Patent Application
20240090637
The present invention generally to the field of storage bags. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel see-through clear bag for storing small personal items, such as hand sanitizer, masks, lotions, picnic supplies, sewing supplies, and more. The thick and transparent PVC material of the bag makes the items visible, readily accessible, and prevents the bag from becoming soggy. Zippered closures allow the bag to close and open easily even with wet or lotion-covered hands. The device is also designed to replace soggy Ziplock carry bags. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, carrying bags such as purses, backpacks, and more are used to carry and keep personal items within arm's reach. Such items may include a wide range of useful tools and items that may be needed or used numerous times during the course of a day. Typical items commonly carried in a conventional carrying bag may include cosmetics and beauty aids, combs and hairbrushes, automobile and house keys, travel or airline tickets, pens and notepads, cellular telephone, wallet, money, credit cards, and more. For protecting from contamination and to maintain personal hygiene, individuals generally carry medicines, hand sanitizer and more as well in their bags.
One common problem associated with conventional bags is that it becomes difficult to find a particular needed item easily or quickly. A person has to sift through an entire bag to locate a desired item. At various places, such as at an airport security station, a person has to remove items such as a sanitizer, lotion, cigarettes, and more. Sifting through the entire bag to take out such items is time consuming and requires considerable effort. Further, if any such item unintentionally is left in the bag, may leak, and create a mess and may also cause a security concern for security authorities.
Although carrying bags may have separators, pockets, and pouches for various items, it may be difficult for a person using such a bag to remember in which section, pocket, or pouch a particular needed item may have been placed. Conventional bags are opaque and individuals may require a smartphone flashlight to see inside the bag, which is not always readily available. Individuals desire a way to keep small personal items visible in their bags thereby enabling users to access items without sifting the entire bag.
Many individuals use conventional Ziplock bags for transporting liquids, lotions, and more through TSA security screening. However, such bags easily becoming soggy and can create a mess with other materials stored in a bag in which Ziplock bags are stored. Individuals desire an improved bag that can replace conventional soggy Ziplock bags.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for a storage bag that is transparent and keeps sanitizer and other small personal items visible. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that can be placed inside any conventional carrying bag. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that obviates sifting through the entire bag to access an item. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent travel bag that reduces the time to locate items in a bag at security check points and other scrutiny points. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that can be easily opened even with wet hands. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for a storage bag that enables easy storage and access of items in a bag without creating leakage and mess. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that enables users to easily transport lotion, ointment, hand sanitizer, etc. at airports.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a transparent storage bag for storing small personal items. The bag is useful for storing liquids, lotions, sanitizer, and more. The bag is formed of thick PVC material and features a pair of surfaces, each surface has a bottom edge, a pair of side edges and a top edge, the pair of surfaces are sewn together along the bottom edge and the lower half of the side edges to create an enclosure. A zipper closure is positioned along the top edge and upper half of the side edges of each of the surfaces, each zipper closure has a zipper pull tab wherein the zipper pull tabs are configured to close and open the bag. The bag enables users to easily transport lotions, ointments, hand sanitizers, etc. at airports and can be easily opened with wet or lotion-covered hands.
In this manner, the transparent storage bag of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provide users with a transparent storage bag for small personal items that can be easily opened with wet and lotion-covered hands. The transparent body makes the stored items easily visible and therefore, obviates sifting through the bag and as a result, items are accessed quickly and easily. The transparent bag prevents leakage in the bag in which the transparent bag is stored and enables users to easily transport lotion, ointment, hand sanitizer, etc. at airports.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a transparent storage bag for storing small personal items. The bag is especially useful for storing liquids, lotions, and sanitizer without creating a mess. The bag further comprising a pair of surfaces, each surface has a bottom edge, a pair of side edges and a top edge, the pair of surfaces sewn together along the bottom edge and the lower half of the side edges to create an enclosure, a zipper closure positioned on the top edge and upper half of the side edges of each of the surfaces, each zipper closure has a zipper pull tab wherein the zipper pull tabs are configured to close and open the bag. The bag is closed when the zipper pull tabs are pulled to the center of the top edges of the surfaces and is opened when the zipper pull tabs are pulled to the side edges of the surfaces.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a see-through portable storage bag for storing lotions, hand sanitizer and more. The storage bag is designed to replace messy and soggy Ziplock bags used for carrying liquids through TSA security screening. The storage bag is made of transparent PVC material and is of a quart size, or similar, and comprising an enclosure formed by two surfaces, the surfaces are sewn along the bottom edge, and lower half of the side edges, each surface has a zipper along the top edge and upper half of the side edges wherein the zipper on the surfaces are used for opening and closing the bag to secure the items stored therein.
In yet another embodiment, 3 oz. or smaller liquid bottles are accommodated in the bag, preferably with larger containers positioned at the bottom of the bag.
