Patent Publication Number: US-2015059091-A1

Title: Self-storing Beach Blanket

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The instant application is a non-provisional application and claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/874,251 filed Sep. 5, 201. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of outdoor ground coverings and more specifically to a compact beach blanket with integral storage system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Beach blankets are typically recycled household blankets or bedspreads that have seen better days and have been related to outdoor use at the beach or picnic grounds. Such coverings tend to be heavy, easily absorb dirt and moisture and must be folded for storage and transport. The present invention addresses these shortcomings by providing a beach blanket that is lightweight, dirt and moisture resistant and provides its own storage container. Some examples of self-storing beach blanket systems and related inventions include the following. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,906, issued to Roberts, is directed to a beach blanket having rectangular shape and four corners has a right triangular pocket at each corner to receive and temporarily hold a quantity of sand for anchoring the blanket, the pockets being closable to secure the sand therein and openable for discharge of the sand. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,430, issued to Nicoll is directed to a A multi-purpose weighted blanket for covering areas of beaches or like terrain comprising first and second flexible cloth panels substantially rectangular in shape and identical in size. The first and second cloth panels having a border extending continuously along the outer perimeter edges thereof forming a reinforced retaining pocket for securing an anchoring device thereto. The anchoring device includes a non-metallic tube filled with a liquid weight such as water. The non-metallic tube has a memory for restoring the tube to its original configuration upon the removal of an external force acting thereon. The anchoring devices operates to aid an individual in positioning the blanket as well as maintaining the blanket in its fully extended position. Additionally, the anchoring device prevents foreign particles such as sand or the like from soiling the reclining surface of the blanket. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,331, issued to Badillo illustrates a beach blanket assembly includes a beach blanket, an inflatable beach bumper, and a multiplicity of stakes. The beach blanket has a central portion and a surrounding peripheral border wherein the peripheral border is held in a supported generally upright position by the stakes and the inflatable beach bumper. The stakes each have a lower end portion which is embedded in the beach surface and an upper end portion which abuts the inflatable beach bumper. The upper end portions are further releasably attached to the peripheral border of the beach blanket. A multiplicity of fastener type hook and loop material patches permits the peripheral border of the blanket to be releasably attachable to the inflatable bumper. An alternative embodiment of the present beach blanket assembly includes a beach blanket and a multiplicity of stakes which are shaped and configured to support the entire peripheral border of the beach blanket above the beach surface as well as securely anchor the beach blanket to the beach surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,333, issued to Kaiser is directed to a self-supporting beach blanket having two layers of fabric joined at their edges with a single spring steel hoop inside sized to hold the blanket open and flat on the ground. The hoop is compressible so that it can be removed through a small slit in the side allowing the blanket to be machine washed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,813, issued to Wilburn is directed to a system for anchoring an outer periphery of a beach blanket to the ground or sand is disclosed. The blanket is anchored by a plurality of stakes which are manually insertable into the ground. A tether fastens the stake to the outer periphery of the blanket so that the stakes are not separated from the blanket when not in use. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,264,471, issued to Glenn discloses a beach blanket comprising, a base layer of canvas, one end of the base layer being folded back upon itself longitudinally, spaced parallel lines of stitching connecting the side edges of the folded portion to the side edges of the base layer, a line of stitching parallel with and midway between the first named lines of stitching connecting the folded portion centrally to the base layer from the free edge of the folded portion to the folded end of the base layer, said lines of stitching forming two open pockets, fasteners removably securing the free edges of the pockets to the base layer, and a towel detachably connected to the base layer on the same face thereof as the pockets and extending from a point adjacent the pockets to the extreme opposite end of the base layer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,131, issued to Kilby discloses a beach blanket includes a central fabric web, having a plurality of perimeter flap members defining individual pockets thereabout, with the flap members arranged to accommodate various portions of a granular material therewithin for securement of a beach blanket relative to an underlying beach surface. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a beach blanket that is compact, light-weight and resistant to dirt and moisture. It is a further objective to provide a beach blanket that provides its own container for transport and storage. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a beach blanket that can be rapidly put in place and quickly stored. It is yet a further objective to provide such a system that provides a beach blanket from which sand and dirt can be easily and quickly removed. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a beach blanket that is durable and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses all of the deficiencies of prior art self-storing beach blankets and satisfies all of the objectives described above. 
     (1) A self-storing beach blanket providing the desired features may be constructed from the following components. A blanket portion is provided. The blanket portion is formed of flexible material and has an outer surface and an inner surface. A retaining sleeve is provided. The sleeve is centrally located upon the outer surface and forms a continuous loop. The loop has an opening at either of an inner edge or an outer edge. A drawstring is provided. The drawstring is formed as a loop and located within the sleeve. A portion of the drawstring extends outwardly from the opening. 
     (2) In a variant of the invention, a central aperture is provided. The aperture is sized and shaped to permit introduction of a beach umbrella shaft. 
     (3) In another variant, a drawstring locking mechanism is provided. The mechanism has a sliding mode and a locking mode and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism into the opening in the retaining sleeve. The drawstring is pulled through the mechanism when in the sliding mode and prevented from entering the opening when in the locking mode, thereby controlling a length of the drawstring within the retaining sleeve. 
     (4) In still another variant, the mechanism includes a spring-loaded cylinder having a transverse aperture. The transverse aperture is sized and shaped to fit slidably about the loop of the drawstring. The mechanism has a cinching portion with a matching transverse aperture. The cinching portion is adapted to slide within the cylinder and secure the cylinder to the drawstring through action of a spring urging the cinching portion outwardly from the cylinder. 
     (5) In yet another variant, the retaining sleeve is formed as part of a reinforcing panel centrally located upon the blanket portion. 
     (6) In a further variant, the blanket portion is circular. 
     (7) In a final variant of the invention, at least one of the blanket portion and reinforcing panel is formed of moisture resistant material. 
     (8) A method of using self-storing beach blanket includes the steps of:
     providing beach blanket that includes:
       a blanket portion formed of flexible material and having an outer surface and an inner surface;   a retaining sleeve centrally located upon the outer surface and forming a continuous loop, the loop having an opening at either of an inner edge or an outer edge;   a drawstring formed as a loop and located within the sleeve with a portion of the drawstring extending outwardly from the opening; and   a drawstring locking mechanism that has a sliding mode and a locking mode and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism into the opening in the retaining sleeve;   
       moving the locking mechanism to the sliding mode, thereby releasing the drawstring;   stretching the blanket portion away from the retaining sleeve and extending the blanket portion to its full extent, whereby the blanket portion is usable as a beach blanket;   moving the locking mechanism to the locking mode; and subsequently   inverting the beach blanket to remove sand and debris;   gathering the blanket portion within an inner perimeter of the retaining sleeve;   moving the locking mechanism to the sliding mode;   pulling the drawstring to tighten the retaining sleeve around the blanket portion;   

