U.S. patent application number 10/314677 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-10 for easy-access bag.
Invention is credited to Matthews, James J. III, Scicluna, Paul V..
Application Number | 20040108179 10/314677 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32468533 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040108179 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Scicluna, Paul V. ; et
al. |
June 10, 2004 |
Easy-access bag
Abstract
An easy-access bag includes three compartments that are hinged
together so as to be foldable between a closed position, in which
all three compartments form a compact, integral bag for carrying or
towing, and an open position, in which all three compartments lie
in side-by-side relation to each other and are all simultaneously
accessible for packing or unpacking or for security
inspections.
Inventors: |
Scicluna, Paul V.; (Penndel,
PA) ; Matthews, James J. III; (Bridgewater,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER & BOTTS
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
|
Family ID: |
32468533 |
Appl. No.: |
10/314677 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
190/109 ;
150/107; 190/107; 190/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 7/0054 20130101;
A45C 5/06 20130101; A45C 13/02 20130101; A45C 5/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
190/109 ;
190/107; 190/115; 150/107 |
International
Class: |
A45C 007/00; A45C
013/26; A45C 013/30; A45C 003/00; A45C 013/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bag, comprising: a first compartment comprising an outer wall
and four sidewalls extending inwardly therefrom and surrounding a
first storage area therein, the inner edges of said sidewalls lying
substantially in the same plane; a second compartment comprising
four sidewalls surrounding a second storage area therein
substantially coextensive with said first storage area and having
first and second sidewall edges lying substantially in first and
second planes respectively, the first edge of one sidewall of the
second compartment being hinged to the inner edge of a
corresponding sidewall of the first compartment so that the second
compartment is foldable between (1) a first position in which it
overlies the first compartment with said first sidewall edges in
juxtaposition to the inner sidewall edges of the first compartment
and (2) a second position in which the second compartment lies
beside the first compartment with said one sidewall of the second
compartment and said corresponding sidewall of the first
compartment in side-by-side juxtaposition; a third compartment
defining a third storage area therein, said third compartment
comprising an inner wall substantially coextensive with said second
storage area, said inner wall being hinged to the second sidewall
edge of the second compartment located diagonally opposite of the
first sidewall edge of the second compartment that is hinged to the
first compartment, so that the third compartment is foldable
between (1) a first position in which said inner wall overlies the
second compartment in juxtaposition to the second sidewall edges
thereof and (2) a second position in which the third compartment
lies beside the second compartment with said inner wall in
substantially the plane of the second sidewall edges of the second
compartment; and the third compartment being openable from the
outside to permit access to said third storage area, whereby access
to said first, second and the third storage areas is simultaneously
available when said second and third compartments are folded to the
respective second positions thereof.
2. The bag of claim 1, wherein the corresponding non-hinged edges
of the first and second compartments and the corresponding
non-hinged edges of the second compartment and the inner wall of
the third compartment and releasably attachable by peripheral
closure members.
3. The bag of claim 2, wherein said peripheral closure members
comprise zippers.
4. The bag of claim 1, wherein the second compartment comprises an
openable wall covering the second storage area at least on the side
thereof adjacent said first sidewall edges.
5. The bag of claim 1, wherein the openable wall of said second
compartment comprises an open mesh material.
6. The bag of claim 5, wherein the openable wall of said second
compartment is removably attachable to the second compartment along
three sides thereof by a zipper.
7. The bag of claim 1, wherein the second compartment comprises an
openable wall covering the second storage area on each side thereof
adjacent each of said first and second sidewall edges.
8. The bag of claim 7, wherein each openable wall of said second
compartment comprises an open mesh material.
9. The bag of claim 8, wherein each openable wall of said second
compartment is removably attached to the second compartment along
three sides thereof by a zipper.
10. The bag of claim 1, wherein the third compartment includes a
fold-out panel having means for holding at least one suit
thereon.
11. The bag of claim 10, wherein said fold-out panel is at least in
part removably attached to the third compartment.
12. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first, second and third
compartments comprise the bottom, middle and top compartments,
respectively, of the bag.
13. The bag of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third
compartments comprise the back, middle and front compartments,
respectively, of the bag.
14. The bag of claim 1, wherein at least the first and second
compartments are generally rectangular in plan, with the hinged
sidewalls thereof comprising longer ones of the sidewalls of the
compartments.
