BOTTLE POCKET

Abstract

A pocket on a bag is operable between a collapsed configuration, in which the pocket overlies the bag, and an expanded configuration, in which the pocket opens to form a cavity for holding a water bottle or other items. The pocket and the bag each comprise a pair of attachment devices that are automatically or magnetically attached to each other when the pocket is in the collapsed configuration. The pocket includes a collapsible panel secured to the bag and that is adapted to collapse when the pocket is moved to the collapsed configuration.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure is directed towards pockets attached to a bag for holding items.

2. Description of the Related Art

Bags, backpacks, suitcases, and other articles used to hold and carry items typically contain a cavity for containing such items. It can be difficult or cumbersome to access such cavity for a single item, such as a water bottle or other item that may be needed more frequently than other items in the bag.

Moreover, when carrying water bottles and other bottles containing liquids in the cavity, condensation or leakage from the bottle may expel onto other items in the bag, thereby damaging or destroying such items. Some bags have pockets on the outside of a bag for easy access to a water bottle, for example. However, such pockets add to the size of the bag when the holders are not in use and may have devices (such as a draw string) that are susceptible to getting caught or hung-up on external items or structures, thereby damaging the bag and/or causing injury to the wearer.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed towards pockets for holding items on the outside of a bag, backpack, suitcase, and the like (collectively a “bag”). Generally, a bag may comprise a bag body that defines a bag cavity for holding contents therein. The bag body may comprise a side panel and a plurality of other panels, or it may simply comprise one panel or piece of material, such as with traditional shoulder bags, for example.

In some embodiments, a pocket is attached to the side panel of the bag body, or it may be attached to any surface of the bag body. The pocket may be adapted to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration when a wearer desires to use the pocket. In the collapsed configuration, the pocket overlies the side panel of the bag body such that the side panel is uniformly or substantially uniformly flat against the bag body. In the expanded configuration, the pocket is opened by the wearer and defines a pocket cavity which is capable of holding contents therein, such as a water bottle, separate from items that may be in the bag cavity.

In some embodiments, the pocket may include a pocket panel having a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge, and the first edge may be the only edge of the pocket panel that is directly secured to the bag. A collapsible panel, comprised of mesh material, may be secured to the second edge of the pocket panel and to the side panel of the bag at a second edge of the collapsible panel. Thus, the collapsible panel may be positioned between the side panel of the bag and the pocket panel. In some embodiments, a supplemental collapsible panel is secured to lower regions of the pocket panel and the collapsible panel to assist in holding contents in the pocket when in the expanded configuration. Thus, the pocket panel, the collapsible panel, and the supplemental collapsible panel may be collectively adapted to move between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration such that the collapsible panel and the supplemental collapsible panel may be hidden when in the collapsed configuration. The pocket panel, the side panel, the collapsible panel, and the supplemental collapsible panel may collectively define the pocket cavity that is formed when in the expanded configuration to contain items therein.

In some embodiments, the side panel of the bag may include at least one attachment device that is removably attached to a corresponding attachment device on the pocket when in the collapsed configuration. In some embodiments, one of the at least one attachment device and the at least one corresponding attachment device comprises a magnet, while the other one comprises a magnetically attractive element to be attracted by the magnet when the pocket is moved to the collapsed configuration. In other embodiments, each or both of the at least one attachment device and the at least one corresponding attachment device may be at least one or a combination of snaps, buttons, hook and loop fasteners, magnets, and other suitable structures.

In some embodiments, the at least one attachment device on the pocket may be automatically detached from the at least one corresponding attachment device on the bag when the pocket panel is moved from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration. Likewise, the at least one attachment device of the pocket may be automatically attached to the at least one corresponding device of the bag when the pocket panel is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration. Such functionality may allow the wearer to open and close the pocket without being required to physically and directly attach or detach the attachment devices from each other, thereby allowing the wearer quickly open and close the pocket with one hand, for example. In some embodiments, a tab may be coupled to the pocket to facilitate movement of the pocket between the collapsed and expanded configurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a bag having a pocket in a collapsed configuration according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the bag and the pocket of FIG. 1 in an expanded configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a portion of a bag 10, according to one embodiment. The bag 10 comprises a plurality of panels, including a front panel 12, a rear panel 14, a side panel 16, and a bottom panel 18. The plurality of panels collectively defines a bag cavity 20 for holding contents therein, as with traditional bags. A side pocket 22 is secured to the bag 10 and is shown in a collapsed configuration C in FIG. 1 and an expanded configuration E in FIG. 2. In the collapsed configuration C, the side pocket 22 overlies or lies flat against the side panel 16 and is adapted to be moved to the expanded configuration E in a direction depicted by arrow A.

In some embodiments, the side pocket 22 includes a side pocket panel 24 having a first edge 26, a second edge 27, a third edge 28, and a fourth edge 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the first edge 26 is secured to the side panel 16 and the second edge 27 is secured to a collapsible panel 30, as shown best in FIG. 2. The third edge 28 and the fourth edge 29 may not be secured directly to the bag 10. In some embodiments, the collapsible panel 30 has a first edge 32 secured to the side pocket panel 24 and a second edge 34 secured to the side panel 16. In some embodiments, a supplemental collapsible panel 36 may be secured to the side pocket panel 24 and to the side panel 16 of the bag 10 to help contain contents within the side pocket 22 when in use. Thus, the side pocket panel 24, the collapsible panel 30, and the supplemental collapsible panel 36 are adapted to collectively move between the collapsed configuration C and the expanded configuration E such that the collapsible panel 30 and the supplemental collapsible panel 36 may be hidden when in the collapsed configuration C. In some embodiments and when in the expanded configuration E, the side pocket panel 24, the collapsible panel 30, the supplemental collapsible panel 36, and the side panel 16 may collectively define a side pocket cavity 38 that is formed to contain items therein, such as a water bottle.

