U.S. patent application number 11/834326 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-31 for article of manufacture with quick access feature.
Invention is credited to Thai Christie.
Application Number | 20080023284 11/834326 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46329122 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080023284 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Christie; Thai |
January 31, 2008 |
Article of Manufacture with Quick Access Feature
Abstract
An article of manufacture with a quick access feature designed
to assist users for rapidly accessing an object in an enclosed
container. The access feature may be attached to a pouch, a bag, a
pocket or another item designed to carry objects, including apparel
that has built-in pockets or attached pockets, such as those on
shirt or pants. An article of manufacture may include an access
panel attached to a base member defining a pocket. The access panel
includes an access opening or eyelet. A carrier member is
configured for carrying an object therein and in the pocket. In one
arrangement, the carrier member is movably disposed within the
pocket so that the access opening exposes a portion of the carrier
member for movement between a holding position and a retrieving
position responsive to a force being applied via the access
opening. The base member may have a ribbed structure.
Inventors: |
Christie; Thai; (Fairfax,
VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF, LTD.
1100 13th STREET, N.W.
SUITE 1200
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-4051
US
|
Family ID: |
46329122 |
Appl. No.: |
11/834326 |
Filed: |
August 6, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10891049 |
Jul 15, 2004 |
7252183 |
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11834326 |
Aug 6, 2007 |
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10391958 |
Mar 19, 2003 |
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11834326 |
Aug 6, 2007 |
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60406381 |
Aug 28, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
190/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 5/06 20130101; A45C
3/00 20130101; A45C 2011/002 20130101; A45C 13/02 20130101; A45C
13/36 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
190/102 |
International
Class: |
A45C 13/00 20060101
A45C013/00 |
Claims
1. An article of manufacture, comprising: a pocket having an opened
top end and a closed bottom end, the pocket having a front face
with an access opening therein; and a carrier for retaining an
object, the carrier being disposed inside of the pocket, the
carrier having a top end being stationary with the opened top end
of the pocket and the carrier having a movable end configured for
movement towards the opened top end of the pocket responsive to a
force being applied thereto through the access opening.
2. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 1, in which
the access opening includes a geometry indicative of linear
application of the force to the opposing end of the carrier.
3. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 1, in which
the movable end is biased towards the bottom end of the pocket in
response to the force.
4. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 1, further
comprising a biasing element configured for biasing the movable end
of the carrier towards bottom end of the pocket.
5. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 4, in which
the biasing member comprises an elastic material.
6. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 1, in which
the access opening is rigid along a periphery thereof.
7. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 1, in which
the access opening includes a top end and a bottom end in the front
face, the movable end of the carrier being disposed at distance
from the bottom end of the access opening so as to define and an
insertion gap of sufficient size for inserted of a finger or other
object for application of the force to the movable end of the
carrier.
8. An article of manufacture, comprising: a pocket having an opened
top end and a closed bottom end, the pocket having a front face
with an access opening therein and on opposing base structure to
the front face; the base structure generally conforms to a body
shape of an object in the pocket.
9. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 8, wherein
the base structure further comprises a plurality of spaced rib
members attached to a resilient material.
10. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 8, in which
the access opening is rigid along a periphery thereof.
11. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 8, in which
the resilient material is a shape recovery material.
12. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 8, further
comprising a compartment for holding objects therein and the base
structure forming a portion of the compartment.
13. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 8, further
comprising a rear panel with a locking opening for a handle.
14. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 13, wherein
the rear panel is pivotably held in place with a plurality of
mechanical closures.
15. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 13, further
comprising a retractable handle for being disposed in the locking
opening of the rear panel.
16. The article of manufacture in accordance with claim 9, wherein
the ribs extend to an interior face of the access panel creating a
free end adjacent to a bottom panel of the article of manufacture.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/891,049, filed on Jul. 14, 2004; which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/391,958, filed
on Mar. 19, 2003, which is a non-provisional application of U.S.
Application No. 60/406,381 filed on Aug. 28, 2002, the contents
therein are incorporated by references herein.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to article of apparel for
fashions, in particular to article of apparel with a pocket having
an access feature for retrieving objects.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Currently designed containers, especially those for mobile
phones, personal digital assistants (PDA) and similar objects,
require some level of attentiveness and dexterity from the user to
access the object in the container. Also, with existing container
designs, users have to compromise between accessibility and
security of a contained object.
[0004] Thus, there is a need to assist users in the process of
accessing objects in their containers or other articles of
manufacture.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] The invention pertains to an article of manufacture with a
quick access feature designed to assist users access an object in
an enclosed container body.
[0006] In one aspect, a quick access feature may be attached to a
pouch, a bag, a pocket or another item designed to carry objects,
including apparel that has built-in pockets or attached
pockets.
[0007] In one aspect, there is provided an article of manufacture
including an access panel attached to a base member defining a
pocket. The access panel includes an access opening or eyelet. A
carrier member is configured for carrying an object and in the
pocket. In one arrangement, the carrier member is movably disposed
within the pocket so that the access opening exposes a portion of
the carrier member for movement between a holding position and a
retrieving position responsive to a force being applied via the
access opening. In this way, the holding position of the carrier
member holds an object in the pocket and the retrieving position
allows an object to be removed from the pocket. In one aspect, the
holding position is formed after release of a force at the
retrieving position.
[0008] In yet another aspect, the carrier member is biased towards
the holding position in response to the force. In a further aspect,
the carrier member is composed of a shape recovery material.
[0009] In another one aspect, there is provided an article of
manufacture including an access panel attached to a base member
defining a pocket. The access panel includes an access opening or
eyelet. A carrier member is configured for carrying an object
therein and in the pocket. In one arrangement, the carrier member
is movably disposed within the pocket so that the access opening
exposes a portion of the carrier member for movement between a
holding position and a retrieving position responsive to a force
being applied via the access opening and a biasing member is
includes for biasing the carrier member towards the holding
position in response to the force.
[0010] In yet another aspect, there is provided an article of
manufacture including a pocket having an opened top end and a
bottom end and the pocket has a front face with an access opening
therein. A carrier for retaining an object is disposed inside of
the pocket. In one arrangement, the carrier has a top end
stationary with the opened top end of the pocket and the carrier
has a movable end configured for movement towards the opened top
end of the pocket responsive to a force being applied thereto
through the access opening. In one aspect, the access opening
includes a geometry indicative of a linear application of the force
to the movable end of the carrier. In yet another aspect, the
movable end is biased towards the bottom end of the pocket in
response to the force. The biasing may be provided by a biasing
element configured for biasing the movable end of the carrier
towards bottom end of the pocket.
[0011] In one aspect, an article of manufacture may include an
access opening with a top end and a bottom end in the front face.
The movable end of the carrier may be disposed at predetermined
distance from the bottom end of the access opening so as to define
and an insertion gap of sufficient size for insertion of a finger
or other object for application of the force to the movable end of
the carrier.
[0012] In another aspect, there is provided an article of
manufacture includes a pocket having an elongated access eyelet for
exposing an interior of the pocket. An inner pocket carrier is
configured for holding and retrieving object from within. An inner
pocket carrier is disposed within the pocket and has an exposed
movable end via the elongated access eyelet so that the movable end
travels along a length of the access eyelet responsive to a
force.
[0013] In another aspect, an article of manufacture includes a
pocket having an opened top end and a closed bottom end. The pocket
includes a front face with an access opening therein and on
opposing base structure to the front face and the base structure
generally conforms to a body shape of an object in the pocket.
