Excercise benh and gym towel

Abstract

Disclosed herein is the combination of a gym towel and an exercise bench of the kind that is commonly found at a fitness center. In one embodiment of this invention, the exercise bench has a horizontal seat upon which a user's legs are placed and a back support standing upwardly from the horizontal seat against which the user's back is pressed. The gym towel has a hood located at one end thereof and an elongated backing at the opposite end. The top of the upstanding back support of the exercise bench is received within and surrounded by the hood by which the towel is attached to and held in place against the bench. The elongated backing of the gym towel hangs downwardly from the hood to create a buffer between the user's back and the back support to foster a sanitary environment.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS PARAGRAPH

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 640,012 filed Apr. 29, 2024BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to the combination of an exercise bench of the kind typically found at a fitness center and a gym towel having a hood attached at one end in which to receive and surround one end of the bench such that the towel is held in place on the bench to establish a sanitary buffer between a user's back and the bench during a workout. The hood is covered with raised dimples to provide the gym towel with an anti-slip gripping surface and alert the user as to which side of the towel was pressed against the user's back during the workout.2. Background Art

[0003] Individuals wishing to engage in physical fitness exercises often visit a gym at which to gain access to an L-shaped bench of the kind having a seat at one end to support the users' legs and an upstanding back support at the opposite end to support the users' back during an exercise. When a user leans back while seated on the bench, the user's back is pressed directly against the back support. The user may or may not be wearing a shirt. In either case, the user's back or clothing comes into direct contact with the back support of the bench which may have been previously used by others without first having been wiped clean. Consequently, an unsanitary environment may be created in which the user is exposed. If one is available, it has been known to place a gym towel on the bench to separate the user's back from the back support. However, should the towel be removed during a timeout or fall off the bench, the user may not know which side of the towel previously faced the bench and which side faced the user's back. Thus, an uncertain sanitary condition is created should the user wish to return the towel to the bench and continue the exercise. What is more, nothing is known by which to prevent a conventional gym towel from sliding down the back support during an exercise, which can lead to annoyance and interrupt the exercise.

[0004] Accordingly, what would be desirable is a gym towel that can be easily attached to and held in place against the back support of an L-shaped bench to prevent the towel from sliding down the back support and away from a user's back during an exercise. What would also be advantageous is for the gym towel to have visible and / or tactile means to enable the user to determine which side of the towel previously faced the back support and which side faced the user's back so that if the towel were removed or fell off the bench, it could be safely returned to the bench while preserving a prior sanitary condition.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In general terms, a gym towel is disclosed having particular application to be used in combination with an exercise bench of the kind that is commonly found at a gym or a fitness center. The bench enables users to lay thereon during bodybuilding or exercising (e.g., lifting weights). The gym towel is preferably manufactured from a soft, durable and non-slippery material. The towel includes an elongated backing with a shorter hood located at one end thereof. The hood is formed by a flap that lays over and is attached (e.g., stitched to the backing). A pass-through opening is created in the hood between the flap and the backing. The outside of the flap is covered by raised dimples.

[0006] In one example, the bench includes a flat seat upon which the user's legs are laid and a generally vertical back support that stands upwardly from the seat against which the user's back is pressed. The gym towel is attached to the bench when the upstanding back support of the bench is received through the pass-through opening of the hood. In this case, the hood surrounds at least the top of the back support, and the elongated backing of the towel hangs down from the hood. The backing of the towel thusly covers the front of the back support of the bench to establish a buffer between the user's back and the back support against which the user's back is pressed to create a sanitary environment during a workout.

[0007] In another example, the bench is continuously flat on which a user's legs, back, and head are laid during a workout. In this case, the gym towel is laid flat on the bench such that the elongated backing thereof lays over the hood and the hood lays directly on the bench. The backing of the towel once again establishes a sanitary buffer between the user's back and the bench. The raised dimples with which the outside of the flap of the hood is covered creates an anti-slip surface to limit the ability of the towel to slide along the bench during a workout. The dimples also alert the user as to which side of the gym towel was pressed against the user's back during the workout.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one example of an exercise bench to which the gym towel of this invention is attached to press against a user's back during a workout;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the gym towel removed from the exercise bench shown in FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a side view of the gym towel shown in FIG. 2;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a top view of the gym towel shown in FIG. 2; and

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another example of an exercise bench upon which the gym towel is laid to press against the user's back during a workout.DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an exercise bench 1 of the kind that is typically found in a gym or a fitness center to enable users to exercise their bodies during a body building or strengthening workout. By way of example only, users seated on the bench can exercise by lifting weights. However, the particular exercise to be performed by a seated user is a matter of choice and should not be regarded as a limitation of this invention. The bench 1 of FIG. 1 is shown having an L-shape with a horizontal seat 3 upon which the user is seated and a generally vertical back support 5 which stands upwardly from one end of the seat 3 to support the back of the user who leans backwards. Rather than the aforementioned L-shape, the workout bench may also have a continuously horizontal (i.e., flat) configuration (designated 25 in FIG. 5) on which the user lays while exercising. In that case, the user's head and back lay flat on one end of the horizontal bench, and the user's legs lay flat on the opposite end.

[0014] The gym towel 7 which forms the present invention is provided with a hood 10 at one end that is sized and configured to surround the upstanding vertical back support 5 upon which the user's back is positioned during an exercise. Referring concurrently now to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the gym towel 7 is preferably manufactured from a soft, absorbent and non-slippery material. The gym towel 7 includes an elongated backing 12 to which the hood 10 is attached. The hood 10 is created by a flap 14 (best shown in FIG. 3) that lays over and is attached (i.e., stitched) to the backing 12. A pass-through opening 16 lies between the backing 12 and the flap 14 through which the back support 5 of the exercise bench 1 is received so that the hood 10 of the towel 7 surrounds at least the top of the back support 5. The hood 10 holds the towel 1 in place on the bench 1 during a user's workout. The hood 10 may be colored or contain a picture to enable different users' towels to be distinguished from one another.

[0015] In the combination exercise bench 1 and gym towel 7 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the elongated backing 12 of the towel 7 has a size (designated L in FIG. 2) sufficient to drop down from the hood 10 and cover at least some of the front of the back support 5. The flap 14 of the hood 10 that lies over and is attached to the backing 10 has a size (designated D in FIG. 4) that is shorter than the backing and is positioned to lay on the rear of the back support 5 of the bench 1. The elongated backing 12 of the gym towel 7 advantageously provides a buffer between the back support 5 of the bench and the back of a user who leans back against the back support. Thus, an unsanitary condition can be better avoided as might otherwise occur if the user's bare or shirted back were pressed directly against the back support which has not been cleaned following each use of the exercise bench 1.

[0016] As is best shown in FIG. 4, the outside of the hood 10 of the gym towel 7 that faces away from the backing 12 is covered with raised dimples 18, the purpose of which will now be described. Turning in this regard to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the gym towel 7 described while referring to FIGS. 1-3 is now used in combination with a continuously flat (i.e., horizontal) exercise bench 25. In this case, the user's head, back and feet will all lay flat on the bench 25. The gym towel 7 is simply laid flat on the exercise bench 25 such that the backing 12 of the towel lies directly on top of and covers the dimpled flap 14 of the hood 10. The flap 14 thusly lies between the backing 12 of the towel 7 and the bench 25 and the dimples 18 lie facing and contact the bench.

[0017] As was previously described with the exercise bench 1, the elongated backing 12 of towel 7 creates a buffer between a back of the user and the exercise bench 25. The raised dimples at the outside of the flap 14 create an anti-slip surface to limit the ability of the towel 7 to slide along the bench during a workout. What is more, the dimpled flap 14 provides the user with a visible and tactile indication as to which side of the towel was positioned against the bench and which side was positioned against the user's back to help preserve a prior sanitary condition should the user move from one exercise bench to another or remove the towel to rest prior to the towel being reused later on.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0013]Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an exercise bench 1 of the kind that is typically found in a gym or a fitness center to enable users to exercise their bodies during a body building or strengthening workout. By way of example only, users seated on the bench can exercise by lifting weights. However, the particular exercise to be performed by a seated user is a matter of choice and should not be regarded as a limitation of this invention. The bench 1 of FIG. 1 is shown having an L-shape with a horizontal seat 3 upon which the user is seated and a generally vertical back support 5 which stands upwardly from one end of the seat 3 to support the back of the user who leans backwards. Rather than the aforementioned L-shape, the workout bench may also have a continuously horizontal (i.e., flat) configuration (designated 25 in FIG. 5) on which the user lays while exercising. In that case, the user's head and back lay flat on one end of the horizontal bench,...

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS PARAGRAPH

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 640,012 filed Apr. 29, 2024BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to the combination of an exercise bench of the kind typically found at a fitness center and a gym towel having a hood attached at one end in which to receive and surround one end of the bench such that the towel is held in place on the bench to establish a sanitary buffer between a user's back and the bench during a workout. The hood is covered with raised dimples to provide the gym towel with an anti-slip gripping surface and alert the user as to which side of the towel was pressed against the user's back during the workout.2. Background Art

[0003] Individuals wishing to engage in physical fitness exercises often visit a gym at which to gain access to an L-shaped bench of the kind having a seat at one end to support the users' legs and an upstanding back support at the opposite end to support the users' back during an exercise. When a user leans back while seated on the bench, the user's back is pressed directly against the back support. The user may or may not be wearing a shirt. In either case, the user's back or clothing comes into direct contact with the back support of the bench which may have been previously used by others without first having been wiped clean. Consequently, an unsanitary environment may be created in which the user is exposed. If one is available, it has been known to place a gym towel on the bench to separate the user's back from the back support. However, should the towel be removed during a timeout or fall off the bench, the user may not know which side of the towel previously faced the bench and which side faced the user's back. Thus, an uncertain sanitary condition is created should the user wish to return the towel to the bench and continue the exercise. What is more, nothing is known by which to prevent a conventional gym towel from sliding down the back support during an exercise, which can lead to annoyance and interrupt the exercise.

