TOWEL FOR FASTENING AROUND A USERS BODY

Abstract

A towel for being worn around a user's body includes a flexible planar member with at least one corner. A grommet is coupled to and extends through the flexible planar member. The grommet defines a hole in the grommet and comprises a plurality of flaps which are radially arranged with respect to each other and extend inwardly into the hole. The grommet is positioned distally from a selected corner of the at least one corner of the flexible planar member, and the selected corner is insertable through the hole of the grommet. Each flap comprises a resiliently bendable material such that the flaps bend to accommodate the selected corner. Having bent to accommodate the selected corner, the flaps are biased to constrict the selected corner when the selected corner is inserted through the hole to secure the selected corner in the hole.

Claims

1. A towel for affixing around a body of a user, the towel comprising: a flexible planar member having, the flexible planar member having a rectangular shape, the flexible planar member being elongated between a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, a top edge and a bottom edge of the flexible planar member extending from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge, the flexible planar member having a first corner at a first end of the top edge, the flexible planar member having a second corner at a second end of the top edge; and a grommet being coupled to and extending through the flexible planar member. the grommet defining a hole in the grommet, the grommet being positioned adjacent to the second corner such that the first corner is insertable into the hole of the grommet, the grommet being configured for securing the first corner in the hole, the grommet comprising a plurality of flaps, the plurality of flaps being radially arranged with respect to each other, the plurality of flaps extending inwardly into the hole, each flap of the plurality of flaps comprising a resiliently bendable material such that the plurality of flaps bend to accommodate the selected corner, the plurality of flaps constricting the flexible panel proximate to the first corner when the first corner is inserted through the hole to secure the flexible panel in the hole.

2. (canceled)

3. The towel of claim 1, wherein the flexible planar member comprises a fabric material.

4. A towel for affixing around a body of a user, the towel comprising: a flexible planar member, the flexible planar member having a rectangular shape, the flexible planar member being elongated between a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, a top edge and a bottom edge of the flexible planar member extending from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge, the flexible planar member having a first corner at a first end of the top edge, the flexible planar member having a second corner at a second end of the top edge, the flexible planar member comprising a fabric material; and a grommet being coupled to and extending through the flexible planar member, the grommet being positioned adjacent to the second corner, the grommet defining a hole in the grommet, the grommet comprising a plurality of flaps, the plurality of flaps being radially arranged with respect to each other, the plurality of flaps extending inwardly into the hole, each flap of the plurality of flaps comprising a resiliently bendable material such that the plurality of flaps bend to accommodate the first corner of the flexible planar member in the hole, the plurality of flaps constricting the first corner when the first corner is inserted through the hole to secure the first corner in the hole.

5. A method of wearing a towel around a body of a user, the method comprising: wrapping a top edge of a flexible planar member of the towel around a torso of the body, thereby forming a tubular shape with the flexible planar member that extends around the body; inserting a first corner of the flexible planar member into a hole of a grommet of the towel, thereby cinching the flexible planar member around the body; and securing, via a plurality of flaps of the grommet, the first corner of the flexible planar member in the hole, wherein each flap of the plurality of flaps comprises a resiliently bendable material such that the flaps constrict the first corner to secure the first corner in the hole.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the grommet is positioned adjacent to the top edge of the flexible planar member and distally from the first corner of the flexible planar member.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the grommet is positioned adjacent to a second corner of the flexible planar member, wherein the first corner is positioned at a first end of the top edge of the flexible planar member and the second corner is positioned at a second end of the top edge of the flexible planar member.

Description

(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0012] 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:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a towel according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 4 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a detail in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new towel embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0019] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the towel 10 generally comprises a flexible planar member 12 which has a rectangular shape. The flexible planar member 12 is elongated between a first lateral edge 14 and a second lateral edge 16. A top edge 18 and a bottom edge 20 of the flexible planar member 12 extend from the first lateral edge 14 to the second lateral edge 16. The flexible planar member 12 has a first corner 26 at a first end 22 of the top edge 18 and a second corner 28 at a second end 24 of the top edge 18. The flexible planar member 12 typically comprises a fabric material and may comprise a terrycloth or other absorbent fabric such that the flexible planar member 12 may be used to absorb water from off a body 38 of a user 36.

[0020] A grommet 30 is coupled to and extends through the flexible planar member 12. The grommet 30 is positioned adjacent to the second corner 28 and defines a hole 32 in the grommet 30. The grommet 30 comprises a plurality of flaps 34 which are radially arranged with respect to each other and extend inwardly into the hole 32. Each flap 34 comprises a resiliently bendable material such that the flaps 34 bend to accommodate the first corner 26 of the flexible planar member 12 in the hole 32. Having bent to accommodate the first corner 26, the flaps 34 are biased to constrict the first corner 26 when the first corner 26 is inserted through the hole 32 to secure the first corner 26 in the hole 32. The resiliently bendable material may comprise rubber, silicone, another polymer, or the like. The resiliently bendable material may also be frictionally enhanced via material properties or surface texture to facilitate gripping the first corner 26.

[0021] In other embodiments, the flexible planar member 12 may comprise other shapes than the rectangular shape. The grommet 30 of such embodiments may be positioned adjacent to the top edge 18 in such embodiments and distally from a corner of the flexible planar member 12 such that the flexible planar member 12 may be wrapped around the body 38 of the user 36 and the corner is securable in the grommet 30 to secure the flexible planar member 12 around the body 38. The towel 10 may be worn, for example, around the user's 36 waist or the user's 36 chest.

[0022] Another embodiment of the disclosure as illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5 includes a method of wearing a towel 10 around a body 38 of a user 36. The method includes wrapping a top edge 18 of a flexible planar member 12 of the towel 10 around the body 38, thereby forming a tubular shape with the flexible planar member 12 that extends around the body 38. A first corner 26 of the flexible planar member 12 is inserted into a hole 32 of a grommet 30 of the towel 10 to cinch the flexible planar member 12 around the body 38. The grommet 30 is positioned adjacent to the top edge 18 of the flexible planar member 12 distally from the first corner 26. In the embodiment depicted by FIGS. 4 and 5, the grommet 30 is positioned adjacent to a second corner 28, wherein the first corner 26 is positioned at a first end 22 of the top edge 18 of the flexible planar member 12 and the second corner 28 is positioned at a second end 24 of the top edge 18. The first corner 26 is secured in the whole 32 via a plurality of flaps 34 of the grommet 30 which comprise a resiliently bendable material such that the flaps 34 bend to accommodate the first corner 26 and are biased to constrict the first corner 26.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 10 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.