[0014] In another aspect, the article of manufacture has the base
structure including a plurality of spaced rib members attached to a
resilient material. In another aspect, the article of manufacture
includes a compartment for holding objects therein and the base
structure forming a portion of the compartment. In yet another
aspect, the article of manufacture includes a rear panel with a
locking opening for a handle. In yet a further aspect, the rear
panel is pivotably held in place with a plurality of mechanical
closures. In a further aspect, the article of manufacture includes
a retractable handle for being disposed in the locking opening of
the rear panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a pliable carrying bag according to one
or more aspects of he present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an example mobile telephone which may be
used with a bag shown in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates an example Personal Digital Assistant
(PDA) which may be used with a bag shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a process of carrying and removing
objects for the bag of FIG.1 according to one or more aspects of
the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a user retrieving an object via a quick
access feature according to one or more aspects of the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged schematic representation of a
section view of a pocket of the bag of FIG. 1 to show relationships
of the components;
[0021] FIGS. 7A-D illustrate alternative profile shapes of an
access opening according to one or more aspects of the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a carrying bag according to one or more
aspects of he present invention;
[0023] FIG. 9. is a partial section view of the carrying bag taken
along line 9-9 of FIG. 8 according to one or more aspects of the
present invention;
[0024] FIG. 10 is the partial section view in FIG. 9 showing an
object disposed in a pocket;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a side view of the carrying bag of FIG. 8;
[0026] FIGS. 12-13 are rear views of the carrying bag of FIG. 8;
and
[0027] FIG. 14 is a partial section view of the carrying bag taken
along vertical line 14-14 in FIG. 8 which generally bisects the
opening in the access panel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] In the following description of the various embodiments,
reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part
hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various
embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be
understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural
and functional modifications may be made without departing from the
scope of the present invention.
[0029] FIGS. 1 and 4-7D illustrate an article of manufacture
according to one or more aspects of the present invention. FIG. 1
is a partial front view of a pliable carrying bag or container 10
including two attached front pockets 20, 21 configured to carry
objects inside. The front pockets 20, 21 are designed to assist
users to access an object in the pockets quickly and intuitively.
While two front pockets 20, 21 are shown, the inventive aspects can
be practiced with one or more front pockets. There are a wide
variety of implementations in which the front pockets may be
incorporated into a pouch, a bag, or another item designed to carry
objects. For example, the other items include apparel with built-in
pockets or attached pockets such as those on shirts or pants
garment, sports coat, rain coats, overcoats and the like. The bag
10 may have a carrying strap 15 for transport and top flap 17 which
may mate to a fastener 19, such as a magnetic closure. The bag 10
may be made of a prefabricated material, such as hard leather,
metal, hardened plastic and the like. The pocket 20, 21 allows for
uninhibited accessibility, while maintaining the security of the
contained objects.
[0030] The pockets 20, 21 comprise an opened top end 22 in which
objects 11, 12 such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, enter and exit the
pockets. The pockets 20, 21 have a closed bottom end 24 disposed
opposite of the top end. Nevertheless, bottom end 24 may be opened
in one arrangement. In one inventive aspect, the pockets 20, 21
include an access panel 26 having an exposed front face 27 and an
interior rear face 28. The access panel 26 may be fixedly attached
to a fabric base structure or base member 14, such as a face panel
16 of the container 10. Nevertheless, the fabric base structure 14
can be any appropriate type where fabric materials are used to form
pockets. The access panel 26 may be sewn or otherwise bounded to
the fabric base 14 using conventional manufacturing methods. The
access panel 26 includes an elongated eyelet or access opening 30
configured for a user to access objects located within the pockets
20, 21.
[0031] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, in one inventive aspect,
the pockets 20, 21 include an inner pocket member or carrier member
40 which is configured for holding an object, such as a mobile
telephone 11 or PDA 12, in the interior of the pocket 20, 21 and an
enabling retrieval of the object. In one arrangement shown in FIG.
4, the carrier member 40 is movable within the pocket 20, 21, in
which the access opening 30 exposes a portion of the carrier member
40 for movement between a holding position P1 and a retrieving
position P2 responsive to a manual force that is applied through
the access opening 26. The carrier member 40 includes a top end 42
that may be fixedly attached to the fabric base member 14 and the
access panel 26 so the object can enter the pocket 20, 21 and the
interior 44 of the carrier member 40. In one arrangement, the
carrier member 40 includes a moveable bottom end 46 that slides or
other travels a length of the access opening 30 between the holding
position P1 and the retrieving position P2. These inventive aspects
are more fully illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0032] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the access opening 30
may be arranged in a linear geometry for enabling efficient
movement of the object outside of the pocket. The access opening 30
includes a top end 32 connected to a linear portion 34 and a bottom
end 36 in the front face 27. To enable efficient and rapid access
to the object with the pocket 20, the movable end 46 of the carrier
may be disposed at predetermined distance from the bottom end 36 of
the access opening 30. This predetermined distance configuration
defines an insertion gap 50 of sufficient size for insertion of a
finger 8 of a user or other object for application of the force to
the movable end 46 of the carrier member 40. That is, a single
linear sweeping motion of the user's finger 8 may move the
contained object 11, 12 from the holding position P1 to the
retrieving position P2.
