Patent Application
20220402657
The present disclosure relates generally to bags for handling and carrying bulky, heavy, and dripping contents, such as a portion of a large animal carcass. More particularly the disclosure relates to such a bag having an open end and a closed end with a handling structure adjacent the closed end of the bag providing options for a person to lift, carry, and maneuver the bag using the handling structure.
Existing bags, generally referred to as game bags, for carrying carcass portions, may be operable for storing and hanging the game meat, but they have drawbacks, particularly in lifting, carrying, and maneuvering, that the present disclosure addresses as described below. The desired properties of game bags known to those of ordinary skill in the art include good breathability, quick drying, and adequate strength against bursting.
Embodiments of the present disclosure exhibit the aformentioned desired properties and additionally have an improved structure for handling the bags when they are loaded with the bulky, heavy, and dripping contents. The present disclosure addresses a problem with the existing bags that those of ordinary skill in the art do not recognize or understand.
Game bags are typically loaded with a carcass portion, e.g., a hindquarter of an elk, weighing over 60 pounds and ranging up to the neighborhood of 100 pounds. A moose hindquarter is typically at least 100 to 120 pounds. A bag loaded with such a carcass portion is difficult for an adult human to lift, carry, and maneuver because of the weight and bulk, as well as messy because of the blood and other liquid that drains from the carcass portion. Additionally, the heavier and bulkier end of the carcass portion is typically loaded into the bag first, so the closed end of the bag is heavier. A common scenario with existing game bags loaded in the typical manner is that an average adult human may struggle to lift the closed end of the bag (i.e., the heavier end of the bag) while loading the bag into a transport vehicle such as a truck or airplane. Gripping the fabric of the bag is made more difficult by the bulk, weight, and liquid of the carcass portion. In this struggle some of the bloody liquid leaks out of the bag onto the person lifting it. None of the existing game bag makers address or even recognize this as a problem.
Another drawback of existing game bags of the drawstring variety is that they include only a single drawstring. The single drawstring limits the options for hanging the bag, e.g., from a horizontal meat pole lashed between two trees.
A further disadvantage of existing game bags is that they are configured for carrying by only a single person. A structure on a game bag providing for convenient carrying by two people would be advantageous but the present industry does not recognize this issue.
Bag 20 may be configured in size and shape to receive a bulky and/or heavy load, such as all or a portion of an animal carcass. The carcass, or portion thereof, may be from a large animal, typically wild game such as a moose, elk, deer, caribou, antelope, wild sheep, such as DaII sheep, bears, or goat. Bag 20 may be substantially rectangular in plan or may have another shape suitable to the expected load to be received and carried. A rectangular bag may be sized, for example, to be about 30″ by about 61″, which is a configuration capable of receiving a moose hindquarter weighing about 120 pounds or more. Further examples of bag sizes and shapes are described below.
Bag 20 may be formed of a first panel 22 joined in a suitable manner such as stitching along a seam 24 to a second panel 26. For example, to construct a rectangular bag, a rectangular first panel may be sewn on two sides 28, 30 and an end 32 to corresponding sides and ends of a second panel with a substantially similar size and shape. Alternatively, any suitable size and shape may be used for each panel, and they may be identical or be varied to create shapes and internal spaces 34 for the bag as suited to a particular purpose. For example, one or both of the panels may have a trapezoidal shape to create a bag with an internal space 34 that is larger at one or the other of ends of the bag. Alternatively, bag 20 may be constructed from a single panel, folded and sewn together along one end and one pair of folded-together sides. Bag 20 may alternatively constructed by more than two panels arranged and bound together in a suitable manner for a particular configuration for the load. Sewing seam 24 may be accomplished using thread of suitable strength using a straight lock stitch. Additional strength may be provided to seam 24 along one or more of the sides and ends by rolling up the edges of the fabric. For example the edges of the panels along closed end 32 may be rolled up as many as four times, or more, before stitching to build in strength to the closed end of the bag, which is typically the bottom of the bag when the carcass is hung to dry.
The panels or other structures making up the bag may be made of any suitable material for containing a bulky and/or heavy load. For example, a duplex nylon fabric, a nylon/cotton blend, Taslan breathable white 4-ply material, and rip-stop fabric (whch may be 100% synthetic) have been found to provide suitable performance for holding and hanging loads exceeding 100 pounds and allowing the moisture from the carcass to pass out of the bag while substantially preventing insect and other infestations from reaching the carcass within the bag.
Generally, bag 20 includes an open end 36 opposite closed end 32. Open end 36 may include a selectively operable closure mechanism 38, such as a drawstring closure 44 formed by one or more drawstrings 40 extending through one or more cuffs 42 adjacent open end 36. In the embodiment of
The two-drawstring configuration may provide a greater range of options than the single for tying the drawstrings to one another and to another object, for example for hanging bag 20 from a meat pole for cooling the meat. The two drawstrings may be tightened on the bag and the ends thereof may be wrapped around the meat pole and tied to one another on top of the meat pole, and untied, in a manner similar to tying and untying shoelaces.
