Sunbathers often lie on a towel, mat, lounge chair, or the like when in the sun. Such a base provides protection from the surface, often sand on a beach, and, perhaps to a lesser extent, a cushion for more comfortable reclining. Many sunbathers also desire to enhance the amount of sunlight incident upon their bodies while lying in the sun. This is done by using various means for reflecting nearby sunlight onto their body. The various means for reflecting sunlight onto a sunbathers body typically employ a type of metallic foil attached to the towel, mat, or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,807 (Pursel) shows a blanket with a fabric backing having a plurality of metallic foil (such as aluminum foil) strips attached to it to reflect rays of light. U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,593 (Faneslow) also shows a blanket which consists of a substrate having a plurality of aluminum (or tin oxide) coated incremental reflectors in a Fresnel pattern. The suntanning mats disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,902,753 (Wilson) and No. 4,518,198 (Daniels) also show reflective surfaces having a metallic foil.
The surfaces noted above, however, are delicate and cannot easily withstand normal wear and tear at the beach or other locations frequented by sunbathers. In addition, these blankets and mats are not readily washable in conventional washers and dryers, nor are they easily useable for the purpose of drying off. Further, the means used to attach the reflective surfaces in these devices do not easily allow them to be removed if necessary. Moreover, these devices are concerned mainly with the single purpose of maximizing the amount of sunlight reflected onto the sunbather's body to the exclusion of any other practical purposes.
While hook and loop materials (more commonly known as Velcro, registered trademark) have been used as a means of closure or of fastening objects, especially apparel, none of the previously mentioned devices use such a structure for fastening a pliable reflective surface to a towel to enhance suntanning.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a versatile tanning towel which can be used for normal towel functions, such as drying and cleaning, while also capable of functioning as a reflective surface to enhance suntanning. More particularly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a towel having a side for normal towel functions and a side for suntanning. A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a towel capable of enhancing suntanning and being cleaned in conventional washing and drying machines. It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a towel capable of enhancing suntanning and being folded or bunched without affecting the reflective properties of the reflective surface. Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a suntanning towel which is simple to manufacture and easy to use. Still another aspect is to provide a towel capable of enhancing suntanning without using metallic or foil type surfaces to reflect the sun's rays.