15. The bag of claim 14, wherein the sidewalls of the first and
second compartments are of substantially the same height, whereby
the first sidewall edges of the second compartment lie
substantially in the plane of the inner sidewall edges of the first
compartment when the second compartment is in said second
position.
16. The bag of claim 14, further comprising: at least one wheel
mounted on one shorter side of the first compartment; and a towing
handle mounted on the first compartment so as to be accessible from
the other shorter side thereof.
17. The bag of claim 16, wherein said towing handle comprises a
telescopic handle selectively movable between a retracted storage
position and an extended use position.
18. The bag of claim 16, further comprising a pair of support feet
mounted on the shorter side of the second compartment which is
adjacent to said one short side of the first compartment, whereby
the bag may stand upright on said at least one wheel and said
support feet.
19. The bag of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of at least the first
compartment comprise stiff frame members.
20. The bag of claim 18, wherein the sidewalls of at least the
second compartment also comprise stiff frame members.
21. The bag of claim 1, further comprising one or more carry
handles mounted on at least one of the first, second and third
compartments.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to luggage or bags in general
and, more particularly, to a bag which provides greater convenience
in packing and access to packed items while concurrently
facilitating ease of inspection of the contents of the bag.
[0003] 2. The Related Art
[0004] The traveler is increasingly confronted today with
limitations on the number and type of bags permitted on commercial
transportation, such as airlines, and with the frequency and
extensiveness of baggage inspections.
[0005] There is a need, therefore, for bags which afford the
traveler greater versatility in packing for travel of different
durations and purposes, e.g., work, recreation, etc. Such a bag
should, ideally, afford the traveler ready access to the packed
items without requiring the rearrangement, or even unpacking, of
the entire bag.
[0006] There is likewise an increasing need for bags whose design
facilitates security inspections of the contents. Again, ideally,
the bag should permit a thorough inspection without requiring the
traveler to unpack the bag at the inspection site, which, at best,
is time consuming and, at worst, vexatious and embarrassing to the
traveler.
[0007] The present invention fulfils these and other requirements
of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with the invention, a bag is provided having
three separate, but interconnected, compartments that are
independently packable or unpackable and that are capable of being
folded between open and closed positions. At the open positions,
all three compartments are simultaneously accessible to the
traveler or for inspection. When folded to the closed positions,
the three compartments overlie one another and form a single
integrated bag which is easily carried or towed by the traveler.
The bag may take any convenient size or style, e.g., duffel,
suitcase, carry-on, tote, garment bag, etc., and may be wheeled or
unwheeled.
[0009] The bag preferably comprises a first compartment having an
outer wall and four sidewalls extending inwardly therefrom and
surrounding a first storage area therein, with the inner edges of
the sidewalls lying substantially in the same plane. A second
compartment also has four sidewalls surrounding a second storage
area therein which is substantially coextensive with the first
storage area. The second compartment has first and second sidewall
edges which lie substantially in respective planes. The first edge
of one sidewall of the second compartment is hinged to the inner
edge of a corresponding sidewall of the first compartment, so that
the second compartment is foldable between (1) a position in which
it overlies the first compartment with the first sidewall edges in
juxtaposition to the inner sidewall edges of the first compartment
and (2) a second position in which the second compartment lies
beside the first compartment with the hinged sidewalls thereof in
side-by-side juxtaposition. A third compartment defines a third
storage area therein. It comprises an inner wall substantially
coextensive with the second storage area, which inner wall is
hinged to the second sidewall edge of the second compartment that
is located diagonally opposite the first sidewall edge of the
second compartment that is hinged to the first compartment. The
third compartment is thereby foldable between (1) a first position
in which the inner wall thereof overlies the second compartment in
juxtaposition to the second sidewall edges thereof and (2) a second
position in which the third compartment lies beside the second
compartment with the inner wall in substantially the plane of the
second sidewall edges of the second compartment. The third
compartment is openable from the outside, e.g., by one or more
closure mechanisms, such as a zipper, in the outer wall and/or
sidewalls thereof, to permit access to the third storage area.
