Multipurpose blanket

Abstract

 A multipurpose blanket in which a cloth (2) originating at an end of a rectangular blanket (1) extends the full width of the blanket, and a drawstring (4, 5, 6) allows the blan­ket to be pushed together to form ruffles or gathers. The blanket may be worn as a cape with a collar formed by fol­ding back the top of the blanket along the drawstring, or with a hood formed by folding the collar forward, or may be returned within seconds to the form of an ordinary blanket.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a multipurpose blanket.

[0002] Usual commercially available blankets or covers are very popular because of their high heat retention combined with their decorative nature when given an appropriate design. They have, however, the disadvantage that they can fulfil their function satisfactorily, i.e. keeping a person warm, only when used by a person lying down, and to a limited ex­tent also when used by a seated person. Other known ele­ments, for example the so-called wraps, which can be used both as blanket and as cloak, require a special cut of the blanket, and thus lose their typical blanket nature.

[0003] The problem underlying the invention is to provide a blan­ket having a broader field of use which does not require any special cut of the blanket and has the character of a normal blanket.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention by a mul­tipurpose blanket having a cloth extending across the width of the blanket and having a drawstring along which the blanket may be pushed to form ruffles or gathers.

[0005] Advantageous further developments for the invention are characterized below and in the further claims.

[0006] The multipurpose blanket according to the invention is ba­sed on a usual commercially available blanket of wool or any other material usually employed for blankets. Such blankets are rectangular and have two long edges and two short edges. Proceeding from the one short edge in the lon­gitudinal direction of the blanket at about 30 to 60 cm a preferably fashionably imprinted cotton cloth is sewn on. Said cloth makes the blanket kind to the skin even at ex­treme temperatures. In the region of the lower edge of the cotton cloth facing the blanket there is a drawstring ha­ving a band, a cord or the like, which extends transversely over the width of the blanket and along which the blanket can be pushed together or pulled apart to form gathers or ruffles.

[0007] If the blanket is held at the ends of the band, cord or the like projecting out at the left and right, the portion of the blanket lying thereabove folded over, the blanket pla­ced over the shoulders and the drawstring pulled somewhat, the lower portion of the blanket wraps round the body like a coat or cape whilst the folded-over upper portion with the sewn-on cotton cloth forms a collar. When the two ends of the band, the cord or the like are tied together, the cloak then holds itself in position so that there is full freedom of movement for hands and feet. With adequate length of the blanket portion lying above the drawstring and now forming the collar said collar can be folded over the head in the manner of a hood. By releasing the draw­string and stretching the blanket the latter is transformed within seconds back into an ordinary blanket.

[0008] In this manner, without requiring any cut but simply using a commercially available blanket it is possible on the ba­sis of the invention to provide a multipupose blanket with a field of use considerably extended compared with a simple blanket.

[0009] The invention will be explained hereinafter in detail with the aid of examples shown in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the top side of a multipurpose blanket according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows the multipurpose blanket of Fig. 1 in a some­what contracted state forming gathers, and

Fig. 3 shows the multipurpose blanket of Fig. 1 as cloak with a collar.

[0010] The multipurpose blanket according to the invention inclu­des a commercially available blanket 1 which in the Figures is provided only by way of example with a fringe 8 at the lower short edge. On one side of the blanket in accordance with the illustration of Fig. 1 substantially in the upper third thereof a cloth 2 is sewn on, preferably a cotton cloth. The cloth, which is shown in Fig. 1 with a hatching simply for better illustration, can be fahionably imprin­ted. The cloth 2 extends from the one short edge 1a (in Fig. 1 the upper short edge of the blanket) over the entire blanket width and a portion, as already stated about a third, of the blanket length. With conventional blanket di­mensions, the cloth 2 extends in the longitudinal direction of the blanket 1 through about 30 to 60 cm. The cloth 2 is sewn all round the edge to the blanket 1. A drawstring 3 extending transversely over the blanket width is disposed offset a few centimetres above the bottom edge 2a of the cloth 2 facing the blanket centre in the direction towards the upper short edge 1a of the blanket 1 and along said drawstring the blanket can be pushed together to form ga­thers as indicated in Fig. 2. In the illustrated embodi­ment, this is a tunnel drawstring having a tunnel which is formed between the cloth 2 and the blanket 1 by two seams 4 and 5 extending transversely over the blanket and through which passes a band, a cord or the like 6. Said band is preferably sewn in the centre of the blanket, to the blan­ket and/or the cloth so that it cannot be lost.

