Rui A Lopes

US Patent:

51102196, May 5, 1992

Filed:

May 9, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/697795

Inventors:

Rui P. Lopes - Bridgeport CT

International Classification:

B65D 3010
A47G 906

US Classification:

383 4

Abstract:

A combination beach mat/tote bag made of a sheet of terry cloth or other fabric having a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed end edges, the sheet preferably being of rectangular shape. A flexible strap is attached to the sheet at the corners, and each strap has an anchor pod secured on a distal end thereof. The sheet has a handle at each of the end edges and zippers along each of the side edges. The sheet is adapted to be folded in half along a line between the side edges such that the side and end edges are superimposed and the side edges zipped up to form an open top tote bag which may be carried by the handles. The sheet is further adapted to be unzipped, unfolded and spread on a beach surface and the anchors buried below the beach surface to secure the sheet. The anchor pad is releasably secured to the strap by a snap fastener, and the snap fasteners on adjacent straps at the end edges may be further fastened to each other to form the handles. Each strap also includes a fastener for removably securing the anchor directly to the sheet.