Child's portable activity pack
A child's portable activity pack having folding pouches for amusement or educational items. The pack can be unfolded and its rear pouch placed on a folded down airplane passenger service tray. The back straps can be tightened beneath the tray to securely hold the pack on the tray and a front pouch with an erase board unfolds upwardly and hooks on the service tray catch provided to hold the service tray in its fold-up position. Friction hinges are also provided to releasably hold the front pouch in an upright position when not aboard an aircraft. The portable activity pack has side pouches, which hang down at the sides of the service tray, or other support, for storing the amusement and educational items. The back pouch includes a clear plastic game board and a compartment beneath the game board for game boards and flat items.
Occupying the attention of children traveling in conveyances, such as airplanes or automobiles, is a challenge for parents. When confined to a seat on an airplane or automobile a child typically becomes restless and irritable due to inactivity. Although a parent may bring a few toys or play items aboard an airplane in carry-on luggage, the child typically loses interest in a relatively short period of time and looks for other avenues of entertainment.
Thus there is a need for a child's portable activity pack that can be hand-carried onto commercial airplanes or taken on automobile trips and which contains a variety of amusement or educational items capable of maintaining the child's interest for extended periods of time. In addition to maintaining such activity items in an organized manner, the portable activity pack should include a wide variety of activity items, such as toys, books, a flat transparent surface for game boards, or tracing or writing and a dry erase board for drawing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA portable activity pack in the form of a back pack is provided having back straps and a handle for hand carry and which has fold-up panels containing toys, games, writing or drawing paper and related children activity items. Aboard an aircraft the portable activity pack is unfolded and a rear pouch is placed on a fold-down tray attached to the back of the seat in front of the seat being occupied by the child. The back straps are crossed beneath the tray and rebuckled. A front pouch attached to one lateral side of the rear pouch, which is the same size as the rear pouch, has a loop on its free lateral edge, which hooks over the latch for the fold-down tray, thereby holding the front pouch and its dry erase board in an upright position. A lateral side pouch folds down from the other lateral side of the rear pouch at the front of the tray and top and bottom side pouches fold-down at the sides of the tray. The rear pouch has a transparent plastic window beneath which game boards and sheets of paper may be stored. The front pouch may include a dry erase board and includes a zipper for a pocket behind the board for storing paperback books, game boards or other flat items. Loops are provided below the dry erase board for holding dry erase pens. The side pouches also include zipper enclosed compartments for storing game cards, crayons, toys and the like. Mesh pockets are also provided on the side pouches for storing toys and game pieces and one of the side pouches preferably has loops for storing finger puppets. When it is desired to refold the portable activity pack, the front pouch unhooks from the tray latch and is folded over the rear of the rear pouch, the lateral side pouch is folded over the front pouch and a separating zipper therebetween is closed. Next, the top and bottom side pouches are folded over the interconnected front and lateral side pouches and a separating zipper therebetween is closed. A flap is provided to hide this last mentioned zipper. The flap is held in its zipper covering position by Velcro patches. The shoulder straps are then unbuckled and the portable activity pack is removed from the fold-down service tray. Friction hinges interconnect lateral edges of the front and rear pouches, which serve to frictionally hold the front pouch in an adjusted activity position when it is manually moved to such position. The friction hinges facilitate use of the portable activity pack when the activity site does not include a hook on which the loop can be hooked to hold the front pouch in an upright position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe portable activity pack is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
The front pouch 12 has a front or inner wall or panel 36 to which a rigid dry erase board 37 is secured and a rear or outer wall or panel 38, which in
Referring to
The lateral side pouch 14 includes a front panel 52 and a rear panel 53 which are interconnected at their top edges, their bottom edges and their lateral side edges which correspond to a top edge 56, a bottom edge 57, and lateral edges 58, 59 of the lateral side pouch 14. A non-separating zipper 61 is installed in the front panel 52 adjacent and parallel to the lateral edge 59, which provides access to the interior of the pouch 14, which is suitable for storing small toys and game pieces. Mesh material is sewn or otherwise fastened to the front panel 52 to form a pair of mesh pockets 62, 63 which open toward the zipper 61. The pockets 62, 63 are ideal for storing quickly accessible game pieces or toys.
