U.S. patent application number 11/518710 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-08 for caddy for wipes and care items.
Invention is credited to Melissa Bramlage.
Application Number | 20070257041 11/518710 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38660297 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070257041 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bramlage; Melissa |
November 8, 2007 |
Caddy for wipes and care items
Abstract
In accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, a
portable caddy for care items is disclosed. The caddy has a
container lined with a removable flexible liner. The flexible liner
contains a compartment that is sufficiently sturdy to hold and
center for balance a wet wipes box in place, allowing a caregiver
to open it easily. The liner also can have other compartments of
various sizes and can have a plurality of pockets along the sides
of the liner to keep organized a variety of care items. The liner
can be removed from the container and either washed or wiped
clean.
Inventors: |
Bramlage; Melissa; (Fort
Ann, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHMEISER, OLSEN & WATTS
22 CENTURY HILL DRIVE, SUITE 302
LATHAM
NY
12110
US
|
Family ID: |
38660297 |
Appl. No.: |
11/518710 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60794434 |
Apr 24, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/507 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 13/02 20130101;
A45C 5/045 20130101; A45C 2011/007 20130101; A45C 2013/026
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/507 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/04 20060101
B65D025/04 |
Claims
1. A caddy for organizing care items, comprising: a portable
container having an interior space; a handle connected with the
container and adapted for carrying the container; a flexible liner
made of at least one flexible material, said liner adapted to line
the interior space of the container, the liner further comprising:
a flexible first compartment adapted for distributing evenly in the
container the weight of one of a bulky or heavy care item, wherein
the bulky or heavy care item in the first compartment is balanced
in the container; and a plurality of flexible additional
compartments adapted for holding and organizing other of said care
items, wherein the first compartment and additional compartments
further comprise a plurality of flexible dividers connected with
the liner.
2. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein: the liner further comprises at
least one pocket further comprising: a flap of a flexible material
attached to a part of the liner that lines a side of the portable
container; and an opening at a top of the attached flap.
3. The caddy as in claim 2 wherein at least one of the pockets is
shallower than the other pockets.
4. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the flexible dividers further
comprise fabric over a fabric stiffening material.
5. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the flexible dividers further
comprise the flexible liner material around thin plastic cards.
6. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the flexible liner further
comprises a means for removably securing the liner to the
container.
7. The caddy as in claim 6 wherein the securing means is a ribbon
material sewn into a rim of the flexible liner material, said
ribbon material exiting the rim of the flexible liner material so
that it can be tied around an exterior of the container.
8. The caddy as in claim 6 wherein the securing means is at least
one of a plurality of snaps, Velcro.RTM., and hooks functionally
attached to a rim of the flexible liner material to secure the rim
of the flexible liner material around an exterior of the
container.
9. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the handle is flexibly connected
with the container.
10. The caddy as in claim 9 wherein the flexible connection is a
hinge.
11. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the handle is a strap made of a
bendable material.
12. The caddy as in claim 11 wherein the bendable material is
selected from the group consisting of leather, chain, rope, fabric,
cord, plastic, or vinyl.
13. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the flexible material of the
liner is a fabric-like material.
14. The caddy as in claim 13 wherein the fabric-like material of
the liner is at least one of cotton, flannel, cotton blends,
printed material, solid color material, vinyl, oilcloth,
GORE-TEX.RTM., fleece, wool, polyester, washable materials, and
materials cleanable by wiping clean.
15. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the flexible liner further
comprises five compartments and four dividers.
16. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of flexible
dividers is connected with the sides of the flexible liner.
17. The caddy as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of flexible
dividers is connected with a base of the flexible liner.
18. A caddy for care items, the caddy comprising: a container
having a handle; the handle connected with the container by a first
hinge at a first side of the container and a second hinge at a
second side of the container opposite the first side of the
container; a flexible liner adapted to be placed in an interior
space of the container and removable from the interior space of the
container, with a base of the flexible liner adapted to lie along a
bottom of the interior of the container and a wall of the flexible
liner lining interior walls of the container, said flexible liner
further comprising: a flexible material capable of being at least
one of wiped and washed cleaned; a plurality of compartments, each
compartment having a bottom corresponding to the base of the liner
and sides comprising at least two flexible dividers, wherein at
least one of the plurality of compartments is adapted to balance a
heaviest or bulkiest item in the basket; the dividers made of
interfacing inside said flexible material of the liner and
connected with the liner; and a plurality of pockets, each pocket
comprising a flap of the flexible material of the liner attached to
the wall of the liner and having an opening at the top of the
flap.