[0033] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, the peripheral edge of the
access opening 30 may include a reinforcing element 38 made of a
rigid or semi-rigid material with respect to the material of the
access panel 26. The rigid material may be of a variety of material
compositions, such as plastic resin, and/or metal strips.
Nevertheless, the semi-rigid material that may be implemented
includes leather, synthetic leather, and/or other materials. The
reinforcing element 38 can be easily and economically made using a
variety of economical manufacturing processes, including molding,
metal stamping, hardened plastic forms and the like. Thus, a quick
access feature lends itself to a variety of economical
manufacturing processes using a variety of economical materials.
Nevertheless, the access opening 30 may have an appropriate shape
for enable access to the objects 11, 12 within the pockets 20, 21.
The profile shapes of the access opening 30 may include triangular
30', 30'', rectangular 30''', oval 30'''', oblong, square and the
like as shown in FIGS. 7A-D.
[0034] As used herein a "shape recovery fabric" is a fabric that
can be placed in tension and upon release, the fabric springs back
to its original shape. In one case, a shape recovery fabric may be
stretched linearly 50%-100% along a planar axis and return to its
original shape. In other arrangements, a shape recovery fabric may
be stretched 60%-90% and 70%-80% along a planar axis and return to
the original shape. Nevertheless, other ranges are possible. In one
arrangement, a shape recovery fabric may be implemented which has a
blend of substantially inelastic material and elastic fibers. For
example, the inelastic material may comprise cotton or leather.
Nevertheless, other inelastic fibers may be implemented in the
shape recovery fabric. The elastic fibers may comprise material
sold under the LYCRA.TM. brand. LYCRA.TM. is a trademark of the
DuPont Corporation for its brand of a family of premium elastane
fiber.
[0035] The carrier member 40 may be constructed of a wide variety
of materials. In one arrangement, the carrier member 40 may
constructed of a resilient material preferably made from a woven
sheet material. The elastic behavior may be accomplished by using
woven elastic fibers. The material may be constructed from
synthetic elastic fibers chiefly made from polyurethane, e.g.,
spandex. Suitable synthetic fibers can include LYCRA.TM. by the
DuPont Co., CLEERSPAN.TM. by the Globe Manufacturing Co. or another
type of commercially available spandex fiber. Nevertheless, the
carrier member 40 may also include other types of fibers to achieve
desired characteristics for movement or may be constructed of a
shape recovery material. Alternatively, the carrier member 40 may
be constructed from a range of weave and knit patterns that vary
the direction of stretch. For example, an opened mesh material can
stretch a longitudinal direction and enable visual communication
for a user to see the object within the pocket 20, 21 by way of the
access opening 30.
[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the carrying bag with a
superposition of the carrier member 40 through the access panel 26.
FIG. 4 also shows relative positions of a mobile phone 11 inside
the pockets 20 while being carried and a PDA 12 in the process of
being retrieved or otherwise being removed from the pocket 20. In
one inventive aspect, the carrier member 40 includes at least one
or more biasing members or elastic pieces 60, 62 for biasing or
otherwise pulling the carrier member 40 towards the holding
position P1 in response to a retrieving force applied by a user's
finger 8 or other object (See FIG. 5). One end of the biasing
member 60, 62 may be attached to movable end 46 of the carrier
member 40 and the opposing end may be attached to a bottom portion
of the pocket 20, 21. That is the opposing end of the biasing
member 60, 62 may be connected to the base member 14 or the rear
face 28 of the access panel 26. The biasing member 60, 62 may be
constructed of a number of well known resilient, elastic, or spring
materials.
[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates the elastic pieces 60, 62 in a resting or
holding position P1 prior to a manual force F applied on the
movable end 46 of the carrier member 40. In the holding position P1
(see FIG. 5) the elastic pieces 60, 62 may be slightly stretched to
pull the carrier member 40 taut with respect to the top end 42 and
taut within the interior of the pocket 20, 21. In a retrieving
position P2, the elastic pieces 60, 62 are stretched or otherwise
elongated in responsive to the force F through access opening 30.
As shown in FIG. 5, a user may retrieve an object 12 via access
opening 30. To retrieve an object in the pocket 60, 62, a user may
insert his/her finger in the insertion gap 50 via the lower portion
of the access opening 30, pushes the object 11, 12 upward toward
the pocket opening 22 and thus retrieves the object. The attached
elastic pieces 60, 62 returns the carrier member 40 to the original
position, such as the resting or holding position, after the object
has been retrieved or otherwise held by the user. It should be
noted that the carrier member 40 may protect or cushion the objects
11, 12 in the pockets 20, 21 from impacts forces. Further, during a
retrieval operation, the material of the carrier member 40 may
enable smooth and reduced friction movement against the rear face
28 or reinforcing element 38.
[0038] In one construction, an article of manufacture may have an
attached feature that assists a user to access a contained object
with a pocket allowing quick-draw of a contained object. In one
arrangement, the attached features may include one or more long
narrow eyelets 30 having sufficient size allowing a finger of user
to access a contained object. A carrier member is configured for
carrying an object therein and in the pocket. In one arrangement,
the carrier member is movably disposed within the pocket so that
the access opening exposes a portion of the carrier member for
movement between a holding position and a retrieving position
responsive to a force being applied via the access opening.
[0039] FIGS. 8-14 illustrate an alternative embodiment of an
article of manufacture according to one or more aspects of the
present invention. FIG. 8 is a partial front view of a pliable
carrying bag or container 100 including two attached front pockets
120, 121 configured to carry objects inside. The front pockets 120,
121 are designed to assist users to access an object in the pockets
quickly and intuitively. While two front pockets 120, 121 are
shown, the inventive aspects can be practiced with one or more
front pockets. There are a wide variety of implementations in which
the front pockets may be incorporated into a pouch, a bag, or
another item designed to carry objects. For example, the other
items include apparel with built-in pockets or attached pockets
such as those on shirts or pants garment, sports coat, rain coats,
overcoats and the like. The bag 100 may have a carrying strap for
transport and top flap 17 which may mate to a fastener 19, such as
a magnetic closure. The bag 100 may be made of a prefabricated
material, such as leather, metal, hardened plastic and the like.
The pocket 120, 121 allows for uninhibited accessibility, while
maintaining the security of the contained objects.
[0040] The pockets 120, 121 comprise an opened top end 22 in which
objects 12 such as shown in FIG. 10, enter and exit the pockets
(similarly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). The pockets 120, 121 have a
closed bottom end 24 disposed opposite of the top end.
Nevertheless, bottom end 24 may be opened in one arrangement. In
one inventive aspect, the pockets 120, 121 include an access panel
26 having an exposed front face 27 and an interior rear face 28.
The access panel 26 may be fixedly attached to a fabric base
structure or base member 141 of the container 10. Nevertheless, the
fabric base structure 141 can be any appropriate type where fabric
materials are used to form pockets. The access panel 26 may be sewn
or otherwise bounded to the fabric base 141 using conventional
manufacturing methods. The access panel 26 includes an elongated
eyelet or access opening 30 configured for a user to access objects
located within the pockets 120, 121.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, in one construction, base
structure 141 is outwardly expandable to generally conform to the
body shape of an object (e.g, object 12) disposed in the pocket
121, while maintaining the object securely snug against the rear
face 28 of access panel 26. The container 100 has a compartment 160
for holding objects therein, and compartment in behind the pockets
120, 121. (See FIG. 11). The compartment 160 can be opened and
closed with mechanical closure 165, such as a zipper. Further, the
base structure 141 forms the front face portion of the compartment.
The base structure 141 may have a ribbed configuration shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10. The construction of the ribbed structure includes a
plurality of ribs 143 and a resilient member 145, such as a shape
recovery fabric.
