IES20100149A2 - Multi-functional groundsheet - Google Patents

Abstract

A groundsheet comprising a sheet of waterproof material provided with means to fold the sheet into a wearable article. <Figure 4>

Description

The present invention relates to a groundsheet, in particular a waterproof groundsheet, which has the ability to transform into another article which may be worn on the body.

Background to the Invention A number of products are known which can protect against rain or damp or dirty ground. One of these is a groundsheet which can be made of a waterproof and easily foldable material, Such a groundsheet is suitable for using in the base of a tent or spread on the ground so that a person may sit or lie on it and remain dry and protected from damp or dirty ground. Some groundsheet materials may be made with printed patterns or information on them. One of the disadvantages of groundsheets is that a user may be reluctant to carry one either by hand or in a 15 bag when going for a walk, attending a concert or a sports event or the like simply because it is cumbersome to carry and needs to be retrieved eveiy time the user gets up off the sheet. A variety of hats and capes are known which are designed to protect the wearer from rain or damp conditions. Similarly reflective armbands and the like are known. However, it is not known to have a combined groundsheet and head covering or ae combined groundsheet, headcovering and reflective safety band or such combined groundsheets which arc attachable to the wearer..

Object of the Invention It is, thus, an object of the invention to produce a groundsheet that protects a 25 person from the elements when seated outdoors but which at the same time can also be used as a head covering that offers both head and shoulder protection from the elements. A further object is to provide a groundsheet which can be folded to form an armband which can be worn by the user on the arm. It is a further object of the invention to provide a groundsheet which can be folded to 30 form a reflective armband and which thus has a dual function as a safety indicator. A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined groundsheet, hat and reflective armband. A still further object of the invention is that the groundsheet can remain attached to the user when being used as a groundsheet.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a groundsheet comprising a 5 sheet of waterproof material provided with means to fold the sheet into a wearable article.

The groundsheet may comprise a drawstring attached in an enclosed loop configuration over a portion of the groundsheet, such that when the drawstring is gathered, the groundsheet folds into a portion adapted to cover at least a portion 10 of a wearer’s head.

The drawstring may be attached in a generally circular profile on the groundsheet.

The drawstring may be positioned over part of the surface of the groundsheet, such that when gathered a flap portion is formed on the groundsheet which 15 extends from the head covering portion.

The groundsheet may further comprise a peak, the peak positioned adjacent to the edge of the groundsheet close to the loop of the drawstring, such that when the drawstring is gathered, the flap forms a peak for the hat.

The groundsheet may be provided with a strap means which may be used to 20 attach the groundsheet to the body orclothing of the user. The strap means may be retractable, or may take the form of a pulley.

The groundsheet may be foldable and provided with a fastener which holds the folds in position and retains the groundsheet in a folded configuration.

The groundsheet may be further provided with a portion of reflective material 25 positioned on a surface of the folded groundsheet which is on the outside of the folded object.

The groundsheet may be further provided with a fastener which allows the folded groundsheet to form a generally circular object which can be fastened to an arm, neck or leg of a wearer to provide a safety armband.

The groundsheet may thus be convertible into a hat or and arm-band, or both, Brief Description of the Drawings Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Ig i ο ο 9 Figure 1 shows the groundsheet in plan view; Figure 2 shows a side view of the groundsheet indicating a thin, easily foldable material; Figure 3 shows the groundsheet as it would appear when in use with the outer 5 side in contact with the ground; Figure 4 shows the position of the flap of material on the groundsheet for head protection; Figure 5 shows the head and shoulder protection in use, illustrating the comer fold on the flap of material; Figure 6 shows the closing retractable strap or pulley securing the device to the wearer; Figure 7 shows the arm-band in its closed position secured in place by the closing strap.

Figure 8 shows how the groundsheet folds back on itself enclosing any dirt from the ground with one fold and a further fold where the partially folded ground sheet is folded into multiple concertina style folds to form the armband, leaving the closing strap accessible.

Detailed Description of the Drawings As shown in the figures the groundsheet 1 is a rectangle of material. In alternative embodiments, the groundsheet could be square, circular or any other suitable shape. A channel 2 is provided on one surface of the groundsheet 1, through which a drawstring 3 is fed. The channel 2 is generally circular although in alternative embodiments it could be another shape. When the drawstring is gathered, the area of material defined by the channel 2 is gathered into a generally dome-shaped or hat-shaped structure 4, which is adapted to accommodate a human head, and thus can be worn as a hat.

The channel 2 is positioned towards one end of the rectangle, such that when the drawstring is gathered, only one end of the groundsheet 1 is gathered and the remaining portion of the sheet forms a flap 5. This flap 5 extends from the hat when worn and forms a flap which hangs about the neck and shoulders of a wearer. The flap 5 can thus protect the neck and shoulders from rain and sun. The dimensions of this flap 5 are chosen such that one size fits all.

The loose comers 6 of the flap 5 of material can be folded back on themselves and secured in place by an adhesive material 7 such as Velcro, which ensures a lack of obstruction to the face when worn as a hat.

The edge 8 of the groundsheet 1 which is gatherable into the hat-structure 4 is 5 provided with a peak 9, to protect the wearer’s eyes.

The hat structure 4 can be further secured with a closing strap 8 that is provided adjacent to the chin of a wearer when in use. When not in use and attached to the user, the strap is used to keep the groundsheet in its folded state. Once the hat 4 is placed on the head and the loose corner of the flap 6 is secured, the closing 10 strap 8 may be pulled from one side to the other side to secure it in a closed position while being worn.

Depending on manufacturing processes the groundsheet 1 is provided with folds 9 which can appear as impressions in the material or as stitch details. When not in use the outer side of the groundsheet 1 is folded once on itself and further 15 folded using multiple concertina style folds to form a band of folded material 10, An outer edge of the folded material 10 is provided with a light-reflecting portion or strip 11 and with a fastening means 12 so that the groundsheet 1 can form an armband 13. The fastening means 12 can be an adhesive such as Velcro.

The groundsheet 1 is provided with a strap 14 to attach the groundsheet 1 to the 20 body of the wearer. The strap 14 is retractable and is formed with a spring-clip so that it can be fastened to a belt or clothing tab.

The groundsheet offers generous surface area to ensure protection from wet and dirty surfaces. The thin yet waterproof material offers ease of use when folding and unfolding. The outer surface of the groundsheet remains in contact with the 25 ground, i.e. the side that embodies the closing strap and flap of material are in contact with the user. The thin properties of these parts ensures that comfort is not jeopardised for the user.

When not being used as a groundsheet the invention can be used as a hat that can provide protection directly to the head or protection over an existing hat.

The armband is small and comfortable to wear, easy to use and provides a safety function for the wearer. The armband embodies a more rigid ply of material to provide form and structure when in its closed position. For advertising purposes the rigid material for the armband could be any suitable plastic depending on the IE 1 ο Ο 1 4 9 printing technique. Added benefits of this armband include the capacity to provide novelty and safety through reflection. L.E.D. lighting or any other similar illumination technology. The closing strap can, of course, be closed using any system that allows quick and easy use of the invention, for example, 5 buttons, press studs, or similar means could be used.

The reflective armband provides safety through illumination in the dark. The outer side of the groundsheet, i.e. the surface that makes contact with the ground, will remain the outer side of the hat when worn. When folded into the armband for transport this will also ensure that any dirt is folded in on itself.

The retractable strap or pulley enables the groundsheet to remain attached to the clothing of the user when in a seated position if required. The outer side of the groundsheet, i.e. the surface that makes contact with the ground will remain the outer side of the hat when worn, When folded into the small object for transport this will also ensure that any dirt is folded in on itself.

The hat embodies a peak that provides protection from the elements including rain and sun but also provides style and comfort when worn and provides form for the object in its folded position. The peak is made from a more rigid material that offers water repellence and UV stabilisers. The hat and shoulder protection is made from waterproof material, with another ply of circular material placed at 20 the centre of the hat to provide form and structure.

The flap of material is a second ply which can be applied on two sides to the ground sheet.

The thin yet waterproof material offers ease of use when folding and unfolding.

The use of a drawstring and fastener ie Velcro keeps the groundsheet compact so 25 that it does not cause discomfort to the user when attached to the clothing by means of the retractable strap orpulley when the invention is not in use. The waterproof coating remains in direct contact with the body.

The peak and strip of material above the peak offers style and form. The drawstring is positioned conveniently for size adjustment, comfort and ease of 30 use. The fastener is clipped to a strip of webbing material that is attached to the closing strap, this allows for easy access when fastened to the body by means of the retractable strap or pulley. The small dimensions of the fastener ensure little or no discomfort to the wearer of the hat.

IE 1 Ο 01 4 9 Once the groundsheet/ shoulder protection is folded into the hat the drawstring can be pulled tight to create a smaller object. At this point the closing strap is pulled to the other side of the hat to secure the closed position. The strip above the peak allows for the subtle implementation of the closing strap.

The closed form of the combined hat/groundsheet contains the material of the groundsheet in the peak of the hat. The peak will remain visible when not in use and attached to the user by means of the retractable strap/pulley. For advertising purposes the material for the peak will be a material which is suitable for being printed on.

The words “comprises/comprising” and the words “having/including” when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub20 combination,

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A groundsheet comprising a sheet of waterproof material provided with means to fold the sheet into a wearable article.

2. A groundsheet as claimed in claim 1 comprising a drawstring attached in an enclosed loop configuration over a portion of the groundsheet, such that when the drawstring is gathered, the groundsheet folds into a portion adapted to cover at least a portion of a wearer’s head,

3. A groundsheet as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the drawstring is positioned over part of the surface of the groundsheet, such that when gathered a flap portion is formed on the groundsheet which extends from the head covering portion.

4. A groundsheet as claimed in any proceeding claim, further provided with a fastener which allows the folded groundsheet to form a generally circular object which can be fastened to an arm, neck or leg of a wearer to provide a safety armband.

5. A groundsheet substantially as described herein with referene to the accompanying drawings.