TRAVEL BLANKET

Abstract

A travel blanket apparatus for use in travel vehicles. The travel blanket includes a strap attached at a first and second attachment mechanism. The strap extends around a portion of a seat when in use. At one end, the strap is slidably engaged to the front side of the blanket material. At the other end, the strap attached to a releasable buckle including a safety buckle that separates the strap from the blanket material when released. The blanket material may include a pocket, a hand muff, and a foot rest assembly.

Claims

1. A travel blanket apparatus for travel comprising: a two-dimensional blanket material; and a strap attached to the blanket material via a first attachment mechanism and a second attachment mechanism, where the strap extends between the first attachment mechanism and the second attachment mechanism at a top end of the blanket material, where the strap is configured to secure the blanket to a part of a backing of a seat.

2. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 where: the first attachment mechanism includes a slide buckle configured to slidably engage the strap and to secure the strap in a fixed position, where the slide buckle is affixed to a front side of the blanket material.

3. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 where the second attachment mechanism includes a safety buckle comprising a first portion attached to an end of the strap and a second portion attached to the blanket material, the safety buckle configured to engage to secure the strap to the blanket material and to release to separate the strap from the blanket material.

4. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 3 where the second portion of the safety buckle is attached to a front side of the blanket material using a flat lanyard strap and the strap surrounds the users neck to attach at the second attachment mechanism on the front side of the blanket material.

5. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 3 where the second portion of the safety buckle is attached to a top edge of the blanket material using a loop strap and where the strap surrounds the users neck to attach at the second attachment mechanism on the loop strap extending from the top edge of the blanket material.

6. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 2 where the slide buckle is a buckle of the type that includes a cam buckle, slide-release buckle, and a snap buckle.

7. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a hand muff secured to a back side of the blanket material, the hand muff including hand muff openings on each side for entry of the users hands.

8. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 7 where the hand muff is sewn to the back side of the blanket material.

9. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 7 where the hand muff attaches to the blanket material with cords extending from each side of the hand muff.

10. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 9 where the cords extend through the blanket material to join on the front side of the blanket material as a single cord

11. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pocket with a pocket opening for storing the users possessions and for holding the blanket material in a folded state.

12. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 11 where the pocket opens to the front side of the blanket material and extends on the back side of the blanket material.

13. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 12 where the pocket includes a closure mechanism at the pocket opening.

14. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 13 where the closure mechanism is one of a zipper, a loop and hook mechanism, buttons, and snaps.

15. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one port configured to allow passage of a cable from one side of the blanket material to the other side of the blanket material.

16. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an opening configured to allow passage of a users head from the back side of the blanket material, where the opening allows a majority of the blanket material to lay over the front of the users body and a rest of the blanket material to extend behind the users neck.

17. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a foot rest assembly disposed on a bottom end of the blanket material opposite the top end of the blanket material.

18. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 17 where the foot rest assembly includes a foot rest pad disposed in an enclosure.

19. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 18 where the foot rest pad has a generally wedge shape.

20. The travel blanket apparatus of claim 19 where the wedge shape includes a taller wall on a toe side of the foot rest pad, a surface to support a sole of the users foot extending to a vertical stop for supporting the users heel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] FIG. 1 is a front side view of an example implementation of a travel blanket.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a back side view of the travel blanket assembly in FIG. 1.

[0027] FIG. 3A is a side view of an example of a foot-support for use with the travel blanket assembly in FIG.1.

[0028] FIG. 3B is a rear view of the foot support in FIG. 3A.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a front side view of another example implementation of a travel blanket.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a back side view of the travel blanket of FIG. 4.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a front side view another example implementation of a travel blanket.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a back side view of the travel blanket of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of example implementations of a travel blanket assembly. It is to be understood that the implementations described below are examples and that this disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to any example described below.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a front side view of an example implementation of a travel blanket 100. FIG. 2 is a back view of the example implementation in FIG. 1. The travel blanket apparatus 100 may be used by a passenger of any vehicle to stay warm with additional features that increase the user's level of overall comfort. The travel blanket apparatus includes a two-dimensional conformable blanket material 102 that a user can use to cover him or herself. The blanket 100 may flair down inward from the top (i.e. the edge closer to the user's head) of the blanket to a mid-section of the blanket 100 before it extends in a substantially rectangular shape as shown at 120. The material may be any suitable material for use as a blanket, including for example, cotton, polyester, nylon, rayon, or any combination thereof. It is to be understood that any suitable material may be used without limiting the scope of the invention.

