U.S. patent application number 10/104901 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-25 for overlapping pocket laundry bag.
Invention is credited to Chiang, Caroline Vergara, Chiang, Che Hung.
Application Number | 20030179958 10/104901 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 28040733 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030179958 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chiang, Caroline Vergara ;
et al. |
September 25, 2003 |
Overlapping pocket laundry bag
Abstract
An overlapping pocket laundry bag comprises a mesh fabric
backing member, an inside member retained to backing member, a
vertical pocket definition stitch, a horizontal pocket definition
stitch. The stitches define rows and columns of pockets. A
retaining flap formed from either the backing member in a top row
or the inside member in lower rows, folds over each top edge of
each pocket opening. The retaining flap stitched along left and
right sides retain articles during washing or drying in a washing
machine.
Inventors: |
Chiang, Caroline Vergara;
(Diamond Bar, CA) ; Chiang, Che Hung; (Diamond
Bar, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LAW OFFICES OF CLEMENT CHENG
17220 NEWHOPE STREET #127
FOUNTAIN VALLEY
CA
92708
US
|
Family ID: |
28040733 |
Appl. No.: |
10/104901 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/38 ;
383/117 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 95/006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/38 ;
383/117 |
International
Class: |
B65D 030/22; B65D
030/06 |
Claims
1. An overlapping pocket laundry bag comprising: a backing member
made of porous mesh fabric, at least one inside member retained to
said backing member, at least one vertical pocket definition stitch
extending from an upper edge of said backing member continuing to a
lower edge of said backing member, said at least one vertical
pocket definition stitch retaining said at least one inside member
against said backing member and defining columns of pockets, at
least one horizontal pocket definition stitch extending from a left
edge of said backing member continuing to a right edge of said
backing member to define rows of pockets, said at least one
horizontal pocket definition stitch retaining said at least one
inside member against said backing member and defining rows of
pockets, a retaining flap formed from either the backing member in
a top row or the inside member in lower rows folds over each top
edge of each pocket opening, said retaining flap stitched along
left and right sides to retain articles during washing in a washing
machine.
2. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, wherein one inside
member and one bisecting horizontal pocket definition stitch are
provided to form two rows of pockets.
3. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, wherein two inside
members are provided, a first inside member and a second inside
member, and two horizontal pocket definition stitches are provided
to form three rows of pockets.
4. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, wherein one
bisecting vertical pocket definition stitch is provided to form two
columns of pockets.
5. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, wherein two
vertical pocket definition stitches are provided to form three
columns of pockets.
6. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, wherein three
vertical pocket definition stitches are provided to form four
columns of pockets.
7. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 6, wherein three
vertical pocket definition stitches are provided to form four
columns of pockets; and wherein one inside member and one bisecting
horizontal pocket definition stitch are provided to form two rows
of pockets, whereby creating eight pockets.
8. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, wherein different
sized pockets are created by forming a vertical pocket definition
stitch that does not travel the full distance of the backing
member, said vertical pocket definition stitch need only travel
from the top edge or bottom edge of the backing member to the
midpoint of the backing member.
9. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, further comprising
the reinforcing members stitched along the vertical pocket
definition stitches in order to strengthen the laundry bag, further
comprising reinforcing members stitched along the horizontal
pockets definition stitches, further comprising the reinforcing
members stitched along the outside edges of the overlapping pocket
laundry bag.
10. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 1, firther
comprising loops formed from excess material at the top of vertical
reinforcing members, said loops formed by folding excess material
and attaching a free end of said excess material to said laundry
bag.
11. A method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag comprising
the steps of: forming a backing member from porous mesh fabric,
forming at least one inside member retained to said backing member,
forming at least one vertical pocket definition stitch extending
from an upper edge of said backing member continuing to a lower
edge of said backing member, forming at least one vertical pocket
definition stitch retaining said at least one inside member against
said backing member and defining columns of pockets, forming at
least one horizontal pocket definition stitch extending from a left
edge of said backing member continuing to a right edge of said
backing member to define rows of pockets, said at least one
horizontal pocket definition stitch retaining said at least one
inside member against said backing member and defining rows of
pockets, forming a retaining flap from either the backing member in
a top row or the inside member in lower rows, folds over each top
edge of each pocket opening, said retaining flap stitched along
left and right sides to retain articles during washing in a washing
machine.
12. The method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag
according to claim 11, wherein heat formation replaces stitches to
retain a fabric to another fabric, whereby heat forming can also
produce a similar geometrically and topologically equivalent
product in less time than by manual effort, and further comprising
the step of: feeding continuous streams of two sheets of plastic
polymer based fabric having thermoplastic properties which can be
retained together by being melted together at an interface linear
in nature and similar to a stitch pattern.
13. The method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag
according to claim 11, wherein apertures are formed in
thermoplastic material along with any drawing.
14. The method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag
according to claim 11, further comprising the step of cutting a
roll along its length to create two strips: one roll of backing
sheet formed into mesh by heat and a plurality of rollers; one roll
of inside sheet can formed in substantially the same process,
wherein two streams of plastic sheet can be finished along their
top and bottom edges before alignment, wherein rolls of material
can continuously feed two streams of mesh fabric are aligned in the
proper configuration using guides that fold and align two streams
of plastic sheets, said top edge of the backing sheet folded over
the top edge of the inside sheet, said bottom edge of the backing
sheet folding over and tucking under the bottom edge of the inside
sheet.
15. The method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag
according to claim 11, further comprising the step of sealing mesh
fabric with sets of rollers, a first roller making vertical seals
at regular intervals to create columns of pockets, a second roller
creating horizontal seals, whereby in a two row, four column
configuration the horizontal roller seals the middle of the bag to
segment the preferred four columns of pockets into eight individual
pockets.
16. The method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag
according to claim 11, further comprising the step of attaching a
plurality of reinforcing members at vertical and horizontal seals
stitches.
17. The method of making an overlapping pocket laundry bag
according to claim 11, further comprising the step of attaching a
plurality of reinforcing members at vertical and horizontal
seals.
18. An overlapping pocket laundry bag comprising: a backing member
made of mesh fabric, at least one inside member made of mesh fabric
retained to said backing member, at least one vertical pocket
definition stitch extending from an upper edge of said backing
member continuing to a lower edge of said backing member, said at
least one vertical pocket definition stitch retaining said at least
one inside member against said backing member and defining columns
of pockets, at least one horizontal pocket definition stitch
extending from a left edge of said backing member continuing to a
right edge of said backing member to define rows of pockets, said
at least one horizontal pocket definition stitch retaining said at
least one inside member against said backing member and defining
rows of pockets, a retaining flap formed from either the backing
member in a top row or the inside member in lower rows, folds over
each top edge of each pocket opening, said retaining flap stitched
along left and right sides to retain articles during washing in a
washing machine.
19. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 18 wherein, a total
of eight pockets in two rows of four pockets have an upper row of
pockets over a lower row of pockets, an upper row of pockets having
a pocket edge that defines an opening to the pocket where articles
are stored, flaps retain articles and cover the pocket opening edge
of the upper row and lower row, said pocket opening edge of the
upper row is the upper edge of the inside member, the pocket
opening edge of the lower row is this the bottom edge of the
backing member folded under the inside member.
