U.S. patent application number 09/799893 was filed with the patent office on 2002-09-12 for portable, organized sporting equipment carrier.
Invention is credited to Parks, Gerald R., Widmer, Donald J..
Application Number | 20020125285 09/799893 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25177037 |
Filed Date | 2002-09-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020125285 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Parks, Gerald R. ; et
al. |
September 12, 2002 |
PORTABLE, ORGANIZED SPORTING EQUIPMENT CARRIER
Abstract
A portable, organized carrier for holding a variety of odd-sized
goods includes two sets of layered, co-nesting, pocket-mounting
flaps foldable around a comparted core area. The folded flaps are
capped and clamped together by a pair of shell-like covers mounted
at opposite longitudinal ends of the carrier. Shoulder and waist
straps as well as a handle allow for use of the carrier as a
backpack or a tote bag.
Inventors: |
Parks, Gerald R.; (Chula
Vista, CA) ; Widmer, Donald J.; (Chula Vista,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARMASSON & BUCHACA
1545 HOTEL CIRCLE SOUTH
SUITE 150
SAN DIEGO
CA
92108-3412
US
|
Family ID: |
25177037 |
Appl. No.: |
09/799893 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/655 ;
224/153; 224/237; 224/628; 224/637; 224/645 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 3/06 20130101; A45C
2003/007 20130101; A45F 3/04 20130101; A45C 13/02 20130101; A45C
3/00 20130101; A45C 7/0095 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/655 ;
224/645; 224/637; 224/153; 224/237; 224/628 |
International
Class: |
A45F 003/04 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable carrier for holding a variety of goods which
comprises: a substantially flat back-plate having inner and outer
faces, first and second opposite lateral borders, a top border, a
bottom border opposite said top border, and central good-holding
area; a first set of a plurality of pliable flaps, each of said
flaps being hingedly secured along one edge to said first lateral
border; a second set of a plurality of pliable flaps, each of said
flaps being hingedly secured along an edge to said second lateral
border; wherein each of said flaps includes means shaped and
dimensioned for holding at least one object; and means for holding
said sets of flaps folded toward each other astride said central
area.
2. The carrier of claim 1 which further comprises: a first cap
piece hingedly connected to said bottom border; a second cap piece
hingedly connected to said top border; and means for holding said
cap pieces folded toward each other over opposite top and bottom
edges of said folded sets of flaps.
3. The carrier of claim 2 which further comprises means, associated
with said central area, for housing at least one object.
4. The carrier of claim 2, wherein said means for holding comprise
pockets formed over said flaps.
5. The carrier of claim 2, wherein said pockets comprise at least
one pouch having an opening facing said backplate.
6. The carrier of claim 3, wherein said means for housing comprise
at least one pocket secured to said central area.
7. The carrier of claim 3, wherein said means for housing comprise
at least one container detachably secured to said central area.
8. The carrier of claim 4 which further comprises means for
handling said carrier.
9. The carrier of claim 8, wherein said means for handling comprise
a plurality of straps secured to said outer face, sized and
dimensioned to mount said carrier over a person's back.
10. The carrier of claim 3, wherein said means for housing
comprises a wall projecting orthogonally from said cental area; and
at least one pocket mounted against a face of said wall.
11. The structure of claim 5, wherein two of said flaps are
detachably held together to close said pouch opening.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to backpacks, tote bags and luggage
made of fabric or other pliable material, and, more specifically,
to portable carriers designed to house a variety of odd-sized
goods.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The designers of luggage pieces, tote bags, backpacks and
similer devices which are intended to house a variety of goods of
different shapes must strive to provide the maximum holding
capacity within a limited space. If the contents of the carrier
have to be held in separate compartments, the designers are faced
with the additional problems of space and location assignment for
each holding component of the carrier. The designers' tasks are
further complicated when the contents include items of vastly
different nature, size, shape, and weight. Moreover, in many cases,
the user must be able to quickly and conveniently retrieve any
particular item from the container without having to handle and
disturb other items. If the carrier is made of solid material such
as a tool box, the most common approach has been to provide a
plurality of compartments and drawers that are distributed over one
or more sides of the carrier. In cases where the carrier is made of
fabric or other soft, pliable material, the use of drawers is not
possible. Compartmental organization must be achieved by means of
an unrolling web upon which a plurality of pockets have been
mounted, or the formation of pockets and holding stations by a
judicious arrangement of pliable septi.
[0003] This invention results from attempts to provide sports
enthusiasts, and particularly those who must have quick access to a
variety of implements, with a highly organized carrier that allows
easy access to any piece of equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The principal and secondary objects of this invention are to
provide a compact and lightweight carrier capable of holding a
large variety of objects of different sizes and shapes in separate
compartments that can be quickly and conveniently accessed in order
to retrieve a particular item without having to shuffle through,
handle, or displace any other item in the carrier.
[0005] These and other valuable objects are achieved by a portable
carrier made essentially of pliable fabric in which two sets of
layered, co-nesting and pocket-mounting flaps are folded around a
comparted central area, the folded flaps are capped by shell-like
end pieces mounted at opposite longitudinal ends of the carrier.
Once the end pieces are spread open, the various flaps present
themselves like the pages of a book which can be conveniently
turned to provide access to pockets and straps distributed over the
faces of each flap, as well as to the central area which is also
subdivided in a plurality of separate holding stations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a carrier according to
the invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a back elevational view thereof;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof in the open
configuration;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematical, longitudinal, median,
cross-sectional view thereof; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematical, transversal, median,
cross-sectional view thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a portable
carrier 1 built according to the invention. This carrier is
specifically designed to hold equipment used in the practice of
paint-ball war games. Although it is configured for a particular
purpose, the carrier could be used for holding a variety of goods
and wearing apparels or, with minor modifications, as a generic
piece of luggage.
[0012] The carrier 1 is built around a backplate 2 made of solid
but flexible material. The outer face 3 of the backplate is padded
by a mesh-fabric-lined layer of spongy material 4. The flexible and
padded backplate forms a comfortable dorsal plate when the carrier
is used as a backpack, and is secured to a person's back by way of
a set of shoulder straps 5, chest strap 6 and waist belt 7. A
variety of good-holding elements are mounted on the inner face 8 of
the backplate. Two identical sets 9, 10 of flaps are secured to
opposite lateral borders 11, 12 of the backplate inner face. The
flaps are made of fabric-lined slabs of foam material and are,
therefore, pliable. In each set, the flaps are secured together
along one longitudinal edge, and hingedly connected to the
backplate lateral border. As more specifically illustrated in FIG.
5, the flaps present themselves like the pages of a book of which
the backplate acts as the spine.
[0013] Mounted against the central area 13 of the inner face of the
backplate are several good-holdding structures. First, an oblong
pocket 14 with a cover flap 15 is shaped and dimensioned to hold a
compressed gas canister 16. Next to the pocket is an arcuate wall
projecting orthogonally from the inner face of the central area.
The recess formed by the arcuate wall is dimensioned to receive
either a face mask 191 goggles or similar bulky object. A bag made
of netting fabric particularly convenient for housing a headband,
gloves, socks, or other similar article is detachably held in the
center of the recess by patches of hook-and-vane fabric fasteners
21. Pockets 22, 23 and loops of fabrics 24, 25 are mounted on the
arcuate walls, and may be used for holding a variety of small
items. Several loops of fabric 26, 27 are also mounted directly
against the inner face of the backplate. Those loops can be used
for securing gun barrels 28 or similarly-shaped objects.
[0014] In each set of flaps 9, 10, a first external one 29 forms a
cover or outer wall of the carrier. A pocket 30 made of netting
material lines the inner face of each external flap. A larger
pocket 31 is formed against the outer face of the flap. The outer
pocket is accessed through a longitudinal slit 32 equipped with a
slide fastener 33. A string 34 laced through sets of loops 36
mounted against the outer wall of the pocket can be used for
holding a piece of clothing. The two external flaps 29 can be
brought together and secured to each other along their external
longitudinal edges by cooperating patches of hook-and-vane fabric
fasteners 36.
[0015] In each set of flaps, a central one 37 forms a pouch 38
having a longitudinal opening 39 facing the back plate. This pouch
is specifically dimensioned to house a paint-ball gun 40. The
central flaps from both sets can be brought together and secured to
each other by means of a strap also provided with hook-and-vane
fabric fasteners. While the outer flaps are shaped and dimensioned
to wrap around the arcuate wall 17, the central flaps have cut out
portions which allows their free edges to meet and be tied together
below the uppermost level of the arcuate wall.
[0016] In each set, an inner flap 43 acts as a cover for the
opening 40 of the central flap pouch to which it can be secured by
strips of cooperating hook-and-vane fabric fastener 44, 45. A
series of pockets 46 are mounted against the inner wall of the
inner flaps. Accordingly, each pair of flaps can be folded toward
each other astride the central area to form a very compact and
secure means for holding a great variety of objects and
equipment.
[0017] A cap piece 47, 48 is mounted at each longitudinal border of
the backplate. The cap pieces can be folded toward each other and
over the opposite top and bottom edges of the folded sets of flaps,
then secured together by means of buckle-mounting straps 49, 50 to
secure the entire carrier. A handle 51 is provided at the juncture
of the top cap piece 47 and the backplante 2 in order to allow
lifting and asportion of the carrier in the manner of a tote bag.
The external surface of the two caps are lined with strips 52 of
wear-resistant, ribbed padding material. A variety of D-rings 53
and loops 54 of fabric ribbons are provided on the outer walls of
the carrier for convenient attachments of other implements.
[0018] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described, modifications can be made and other embodiments may be
devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *