TRAVEL SHOE BAG

Abstract

A travel bag for carrying and packing shoes or boots in a suitcase includes a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, opposite ends, and an open top communicating with an interior and having a closure mechanism (e.g., zipper, drawstring, elastic, snap tab or magnets). A padded divider wall extending longitudinally within the interior separates left and right shoe compartments. A window on at least one of the front or rear panels allows for visibility of the shoes carried in the bag. A drawstring or elastic band on at least one of the front or rear panels secures the shoes in place. A carry handle (e.g., a strap or chain) extends from the top of the bag for convenience of carrying and hanging the shoe bag.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to small luggage items and, more particularly, to a travel bag for carrying a pair of shoes and including individual shoe compartments separated by a padded divider wall, a window to allow identification of the shoes carried in the bag, a closure mechanism and a carry handle.

Discussion of the Related Art

When traveling, it is often necessary to pack at least one extra pair of shoes in one's luggage. Typically, shoes are packed in a suitcase alongside edges of the suitcase or wherever available space may be found between packed clothing items. Because the bottom of shoes are often not entirely clean, many people prefer to wrap their shoes in a plastic bag prior to packing them in a suitcase. Notwithstanding, the manner in which shoes are packed in a suitcase can cause damage to the shoes, as well as surrounding clothing and other items packed in the suitcase. In particular, dress shoes can be easily scuffed or scratched when stuffed into a tight space within a full suitcase. Zippers, buckles and other sharp objects on other clothing items, as well as structures on the interior of the suitcase, can easily scratch or cut shoes, particularly leather dress shoes. While wrapping shoes in a plastic bag can help to avoid dirtying other items of clothing, it is not effective to protect the shoes from being crushed and/or damaged.

Accordingly, there remains an urgent need in the luggage and travel accessory industry for a travel shoe bag that protectively accommodates a pair of shoes in individual padded shoe compartments that can be conveniently packed in a suitcase and removed for placement in a closet, such as on a hanger when reaching the travel destination.

Objects and Advantages of the Invention

Considering the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a travel bag for shoes which is particularly structured to protectively carry a pair of shoes in individual padded shoe compartments.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying a pair of shoes, and wherein the travel shoe bag can be conveniently packed in a suitcase.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag that includes separate compartments for each shoe, and wherein the shoes are protectively separated by a padded divider wall to prevent scuffing, scratching or other damage.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying a pair of shoes, and wherein the bag includes at least one window for revealing at least one of the shoes carried in the bag, thereby allowing for ease of identification of the shoes in the bag without having to open the bag.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying a pair of shoes, and wherein the bag includes a convenient closure mechanism (e.g., zipper, drawstring, elastic band, snap tab closure or magnets).

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying a pair of shoes while traveling, and wherein the shoe bag can be conveniently placed in a closet, such as on a hanger, at the travel destination.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying a pair of shoes when traveling, and wherein the shoe bag includes a securing mechanism (e.g., elastic band, drawstring, Velcro tab, pull loop tab, etc.) for securing the shoes in place within the bag and preventing undesirable movement which could cause damage to the shoes in the bag.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying a pair of shoes when traveling, and wherein the travel shoe bag includes a handle (e.g., chain, strap, detachable strap or chain, or an adjustable length strap) for conveniently carrying the shoe bag and for hanging the shoe bag on a hanger in a closet.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are more readily apparent with reference to the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a travel shoe bag for protectively carrying shoes or boots. The travel shoe bag is particularly suited for packing in a suitcase. The travel shoe bag includes a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, opposite ends, and an open top communicating with an interior and having a closure mechanism (e.g., zipper, drawstring, elastic, snap tab or magnets). A padded divider wall extending longitudinally within the interior separates left and right shoe compartments. A window on at least one of the front or rear panels allows the user to easily and quickly identify the shoes carried in the bag without having to open the bag and remove the shoes. A drawstring or elastic band on at least one of the front or rear panels secures the shoes in place so that they are not damaged during transport. A carry handle (e.g., a strap or chain) extends from the top of the bag for convenience of carrying and hanging the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the travel shoe bag in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the travel shoe bag of FIG. 1 showing a drawstring mechanism pulled to secure the pair of shoes carried within the bag in place to avoid excessive movement of the shoes;

FIG. 3 is a top cross sectional view, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1, showing the top opening of the travel shoe bag and a padded center divider wall for separating a left shoe compartment and a right shoe compartment;

FIG. 4 a front elevational view of an opposite side of the travel shoe bag showing a window to allow for visibility and identification of the shoes carried within the bag; and

FIG. 5 is a front top perspective view of a further embodiment of the travel shoe bag of the present invention wherein the bag is particularly sized and constructed for protectively carrying tall boots, ankle boots, mid calf boots, and boots with a foldable shaft.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the several views of the drawings and initially FIGS. 1-2, the travel shoe bag of the present invention is shown and is generally indicated as 10. The travel shoe bag 10 includes a front panel space 12, a rear panel 14, a bottom 16 and opposite ends 17,18. An open top 20 of the shoe bag 10 allows for placement and removal of shoes or boots within the bag. The open top is releasably closed by a closure mechanism 24, such as a zipper, drawstring, elastic band, snap tabs or opposing magnets.