20. An overlapping pocket laundry bag of claim 18 wherein assembly
begins with placement of the inside member against the backing
member, said inside member placed between two fold lines that
define pockets, said two fold lines close to the top and bottom
edges of the inside member, and further comprising a top end of the
backing strip folding over a top end of an inside member, a bottom
end of the backing member folding over and tucking under a bottom
end of an inside member, wherein three vertical pocket definitions
stitches define four columns of pockets, reinforcing fabric
stitched upon said three pocket definition stitches, a top edge of
a backing member stitched to a reinforcing fabric, a left and right
side of the laundry bag closed by vertical stitches along the
height of the laundry bag, and reinforced with vertical strips of
reinforcing fabric, said vertical strips of reinforcing fabric
starting from a top middle, top left and top right locations, said
three vertical strips of reinforcing fabric having excess material
that can be used to form loops capable of hanging the bag, wherein
horizontal pocket definition stitch across the middle of the
backing member connects the backing member to the inside member,
wherein said horizontal pocket definition stitch forming the upper
portion of the lower pockets and the lower portion of the upper
pockets, said horizontal and vertical pocket definition stitches
retain the inside member to the backing member and also form
retaining flaps, said retaining flaps in a two row repeating
pattern configuration having an alternating flap formation, a top
row of flaps formed from the backing member when folded and
retained against the inside member, the top row of flaps retained
by the vertical pocket definition stitches that define and retain
the left and right sides of the flap, wherein the upper row of
retaining flaps in a two row configuration having a top edge of a
backing member folding over the top edge of the inside member, the
lower row of retaining flaps in the two row configuration made from
the lower half of the inside member, the lower edge of the lower
row of retaining flaps is the lower edge of the inside member that
initially covers the lower edge of the backing member folded under
the lower portion of the inside member, a total of eight pockets in
two rows of four pockets have an upper row of pockets over a lower
row of pockets, an upper row of pockets having a pocket edge that
defines an opening to the pocket where articles are stored, flaps
retain articles and cover the pocket opening edge of the upper row
and lower row, said pocket opening edge of the upper row is the
upper edge of the inside member, the pocket opening edge of the
lower row is this the bottom edge of the backing member folded
under the inside member. LIST OF ELEMENTS 31 top edge 32 cloth flap
89 fold lines 91 top edge backing sheet 92 bottom edge backing
sheet 93 top edge of the inside sheet 94 bottom edge of the inside
sheet 95 vertical three pocket definition stitches 99 vertical
strips of reinforcing fabric 100 mesh cloth bag 101 pockets 113
clean clothes 114 dirty socks 115 hanging loops 416 bag hung next
to the clean clothes 417 bag hung next to the hamper 818 inside
sheet 828 second inside member 838 third inside member 888 backing
sheet 997 horizontal pocket definition stitch
Description
DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART
[0001] Washing machines have been used to clean a variety of
clothes. A major disadvantage is that various articles become
entangled or mixed up in washing. In a family of four, different
sizes of socks must be identified and resorted after each wash.
Sorting socks and folding them can be a chore. Socks also tend to
get mixed up with other clothes. Socks also disappear, which
results in unmatched pairs and single socks.
[0002] A variety of laundry bags have attempted to solve this
problem. Some laundry bags are designed to retain clothes and can
be used in a washer and then transferred to the dryer. By retaining
all clothes in a laundry bag, none of the articles are misplaced or
lost. Because all articles are placed in one section, the articles
can still become tangled or mixed up.
[0003] Some laundry bags have segmented portions. Bertha Allen in
her U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,616 includes six pockets for a segregated
article-washing unit. The multiple pockets create the problem of
keeping them closed. In this case, Allen uses discloses closure
means. The closure of individual pockets has traditionally been
devices such as hook and loop tape, clasps, buttons and zippers
that achieve a "completely closed" container.
[0004] Unfortunately, prior means of closure such as hook and loop
tape, clasps, buttons and zippers present unique problems. Hook and
loop tape must be sewn to flaps and has the disadvantage of being a
stiff material which does not interact well when stitched to a
light mesh material. The hook and loop tape may also become
entangled with other clothing. Hook and loop tape deteriorates
rapidly in multiple washes. Hook and loop tape also creates stress
concentrations that damage fabric and cause the closure means to
tear from its stitching. Clasps and buttons can either fall off or
become inoperative in a few washes. Zippers can tangle with nylon
and other articles during washing and drying. The closure devices
also produce noise when they contact the sides of the drum in a
drying cycle.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0005] To provide a laundry bag to segregate articles during
washing and drying without the drawback of traditional closure
means.
BRIEF DECRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is an unfurled overlapping pocket laundry bag showing
three loops and eight pockets.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an overlapping pocket
laundry bag folded to hang from a clothes hanger.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a set of diagrams showing the operation of a
single pocket where FIG. 3(a) identifies the location enlarged in
FIG. 3(b) and FIG. 3(c).
[0009] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the method of use of a pair of
overlapping pocket laundry bags.
[0010] FIG. 5 is and exploded view of the overlapping pocket
laundry bag showing construction.
[0011] FIG. 6 is an alternate top reinforcing member having three
integrated top loops.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a diagram of a reinforcing member.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the placement of the inside
member upon the backing member.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the orientation and placement of
temporary restraining pins in a manual assembly manufacturing
method.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the initial steps in the
preferred order of manufacturing operation.
[0016] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the final steps in the
preferred order of manufacturing operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] FIG. 1, a mesh cloth bag 100 having pockets 101 can be used
in the washer and dryer. The pockets hold at least one article of
clothing each. The articles can be placed in the pockets and
removed from the pockets. The pockets are open and rely on
overlapping folds to retain the articles. The pockets do not
require closure means such as hook and loop tape, clasps, buttons
and zippers. The bag is stitched together. Stitches include general
known means to join cloth and/or make seams in cloth.
[0018] A porous flexible planar material such as cloth or plastic
perforated sheet is preferred for the backing member. Preferably
the material should have high porosity such as mesh or netting.
Commonly used mesh is made from a weaving of fabric threads to
create a net like matrix of apertures formed from strands disposed
to retain articles.
[0019] The pockets retain articles FIG. 3 due to an overlapping
cloth flap integrally formed with the pocket 101. The cloth flap 32
need not be made of a mesh material, although it is preferred. Each
pocket is a rectangular section formed from two parallel pieces of
mesh that have been stitched along the left, right and bottom to
sandwich an article placed in the pocket. Each rectangular pocket
has an opening at the top edge 31, which is similar to most pockets
sewn in clothing, such as a shirt pocket that also has an opening
analogous to top edge 31.
[0020] In order to retain the articles during washing and drying, a
flap is provided over the top opening edge of the pocket. In this
case, a retaining flap 32 is folded over the top edge and secured
along the left and right sides of the retaining flap 32. The flap
32 that folds over the pockets can be as large as the pocket
itself.
[0021] A user opens the pocket FIG. 3(b) by pulling the flap 32 up
and reaching under the flap 32 to grasp the top portion of the
outer sheet of the pocket 31. The user then pulls the portion of
the top outer sheet 31 down and the flap sheet up 32. This allows
access to the pocket FIG. 3(c). When the article is placed inside
the pocket, the pocket can be closed. The pocket remains closed due
to tangential forces on the pocket that arise naturally in normal
interaction with the other adjacent pockets. Normal operation
occurs in situations such as when the laundry bag invention is hung
FIG. 2 or is put into the washing machine or into the drying
machine. The tumbling motion of the washer and dryer maintains
pocket closure.
[0022] In this way, the pocket is partially closed without being
completely sealed. A pocket remains capable of retaining the
articles without traditional closure means such as buttons or
clasps.
[0023] Weekly Laundry System
[0024] The preferred embodiment of the laundry bag invention
encompasses a total of eight pockets. The eight pockets are
sufficient to hold a total of eight socks or eight underwear or
other washable articles. A user can use a pair of bags in a weekly
system FIG. 4. Each pocket of each bag corresponds with a day of
the week, with one spare. Most people use a pair of socks each day
and one set of underwear each day. Sometimes a spare is required
when a person engages in sports or other outdoor activities.
[0025] A user implements the weekly system by hanging two bags.
Usually, one bag is hung next to the hamper 417 and the other 416
is hung next to clean clothes. Each laundry day, a user begins with
clean clothes 113. If a user has a laundry day of Sunday, the user
can hang up the two bags Sunday night. The user thus begins Monday
with one bag filled with clean socks, a pair of socks in each of
the eight pockets. The other bag for the dirty clothes is empty.
Monday morning, a user takes one pair of socks from the clean bag.
After the day is done, the user puts the dirty socks 114 in the
dirty bag 417. On Tuesday the user takes the next sock from the
clean bag 416 and returns it to the dirty bag at the end of the day
417.
[0026] When the dirty bag fills up the dirty bag is put into the
washer and then the dryer. The dirty bag 417 is cleaned and thus
becomes the clean bag 416, which can replace last week's clean bag.
The last week's clean bag, now empty, can replace the washed dirty
bag to become the new dirty bag. A user cycles the bags each week
or on some other regular interval. A user can, at a glance, track
laundry usage, clean clothes inventory and time until the next
wash.
[0027] Color coding may be used to distinguish between different
sets of bags. The different sets may correspond to particular
persons in a household. Reinforcing members can be made in
different colors to achieve a color coding scheme.
[0028] The weekly system requires a small change in a person's
habits. With a minimal investment, the invention can facilitate
laundry organization. The system becomes extremely efficient to
manage laundry of numerous children who can learn to use the device
and system.
[0029] Hanging Loops
[0030] A plurality of hanging loops FIG. 1, 115 may be stitched on
the bag. Hanging the loops allow ease of bag placement. The
preferred position for the loops is along in the top edge of the
bag with one in the upper right corner, one in the upper left
corner and one in the upper center. The three loops allow the bag
to hang from a clothes hanger. An alternative reinforcement member
includes integrally formed loops FIG. 6.
[0031] The bag can be folded in half and hung on a clothes hanger
FIG. 2. Clothes hangers have traditionally been made from a thick
gauge wire. The current clothes hangers are made from plastic and
sometimes include hooks to retain clothes. The loop in the top
center 115 can loop around one end of a clothes hanger. The other
two loops at the top left and right corner can loop around the
other end of the clothes hanger. Where the clothes hanger has
hooks, the loops can be retained with the hooks.
[0032] Preferred Method of Manufacture
[0033] The invention can be manufactured from two pieces of mesh
cloth of two different sizes. The two pieces are then stitched
together in a particular pattern. The stitches run in vertical and
horizontal directions. Thus, the article can be manufactured
according to operations performed primarily in Cartesian
coordinates, namely in the horizontal and vertical directions.
[0034] Mesh cloth contains a plurality of openings. Mesh cloth can
be made of a plastic synthetic material or a variety of natural
fibers. The plurality of openings located upon the mesh cloth can
be spaced widely apart or close together. Some mesh cloth is thin
and some is coarse.
[0035] Mesh cloth usually comes on a sheet that is wound into roll.
A rectangular piece can be cut from a single roll of mesh cloth.
The rectangular piece can be cut into two portions of the same
length but different heights. The taller piece is used as the
backing member sheet strip piece and the shorter piece is used as
the inside member.
[0036] FIG. 8, in the textiles industry, it is common for cloth to
be folded at its top edge 91 and then stitched to retain an edge
fold 91, 92, in order to prevent fraying of the cloth edge.
Optionally, a longitudinal stitch is made across the top folded
edge of the backing sheet 97 and bottom edge 97 of the backing
sheet 888 close to the folded edge of the backing strip. The top 93
and bottom 94 edge of the inside sheet 818 can also be stitched to
prevent fraying at the edges. The longitudinal stitch retains the
edges of the mesh sheet. An edge of the longitudinal stitch can be
folded inward to create a folded edge 97 that can be more durable.
This procedure is common in the industry and a widely understood
practice. Optionally, the edges can be left unfinished. This allows
the laundry bag to fray at the edges and promotes more frequent
consumer purchases.
[0037] The present invention includes two strips of mesh cloth: a
backing strip 888 and an inside strip 818. Assembly should begin
with the placement of the inside strip against the backing
strip.
[0038] The inside member is placed between the two fold lines 89
that define the pockets. In order to properly retain articles, the
two fold lines 89 must be close to the top and bottom edges of the
inside member. The top end of the backing strip then folds over the
top end of the inside strip. The bottom end of the backing strip
folds over and tucks under the bottom end of the inside strip.
[0039] At least one, but preferably three vertical three pocket
definitions stitches can be made as shown in FIG. 10(a). The
vertical three pocket definition stitches 95 create four columns of
pockets. Optimally, reinforcing fabric can be stitched with the
three pocket definition stitches to allow greater durability. The
top edge of the backing member can also be stitched to a
reinforcing fabric, such as shown in FIG. 6.
[0040] The left and right sides of the laundry bag are then closed
by vertical stitches along the height of the laundry bag 99. This
operation may include the use of vertical strips of reinforcing
fabric 99. The best mode is to provide three vertical strips of
reinforcing fabric stitched starting from the top middle, top left
and top right locations. The three vertical strips 99 of
reinforcing fabric may have excess material at the top that can be
used to form loops 995. Loops made from the excess material of
fabric reinforcing strips allow hanging of the bag.
[0041] Finally, the horizontal pocket definition stitch 997 is made
across the middle of the backing member and connects the backing
member to the inside member. This horizontal pocket definition
stitch 997 would divide four columns of pockets into eight pockets.
The horizontal pocket definition stitch 997 forms of the upper
portion of the lower pockets and the lower portion of the upper
pockets.
[0042] The horizontal 997 and vertical 95 pocket definition
stitches that retain the inside member to the backing member also
form retaining flaps. The retaining flaps in the two row repeating
pattern configuration have an alternating flap formation. The top
row of flaps is formed from the backing member 888 when folded and
retained against the inside member 818. The top row of flaps is
retained by the vertical pocket definition stitches 95 that define
and retain the left and right sides of the flap. The flaps fold
over the pockets.
[0043] The upper row of retaining the flaps in the two row
configuration has a top edge of the backing member 91 that folds
over the top edge of the inside member 93. The lower row of
retaining flaps in the two row configuration is made from the lower
half of the inside member. The lower edge of the lower row of
retaining flaps 94 is the lower edge of the inside member 94 that
initially covers the lower edge of the backing member 92 which was
folded under the lower portion of the inside member 818.
[0044] The best mode having a total of eight pockets in two rows of
four pockets will have an upper row of pockets over a lower row of
pockets. The upper row of pockets has a pocket edge 93 that defines
an opening to the pocket where articles are stored. Flaps to retain
the articles will cover the pocket opening edge of the upper row
and lower row. The pocket opening edge of the upper row is the
upper edge of the inside member 93. The pocket opening edge of the
lower row 92 is this the bottom edge 94 of the backing member 888
that was folded under the inside member 818.
[0045] Automatic Manufacturing Process
[0046] One alternative to stitches includes heat formation. While
stitches can retain a fabric to another fabric, heat forming can
also produce a similar geometrically and topologically equivalent
product in less time. Heat forming can also allow for a continuous,
uninterrupted and entirely automated process that parallels the
plastic manufacturing process for plastic tarps and bags. Stitches
being a purely mechanical means of retention between two fabrics
may be replaced by heat formation, where two sheets of plastic
polymer based fabric have thermoplastic properties and can be
retained together by being melted together at an interface linear
in nature and similar to a stitch pattern. Although the geometrical
configuration is similar, the particular method of production in
heat forming is superior.
[0047] Sabee in U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,336 discloses a method of
making plastic mesh fabric having a plurality of apertures. Axially
drawn areas surround the apertures. Using similar technology that
is well known in the art, a mesh can be made in a single process
from a single roll of thermoplastic material. A person of ordinary
skill in the art will understand the industrial technology
necessary for the automation of the continuous process for making
the laundry bags.
[0048] First, apertures are formed in the thermoplastic material
including any drawing that needs to be done. The roll is then cut
along its length to create two strips: one roll of backing sheet
formed into mesh by heat and a plurality of rollers; the other
inside sheet can formed in substantially the same process. The two
streams of plastic sheet can be finished along their top and bottom
edges before alignment.
[0049] The rolls of material that continuously feed two streams of
mesh fabric are aligned in the proper configuration using
well-known industry standard guides that fold and align the two
streams of plastic sheets. The top edge of the backing strip is
folded over the top edge of the inside strip. The bottom edge of
the backing strip folds over and tucks under the bottom edge of the
inside strip.
[0050] Sets of rollers seal the mesh materials. A first roller
makes vertical seals at regular intervals to create columns of
pockets. A second roller creates horizontal seals. The horizontal
roller seals the middle of the bag to segment the preferred four
columns of pockets into eight individual pockets. The horizontal
roller can also seal the top and bottom edges of the bag to
reinforce the fold made in the backing member. A cutting device
then cuts the bag free. The free bag can then be fed along a
conveyor belt for packing and optional additions. Optionally, the
hanging loops can be attached before final packing.
[0051] Variant Pocket Configurations
[0052] Although the best mode encompasses one horizontal pocket
definition stitch, and three vertical pocket definition stitches,
it is also encompassed within the preferred embodiments that only a
single vertical pocket can definition stitch would be necessary.
The best mode has a total of eight pockets in a matrix having four
columns of pockets and two rows of pockets. It is also possible to
create a weekend bag having a total of two columns of pockets and
two rows of pockets. In this case, there would be a total of 4
pockets in the matrix.
[0053] While the repeating pocket pattern can be duplicated to
create more columns of pockets by utilizing more vertical pocket
definition stitches it is more difficult to create an odd number of
rows because of the overlapping configuration scheme between the
backing member and inside member. To add additional rows, it is
preferred to use another inside member to create a repeating two
row segment that is then attached in series.
[0054] Although the preferred embodiment encompasses pockets that
are similar in size, a modification of the preferred embodiment
encompasses a bag having different sizes of pockets for washing and
drying of different sizes of clothes. Different sizes of pockets
can be made by varying the vertical pocket definition stitches to
travel only a portion of the total vertical length of the backing
member.
[0055] Analogously, a series of inside members FIG. 12 can be
placed against a backing member to create more than two rows of
pockets. The use of two inside members, a first inside member 818
and a second inside member 828, can create overlapping pocket
laundry bags having three rows of pockets. An additional third
inside member 838 can create overlapping pocket laundry bags having
four rows of pockets as seen in FIG. 12.
[0056] Where there is more than one inside member, the first inside
member has a lower edge 94 that forms the flap of the lower row of
pockets. The first inside member has an upper edge 93 that forms
the outside edge of the pocket opening in the middle row of
pockets. The outside edge of the pocket opening in the middle row
of pockets is covered by the lower portion of the second inside
member. The second inside member 828 has a lower edge that forms
the edge of the flap in the second to bottom row of pockets. As
seen in FIG. 12, the pattern can repeat with multiple inside
members to create multiple rows of pockets. The horizontal pocket
definition stitches define pocket rows and n-1 horizontal pocket
definition stitches are necessary where n=the number of rows of
pockets which is the same as the number of inside members. At the
terminal apex, the top edge of the backing member 91 folds over the
top and final inside member. In the FIG. 12, the top edge of the
backing member 91 folds over the third inside member 838 to form
the top row of pockets and the flap for the top row of pockets.
* * * * *