U.S. patent application number 10/957955 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-06 for waterproof carrying bag.
Invention is credited to Eric Revels.
Application Number | 20060072857 10/957955 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36125642 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060072857 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Revels; Eric |
April 6, 2006 |
Waterproof carrying bag
Abstract
A waterproof carrying case formed from a soft flexible material
using dielectric welding. A main body of the bag carries a
interlocking closure member fused in the open top and sealed
against the main body by a pair of end sleeves positioned over a
corner of the main body and the closure member. A pair of opening
loop handles is secured to the main body adjacent the closure
member. By pulling on the loop handles, a user can open tightly
closed interlocking closure.
Inventors: |
Revels; Eric; (Leicester,
NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KEATY PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION;THOMAS S. KEATY
2533 AMERICAN WAY
PORT ALLEN
LA
70767
US
|
Family ID: |
36125642 |
Appl. No.: |
10/957955 |
Filed: |
October 4, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/35 ; 383/63;
383/65 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 13/1023 20130101;
A45C 3/10 20130101; A45C 13/1053 20130101; A45C 13/008
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/035 ;
383/063; 383/065 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/00 20060101
B65D033/00; B65D 33/16 20060101 B65D033/16 |
Claims
1. A carrying case, comprising: a main body having an open top; a
closure member secured in the open top of the main body; and a pair
of opening members secured to the main body adjacent the open top
of the main body, said opening members extending outwardly from the
main body.
2. The carrying case of claim 1, wherein said closure member
comprises a interlocking closure member.
3. The carrying case of claim 1, wherein said opening members are
adapted for grasping by a user's hands and pulling in opposing
directions to facilitate opening of the interlocking closure
member.
4. The carrying case of claim 1, wherein each of said opening
members comprises an attachment member fixedly secured on an
outside of the main body and a loop member carried by the
attachment member.
5. The carrying case of claim 4, wherein said loop member is sized
to allow grasping by a human hand.
6. The carrying case of claim 4, wherein said loop member is sized
to allow positioning of at least human fingers therein.
7. The carrying case of claim 1, further comprising a means for
sealing a line of attachment of the closure member to the main body
to prevent seeping of moisture into the interior of the carrying
case.
8. The carrying case of claim 7, wherein said sealing means
comprises a pair of sealing sleeves mounted about respective ends
of the closure member and configured to overlap at least a portion
of an adjacent corner of the main body.
9. The carrying case of claim 8, wherein each of said sealing
sleeves is fused to the main body and to the closure member.
10. The carrying case of claim 1, wherein said main body is formed
from a flexible moisture-impermeable material capable of being
welded by dielectric welding.
11. A carrying case, comprising: a flexible main body having an
open top, said body being formed from liquid-impermeable material;
an interlocking closure member secured in the open top of the main
body; a pair of sleeves sealingly engaging and overlapping opposing
ends of the closure member and covering a line of attachment of the
closure member to the main body; and a pair of opening members
secured to the main body adjacent the open top of the main body,
said opening members extending outwardly from the main body.
12. The carrying case of claim 11, wherein each of said opening
members comprises an attachment member fixedly secured on an
outside of the main body and a loop member carried by the
attachment member, said loop member being configured for grasping
by a human hand.
13. The carrying case of claim 12, wherein said loop member is
sized to allow positioning of at least human fingers therein.
14. The carrying case of claim 11, wherein each of said end sleeves
is sized to cover at least a portion of the main body.
15. A method of forming a soft-sided carrying case, comprising the
steps of: forming a main body from a piece of flexible material,
said main body having an open top and closed sides and bottom;
securing a closure member in the open top of the main body and
fusing said closure member to the main body; providing a pair of
end sleeves and positioning said sleeves in an overlapping
relationship over at least a part of the closure member and the
main body; fusing said end sleeves to the main body and the closure
member; and providing opening members and securing the opening
members to the main body adjacent the closure member.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said closure member comprises
interlocking closure member.
17. The method of claim 15, further wherein said steps of fusing
the closure member and the end sleeves comprise the step of
dielectric welding.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of opening
said formed carrying case to allow access to the interior of the
formed carrying case.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of opening the
carrying case comprises the steps of grasping said opening members
and bending the closure member to case a gap to form between parts
of the closure member, and then applying a pulling force on the
opening members, thereby forcing the parts of the closure member
apart.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein said main body is formed from a
moisture-impermeable material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a carrying case and more
particularly to a bag specially adapted for protecting the contents
of the bag against damage by moisture.
[0002] People engaged in outdoor activities usually carry a number
of items, such as food supplies, ammunition for hunting guns,
electronics and other similar items that need to be protected from
moisture. Under such conditions, provision of a
moisture-impermeable carrying case or container becomes
essential.
[0003] Conventional carrying cases or containers are not, as a
general rule, completely watertight. Moisture can seep through the
line of closure, through zippers, openings under the zippers and
cause deterioration of the contents of the carrying case. Even bags
or carrying cases constructed from water repellent material suffer
from imperfections in construction, as they do not allow creation
of truly a watertight enclosure.
[0004] One of the earlier solutions to the waterproofing the
carrying case is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,215 issued on Mar. 5,
2002. The bag in accordance with the '215 patent is made from a
moisture-impermeable material, a piece of which is cut on a bias.
The end panels and the main body of the '215 patent bag are
connected by dielectric welding. A zip-lock closure member is
secured by dielectric welding to the open end of the bag after the
end panels have been secured. While the bag in accordance with the
'215 patent works satisfactorily in most environments, it was noted
that some moisture tended to seep in the area where the zip-lock
closure was attached to end ears, which carry top buckles. Another
shortcoming was noted in the narrow pull-out tabs, which extended
too close to the zip-lock closure. Persons wearing gloves or having
cold fingers found it sometimes difficult to grasp the narrow tabs
and open the bag.
[0005] The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks
associated with the prior art and provision of a waterproof
carrying case, which prevents moisture from seeping into the bag,
while providing a means for opening the bag in an easy manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a moisture-impermeable carrying case.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
carrying case with a closure that is easy to open for a user
wearing gloves.
[0008] These and other objects of the present invention are
achieved through a provision of a soft sided moisture-impermeable
bag, which has end sleeve members sealed against the body of the
bag and the top closing member. The bag has a main body formed from
a material capable of being welded by dielectric welding. To
prevent seeping of moisture adjacent the line of attachment of the
self-sealing interlocking closure member to the main body, a
portion of the end sleeve is sealingly engaged with the main body
and with the closure member, slightly overlapping the closure
member and the main body.
[0009] To facilitate opening of the bag, a pair of mirror-image
opposing ear, or tab members is secured near the center top of the
bag, adjacent to the closing member. The soft-sided bag can be
manufactured with one or more handles, each carrying securing
buckles, if desired. A closure member is secured by dielectric
welding to the open end of the bag. The closure member can be made
from extruded plastic material.
[0010] The soft-sided carrying case manufactured in accordance with
the method of the present invention can be made in the shape of a
duffel bag, a gun carrying case, a back-pack, a cylindrical body,
or any other desired shape. By using dielectrically-weldable
material for the main body and the end panels, as well as
interlocking extruded closure member, a moisture-impermeable body
is created.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like
parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag manufactured in
accordance with the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective detail view of the end sleeve
secured on the main body and the closure member.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a detail schematic view of a step in a method of
opening the bag in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a detail schematic view of the next step in the
method of opening the bag in accordance with the present
invention.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a detail schematic view of the following step in
the method of opening the bag in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Turning now to the drawings in more detail, reference will
now be made to the drawings, presented for illustrative purposes
only, wherein numeral 10 designates the bag of the present
invention. The main body of the bag 12 is made from a soft,
flexible, moisture-impermeable material, for example, double coated
embossed polyurethane, with a base layer of #420 denier nylon. Of
course, other materials can be used to manufacture bags of the
present invention, as long as the materials have physical and
chemical characteristics suitable for welding by dielectric
welding. The main body 12 is cut from a sheet of
polyurethane-coated nylon material, which may be cut on a bias of
approximately 45 degrees. While not absolutely necessary for the
construction of the carrier of the present invention, the material
may be cut on a bias. As a result, certain stretching and "giving"
of the material is achieved, which facilitates wrinkle-free
attachment of the end panels to the main body 10.
[0018] The main body 12 may be patterned to form a cylindrical bag,
a satchel, a duffel bag and the like. FIG. 1 illustrates a duffel
bag, which has a pair of end panels secured to the main body 12.
The main body carries a pair of handles 16 (only one side with one
handle 16 is shown in FIG. 1). The handle 16 is made from a narrow
strip of a strong, tear-resistant fabric that can be folded in two,
if necessary, and stitched together to provide further thickness
and strength to the handle 16. Each handle 16 is secured to an
attachment element 18, which are made from scraps of the same
material as the main body 12.
[0019] The ends of each handle 16 carry buckles 20 and 22, which
are secured to the handle 16 in a conventional manner. The buckles
shown in FIG. 1 are female buckles. It will be understood that the
opposite side of the main body 12 is provided with a similar handle
16, which carries male buckles thereon adapted for a matching
engagement with the buckles 20, 22. The second handle is attached
in a mirror-image position to the handle 16 seen in FIG. 1.
[0020] An interlocking extruded closure member 30 extends along and
near the top edge 32 of the main body 12. The closure member
comprises a pair of mating portions, which carry inwardly extending
ribs (not shown). The ribs of the mating portions are adapted to
engage and close the top of the bag 12.
[0021] To facilitate opening of the closure member 30, the main
body 12 is provided with a pair of large opening members 34 and 36.
The structure of the opening members 34 and 36 is identical and the
following description applies equally to each of the opening
members. At attachment portion 40 is fixedly engaged to the main
body 12 adjacent to the closure member 30. The attachment member
may be secured to the main body 30 by dielectric welding or other
suitable method of attachment.
[0022] Extending from the attachment member 40 is a large loop
member 42, which can be secured by a rivet 44 to the attachment
member 40. The loop member 42 is formed by a length of soft
flexible material folded in half to form a loop. The loop member 42
may be made from a scrap of the same material used for the main
body 12. The loop members 42 are sized to extend upwardly from the
top edge of the closure member 30, thereby facilitating grasping of
the loop members by the user's hands.
[0023] Such structure of the carrying case is different from
conventional designs, where a means of opening a zipper closure
(often a narrow strip of the closure extension) forms a part of the
closure per se. By moving the opening members to the main body, the
design of the carrying case of the present invention allows to
facilitate engagement by human hands of the opening members even if
a user wears gloves.
[0024] To prevent tearing of the closure member 30 during repeated
opening of the bag 10 and to further moisture proof the carrying
case 10, a pair of end sleeves 50 is provided for attachment to the
bag main body 12 and the closure member 30. Each sleeve 50
comprises a folded piece of material stitched adjacent one end, as
at 52 (see FIG. 2) to accommodate a side buckle 54 and it securing
member 56. As can be seen in phantom line in FIG. 2, a portion 57
of the securing member 56 extends inside the sleeve 50, where it is
secured by stitching applied to the sleeve 50 and the securing
member 56.
[0025] The opposite end 58 of the sleeve 50 extends over a portion
of the main body 12 and a portion 31 of the closure member 30. The
line of attachment of the closure member 30 to the main body 12 is
enclosed by the sleeve 30. During manufacture, the end sleeve 50
carrying the buckle 54 and the securing member 56, is positioned
with its open part 58 extending over a corner 60 of the main body
12 and the part 31 of the closure element 30 (see FIG. 2). The end
sleeve 50 is then sealed about the corner 61 and the part 31, such
as by dielectric welding, thereby preventing any seepage of
moisture into the interior of the bag 10. The end sleeve 50 is
sealed to both sides of the main body 12, thereby closing the
entire line of attachment of the closure member 30 to the main body
12.
[0026] A similar end sleeve 50 is secured on the opposite end of
the bag 10 (see FIG. 1). Provision of the buckle member 54 is
optional and it is envisioned that some of the carrying cases can
be constructed omitting the buckles 54 altogether. However, even in
such embodiments, the sleeve 50 should be positioned about opposite
ends of the closure member 30, to thereby close the line of
attachment of the closure member 30 to the main body 12 and fuse
the closure member 30 to the main body 12.
[0027] In the manufacturing process of the present invention, the
elements are secured together with the use of radio frequency in a
process conventionally identified as RF, or dielectric welding.
This method is used for joining polymers that have strong dipoles,
including polyurethane. During dielectric welding method, a high
intensity alternating electromagnetic field is applied to the
dipoles. As the dipoles alternate with the changing field polarity,
some of the field energy is converted into heat creating a weld
seam between the two items. The weld times usually range from 1-6
seconds, depending on the material, thickness of the material, as
well as the area being welded.
[0028] The apparatus for performing dielectric welding is available
on the market, from, for example, Hall Dielectric Machinery Co.,
Inc. of Rock Hill, S.C. The instrumentation uses microprocessors to
insure the necessary control during the weld cycle and wrinkle-free
welding. The RF frequency generating machines can generate
frequency in the range of 27.120 MHz .+-.0.06%. The instrumentation
produces under 1 MW/sq. cm. of magnetic and electric radiation.
[0029] Turning now to the process of opening the bag 10 illustrated
in FIGS. 3-5, a user grasps the loop members 34 and 36 or places
his/her thumbs inside the loops created by the loop member 34, 36.
The user then slightly folds the closure member 30 (FIG. 4) to form
about 90 degree fold 62. The user then pulls on the loop members
34, 36 moving them apart (FIG. 5) until the closure halves form an
opening 64 and allowing access to the interior of the bag 10.
[0030] A user wearing gloves can easily perform this procedure
since the loop members are relatively large and can accommodate
gloved fingers. The construction of the loop members 34, 36 is also
beneficial for people, who have lost some dexterity in their
fingers, due to cold conditions, age or illness.
[0031] The bag manufactured in accordance with the present
invention is flexible, somewhat stretchable, watertight and allows
to retain a number of moisture-sensitive objects therein. It can be
easily carried to a desired location by the flexible handles,
transporting the supplies and/or sport ammunition to an outdoor
location. Of course, other shapes can be used for the manufacture
of the carrying case of the present invention. For example, a
gun-carrying case can be made according to the same method. The
method of manufacturing the soft-sided bag, or carrying case takes
advantage of the radio frequency, or dielectric welding for the
production of a seamless, wrinkle-free bag.
[0032] The types of materials used in the method of the present
invention for the manufacturing of the bag can vary, depending on
the particular purpose of the bag. The plastic material,
double-coated embossed polyurethane is readily available on the
market from, for example, URETEK, Inc. of New Haven, Conn. One of
the tested materials had a polyether polyurethane coating of 4
oz./sq. yd. The fabric layer was #420 denier nylon, 50.times.40
threads/inch. The weight of the fabric was 8 oz./sq. yd. The
material tested with the method of the present invention has a
tensile strength warp 400 lbs., fill 300 lbs., puncture
resistance--80 lbs. The self-closing zippper lock closure member 30
made from extruded plastic is likewise readily available on the
market in a roll form, allowing to cut the required length for
manufacturing of a designated size of a bag. The buckles can be
conventional slide release buckles with D-rings; they are readily
available from a number of manufacturers.
[0033] Many changes and modifications can be made in the design and
method of the present invention without departing from the spirit
thereof. We, therefore, pray that our rights to the present
invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *