Patent Publication Number: US-2022225798-A1

Title: Beach Blanket Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to blanket devices and more particularly pertains to a new blanket device for securing a blanket to a support surface. The blanket device includes a barrier for inhibiting debris from blowing onto the blanket. Additionally, a plurality of sleeves is attached to the barrier for receiving ground penetrating spikes. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to blanket devices including a variety of blankets that have holes therein for receiving spikes to secure the blankets to a support surface. The prior art discloses a variety of blankets that have barriers that are removably attachable thereto to inhibit debris from blowing on the blanket. In no instance does the prior art disclose a blanket that has a barrier attached thereto and sleeves attached to the barrier for receiving spikes to secure the blanket to a support surface. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a blanket that can be laid on a support surface thereby facilitating a user to sit on the blanket. A barrier is attached to and surrounds the blanket to inhibit debris from blowing onto the blanket. A plurality of sleeves is provided, each of the sleeves is coupled to the barrier and each of the sleeves is positioned in a respective one of four corners of the barrier. A plurality of spikes is each extendable through the blanket to penetrate the support surface and retain the blanket on the support surface. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a beach blanket assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new blanket device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the beach blanket assembly  10  generally comprises a blanket  12  that is comprised of a flexible material thereby facilitating the blanket  12  to be laid on a support surface  14 . In this way a user can sit on the blanket  12 . The support surface  14  may be the ground, such as sand at a beach, grass in a park or other outdoor location. The blanket  12  has a top surface  16 , a bottom surface  18  and a perimeter edge  20  extending therebetween, and the perimeter edge  20  has a plurality of sides  22  that each has an equal length such that the blanket  12  has a square shape. Additionally, each of the sides  22  may have a length of at least 6.0 feet thereby facilitating the blanket  12  to conform to social distancing policies during a pandemic. The blanket  12  has a plurality of openings  24  each extending through the top surface  16  and the bottom surface  18 . Each of the openings  24  is positioned adjacent to the perimeter edge  20 , and each of the openings  24  is aligned with a respective one of four corners  25  of the blanket  12 . 
     A barrier  26  is attached to and surrounds the blanket  12  to inhibit debris from blowing onto the blanket  12 . The barrier  26  has a lower edge  28  and an upper edge  30 , and the lower edge  28  is attached to the top surface  16  of the blanket  12  having the barrier  26  extending upwardly from the top surface  16 . The barrier  26  is aligned with the perimeter edge  20  of the blanket  12  and the barrier  26  extends fully around the perimeter edge  20 . The barrier  26  may have a height of at least 1.0 feet such that the barrier  26  is sufficiently high to inhibit sand, leaves, dirt and other debris from blowing onto the blanket  12 . 
     A plurality of sleeves  32  is provided and each of the sleeves  32  is coupled to the barrier  26 . Each of the sleeves  32  is positioned in a respective one of four corners  25  of the barrier  26 , and each of the sleeves  32  extends between the upper edge  30  and the lower edge  28  of the barrier  26 . Each of the sleeves  32  has an upper end  34  and a lower end  36 , the upper end  34  of each of the sleeves  32  is closed and the lower end  36  of each of the sleeves  32  is open. The lower end  36  of each of the sleeves  32  is aligned with a respective one of the openings  24  in the blanket  12 . 
     A plurality of spikes  38  is provided and each of the spikes  38  is insertable into respective sleeves  32  for engaging the support surface  14 . Each of the spikes  38  has a first end  40  and a second end  42 , and each of the spikes  38  is insertable through a respective one of the openings  24  in the blanket  12 . In this way each of the spikes  38  is positioned in a respective one of the sleeves  32  having the first end  40  of each of the spikes  38  abutting the upper end  34  of the respective sleeve. The second end  42  of each of the spikes  38  tapers to a point to penetrate the support surface  14 . 
     In use, each of the spikes  38  is inserted into the respective sleeve  32  and each of the spikes  38  is driven into the support surface  14 . In this way the blanket  12  is secured to the support surface  14  having the barrier  26  extending upwardly from the blanket  12 . The barrier  26  inhibits debris from being blown onto the blanket  12 . Additionally, the dimensions of the blanket  12  ensure the user is practicing social distancing guidelines during a pandemic. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.