[0042] The resilient member 145 may be constructed of a wide
variety of materials. In one arrangement, the member 145 may
constructed of a resilient material preferably made from a woven
sheet material. The elastic behavior may be accomplished by using
woven elastic fibers. The material may be constructed from
synthetic elastic fibers chiefly made from polyurethane, e.g.,
spandex. Suitable synthetic fibers can include LYCRA.TM. by the
DuPont Co., CLEERSPAN.TM. by the Globe Manufacturing Co. or another
type of commercially available spandex fiber. Nevertheless, the
resilient member 145 may also include other types of fibers to
achieve desired characteristics for movement or may be constructed
of a shape recovery material. Alternatively, the resilient member
145 may be constructed from a range of weave and knit patterns that
vary the direction of stretch.
[0043] The ribs 143 may be sewn to the resilient member 145 or
attached to the resilient member 145 by adhesive bonding or other
methods. Threading 149 is provided on the surface of the rib 143
through the rib 142 to the abutting resilient member 145. The
threading 149 also provides a benefit of reducing surface friction
between the object 12 in the pocket 121 and base structure 141. In
operation, when the object 12 is removed from the pocket 121, it
readily slides on threading 149 to the top of the pocket for ease
of removal of the object 12. Referring to FIG. 14, rib 143 may
extend downwardly to the bottom of the pocket 121 and upwardly to
be connected to the access panel 26 (e.g., to the interior face
28). The rib 143 can be sewn on the interior face 28). The bottom
end 150 of the rib 143 is disposed above the bottom the container
100 for freely moving with respect to the bottom panel 101 of
container 100. This structure enables the object in the pocket to
be disposed in the access opening 30 for easier retrieval by a user
and allows for some ambient air circulation for a cooling an
electronic object in the pocket 121. Cell phone 11 and PDA 12 may
become hot during operation. With continued reference to FIGS. 9
and 10, in one construction, air channels 147 are formed between
the adjacent ribs 145. The air channels 147 provided a benefit of
incremental cooling (e.g., removal of heat) of the PDA 12 or cell
phone 11. In this way, the PDA and cell phones can operate better
or at least be cooled with the construction of the container
100.
[0044] With reference to FIGS. 8-10, the peripheral edge of the
access opening 30 may include a reinforcing element 38 made of a
rigid or semi-rigid material with respect to the material of the
access panel 26. The rigid material may be of a variety of material
compositions, such as plastic resin, and/or metal strips.
Nevertheless, the semi-rigid material that may be implemented
includes leather, synthetic leather, and/or other materials. The
reinforcing element 38 can be easily and economically made using a
variety of economical manufacturing processes, including molding,
metal stamping, hardened plastic forms and the like. Thus, a quick
access feature lends itself to a variety of economical
manufacturing processes using a variety of economical materials.
Nevertheless, the access opening 30 may have an appropriate shape
for enable access to the objects 11, 12 within the pockets 120,
121. The profile shapes of the access opening 30 may include
triangular 30', 30'', rectangular 30''', oval 30'''', oblong,
square and the like as shown in FIGS. 7A-D.
[0045] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the container 100 may have a
movable handle 180 or retractable handle. The handle 180 is fixedly
attached to stems 182. The stems 182 are disposed behind the rear
panel 170 of the container 100. Referring to FIG. 13, the handle
180 can be provided in a locked position by being held in opening
172 of the rear panel 170. In one construction, the opening 172 is
sized to the perimeter of shape of the handle 180 for a tight
locking fit. The perimeter of the opening 172 has a reinforcing
element 138 with a similar construction of element 38. In one
construction, the rear panel 170 is pivotable to release the handle
180 from the opening 172. To accomplish the pivotable operation,
the right and left sides of the container 100 includes mechanical
closures 165 (e.g., zippers) to enable the rear panel 170 to pivot
away from the remainder of the container 100. The pivotable
movement translates the lock opening 172 away from the handle 180
to enable free linear movement of the handle 180 (See FIG. 12).
[0046] While the present invention has been described with
reference to preferred and exemplary embodiments, it will be
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various
changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements
thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In
addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular
situation or material to the teachings of the invention without
departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the
invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed,
but that the invention include all embodiments falling within the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *