This invention relates to a product for use on the sand shore of a beach, and more particularly concerns a product which serves both as a beach blanket and chair.
There is widespread interest in recreational or leisure time visits to sandy beaches. For more comfortable relaxation at the beach, a beach "blanket", usually a large sheet or blanket structure, is spread upon the sand so that the beachgoer can sit or lie upon the beach surface without actually being in contact with the sand.
Another item generally brought to the beach is a beach "chair", usually of foldable light-weight construction. The beach chair provides support for the user's back, and is therefore more comfortable than sitting directly upon the sand or the beach blanket, especially if the beachgoer intends to read or converse.
Although the beachgoer will want to bring to the beach equipment, food, and other articles to enhance the enjoyment of the occasion, the carrying and transporting of such items to the beach can be burdensome and diminish the enjoyment of the occasion.
The use of multifunctional beach related items are therefore of interest to the beachgoer, in that they minimize the amount of time and effort required to prepare and pack an automobile or bicycle for the trip to the beach, and in carrying the items onto the beach. Many types of compact beach chairs have earlier been disclosed, and various types of beach blankets are known, including inflatable structures which doubly serve as a raft. Inflatable chairs and related devices which provide support for the user's back are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,612,645; 3,112,956; 3,408,107, and 4,189,181. However, such prior devices are unsuitable for use on a beach or are not properly designed to support the back on a sand surface.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a product useful as both a beach blanket and beach chair, capable of accommodating one or more persons.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a product as in the foregoing object, a portion of which can be controllably inflated to form a comfortable chair-like structure having back-supporting characteristics.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a product of the aforesaid nature of rugged, durable, light-weight construction and amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.