Extra-Pocket aka The X-Pocket

Abstract

The Extra Pocket is a hanging, stand-alone holding vehicle which allows a person to store items from their worn apparel pockets/pocketbooks until a later time. This makes for a tidier, neater way of living. The Extra-Pocket will also allow one to remember where their items are at all times.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO

Application No. 63/854,964; Filing or371(c) Date May 6, 2013.

STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

N/A.

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”

N/A.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Extra Pocket idea came a bout on Feb. 1, 2013 after watching a television program called “SharkTank”. The four of us (mentioned in (0004)) tried to think of a new and sellable product.

The Extra Pocket was a solution to an ongoing problem which many of us have to this day. When one is in the process of changing their apparel, or pocketbook, often times the items held in one's pocket, or pocketbook, is not suitable to carry over to their new apparel (e.g. pajamas, weekend wear, etc.). These items are usually placed on a nightstand, or bureau, creating a clutter. This is when the idea of The Extra Pocket came about. Should one have The Extra Pocket hanging from their nightstand, or bureau, they could place the unneeded items in The Extra Pocket alleviating the unwanted clutter.

Another exam pie would be: Each evening, while preparing for bed, instead of cluttering up my bureau, or nightstand, I would choose to leave my pocketed items in the pockets. The clothing would be placed on a Hope Chest located by the foot of the bed. The next morning, after dressing, I would take the items out of the previous day's apparel and place them in the current day's apparel. I would then leave for work, and keep the previous day's apparel on the Hope Chest.

This would be a daily occurrence. By week's end, there would be a pile of clothing on the Hope Chest (also a clutter). Now, by using a prototype of The Extra Pocket, my current day's apparel is put away each night.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Extra Pocket is a hanging, stand-alone pocket. I is made out of a partial wire hanger, or a mini-belt-loop, or another type of hanging apparatus, it will also include a light-weight material such as a thin piece of plastic. The plastic (or other insert) will be completely covered by a fibred material such as leather, suede, denim, or other fabric. Two pockets will be created in the process, a large pocket, and a small pocket.

The large, main pocket will be used to store make-up, keys, work badges, money, or other items usually carried in a pocket that is made on worn apparel, or pocketbook. The small pocket will be used to store one's cell phone, MP3-Player, or other like device, or whatever the user deem fit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1A and FIG. 2B on page 1|4in the DRAWINGS section shows 2 types of hanging devices. The uninterrupted bop of a wired hanger having a regular curve (FIG. 1A), is used to hang from drawer pulls with knobs attached to bureaus and nightstands. It can also hang from door-knobs, hooks placed on walls, and in closets. The interrupted bop of a hanger with an irregular curve (FIG. 1B), is used to hang from drawer pulls with handles, or brackets attached to bureaus and nightstands. It can also hang from door-knobs, hooks placed on wails, and in closets. The interruption in the curved loop is caused by two bends at the top of the curved loop. The first bend in the top of the curved loop starts approximately ⅛^th inch from the top center of the curve. Having the hangar facing you, so that the curved loop is shown, the first bend is made outward. The second bend occurs after a measurement of approximately ¼ inch back, still maintaining a curve. This is where the interruption in the curved loop occurs. The bends at the top of the hanger allows the hanger to stay flush against a structure with drawer pull handles, or brackets.

Also on page 1|4, is a plastic insert (FIG. 1C) is to be placed in the inside back of The Extra Pocket. The plastic insert will simulate a part of the body, such as a leg, where front pants pockets are located. It also will keep The Extra Pockets table.

FIG. 2 on page 2|4 shows a simulated production of The Extra Pocket. It shows a hanger attachment, an elasticized opening of the large pocket, and the location of the smaller pocket.

FIG. 2 on page 214 also shows a downward slant from left to right on the opening of the large pocket. This angle would be suitable for right-handed people.

FIG. 3 is a depiction suitable for left-handed people. While FIG. 4 would be for everyone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Continuation-In-Part

The Extra-Pocket (aka The X-Pocket), is an actual hanging pocket. The pocket fashioned from various articles of clothing (for example men and women's slacks, tops, jackets, coats, sweaters, etc.). Its function is to be a holding vehicle to temporarily store items held in one's pocket or pocketbook.

The X-Pocket will be made of many different designs and have one or more pockets depending on the design. Also, depending on the design, the X-Pocket will be made of different fibered materials such as leather, denim, terry-cloth, vinyl, etc.

There will be a flexible, lightweight material (such as plastic) within each unit to mimic a part of the human body (for example, a leg). The flexible, lightweight material will be covered completely by the material which the X-Pocket is made of.

The hanging attachment of the X-Pocket, depending on the design, will be either permanently attached, or have an interchangeable attachment. For example, permanent attachments such as partial wired hangers, as shown in the Drawings section (page 1|4, FIGS. 1A and 1B), the bottom of the wired hanger will be attached to the flexible, lightweight plastic (shown on the same page, FIG. 1C) and both bottom of said hanger and plastic will be covered by the fibered material used to make a particular X-Pocket. The top loop of each wired hanger will protrude from the X-Pocket and will also be covered by the same fibered material.

An example of an interchangeable hanging attachment would be taking the same example explained in paragraph (0020) except the bottom of the wired hanger would not be attached to the flexible, lightweight plastic. Instead, the bottom of the wired hanger will be shortened by approximately half the size. The whole hanger will then be covered completely by the fibered material used to make the X-Pocket. There will be two protruding extensions on each end of the bottom of the wired hanger having snaps at the ends of the extensions. There will be corresponding snaps at the top of the pocket used to attach the covered wired hanger.

Another example of an interchangeable hanging attachment would be sewing together two strips made of the same fibered material used to make the X-Pocket. Each strip would be approximately five to six inches by one-half to one inch in size. The strips would be sewn together at an angled mid-point to create an “X” strap. At the four ends of the “X” strap, snaps would be sewn in. Four snaps would also be sewn in at the top of the X-Pocket (two on the front and two on the back). The “X” strap would then hang over the desired hanging destination (a drawer pull handle, a closet hanging rack, a hospital bed rail, a beach chair arm, etc.). The hanging “X” strap would form two upside down “V” s with four snaps. The corresponding pocket and “X” strap would then be snapped together resulting in an X-Pocket with an interchangeable hanging attachment.

The attachments used, permanent or interchangeable, would depend on the design and fibered materials used to make the X-Pocket. For example, an X-Pocket made of leather, because of the cost and the fragile material, would have a permanent attachment such as the partial wired hanger explained in paragraph (0020). While an X-Pocket made of a water resistant material used for the beach or pool, would have an interchangeable attachment.

The size of the X-Pocket would depend on the size of one's hand, or how much one might need to store. The sample X-Pockets shown in the Drawing Section (pages 2|2, 2|3, and 2|4 —FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4), are X-Pockets of various sizes (small, medium, and large). The actual depth of a small X-Pocket is approximately eight inches. While a medium X-Pocket is approximately ten inches in depth, and a large would be approximately twelve inches in depth. The actual width of a small X-Pocket would be approximately six inches. While the width of a medium X-Pocket would be approximately eight inches, and a large would be approximately 10 inches.

An example of The X-Pocket made of denim material would be that of the top pair of blue jeans. If one would cut off the legs just before where the pocket ends, cut down the middle zippered section, remove the zipper, sew up each cut opening, add snaps to the waist band and attach the interchangeable “X” as described in paragraph (0022). One would then have two X-Pockets (one left-handed and one right-handed). The right-handed pocket of the pair of blue jeans would become a left-handed X-Pocket when hung at the desired destination. And the left-handed pocket of the pair of blue jeans would become a right handed X-Pocket.

While it is not impossible to place ones right hand into the left-hand pocket of any pair of slacks when worn, it is awkward to do so. The same would happen with a left/right handed X-Pocket.

The X-Pocket is not only made for the use in one's home, it can be also used in gyms (hung in lockers), hospitals (hung on bed railings), beaches and pools (hung on beach chairs), and many other places.

Claims

1-3. (canceled)

4: The X-Pocket is a stand-alone, hanging extra pocket(s), which will be constructed in a variety of fabrics and styles. Its primary use on a daily basis, is to temporarily hold items which are held in a person's pocket, or pocketbook (such as, but not limited to: cell phones; wallets; keys; and make-up). The purpose of the X-Pocket is to store all carried items held in one's pockets and pocketbook together when the carried items are no longer being held in one's pocket or pocketbook.

5: The X-Pocket will have many designs and come in various materials. The designs will be comprised of: one or more pockets, with or without a liner; a permanent or interchangeable hanging attachment; a bendable, light-weight material such as, a piece of plastic. The materials will be constructed of a various materials such as denim, leather, plastic, rubber, cotton, and rayon.

6: The X-Pocket is fashioned after pockets placed on articles clothing such as pants/slacks, shirts/blouses, jackets, and coats.

7: The X-Pocket will be hung by a variety of hanging attachments, permanent or interchangeable, connected to the top of the X-Pocket. Permanent attachments such as a hanger or a loop, will be sewn into the X-Pocket and covered with the same fabric that the pocket is covered with. Nonpermanent, or interchangeable attachments will attached to the pocket by buttons, snaps, zippers, etc.

8: The X-Pocket can be hung on: door knobs; drawer pulls on bureaus and nightstands (both knob pulls and handle/bracket pulls); hooks; rods in clothes closets; rails of hospital beds; beach chairs; and more.

9: The X-Pocket, depending on the size of one's hand, will be constructed of various sizes such as small, medium, and large (approximately 6 inches by 8 inches, 8 inches by 10 inches, and 10 inches by 12 inches respectively).

10: The X-Pocket will be designed for left-handed people, right-handed people, or designed for the use of either hand.

11: The X-Pocket have similarities to U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,638 to Ford (COMBINED HANGER AND UTILITY BAG—Application dated Jul. 1, 1954). The Ford patent discloses: While these disclosures are similar, the design and purpose between the two inventions differs.

A) ‘in order that such articles may not be misplaced and forgotten when the guest leaves’;

B) ‘the utility bag is adapted to be hung on a hook or closet door or upon a bar in the closet’;

C) ‘especially the hanging apparatus (garment hanger 17) being covered by the material of the utility bag’.

D) Ford's utility bag is at least 4 to 8 times larger than the X-Pocket. It also folds to place into a piece of luggage or it may be placed upon a shelf when not in use (see 40 on page 2 of Ford's patent). While the X-Pocket can be placed in a piece of luggage, and used at one's destination, it is not designed to fold.

E) The purpose of the X-Pocket is to be a holding vehicle of items usually held in one's pockets or pocketbooks, and is to be used daily. Unlike Ford's patent, which is used for travelers to place articles of clothing and other accessories (2nd and 3rd paragraphs of page 1 in Ford's patent) and to be used upon travel.

F) Ford's invention is a bag with multiple pockets. The X-Pocket is not a bag, but an actual pocket, or a structure of pockets (like the pockets of a pair of blue jeans which have both front and back pockets—Ford's do not).

G) In my patent search there have been thousands of existing patents under the search criteria of ‘pockets’. Each item investigated revealed pockets which were built into the invention. Again, Ford's invention falls under this category, unlike the X-Pocket, which is an actual hanging pocket with multiple hanging apparatuses.

H) The hanger portion of the X-Pocket, shown in the Drawing section on page 1|4 (FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B), shows only a partial hanger, the curved portion at the top and a straight line at the bottom. Both the curved loop and the straight line will be covered with the fabric used to make the X-Pocket. Ford's invention does not disclose that the looped portion of the hanger was covered, only the bottom portion of the hangar. The same is true of the other cited patents sent with the Office Action Summary Dated Apr. 15, 2015.

I) The X-Pocket will have multiple hanging apparatuses, some permanently attached and some interchangeable. Ford's invention relies specifically on a hangar.

J) The X-Pocket will be come in and made of multiple designs and fabrics. It will be made to be used in multiple places such as in one's home, at the beach, and in gym lockers to mention a few. Ford's invention is made primarily for home use.