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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to beach gear, and more particularly to a mat
for sunbathing and the like which accomodates the user and which is
conveniently portable.
A common sight at resort beaches, lakes, swimming pools, and the like is a
person or group struggling from an automobile to a selected site on the
beach, laden with assorted beach paraphernalia. While food lockers, balls,
frisbees, and the like may or may not be included, almost universally the
burden will include assorted blankets and towels, pillows, various lotions
and ointments, and various bags or suitcases containing articles of
clothing. The image presented is sufficiently common virtually to
constitute a caricature of itself; the person slipping and sliding through
the sand while supporting a precarious pyramid of assorted materials to be
spread out as the person's own oasis on the beach.
Equally common is the scene, either at the end of the day or at the onset
of bad weather, of repacking and removal of the same sundry goods back to
the automobile. Indeed, the process of attempting to shake or remove water
and sand from assorted blankets, towels, pillows, and clothing, and
folding them all neatly for the trek home, forms a comical scene mating
perfectly with the morning schlepp from car to beach.
It is a primary object of the present invention to alleviate the
inconveniences associated with bringing necessary paraphernalia to the
beach.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a beach
mat in which the necessary sunbathing accoutriments are contained in a
single, integral package.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beach mat
which is configured for convenient folding into a compact arrangement,
which may be easily carried as desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves an integral beach mat which carries its own
pillow and also pockets for storage of lotions, food, clothing or the
like. The pillow and pockets are integral with the base mat, conveniently
at one end thereof, and define a basis for folding the mat into a neat
package with pillow and pockets in the center of the package. Tie straps
are provided at the end of the mat opposite the pillow, to hold the folded
mat in package form, and also to define handles for easy carrying.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a top elevational view of a beach mat incorporating the
principles of the present invention, with the mat in its full outspread
position; and
FIGS. 2a through 2d illustrate a sequence of operations whereby the mat of
FIG. 1 is folded into a neat, compact package for easy carrying.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the
present invention. In FIG. 1, the body of the mat is defined by an
elongated, generally rectangular fabric piece 101. In preferred
embodiments, the fabric piece 101 is canvas or terrycloth, but it will be
apparent that the composition of the mat will vary in accordance with the
needs and desires of those of ordinary skill in the art. For example,
reflective or synthetic materials may be utilized to promote the
suntanning process, or layers of materials may be employed respectively to
promote absorption, structural integrity, and the like.
At one extremity of the mat there is provided a central pillow 103 and side
pockets 111 and 112. In a preferred embodiment, the material covering
pillow 103 and pockets 111 and 112 is an extension of the base mat 101,
folded back against itself at 102. In such instance, the pillow is defined
by stitching at 104, and the pockets are secured also by stitching at 105
and 113. The pockets are formed by openings at 106 and 107, which are
suitably bound to prevent fraying or the like. In an alternative
embodiment, the pillow 103 and the side pockets 111 and 112 may be
fabricated from discrete parts, which are stitched to the base mat 101 not
only at seams 104, 105, and 113, but also along the topmost edge 102.
The stuffing for pillow 103 may be any conventionally utilized pillow
stuffing material, including synthetics such as dacron, shredded foam, and
the like, or natural materials such as down, kapok, and the like. It will
be appreciated that waterproofing is a desired attribute, for the pillow
stuffing, and to that end the materials forming the stuffing of pillow 103
are preferably waterproof in and of themselves, or at least are
hermetically sealed in a waterproof enclosure.
The pockets 111 and 112 form a convenient storage place for clothing, but
it will be understood that their utilization is limited only in accordance
with the desires of the user. For example, suntan lotions, sunburn
remedies, and the like may be kept in the pockets 111 and 112 on a
virtually permanent basis. Also, pockets 111 and 112 may be utilized for
refreshments or the like.
In FIG. 1, the openings 106 and 107 for pockets 111 and 112 are shown
located in their preferred position, that is, on the inside of the mat
near the pillow. At such location, the pockets 111 and 112 are selfsealing
when the mat is folded as shown in FIGS. 2a through 2d and discussed
hereinafter, and in such circumstance, extra means to seal the openings
106 and 107 are not required. It is to be understood, however, that those
of ordinary skill in the art may wish to provide means for sealing the
pocket openings 106 and 107, including flaps, buttons, snaps, and the
like. Likewise, the location of pocket openings 106 and 107 may be altered
from that shown, in accordance with the desires of those of ordinary
skill.
At the end of the fabric piece 101 opposite the pillow 103 is a bottom hem
or binding 108, to which are attached elongated straps 109 and 110. The
straps may be two separate pieces, affixed to the mat 101 in the region of
108, or may be a single elongated strap centrally attached to the mat 101.
Straps 109 and 110 are made of the same material which defines the
remainder of the mat 101, or alternatively may be ropes, leather belts or
thongs, or the like. The purpose of straps 109 and 110 is to secure the
folded mat as shown in FIGS. 2a through 2d, with sufficient extra length
to provide convenient carrying handles for the folded package.
This convenient folding operation may be better understood upon
consideration of FIGS. 2a through 2d. Briefly, those figures describe a
preferred folding operation whereby the mat of FIG. 1 may be folded into a
small, purse-like configuration convenient for carrying, with the
essential pocketed goods neatly contained in the center. As shown in FIGS.
2a and 2b, successive longitudinal folds 201 and 202 bring the pocket
portions 111 and 112 against and above the pillow portion 103. The
longitudinal folds 201 and 202 are essentially along the pocket openings
106 and 107, thereby effectively sealing the pockets 111 and 112, and
safely enclosing the contents thereof. As shown in FIG. 2c, once the
longitudinal folds 201 and 202 are completed, a succession of transverse
folds 203 are completed, from top to bottom, thereby rolling the
pillow-pocket portion down towards the straps 109 and 110. As shown in
FIG. 2d, when the rolled portion is brought essentially to the bottom end
108, straps 109 and 110 are brought around the package, are knotted
together at 204, and leave protruding portions which are useful as
handles.
In a preferred embodiment, the entire mat 101, from end to end, is in the
range of 6 feet long, and 21/2 to 3 feet wide. The pillow and pocket
portion is somewhat less than a foot in length, such that a convenient
thickness of the final package (FIG. 2d) will be achieved by four
transverse folds 203 as shown in FIG. 2c.
It is to be understood that the foregoing represents disclosure of
preferred and illustrative features of the present invention, and that
numerous alternative embodiments and features will occur to those of
ordinary skill in the art without departure from the spirit or scope of
the present invention.
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