Diaper Changing Accessory Organizer
A portable diaper changing accessory organizer including an elongated bag body having a plurality of pivotally connected or hinged sections, a capturing element, and a carrying strap such that a user may organize and store personal articles along with diaper changing provisions including an optional changing mat in the storage sections and then fold and capture the sections together and transport the organizer along with the packed articles in a relatively thin profile pack that may be opened flat to expose each of the storage sections for quick access to the articles necessary to change an infant.
This is a continuation-in-part of, U.S. Ser. No. 11/134,962, filed on May 23, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,707, entitled Portable Rollup Pack, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting personal articles and more specifically to portable packs for organizing, storing, and transporting substantially flattened or compressible articles alone or along with rolled up, folded, or flattened cushioning articles such as sleeping gear, exercise and seating mats, personal towels, diaper changing mats or pads, beach towels, blankets, and other similar articles.
2. Background Art
Adults as well as children often engage in overnight camping trips as well as slumber parties. For such extended stays, the overnighter generally must pack both a sleeping bag and a personal carrying pack. Typically, any personal items are stored in a carrying pack such as a school backpack or knapsack that is transported on the individual's back or hand-carried. The sleeping bag is also generally rolled up into a bulky cylindrical package and lugged under one arm or otherwise carried by a handle. Thus, even with the carrying pack worn on the back, this transportation method occupies at least one arm and takes up a significant amount of space. While the size of some backpacks allows the user to compress the sleeping bag into the bottom of the pack, this is not practical for many of the larger, less compressible sleeping bags commonly used on overnight trips. In addition, the sleeping bag is typically stored at the bottom of the pack and is not readily accessible without removing the entire contents of the pack.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,072 to Hsu an integrated knapsack and sleeping bag combination is described in an attempt to reduce some of this transportation concern. However, the sleeping bag in this combination is connected to the lining of the knapsack and thus does not facilitate cleaning the sleeping bag or replacing the sleeping bag once it is outgrown or degrades so as to be no longer useful.
Another solution for carrying personal items is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,300 to Robinson. This patent describes a roll pack for transporting articles to the beach or a picnic area. The roll pack described in this patent describes a set of pockets along one edge for storing articles including a pillow and a set of pockets along the opposite edge for storing a set of tie wraps so as to prevent the hook and loop fasteners from becoming fouled with dirt or other contaminants. The majority of the roll pack is taken up by a large intermediate section made up of an absorbent material such as terry cloth. This central enlarged section is provided for use as a towel so that the user does not need to bring a separate towel. By providing such a large towel section, this roll pack configuration wastes a considerable amount of useable storage space. Moreover, it would be impractical to store articles up against the wet towel section as such articles could absorb the towel moisture and become damaged.
In addition to focusing on various overnight travel needs, other travel accessories are geared more specifically to address diaper changing needs for day traveling and/or extended overnight stays. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,336 to Marteeny discloses a portable diaper changing station for changing a baby on a protruding support surface such as a bathroom sink. The changing station includes a non-bendable rigid central section with a handle and supporting a cushioning pad. A nonporous wipeable carrying case is releasably attached to the upper surface of the central section in the form of a pair of opposing flaps that may cover the cushioning pad. Thus, each flap may be removed from the central section. One of the flaps includes a series of pockets with openings running parallel to a long edge of the cushioning pad for storing spare diapers. The other flap does not include any pockets and instead provides a cushioning surface to protect the baby from protruding objects such as a sink faucet. The flaps are closed together over the cushioning pad with opposing sets of complementary hook and loop fasteners. In use, the rigid central section is placed over a sink opening. The rigidity of the central section prevents the changing station from sagging into the sink under the weight of the baby. The flaps are released from one another with the cushioning flap being propped up against the sink faucet and the other flap being lowered to hang over the outer edge of the sink. The baby is placed on the cushioning pad of the central section with the baby positioned perpendicularly to the diaper changing person and changed conventionally. While this changing station is useful for changing a baby on a surface such as a sink because of its rigid section, such rigidity throughout the central section is also limiting. For instance, the rigid section must be large enough to accommodate most sink openings. This renders this changing station rather bulky or requires the user to carry multiple changing stations of different sizes. The narrow cushioning pad includes an outwardly bowed surface and is also raised significantly off the surrounding surface and, if the provided restraining straps are not used, the baby may easily roll off the narrow pad toward the sink edge and be injured. Also, there is a significant amount of wasted storage space as both the central section and cushioning flap have no storage capacity. As there are no closed pockets, personal items may easily be lost as the changing station is carried and jostled throughout the day. Thus, the user would still be required to carry and secure personal items in a separate bag such as a purse, wallet, or other handbag.
Another product called the Changing Station has been described as a lightweight changing station that comes with straps so that it may be attached to another backpack, diaper bag, or stroller, or as a carry alone. Like the Marteeny changing station disclosed above, the Changing Station has a central diaper mat section disposed between a storage section and a cover flap. The storage section includes two spaced apart pockets to either side of a daisy chain strap. The pocket openings are next to the diaper changing pad and are oriented parallel to the long edges of the diaper mat. Due to this parallel arrangement, when the baby is on the integrated changing pad, the baby's body inhibits the user from easily withdrawing articles from the pockets. Also, the left side openings are not ergonomically proper for right handed people, the majority of the population. In addition, since the two pockets are presumably loaded with baby changing supplies such as a diaper and wipes, the Changing Station lacks considerably as a standalone product. A purse or another pack would be a necessity. Furthermore, the diaper changing pad is integrated into the body of the Changing Station and thus is not replaceable due to wear and tear or easily removed for cleaning. This configuration also omits the entire section beneath the pad as a potential storage space. The flap section provides no storage capability and provides another wasted storage space. Similarly, the external surface of the Changing Station when closed up fails to utilize the exterior space for any storage capacity.
A similar construction can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,150 to Fitzsimmons. However, the Fitzsimmons baby accessory carrier includes a detachable diaper changing pad overlying a central section with both outer sections containing pockets having openings facing the center section. The carrier is constructed of a soft quilted material. To assume a purse-like configuration, this carrier also requires a folding order that requires three steps as first one side is folded over the central section about a first transverse axis and then the second side is folded about a second spaced apart transverse axis over onto the first side. Then the entire elongated package is folded in half about a longitudinal axis to bring a pair of opposing handles together. The package is then tied together using tie strips to provide the purse-like configuration.
While the changing pad of the Fitzsimmons carrier can be removed, there is no storage space beneath the pad. In addition, as with the Changing Station, the pocket openings face the center section and thus removal of the articles therein is inhibited when the infant is on the pad. Also, the pockets must be subdivided in half to accommodate the folding process and thus limit the article size that can be placed therein. Moreover, the reduced size of the pad to fit within the confines of the central section limits the usefulness of the pad as a changing surface as the pad size may be too restrictive in some instances by limiting the infant's placement. Finally, the soft quilted body of the carrier will likely sag under a significant weight load and not retain its purse-like shape very well when folded into that configuration.
Other exemplary diaper bags can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,649 to Gonzalez and U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,130 to Coates. The Gonzalez diaper bag is in the form of a horizontally elongated, substantially rectangular bag body having opposing handles at either end. Pockets located in the outer regions of the bag are closed off using a flap. The entire bag is then folded in half to bring the handles together to form a rather unwieldy, elongated, purse-like configuration. There is no attachment for a diaper changing pad and thus such pad, if used, must be crammed into one of the pockets. In use, the changing pad would have to be retrieved from a pocket first and then laid out on a flat surface in order to perform the changing. Since many diaper changing activities involve at least a modicum of speed, this arrangement detracts from that purpose. In addition, the soft corduroy or flannel material will typically sag under a significant weight load and not retain its purse-like shape when being carried. According to the patent, the interior pockets are opaque thus concealing the contents. This adds to the search time for articles therein and is unnecessary since the pockets are concealed when the bag is folded up.
The Coates patent discloses a carrying bag for diaper accessories in the form of a vertically elongated, substantially rectangular bag body with a handle at the top. The bag body has three vertically aligned sections, each with a pocket having an opening at the top of the respective section. The center section may include a removable waterproof pouch for containing soiled diapers. A fastener such as a zipper runs down the sides of the bag body. To convert to a carrier, the two end sections are folded inwardly, one over the other, onto the middle section. This folding process requires that specific order to form the final configuration. The sections are then sealed together with end snap fasteners and zipped up along the sides and can be carried by hand or as a backpack. Alternatively, the bag folds in half like the Gonzalez carrier above to pair up opposing handles. According to the patent, when the bag body is laid out, the infant may be changed directly on top of the pockets. However, there is no intervening pad which means the entire bag would have to be cleaned or a pad would have to be retrieved from another pocket adding to the changing time. Also, due to its compact size and narrow profile, the changing surface area is unlikely to be sufficient.
Thus, there exists a need for an easy to use, portable travel pack that maximizes storage space reducing the need for extra baggage and provides superior organizational features while being capable of transporting a diaper changing pad and related accessories along with personal items, providing a changing station, and freeing the user's hands during transportation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable diaper changing accessory organizer is provided in the form of an elongated bag body having pivotal connections between first and second storage sections and a common central section with the bag body having an interior surface with at least one storage pocket in each of the sections and a third pivotal connection substantially parallel with the first two connections along with a capturing element and a carrying strap whereby a user may fold the first and second storage sections onto the central section about their respective pivotal connections to form first and second overlapping regions and then fold and releasably capture these regions together with the capturing element to transport the bag body in a folded configuration with the carrying strap.
In another aspect of the present invention, a diaper changing mat or pad may be releasably fastened to the interior surface of the diaper bag body and folded up along with the storage sections prior to transport.
Yet another aspect of the present invention involves the incorporation of rigidity and/or retention features such as a rigid spine to prevent sagging during transportation or suspension of the folded bag body from a stroller handle and outer section retaining elements for releasably securing portions of the overlapping regions to a central anchor to further prevent sagging and/or inadvertent unfolding.
The present invention may also include a series of pockets substantially spanning the length and height of the bag body that may provide waterproof compartments along with viewing windows to assist in the quick retrieval of the packed accessories.
A method of preparing a diaper changing accessory organizer for transport is also disclosed herein both with and without a removable diaper changing mat.
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent with further reference to the following drawings and specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to
With continued reference to
These dual pockets 31 and 32 are typically dimensioned to accommodate smaller personal articles. In this exemplary embodiment, these pockets measure approximately 7.5 inches in depth from the bottom edge 34 of each pocket to the top opening edge 36 or 38, respectively. Depth is generally defined as the distance from the bottom edge of a pocket to a top open edge of a pocket. To the immediate right of the dual pockets 31 and 32, a first enlarged pocket 44 is provided. The bottom edge 46 of this pocket is located proximate the openings of the dual pockets 31 and 32. This enlarged pocket 44 spans the entire height of the bag body 14 and measures approximately 14 inches in depth. As with the dual pockets, the first enlarged pocket is provided with a top edge 48 providing an opening facing the right hand end 27 of the bag body 14. A closure device in the form of a nylon zipper 50 may be used to seal off this pocket.