[0035] It is to be understood that the term "front" in relation to the view or to parts (e.g. surface) of the travel blanket apparatus 100 shall refer to the side of the travel blanket apparatus opposite the side that is in contact with the user. The term "back" in relation to the view or parts of the travel blanket apparatus 100 shall refer to such views that are on the side that contacts the user while the apparatus is in use. The travel blanket apparatus 100 may be used when traveling or sitting in a seat of a vehicle with limited leg room due to the proximity of the seat in front of the user. Such a situation is commonly encountered in seats on airplanes for commercial passenger flights where airlines tend to leave limited leg room for passengers in order to maximize the number of passengers on each plane. The travel blanket apparatus 100 may be used in any similar situation on any type of vehicle.

[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the example travel blanket apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 includes the blanket material 102, a blanket-securing strap 104 configured to secure the blanket 100 around the users neck, or to a head rest, or other structure, mounted behind the user, a pocket 130, an opening 118 to receive the users head, at least one slit 132 to permit cables to pass therethrough, at least one hand muff 140 (see FIG. 2), and a foot rest assembly 150 (see FIG. 2).

[0037] The blanket-securing strap 104 includes two ends that each attach to the blanket material to form a space 105 for attachment to the seat structure for the seat in which the passenger sits. Such seat structure may include for example, a head rest, a top portion of the seat back, seat width adjusters or "wings," or any other structure that will suspend the blanket in front of the user. The space 105 formed by the strap 104 may also be secured around the users neck. When in place, the blanket securing strap 104 maintains the blanket material 102 in place over the user's body, and may provide support for the weight of the user's hands and arms when the user's hands are in the hand muff 140 (described further below with reference to FIG. 2).

[0038] The blanket securing strap 104 may be attached via a first attachment mechanism 110 to the blanket material 102 on one side to the left or to the right of the space 105 on a front surface of the blanket material 102 (as shown in FIG. 1). The blanket securing strap 104 may be removably attached via a second attachment mechanism 108 on the side opposite the first attachment mechanism 110.

[0039] The first attachment mechanism 110 is configured to slidably engage the strap 104 in one state to allow the user to adjust the length of strap 104 around the back of the users head and to secure the strap 104 at the selected length in a second state. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the first attachment mechanism 110 includes a slide buckle 112 through which the strap 104 slips to an end opposite the slide buckle 112. The length of the strap 104 may be adjusted by pulling on the strap 104 through the slide buckle 112 and secured using the slide buckle 112 mechanism to hold the strap in a fixed position.

[0040] The first attachment mechanism 110 in the example shown in FIG. 1 includes a cam buckle 112. Other mechanisms 110 include a side-release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other suitable type of buckle that allows the user to attach and detach the strap 104 from the blanket material with structure that allows the user to adjust the length of the strap 104. The end of the strap maybe sewn or otherwise attached to the blanket material at 106 leaving enough slack in the portion of the strap 104 extending from the strap attachment mechanism 110 to obtain a desired length in the portion of the strap 104 extending around the user's head to the opposite attachment at 109. The cam buckle 112 may be mounted using any suitable method. The cam buckle 112 in the example shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a backing material 114.

[0041] The backing material 114 may be attached to the blanket material via a grommet, or simply sown into the blanket material. The backing material may be a layer of pleather, plastic, nylon, or any other suitable material that protects the blanket material 102 from the forces created when the blanket is in use and the strap 104 tugs on the blanket in different directions. The grommet may be any suitable material such as plastic, metal, nylon, etc. and formed in any suitable shape, including, for example, oval or rectangular.