As shown in
The bottom side pouch 17 includes a front panel 82 and a back or rear panel 83 interconnected at their top, bottom and laterally opposite sides to form a top edge 84, the bottom edge 81, a lateral edge 86 and a lateral edge 87. A non-separating zipper 88 is installed in the front panel 82 near and parallel with the top edge 84 to provide access to the pocket formed between the panels 82, 83. Mesh material is sewn or otherwise fastened to the front panel 82 to form side by side mesh pockets 91, 92. Velcro patches 93, 94 are sewn on the lower corners of the front panel 83 of the lower side pouch 17 which mate with Velcro patches 96, 97 sewn on the inside of the flap 76 in the fold-up condition of the activity pack as shown in
The portable activity pack 11 is designed to maintain toys, games, writing accessories and the like in a secure organized manner during transport and when unfolded aboard an airplane, in an automobile, on a train or at a home, it provides an activity center for keeping a child occupied for a long period of time. The portable activity pack 11 can be carried by the handle 31 or, by using the back straps 21, 22, it can be transported as a backpack. When the portable activity pack 11 is unfolded and placed on a service tray 98 in its fold-down service position shown in
The friction hinges 111, 112 increase the versatility of the portable activity pack 11 by maintaining the front pouch 12 and its dry erase board 37 in an upright posture to which it may be pivoted without reliance on an external support such as found aboard a passenger aircraft. The friction hinges 111, 112 facilitate the usefulness of the portable activity pack 11 when used at home, when it accompanies a child to a baby sitters home, in an automobile or train or to a day care center.
REFERENCE NUMBER GLOSSARY11 portable activity pack
12 quadrilateral front pouch
13 quadrilateral rear pouch
14 lateral side pouch
16 top side pouch
17 bottom side pouch
18 shoulder strap
19 shoulder strap
21 corresponding portion
22 corresponding portion
23 top edge
24 corresponding portion
26 corresponding portion
27 bottom edge
28 adjustable quick release buckle
29 adjustable quick release buckle
31 handle
36 panel
37 rigid dry erase board
38 rear or outer wall or panel
39 separating zipper
41 non-separating zipper
42 lateral edge
43 loop
44 lateral edge
46 front panel
47 rectangular transparent game board
48 band
49 rigid frame
51 elongated opening
52 front panel
53 rear panel
56 top edge
57 bottom edge
58 lateral edge
59 lateral edge
61 non-separating zipper
62 mesh pocket
63 mesh pocket
66 front panel
67 back panel
68 top edge
69 bottom edge
71 lateral edge
72 lateral edge
73 non-separating zipper
74 loop
76 flap
77 separating zipper
80 embroidered flower
81 bottom edge
82 front panel
83 rear panel
84 top edge
86 lateral edge
87 lateral edge
88 non-separating zipper
91 mesh pocket
92 mesh pocket
93 Velcro patch
94 Velcro patch
96 Velcro patch
97 Velcro patch
98 service tray
99 fastening
101 latch
102 passenger seat
111 friction hinge
112 friction hinge
Claims
1. A portable pack adapted for placement on an airplane passenger service tray having a fold-down service position and a fold-up position in which it is releasably held by a retention hook,
- a quadrilateral rear pouch having a top edge, a bottom edge and laterally opposite side edges, said rear pouch being formed by a rear panel and a front panel secured together at their corresponding top edges, bottom edges and one of their corresponding laterally opposite side edges to form a pocket for flat items there between a transparent plastic window in said front panel, a pair of shoulder straps having first corresponding portions secured to said rear pouch near its top edge, second corresponding portions secured to said rear pouch near its bottom edge and a buckle adjustably connecting said first and second portions of each of said straps,
- a quadrilateral front pouch formed of front and rear panels and having a top edge, a bottom edge and laterally opposite side edges, one of said laterally opposite side edges of said front pouch being connected to one of said laterally opposite edges of said rear pouch, and a fastening secured to said front pouch near the midpoint of the other of its laterally opposite side edges, said fastening being adapted to releasable connect to said retention hook, a dry erase board in said rear panel of said front pouch, and a zipper in said rear panel of said front pouch, parallel to said other lateral side edge of said front panel and disposed between said other lateral side edge of said front panel and said dry erase board.
2. The portable pack of claim 1 having at least one friction hinge between said one lateral side edge of said front pouch and said one lateral side edge of said rear pouch.
3. The portable pack of claim 1 wherein said straps are adapted for placement beneath said service tray in its fold-down position to releasably secure said rear pouch to said tray.
4. The portable pack of claim 1 wherein said fastening is a flexible loop.
5. The portable pack of claim 1 including a lateral side pouch having top, bottom and laterally opposite edges; one of said laterally opposite edges of said lateral side pouch being connected to the other of said laterally opposite side edges of said rear pouch, said lateral side pouch including a front panel and a rear panel interconnected at their edges, a zipper in said front panel of said lateral side pouch near said one lateral edge of said lateral side pouch.
6. The portable pack of claim 5 having a pair of side by side mesh pockets on said front panel of said lateral side pouch.
7. The portable pack of claim 5 having a zipper parallel to said laterally opposite edges adapted to releasably interconnect said front pouch to said lateral side pouch when said front pouch and said lateral side pouch are folded onto one another at the front panel side of said rear pouch.
8. The portable pack of claim 1 including top and bottom side pouches, each having front and back panels with interconnected top, bottom and laterally opposite side edges, said top edge of said top side pouch being connected to said top edge of said rear pouch, said top edge of said bottom side pouch being connected to said bottom edge of said rear pouch and zippers in each of said front panels of said top and bottom side pouches near their respective connections to said top and bottom edges of said rear panel.
9. The portable pack of claim 8 having a zipper releasably interconnecting said bottom edges of said top and bottom side pouches.
10. The portable pack of claim 9 having a pair of side by side mesh pockets on said frontal panel of one of said top and bottom side pouches.
11. The portable pack of claim 10 including a flap covering and having a portion extending beyond said back panel of said top side pouch and a pair of laterally Velcro tape patches releasably interconnecting said portion of said flap and said back panel of said top side pouch.
12. The portable pack of claim 1 wherein said shoulder straps are adapted to buckle beneath said tray in its fold-down position.
13. A portable activity pack comprising:
- a front rectangular pouch having top, bottom and lateral edges and including inner and outer walls interconnected at said top, bottom and lateral edges of said front pouch to form a first enclosure for flat items, a dry erase board secured to and covering a major part of said inner wall, and a first zipper in said inner wall extending longitudinally adjacent one of said lateral edges to provide access to said first enclosure,
- a rear rectangular pouch including front and back panels having corresponding top and bottom edges and one lateral edge connected to one another to form a pocket between said panels of said rear rectangular pouch for flat items and an opening at the other of their corresponding lateral edges for access to said pocket, said one lateral edge of said back panel of said rear pouch being connected to the other of said lateral edges of said front pouch, and a transparent window in said front panel of said rear pouch,
- a pair of laterally spaced straps having corresponding ends connected to the top and bottom edges of said back panel of said rear pouch,
- a lateral side pouch having top, bottom and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges being connected to the other lateral edge of said rear pouch, inner and outer panels forming a pocket, and a second zipper in said inner panel adjacent said one lateral edge of said lateral side pouch providing access to said pocket therein,
- a top side pouch having top, bottom and lateral edges, said top edge of said top side pouch being connected to said top edge of said rear pouch, inner and outer panels forming a pocket, and a third zipper in said inner panel of said top side pouch adjacent its top edge,
- a bottom side pouch having top, bottom and lateral edges, said top edge of said bottom side pouch being connected to said bottom edge of said rear pouch, inner and outer panels forming a pocket and a fourth zipper in said inner panel of said bottom side pouch adjacent its top edges,
- a fifth zipper releasably connecting the other lateral edge of said lateral side pouch to said outer wall of said front pouch, and
- a zipper for releasably connecting said second flap to said third flap.
14. The portable activity pack of claim 13 having at least one friction hinge interconnecting said one lateral edge of said rear pouch to said other of said lateral edges of said front pouch.
15. The portable activity pack of claim 13 including a handle secured to said pouch near the top edge of said rear pouch.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 16, 2004
Publication Date: May 18, 2006
Inventor: Katherine Padilla (Boulder, CO)
Application Number: 10/989,991
International Classification: A45F 4/00 (20060101);