Patent Application
20220031038
The presently disclosed subject matter is generally directed to a bag comprising a compartment housing one or more support legs.
Tote bags are routinely used during recreational activities, such as trips to the beach, camping, gardening, and the like. Typical tote bags include a canvas sack having one or more handles affixed thereto. Advantageously, the tote bags typically include a large interior cavity that is easily used for carrying a wide variety of items, such as towels, clothing, keys, money, and the like. However, prior art bags suffer from several disadvantages. Specifically, prior art tote bags are unstable when resting on a support surface and are prone to falling over. As a result, the bag contents are frequently spilled, damaging items as well as requiring time and effort to retrieve the spilled items. Additionally, whether through falling over or as a consequence of use, tote bags often become filled with soil or sand, which is difficult to get rid of without first removing all of the bag contents. In addition, the bottom face of the tote bag is typically placed directly in contact with the support surface (e.g., sand or soil), causing the bag to become dirty and/or wet, requiring frequent cleaning. It would therefore be beneficial to provide a bag that includes one or more legs that provides stability to the bag, as well as elevates the bag from a support surface.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a bag comprising an external surface and an internal surface comprising an interior cavity. The bag includes an open top end operably connected to the interior cavity, and an interior wall separating the cavity into an upper compartment and a lower compartment. The bag further comprises an access positioned on the external surface of the bag, wherein the access provides for full or partial removal and attachment of the lower compartment. The lower compartment comprises at least one support leg releasably or permanently attached to a bottom surface of the interior wall. The upper compartment of the bag rests on the at least one support leg when the lower compartment is removed. The at least one support leg is hidden from view when the lower compartment is attached to the upper compartment. The term “cavity” as used herein refers to a hollow space or recess that is formed in the surface or inside the body of the disclosed bag.
In some embodiments, the access comprises zippers, snaps, buttons, hook and loop closure, or combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the bag further comprises at least one handle attached to a top surface of the upper compartment.
In some embodiments, the bag comprises a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed front and rear walls, wherein each wall is attached to two adjacent vertical walls and a base.
In some embodiments, each wall is constructed from an upper segment and a separate lower segment that can be independently added or removed.
In some embodiments, an interior surface of the upper compartment comprises one or more pockets.
In some embodiments, the upper compartment is divided into two or more partitions.
In some embodiments, the outer surface of the upper compartment includes one or more retention elements for releasably connecting to the lower compartment after the lower compartment has been removed from the upper compartment.
In some embodiments, the legs have an adjustable length.
In some embodiments, the bag comprises a hinge about which the at least one leg can be rotated.
In some embodiments, the leg is folded within the lower compartment.
In some embodiments, the lower surface of the interior wall comprises a recessed channel sized and shaped to house the at least one leg.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of using bag. Particularly, the method comprises positioning one or more items within the interior cavity of a bag. The bag comprises an external surface, an internal surface comprising an interior cavity, an open top end operably connected to the interior cavity, an interior wall separating the cavity into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, and an access positioned on the external surface of the bag, wherein the access provides for full or partial removal and attachment of the lower compartment. The the lower compartment comprises at least one support leg releasably or permanently attached to a bottom surface of the interior wall. The upper compartment of the bag rests on the at least one support leg when the lower compartment is removed. The at least one support leg is hidden from view when the lower compartment is attached to the upper compartment. At a desired time, initiating the access to at least partially remove the lower compartment to expose the legs, wherein the weight of the bag rests on the legs.
In some embodiments, the access is selected from one or more zippers, snaps, buttons, hook and loop closures, magnets, or combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the legs have an adjustable length.
In some embodiments, the method includes rotating the at least one leg about a hinge.
In some embodiments, the method comprises unfolding the leg from within the lower compartment.
In some embodiments, the method includes removing the at least one leg from a recessed channel positioned on a lower surface of the interior wall, sized and shaped to house the at least one leg.
In some embodiments, the lower compartment is completely removed from the upper compartment.
