22 , but instead leaves a central portion  44  between the axially extending slit  34  and the laterally extending slits  20  and  22 .  
         [0024]     The blanket  10  may be made from any suitable material conventionally known in the art of blanket making. A particularly suitable material is a fabric known as Vellux® (Vellux is a registered trademark of West Point-Pepperell Enterprises, Inc. of Delaware, referring to a velvety material made by flocking fibers onto a base of foam or a base of fabric or a base of combinations thereof; the material is currently available from Westpoint Stevens). Other materials that can be used include fleece, wool, cotton, and various synthetic fabrics and blends, including vinyl. If desired, at least one surface of the blanket  10  may be coated or treated with weatherproof or weather-resistant material, particularly when it is anticipated that the blanket  10  may be used as a poncho or for camping or other outdoor use.  
         [0025]     When used during the administration of a massage or other bodywork, the lateral extending slits  20  and  22  permit separate manipulation of the upper portion  24  and the lower portion  26  so that only a desired portion of the body is exposed for massage. Similarly, the axially extending slit  34  permits one leg drape to be neatly folded over the other leg drape, or only a portion of one leg drape to be folded up or down, to expose the portion of the leg to be manipulated.  
         [0026]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the blanket  10  is preferably of sufficient length to extend over the entire length of the massage mattress, pad, or table. The upper portion  24  may be folded down to expose the head and shoulders as desired. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the blanket  10  may be used as a poncho by inserting the neck into the axially extending slit  34  so that the leg drapes  36  and  38  extend over the chest and front of the body, and the upper portion  24  covers the back and rear of the body. The central portion  44  covers the shoulders, the laterally extending slits  20  and  22  being behind and below the shoulders. The lower portion  26  of the blanket  10  may have a greater length than the upper portion  24 , the lower portion  26  being shown to extend to mid-calf level and the upper portion  24  being shown to extend just below the hips when worn as a poncho in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0027]     Various modifications and improvements, shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , may be made to the blanket  10 , either jointly or independently.  FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of the blanket, designated generally as  50 , having a scallop  52  defined at the head end  54  of the blanket. The scallop  52  leaves the neck exposed when administering a massage for the patient&#39;s comfort, which may be particularly appreciated when the massage is administered on a massage table having a head support or saddle extending from the head end of the massage table. The blanket also shows a loop  56  disposed on the bight  58  between the laterally extending slits  60  and  62  so that the blanket  50  may be hung from a hook when not in use. Also shown in  FIG. 4  is a belt, sash or strap  64 , so that the blanket  50  may be rolled up when not in use, the strap  64  being inserted through the loop  56  and tied around the blanket  50  for transport or storage. It will be noted that the vertices  66  of the slits  60  and  62  are not filleted or curved in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0028]     Blanket  50  also illustrates that the blanket may have a plurality of releasable fasteners.  FIG. 4  shows mating pairs of hook and loop fasteners  68  and  70  attached to the upper portion  72  and lower portion  74 , respectively, of the blanket  50 . Fasteners  68  and  70  may be secured together when the blanket is worn as a poncho to define an armhole. Either one pair of fasteners, consisting of a single fastener  68  and a single fastener  70  disposed on opposite sides of the slits  60  and  62 , or multiple pairs, comprising a plurality of fasteners  68  above the slits  60  and  62  and a plurality of fasteners  70  below the slits  60  and  62 , may be used to define the armholes, and to prevent the sides of the slits  60  and  62  from separating during use of the poncho, if desired. The position of the fasteners  68  and  70  is not critical, the locations shown in the drawing being representative only, so that fasteners  68  and  70  may be placed in any convenient location suitable for defining armholes.  
         [0029]     In addition, a mating pair of hook and loop or other releasable fasteners  72  and  74  may be attached to opposite sides of axially extending slit  76 , so that leg drapes  78  and  80  may be fastened together across the front of the torso when the blanket  50  is used as a poncho, or so that the leg drapes  78  and  80  can be fastened together when used as a reading or lounging blanket. Additional fasteners may be attached on opposite sides of the periphery of the laterally extending slits  60  and  62  to temporarily secure the upper portion  72  and lower portion  74  together, if desired. The number and location of the fasteners shown in  FIG. 4  are exemplary only, and greater or fewer fasteners may be utilized at any convenient location. The releasable fasteners may be any fasteners known in the fabric industry, including hook and loop, metal or plastic zippers, buttons, snaps, elastic loops, etc.  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of the blanket, designated generally as  100 , having laterally extending slits  102  and  104 , and axially extending slit  106 . Blanket  100  shows that the blanket may have pockets  108  and  110  defined in the leg drapes  112  and  114  for receiving the person&#39;s feet. Although not shown in  FIG. 5 , the blanket  100  may also have releasable fasteners on opposite sides of the axial slit  106 , so that the foot pockets  108  and  110  may be used to provide additional warmth and comfort when the blanket  100  is used as a conventional blanket. The pockets  108  and  110  may be formed in any desired manner, e.g., by attaching an additional panel of fabric to the foot end of the leg drapes  112  and  114 , by folding the foot end of the leg drapes  112  and  114  up and sewing the sides, etc.  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of the blanket designated generally as  150 . Instead of narrow slits, the blanket  150  has wedge-shaped laterally extending slits  152  and  154 , and a wedge-shaped axially extending slit  156  defining leg drapes  158  and  160 . The wedge-shaped slits  152 ,  154 , and  156  help to facilitate manipulation of the blanket  150 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of the blanket designated generally as  200 . The blanket  200  has laterally extending slits  202  and  204 , and an axially extending slit  206  defining leg drapes  208  and  210 . Blanket  200  also has a pocket  212 , shown in  FIG. 7  adjacent the head end of the upper portion  216  of the blanket  200 . The pocket  212  may be useful for containing scented materials, such as those used when performing an aromatherapy massage. Alternatively, the pocket  212  may be disposed on the upper portion  216  for the convenience of the user when the blanket  200  is worn as a poncho. It will be understood that the pocket  212  may be disposed in any desired location on the blanket  200 , and that there may be more than one pocket  212 , as desired.  
         [0033]     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.