[0004] Accordingly, what would be desirable is a gym towel that can be easily attached to and held in place against the back support of an L-shaped bench to prevent the towel from sliding down the back support and away from a user's back during an exercise. What would also be advantageous is for the gym towel to have visible and / or tactile means to enable the user to determine which side of the towel previously faced the back support and which side faced the user's back so that if the towel were removed or fell off the bench, it could be safely returned to the bench while preserving a prior sanitary condition.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In general terms, a gym towel is disclosed having particular application to be used in combination with an exercise bench of the kind that is commonly found at a gym or a fitness center. The bench enables users to lay thereon during bodybuilding or exercising (e.g., lifting weights). The gym towel is preferably manufactured from a soft, durable and non-slippery material. The towel includes an elongated backing with a shorter hood located at one end thereof. The hood is formed by a flap that lays over and is attached (e.g., stitched to the backing). A pass-through opening is created in the hood between the flap and the backing. The outside of the flap is covered by raised dimples.

[0006] In one example, the bench includes a flat seat upon which the user's legs are laid and a generally vertical back support that stands upwardly from the seat against which the user's back is pressed. The gym towel is attached to the bench when the upstanding back support of the bench is received through the pass-through opening of the hood. In this case, the hood surrounds at least the top of the back support, and the elongated backing of the towel hangs down from the hood. The backing of the towel thusly covers the front of the back support of the bench to establish a buffer between the user's back and the back support against which the user's back is pressed to create a sanitary environment during a workout.

[0007] In another example, the bench is continuously flat on which a user's legs, back, and head are laid during a workout. In this case, the gym towel is laid flat on the bench such that the elongated backing thereof lays over the hood and the hood lays directly on the bench. The backing of the towel once again establishes a sanitary buffer between the user's back and the bench. The raised dimples with which the outside of the flap of the hood is covered creates an anti-slip surface to limit the ability of the towel to slide along the bench during a workout. The dimples also alert the user as to which side of the gym towel was pressed against the user's back during the workout.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one example of an exercise bench to which the gym towel of this invention is attached to press against a user's back during a workout;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the gym towel removed from the exercise bench shown in FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a side view of the gym towel shown in FIG. 2;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a top view of the gym towel shown in FIG. 2; and

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another example of an exercise bench upon which the gym towel is laid to press against the user's back during a workout.DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an exercise bench 1 of the kind that is typically found in a gym or a fitness center to enable users to exercise their bodies during a body building or strengthening workout. By way of example only, users seated on the bench can exercise by lifting weights. However, the particular exercise to be performed by a seated user is a matter of choice and should not be regarded as a limitation of this invention. The bench 1 of FIG. 1 is shown having an L-shape with a horizontal seat 3 upon which the user is seated and a generally vertical back support 5 which stands upwardly from one end of the seat 3 to support the back of the user who leans backwards. Rather than the aforementioned L-shape, the workout bench may also have a continuously horizontal (i.e., flat) configuration (designated 25 in FIG. 5) on which the user lays while exercising. In that case, the user's head and back lay flat on one end of the horizontal bench, and the user's legs lay flat on the opposite end.

[0014] The gym towel 7 which forms the present invention is provided with a hood 10 at one end that is sized and configured to surround the upstanding vertical back support 5 upon which the user's back is positioned during an exercise. Referring concurrently now to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the gym towel 7 is preferably manufactured from a soft, absorbent and non-slippery material. The gym towel 7 includes an elongated backing 12 to which the hood 10 is attached. The hood 10 is created by a flap 14 (best shown in FIG. 3) that lays over and is attached (i.e., stitched) to the backing 12. A pass-through opening 16 lies between the backing 12 and the flap 14 through which the back support 5 of the exercise bench 1 is received so that the hood 10 of the towel 7 surrounds at least the top of the back support 5. The hood 10 holds the towel 1 in place on the bench 1 during a user's workout. The hood 10 may be colored or contain a picture to enable different users' towels to be distinguished from one another.