In some embodiments, the lower compartment is removably attached to the upper compartment via one or more retention elements after the access has been partially or completely removed via the access.
The presently disclosed subject matter is introduced with sufficient details to provide an understanding of one or more particular embodiments of broader inventive subject matters. The descriptions expound upon and exemplify features of those embodiments without limiting the inventive subject matters to the explicitly described embodiments and features. Considerations in view of these descriptions will likely give rise to additional and similar embodiments and features without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains. Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the presently disclosed subject matter, representative methods, devices, and materials are now described.
Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the” refer to “one or more” when used in the subject specification, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to “a device” can include a plurality of such devices, and so forth. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including” when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the instant specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter.
As used herein, the term “about”, when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration, and/or percentage can encompass variations of, in some embodiments +/−20%, in some embodiments +/−10%, in some embodiments +/−5%, in some embodiments +/−1%, in some embodiments +/−0.5%, and in some embodiments +/−0.1%, from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate in the disclosed packages and methods.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the drawing figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawing figures.
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
The presently disclosed subject matter is generally directed to bag that can be used to easily transport a wide variety of items. The term “bag” as used herein broadly refers to any receptacle, such as (but not limited to) pouches, vessels, purses, containers, totes, and the like. The disclosed bag includes integral legs attached thereto, configured to allow the bag to rest at an elevated position. As shown in
In some embodiments, the bag can include a mechanical element to maintain the structural integrity of the bag and allow it to stand upright. Any known structural element can be used, such as (but not limited to) wood, plastic, metal wire, cardboard, and the like. In some embodiments, the structural element can be edging and/or configured as a structural framework about which the bag walls are maintained.
In some embodiments, each bag wall comprises a single portion of material (e.g., front wall comprises a single portion of material that forms the front of both the upper and lower compartments). However, the presently disclosed subject matter also includes embodiments wherein at least one wall is constructed from more than a single portion of material. For example, in some embodiments, the front wall can include upper front wall 36a that forms the front wall of the upper compartment, and lower front wall 36b that forms the front wall of the lower compartment, as shown in
The upper compartment includes an open top end adapted to provide easy access to the interior volume of the upper compartment. The upper compartment therefore has the ability to store items a user wishes to transport. Optionally, the interior of the upper compartment can include one or more pockets 50 for allowing items to be securely stored, as shown in
Although depicted with a rectangular cross-sectional shape in some Figures, bag 5 can have any desired cross-sectional shape (e.g., square, oval, circular, triangular, abstract).
In some embodiments, the top face of the bag is open to allow the user to easily access the interior of the main compartment, as shown in
As set forth above, interior wall 20 separates the interior of bag 5 into upper compartment 10 and lower compartment 15. The interior wall therefore spans the inner bag circumference to divide the interior of the bag into two compartments, as shown in
The upper compartment can include one single compartment as shown in
Inner wall 20 can be constructed from any desired material. In some embodiments, the material used to construct the inner wall can be resilient to support the weight of items housed within the upper compartment. Inner wall 20 can therefore include fiberboard, cardboard, fabric, metal, plastic, wood, or any other rigid or semi-rigid material.
The bag further includes access 30 positioned proximate to interior wall 20, as shown in
The access (and/or inner wall 20) can be positioned anywhere on bag 5. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, the lower compartment can cooperate with the upper compartment after it has been fully or partially removed. For example, the lower compartment can be fully removed from the bag and stowed within the interior of the upper compartment until needed, as shown in
As set forth above, one or more legs 25 are housed within lower compartment 15. The term “legs” as used herein broadly refers to one or more support members upon which the bag upper compartment of the bag rests. Advantageously, the legs keep the bottom surface of the bag elevated off the ground, thereby keeping the bag sanitary and providing support. Legs 25 can have any desired configuration so long as they support the weight of the bag. For example, in some embodiments, the legs can include pads on a lower surface to prevent sinking of the legs in soft ground and/or to protect the legs from damage. In other embodiments, the legs can include wheels at a lower end, allowing the bag to easily moved from a first location to a second location as needed.