With continued reference to
Still referring to
The pockets 31, 32, 44, 52, 54, and 64 may be formed by sewing, adhering, welding or using other suitable joining techniques to join the three sides of a substantially rectangular plastic sheet or sheets to the interior surface 28 of the bag body 14. As described above, a fourth edge of the plastic sheet forms an opening into the respective pocket compartments that may be closed using conventional closure devices such as plastic or metal zippers, hook and loop closures, buttons, snaps, and other suitable closure device. It is not necessary to use a closure device however. It is preferable to use clear plastic sheets to form a viewing window, such as exemplified by reference numeral 72 (
The pockets may be spaced apart from one another to accommodate folding of the bag body 14 as well. For instance, there are three folding wells in this exemplary bag body 14 as illustrated in
It is also preferable to construct the bag body 14 from waterproof materials or at least highly water resistant materials such as nylon, polyester, or other suitable material. As an alternative, the materials or fabrics used to construct the bag body may be treated with a waterproofing substance. This prevents personal articles that may leak from spreading to the remainder of the bag body or sleeping bag 12 when the rollup pack is in contact with the bag. In addition, a wet towel may be placed in one the pockets without concern of dampening the other articles or sleeping bag. By providing a waterproof exterior surface 26, the items in the pockets and sleeping bag are further protected from exterior moisture. In addition, if the contents of the bag body 14 are removed or there is no concern if they are compressed, the rollup pack may be used as a mat underneath the sleeping bag 12 when unrolled further protecting the sleeping bag and providing an insulating surface beneath the sleeping bag.
Referring now to
With continued reference to
With continued reference to
With reference now to
Turning now to
Once the integrated unit 100 has been transported to the desired destination, the user may set the unit on a relatively elongated flat surface and separate clip 88 from buckle 96 and separate 90 from buckle 98. The user may then peel back the right wing 20 from the left wing 18 exposing the sleeping bag 12 and laying the rollup pack 10 flat. The sleeping bag may then be moved off to a side and the contents of the rollup pack 10 accessed as desired. The viewing windows 72 of each pocket facilitate the removal of the desired articles 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d, 104e, 104f, 104g, 104h in an organized manner.
It will be appreciated that the interior facing pockets 30, 32, 44, 52, 54, and 64 and sleeping bag 12 cooperate to cushion the articles stored in the rollup pack during transportation. In addition, the vertical and inwardly facing openings of each pocket reduce the likelihood of any articles falling out of a pocket during transport. The interior facing pockets also reduce the likelihood of theft of important articles during transport. In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, the rollup pack is described as being flexible throughout its length. However, the medial section may include a rigid insert 102 (
Instead of a sleeping bag 12, a beach towel, rolled up cushion, mat or other similar cushioning article may be rolled up into a substantially cylindrical configuration, folded up, or otherwise flattened and the portable pack secured around the article for transport to the beach, gym, or other location. The portable pack may also be used simply as a standalone organizer pack with or without any cushioning article. Moreover, the flexible wing wraps of the portable pack easily accommodate cushioning articles arranged in a folded up configuration as well. The wing wraps of the portable pack may be folded over the article and locked together to secure the article in place and present a smaller profile portable pack. In packing the portable pack, the cushioning article may be pre-folded and placed on one of the storage sections of the laid out pack prior to folding the wing wraps or the article may be simply be placed over the laid out pack and folded along with the pack itself.
Referring now to
Before continuing further with the description of the portable diaper changing accessory organizer 210, attention is directed to
The changing mat 212 includes a changing surface 215 (
Returning to the description of the portable diaper changing accessory organizer 210, when unfolded and laid flat in a pre-packing or changing station configuration as in
With continued reference to
The common sidewall 235 of the dual pockets 231, 232 bears a second anchor strip 219b complementing the changing mat anchor strip 219a. The anchor strips 219a, 219b of the bag body 214 and the changing mat 212 are preferably conventional hook and loop fasteners for releasably securing the changing mat 212 to the diaper bag body 214 and are interchangeable. The common sidewall 235 of the dual pockets forms a slight depression in the middle of the organizer bag body within the leftmost storage section 218 that becomes more pronounced when articles are stored in the dual pockets. Such depression may be located beneath the child's head when in use and thus may assist in keeping the child centered on the mat.
