Beach mat apparatus

#The present invention relates generally to a mat for lying out in the sun adjacent to water such as on a sandy beach, and more particularly to such a mat has a barrier for preventing sand from entering in the area where the person using it will lay down and still more particularly to such a device which has compartments for holding accessories useful or desirable when laying out in the sun.

#For people swimming in an ocean or lake, it is of course a usual part of that experience to lie down on the beach during part of the time and enter the water for other parts of such time. A vast majority of people swimming on a beach use a large beach towel spread out on the sand and then they lie down on such towel. One of the problems associated with using a towel as a beach mat is that it becomes wet and sand clings to it in this condition. Consequently, when wet and sandy, it is not useful for drying off. Another problem associated with using a towel for this purpose is that a separate container or containers must be carried to the beach for holding accessories, such as suntan lotion, radios, footwear or the like. Another problem with the use of a towel or a similar mat is that when people walk by, sand gets on top of the towel or mat in the place where the user intends to lie down, therefor making it very difficult to keep sand off of the user.

#When it is time to leave the beach, and the user desires to put on shoes or other footwear, it is extremely difficult to rinse the sand off of one's feet, stand on a towel that has sand on it, and then put on such footwear without retaining sand on one's feet.

#FIG. 1 is a preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is one side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1;

#Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designated identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a beach mat apparatus (10) constructed in accordance with the present invention. The beach mat (10) includes a vinyl pad (11) having a plurality of grommets (12) in each corner thereof for permitting plastic tent stakes or the like to be used to hold it down on a beach and prevent it from blowing around.

#A rectangular barrier is formed around a central portion (13) of the mat (11) by flexible vinyl walls including a top wall (14), a bottom wall (15) and sidewalls (16 and 17). These walls (14-17) can be formed in one piece with the pad (11), or they can be attached thereto in some other manner. Ideally, the material of the flexible walls (14-17) are constructed of the same material as the mat (11). The walls (14-17) constitute a first container (18) which will keep sand away from the central pad portion (13). A user can put a towel in the area over the top of (13) and use a pillowcase-like cloth case (19) to put the user's clothes in so that the case (19) will function as a pillow, when it is not used to hold the apparatus (10) to carry it from place-to-place.

#A second container (20) also includes flexible vinyl walls (21 and 23) for holding such items as drinks, suntan lotion, sundries or the like. A flexible vinyl flap (22) is connected at one edge thereof to the bottom of the vinyl flexible wall (21) and can be flipped over the top of the second container (20) to cover up the contents therein when desired.