Patent Publication Number: US-2017360264-A1

Title: Loop towel system and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/351,905 filed Jun. 17, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of textiles and more specifically relates to towels. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many people dry themselves after a shower or bath using a towel. Towels come in many shapes and sizes from as small as a washcloth to as large as a beach towel. While drying with a towel, it is often necessary to use both hands. However, those with physical limitations may find this difficult to accomplish, and the idea of asking another person to help them dry may make the individual feel self-conscious about the situation. This may also create a hazardous situation for persons with physical impediments. A suitable solution for drying the body without assistance is therefore desired. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,367 to Richard Charles Griffin et al. relates to a bath towel device and method for infants. The described bath towel device and method for infants includes a bath towel device and method for picking up, holding and drying infants and small children, wherein the bath towel includes a strap for hanging the towel from an adult&#39;s neck, a lower end that wraps around the infant/child, a surface area that covers a substantial portion of an adult&#39;s torso and lap and means for holding the lower end near the upper end when wrapped around an infant or small child. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known towel art, the present disclosure provides a novel towel for a user. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a towel for a user so that impaired individuals may dry themselves without assistance. 
     A towel for a user is disclosed herein. The towel for a user includes a first drying layer made of a first water absorbent material shaped as a continuous loop, and a second drying layer made of a second water absorbent material shaped as a continuous loop. 
     The towel may be configured with a center axis, a circumference, a first-annular-end, a second-annular-end opposite the first-annular-end; a height measured between the first-annular-end and the second-annular-end along the center axis, an inner side, and an outer side opposite the inner side relative to the center axis; a first drying layer made of a first water absorbent material shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the inner side of the towel; and a second drying layer made of a second water absorbent material shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the outer side of the towel. 
     The first drying layer may be constructed of terrycloth material absorbent of sufficient volume to dry an adult body. The second drying layer may be constructed of nylon material promoting grip of a user. Width of the towel may be at least six inches, and the circumference of the towel may be at least one-hundred inches in preferred embodiments. 
     The first annular end and the second annular end may be configured as a first grip ring and a second grip ring, respectively, the first grip ring and the second grip ring having a greater thickness, as measured radially relative to the center axis. The continuous loop of the first drying layer of the continuous loop, and the second drying layer of the continuous loop include an uninterrupted aperture configured to allow the towel to hang. The towel may be placed around the body similar to a sash, and alternately, a user may step into the towel. 
     The uninterrupted aperture may be at least five inches in diameter, and may allow the towel to hang. Alternately, the first drying layer may be constructed of chamois material absorbent enough to dry the adult body; the first drying layer may include a two-ply thickness configured to maximize absorption, the second drying layer may include a two-ply thickness configured to maximize absorption. 
     According to another embodiment, a method for using a towel for a user is also disclosed herein. The method for using a towel for a user includes a placing the towel around a body as if wearing a sash, a maneuvering the towel in such a manner as to dry the body, and alternately, using the towel during a shower. 
     For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a towel for a user, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the towel for a user during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the towel for a user of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the towel for a user of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the towel for a user of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for using a towel for a user, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a towel and more particularly to a towel for a user as used to improve the ability for impaired individuals to dry themselves without assistance from a second individual. 
     Generally, loop towel provides a towel that is made in a continuous loop that can be used for washing and drying. The towel is a continuous, plush, seamless loop of bath towel fabric that can be placed around the body. The towel can dry the back without needing another person to do so. This towel can also be used by children. 
     Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , various views of a towel for a user  100 .  FIG. 1  shows a towel for a user  100  during an ‘in-use’ condition  150 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the towel for a user  100  may be beneficial for use by a user  40  to dry themselves without assistance from a second individual. As illustrated, the towel for a user  100  may include a first drying layer  110  made of a first water absorbent material  120  shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the inner side of the towel for a user  100 , and a second drying layer  112  made of a second water absorbent material  122  shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the outer side of the towel for a user  100 . 
     The user  40  may place the towel similar as wearing a sash. The towel for a user  100  may be configured in an annular shape, the annular shape having a width, the towel for a user  120  having a center axis, and a circumference  130 . 
     The width  132  of the towel for a user  100  may be at least six inches, and the circumference  130  of the towel for a user  100  may be at least one-hundred inches with a first-annular-end  114 , a second-annular-end  116  opposite the first-annular-end  114 , a height measured between the first-annular-end  114  and the second-annular-end  116  along the center axis, wherein the first annular end  114  and the second annular end  116  include thick reinforced raised edges  118  for easy grabbing; an inner side, and an outer side opposite the inner side relative to the center axis; a first drying layer  110  made of a first water absorbent material shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the inner side of the towel for a user  100 . 
     The first drying layer  110  may be constructed of terrycloth material  124  absorbent enough to dry an adult body  35 . The second drying layer  112  may also be made of terrycloth material  124  shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the outer side of the towel for a user  100 . The first drying layer  110  of the continuous loop, and the second drying layer  112  of the continuous loop include an uninterrupted aperture  126  at least five inches in diameter configured to allow the towel for a user  100  to hang. 
     According to one embodiment, the towel for a user  100  may be arranged as a kit  105 . In particular, the towel for a user  100  may further include a set of instructions  155 . The instructions  155  may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the towel for a user  100  (such that the towel for a user  100  can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner). 
       FIG. 2  shows the towel for a user of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As above, the towel for a user  100  may include a first drying layer  110  made of a first water absorbent material  120  shaped as a continuous loop, and a second drying layer  112  made of a second water absorbent material  122  shaped as a continuous loop with a first annular end  114  and a second annular end  116  including thick reinforced raised edges  118  for easy grabbing. The first drying layer  110  which may be constructed of terrycloth material  124  absorbent enough to dry an adult body  35 , and the second drying layer  114  may also be constructed of terrycloth material  124  absorbent enough to dry an adult body  35 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the towel for a user of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The first drying layer  110  of the continuous loop, and the second drying layer  112  of the continuous loop may include an uninterrupted aperture  126  configured to allow for using hands to manipulate the towel for a user  100  around the adult body  35 . The uninterrupted aperture  126  may be at least five inches in diameter and may allow the towel to hang. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the towel for a user of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The first annular end and the second annular end include thick reinforced raised edges  118  for easy grabbing. The towel for a user  100  may have custom embroidery  128 , and alternately, a two-tone color  132  scheme. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for using a towel for a user  500 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the method for using a towel for a user  500  may include one or more components or features of the towel for a user  100  as described above. As illustrated, the method for using a towel for a user  500 , providing a towel for a user  100 , the towel shaped as a continuous loop, the towel having a center axis, a circumference  130 , a first-annular-end  114 , a second-annular-end  116  opposite the first-annular-end  114 , a height measured between the first-annular-end  114  and the second-annular-end  116  along the center axis, an inner side, and an outer side opposite the inner side relative to the center axis. The first drying layer  110  may be made of a first water absorbent material  122  shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the inner side of the towel; and a second drying layer  112  may be made of a second water absorbent material  122  shaped as a continuous loop and fixed to the outer side of the towel. The method may include the steps of: step one  501 , placing the towel around a body as if wearing a sash; step two  502 , maneuvering the towel in such a manner as to dry the body; and step three  503 , using the towel to wash during a shower. 
     It should be noted that step  503  is an optional step and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use  500  are illustrated using dotted lines in  FIG. 5  so as to distinguish them from the other steps of method of use  500 . It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for using a towel for a user  500  (e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.), are taught herein. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. 
     Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as user preferences, design preference, structural requirements, marketing preferences, cost, available materials, technological advances, etc., other structural arrangements such as, for example, use with a wall attachment, etc., may be sufficient.