|
(11) | EP 3 228 231 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | ANTI-WIND TOWEL |
| (57) Toalla antiviento que tiene la caracteristica de aislar al usuario del viento cuando
al menos una sección rectangular de la toalla queda en posición vertical. La invención
consiste en introducir dentro de la toalla una estructura que sera flexible, para
facilitar su uso común, y rígida también, capaz de sustentar al menos una sección
de la toalla en posición vertical cuando el usuario lo requiera. El uso o beneficio añadido que se puede dar a la invención, respecto a la toalla común, es la posibilidad de paliar los efectos del viento y arena que tienen sobre el usuario. |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The technical field to which the invention belongs is the tourism and leisure sector. The main object of this invention is to be used like a common towel for drying and lying purposes in the sun, with the characteristic that in its state 2, (figure 1 b) the invention protects the user from wind if it would be necessary.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Common towels have been used for a long time by mankind for the drying and laying of the users, however the applicant is not aware of the existence of an invention having the features described herein.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0003] This invention has the visual form of any known towel for leisure use (beach, pool, etc.), but it has the characteristic of being able to work in its mode of use 2 or state 2, isolating the user from the wind that might exist at usage location.
[0004] Thus, Figure 1a shows the towel extended in its standard position when there is no wind, and the Figure 1 b it shows in state 2, safeguarding from the wind. In this state 2, the towel has one or two parts of its surface perpendicular to the horizontal of the floor, in order to mitigate the effects of the wind.
[0005] The state 2 is obtained by pulling the cords (3) (figure 1 a), staying the invention in the form of figure 1b. This is made possible when the internal pieces inserted inside the towel (figure 1a) form a rigid structure by pulling each of the strings in the opposite direction to the towel. Turning to state 2 and staying in the upright position, at least a part of the surface of the towel.
[0006] The internal structure introduced into the towel consists of a plurality of hollow cylindrical pieces (1) and (2) shown in figure 2, allowing a string (3) (figure 2) to run through the pieces, with the possibility of moving. This will allow, once the pieces (1) (Figure 2) are arranged, as shown the figure 5, forming a row of hollow cylinders capable of engaging one another, and proceed to pull both ends of the rope in the opposite direction to the towel, the cylinder structure becomes rigid (figure 5 (1)). Using a pin (5) figure 1a, the structure will be stable preventing the parts from disengaging and returning to their initial position. The piece (4) of figure 1, also shown in figure 2(4a) and (4b) in the from view and side view respectively, will have the "L" shape in side view.
[0007] By acting in the same way with the strings on the other "L" structure, we will get that the invention has two parallel rigid structures and one side of the towel disposed perpendicular to the floor. These two structures will be joined with another row of cylinders forming a stable and rigid structure, capable of supporting and holding a section of the towel against whose vertical face the wind will collide and stop.
[0008] Another possible form of the invention to palliate the wind, rather than an "L" shaped structure, as shown in figure 5, is shaped like an arch. Thus the internal structure formed would not have the "L" shaped part of figure 5 (2), but will have in the anterior and posterior part of the row of straight cylinders, a few of these with a longitudinal arch shape, forming an arc-shaped structure instead of an "L" shape.
[0009] The compression system of the pieces along the string may be manual or mechanical, as long as it exerts a force of opposite senses between the piece 2 and the string.
[0010] In order to return the structure to its flexible initial state (state 1), any force which separates the parts again can be used, with our hands for example, or another rope can be used which pulls it apart and stretches the pieces (1) figure 2 , again.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] In order to complement the description made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, we shall now describe the figures wherein, in an illustrative and non-limiting way, the parts, the pieces and states of the invention are shown, according to a preferred example of the invention. So:
Figure 1 a shows a plan view of the invention in its flexible state (rope and pieces
without rigidities) where the location of the pieces forming the invention, determined
by the numbers shown, can be appreciated. Likewise, the structure formed by the parts
which are introduced inside of the invention can be appreciated.