The drawstring(s) may be made of any suitable material for moving relative to the cuff, cinching the open end, and supporting the loaded bag by hanging from the drawstring(s). For example, the drawstring(s) may be made of nylon ripcord material and may include a silver reflective stripe running along at least a portion of the length to aid the visibility of the bag in an outdoor, day or nighttime, environment.
Bag 20 may include a handling structure 46 adjacent to closed end 32, for example a single handle 48 coupled to bag 20 along closed end 32. Single handle 48 may centered on end 32, or off-center, as best suited to a particular application for the bag.
Handle 48 may be formed from a strip of fabric 50 coupled at each of two ends 52, 54 by stitching or other suitable means, and with a central portion 62 spaced from bag 20. Handling structure 46 may be formed of any material and coupled to bag 20 in any manner suitable for use of handling structure 46 for lifting and carrying bag 20 adjacent end 32. For example, handling structure 46 may be formed using a polypropylene and/or a ballistic nylon material. Handling structure 46 may include one or more reflective stripes running along at least a portion of the length to aid the visibility of the bag at a distance in an outdoor, day or nighttime, environment.
Handling structure 46 may be stitched to bag by thread of suitable strength. For example, the sewing may be performed using a straight lock stitch and may further include a square stitch on one or both sides of the handles for reinforcement.
Handling structure 46 is typically provided in a lower half 58 of bag 20 below a midline 60. The location in this lower half may vary depending on the particular structure of the carcass or portion thereof for which the bag is designed. Typically handling structure 46 runs along end 32 (as in
Bag 20 may have a load inserted into internal space 34 and open end 36 may be selectively closed by drawstrings 40. With a load inserted, handling structure 46 may be used to maneuver closed end 32 of bag 20 relative to end 36 by a user holding handling structure 46 with one hand H. The user may also,with the other hand, hold bag 20 adjacent end 36 using drawstring 40, and/or the bag structure adjacent closure 44, and, in so holding the bag, handling structure 46 allows the user to maneuver bag 20 so as to maintain separation between the user and the bag, including at the lower end. Handling structure 46 also aids in maintaining separation where the user is holding it and another user is holding upper end of the bag at or adjacent the drawstring Handling structure 46 in the bottom of the bag and/or in the lower half of the bag aids in helping to lift the back half of the heavy carcass and reduce the chances of the user getting bloody from the carcass while moving it to and from a transport vehicle, such as a cart, ATV, truck, boat, or plane.
One or more of bags 20 may be provided in a pouch constituting a kit 102 of several bags 20 for carrying on a hunting trip. Bags 20 may be provided in various shapes and sizes to provide kits configured for use with variously sized game animals. The kits may include bags of various number, shapes, and sizes as suited for a particular application, including the following examples:
Kit Content with approximate bag sizes:
Moose kit
Kit for caribou, elk or wild goat
Kit for deer, black bear, Dall sheep
As shown in
Handling structure 46 adjacent to closed end 32 includes in the embodiment of
One or both of handles 148 may be formed by openings 56 through bag 20 and the openings may be separated from interior space 34 of bag 20 by stitching. Handles 148 may be reinforced by fabric 150 coupled to bag 20 adjacent each opening 56, for example, by appropriate stitching. Fabric 150, which may be provided with a doughnut or other appropriate shape with an opening corresponding to each opening 56. Any suitable material may be used for fabric 150, such as a polypropylene and/or a ballistic nylon material, and may be provided with one or more reflective stripes to aid the visibility of the bag at a distance in an outdoor, day or nighttime, environment.
Handling structure 46 in this embodiment may be stitched by thread of suitable strength. For example, the sewing may be performed using a straight lock stitch and may further include a square stitch on one or both sides of the handles for reinforcement.
Handling structure 46 in the embodiment of
Handling structure 46 adjacent to closed end 32 includes in the embodiment of
One or both of handles 248 may be formed by openings 56 through bag 20 and the openings may be separated from interior space 34 of bag 20 by stitching. Handles 248 may be reinforced by fabric and/or stitched by thread of suitable strength as in the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
One or both of handles 348 may be formed by openings 56 through bag 20, as in
The embodiments of
Further embodiments, similar to those of
It should be appreciated that although selected embodiments of the representative game bags are disclosed herein, numerous variations of these embodiments may be envisioned by one of ordinary skill that do not deviate from the scope of the present disclosure. The presently disclosed bags are well suited to a variety of load receiving, carrying, and maneuvering applications.
It is believed that the disclosure set forth herein encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. Each example defines an embodiment disclosed in the foregoing disclosure, but any one example does not necessarily encompass all features or combinations that may be eventually claimed. Where the description recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such description includes one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Further, ordinal indicators, such as first, second or third, for identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements, and do not indicate a required or limited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particular position or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated. Novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties disclosed herein may be claimed through presentation of claims in a related application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63142925 | Jan 2021 | US |