In some embodiments, the collapsible panel 30 may be secured to an upper strip 40, which may be comprised of an elastic band or other suitable material. The collapsible panel 30, the supplemental collapsible panel 36, and the upper strip 40 may each be comprised of one or a combination of a stiff or elastic material, and may each be sized and shaped to collectively receive and hold water bottles of various shapes and sizes, for example.

In some embodiments, the side pocket panel 24 includes a pair of attachment devices 42a, 42b positioned at upper and lower areas of the side pocket panel 24. The pair of attachment devices 42a, 42b may be attached onto or within fabric layers the side pocket panel 24. Similarly, the side panel 16 includes a pair of corresponding attachment devices 44a, 44b positioned at corresponding upper and lower areas of the side panel 16. The pair of corresponding attachment devices 44a, 44b may be attached onto or within fabric layers of the side panel 16. The pair of attachment devices 42a, 42b may be automatically attached to the pair of corresponding attachment devices 44a, 44b, respectively, when the side pocket 22 is moved to the collapsed configuration C. Conversely, the pair of attachment devices 42a, 42b may be detached from the pair of corresponding attachment devices 44a, 44b, respectively, when the side pocket 22 is moved to the expanded configuration E. The pair of attachment devices 42a, 42b and the pair of corresponding attachment devices 44a, 44b may assist to retain the side pocket 22 flush against the side panel 16 of the bag 10 when in the collapsed configuration C.

In some embodiments, a tab 46 may be coupled to the side pocket panel 24 to help a wearer move the side pocket 22 between the collapsed configuration C and the expanded configuration E in one fluid motion without the need to manually couple the pairs of attachment devices 42a, 42b to and from the pair of corresponding attachment devices 44a, 44b. In some embodiments, a strap 48 may be attached to the bag 10 to facilitate handling and carrying the bag 10 and the side pocket 22.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

Claims

1. A system for holding items to the outside of a bag having a bag panel enclosing at least a portion of a bag cavity, the system comprising:

at least one first attachment device coupled to the bag panel;

a pocket attached to an external side of the bag panel, opposite the bag cavity, and operable between a collapsed configuration against the bag panel and an expanded configuration spaced at least partially apart from the bag panel, the pocket comprising: a pocket panel having a first edge and a second edge, the first edge secured to the bag panel; a collapsible panel secured between at least the second edge of the pocket panel and the bag panel; and at least one second attachment device coupled proximate the second edge of the pocket panel, the second attachment device being removably attached to the at least one first attachment device when the pocket is in the collapsed configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the first and second attachment devices is magnetic and is attracted to the other when the pocket is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second attachment devices comprises at least one magnet, and the other one of the first and second attachment devices comprises at least one magnetically attractive element.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the pocket panel, the collapsible panel, and the bag panel collectively define a pocket cavity that is formed when the pocket is in the expanded configuration, and wherein the pocket cavity is separate from the bag cavity.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the pocket further comprises a supplemental collapsible panel secured between the pocket panel and the bag panel, wherein the supplemental collapsible panel assists to contain contents in the pocket.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the collapsible panel is adapted to collapse and lie between the bag panel and the pocket panel when the pocket is in the collapsed configuration so that the collapsible panel is hidden between the pocket panel and the bag panel.

7. A pocket coupled to a bag for holding items separate from other contents in the bag, the pocket comprising:

a pocket panel having a first edge and a second edge, the first edge secured to the bag;

at least one attachment device secured to the pocket panel and removably attachable to the bag when the pocket is in a collapsed configuration; and

a collapsible panel secured between the second edge of the pocket panel and the bag, wherein the collapsible panel and the pocket panel are adapted to move between the collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration.

8. The pocket of claim 7 wherein the bag comprises a complementary attachment device and the attachment device in the pocket panel is automatically attached to the complementary attachment device in the bag when the pocket is moved from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration.

9. The pocket of claim 7 wherein the at least one attachment device comprises at least one of a magnet and a magnetically attractive element.

10. The pocket of claim 7 further comprising a pocket cavity formed when the pocket is in the expanded configuration, wherein the pocket is adapted to hold the items separate from the other contents in the bag.

11. The pocket of claim 7 further comprising a supplemental collapsible panel secured between the pocket panel and the bag, wherein the supplemental collapsible panel assists to contain items in the pocket.

12. A bag comprising:

a bag body defining a bag cavity to hold contents therein;

at least one attachment device coupled to the bag body; and

a pocket coupled to the bag body and adapted to move between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the pocket comprising: a pocket panel secured to the bag body; a collapsible panel secured to the pocket panel and the bag body; at least one corresponding attachment device coupled to the pocket panel and removably attachable to the at least one attachment device when the pocket is in the collapsed configuration; and a pocket cavity defined by the bag body, the pocket panel and the collapsible panel when the pocket is in the expanded configuration, wherein the pocket cavity is separate from the bag cavity.