[0042] The strap 104 may extend from the first attachment to the second attachment mechanism 108 on the opposite side of the blanket material 102. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the second attachment mechanism 108 is implemented using a safety buckle 108 (shown in detail in detail AA). The safety buckle 108 is a two part buckle in which a first portion is attached to an end of the strap 104 and engages with a second portion attached to a flat lanyard strap 113 sown into the blanket material 102. The flat lanyard strap 113 may be mounted on a stiff backing 115. The safety buckle in FIG. 1 is mounted on a front surface of the blanket material 102 making it more easily accessible to the user. The safety buckle 108 may be used by the user to disengage the blanket 100 from the structure to which the strap 104 is attached quickly in case of emergency or in case the user wants to get up off the seat. The safety buckle 108 may also be configured to release in case of emergency to prevent injury to the user from the forward motion of the user due to the momentum of the user's body during a sudden stop. The buckle 108 may be any suitable type of releasable or breakaway buckle configured to remain engaged when the weight of the user's hands, or hands and forearms, are in the hand muff to support the weight of the users arms, while relieving pressure from their shoulders, causing a downward force on the strap 104 and to release when a substantially greater force is applied to the strap. Types of buckles that maybe used include, for example, a side-release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other type of buckle that is releasable when sufficient force is applied to the strap 104.

[0043] The opening 118 may be formed between the first attachment mechanism 110 and the second attachment mechanism 108 and allow for a users head to slip through so that the blanket lays on the users body. The opening 118 may be position so that a larger portion of the blanket material 102 lays over the front of the users body, and a smaller portion extends behind the users neck and shoulders to keep the blanket in place and to prevent the upper corners of the blanket to be pulled inward.

[0044] The travel blanket apparatus 100 may also include at least one hand muff 140 as shown in FIG. 2. The example in FIG. 2 includes a single hand muff 140 that may be sown down to the blanket material 102 at the top and bottom edges of the muff 140 leaving an opening in the side edges for the user's hands. The hand muff 140 supports the weight of the users arms and allows the user to comfortably rest without having to jockey for the typically uncomfortable arm rests on a plane, train, or bus; or to support the weight of the arms, allowing them to rest, where there are no arm rests (such as in the back seat of a car).Many plane/train seats lack the sufficient width and the distance to rest ones arms/hands on their legs is not ideal. Having a resting place that holds the weight of both arms at a higher position, and a position that does not disturb the users neighbors, is more comfortable and preferable.The hand muff 140 may be disposed on either side. The hand muff 140 may be constructed of any suitable material configured to provide added warmth to the user's hands in use, or they may be made of the same material as the blanket 100. The hand muff 140 in FIG. 2 may have dimensions of about 40 cm. by 22 cm. The dimensions are provided as examples. The hand muff 140 is also illustrated as having a rectangular shape. In other implementations the hand muff 140 may be of any suitable shape.

[0045] The pocket 130 may extend into the back side of the blanket 100 (as shown in FIG. 1) and include an opening on the front side of the blanket 100 (as shown in FIG. 2). The opening to the pocket 130 in FIG. 1 includes a zipper 131, however, other closure mechanisms may be used to close the opening. The pocket 130 may be used to contain the blanket once folded as a trifold or any other suitable shape. The pocket may also be used to contain a user's valuables when in use. The folded blanket may be slipped into the pocket 130 to turn the pocket 130 into a case that allows the blanket to be easily carried. The pocket 130 may include strips 142 with hook and loop (e.g. Velcro) layers that when attached to one another form a loop. The loop may be used to removably attach around a luggage handle, purse strap, backpack strap, etc. for transport of the folded blanket without needing to take up valuable luggage space.

[0046] The pocket 130 in FIGS. 1 and 2 may have dimensions of about 35 cm. by 33.5 cm. The dimensions are provided as examples. The pocket 130 is also illustrated as having a rectangular shape. In other implementations the pocket 130 may be of any suitable shape.

[0047] The blanket material 102 may include at least one slit 132 to allow for the passage of cords, cables, or other mechanical or electrical connection mechanism to pass through. In one example, the slits 132 may be used to allow a USB cable to pass through from a heating pad or other electronic device to a power source. The power source may be for example a laptop or other suitable computing device, or a USB power source often available on commercial airplanes, or other types of vehicles.

[0048] FIG. 1 includes examples of dimensions for features of the travel blanket as follows:

[0049] Blanket length, L = 191 cm.

[0050] Blanket width, W = 90 cm.

[0051] Distance between edge of blanket to outer edge of strap at first attachment mechanism 110, A = 20 cm.

[0052] Distance between edge of blanket to outer edge of strap at second attachment mechanism 108, C = 20 cm.