The curved arrows show the direction the towel section will take when moving to the
vertical position, passing the structure formed by the pieces to their rigid state.
Figure 1 b shows a perspective of the invention in its state 2, when the internal structure obtains a rigid constitution capable of holding a section of the towel vertically. In the figure you can see the section of the towel forming a plane perpendicular to the horizontal of the floor, preventing the passage of wind and sand.
Figure 2 shows the shape of the pieces forming the invention, with the number that has been assigned for explanation in the different sections. Thus, we have the parts (1) and (2), the rope (3), the pin (5) and the piece (4) where its front view (4a) and left side view (4b) have been drawn.
Figure 3 shows the left side view of the piece (4), in three moments of its use: before than the pieces (1) fit in it, that is, before exerting the movement between the pieces and the towel, figure 3 (1); once the pieces (1) have been fitted onto the piece (4), figure 3 (2); and when the piece (4) has obtained its vertical position, it is no longer possible to exert more movement between the pieces and the rope, figure 3 (3) and has therefore been made use of the pin. The arrows show the direction of movement.
Figure 4 shows the front view (2) and side view (1) of the piece (4) with the first pieces (1) fitted and the position of the rope (3) which joins them together.
Figure 5 shows the side view of the internal "L" shaped structure (1) inserted into the towel, with the detail of the part (4) making it possible (figure 5 (2)) and the rope that unites it (3).
MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0012] Figure 1a shows the invention, with each piece and its placement, whose final form in the state 2 is shown in figure 1 b. In order to manufacture the invention, we must first construct the internal structure that will go inside the towel with the pieces (1), (2) and (4) of the figure 2, inserting them into the rope, piece (3) of the figure 2, through its internal hole, one behind the other until obtaining the necessary length. By means of this process, we make a structure as shown in figure 1a, which is the consequence of joining 2 structures, like those of figure 5, by means of pieces (1) like those of figure 2, internally joined in turn by another string and also to the two pieces in "L" (part (4) figure 2) which in turn form part of the two initial structures.
[0013] Once the two structures of Figure 5 are constructed and transversally joined by their pieces (4) (figure 2), by means of pieces (1) (figure 2), this will be placed into the towel according to the position of figure 1a and then a cloth portion will be placed over it, which will be sewn around its perimeter on both sides of the structure. The pieces forming the structure must be able to move longitudinally along the hole between the towel and the cloth portion, in order to allow get the state 1 (towel without stiffness) and the state 2 or rigid state, when the pieces are all joined and fitted together.
[0014] The pieces (4) (figure 2) must remain fixed in their position once the fabric is sewn, preventing them from moving in any direction with respect to the towel.
[0015] In order to prevent the parts forming the rigid structure, once engaged with one another, from returning to their initial position and the structure to be no longer rigid, a pin (5) (figure 2) or utensil capable of preventing its displacement along the rope will be used.
[0016] The pieces (1), (2) and (4) of figure 2, may be made of a hard material (metal, hard plastic, etc.) in order to maintain the rigid consistency of the structure in state 2, or a semirigid material (Plastic, silicone, etc.) in order to be more comfortable in state 1, but provided that in state 2, the rigid structure formed has sufficient consistency to withstand the wind in the vertical of the towel.
[0017] The invention in its state 1 (flexible) is a towel which can be used conventionally, as usual, since the pieces forming the structure (pieces (1), (2) and (4)) do not preclude such use, for drying and for lying in sand. While in state 2, this makes it possible that when lying on it, the wind and the possible sand do not disturb us, since the vertical face of the invention will prevent it from passing.
[0018] A further simpler embodiment of the invention, rather than the structure formed by the above-mentioned pieces (figure 2), is to make use of simple deformable wires having sufficient strength and thickness to form and maintain a section of the towel in vertical position, state 2. Such wire must be moldable and with adequate protections (rubber), so that they do not disturb the normal use of the towel (drying and laying).