AU2018100094A4 - Tanning accessory - Google Patents

Abstract

A tanning accessory in the form of a flexible towel or sheet 10 comprising a first broad section 20 comprising a surface of microfibre material on at least an outer application surface 26 of the broad section; and a pair of pockets 12 formed on the reverse side 25 of the broad section, the pockets, together with the reverse side of the broad section, forming mitts that are each adapted to receive a hand H of a user. A method of drying the body of a user to which a sunless tanning product has been applied, the method including the steps of (1) inserting a hand H of a user in one of the pair of pockets 12 of the tanning accessory 10 as described above; and applying the outer surface 26 of the tanning towel or sheet to wet areas of the user's body by patting them down using the manually controlled pair of mitts until sufficient exfoliation or drying has occurred. Fig. la l3ai 10 17ai 21 a 16 12aii 22ai 2iaii La1 3a 14 423ai 23ai Fig. la 14 Fig. le

Description

TANNING ACCESSORY

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a tanning accessory. More particularly, this invention relates to a tanning accessory in the form of a tanning towel.

BACKGROUND ART

The following references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion should not be assumed to relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but to assist in the inventive process undertaken by the inventor(s) and in the understanding of the invention.

Sunless or fake tanning can be applied by applying creams, mousse, spray solutions and other sunless tanning products. The tanning product is normally applied as a wet solution which should be dried quickly and uniformly to avoid patchy results or streaking. A fake tan using sunless tanning products usually lasts between five to seven days as a result of the natural shedding of skin cells over time. A natural process of skin is to exfoliate wherein dead skin cells are removed from the surface of the skin. This process can be assisted or accelerated by rubbing or scrubbing and may be desirable with regard to some superficial cosmetic treatments. Such treatment is generally undesirable for the prolongation of a sunless tan. Moreover, in order to reduce the risk of streaking and removal of a tanning solution or product after a sunless tanning product is applied, it is generally desirable to pat down the user’s skin after showering as the tanning product adheres to and colours the user’s skin. In particular, hair must be dried quickly to avoid runs of water drops disturbing the uniformity of the tan. It is found that most towel materials, such as cotton and paper tissue are harsh or otherwise unsuitable for the purpose, leading to unsatisfactory results, both with regard to lack of uniformity of the applied tanning appearance and longevity of the tanning effect.

Sunless tanning has application in the hair and beauty industry, dancing, cheerleading, calisthenics, body building, and bikini swimsuit and physique competitions. Moreover, in the motel and resort industry, spoiling of towelling and linen is common due to fake tan transference and as a result of tanners not showering or drying correctly.

An object of the present invention is to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided: A tanning accessory in the form of a flexible towel or sheet comprising: a first broad section comprising a surface of microfibre material on at least an outer application surface of the broad section; and a pair of pockets formed on the reverse side of the broad section, the pockets together with the reverse side of the broad sheet, forming mitts that are adapted to receive the hands of a user.

In another aspect, the invention provides: A method of drying the body of a user to which a sunless tanning product has been applied, the method including the steps of: inserting the respective hands of a user in the pair of pockets of the tanning accessory as defined in the above Statement of Invention; and applying the out surface of the tanning towel or sheet to wet areas of the user’s body by patting them down using the hand-controlled pair or pockets until sufficient exfoliation or drying has occurred.

The broad section may include a microfibre surface on the reverse side. The broad section may comprise microfibre material. Preferably, the microfibre is a plush microfibre. Preferably the microfibre comprises a high polyester component. Still more preferably, the microfibre comprises between 50-95% polyester, more preferably 70-90%, and most preferably about 80% polyester. The balance of microfibre components may comprise a natural or synthetic fibre. Advantageously, the balance of microfibre components may be a polyamide. Microfibre products contemplated by the present invention absorb water to the extent of between 5-7 times the weight of the microfibre, thereby having superior water absorbency compared to other towel materials, such as pure cotton and paper products.

The broad section of material may be in the form of a towel or bath sheet. Preferably the broad section is a generally rectangular sheet.

The pair of pockets may be formed by a single strip of material extending along one edge of the broad sheet and partitioned at or near the middle thereof by a seam or line of stitching. Each pocket may be formed by attaching a sheet of material to the reverse side and leaving one edge open to form an opening for the pocket. The pair of pockets may be spaced and formed by separate sheets of material sewn into the broad section. Preferably, each pocket of the pair of pockets is located in a respective comer of the broad section or otherwise at evenly spaced locations along one edge of the broad section.

The pockets may have one or more edges. The pockets may have concave or convex curves along the open edge presenting to the wrist area of the user corresponding to the openings of the pockets. Otherwise, the opening of the pocket may extend along a straight edge.

The opening to the pocket may be defined by a seam or band of stretchable material. The opening of the pocket may include a flexible, non-elastic, band of material of sufficient length to permit a user to easily insert their hand. For example, the circumference of the pocket opening may be between 250-400mm or more, preferably 300-350mm (correspondingly, the length of a pocket opening will generally be about half the opening’s circumference). The pocket opening may be defined by a band extending between spaced locations on the broad section’s reverse surface. The pocket opening may be located near a comer of the broad sheet. The attachment points of each end of the band may be located at positions along the length of an edge of the broad sheet close to the relevant comer. The band end locations may be spaced between 120-230mm from a comer of the broad sheet when the comer is a sharp right angle. When the comer is curved to provide a rounded pocket or mitt, the radius of the curve may be between 120-250mm, and preferably between 150-180mm.

The second layer of pocket material forming the pocket with the broad section may be the same material as the broad section, i.e. the same microfibre material. However, the second layer of pocket material may be a different type of material, such as a stretchable mesh or elasticised cotton, noting that it will be the broad section microfibre material which the user will directly apply to their body during use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Figures la-e are rear elevations of towel and bath sheet designs, showing pockets with curved openings and broad section towel sheets with variously curve and square finished comers;

Figures 2a-d are rear elevations of towel and bath sheet designs, showing pockets with convex pocket openings and comer configurations that are variously square and curved;

Figures 3a-d are rear elevations of towel and bath sheet designs, showing pockets extending along one edge of the sheet and comer configurations that are variously finished with square and round comers finished;

Figures 4a-d are rear elevations of towel and bath sheet designs, showing straight edged comer pockets with variously designed square finished and curved comer pockets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be constmed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

In the drawings like features are referred to using a common number (e.g. 10 for bath or towel sheets) and various specific embodiments are referred to with an alphabetical suffix (e.g. 10a for the towel of the first embodiment shown in Fig. la, and lOp for the embodiment shown in Fig. 4d). Left hand features are typically designated by use of the roman numeral suffix “i”, and right hand features with reference to “ii”.

Referring to Figures la-e, there are shown towel or bath sheets, lOa-d. The sheet 10 comprises a broad section or sheet 20 and in the upper left and right comers 11 i,ii, respectively, there is a pair of pockets 12i,ii. Each pocket 12 is formed by attaching a second layer 16 of material, that is triangular in shape, with the hypotenuse edge 13 forming an opening 14. The opening 14 is defined by a concave curved band forming the edge 13 over the corresponding portion of a reverse side 25 of the broad sheet 20. The other edges 17i,ii of each of the pockets 12 are provided by the corresponding edges of the triangularly shaped second layer of material 16. The second layer is superimposed over the comer section 1 li,ii of the broad sheet 20 and, along the edges 17i,ii, is coextensive with the corresponding edges 21,22 of the broad sheet 20.

In the embodiment shown in Figures la & le, the pockets 12ai,aii are formed by the attachment to respective comers 1 lai,aii of the broad sheet 20. The “hypotenuse” side 13 of the triangular second layer 16 is inwardly curved or “concave”. This shape may assist a user in entering their hand H in the pocket 12ai,aii as the centre region 13ai of the hypotenuse edge 13 may be easily lifted and the opening 14 entered whilst the respective ends 15 are retarded by their attachment to a top edge 21 and side edges 22 whereby to facilitate easier entry of the user’s hand H.

The top edge 21 of the broad sheet 20 may be longer than the side edge 22, or vice-versa. However, it may be preferable for some users for the side edge 22 to be longer than the top edge 21 and for the pockets 12ai,aii to be located in the comers 1 lai,aii to enable a widest possible “wing span”, i.e. the maximum distance that the hands H inserted in the pockets 12ai,aii can be spaced from each other.

In any of the embodiments shown in Figs, la - 4d, where the broad sheet 20 is a towel, the towel 10a typically has the dimensions 1320-1475mm (about 52” - 58”) for the length of the top edge 21 and 685-760mm (about 27” - 30”) for the length of the shorter side edges 22. Where the broad sheet 20 is a bath sheet, the bath sheet 10a typically has the dimensions 1520-1625mm (about 60” - 64”) for the length of the top edge 21 and 840-915mm (about 33” - 36”) for the length of the shorter side edges 22.

The pockets’ 12 hypotenuse side 13 may have a curve with a radius of about 550-610mm. The shorter sides of 17i,ii of the triangle forming the pockets 12 may be between 110 - 200mm, and preferably between 130-150mm.

The upper comers lli,ii and lower comers 23i,ii of the broad sheet 20 may be variously squared-shaped or round cornered, and such variations are exemplified in Figs, la - 4d. Round cornered upper comers, such as upper comers 1 lbi,bii shown in Figs, lb - lc, may be effective to better correspond to the shape of the leading edge 17i of the towel/sheet 10 to the shape of the users hands H for more effective contact with their body parts. Lower rounded comers 23bi,bii, such as those shown in Figs lb and Id, may be useful to better disperse water and die to avoid pooling or concentration of water or die at a concentrated end lower point, so that the risk of inadvertent staining due to draping and dragging the towel/sheet 10 across body parts or other linen is reduced.

Figures 2a - d show various embodiments of towels/sheets lOe-h, wherein the “hypotenuse” edge 13e of the generally triangular pocket 12e is curved outwardly in a convex shape. Such hood- or cowl-shaped pocket 12e provides extended coverage of the user’s wrists and may facilitate better retention if the user’s hands H in the pockets 12e. Combined with the upper rounded comers 1 lfi,fii and 1 lgi,gii shown in Figs. 2b and 2c, the effect of the convex shaped edge 13e may be to provide the user with improved skin contact and better retention of their hands H in the pockets 12e.

The various embodiments of towels/sheets 10i-l shown in Figs. 3a - d illustrate pockets 12Ii,Iii comprises of a single length of a second layer of material 161. The pocket material preferably extends the full length of the towel/sheet 101-1 along one edge 211 or although is may be shorter with reasonable effect. The pockets 12Ii,Iii provide openings 141. The user may spread their hands H wide (see 14Ii) to place their hands at the respective ends of the upper edge 211, or locate their hands centrally (see 14Iii), in the pockets 12Ii,Iii. therefore, the user may take advantage of the option of a variety of different positions along the length of each pocket 12Ii,Iii to better utilise “unspoiled” sections of the towels/sheets 10i-l as die and dampness are absorbed in the sheet material immediately adjacent the user’s hands H.

The single length of a second layer of material 161 is preferably centrally partitioned at 191 to provide the split compartments 12Ii,Iii forming the separate, but not spaced, pockets 12Ii,Iii. The breadth of the second layer of material 161 is sufficient to enable a user to retain their hands H in the pockets 12Ii,Iii in use. The second layer of material 161 has dimensions between 1320-1625mm (about 52” - 64”) in length and about 100 - 200 mm (about 2.5” - 5”) for the width extending inwardly from the top edge 211.

The towel, including the broad sheet section 20, has a density of between 200 - 500 gsm, more preferably between 250 - 350 gsm, and most preferably about 300 gsm.

This may give the material of the towel 10 sufficient absorbency and yield, softness or give to facilitate drying without blemishes.

Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

In the present specification, terms such as “apparatus”, “means”, “device” and “member” may refer to singular or plural items and are terms intended to refer to a set of properties, functions or characteristics performed by one or more items or components having one or more parts. It is envisaged that where an “apparatus”, “means”, “device” or “member” or similar term is described as being a unitary object, then a functionally equivalent object having multiple components is considered to fall within the scope of the term, and similarly, where an “apparatus”, “assembly”, “means”, “device” or “member” is described as having multiple components, a functionally equivalent but unitary object is also considered to fall within the scope of the term, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the top edge 21 uppermost.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. The Claims defining the innovation are as follows:

   1. A tanning accessory in the form of a flexible towel or sheet comprising: a first broad section comprising a surface of microfibre material on at least an outer application surface of the broad section; and a pair of pockets formed on the reverse side of the broad section, the pockets together with the reverse side of the broad section, forming mitts that are each adapted to receive a hand of a user.
2. 2. The tanning accessory defined in Claim 1, wherein broad section includes a microfibre surface on the reverse side and the microfibre material comprises a high polyester component of between 70 - 90% by weight with the balance of 10 - 30% by weight comprising polyamide.
3. 3. The tanning accessory as defined in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of pockets are formed by a single strip of material extending along one edge of the broad sheet and partitioned at or near the middle thereof by a seam or line of stitching.
4. 4. The tanning accessory as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the pair of pockets are spaced and formed by separate sheets of material and each pocket of the pair of pockets is located in a respective comer of the broad section.
5. 5. A method of drying the body of a user to which a sunless tanning product has been applied, the method including the steps of: inserting a hand of a user in one of the pair of pockets of the tanning accessory as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 4; and applying the outer surface of the tanning towel or sheet to wet areas of the user’s body by patting them down using the manually controlled pair of mitts until sufficient exfoliation or drying has occurred.