     moving the locking mechanism to the locking mode, thereby forming a compact bundle for transporting and storage of the beach blanket. 
     An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and an understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating a location of a retaining sleeve and drawstring; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of the drawstring; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment illustrating folding of the blanket; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged, partial section of the receiving sleeve illustrating the drawstring within the retaining sleeve; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the blanket being stored within the center section bounded by the retaining sleeve; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the stored  FIG. 1  embodiment with the drawstring in tightened position; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a drawstring locking mechanism for the  FIG. 1  embodiment in the locking mode; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a drawstring locking mechanism for the  FIG. 1  embodiment in the sliding mode. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     (1)  FIGS. 1-8  illustrate a self-storing beach blanket  10  providing the desired features that may be constructed from the following components. A blanket portion  14  is provided. The blanket portion  14  is formed of flexible material  18  and has an outer surface  22  and an inner surface  26 . A retaining sleeve  30  is provided. The sleeve  30  is centrally located upon the outer surface  22  and forms a continuous loop  34 . The loop  34  has an opening  38  at either of an inner edge  42  or an outer edge  46 . A drawstring  50  is provided. The drawstring  50  is formed as a loop  54  and located within the sleeve  30 . A portion  58  of the drawstring  50  extends outwardly from the opening  38 . See  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
     (2) In a variant of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a central aperture  62  is provided. The aperture  62  is sized and shaped to permit introduction of a beach umbrella shaft (not shown). 
     (3) In another variant, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  7  and  8 , a drawstring locking mechanism  66  is provided. The mechanism  66  has a sliding mode  70  and a locking mode  74  and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism  66  into the opening  38  in the retaining sleeve  30 . The drawstring  50  is pulled through the mechanism  66  when in the sliding mode  70  and prevented from entering the opening  38  when in the locking mode  74 , thereby controlling a length  78  of the drawstring  50  within the retaining sleeve  30 . 
     (4) In still another variant, the mechanism  66  includes a spring-loaded cylinder  82  having a transverse aperture  86 . The transverse aperture is sized and shaped to fit slidably about the loop of the drawstring. The mechanism  66  has a cinching portion  90  with a matching transverse aperture  94 . The cinching portion  90  is adapted to slide within the cylinder  82  and secure the cylinder  82  to the drawstring  50  through action of a spring  98  urging the cinching portion  90  outwardly from the cylinder  82 . 
     (5) In yet another variant, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the retaining sleeve  30  is formed as part of a reinforcing panel  102  centrally located upon the blanket portion  14 . 
     (6) In a further variant, the blanket portion  14  is circular. 
     (7) In a final variant of the invention, at least one of the blanket portion  14  and reinforcing panel  102  is formed of moisture resistant material  106 . 
     (8) A method of using self-storing beach blanket  10 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 ,  5  and  6 , includes the steps of:
     providing beach blanket  10  that includes:
       a blanket portion  14  formed of flexible material  18  and having an outer surface  22  and an inner surface  26 ;   a retaining sleeve  30  centrally located upon the outer surface  22  and forming a continuous loop  34 , the loop  34  having an opening  38  at either of an inner edge  42  or an outer edge  46 ;   a drawstring  50  formed as a loop  54  and located within the sleeve  30  with a portion  58  of the drawstring  50  extending outwardly from the opening  38 ; and   a drawstring locking mechanism  66  that has a sliding mode  70  and a locking mode  74  and is sized and shaped to prevent entry of the mechanism  66  into the opening  38  in the retaining sleeve  30 ;   
       moving the locking mechanism  66  to the sliding mode  70 , thereby releasing the drawstring  50 ;   stretching the blanket portion  14  away from the retaining sleeve  30  and extending the blanket portion  14  to its full extent, whereby the blanket portion  14  is usable as a beach blanket  10 ;   moving the locking mechanism  66  to the locking mode  74 ; and subsequently   inverting the beach blanket  10  to remove sand (not shown) and debris (not shown);   gathering the blanket portion  14  within an inner perimeter  110  of the retaining sleeve  30 ;   moving the locking mechanism  66  to the sliding mode  70 ;   pulling the drawstring  50  to tighten the retaining sleeve  30  around the blanket portion  14 ;   moving the locking mechanism  66  to the locking mode  74 , thereby forming a compact bundle  114  for transporting and storage of the beach blanket  10 .   

     The self-storing beach blanket  10  has been described with reference to particular embodiments. Other modifications and enhancements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.