19. The caddy as in claim 18 wherein the plurality of compartments
are of variable sizes.
20. The caddy as in claim 18 wherein the dividers are not attached
to the base of the flexible liner.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/794,434 by Melissa Bramlage, entitled Caddy for
Wipes and Care Items, filed Apr. 24, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a caddy for
organizing and carrying care items.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Parents and caregivers of babies constantly look after the
needs of babies, including changing their diapers frequently,
maintaining their good hygiene, and tending to their comfort. A
baby's nursery or other designated room in the house often will be
the room best stocked with the products chosen by the parents or
caregiver to look after the baby's needs. However, diapering or
other care often takes place in rooms of the home other than the
baby nursery. As a consequence, parents and caregivers can become
inconvenienced and frustrated in providing the necessary care to
the baby when diaper changing supplies and other items, such as
lotion, toys, pacifiers, swabs, towlettes/wipes, powder, diapers,
etc. are not within easy reach when needed--for example, during
diaper changes or when the baby is fussy. It is often inconvenient
and indeed undesirable either to leave a baby alone or to fetch
items, or to carry a messy and uncomfortable baby from room to room
to retrieve items.
[0004] Other care also can be inconvenient for the caregiver when
the necessary supplies are located in different rooms. For example,
a nursing mother who is pumping breast milk may want to keep a
breast pump and other supplies (lanolin cream, nursing pads, breast
milk storage bags, etc.) nearby, so that she need not be disturbed
or have to get up, once settled, to retrieve these items and leave
the baby or disturb him/her.
[0005] Similarly, caregivers tending to the needs and comfort of an
elderly person in the home or in a nursing home facility, or an
otherwise physically challenged child or adult, may also find that
one room is well stocked with supplies needed to render necessary
assistance to the person. However, when called upon to render care,
the caregiver may not be located in that particular room, but
elsewhere in the home, or outside. Again, it is often undesirable
to have only the options of either leaving unattended the person
requiring care, or bringing the person along, to search for and
fetch any necessary items.
[0006] One way of resolving the need to have diaper changing and
other care items nearby is to have them in a container; however,
current containers for care items present problems that need to be
resolved. For instance, some containers have lids on them, over all
of the items, which may be awkward and require the caregiver's full
attention, and/or two hands, to open while also trying to manage an
infant, or calm or soothe a patient. Other containers lack
organization, so that items are tossed into the container, left
disorderly and difficult to locate quickly. In particular, a
disorderly container means that the wet wipes box, or other box of
cleaning materials--a key element of diaper changes--may be hard to
locate in the container. Moreover, the wet wipes box is loose, and
has nothing to brace or hold it so that the caregiver can open it
easily, without dropping everything to focus on the wet wipes box.
The caregiver would prefer to maintain focus on the baby (or
elderly or physically challenged person), rather than diverting
attention to opening a wet wipes box. Other containers may have
some sort of organizational elements to keep items orderly, but the
organizational elements are rigid, which quality may prevent one
slot or space from being used flexibly for several different types
of items, or different brands of items, having differently sized
packaging. The rigid quality of the organizational elements thus
may require the caregiver to spend undue time in organizing the
items to be kept in the container, and/or may prevent the caregiver
from organizing the items in the manner most desirable and/or
convenient.
[0007] Other containers are arranged so that they do not offer a
balanced layout. Such containers may lack, for example, a central
storage space, which allows for placement of the heaviest or most
awkward item. As a result, the loaded container is imbalanced, and
may tip over, spilling the contents of the container. The
imbalanced container also may be awkward to handle and, for
example, may be more prone to being dropped. Dropping not only is
inconvenient, since it requires retrieving items and replacing them
in the container; dropping may also result in damage or breakage to
certain items. Other items may become dirty and necessitate doing
an extra load of laundry, doing otherwise unnecessary cleaning or
sterilization, or discarding and wasting certain items.
[0008] A need exists for a portable apparatus that provides
flexible organization to items useful in rendering care to a baby
or to a patient requiring care. A further need exists for a caddy
that can hold in place variously-sized wet wipes boxes so that a
caregiver can open the box easily while continuing to manage an
infant (who may be fussy) in need of a diaper change or other care.