[0053] Distance between outer edges of first and second attachment mechanisms, B = 50 cm.

[0054] Distance between upper edge of blanket and upper edge of pocket, E = 72 cm.

[0055] Distance between upper edge of blanket to line horizontally crossing the opening 118, D = 23 cm.

[0056] Diameter of opening 118, F = 36 cm.

[0057] The above dimensions are provided as examples. Any of the dimensions may be suitably adjusted in alternative implementations that include all of the indicated features.

[0058] It is further noted that the first attachment mechanism 110 is depicted on a left side of the blanket and the second attachment mechanism 108 is depicted on a right side of the blanket. In other embodiments, the attachment mechanisms 108, 110 may be disposed on sides opposite of that shown in FIG. 1.

[0059] The footrest assembly 150 may include an enclosure 155, and a foot rest pad 200. The footrest assembly 150 may be disposed on an end of the blanket 100 opposite the securing strap 104 where the user's feet would be expected to rest when the blanket 100 is in use. The foot rest assembly 150 may include a layer of anti-skid material attached to a back side of the enclosure 155. The anti-skid material is configured to limit unintended sliding of the users feet when resting in the foot rest assembly 150.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 3A, the foot rest pad 200 may have generally a wedge shape when viewing from the side. The foot rest pad 200 may include a taller wall on a toe side 212 of the foot rest pad 200. A surface 225 of the foot rest pad 200 that supports the sole of the foot may slope towards the end that supports the user's heels to a vertical stop 215 that extends in a portion 228 having a rectangular cross-section with a heel-side surface 230 opposite the toe-side surface 212.

[0061] The shape of the foot rest pad 200 in FIG. 3A is one example of a foot rest pad that can be implemented in the foot rest assembly 150. The foot rest pad may be a pad filled with material, or an inflatable pad, configured to provide a comfortable foot rest for the user. In the example of an inflatable pad, an inflating mechanism 210 may be disposed on one side of the pad. The inflating mechanism 210 may be an air outlet to allow a user to blow air into the inflatable pad. Alternatively, the inflating mechanism 210 may be a manual pump that allows a user to inflate the inflatable pad by repeatedly pressing the manual pump. Other suitable inflating mechanisms may be used as well.

[0062] It is noted that the foot rest pad 200 may be configured for use as a standalone inflatable foot rest that can be used without the blanket. When used with the blanket, the foot rest pad 200 slips into the opening at 155.

[0063] FIG. 3B is a view of the taller toe-side surface 212 of the foot rest pad of FIG. 3A. The manual pump mechanism 210 is shown on the left side of the pad 200.

[0064] The foot rest pad 200 in FIGS. 3A and FIG. 3B may be about 180 cm long and 90 cm wide. The foot rest pad 200 may have the following dimensions:

[0065] A= 4 cm.

[0066] B = 26 cm.

[0067] C = 30 cm.

[0068] D = 3 cm.

[0069] E = 5 cm.

[0070] F = 12 cm.

[0071] The dimensions specified herein are provided as an example of one implementation of the travel blanket apparatus 100. Any other suitable dimensions may be used. The travel blanket apparatus 100 may be sized for large individuals, or smaller individuals such as children.

[0072] Other implementations of the travel blanket may include different configurations and features. A second example implementation is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A third implementation is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Other implementations are possible. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the description of two more implementations below is not intended to limit the travel blanket in any way.

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the example travel blanket apparatus 300 in FIG. 3 includes the blanket material 302, a blanket-securing strap 304 configured to secure the blanket 300 to a head rest, or other structure, mounted behind the user, a pocket 330, at least one slit 332 to permit cables to pass therethrough, at least one hand muff 340 (see FIG. 5), and a foot rest assembly 350 (see FIG. 5).

[0074] The blanket-securing strap 304 includes two ends that each attach to the blanket material to form a space 305 for attachment to the seat structure for the seat in which the passenger sits. Such seat structure may include for example, a head rest, atop portion of the seat back, seat width adjusters or "wings," or any other structure that will suspend the blanket in front of the user and is able to support the weight of the user's hands and arms when the user's hands are in the hand muff 340 (described further below with reference to FIG. 5). When in place, the blanket securing strap 304 maintains the blanket material 304 in place over the user's body. The blanket securing strap 304 may be attached at a first attachment to the blanket material 302 on one side to the left or to the right of the space 305 at or near an edge 309 of the blanket material 302. The first attachment may be made by stitching the strap 304 to the blanket material 302.