[0010] By virtue of the foregoing tri-fold construction, access to
the first, second and third storage areas is easily and
simultaneously available when the first and second compartments are
folded to their respective second, or open, positions. The
corresponding (mating) non-hinged edges of the first and second
compartments, on the one hand, and the corresponding (mating)
non-hinged edges of the second compartment and the inner wall of
the third compartment, on the other hand, are equipped with
releasable closure mechanisms, such as zippers. When in the closed
positions, therefore, the first and second compartments and the
second and third compartments may be fastened to each other along
the mating edges thereof to form an integral compact bag for
carrying or towing.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the first compartment is the
bottom, or rear, compartment, the second compartment is the middle
compartment, and the third compartment is the top, or front,
compartment. Thus, merely by lifting the top compartment to one
side, all three compartments may be unfolded accordion style to
display all three for access or inspection. Access to the
individual compartments is also independently available by opening
the respective closure mechanisms.
[0012] The second (middle) compartment preferably has an openable
wall member covering the second storage area on at least the side
thereof juxtaposed to the first compartment, and preferably on both
sides thereof, to secure packed articles within the compartment
when the second compartment is folded to the opened position. For
convenience in viewing articles packed in the second compartment,
the openable walls are preferably made of an open mesh
material.
[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
first and second compartments are generally rectangular in plan and
are hinged together along their longer sides. For a particularly
advantageous design, the sidewalls of the first and second
compartments are preferably of the same height, whereby the first
sidewall edges of the second compartment will be substantially in
the plane of the inner edges of the first compartment when the
second compartment is in the open position.
[0014] If desired, wheels may be provided at one end of the first
compartment and a towing handle, which may be telescopic, at the
other end. Also, the first, second and/or third compartments may
include stiffened sidewalls for greater rigidity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Other features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments
thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a
three-compartment bag in accordance with the invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
showing the top (or front) compartment opened and a suiter-type
panel folded out;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
showing the top (or front) compartment folded away to reveal the
middle compartment;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, as
rotated through 180.degree. relative to the position shown in FIGS.
2 and 3 and showing the top (or front) and middle compartments
folded away from the bottom (or rear) compartment; and
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
showing the three compartments unfolded to the open positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0021] In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in
FIG. 1, a bag 10 of the duffel style includes a first compartment
12, a second compartment 14, and a third compartment 16. The 10 is
depicted in FIG. 1 as standing upright, with the first compartment
12 to the rear and the third compartment 16 to the front. A pair of
wheel assemblies 18 are provided at the lower end of the first
(rear) compartment 12, a pair of support feet 20 at the lower end
of the middle compartment 14, and a telescopic towing handle 22 at
the upper end of the first (rear) compartment 12. The wheel
assemblies 18, support feet 20 and the telescopic handle 22 may be
of conventional construction. Also, the bag 10 may have one or more
carry handles 24 at the upper and lower ends thereof. In the duffel
style bag shown, the front compartment 16 also preferably includes
a pair of strap handles 26 to allow the bag 10 to be carried with
the first, middle and third compartments stacked vertically (see
FIG. 2). The wheel assemblies 18 and the support feet 20 support
the bag 10 in the free-standing upright position of FIG. 1. The bag
10 is preferably of a soft-sided construction and is covered by a
high denier fabric, such as ballistic nylon. For greater rigidity,
the first and second compartments 12 and 14 preferably have
internal frames (not shown) extending around the periphery thereof.
The third compartment 16 may also have an internal frame if
desired.
[0022] As best seen in FIG. 5, in which the compartments 12, 14 and
16 are unfolded to the open positions, the first, or rear,
compartment 12 is preferably generally rectangular in plan, having
two longer sidewalls 30a and 30b, two shorter sidewalls 32a and 32b
and an outer wall 34, which define within the first compartment a
first storage area. The second, or middle, compartment 14 is
likewise preferably generally rectangular in plan, and includes two
longer sidewalls 34a and 34b and two shorter sidewalls 36a and 36b
corresponding in position and length to the sidewalls 30a, 30b and
32a, 32b, respectively, of the first compartment 12. Because the
second compartment 14 is rotated through 180.degree. between its
closed position overlaying the first compartment 12 (see FIG. 2)
and its open position, the sidewall 34b of the second compartment
is shown in FIG. 5 as lying in side-by-side juxtaposed relation to
the sidewall 30b of the first compartment 12.