Further, a need exists for a caddy that has a flexible compartment
that can center in the caddy the most awkward and/or weighty item
so that the caddy is balanced should the caddy remain otherwise
empty or should additional items be placed in the caddy. Further, a
need exists for a caddy for organizing diapers and diaper changing
items, as well as any other necessary items for rendering child
care (such as a breast milk pump) and/or patient care, which can be
carried from room to room and accessed easily while tending to an
infant or adult with special needs. The present invention addresses
these concerns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The disclosure that follows describes embodiments of an
apparatus for assisting in the changing of diapers and the care
associated with changing diapers, and/or for carrying and
organizing breast milk pumping materials, and/or for providing care
to patients in need of similar care, such as the elderly and/or
physically challenged. The apparatus is in the form of a portable
caddy.
[0010] The caddy comprises a portable container with an interior
that is lined with a flexible liner that is washable or cleanable,
and can be removable in at least one embodiment. The simple design
and use of a flexible liner resting in a container (in certain
embodiments of the invention, a wooden, tight-weave basket) can be
made to be aesthetically more appealing to the targeted consumer
than are existing caddies that merely are boxes with slots and
rigid compartments. Its appearance also can be made to blend in
with home decor, to avoid adding to clutter associated with the
additional paraphernalia of infant care.
[0011] The flexible liner provides a "caddy" function by having a
plurality of compartments and/or pockets that organize various care
items. The liner is made of a flexible material, for example, a
fabric, which is removable for washing or wiping clean. Multiple
flexible compartments can be created in the liner by positioning
flexible dividers attached at least to the sides of the liner, so
that the flexible compartments each have a floor formed by the base
of the liner over the interior floor of the container, and walls
comprising the flexible divider material. The flexible dividers
also can be attached to the base of the liner, although this is not
strictly necessary. The walls of the compartments further can be
provided by the substantially vertical sides of the liner adjacent
to the dividers. The flexible compartments of the liner can be
selectively sized. The liner also can have flexible pockets facing
the flexible compartments in the interior of the liner, and
positioned along the interior sides of the container. The pockets
can be made by attaching flaps of fabric or dividers directly to
the walls of the liner either with or without attaching to the
floor of the liner.
[0012] The liner can be adapted to contain a wet wipes box, or
other cleansing product, in at least one compartment. The wet wipes
compartment in the liner is sufficiently flexible so that it can,
if necessary, accommodate most major commercial brands of wet wipes
boxes or other cleansing products. The wet wipes box container in
the liner further causes the wet wipes box to remain stationary
when a caregiver needs access to the contents as during a diaper
change. Holding the wet wipes box stationary allows a caregiver to
continue, for example, to manage the baby while reaching for
supplies. The wet wipes compartment in the liner can be re-stocked
as needed. Other compartments may be sized spaciously or adapted
specifically to contain a variety of diaper changing products and
supplies used, for example, when diapering a baby.
[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the wet wipes
box/cleansing product compartment is centered in the liner so that
it also is centered in the container. Centering one of the bulkiest
items enables a user to arrange other items (or no other items) in
the container so that the container is balanced and is less
vulnerable to tipping over and spilling the contents, causing
damage, breakage, waste, and/or resulting in the need for otherwise
unnecessary cleanup.
[0014] Any number of pockets that the liner can accommodate can be
used for storing toiletries and hygienic supplies, as well as
smaller items. The smaller items in the pockets may be easier for
the caregiver to locate in pockets that are made shallower than
other pockets and the various compartments.
[0015] A handle extends from the container to allow persons to
grasp the caddy to carry it. In one embodiment, the handle is a
contoured, hinged handle. Other materials, flexible and rigid, are
also contemplated by the present disclosure.
[0016] The liner can be held in place in the container by elastic,
drawstring, snaps, hooks, Velcro.RTM., or other appropriate means
for removably or non-removably securing the liner to the
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1A illustrates an isometric view of an embodiment of a
container of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 1B shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the
invention.
[0019] FIG. 1C shows an alternative embodiment of the container of
the invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an embodiment of the
invention.
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the
invention, in which a wet wipes container has been positioned in a
flexible compartment.
[0022] FIG. 4A shows a side view of an embodiment of the
invention.
[0023] FIG. 4B depicts an alternative embodiment of the
invention.
[0024] FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the
invention, shown in use as holding items used for diaper changes
and baby hygiene care.
[0025] FIG. 6 illustrates a stitched embodiment of the liner of the
present invention, shown from the bottom exterior to depict the
seams created.