[0075] A portion of the strap 304 may extend from the first attachment to a safety buckle 308. The safety buckle 308 may be used by the user to disengage the blanket 300 from the structure to which the strap 304 is attached quickly in case of emergency or in case the user wants to get up off the seat. The safety buckle 308 may also be configured to release in case of emergency to prevent injury to the user from the forward motion of the user due to the momentum of the user's body during a sudden stop. The buckle 308 may be any suitable type of releasable or breakaway buckle configured to remain engaged when the weight of the user's hands are in the hand muff causing a downward force on the strap 304 and to release when a substantially greater force is applied to the strap. Types of buckles that maybe used include, for example, a side-release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other type of buckle that is releasable when sufficient force is applied to the strap 304.

[0076] The strap 304 may be attached to the blanket material 302 at a second attachment on the side of the space 305 for the user's head that is opposite the first attachment. The second attachment may be made via a strap attachment mechanism 310 that secures the end of the strap 304 to the blanket material 302 and enables adjustment of the length between the ends of the strap 304 attachments thereby enabling adjustment of the area in the space 305 for the user's head. The strap attachment mechanism 310 may permit the user to lengthen or shorten the strap 304 to allow the strap 304 to engage with seat structure that supports the blanket via the strap 304.

[0077] The blanket may be configured to allow the strap 304 to extend behind the blanket through an opening to the front of the blanket. The strap attachment mechanism 310 includes a cam buckle 312 in one example implementation. Other mechanisms 310 include a side-release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other suitable type of buckle that allows the user to attach and detach the strap 304 from the blanket material with structure that allows the user to adjust the length of the strap 304. The end of the strap maybe sown or otherwise attached to the blanket material at 306 leaving enough slack in the portion of the strap 304 extending from the strap attachment mechanism 310 to obtain a desired length in the portion of the strap 304 extending around the user's head to the opposite attachment at 309. In the illustrated example, the cam buckle 312 mechanism may be attached to the blanket material by mounting the cam buckle 312 to a backing material that contains an opening for the strap 304 above the buckle 312. A channel 318, such as for example, a loop of strap material may be mounted above the buckle 312 to allow the strap 304 to enter the opening in the backing material from behind the blanket and pass through securely to enter the cam buckle 312. The backing material with the opening may be attached to the blanket material via a grommet 314. The backing material may be a layer of pleather, plastic, nylon, or any other suitable material that protects the blanket material 302 from the forces created when the blanket is in use and the strap 304 tugs on the blanket in different directions. The grommet 314 may be any suitable material such as plastic, metal, nylon, etc. and formed in any suitable shape, including, for example, oval or rectangular.

[0078] The travel blanket apparatus 300 may also include at least one hand muff 340 as shown in FIG. 5. The example in FIG. 5 includes two hand muff 340 to account for users with different arm lengths, or for how high or low the user would like the hands to rest. The at least one hand muff 340 may be sown down to the blanket material 302 at the top and bottom edges of the muff 340 leaving an opening in the side edges for the user's hands. The hand muff 340 may be disposed on either side. The hand muff 340 may be constructed of any suitable material configured to provide added warmth to the user's hands in use, or they may be made of the same material as the blanket 300.

[0079] The pocket 330 may extend into the back side of the blanket 300 and include an opening on the front side of the blanket 300. The opening may include a zipper or other mechanism for closing the opening. The pocket 330 may be used to contain the blanket once folded as a trifold or any other suitable shape. The pocket may also be used to contain a user's valuables when in use. The folded blanket may be slipped into the pocket 330 to turn the pocket 330 into a case that allows the blanket to be easily carried. The pocket 330 may include strips 342 with hook and loop (e.g. Velcro) layers that when attached to one another form a loop. The loop may be used to removably attach around a luggage handle, purse strap, backpack strap, etc. for transport of the folded blanket without needing to take up valuable luggage space.

[0080] The blanket material 302 may include at least one slit 332 to allow for the passage of cords, cables, or other mechanical or electrical connection mechanism to pass through. In one example, the slits 332 may be used to allow a USB cable to pass through from a heating pad or other electronic device to a power source. The power source may be for example a laptop or other suitable computing device, or a USB power source often available on commercial airplanes, or other types of vehicles.

[0081] The footrest assembly 350 may include an enclosure 355 that can be closed with an elastic strap 354, and a foot rest pad 200. The footrest assembly 350 may be disposed on an end of the blanket 300 opposite the securing strap 304 where the user's feet would be expected to rest when the blanket 300 is in use.

[0082] FIG. 6 is a front side view of an example implementation of a travel blanket 100. FIG. 7 is a back view of the example implementation in FIG. 6. The travel blanket apparatus 400 may be used by a passenger of any vehicle to stay warm with additional features that increase the users level of overall comfort. The travel blanket apparatus includes a two-dimensional conformable blanket material 402 that a user can use to cover him or herself. The material may be any suitable material for use as a blanket, including for example, cotton, polyester, nylon, rayon, or any combination thereof. It is to be understood that any suitable material may be used without limiting the scope of the invention.

[0083] It is to be understood that the term front in relation to the view or to parts (e.g. surface) of the travel blanket apparatus 400 shall refer to the side of the travel blanket apparatus opposite the side that is in contact with the user. The term back in relation to the view or parts of the travel blanket apparatus 400 shall refer to such views that are on the side that contacts the user while the apparatus is in use. The travel blanket apparatus 400 may be used when traveling or sitting in a seat of a vehicle with limited leg room due to the proximity of the seat in front of the user. Such a situation is commonly encountered in seats on airplanes for commercial passenger flights where airlines tend to leave limited leg room for passengers in order to maximize the number of passengers on each plane. The travel blanket apparatus 400 may be used in any similar situation on any type of vehicle.

[0084] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the example travel blanket apparatus 400 in FIG. 6 includes the blanket material 402, a blanket-securing strap 404 configured to secure the blanket 400 to a head rest, or other structure, mounted behind the user, a pocket 430, at least one slit 432 to permit cables to pass therethrough, a hand muff 440 (see FIG. 7), and a foot rest assembly 450 (see FIG. 7).

[0085] The blanket-securing strap 404 includes two ends that each attach to the blanket material to form a space 405 for attachment to the seat structure for the seat in which the passenger sits. Such seat structure may include for example, a head rest, atop portion of the seat back, seat width adjusters or wings, or any other structure that will suspend the blanket in front of the user and is able to support the weight of the users hands when the users hands are in the hand muff 440 (described further below with reference to FIG. 7). When in place, the blanket securing strap 404 maintains the blanket material 404 in place over the users body. The blanket securing strap 404 may be attached at a first attachment to the blanket material 402 on one side to the left or to the right of the space 405 at or near an edge 409 of the blanket material 402. The first attachment may be made by stitching the strap 404 to the blanket material 402.

[0086] A portion of the strap 404 may extend from the first attachment to a safety buckle 408. The safety buckle 408 may be used by the user to disengage the blanket 400 from the structure to which the strap 404 is attached quickly in case of emergency or in case the user wants to get up off the seat. The safety buckle 408 may also be configured to release in case of emergency to prevent injury to the user from the forward motion of the user due to the momentum of the users body during a sudden stop. The buckle 408 may be any suitable type of releasable or breakaway buckle configured to remain engaged when the weight of the users hands are in the hand muff causing a downward force on the strap 404 and to release when a substantially greater force is applied to the strap. Types of buckles that may be used include, for example, a side-release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other type of buckle that is releasable when sufficient force is applied to the strap 404.

[0087] The strap 404 may attached to the blanket material 402 at a second attachment on the side of the space 405 for the users head that is opposite the first attachment. The second attachment may be made via a strap attachment mechanism 410 that permits removal of the end of the strap 404 and adjustment of the length between the ends of the strap 404 attachments. The strap attachment mechanism 410 may permit the user lengthen or shorten the strap 404 to allow the strap 404 to engage with seat structure that supports the blanket via the strap 404.

[0088] The blanket may be configured to allow the strap 404 to extend behind the blanket through an opening to the front of the blanket. The strap attachment mechanism 410 includes a cam buckle 412 in one example implementation. Other mechanisms 410 include a side-release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other suitable type of buckle that allows the user to attach and detach the strap 404 from the blanket material with structure that allows the user to adjust the length of the strap 104. In the illustrated example, the cam buckle 412 mechanism may be attached to the blanket material by mounting the cam buckle 412 to a backing material that contains an opening for the strap 404 above the buckle 412. A channel 418, such as for example, a loop of strap material may be mounted above the buckle 412 to allow the strap 404 to enter the opening in the backing material from behind the blanket and pass through securely to enter the cam buckle 412. The backing material with the opening may be attached to the blanket material via a grommet. The backing material may be plastic, nylon, or any other suitable material that protects the blanket material 402 from the forces created when the blanket is in use and the strap 404 tugs on the blanket in different directions. The grommet may be any suitable material such as plastic, metal, nylon, etc. and formed in any suitable shape, including, for example, oval or rectangular.

[0089] The travel blanket apparatus 400 also includes the hand muff 440 in FIG. 7 which is shown on the back side of the travel blanket apparatus. The hand muff 440 may be disposed on either side. In the illustrated example, the hand muff 440 may include cords 422 configured to hold the hand muff 440 on the back side of the blanket 400. The hand muff 440 may be constructed of any suitable material configured to provide added warmth to the users hands in use.

[0090] The blanket material 402 may include a second backing material 420 with cord ports 423 configured to permit passage of the cords 422 from the back side of the blanket material 402 (FIG. 2) to the front side (FIG. 6). The second backing material 420 may be made of plastic, nylon, or any other suitable material, and secured to the blanket material 402 with a grommet. The grommet may be nylon, plastic, metal, or any other suitable material sufficient to protect the blanket material 402 during use. The cord ports 423 may also include grommets to protect the blanket material from friction caused by the cords 422 passing there through. The cord ports 423 may also have stitching around the opening to provide some protection. On the front side, the cords 422 may loop around from one port to the other. The cord 422 on the front side may include a grip 424 to allow the user to pull the cord 422 through the ports 423 thereby adjusting the position of the hand muff 440 on the back side of the blanket material. A cord lock 426 may be sown into the second backing material 420 to allow the user to fix the cords 422 in place when the desired position of the hand muff 440 is achieved.

[0091] When the user has their hands in the hand muff 440, the cord 422 may apply a force on the blanket at the cord ports 423 due to the weight of the users hands when the user is resting their hands on the hand muff 440. The users hands apply the downward force on the cords 422, which transfers the force to the blanket, which then transfers the force to the strap 404. For this reason, the safety buckle 408 should be calibrated to sustain the force while releasing when a much greater force such as during an emergency stop is applied to the strap 404.

[0092] The pocket 430 may extend into the back side of the blanket 400 and include an opening on the front side of the blanket 400. The opening may include a zipper or other mechanism for closing the opening. The pocket 430 may be used to contain the blanket once folded as a trifold or any other suitable shape. The folded blanket may be slipped into the pocket 430 to turn the pocket 430 into a case that allows the blanket to be easily carried. The pocket 430 may include strips 442 with hook and loop (e.g. Velcro.sup.TM) layers that when attached to one another form a loop. The loop may be used to removably attach around a luggage handle, purse strap, backpack strap, etc. for transport of the folded blanket without needing to take up valuable luggage space.

[0093] The blanket material 402 may include at least one slit 432 to allow for the passage of cords, cables, or other mechanical or electrical connection mechanism to pass through. In one example, the slits 432 may be used to allow a USB cable to pass through from a heating pad or other electronic device to a power source. The power source may be for example a laptop or other suitable computing device, or a USB power source often available on commercial airplanes, or other types of vehicles.

[0094] The foot rest assembly 450 may include an enclosure 455 that can be closed with an elastic strap 454, and a foot rest pad 500. The foot rest assembly 450 may be disposed on an end of the blanket 400 opposite the securing strap 404 where the users feet would be expected to rest when the blanket 400 is in use.

[0095] The above describes an example implementation of a travel blanket that can be supported on a user's seat or other structure. It is noted that the example implementations described relate to uses primarily in aircraft. It is to be understood that examples of the travel blanket described above may be used, or adapted for use in an automobile, a bus, a train, or in any other situation in which a user may desire added warmth and/or comfort during the user's trip. The details of the implementation are described as examples and are not intended to limit any aspect of the travel blanket in any way.