[0023] In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the third, or front compartment
16 is also shown as having two longer sidewalls 38a and 38b and two
shorter sidewalls 40a and 40b, as well as an outer, or front, wall
42. The third compartment 16 also includes an inner wall 44 (see
FIG. 2), which is coextensive in size and shape with the second
compartment 14 in plan. If desired, the third compartment 16 may be
formed as a large pocket, with the edges of the front wall 42 being
fastened directly to the inner wall 44. The second and third
compartments 14 and 16 define second and third storage areas,
respectively, therewithin.
[0024] In the unfolded position depicted in FIG. 5, the
compartments 12, 14 and 16 are located side-by-side, with the
sidewalls 30b and 34b of the first and second compartments,
respectively, in juxtaposition to one another and the sidewalls 34a
and 38a of the second compartment 14 and the third compartment 16,
respectively, in juxtaposition to one another. To permit such
folding between the closed and open positions, the inner edge 46b
of the sidewall 30b of the first compartment 12 is hinged at 48 to
the corresponding edge 50b of the sidewall 34b of the second
compartment 14. The hinge 48 may be made of any suitable flexible
material, such a ballistic nylon or other high denier fabric, and
is preferably of a width sufficient to allow the second compartment
14 to lie flat adjacent the first compartment 12. In the
advantageous embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the sidewalls of the
second compartment 14 are the same height as the sidewalls of the
first compartment 12. In such case, the upper edges of the second
compartment sidewalls lie in substantially the same plane as the
inner edges of the first compartment sidewalls. This provides an
attractive and convenient compact flat arrangement of the
compartments 12, 14, 16 when unfolded.
[0025] The inner edges 46a, 52a and 52b of the other sidewalls 30a,
32a and 32b, respectively, of the first compartment 12 are
releasably fastened to the corresponding edges 50a, 54a and 54b of
the sidewalls 34a, 36a and 36b, respectively, of the second
compartment 14 by the mating halves 56a and 56b of a closure
mechanism 56, such as a pull zipper. When the first and second
compartments 12, 14 are in the closed position shown in FIGS. 1-3,
they can be secured to each other by doing up the zipper 56.
[0026] Similarly, the third compartment 16 is hinged at 58 (FIG. 3)
to the second compartment 14 along the respective adjoining edges
of sidewalls 34a and 38a. In this instance, the edge of the
sidewall of the second compartment 14 that is located diagonally
opposite the sidewall edge 50b hinged to the first compartment 12,
i.e., the edge 60a of the sidewall 34a, is hinged to the third
compartment 16. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the second compartment
sidewall edge 60a is hinged to the corresponding edge 62a of the
inner wall 44 of the third compartment 16. The other sidewall edges
64b, 64c and 64d of the second compartment 14 are releasably
fastened to the third compartment 16 by the mating halves 66a, 66b
of a pull zipper 66 or other suitable closure mechanism.
[0027] By virtue of the hinging of the second compartment 14 to the
first compartment 12 along the edge 50b of the sidewall 34b and to
the third compartment 16 along the diagonally opposite edge 60a,
during the unfolding of the second and third compartments from the
closed position of FIGS. 1 and 2 to the open (unfolded) positions
of FIG. 5, the second compartment 14 rotates clockwise relative to
the first compartment 12, while the third compartment 16 rotates
counterclockwise relative to the second compartment 14. This allows
the bag 10 to be fully unfolded in a single step, and with only one
hand, from the closed position of FIG. 2 to the open position of
FIG. 5 by grasping the strap handles 26 (which are omitted from
FIG. 5 for clarity of illustration) and lifting the second and
third compartments up and to the right (as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5)
and then laying them down side by side. The zippers 56 and 66 are,
of course, first unzipped. Access to the three compartments for
packing or unpacking and/or for security inspection is therefore
simultaneously available.
[0028] In accordance with the invention, the third, or front,
compartment 16 preferably comprises a suiter-type compartment for
carrying one or more suits. To that end, the compartment 16
includes a fold-out panel 70 (see FIG. 2) having a first section 72
releasably fastened to the inner wall 44 of the compartment 16 by a
zipper 73 or other closure mechanism and a second section 74 hinged
at 76 to the first section to fold thereover. The first section 72
includes one or more pants hangers 78 releasably attached thereto
at one end by a snap buckle 80 or the like. The section 74 may
include a pair of foldable tie-down panels 82 which overlap at 84
to hold a suit or pants in place. The overlapping regions 84 of the
tie-down panels 82 may carry the mating halves of a conventional
hook-and-loop fastener material, or other fastening mechanism, to
hold them securely together. A clothes hanger bracket 86 is
provided on the inner wall 44 of the compartment 16 adjacent to the
sidewall 40a. The bracket is preferably of the construction
disclosed in copending, commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 10/115,386 filed Apr. 3, 2002 for "Luggage With Low-Profile
Hanger Bracket", the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated
by reference.
[0029] To permit access to the interior of the compartment 16, the
front wall 42 thereof includes a peripherally extending zipper 88,
the mating halves 88a and 88b of which are carried by the front
wall 42 and a panel 90 attached to the inner wall 44 along the edge
of the sidewall 38b. (See FIG. 5) The sidewall 38b may be
separately formed or incorporated into the panel 90. The opening in
the front wall 42 of the compartment 16 will, of course, be large
enough to allow the suiter panel 70 to be folded into and out of
the compartment. If desired, one or more pockets 92 with zippered
closure mechanisms 94 may be provided on the front panel 90.
[0030] It will be understood that the third compartment 16 need not
be a suiter-type compartment, but may take any appropriate
configuration. Also, access to the interior of the compartment 16
may be provided in ways other than the peripherally extending
zipper 88. For example, one or more zippers or other closure
mechanisms may be provided in the outer wall 42 and/or the
sidewalls 38a, 38b, 40a, 40b of the compartment 16 to permit access
to the third storage area therein. If desired, the third storage
area could be subdivided into separate storage areas that are
individually accessible. As a further embodiment, the inner wall 44
could be provided with one or more zippers or other closure
mechanisms to permit access to the third storage area through the
inner wall 44 when the third compartment 16 is folded away from the
second compartment 14 as shown in FIG. 3. This embodiment might be
appropriate, for instance, when the third compartment 16 is not of
the suiter-type illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0031] Access to the storage area of the second compartment 14 is
permitted through at least the side thereof which faces upward in
the open position of FIG. 5, i.e., the side adjacent to the edges
50a, 50b, 54a, 54b of the sidewalls 34a, 34b, 36a, 36b. As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5, that side of the compartment 14 is covered by an
openable wall 96 having a peripheral zipper 98 or other releasable
closure mechanism along three sides. For convenience in viewing
articles packed in the second compartment 14, that portion of the
wall 96 within the zipper 98 is preferably made of an open mesh
material, which, for example, may advantageously comprise a
stretchable elastic fabric. The material outside of the zipper 98
may be a lining.
[0032] The other side of the compartment 14, shown in FIG. 3, also
preferably comprises an openable wall 100 having a peripheral
zipper 102 or other closure mechanism along three sides. The
portion of the wall 100 within the zipper 102 is also preferably
made of an open mesh material to facilitate viewing the contents of
the compartment 14, with the material outside of the zipper 102
being a lining. As is apparent from FIG. 3, access may be gained to
the second compartment 14 by rotating the third compartment 16
upward and to the left about the hinge 58, and then simply
unzipping the zipper 102 in the wall 100 of the second compartment
14.
[0033] The interior of the first compartment 12 is illustratively
shown in FIG. 4. In order to do so, the bag 10 has been turned
end-for-end relative to the orientation shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5
and the second and third compartments 14 and 16 together have been
pivoted upward and to the left about the hinge 48 between the first
and second compartments 12 and 14 to reveal the interior of the
first compartment 12.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the first compartment 12 includes a
removable tidy bag or pouch 104 or the like for storing toiletries,
sundries or other items that the traveler might want to have
readily at hand, i.e., separate from the bag 10, when not
travelling. Conveniently, the removable pouch 104 includes an
open-mesh wall 106 that is stitched to the body 108 of the pouch
along one side and is releasably fastened thereto along its other
walls by a zipper or other closure mechanism, the mating halves of
which are shown at 110a and 110b. The body 108 of the pouch 104 may
be made of any suitable lining material.
[0035] The remainder 112 of the storage area of the first
compartment 12 is available for receipt of other items of clothing
or accessories. This is illustrative only, and various other
arrangements of the interior of the compartment 12 are
possible.
[0036] Although the invention has been described and illustrated
herein by reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that such embodiments are
susceptible of variation and modification without departure from
the inventive concepts disclosed. All such variations and
modifications, therefore, are intended to be encompassed within the
spirit and scope of the amended claims.
* * * * *