[0011] Instead of the tunnel-type drawstring, other drawn means may also be used, for example a row of holes which extends instead of the tunnel of the illustrated embodiment over the blanket width and through which a cord passes in alter­nating over and under directions. The tunnel drawstring in the illustrated embodiment is preferred, however.

[0012] A further feature which is particularly advantageous is the arrangement of a pocket 7 in the cloth or between the cloth and the blanket. This pocket, which is preferably closable by means of a cling fastener, zip fastener or the like can be integrated unobtrusively into the cloth matching the pattern with which the cloth is imprinted so that it is not even noticeable at first glance. As illustrated, the pocket lies below the collar line when the blanket is used as an article of clothing as discussed below. The position of the pocket is not restricted to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, which is only by way of example, but can be anywhere in the region of the cloth 2. An edge region of the cloth is a preferred location, so that any hard object possibly contained in the pocket, for example a key, is not an impediment when using the blanket as a ground cover or bedding blanket.

[0013] The blanket illustrated in Fig. 1 can be employed in usual manner as a blanket for lying on or for covering up. The additional elements provided according to the invention do not in any way restrict the use of the blanket compared with a quite normal blanket. The integrated pocket 7 af­fords the possibility of accommodating identification pa­pers, money and/or a key or the like in relatively unno­ticeable manner and this is a considerably advantage over a normal blanket when used, for example, as a multipupose blanket on a beach.

[0014] Fig. 3 shows in a schematic illustration the use of the multipurpose blanket according to the invention in the man­ner of a cloak. For this purpose the blanket according to Fig. 1 is pulled together in accordance with the illustra­tion of Fig. 2 along the band 6 to form gathers or pleats. The portion of the drawstring 3 is then folded rearwardly with respect to the illustration of Fig. 2 and forms the collar of the cloak of Fig. 3, on the visible outer side of which the cloth 2 is disposed. If the blanket is now placed over the shoulders and the two ends of the band tied toge­ther at the front, the result is a cloak as shown in Fig. 3 which, due to the tied band, retains its position on the body of its own accord so that the hands are completely free.

[0015] The multipurpose blanket according to the invention can be used, inter alia, on the beach or for a picnic like a usual blanket as an underlay. Should it become colder it can be readily converted in the manner described to a type of cloak. In a further embodiment, the blanket is provided with a waterproof or water resistant impregantion and can also be used as protection against rain. The collar can be folded forwardly over the head to form a hood.

[0016] The invention having been thus disclosed and described with reference to the illustrated embodiment and methods of use, different variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, and all such variations and modifications are included in the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A multipurpose blanket, wherein a cloth is sewn on at least one side of a rectangular blanket originating from an edge thereof and extending over the width of the blanket and a portion of the length of the blanket to an edge of the cloth distal to said edge of the blanket, and having a drawstring in a region of the edge of the cloth along which the blanket can be pushed together to form ruffles or ga­thers.

2. A multipurpose blanket according to claim 1, wherein the drawstring is formed by a tunnel formed between the blanket and the cloth by parallel seams, and a band passing through the tunnel.

3. A multipurpose blanket according to claim 2, wherein the band is attached in the centre of the blanket to at least one of the blanket and the cloth.

4. A multipurpose blanket according to claim 1, wherein the cloth includes a pocket

5. A multipurpose blanket according to claim 2, wherein the cloth includes a pocket.

6. A multipurpose blanket according to claim 3, wherein the cloth includes a pocket.

Drawing