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US-12617002-B2 - Sports towel with integral squeegee wiping surface

US12617002B2US 12617002 B2US12617002 B2US 12617002B2US-12617002-B2

Abstract

A sports towel includes an integrated, semi-rigid squeegee tab along one edge of the towel. The squeegee tab is tapered along its outer edge, allowing for effective wiping of planar surfaces such as the visor on a sporting helmet. The towel is securely attached to the squeegee tab through a double stitch that extends through a folded-over edge of the towel and a towel-receiving slot on the top of the squeegee tab. An indicia-receiving slot on the top side of the squeegee tab provides an opportunity for product branding or logo placement. Additionally, the towel includes hook-and-loop material to allow for easy attachment to a player's uniform. The invention offers a convenient and efficient solution for athletes to keep their helmet visors clean and dry during gameplay.

Inventors

  • Matthew Furstenburg

Assignees

  • Matthew Furstenburg

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20230321

Claims (19)

  1. 1 . A sports towel having an integral squeegee wiping surface, comprising: a towel portion having a first end and a looped-over second end opposite the first end; and a squeegee tab extending along an entire width of the second end of the towel portion, said squeegee tab having a towel-loop receiver defined by a groove extending across an entire width of the squeegee tab, wherein said looped-over second end of said towel portion is affixed to said towel-loop receiver on said squeegee tab; wherein said squeegee tab further comprises a tapered distal edge forming a wiping blade.
  2. 2 . The sports towel of claim 1 , said towel portion having a front face extending from the first end to the second end, and a back face extending from the first end to the second end, said towel portion further comprising an indicia panel extending across a portion of the front face of the towel portion.
  3. 3 . The sports towel of claim 2 , further comprising a first section of hook-and-loop material extending laterally across a portion of the back face of the towel portion at said first end of the towel portion, and a second section of hook-and-loop material extending longitudinally across a portion of the back face of the towel portion that is between the first end of the towel portion and the second end of the towel portion, wherein the second section of hook-and-loop material is configured to detachably connect to said first section of hook-and-loop material.
  4. 4 . The sports towel of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis is defined along said towel portion extending from said first end along a length of said towel portion toward said second end, wherein said second end of said towel portion curves away from said longitudinal axis.
  5. 5 . The sports towel of claim 1 , wherein said squeegee tab is formed of a material providing a hardness value to said squeegee tab in a range of 10 to 100 Shore A.
  6. 6 . The sports towel of claim 1 , wherein said squeegee tab has a width dimension of between 3 and 4 inches.
  7. 7 . The sports towel of claim 1 , said squeegee tab further comprising an indicia panel on a top face of said squeegee tab adjacent said towel-loop receiver and configured to receive and display indicia on said squeegee tab.
  8. 8 . The sports towel of claim 7 , said indicia panel further comprising an indented planar portion on the top face of said squeegee tab.
  9. 9 . The sports towel of claim 1 , said towel portion further comprising a binding extending around an entire perimeter of said towel portion including an entirety of said looped-over second end of said towel portion.
  10. 10 . The sports towel of claim 1 , wherein said second end of said towel portion forms a looped-over portion of said towel portion, and wherein said towel portion further comprises a binding extending around an entire perimeter of said towel portion including an entirety of said looped-over portion, wherein said looped-over portion is affixed to said squeegee tab along said channel.
  11. 11 . A sports towel having an integral squeegee wiping surface, comprising: a towel portion having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and a squeegee tab extending along an entire width of the second end of the towel portion, said squeegee tab having a groove extending into a top face of the squeegee tab and extending across an entire width of the squeegee tab, and an intended indicia panel in said top face of the squeegee tab extending parallel to said channel; wherein said second end of said towel portion is affixed to said squeegee tab along said channel.
  12. 12 . The sports towel of claim 11 , said towel portion having a front face extending from the first end to the second end, and a back face extending from the first end to the second end, said towel portion further comprising an indicia panel extending across a portion of the front face of the towel portion.
  13. 13 . The sports towel of claim 12 , further comprising a first section of hook-and-loop material extending laterally across a portion of the back face of the towel portion at said first end of the towel portion, and a second section of hook-and-loop material extending longitudinally across a portion of the back face of the towel portion that is between the first end of the towel portion and the second end of the towel portion, wherein the second section of hook-and-loop material is configured to detachably connect to said first section of hook-and-loop material.
  14. 14 . The sports towel of claim 11 , wherein a longitudinal axis is defined along said towel portion extending from said first end along a length of said towel portion toward said second end, wherein said second end of said towel portion curves away from said longitudinal axis.
  15. 15 . The sports towel of claim 11 , wherein said squeegee tab further comprises a tapered distal edge forming a wiping blade.
  16. 16 . The sports towel of claim 15 , wherein said squeegee tab is formed of a material providing a hardness value to said squeegee tab in a range of 10 to 100 Shore A.
  17. 17 . The sports towel of claim 15 , wherein said squeegee tab has a width dimension of between 3 and 4 inches.
  18. 18 . The sports towel of claim 15 , said squeegee tab further comprising an indicia panel on a top face of said squeegee tab adjacent said towel-loop receiver and configured to receive and display indicia on said squeegee tab.
  19. 19 . The sports towel of claim 18 , said indicia panel further comprising an indented planar portion on the top face of said squeegee tab.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/321,912 titled “TOWEL WITH INTEGRAL SQUEEGEE WIPING SURFACE,” filed by the inventor herein on Mar. 21, 2022, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to sports towels, and more particularly to a sports towel for sporting equipment that may be easily carried by an athlete during athletic activities and that may be useful in enabling a helmeted player to wipe moisture off of a helmet visor. BACKGROUND Various sports require that players wear a helmet to protect their head from injury during a game. In many instances, such helmets may be quipped with a visor or eye shield affixed to a face mask of the helmet to protect players from glare or eye injury. However, during game play, it can be difficult for a player to keep the visor clean and dry. For example, moisture and dirt from the field may accumulate on the visor, in turn leading to impaired visibility, decreased performance in the game, and even increased possibility of injury. While some players or team staff may use traditional towels to wipe a player's visor, they may tend to smear dirt and streak moisture instead of cleaning the visor as intended. Moreover, if the towel is carried by the player during game play, it may be difficult for the player to access in the heat of the game, and even more difficult to place back in an unobtrusive location after it has been used. Thus, there remains a need in the art for a sports towel that is more easily accessible and stored by a player during game play, and that is more effective in clearing moisture and dirt from a player's visor during the heat of game play. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Disclosed is a sports towel having an integral squeegee wiping surface formed of a semi-rigid material that extends along the entire length of one edge of the towel. In accordance with certain features of an exemplary embodiment, the towel is sewn to the squeegee tab along a double stitch that extends through a folded-over edge of the towel and a towel-receiving slot on the top face of the squeegee tab. In accordance with further features of an exemplary embodiment, an indicia-receiving slot is also provided on the top side of the squeegee tab that may receive product branding, a logo, or other indicia. The squeegee tab has a tapered outer edge (along an edge opposite to the towel) that is useful for wiping a planar surface, such as a visor on a sports helmet, such as a football helmet. In use, such a sports towel may be used to initially use the squeegee tab to wipe moisture, dirt, or other materials from the player's visor, and thereafter the towel may be used to dry the player's visor. In exemplary configurations, the towel may be formed of a soft, absorbent material that is suitable for wiping moisture from a surface, such as a helmet visor, which may include by way of non-limiting example cotton, microfiber, polyester, or a blend of various natural and/or synthetic materials suitable for wiping and absorbing moisture. Likewise in exemplary configurations, the squeegee tab may be formed of a semi-rigid material that is durable and resistant to breaking or excessive bending, such as by way of non-limiting example plastic, rubber, or a polymer or composite material that is flexible enough to bend to flatten against a player's visor, while firm enough to effectively remove moisture and other contaminants from the visor. Still further in exemplary configurations and to add to the ease of attachment, detachment, and carrying of the towel by a player, the towel may include sections of hook-and-loop material, one on an end of the towel opposite the squeegee tab and another on an intermediate portion of the towel, allowing the towel to form a loop for ready attachment to a portion of a player's uniform. A sports towel configured in accordance with certain aspects of the invention provides a convenient and effective way for an athlete to wipe moisture, dirt, and other contaminants from their helmet visor during game play, with the indicia-receiving slot allowing for product branding or other indicia to be displayed on the squeegee tab of the integrated towel, thus offering an additional marketing opportunity for manufacturers or other entities. Still other aspects, features and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive. BRIE