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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to carrying bags such as backpacks, shoulder bags, hand-held bags and the like, that are equipped with an exterior pocket. More specifically, this invention relates to a bag with an exterior pocket including a flexible sleeve joined to the aperture of the exterior pocket, wherein the sleeve can be folded into the exterior pocket while not in use and be drawn out to increase the volume of the exterior pocket so as to receive and carry a drink bottle or the like therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nevertheless, it is undesirable to make an exterior pocket of this type further deeper as to make accessing to small articles contained therein difficult. Because of this, most known exterior pockets of a backpack, that are adapted for carrying a bottle, are made similar to the exterior pocket 92 illustrated in
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a bag with an exterior pocket without the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
In accordance with this invention, an improved carrying bag is provided of the type having an exterior pocket which includes a flexible sleeve; wherein a first end of the sleeve is seamed to an inner peripheral adjacent to the aperture of the exterior pocket and the second end of the sleeve includes a drawstring system for controlling the size of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve. The drawstring system comprises a drawstring passage and a drawstring disposed therein.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the middle section of the drawstring is confined in the drawstring passage while both end sections of the drawstring extend beyond the drawstring passage. A drawstring stop is coupled to and operable to move along the end sections of the drawstring that extend beyond the drawstring passage. The drawstring stop is preferably of the type loaded with a spring. The spring loaded in the drawstring stop forces the drawstring stop to be in a locked state and holds both end sections of the drawstring immobile relative to the drawstring stop. While the drawstring stop is manually unlocked against the spring, it can be moved along both end sections of the drawstring toward the drawstring passage to reduce the size of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve or away from the drawstring passage to allow opening of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve.
In another embodiment of this invention, the drawstring stop and optionally one and only one end of the drawstring is (are) fixed to the second end of the sleeve. In this case, while the drawstring stop is manually unlocked against the spring, the free end(s) of the drawstring can be pulled away from the drawstring passage to reduce the size of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve or retracted into the drawstring passage to allow opening of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve.
In a preferred embodiment, the drawstring passage is formed with a hem stitched around a peripheral at the second end of the sleeve. In other embodiments, the drawstring passage may be composed of a series of eyelets or rings disposed around a peripheral near the second end of the sleeve.
The main advantage of this invention is that the bag provided includes an exterior pocket equipped with a retractable sleeve therefore when the sleeve is drawn out, an elongated article such as a commonly shaped drink bottle, a folding umbrella or a flashlight can be inserted and removed from the exterior pocket conveniently. And when there is no need to carry such an elongated article in the exterior pocket, the sleeve can be inserted into the exterior pocket so as to keep the appearance of the bag neat.
Another advantage of this invention is that the access aperture of the above-mentioned sleeve is equipped with a drawstring system for closing that access aperture therefore the risk of losing articles contained in the exterior pocket is greatly reduced. For an elongated article such as a commonly shaped drink bottle, a folding umbrella or a flashlight, it means that the article can be completely enclosed in the pocket (with the sleeve extended) or at least that only a small top portion of the article would be left exposed but its circumference can be bound by the drawstring. For smaller and valuable articles if inserted through and sealed with the access aperture of the sleeve, especially when the sleeve along with the drawstring system is also inserted back into the exterior pocket, it means stealing them become much more difficult because it would take much more time and processes.
Referring to
The drawstring stop 33 is loaded with a spring. The spring loaded in the drawstring stop 33 forces the drawstring stop 33 to be in a locked state and holds both end sections of the drawstring 32 immobile relative to the drawstring stop 33. While the drawstring stop 33 is manually unlocked against the spring, it can be moved along both end sections of the drawstring 32 toward the drawstring passage 31 to reduce the size of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve 30, or away from the drawstring passage 31 to allow opening of the aperture at the second end of the sleeve 30.