Bag fixing
A bag wall includes side walls in which bands of material are divided into bag loops. Dividers are secured across these bag loops utilizing clips which extend along one side over the bag loop and on the other side over a fixing loop of the divider. Thus, the fixing loops are held in robust association with the bag loops in order to provide appropriate division of an interior space of the bag. Similar clips can be utilized with fixing loops in order to secure bridge dividers or a compartment within the space.
The present invention relates to bag fixings and more particularly to fixings used in a bag to define compartments, secure dividers and attach pockets.
In such occupations as photography it is common to provide a large bag within which the photographer customises the interior to accommodate and appropriately protect equipment. The attached drawing marked “prior art” illustrates a schematic plan view of a known bag B. This bag B has internal surfaces S of bag walls W covered with a fleece and hook type fastening material. Thus, patches P can be secured to that surface S in order to locate dividers D or pocket compartment C.
Installation of hook and fleece material to provide or cover the surface S is a cumbersome operation during manufacture of the bag B. Furthermore, attaching patches P in use in order to locate the dividers D or compartment C can be an intricate and frustrating exercise. It should be understood that the surface S must be resiliently secured to the wall W to be effective and large areas of such hook and fleece type fastenings rapidly become fouled with fluff and other contaminants. With respect to attaching patches P it will be understood that there must be a substantially perpendicular fastening force, it is not possible to slide the patches relative to the surface S and again these patches are susceptible to damage and contamination.
It will be noted in the drawing marked “prior art” patches Pp extend between dividers D in order to provide further compartments in the bag B. The patches Pp will also be of a hook and fleece type fastening and again are inconvenient to use. The alternative as illustrated is to provide stitched ridge dividers PD but these again may make installation of the divider assembly more complicated and dearly limit versatility.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fixing for a bag, the fixing comprising a bag loop and a fixing loop along with a clip which comprises two limbs arranged in use to extend respectively into the bag loop and the fixing loop to ensure robust association between the bag loop and the fixing loop, thereby restraining the bag loop and fixing loop against relative movement between them.
Preferably, the clip comprises a hairpin arranged to close at one end with lateral bulging when dosed to restrain the bag loop and/or fixing loop. Normally, the lateral bulging is outwardly. Alternatively, the clip is open ended with sufficient resilience to ensure robust association and the limbs' provided with bias bulging to provide restraint of the bag loop and/or fixing loop.
Possibly, the clip includes a shaped surface to engage and restrain the bag loop and/or the fixing loop. Typically, two shaped surfaces are provided in the clip to co-operate in order to restrain the bag loop and fixing loop between them. Possibly, the two shaped surfaces are opposed. Advantageously, the two shaped surfaces are reciprocal with re-entrant portions to restrain the bag loop and fixing loop between them.
Possibly, the clip penetrates the materials from which the bag loop and/or fixing loop are made in order to restrain these loops and/or lock the limbs together.
Normally, the clips will be made from plastics materials or metals or a combination thereof with plastics materials to provide grip portions and metal parts to ensure robust association.
Possibly, the clip ends are closed together by detent or latch engagement. Alternatively, the clip ends are closed by interleaving notch engagement between respective ends of the limbs.
Also in accordance with the present invention there is provided a bag including a fixing as described above.
Typically, the bag loop comprises a band of material secured to a wall of the bag. Normally, the band is sectioned to form a number of bag loops. Possibly, bands of material may be secured to the wall one on top of the other with different section spacings to form different sized bag loops.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;
Referring to
Dividers 11, 12 are provided in which fixing loops 13, 14 are provided at each end. In order to restrain the dividers 11, 12, a clip 15, 16 is arranged to extend between the bag loop 9, 10 and the fixing loop 13, 14. Thus, the fixing loops 13, 14 are held in robust association with the bag loops 9, 10 and so the dividers 11, 13 are restrained within the bag 1.
A bridge divider 17 is provided in the embodiment depicted between dividers 11, 12. The bridge divider 17 includes fixing loops 18 whilst the dividers 11, 12 at an appropriate position include loops equivalent to bag loops 9, 10. Thus, a clip 20 extends respectively between the fixing loops 18 and loops, 19 in order to hold the bridge divider 17 in place.
A compartment 21 is also shown secured within the bag 1. This compartment 21 is secured to a fixing loop 22 such that a clip 23 which extends between the fixing loop 22 and a bag loop 10 robustly ensures association between that fixing loop 22 and the bag loop 10.
By use of the fixing loops 13, 14, 22 in robust association with bag loops 9, 10 it will be understood that the dividers 11, 12 and compartment 21 are securely located or restrained within the bag 1. In order to provide such secure location, the clips 15, 16, 23 must effectively hold at least one of the fixing loop 13, 14, 22 or bag loop 9, 10 in a resilient association with the other. Normally the clips 15, 16, 23 have a hairpin shape such that the limbs of the clip 15, 16, 23 respectively extend through one of the fixing loop 13, 14, 22 and the other through the bag loop 9, 10. The bottom of the hairpin dip is then closed in order to provide the restraining engagement in order to secure location of the divider 11, 12 or compartment 21.
It will be noted that the bag loops 39 substantially extend for the full depth of the bag 31. Thus, in use a clip (not shown) will be arranged with one limb extending down and through a bag loop 39, whilst the other extends through a fixing loop, or where required bag loop 35, such that a distal end of each limb of the clip will then generally be secured together in order to restrain the bag loop 39 and fixing loop into a robust association within the bag 31. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the clip may remain open if that clip has sufficient resilience to maintain association between the bag loop 39 and the fixing loop whilst providing a restraining engagement between the bag loop and fixing loop.
It will be appreciated that restraining engagement is principally required with the bag loop 39 as this bag loop 39 or subsidiary loop 35 will be significantly wider than the clip whilst the fixing loop will generally comprise a sleeve upon the end of a divider or secured to a compartment of similar width. This sleeve will generally be of substantially the same internal dimensions as the clip and so will be resiliently retained within that fixing loop or at least there will only be limited slackness to allow movement whilst the limb in engagement with the bag loop 39 may slide across its width between stitching 33, 34. Such ability for slide adjustment is a significant advantage with the fling in accordance with the present invention. Securing the distal ends of the clip together will generally bring about resilient and possibly gripping engagement and so association to secure the relative position of the fixing loop to the bag loop 39. However, prior to such locking of the distal ends together there is scope for slide adjustment of position as required.
FIGS. 4 to 8 show various configurations of a clip in accordance with the present invention.
It will be appreciated it is the adjustability of the present fixing which provides adjustment within a bag. Thus, penetrative techniques such as that with regard to clip 75 or clip 85 which cause damage to the material from which the fixing loop and bag loop are formed may be considered unacceptable. Normally, the non-damaging but nevertheless restraining configurations describe with respect to
Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A fixing for a bag, the fixing comprising a bag loop and a fixing loop along with a clip which comprises two limbs arranged in use to extend respectively into the bag loop and the fixing loop to ensure robust association between the bag loop and the fixing loop, thereby restraining the bag loop and fixing loop against relative movement between them.
21. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein the clip comprises a hairpin arranged to close at one end with lateral bulging when closed to restrain the bag loop and/or fixing loop.
22. A fixing as claimed in claim 21 wherein the lateral bulging is outward.
23. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein the clip is open ended with sufficient resilience to ensure robust association and the limbs provided with bias bulging to provide restraint of the bag loop and/or fixing loop.
24. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein the clip includes a shaped surface to engage and restrain the bag loop and/or the fixing loop.
25. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein two shaped surfaces are provided in the clip to co-operate in order to restrain the bag loop and fixing loop between them.
26. A fixing as claimed in claim 25 wherein the two shaped surfaces are opposed.
27. A fixing as claimed in claim 25 wherein the two shaped surfaces are reciprocal with re-entrant portions to restrain the bag loop and fixing loop between them.
28. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein the clip penetrates the materials from which the bag loop and/or fixing loop are made in order to restrain these loops and/or lock the limbs together.
29. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein the clips are made from plastics materials or metals or a combination thereof with plastics materials to provide grip portions and metal parts to ensure robust association.
30. A fixing as claimed in claim 20 wherein the clip ends are closed together by detent or latch engagement.
31. A fixing as claimed in claim 30 wherein the clip ends are closed by interleaving notch engagement between respective ends of the limbs.
32. A bag including a fixing comprising a bag loop and a fixing loop along with a clip which comprises two limbs arranged in use to extend respectively into the bag loop and the fixing loop to ensure robust association between the bag loop and the fixing loop, thereby restraining the bag loop and fixing loop against relative movement between them.
33. A bag as claimed in claim 32 wherein the bag loop comprises a band of material secured to a wall of the bag.
34. A bag as claimed in claim 33 wherein the band is sectioned to form a number of bag loops.
35. A bag as claimed in claim 34 wherein bands of material are secured to the wall one on top of the other with different section spacings to form different sized bag loops.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 3, 2003
Publication Date: Apr 20, 2006
Inventor: Martin Billingham (West Midland)
Application Number: 10/530,313
International Classification: B65D 33/16 (20060101);