[0015] In the combination exercise bench 1 and gym towel 7 shown in FIGS. 1-4, the elongated backing 12 of the towel 7 has a size (designated L in FIG. 2) sufficient to drop down from the hood 10 and cover at least some of the front of the back support 5. The flap 14 of the hood 10 that lies over and is attached to the backing 10 has a size (designated D in FIG. 4) that is shorter than the backing and is positioned to lay on the rear of the back support 5 of the bench 1. The elongated backing 12 of the gym towel 7 advantageously provides a buffer between the back support 5 of the bench and the back of a user who leans back against the back support. Thus, an unsanitary condition can be better avoided as might otherwise occur if the user's bare or shirted back were pressed directly against the back support which has not been cleaned following each use of the exercise bench 1.

[0016] As is best shown in FIG. 4, the outside of the hood 10 of the gym towel 7 that faces away from the backing 12 is covered with raised dimples 18, the purpose of which will now be described. Turning in this regard to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the gym towel 7 described while referring to FIGS. 1-3 is now used in combination with a continuously flat (i.e., horizontal) exercise bench 25. In this case, the user's head, back and feet will all lay flat on the bench 25. The gym towel 7 is simply laid flat on the exercise bench 25 such that the backing 12 of the towel lies directly on top of and covers the dimpled flap 14 of the hood 10. The flap 14 thusly lies between the backing 12 of the towel 7 and the bench 25 and the dimples 18 lie facing and contact the bench.

[0017] As was previously described with the exercise bench 1, the elongated backing 12 of towel 7 creates a buffer between a back of the user and the exercise bench 25. The raised dimples at the outside of the flap 14 create an anti-slip surface to limit the ability of the towel 7 to slide along the bench during a workout. What is more, the dimpled flap 14 provides the user with a visible and tactile indication as to which side of the towel was positioned against the bench and which side was positioned against the user's back to help preserve a prior sanitary condition should the user move from one exercise bench to another or remove the towel to rest prior to the towel being reused later on.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0013]Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an exercise bench 1 of the kind that is typically found in a gym or a fitness center to enable users to exercise their bodies during a body building or strengthening workout. By way of example only, users seated on the bench can exercise by lifting weights. However, the particular exercise to be performed by a seated user is a matter of choice and should not be regarded as a limitation of this invention. The bench 1 of FIG. 1 is shown having an L-shape with a horizontal seat 3 upon which the user is seated and a generally vertical back support 5 which stands upwardly from one end of the seat 3 to support the back of the user who leans backwards. Rather than the aforementioned L-shape, the workout bench may also have a continuously horizontal (i.e., flat) configuration (designated 25 in FIG. 5) on which the user lays while exercising. In that case, the user's head and back lay flat on one end of the horizontal bench,...

Claims

1. A combination comprising:an exercise bench adapted to receive the body of a user on which the user can exercise; anda gym towel attached to the exercise bench and positioned so as to create a buffer between the user's body and the exercise bench.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein said exercise bench has a horizontal seat being sized to support the legs of the user and a backrest standing upwardly from the horizontal seat and being sized to support the back of the user, said gym towel being attached to said exercise bench at the upstanding backrest thereof.

3. The combination recited in claim 2, wherein said gym towel has first and opposite ends and a hood located at the first end, said hood surrounding at least some of the upstanding backrest of said exercise bench by which said gym towel is attached to said exercise bench.

4. The combination recited in claim 3, wherein the hood of said gym towel has a pass-through opening through which the upstanding backrest of said exercise bench is received such that the gym towel is attached to said exercise bench and held in place thereon by said hood.

5. The combination recited in claim 4, wherein the opposite end of said gym towel has an elongated backing extending from the hood at the first end, the elongated backing of said gym towel hanging downwardly from said hood so as to lie against the upstanding backrest of said exercise bench when said gym towel is attached to said exercise bench at the hood thereof.

6. The combination recited in claim 5, wherein the elongated backing of said gym towel hanging downwardly from said hood creates said buffer between the back of the user and the upstanding backrest of said exercise bench.

7. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein said gym towel is manufactured from a soft absorbent material.

8. A combination comprising:an exercise bench sized to receive the body of a user thereon on which the user can exercise; anda gym towel having first and opposite sides with an elongated backing at the first side and a plurality of raised dimples located at the opposite side, said gym towel laying on said exercise bench such that the plurality of raised dimples at said second side thereof lie facing and positioned against said exercise bench to provide an anti-slip surface by which to resist the gym towel sliding along the exercise bench during the user's exercise, and the elongated backing at the first side of said gym towel creating a buffer between the body of the user and said exercise bench.

9. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of raised dimples at the opposite side of said gym towel provide a visual and tactile indication to the user as to which of the first and opposite sides of said gym towel lies against said exercise bench and which of the first and opposite sides creates said buffer.

10. The combination recited in claim 8, wherein there is a hood located at one end of said gym towel, said hood being sized to surround one end of said exercise bench.

Images