U.S. patent application number 10/516529 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-27 for bag with a strap.
Invention is credited to Juhlin, Oskar.
Application Number | 20050236451 10/516529 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 20288365 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050236451 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Juhlin, Oskar |
October 27, 2005 |
Bag with a strap
Abstract
A bag comprises a bottom wall (51) and four side-wall portions
(11, 21, 31, 41) that extend along respective edges of the bottom
wall (S 1), and further comprises a frost wall (61) that connects
with said side-wall portions, wherein a bag strap (3) has two ends
that are connected to a first side-wall portion (11) by means of a
connecting fitting (12), and wherein the strap (3) extends through
a strap transit fitting on the bag (1) The strap transit fitting
(40) is attached to a second side-wall portion (21) located
immediately opposite the first side-wall portion (11) and the
fitting (12) connecting the strap ends is able to pivot in the
plane of the first side-wall portion (11). The strap is arranged to
lie in flat abutment with and along the first and the second
side-wall portions and also in flat abutment with and along the
intermediate third side-wall portion (31).
Inventors: |
Juhlin, Oskar; (Gustavsberg,
SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC
400 SEVENTH STREET N.W.
SUITE 600
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
20288365 |
Appl. No.: |
10/516529 |
Filed: |
December 2, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
April 28, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/SE03/00677 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/627 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 13/30 20130101;
A45F 2003/142 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/627 |
International
Class: |
A45F 003/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 28, 2002 |
SE |
0202015-4 |
Claims
1. A bag comprising a bottom wall (51) and four side-wall portions
(11, 21, 31, 41) that extend along respective edges of the bottom
wall (51), and further comprising a front wall (61) that connects
with said side-wall portions, wherein a bag strap (3) has two ends
that are connected to a first side-wall portion (11) by means of a
connecting fitting (12), and wherein the strap (3) extends through
a strap transit fitting on the bag (1), characterised in that the
strap transit fitting (40) is attached to a second side-wall
portion (21) located immediately opposite the first side-wall
portion (11); in that the fitting (12) connecting the strap ends is
able to pivot in the plane of the first side-wall portion (11); and
in that the strap is arranged to lie in flat abutment with and
along the first and the second side-wall portions and in flat
abutment with and along the intermediate third side-wall portion
(31).
2. A bag according to claim 1, characterised by support feet (44)
disposed on the outside of the third side-wall portion, to receive
the strap (3) between the feet (44).
3. A bag according to claim 1, characterised in that the first and
the second side-wall portions (11, 21) are shorter than the third
and fourth side-wall portions (31, 41).
4. A bag according to claim 1, characterised in that the outside of
the bottom wall (51) is upholstered.
5. A bag according to claim 1, characterised in that that the front
wall (61) is a lid that is hinged along the third side wall.
6. A bag according to claim 5, characterised by zip fasteners (74)
that join the free edges of the lid (61) to the first, second and
fourth side-wall portions.
7. A bag according to claim 1, characterised in that the strap (3)
has a length adjustment fitting (40) disposed in the vicinity of
the fourth side-wall portion (41) so as not to interfere with the
strap transit fitting (40) when displacing the strap (3) to
establish two identical shoulder loops (45).
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a bag of the kind defined
in the preamble of Claim 1.
[0002] It is known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,652) to provide a bag with
a strap whose ends are fastened to the bottom portion of the bag,
wherein the strap extends through a fitting provided on the upper
portion of the bag and can be displaced through the strap fitting
either to a position in which the strap forms two loops of mutually
the same size (one for each shoulder of the bag user) so that the
bag can be worn as a back pack with vertically orientated main
surfaces, or to an end position in which the strap forms a single
large loop (between the strap fitting and one strap fastener) so
that the bag can be carried over one shoulder of the user for
instance.
[0003] In the case of this latter option, the centre of the bag
will be located at a distance from the plane of the strap fitting
so that the bag will tend to twist to a position in which the main
bag surfaces deviate from said vertical orientation, therewith
causing the bag to be uncomfortable to carry.
[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a bag with
which this drawback is eliminated either completely or
partially.
[0005] A further object of the invention is to provide a bag with
which the strap loops enable the bag to be carried comfortably in
both of said instances.
[0006] These objects are achieved completely or partially by means
of the present invention.
[0007] The invention is defined in the accompanying Claim 1.
[0008] Further embodiments of the invention will be apparent from
the accompanying dependent Claims.
[0009] The present invention relates to a bag that includes four
side wall portions that extend along respective edges of a bottom
wall, and that further includes a front wall opposite to the bottom
wall In the case of preferred embodiments, the bottom wall is
generally rectangular and the bag is generally parallelepipedic in
shape. The front wall of the bag will preferably have the form of a
lid which is hinged along one of the side wall portions of the
bag.
[0010] The bag includes a strap that has two ends which are
fastened to a first side wall portion of the bag. The strap extends
through a strap through-pass fitting.
[0011] According to one significant feature of the invention, the
strap through-pass fitting is attached to a second side wall
portion located opposite the first side-wall portion. Moreover, the
ends of the strap are connected to the first side wall portion by
means of a device that can pivot in the plane of the first side
wall portion and that is preferably located in respective end
regions of said first side wall portion.
[0012] When the bag is adapted for use as a shoulder bag, the strap
will thus lie flat and in abutment with three side wall portions
and will extend centrally along said portions whereas the shoulder
strap loop will extend at the fourth side wall portion. The strap
and the strap loop will therewith extend generally in a plane that
contains the central region/the centre of gravity of the bag,
therewith enabling the bag to be carried comfortably over one
shoulder of the user. When the bag shall be worn as a back-pack,
the pivotal action of the fittings at the ends of the strap enables
the ends of the strap to be directed comfortably away from the
plane of the bottom wall.
[0013] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the bottom wall
of the bag is upholstered to provide comfortable contact with the
user's back.
[0014] The third side wall portion suitably includes support feet
on which the bag can be supported on the ground or some other
underlying surface, wherewith the lid will be conveniently hinged
to the third side wall portion. The support feet are located
suitably in the vicinity of the bottom wall and the front wall
respectively, so as to provide room for the strap in contact with
the outside of the third side wall portion when the bag is used as
a shoulder bag.
[0015] The strap has a length adjustment fitting, which is located
conveniently along the fourth side wall portion of the bag in a
position that obviates the need for the length adjustment fitting
to pass through the strap through-pass fitting when changing
between the two modes of use of the bag. The lid is suitably
connected to the first, second and third side wall portions of the
bag by zip fasteners.
[0016] The invention enables the bag to be readily adjusted between
its two modes of use and a change in the effective length of the
strap constitutes no problem with regard to the placement of the
length adjustment fitting.
[0017] The invention will now be described by way of example with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of one main surface of a bag
according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line I-I in FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second main surface of the bag
according to FIG. 1, but with the strap displaced; and
[0021] FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line IV-IV in FIG. 3.
[0022] Shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a generally octagonal
parallelepipedic bag 1 that has a bottom wall 51 and a lid 61,
which define the main surfaces of the bag. The bottom wall 51 is
surrounded by a side wall 30 that includes four side-wall portions
11, 21, 31, 41 each connecting to a respective edge of the bottom
wall 51.
[0023] The bottom wall 51 is upholstered, so as tie comfortably
against the bag carrier.
[0024] The lid 61 is hinged to the side-wall portion 31 by hinge
means 70 and connectable along its free edges to the side-wall 30
by means of zip fasteners 74. The ends of a strap 3 are connected
to a first side-wall portion 11 by means of fittings 12 which are
flat, sheet-like and disposed plane-parallel with the wall portion
11 in the vicinity of said portion, so as to be pivotal about a
respective pivot shaft 13 that extends at right angles to the
surface of the side-wall portion 11.
[0025] The strap 3 extends through a strap transit fitting 40 on a
second side-wall portion 21 situated opposite the first side-wall
portion 11. FIG. 1 shows the strap 3 in a length-adjusted state in
which it provides shoulder loops 45 between the strap transit 40
and respective end fittings 12, so that the bag can be carried on
the user's back, as a back pack, with one of the side-wall portions
11, 12 facing upside down. The pivotal action of the fitting 12
enables the strap ends connected thereto to take a correct angle
relative to the plane of the bottom wall 51, essentially
plane-parallel with the side-wall portion 11. When the bag is worn
with a loop 45 around each shoulder, the difference in the pressure
at which the strap edges abut the wearer of the bag can be reduced
as a result of the pivotal action of the fitting 12, wherewith the
pressure of the strap edges against the wearer's shoulders will
normally be very low when the side-wall portion 21 carrying the
fitting 12 faces upwards.
[0026] As will be seen from FIG. 1, the side wall 30 includes a
third side-wall portion 31 which is provided with support feet 44,
and that the strap 3 has a typical length adjustment fitting 4 in
its length section located at a remaining fourth side-wall portion
41.
[0027] FIG. 3 shows the bag of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a state in which
the strap 3 is adjusted through the strap transit fitting 40 to an
end position in which the strap 3 lies flat against and stretched
along the side-wall portions 31 and 21, wherein the strap 3 extends
between the support feet 44 and centrally along the side wall 30
such as to form a strap loop 46 along the fourth side-wall portion
41. FIG. 3 shows the bag standing with its feet 44 on a flat
underlying surface, with the strap held distanced therefrom.
[0028] Because the strap length adjustment fitting 4 is located in
the proximity of the wall 11. i.e. the fitting 12, the length
adjustment fitting will not interfere with the strap transit
fitting 40 when the strap 3 shall be displaced to form two
identical shoulder loops 45 (FIG. 1).
[0029] A change in the length of the strap 3 through the action of
the length adjustment fitting 40 will not therefore have any
detrimental repercussions when converting the bag between its two
modes of use illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 respectively.
[0030] As a result of the present invention, when in the state
shown in FIG. 1 the bag can be carried with its volumetric
centre/centre of gravity essentially in the plane that is pitched
by the strap loop 46, thereby enabling the bag to be carried
comfortably with the strap loop 46 over one shoulder of the bag
user. The bag can also be readily switched between its two modes of
use according to FIGS. 1 and 3. The bag may also be provided with
appropriate means for restricting the extent to which the lid 61
can be opened away from the main part of the bag.
* * * * *