In yet another embodiment, the bag has a pair of zipper pull tabs configured to meet at the center of the top edges of the surfaces of the bag to close the bag and to move along halfway down each side of the bag to open the bag.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of storing liquids, lotions, hand sanitizer, and other small personal items for easy storage and accessibility. The method includes the steps of providing a transparent, for example quart bag, the bag features a zippered system which is comprised of two zippers that can be opened and enables the bag to be filled and emptied easily using a pair of zipper pull tabs; pulling tabs of the zipper closures away from each other towards the side edges to open the enclosure of the bag, storing the desired items inside the enclosure for secure storage, pulling the zipper pull tabs towards each other to close the zipper closures and close the bag.
Numerous benefits and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long-felt need in the art for a storage bag that is transparent and keeps sanitizer and other small personal items visible. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that can be placed inside any conventional carrying bag. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that obviates sifting through the entire bag to access an item. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent travel bag that reduces the time to locate items in a bag at security check points and other scrutiny or search points. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that can be easily opened even with wet hands. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for a storage bag that enables easy storage and access of items in a bag without creating leakage and mess. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for a transparent storage bag that enables users to easily transport lotion, ointment, hand sanitizer, etc. at airports.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a see-through portable storage bag for storing lotions, hand sanitizer and more such that the stored items remain visible to a user. The storage bag is designed to replace messy and soggy Ziplock bags used for carrying liquids through TSA security screening. The storage bag is made of transparent PVC material and is of, for example, a quart size and comprising an enclosure formed by two surfaces, the surfaces are sewn along the bottom edge, and along the lower half of the side edges, each surface has a zipper along the top edge and upper half of the side edges wherein the zipper on the surfaces are used for closing the bag to secure the items stored therein.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The bag 100 has a zippered system 112 including a first zipper 114 positioned along the top edge 116 and half-way down (represented as 120, 122) the side edges 108, 110 of the first surface 102. The first zipper 114 has a zipper pull tab 118 that is ergonomically designed to be operated by a user even with wet or lotion-covered hands. The second surface 104 has a second zipper 124 positioned along the top edge 126 and half-way down (128, 130) of the side edges 108, 110 thereof. The second zipper 124 has a zipper pull tab 132 configured to be pulled to open or close the bag 100 for retrieving and securing the items.
The zipper closures 114, 124 help assure a user that the bag stays closed during travel or movement through TSA security and prohibits spilling of the contents. For closing the bag 100, the zipper pull tabs 118, 132 are pulled towards each other and towards the center of the top edges 116, 126 to meet each other. For opening the bag 100, the zipper pull tabs 118, 132 are pulled towards the side edges 108, 110 to reach approximately half-way down the side edges 108, 110 enabling the bag 100 to lay flat.
The transparent or see-through PVC material of the bag 100 obviates the requirement for a user to empty the entire bag for accessing a desired item. The see-through bag 100 can be easily used in a car, inside a purse, or any carrying bag to organize several items such as hand sanitizer, masks, craft supplies, picnic supplies, sewing supplies, or anything that is small and needed to be kept handy.
The zipper closures 114, 124 can be made from one or more of brass, aluminum, and nickel and can be any color. In one exemplary embodiment, the bag 100 has the dimensions of 8″ (L)×7″ (W)×0.08″ (T) for storing a plurality of small personal items while not being bulky and easy to transport. The bag 100 is foldable when not storing any items and the PVC material is tear resistant and scratch resistant.
In some embodiments, any or both the surfaces or sides 102, 104 may have a logo flap 134 attached thereto that may comprise any insignia, badge, emblem, decoration, alphanumeric symbol, or artistic rendition that will adhere, either permanently or removably, to the bag device 100. By way of example, and not limitation, the logos of the invention may include embroidered patches, stickers, transfers, paintings, and drawings. The zipper pull tabs 118, 132 may also have a logo printed or embossed thereon for marketing and branding purposes.
The zipper pull tabs 118, 132 when pulled towards each other, interlock the opposite zipper closures 114, 124 to close the enclosure. The tabs 118, 132 can be pulled using wet or lotion-covered hands easily and conveniently.
Thereafter, the zipper pull tabs are pulled towards each other to close the zipper closures and close the bag (Step 408). Finally, the bag can be easily stored at a desired place such as in a travel bag, car, and the like (Step 410). It should be noted that zipper pull tabs are pulled away to the sides to open the bag and access the stored items therein.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “see-through storage bag device”, “transparent storage bag device”, “transparent bag”, “bag”, “bag device”, and “see-through bag” are interchangeable and refer to the see-through storage bag device 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the see-through storage bag device 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the see-through storage bag device 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the see-through storage bag device 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the see-through storage bag device 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the see-through storage bag device 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/408,209, which was filed on Sep. 20, 2022, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63408209 | Sep 2022 | US |