In some embodiments, the legs have a predetermined length, as shown in the leg of
Legs 25 are attached to the lower side of inner wall 20 (e.g., the wall face that is in contact with the lower compartment). The legs can be attached to the inner wall using any known mechanism, such as (but not limited to) welding, adhesive, mechanical elements (screws, bolts, hinges, clips, etc.). In some embodiments, the legs are in a use position within the lower compartment (i.e., are positioned in the proper position for use and requires no adjustment by the user once the lower compartment is removed). In other embodiments, the legs can be adjusted prior to use, such as by folding, screwing in, pressure fit attachment and the like. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, the legs are configured to pivot between a stowed position and a use or extended position. In some embodiments, the underside of the inner wall can include a recessed channel sized and shaped to house each leg, as shown in
In some embodiments, two or more legs can be connected together, such as with a bar to provide support for the legs. In this way, the user can unfold the legs in pairs instead of unfolding them individually.
The legs can be attached at any location on the lower face of the inner wall. For example, one leg can be positioned at each of the four corners of the inner wall, as shown in
Bag 5 can include any number of legs, such as about 1-10 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10). However, the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited and the disclosed bag can have greater than 10 legs.
Bag 5 can optionally include one or more handles 40 affixed at or near a top surface of the bag to permit the bag to be easily picked up and carried. The handles can be permanently or releasably attached to one edge of the bag, such as with the use of adhesive, sewing, clips, and the like. The handles can have any desired configuration, such as a shoulder strap, a pair of handles, or as backpack straps. Handles 40 are not necessary and the bag can be used without handles.
Bag 5 can be constructed from a wide variety of durable materials, such as fabric, canvas, rubber, plastic, and the like. In some embodiments, one or more waterproof or water-resistant materials can be used to construct bag 5. The term “waterproof” refers to a barrier against water and water vapor. The term “water-resistant” refers to materials that generally repel or resist penetration by water through the material. Suitable waterproof or water resistant materials can include (but are not limited to) polyurethane laminate, thermoplastic polyurethane, nylon, polyester, ripstop nylon, nylon taffeta, PVC coated polyester, laminated cotton, laminated poplin, oilcloth, microfiber, wool, vinyl, leather, pleather, and plastic.
In some embodiments, the bag can be formed from one or more insulating materials. For example, the inner surface of the upper compartment can include one or more insulating materials capable of keeping articles stored within the bag upper compartment hot or cold.
The disclosed bag provides a user with an efficient device to store, transport, and effectively use a variety of products in a stabilized and convenient manner. In use, a user adds one or more desired items into upper compartment 10 of bag 5 through the open top face. For example, a towel, sunscreen, water, and a book can be added to the main compartment for a beach trip, as illustrated in
When the user has arrived at a desired location (e.g., the beach), bottom compartment 15 can be at least partially removed from the bag to expose legs 25 positioned on the bottom face of the bag, as shown in
When the lower compartment is partially or fully removed, legs 25 are accessible on the bottom face of the bag, as shown in
Advantageously, the bottom wall of the bag and the contents housed within upper compartment 10 remain raised above the support surface. In this way, sand, water, and the like are prevented from contacting the bag contents.
When the user desires to leave, he simply re-attaches lower compartment 15 to the upper compartment via access 30. After reattachment, the legs are securely housed within the interior of the lower compartment and out of sight.
Bag 5 therefore provides a user with a device to organize, store, and transport any of a wide variety of items in a compact and convenient manner.
Advantageously, legs 25 provide bag 5 with a measure of protection from direct contact of the bag with wet sand or soil. As a result, the items housed within the bag remain protected and the bottom surface of the bag stays clean.
The design of the bag further reduces the likelihood that sand or debris enters main compartment 10.
Further, bag 5 is visually pleasing in appearance, with the legs out of view when the bag is not in use. As a result, the bag appeals to a large number of users.
The foregoing descriptions have been presented for purposes of illustration and description and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the presently disclosed subject matter. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the present disclosure.
