Luggage item with water bottle pocket

Abstract

A luggage item of tote or briefcase size includes at one end thereof an integral pocket for receipt of a water bottle. The pocket is releasably enclosed along the top and both side edges thereof by a zipper. One or more pairs of elastic bands connect the outer wall of the pocket to the end of the luggage item for resiliently securing a water bottle therebetween.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to luggage items, and more particularly to a luggage item having incorporated therein an integral water bottle pocket.

[0003] 2. The Related Art

[0004] It has become increasingly common for individuals to carry bottled water with them as they travel. Indeed, bottled water is sold for that very purpose in virtually all travel terminals, e.g., airports, train and bus stations, gasoline stations, and the like.

[0005] The actual transport of a water bottle by the individual, however, is often somewhat of an inconvenience. For example, as easy access to the water is desirable, it is frequently impractical to store the water bottle inside one's luggage, particularly if the luggage is of the type that is checked or stored in an overhead luggage compartment or in the trunk of an automobile. Where an individual is traveling with a tote or briefcase size bag, the bottle can of course be placed inside the bag. But this is not entirely satisfactory either. Water bottles are rather bulky, and do not always readily fit within a hand-carried bag intended to serve other purposes as well. If the bottle protrudes from the bag, at least the pocket of the bag containing the bottle must be left unlocked. This could represent a potential theft problem. Also, once opened, water bottles are subject to leakage, which could damage papers or other items carried in the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the invention to fulfill the foregoing and other needs of the prior art by the provision of a luggage item, preferably of the tote or hand-carried size, having an integral elasticized water bottle pocket. The pocket is preferably attached to the exterior of one end of the luggage item, opens upwardly to receive a water bottle and, when not in use, is closed by a closure mechanism such as a zipper which extends along the top and both sides of the pocket.

[0007] The outer wall of the pocket is preferably an upwardly extending, tongue-shaped member of fabric material that is stitched or otherwise suitably attached at its lower end to the main body of the bag. The sides and top of the tongue-shaped member carry one mating half of the aforementioned zipper, the other mating half of which is carried by the opposite end surface of the bag.

[0008] In one embodiment, the tongue-shaped wall member is preferably attached to the opposite end surface of the bag by a pair of elastic bands located near the upper free end of the wall member, which bands, when stretched away from the bag, allow a water bottle to be inserted into the pocket. The elastic bands securely hold the bottle within the pocket.

[0009] In another embodiment, one or more additional pairs of elastic bands or other elastic structure may be provided along the sides of the tongue-shaped member, or the aforementioned first pair of elastic bands may be widened vertically to form, in effect, elastic sidewalls of the pocket. Such an arrangement not only provides a more secure retention of a water bottle within the pocket, but also permits other conveniently-at-hand articles, such as, for example, a cellular telephone or a personal digital assistant, to be stored in the pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference may be made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a generally schematic three-quarter front pictorial view of a luggage item having an integral water bottle pocket in accordance with the invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a detailed end view of the water bottle pocket of FIG. 1, showing the pocket in the closed state;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view of the water bottle pocket of FIG. 2, showing a water bottle in place in the pocket; and

[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a second embodiment of the water bottle pocket.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0015] FIG. 1 depicts a luggage item 10 of tote or briefcase size, and adapted to be carried by an individual by means of the handles 12 or shoulder strap 14. Such a bag would typically include one or more zippered main and/or side pockets 16 for papers, overnight articles, and the like. In the usual case, it would be carried with the person when traveling.

[0016] In accordance with the invention, a pocket 20 is provided at an end of the bag 10 for receipt of a water bottle 22 (see FIG. 3). As used herein, the term “water bottle” is intended in a generic sense to refer to any bottle or container designed to contain a fluid for human consumption. The pocket 20 preferably is formed by an upwardly extending tongue-shaped outer wall member 24 that is stitched or otherwise securely fastened at its lower end 26 to the opposed end 10a of the bag 10. The wall member 24 may be made of any suitable material, such as the fabric customarily used to cover “soft” briefcases or the like, e.g., ballistic nylon fabric.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tongue-shaped outer wall member 24 is releasably fastened to the end 10a of the bag 10 by a closure mechanism such as a zipper 28 extending along the top 30 and down both sides 32 of the member 24. When the zipper is done-up, the pocket 20 lies compactly against the end 10a of the bag.

[0018] When the zipper 28 is undone, the tongue-shaped outer wall member 24 is free to move away from the bag end 10a over most of its length for receipt of a water bottle 22 (see FIG. 3). To that end, the upper free end 30 of the wall member 24 is connected to the bag 10 by a pair of elastic bands 34 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) that extend from the side walls 32 of the wall member 24. The elastic bands 34 permit the outer wall member 24 to move away for the end 10a of the bag for receipt of the water bottle 22, and then resiliently hold the bottle in place within the pocket. An accordion pleat 36 may be provided in the outer wall member 24 to permit the wall member to expand in the widthwise direction as well to accommodate the water bottle. The bands 34 and the pleat 36 fold within the pocket when the zipper 28 is done up.

[0019] As will be understood, the dimensions of the wall member 24 and the pleat 36 and the dimensions and elastic properties of the bands 34 may be selected to accommodate a variety of sizes of bottles. Preferably, however, the pocket 20 should be able to accommodate bottles up to at least 12 fluid ounces in size.

[0020] For greater security in retaining the water bottle 22 within the pocket 20, one or more additional pairs of elastic bands 36 may be provided along the vertical length of the tongue-shaped wall member 24, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the bands 34 could be widened in the vertical direction to cover a greater portion of the vertical length of the pocket. As still a further alternative, an elastic web or net which extends over the entire or nearly the entire vertical length of the wall member 24 could be provided in place of the elastic bands 34, 36. In all instances, the result is, in effect, to provide elastic sidewalls for the pocket 20. These additional elastic bands or other elastic sidewall structures permit other, perhaps smaller articles, to be conveniently carried within the pocket 20. Such articles could include, for example, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, or like articles that the traveler wants readily at hand.

[0021] Although the invention has been described herein by reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof, it will be understood that such embodiment is susceptible of modification and variation without departing form the inventive concepts disclosed. All such modifications and variations, therefore, are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. In a luggage item having a body with external wall surfaces, the improvement comprising a pocket mounted on an external surface of the body for receipt of a water bottle, said pocket comprising an upwardly-extending outer wall member secured at its lower end to said external surface of the body and terminating in an upper free end and having side edges extending between said lower end and said upper free end, the outer wall member being connected to said external surface of the body by an elastic structure connected between each side edge of the outer wall member and said external surface of the body, said elastic structures permitting the outer wall member to move away from said external surface of the body to permit a water bottle to be received therebetween and between said elastic structures, and a closure mechanism for releasably connecting the side and top edges of the outer wall member to said external surface of the body.

2. The luggage item of claim 1, further comprising at least one accordion-type pleat in the outer wall member to permit widthwise expansion of the outer wall member.

3. The luggage item of claim 2, wherein the outer wall member comprises a tongue-shaped member connected at its base to said external surface of the body.

4. The luggage item of claim 1, wherein the elastic structures comprise at least one pair of elastic bands connected between the side edges of the outer wall member and said external surface of the body adjacent the upper end of the outer wall member.

5. The luggage item of claim 4, further comprising a second pair of elastic bands connected between the side edges of the outer wall member and said outer surface of the body, said first and second pairs of elastic bands being spaced apart vertically of the outer wall member.

6. The luggage item of claim 1, wherein the closure mechanism is a zipper.