Referring to FIG. 3, an interior 30 of the shoe bag includes a central longitudinal divider wall 32 that separates the interior into two separate shoe compartments including a first shoe compartment 34 and a second shoe compartment 36. In a preferred embodiment, the divider wall is padded in order to protect the separate shoes S in each of the first and second shoe compartments so that the shoes do not rub together and become scuffed, scratched or otherwise damaged.

Referring to FIG. 4, the shoe bag 10 includes at least one window 40 on either the front panel or rear panel. The window 40 may be formed of a mesh material or a clear substrate such as a transparent flexible plastic film or similar material. The window 40 allows for visible exposure of at least one of the shoes S carried in the bag 10 so that a person can quickly and easily identify the shoes that are being carried in the bag 10 without having to open the bag.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cinching mechanism 50 allows the opposite ends 17,18 of the bag 10 to be pulled closer together in order to reduce the size of the interior shoe compartments and secure S the shoes in place. This helps to minimize movement of the shoes carried in the bag and, thereby, reducing the likelihood of scratching, scuffing or other damage to the shoes during transport. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cinching mechanism 50 is a drawstring device including a drawstring 52 that extends through a sleeve 54 formed along the front and/or rear panel of the bag and exiting at two openings 56,57 near the center. The drawstring 52 being formed in a loop 58 at the center is secured in place with a spring loaded fastener 60, such as a barrel fastener. By pulling the looped portion 58 of the drawstring 52 outwardly away from the sleeve 54, the opposite ends 17,18 of the bag are pulled closer together, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. The shoe bag 10 can be returned to its normal position by squeezing the barrel fastener 60 and allowing the drawstring 52 to be pulled back into the sleeves 54 upon applying outward pressure against the opposite ends 17,18 of the shoe bag.

A carry handle 70 extends from a top of the shoe bag 10 and, in a preferred embodiment, it is in the form of a strap or chain. The strap or chain carry handle 70 may be releasably attached to the top of the travel bag at or near the opposite ends 72,74. Moreover, the carry handle 70 may be adjustable in length. The carry handle 70 allows for convenient carrying of the travel shoe bag 10 during transport as well as convenient hanging of the travel shoe bag on a hanger or like device in a closet.

Referring to FIG. 5, a further embodiment of the invention is designed for carrying boots B, such as taller boots, mid calf boots or boots with a foldable shaft. A first drawstring 80 is provided when carrying mid calf boots or boots with a foldable shaft in the separate compartments which are divided by the padded divider wall, in the same fashion as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. The first drawstring 80 secures the open top closed. The first drawstring may be opened to expand the height of the travel boot bag in order to allow for taller boots, as shown in FIG. 5. The second drawstring 82 at the top open end of the boot bag can be pulled to close the open top end during transport. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1-4, the boot bag is provided with a carry handle (not shown) which is the same as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 and may include a strap or a chain.

While the present invention has been shown in accordance with several preferred and practical embodiments, it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are fully contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present invention which is not to be limited except as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A shoe bag comprising: a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, opposite ends and an open top communicating with an interior of the shoe bag;a padded divider wall extending longitudinally within the interior and separating left and right shoe compartments on opposite sides of the padded divider wall, the left and right shoe compartments each being sized, structured and configured for receiving and protectively surrounding a single item of footwear therein;a closure mechanism for at least partially and releasably closing the open top;a carry handle; anda cinching mechanism extending between the opposite ends on at least one of the front and rear panels for pulling the opposite ends toward one another and reducing the size of the left and right shoe compartments.

2. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 further comprising: at least one window on at least one of the front and rear panels for visibly exposing the single item of footwear in at least one of the left and right shoe compartments from an exterior of the shoe bag to thereby allow visual identification of the particular item of footwear carried in the shoe bag.

3. The shoe bag as recited in claim 2 wherein the at least one window is formed of a mesh material.

4. The shoe bag as recited in claim 2 wherein the at least one window is formed of a transparent flexible film.

5. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the closure mechanism is a zipper.

6. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the closure mechanism is a drawstring.

7. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the closure mechanism is an elastic band.

8. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the closure mechanism is a snap closure device.

9. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the closure mechanism comprises magnets.

10. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the cinching mechanism is a drawstring.

11. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the cinching mechanism is an elastic band.

12. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the carry handle is a strap.

13. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the carry handle is a chain.

14. The shoe bag as recited in claim 1 wherein the carry handle is releasably attachable to the shoe bag.

15. A shoe bag comprising: a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, opposite ends and an open top communicating with an interior of the shoe bag;a padded divider wall extending longitudinally within the interior and separating left and right shoe compartments on opposite sides of the padded divider wall, the left and right shoe compartments each being sized, structured and configured for receiving and protectively surrounding a single item of footwear therein;a closure mechanism for at least partially and releasably closing the open top;a carry handle;a cinching mechanism extending between the opposite ends on at least one of the front and rear panels for pulling the opposite ends toward one another and reducing the size of the left and right shoe compartments; andat least one window on at least one of the front and rear panels for visibly exposing the single item of footwear in at least one of the left and right shoe compartments from an exterior of the shoe bag to thereby allow visual identification of the particular item of footwear carried in the shoe bag.

16. The shoe bag as recited in claim 15 wherein the at least one window is formed of a mesh material.

17. The shoe bag as recited in claim 15 wherein the at least one window is formed of a transparent flexible film.