[0026] FIG. 7 depicts a bottom exterior view of an alternative
embodiment of the present invention, depicting that the dividers
need not be stitched to the bottom of the liner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The present invention encompasses various embodiments of an
apparatus for assisting in the overall process of baby care,
including but not limited to changing baby diapers, cleaning the
diapering area, performing breast milk pumping, and providing other
care to an infant, or possibly to an elderly person or person with
physical impairments that requires similar care. For the sake of
convenience only, the remainder of this disclosure will discuss the
various embodiments in terms of diaper changing and childcare.
[0028] FIG. 1A shows an embodiment of the apparatus 100 of the
invention. The apparatus 100 comprises a container 102 including an
interior space 104 and a handle 106. The container 102 can be made
of any material suitable for creating an interior space wherein the
interior space will be lined, as disclosed below. In one
embodiment, the container 102 is a woven basket. Other embodiments
can comprise a container 102 made of other materials, including but
not limited to metal, plastic, cardboard, paper mache, and the
like. The container 102 can have any shape and size that is
convenient for lining and storing a variety of baby care items in
pockets and/or compartments in the lining, as disclosed below in
greater detail. In one embodiment, the container 102 is rectangular
with rounded corners, or oval shaped (e.g., FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2).
However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
container 102 can be round, square, regular geometric shape, or
irregular geometric shape. In another embodiment, the size of the
container 102 is substantially eleven inches wide by seventeen
inches long by six inches deep. However, one of ordinary skill in
the art will appreciate that the disclosure includes any size that
is sufficient to accommodate an assortment of care items. The size
may also depend on the number and extent of items contemplated for
a particular type of container 102.
[0029] The handle 106 that is mounted on or integral with the
container 102 can be placed so that the apparatus is portable to
the caregiver. In one embodiment, the handle 106 can be contoured
and smooth, so that it is comfortable to hold from over the opening
to the interior space 104 of the container 102. The handle can be
connected with the container by hinges 108 on the outside of the
container 102 (best seen in FIGS. 1A, 4A). The hinge 108 allows the
handle 106 to be pushed out of the way, i.e., toward a side from
over the opening to the interior space 104. The ability to move the
handle 106 out of the away provides easy access to baby care items
contained in the apparatus (described below in greater detail); for
re-stocking the baby care items; and/or for ease in shipping, for
example in commerce or as a gift. (See FIGS. 1A and 1B, 2, 4A and
4B.) Alternatively, hinges 108 can be located on the inside of the
container 102, and the handle 106 can be fashioned to fit inside
the rim 110 of the container when it is pushed out of the way on
hinges 108. Alternatively, the handle 106 with hinges 108 in the
interior 104 of the container 102 need not be fashioned to fit
fully inside, but may instead simple be pushed partially out of the
way. As a further alternative, hinges 108 can connect a handle 106
to a rim 110 of the container 102. As a further alternative, the
handle 106 can be rigidly connected with the container 102. Handles
106 also can be positioned along the sides of the container 102,
parallel with the rim 110 of the container 102 so that the
container 102 either can be grasped by one handle with a hand and,
for example, braced against a carrier's body, or grasped with both
hands on different handles 106.
[0030] It will be appreciated that the invention contemplates that
the handle 106 can be connected flexibly with the container 102 by
other means (see FIG. 4B) that are known in the art. For example, a
first set of loops 312 can be positioned on the container 302 and
adapted to accept, or be accepted by, a compatible second set of
loops 314 at the ends of the handle 306. Each of the second set of
loops 314 on the ends of the handle 306 is looped about or
interconnected with each of the first set of loops 312 on the
container 302, to allow the handle 306 to move flexibly. Other
flexible connections are also contemplated by the current
disclosure of the present invention.
[0031] The handle 106 need not be made of the same material as the
container 102. For example, the handle 206 can be made of a cord,
rope, chain, plastic strap, leather, vinyl, or other flexible
material (see FIG. 1C). The advantage is that the flexible handle
206 simply falls aside for easy access to the interior 204 of the
container 202, once the container 202 is set down. This flexible
material can be connected with the container 202 by any means that
secures the handle 206 to the container. For example, the ends of
the handle 206 can be tied around loops 207 or other means on the
container 202 and knotted, sewn, fastened, clamped, etc.
Alternatively, the ends of the handles 106 can be tied through
apertures through opposite sides of the container 102.
[0032] The handle 106 also might be made of a rigid material that
is different from the material of the container 102. For example, a
container 102 made of a woven basket material might have a rigid
plastic handle 106, or other rigid material known to those of
ordinary skill in the art. The handle 106 may be functionally
connected with the container 102 with or without hinges 108.
[0033] FIG. 2 depicts a top view of an embodiment of the invention.
In particular, FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the liner 116 that is
placed so that it lines the interior 104 of the container 102. The
liner 116 in position substantially rests along the base of the
container 102.
[0034] The liner 116 is made of a flexible material, such as a
fabric, and includes a plurality of flexible pockets 118 and/or
compartments 120. (See also FIG. 1A for isometric view of liner 116
in container 102.) It will be appreciated by those of ordinary
skill in the art that the liner can be made of any material that
can be fashioned to function as the lining 116 as described in
greater detail below. For example, the liner 116 can be made from
any one or any combination of materials including, by way of
example only, cotton, flannel, cotton blends, vinyl, oilcloth,
GORE-TEX.RTM., fleece, wool, polyester, washable materials, and any
other fabric-like materials. In an embodiment, the liner 116 is
made of cotton and is washable either by hand or in a washing
machine. In other embodiments, the liner 116 is washable and/or
stain-resistant. In other embodiments, the liner 116 need not be
washed but can be wiped clean. The liner 116 can be made from a
fabric or other material, as discussed above, that is a solid color
or a print, according to the preference of the caregiver and/or
manufacturer of the caddy. The liner 116 also can have a backing
material for reinforcement, such as interfacing material that is
well known in the art and need not be described herein in any
further detail.
[0035] As noted above, the liner 116 has a plurality of flexible
pockets 118 and/or flexible compartments 120. It will be
appreciated that any number of pockets 118 and/or compartments 120
may be created according to the needs of a caregiver and/or the
preference of a manufacturer.
[0036] At least one of the compartments is adapted to accept and
maintain a wet wipes box, a cleansing material box, or other bulky
and/or heavy item, such as a personal use breast milk pump. The
bulky item compartment 122 centers the item so that it is balanced
in the container 102, so that the container is stabilized to avoid
spills. For the sake of convenience only, this particular
compartment 122 will be referred to in terms of a wet wipes box.
This wet wipes compartment 122 (see FIG. 3) includes at least two
flexible parallel dividers 124 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that can be
attached to the sides and/or base of, the liner 116 by means of
stitching, gluing, stapling, and the like. The choice of sewing,
etc. likely will depend upon the material used to create the liner
116. This wet wipes compartment 122 is centered in the liner 116
and thus also in the container 102 so that the bulky item that
occupies this compartment 122 is balanced in the liner 116 and
container 102. Balancing the bulkiest and/or heaviest item allows
the caregiver more safely to carry a baby while carrying the caddy,
for example, walking from the bathroom to family room area with
baby and caddy. The balance of the bulkiest and/or heaviest item
also decreases the likelihood that the container 102 will tip in
one direction or completely over when a user lifts it. Avoiding
such imbalance is expected to decrease wasting items that must be
disposed of, if dirtied; resorting to otherwise unnecessary
cleaning and/or sterilization; breaking items; and damaging items,
among other things.
[0037] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that it is
possible but not necessary to connect the dividers 124 with the
base or bottom of the liner 116. See FIG. 7, showing a view of the
liner from the exterior and bottom. The liner in FIG. 7 contains no
seams in the bottom or base of the liner 116; instead, the dividers
124 are functionally connected with the substantially vertical
sides of the liner 116. The various care items still can be kept
organized and separate in this way, and less fixing or sewing is
necessary to create the end product. FIG. 6 depicts an alternative
embodiment of the bottom of the exterior of the liner 116, showing
that the dividers 124 can be sewn or otherwise attached to the
bottom of the liner 116.
[0038] Other compartments 120 can be created in the liner 116 by
adding other dividers 124 as needed and attaching them to the sides
of the liner 116 (see FIGS. 1A-3, 5). For example, only one
additional divider 124 may be needed to create two more
compartments 120, as seen for example in FIGS. 1A-3. The additional
compartments 120 can be used to organize a variety of items so that
they are found quickly and are within easy reach for the caregiver.
See, e.g., FIG. 5. Such items might include, by way of example
only, diapers, diaper cream, baby lotion, baby powder, nasal bulb,
nail clippers, toys, and pacifiers. In one embodiment, four
additional compartments 120 can be created by adding two more
dividers 124: one perpendicular to a first divider 124 that is used
to make the wet wipes box compartment 122, and another
perpendicular to a second divider 124 that is used to make the wet
wipes box compartment 122. These dividers 124 used to make the
additional four compartments 120 can be sewn, glued, stapled, etc.
to the sides of the liner 116 and the dividers 124 of the wet wipes
box compartment 122, as disclosed above in connection with the
dividers 124 used to create the wet wipes box compartment 122. Five
compartments 122, 120 are created in this embodiment, but any
number is contemplated by the present disclosure.
[0039] The dividers 124 can include the material used to make the
liner 116, sewn around interfacing material, which is well known in
the art. In one embodiment, the dividers 124 comprise interfacing
material inside a liner 116 fabric made of 100% cotton. The
dividers are thus flexible, allowing items of different sizes to be
organized within the liner 116 in the interior of the container
102. The present disclosure further contemplates that the dividers
124 can be made of any flexible material, such as thin and flexible
plastic cards, stiff fabric, rubber, and the like. The dividers 124
need not be covered with the material used for the liner 116, but
instead may remain uncovered, or covered with a material different
than that used for the liner 116.
[0040] Pockets 118 provide a different sort of organizational space
that can be included in the liner 116 to organize baby care items.
See FIGS. 1A-3, 5. At least one pocket 118 may be one of sewn,
glued, stapled, etc. along the vertical sides of the liner 116. The
pockets 118 may be made of the same sort material as the liner 116.
Alternatively, the pockets 118 may be made of the same material(s)
as the dividers 124 are made, as disclosed above. Whether a pocket
118 is made of the liner 116 material or the divider 124 material
can be determined according to the preferences of the caregiver
and/or the manufacturer, depending upon the level of flexibility
desired. The pocket 118 material is connected as disclosed above to
the vertical sides of the liner 116 to leave an opening at the top
of the pocket 118 and the liner 116, so that items may be stored
therein. It will be appreciated that at least one pocket 126 can be
less deep than the other pockets 118 to allow smaller items, such
as cotton swabs, to be stored and easily retrieved. See FIG. 5. In
one embodiment, the pocket 126 that is less deep is substantially
one-half as deep as the other pockets 118.
[0041] The liner 116 can be secured to the container 102 but also
can be removable from the container 102. In one embodiment, the
liner 116 can be folded over the rim 110 (FIG. 1B) of the container
102 and tied with ribbon 128 (best seen in FIGS. 1B and 4A). In
another embodiment, the liner 116 can be folded over the rim 110 in
order to secure it to the basket, if the liner 116 is sufficiently
fitted to the container 102, or elasticized around its rim. In
another embodiment, ribbon 128 ties under the hinges 108 so that
the movement of the handle connected with the container 102 via the
hinges is not hampered. The ribbon 128 can be affixed to the liner
116, so that it cannot be removed. For example openings or notches
130 can be created at opposite sides of the rim 132 of the liner,
and segments of ribbon 128 can be sewn on opposite sides of the
openings 130, so that two segments of ribbon 128 are attached to
each opening 130 on opposite sides of each opening 130. The ribbon
128 segments can be tied to secure the liner 116 to the container
102 around the outside of the container 102.
[0042] Alternatively, a ribbon 128 can be sewn into a fold of the
material all of the way around the rim 132 of the liner 116. The
ribbon 128 thus acts as a drawstring used to secure the liner 116
outside the container 102. To remove the liner 116, as for washing
or wiping clean, the ribbon 128 can be untied and the liner 116
slipped out of the container 102. The liner 116 can be
re-positioned after washing/cleaning, and the ribbon 128 re-tied to
fasten the liner 116 into the container 102.
[0043] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
ribbon 128 can be any material suitable for securing the liner 116
to the container 102. For example, elastic material can be embedded
in the rim 132 of the liner 116, as disclosed above for ribbon 128,
and the liner 116 can be removed and re-positioned by stretching
the elastic material. Other materials that can be used in place of
ribbon 128 include, without limitation, string and other fabric
that can be cut into strips and can be tied. Also, as a further
alternative, snaps, hooks, velcro.RTM. and similar fasteners can be
sewn or otherwise fastened to the liner at the openings 130 and
used to secure the liner 116 to the container 102.
[0044] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
liner 116 also can be decorated in any pattern or color of material
selected for the liner 116. Moreover, the rim 132 of the liner also
can be decorated, for example with scalloping, embroidery, or
patches. Such decorations may be extended to other portions of the
liner 116, such as the dividers 124 and pockets 118.
[0045] The foregoing description of the present invention has been
presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise
forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent
to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments were chosen
and described in order to explain the principles of the invention
and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in
the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and
with various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be
defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *