U.S. patent application number 11/681458 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-04 for convertible load carrier and upright organizer for gear.
This patent application is currently assigned to AMERICAN RECREATION PRODUCTS, INC.. Invention is credited to Scott Gallaway.
Application Number | 20080210727 11/681458 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39732375 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080210727 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gallaway; Scott |
September 4, 2008 |
CONVERTIBLE LOAD CARRIER AND UPRIGHT ORGANIZER FOR GEAR
Abstract
A convertible load carrier and organizer system includes a
flexible container having an interior volume. At least one carry
strap extends from the flexible container for carrying the
container. At least one hanger extends from the container for
hanging the container in a generally upright position. At least one
shelf is in the interior volume of the container and is movable to
a deployed position when the container is hung upright.
Inventors: |
Gallaway; Scott; (St. Louis,
MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SENNIGER POWERS LLP
ONE METROPOLITAN SQUARE, 16TH FLOOR
ST LOUIS
MO
63102
US
|
Assignee: |
AMERICAN RECREATION PRODUCTS,
INC.
St. Louis
MO
|
Family ID: |
39732375 |
Appl. No.: |
11/681458 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/575 ;
224/600 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 4/02 20130101; A45C
13/03 20130101; A45C 13/02 20130101; A45F 2004/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/575 ;
224/600 |
International
Class: |
A45F 3/02 20060101
A45F003/02 |
Claims
1. A convertible load carrier and organizer system comprising: a
flexible container having an interior volume; at least one carry
strap extending from the flexible container; at least one hanger
extending from the container for hanging the container; and at
least one shelf in the interior volume of the container and movable
to a deployed position.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one strap includes
two straps and a handle joining the two straps.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the shelf is rigid.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the shelf includes tabs and
interior walls of the container include slots, the tabs engaging
the slots when the shelf is in the deployed position.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the shelf is hingedly mounted to a
long wall of the container so that the shelf can lay against the
long wall when the shelf is not in the deployed position.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein there are at least two
shelves.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one end wall of the
container is rigid so that it may be used as a shelf.
8. A carrier and organizer system for a tent comprising: a flexible
container having an interior volume sized and shaped to receive the
collapsed tent, the container including a long wall; at least one
carry strap extending from the flexible container for carrying the
container; at least one hanger extending from the container for
hanging the container in a generally upright position; and at least
one rigid shelf pivotally attached to the long wall of the
container and movable to a position generally perpendicular to the
long wall.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one carry strap
includes two straps and a handle joining the two straps.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one carry strap
includes a shoulder strap for extending over the shoulder of the
user.
11. The system of claim 8 wherein the shelf includes tabs and
interior walls of the container include slots, the tabs engageable
with the slots.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the shelf is hingedly mounted to
the long wall of the container so that the shelf can generally
conform to the long wall when the shelf is not in the shelf
position.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein there are at least two
shelves.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one end wall of the
container is rigid so that it may be used as a shelf.
15. A convertible tent carrier and organizer comprising: a flexible
container having an interior volume sized and shaped to receive a
collapsed tent, the container including a bottom wall, two side
walls having slots on interior sides, and generally rigid end
walls; a handle extending from the flexible container for carrying
the container; a hanger extending from the container for hanging
the container in a generally upright position; and rigid shelves
hingedly mounted on the bottom wall of the container and movable
from a position against the bottom wall to a position generally
perpendicular to the bottom wall, the shelves including tabs
engageable with the slots of the side walls.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a load carrier or container
that is convertible into a shelved organizer.
SUMMARY
[0002] In one embodiment, a convertible load carrier and organizer
system includes a flexible container having an interior volume. At
least one carry strap extends from the flexible container for
carrying the container. At least one hanger extends from the
container. At least one shelf is in the interior volume of the
container and is movable to a deployed position.
[0003] In another embodiment, a carrier and organizer system for a
tent includes a flexible container having an interior volume sized
and shaped to receive the collapsed tent. The container includes a
long wall. At least one rigid shelf is attached to the long wall of
the container and is movable to a position generally perpendicular
to the long wall.
[0004] Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation
to the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention. Further
features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects of
the present invention as well. These refinements and additional
features may exist individually or in any combination. For
instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of
the illustrated embodiments of the present invention may be
incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present
invention, alone or in any combination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a convertible load carrier
and organizer system of one embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective of the convertible load carrier and
organizer system of FIG. 1 with a flap open to show a collapsed
tent therein.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective of the convertible load carrier and
organizer system hung vertically inside the assembled tent, the
tent being shown in phantom with portions of the tent being cut
away.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a perspective of the convertible load carrier and
organizer system showing movable shelves being moved upward from an
undeployed position.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective of the convertible load carrier and
organizer system showing the shelves moving somewhat downward to
engage tabs of the shelves with slots.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a perspective of the convertible load carrier and
organizer system with the shelves in the deployed position.
[0011] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIGS. 1-2 shows a convertible load carrier and organizer
system of one embodiment, indicated generally at 11. The system
includes a bag, indicated generally at 13, (more broadly, a
flexible container) having an interior volume sized and shaped to
receive a collapsed tent 14. The bag 13 has a generally rectangular
or a parallelepiped shape when the tent 14 is stowed in the bag.
The bag 13 may be made of flexible fabric, including without
limitation nylon or canvas, or other suitable material. It should
be understood that this particular bag is merely one embodiment,
and many other embodiments, including those incorporated into
packs, backpacks, luggage and the like are contemplated within the
scope of the invention.
[0013] The bag 13 may include two carry straps 15 permanently
attached, as by stitching, near the top of the bag. The straps 15
themselves may serve as a handle, or a handle 17 may be permanently
attached to one of the straps and securable around the other strap
using VELCRO or other fastener. One or both straps may also be
slung over the shoulder. Many other handle and strap configurations
are contemplated, including configurations with only one strap or
handle, or those with more conventional shoulder straps like a
conventional backpack.
[0014] An opening 19 of the bag 13 may be closed by an elongate
fabric flap 21 that is permanently attached at a first end adjacent
the opening and may be releasably secured to the long edges of the
opening by slide fasteners 23. A second end of the flap 21 may be
releasably secured to an edge of the opening by a fastener 25, for
example, a VELCRO fastener.
[0015] As shown in FIGS. 3-6, the bag 13 of this embodiment
includes two rigid, movable shelves 31, though more or less are
contemplated within the scope of the invention. The shelves 31 are
permanently attached along their inside edges to a bottom wall 33
of the bag 13. The shelves 31 may alternatively be attached to the
side walls of the bag. The bottom wall 33 and side walls of the bag
13 are broadly referred to as "long walls" in this embodiment. The
shelves 31 are pivotally or hingedly attached such that they may
pivot from an undeployed position against the bottom wall 33 (FIG.
3) to an extended or deployed position generally perpendicular to
the bottom and to the side walls (FIG. 6).
[0016] The shelves 31 may be made of a rigid material such as a
hard plastic, and may be covered with a flexible fabric. Two rigid
tabs 35 extend from the outer corners of the shelves 31, and those
may also be covered by fabric and sewn to the fabric covering the
shelf. The tabs 35 may engage slots 37 formed in the side walls of
the bag 13 to thereby secure the shelves 31 in the shelf or
deployed position of FIG. 6. Many other configurations for securing
the shelves in the deployed position are contemplated.
[0017] End walls 41 of the bag 13 may also include a rigid
material, e.g., a rigid plastic, that may be sewn into the fabric
of the end wall or otherwise included in the end wall. The rigid
end walls 41 can then be used as shelves when the bag is turned
upright as shown in FIG. 6.
[0018] A hanger 45 extends from one of the end walls 41 for hanging
the bag 13 in a generally upright position. The hanger 45 may be
attached to the end wall 41 by cords 47, the cords secured to loops
49 on the end wall. The illustrated embodiment shows the cords 47
secured to the loops 49 by tying. It is understood, however, that
the cords can be secured to the loops 49 in other ways. Moreover,
many other hanger configurations are contemplated, including
without limitation where one of the carry straps is also used as
the hanger.
[0019] In one example of use of the bag 13 with the tent 14, the
bag with the collapsed tent inside is placed on the ground as shown
in FIG. 1. The bag 13 is opened by sliding the slide fasteners 23,
unfastening the VELCRO fastener 25, and opening the flap 21 to the
position shown in FIG. 2. The tent 14 is removed from the bag 13,
assembled and the bag hung generally vertically or upright inside
the tent as shown in FIG. 3. For example, the bag 13 may be hung
from the roof of the tent 14 using the hanger 45. Note that the bag
13 may also be hung outside the tent 14, and need not be hung to
the tent itself. As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the shelves 31 can then be
rotated from the undeployed position to the deployed position, the
tabs 35 being placed in the slots 37 as shown in FIG. 5. These
steps are reversed to collapse the tent 14 and place it back in the
bag 13. Note that "collapsed" includes any form of compacted,
rolled, folded, or the like, without limitation.
[0020] As can be seen from the illustrated embodiment, the shelves
31 are permanently attached to the bag 13 and enable the user to
easily convert the bag into an upright organizer. The bag 13 serves
two purposes: first to hold items or gear in transport by the user,
and second to organize items or gear on shelves when the bag is
stationary. In this way, the bag 13 need not go unused, for example
during camping after the tent 14 has been set-up. This reduces the
need for a separate organizer that is typically brought along on a
camping trip and serves no other purpose. Also, where the shelves
31 are rigid, they are more useful than the flexible shelves built
into some tents, or those added to tents after set-up. As shown,
the bag 13 can be made with the shelves 31 formed therein and
permanently attached so that the shelves cannot come loose and be
misplaced.
[0021] When introducing elements of various aspects of the present
invention or embodiments thereof, the articles "a", "an", "the" and
"said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the
elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are
intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional
elements other than the listed elements. Moreover, the use of "top"
and "bottom", "front" and "rear", "above" and "below" and
variations of these and other terms of orientation is made for
convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the
components.
[0022] As various changes could be made in the above constructions,
methods and products without departing from the scope of the
invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above
description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Further,
all dimensional information set forth herein is exemplary and is
not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
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