US20120005830A1

US20120005830A1 - Two-ply convertible pillow blanket

Info

Publication number: US20120005830A1
Application number: US13/135,566
Authority: US
Inventors: Dennis Aaron Wilkinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-12
Filing date: 2011-07-08
Publication date: 2012-01-12

Abstract

The present invention is a two-ply convertible pillow blanket device with an internal pocket. The device can be used as a traditional blanket. Alternatively, if the user desires to use the device as a pillow, he or she simply unfastens the internal pocket, folds down the blanket toward the internal pocket, inverts and refastens the internal pocket with the folded portion of the blanket inside thereby forming the pillow. When the opening of the internal pocket is refastened it forms a pillow which is nearly identical to a traditional pillow.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/399,502 filed on Jul. 12, 2010.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Invention is an improvement upon the current state of the art in convertible pillow blankets. The convertible pillow blanket is convenient for travel, sporting events as well as many other situations in that you do not need to carry with you both a traditional pillow and blanket. Having a two-in-one convertible pillow blanket is a convenient way to maintain your comfort in those situations.
However, the current state of the art of convertible pillow blankets are limited in that they function in one of two ways. Either the convertible pillow blanket is simply a blanket with a strap-type mechanism that allows the blanket to be rolled up and used as a pillow or the convertible pillow blanket is a blanket with a pocket sewn onto it that allows the blanket to be folded up and stuffed in the pocket and used as a pillow. While both of these applications are useful, neither fully resemble a traditional pillow or blanket when being used for each purpose.
The first of the aforementioned current state of the art designs, i.e., the design that uses straps, is limited in its function because it always has the straps attached to it. Such straps can be cumbersome when being used a blanket and/or can be uncomfortable when being used as a pillow. The other current state of the art design for a convertible pillow blanket comprises a traditional blanket with a sewn-on pocket on one surface of the blanket. This design of convertible pillow blanket converts into a pillow by folding or stuffing the blanket into the exterior pocket. This design of convertible pillow blanket can never fully resemble a traditional blanket because the exterior pocket is always visible when being used in blanket form.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Invention provides an improvement upon the aforementioned current convertible pillow blankets. It is a two-ply blanket with an internal pocket. This way when being used as a blanket, the Invention is nearly identical to a traditional blanket. There are no straps or exterior pockets that would interfere with its use as a blanket. When the user desires to use the Invention as a pillow, he or she simply unfastens the internal pocket, folds down the blanket toward the internal pocket and inverts and refastens the internal pocket with the folded portion of the blanket inside thereby forming the pillow. When the opening of the internal pocket is refastened it forms a pillow which is nearly identical to a traditional pillow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The novel features believed to be characteristic of the present invention, together with further advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description and in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as the definition of the limits of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exploded top view of the convertible pillow blanket in blanket form;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the convertible pillow blanket in blanket form.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the convertible pillow blanket in blanket form with the internal pocket unzipped and partially opened.

FIG. 4 is a view of the convertible pillow blanket in the process of being converted from blanket form to pillow form.

FIG. 5 is the top view of the convertible pillow blanket in pillow form.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the convertible pillow blanket in pillow form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The ensuing description provides one exemplary embodiment only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiment will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements with departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows an exploded top view of the convertible pillow blanket in blanket form. Top layer (2) is attached to bottom layer (4) by a permanent means such as stitching along the perimeter of (2) and (4) except for the portion of the perimeter that will form the opening of the internal pocket (6). The portion of the perimeter that will form the opening of the internal pocket, (2) is attached to (4) by a mechanism that will allow for opening and closing of the pocket such as a zipper. The internal pocket (6) is formed by attaching top layer (2) to bottom layer (4) by a permanent means, such as stitching, along the sides of the pocket that are not along the perimeter (10) and by an attachment mechanism that allows for opening and closing along the perimeter (8).
FIG. 2 shows the side view of the convertible pillow blanket in blanket form. Top layer (102) is attached to bottom layer (104) along the perimeter of (102) and (104) by a permanent means such as stitching (106) except for the portion that will form the opening of the internal pocket. The portion that forms the opening of the internal pocket is attached by a mechanism that will allow for opening and closing of the pocket such as a zipper (108).
FIG. 3 shows a top view of the convertible pillow blanket (202) in blanket form with the internal pocket open. The attachment mechanism on the opening of the internal pocket (204) along the perimeter of the blanket has been opened thereby exposing a portion of the interior of the internal pocket.
FIG. 4 shows the convertible pillow blanket in the process of being converted from blanket form to pillow form. The internal pocket (302) has been opened and inverted and the blanket material (304) outside of the pocket (306) is being placed inside of the inverted internal pocket.
FIG. 5 shows a top view of the convertible pillow blanket in pillow form (402). The blanket material outside of the pocket area has been placed fully within the inverted internal pocket and resealed along the perimeter thereby fully enclosing the excess material within the inverted internal pocket. In the preferred embodiment, the attachment mechanism (404) along the perimeter of the pillow blanket when in pillow form is hidden by a slight overhanging flap of material left with reclosable attachment mechanism is stitched or otherwise fastened to the material. This hides the reclosable attachment mechanism and allows the convertible pillow blanket in pillow form to almost identically resemble a traditional pillow.
FIG. 6 is a side view of the convertible pillow blanket in pillow form (502). The attachment mechanism (504) is seen along the center of the pillow in this side view. Again, the attachment mechanism in the preferred embodiment is covered by the flaps of material created when the attachment mechanism is sewed or otherwise attached to the material. All of the material that is outside of the pocket when in blanket form goes inside of the inverted pocket when in pillow form.

Claims

1) A convertible pillow blanket device with an internal pocket comprising:

two pieces of material semi-permanently attached to one another along the perimeter of each piece of material except for the portion that will form the opening of the internal pocket; said pocket opening portion of the perimeter being attached by a mechanism that can be opened and closed; the non-opening portion of the internal pocket being formed by semi-permanently attaching the top layer of material to the bottom layer of material.

2) A device according to claim 1 in which said material is water repellant/weather resistant material.

3) A device according to claim 1 in which said material is blanket material.

4) A device according to claim 1 having a logo defined on the exterior surface of the material.

5) A device according to claim 1 having a logo defined on the interior surface of the material in the internal pocket area that is exposed when said internal pocket area is inverted.

6) A convertible pillow blanket device with an internal pocket comprising:

two pieces of material semi-permanently attached to one another along the perimeter of each piece of material; an internal pocket formed by semi-permanently attaching two pieces of material starting from the perimeter continuing toward the center area of the device for some distance and returning to the perimeter some distance from the starting point on the perimeter; and a mechanism that can be opened and closed attached to one piece of material starting from the perimeter at some point inside the pocket area continuing toward the center area of the blanket for some distance and returning to the perimeter at some distance away from the starting point but still within the internal pocket area.

7) A device according to claim 6 in which said material is water repellant/weather resistant material.

8) A device according to claim 6 in which said material is blanket material.

9) A device according to claim 6 having a logo defined on the exterior surface of the material.

10) A device according to claim 6 having a logo defined on the interior surface of the material in the pocket area that is exposed when said pocket area is inverted.