Still referencing
Positioned to the right of the first enlarged pocket 244 on the right hand side of the common central section 216 as viewed in
While the tension of the band 258 assists in securing articles within these pockets 254a-c, articles stored in the mesh pockets may be quickly withdrawn without having to unfasten a closure device once the pack is laid flat. Thus this quick retrieval pocket section 252 is useful for storing items such as clean diapers, wipes, and bottles that may have to be accessed quickly. The see-through mesh also enables the user to quickly identify the contents of these pockets.
Still referring to
The sections 216, 218, and 220 of the organizer bag body 214 may be spaced apart from one another and joined together by a pivotal or hinged connection to accommodate folding of the bag body 214. For instance, there are three fold wells or pivotal connections in this exemplary bag body 214 as illustrated in
Referring now to
With continued reference to
With continued reference to
Still referring to
In use, assuming the diaper changing accessory organizer 210 is initially empty and its pockets closed, a user may initially lay the diaper bag organizer and changing station 210 on a flat surface with the primary storage pockets 231, 232, 244, 254a-c, 264 facing up as in
With reference to
With the changing pad 212 secured to the organizer bag body 214, the lower edge 245 of the diaper changing pad 212 may be folded upwardly onto itself so that the lower edge 245 of the diaper changing pad as viewed in
Referring now to
In a similar manner, the user may grasp the right hand outer edge 227 of the organizer bag body 214 and pivot the right storage section 220 upwardly and to the left about a vertical axis passing through the length of the rightmost pivotal connection 278a, 278b and onto the right hand portion of the common central section 216 to form a second overlapping region 298b (
Referring now to
With the bag in a fully folded or transportation configuration as in
Once the diaper bag organizer and changing station 210 has been transported to the desired destination, the user may slip the organizer off the user's shoulder or unfasten the organizer from the stroller and place the organizer bag body 214 on a relatively elongated flat surface on one side. The restraining band is pulled off the captured folded section 298b and returned to its original position. The user may then unfold the organizer and the diaper changing mat 212 by simply reversing the folding steps above until the configuration in
With continued reference to
Referring now to
Referring now to
When laid flat as in
Extending from the leftmost edge 325 of the left storage section 318 is a set of left hand retention flaps 349a, 349b as viewed in
With continued reference to
Still referring to
Located within the right storage section 320 and to the immediate right of the quick retrieval pocket section 352 are an upper pocket 331 and a lower pocket 332. These rightmost pockets are vertically stacked and together subdivide the height of the diaper bag body equally. Each pocket 331, 332 includes a vertically projecting top edge 336, 338, respectively, forming an opening into the respective pocket. In this exemplary embodiment, the top edges 336, 338 of the pockets 331, 332, respectively, face one another and are disposed proximate the mid-line of the bag body 314. The top edges of the pockets 331, 332 may be lined with a conventional hook and loop type closure as indicated by strips 337, 339, respectively, to seal off the contents of the pocket. A convenient pull tab 340, 342 is provided on each pocket 331, 332, respectively, to facilitate separating the hook section from the loop section to gain access to the pocket. The depth and width dimensions are reversed from the previously described organizer embodiment.
As with the prior embodiment, this exemplary bag body 314 includes three pivotal connections with some modifications. The first pivotal connection 374 is a 1.5 inch wide strip spaced between the bottom edges 346, 366 of the first and second enlarged pockets 344, 364, respectively. This pivotal connection or fold well also bears the elongated second anchor strip 319b along its length complementing the changing mat anchor strip 319a. As with the prior embodiment 210, this pivotal connection forms a slight depression when the adjacent pockets are full and thus may assist in keeping the child centered on the changing mat 312 when in use. Conveniently, the left and right sides of the changing mat 312 may be pivoted on the anchor strips 319a, 319b when the mat is releasably secured to the bag body 314 like the pages of a book to expose a corresponding underlying pocket 344, 364. In this manner, the user may access the pocket openings 348, 368 below as illustrated for example in
An intermediate pivotal or hinged connection with spaced apart edges 376a, 376b is interposed between the top edge 368 of the second enlarged pocket 364 and the left hand end 360 of the mesh pocket section 352. Unlike the earlier embodiments, this pivotal connection includes an optional 2-3 inch wide rigid insert or spine 373 shown in phantom lines in
Still referring to
When the diaper changing mat 312 is secured to the diaper bag body 314 by the corresponding anchor strips 319a, 319b, the length of the diaper changing mat 312 coincides with the distance between the outer edge 325 of the diaper bag body 314 and approximately the left intermediate fold well 376a. The width of the mat is almost double the width of the bag body (12.5 inches) so that the mat may be opened out to almost twice the width of the bag body and only require each side being folded once to fit within the confines of the bag body.
Referring now to
With continued reference to
With reference to both
In use, the packing, folding and unfolding steps of this diaper changing accessory organizer 310 are essentially the same as that described above for the organizer embodiment 210 with the following exceptions. As viewed in
With the changing pad 312 secured to the diaper bag body 314, the pad is folded onto itself as with the pad 212 described above (
In a similar manner, the right hand outer edge 327 of the diaper bag is folded inwardly pivoting about an axis projecting along the length of the rightmost pivotal connection 378 to align the right hand storage section retention flaps 353a, 353b onto their corresponding spine anchors 377a, 377b (
Referring now to
With the bag in a folded condition as in
The diaper changing accessory organizer 310 may be unfolded by unbuckling the external fastener restraints 361a, 363a, and 361b, 363b from one another, separating or unfolding the overlapping regions 398a, 398b from one another, and separating the wing restraints 349a, 349b and 353a, 353b from their respective spine anchors 377a, 377b. The remainder of the unfolding steps may be accomplished by simply reversing the above-described folding steps to expose the pockets on the interior surface 324 of the bag body and the mat 312.
Regarding both diaper changing accessory organizers 210, 310, to maximize the storage capacity it is preferable to provide pockets across substantially the entire width and height of the diaper bag body 214, 314 with fold well or pivotal connections at intermediate locations to facilitate folding of the bag body even when the pockets are full. In addition, the pockets openings are generally configured parallel to the outer edges of the rectangular bag body. In addition, the vertical and inwardly facing openings of each pocket reduce the likelihood of any articles falling out of a pocket during transport even if the closures are left open. The interior facing pockets also reduce the likelihood of theft of important articles during transport. It will further be appreciated that the interior facing pockets and changing pads cooperate to cushion the articles stored in the organizer 210, 310 during transportation. While two such exemplary embodiments 210, 310 have been described above, other suitable pocket, pocket openings, and fold well configurations may be used. For example, while the diaper changing accessory organizer embodiments illustrated in
The pockets of the respective embodiments 210, 310 may be formed in the same manner and with the same materials as for the portable pack 10 and, as with that prior embodiment, it is preferable to use clear plastic sheets in constructing the pockets to form a viewing window such as exemplified by reference numeral 272 (
It is also preferable to construct the diaper bag body 214, 314 from waterproof materials or at least highly water resistant materials such as nylon, polyester, or other suitable material. As an alternative, the materials or fabrics used to construct the bag body may be treated with a waterproofing substance. This prevents personal articles that may leak from spreading to the remainder of the bag body or diaper changing pad 212, 312 when the diaper pad is in contact with the bag. In addition, a wet towel, soiled clothing, or used diaper may be placed in one the sealed pockets without concern of dampening or contaminating the other articles or the changing pad 312. By providing a waterproof exterior surface 226, 326, the items in the pockets and diaper changing pad are further protected from exterior moisture. In addition, if the contents of the bag body 214, 314 are removed or there is no concern if they are compressed, the diaper changing bag 210, 310 may be used as a mat underneath the changing pad 212, 312 when unrolled and providing an insulating and cushioning surface beneath the changing pad.
The changing surfaces 215, 315 of the respective changing mats 212, 312 are preferably manufactured of a waterproof, wipe clean, non-porous material such as a plastic based material. Alternatively, either changing mat could be constructed of a washable fabric or a combination of wipe clean and fabric surfaces. With either construction, the diaper changing mat is a flexible mat that may be folded into a reduced configuration or unfolded to expand and provide a sufficient changing area surface for changing a baby. Extra changing surface space is preferably provided to prevent the baby from contacting any underlying surface supporting the diaper changing bag when the baby is being changed.
While certain fasteners, retainers, or closure devices such as hooks and loop type fasteners, buckles and bayonet clips, zippers, and elastic restraining bands have been described herein, it will be appreciated that snaps, buttons, magnets, releasable adhesives or other suitable complementary fasteners may be used in place of or in combination with those fasteners. Also where a sewn article is indicated, adhesion, welding, and other suitable joining techniques including those mentioned herein may be used. Also, the dimensions discussed herein are not meant to be limiting in any manner or other suitable dimensions will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
While the present invention has been described herein in terms of a number of preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes, uses, and improvements may also be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof
Claims
1. A diaper changing accessory organizer comprising:
- an elongated bag body subdivided into a first storage section, a second storage section, and a common central section, said bag body including an interior surface with at least one storage pocket in each of said sections;
- a first pivotal connection between said first storage section and one side of said central section and constructed to enable said first storage section to be folded over onto a first portion of said central section to form a first overlapping region;
- a second pivotal connection disposed between said second storage section and an opposing side of said central section and constructed to enable said second storage section to be folded over onto a second portion of said central section to form a second overlapping region;
- an intermediate pivotal connection, substantially parallel to said first and second pivotal connections, disposed within said central section and constructed to fall between said first and second overlapping regions when formed, said intermediate pivotal connection constructed to enable said first and second overlapping regions to fold into at least a partially abutting relationship;
- a capturing element on one of said overlapping regions operable to releasably capture an opposing overlapping region when said overlapping regions are brought together in said abutting relationship; and
- at least one carrying strap secured to said bag body whereby a user may fold said first and second storage sections onto said central section to form said first and second overlapping regions and then fold and releasably capture said regions together with said capturing element to transport said bag body in a folded configuration with said carrying strap.
2. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 her including:
- a first fastener element located in at least one of said sections on said interior surface of said bag body;
- a changing mat having a second fastener element complementary to said first fastener element and releasably secured to said bag body in a covering relationship with at least a portion of two underlying sections and at least one pocket in each of said underlying sections.
3. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 2 wherein:
- said first fastener element is positioned on and aligned with one of said pivotal connections; and
- said changing mat, when releasably secured to said first fastener element, may be flipped back and forth to expose at least one pocket in each of said underlying sections.
4. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
- a central anchor coupled to said intermediate pivotal connection;
- a first retention element on said first storage section proximate a distal end of said first storage section; and
- a second retention element on said second storage section proximate a distal end of said second storage section, said retention elements being constructed to releasably fasten to said central anchor to inhibit said overlapping regions from unfolding during transport.
5. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
- at least one stroller strap on an exterior surface of said bag body operable to form an enclosed loop; and
- an intermediate rigid spine member spanning a height of said bag body within a region including said intermediate pivotal connection and coupled to said stroller strap, said spine being constructed to resist sagging along a top edge of said bag body when suspended in a folded configuration.
6. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said bag body includes a first edge and a second edge and a plurality of pockets substantially spanning an entire length of said bag body between said edges with at least one of said pockets including a transparent surface defining viewing window.
7. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- at least one of said pockets includes a closure device.
8. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said interior surface includes a pair of oversized pockets with closures, a quick retrieval section with a set of pockets having an elastic band closure, and a pair of pockets vertically stacked above one another.
9. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 8 wherein:
- said pockets in side quick retrieval section include a mesh outer wall.
10. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said carrying strap is constructed of a webbed material, is adjustable in length, and includes an adjustable shoulder pad.
11. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said bag body is constructed to lay substantially flat when unfolded and empty.
12. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said interior surface of said bag body and said pockets are constructed of a non-absorbent material.
13. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:
- said capturing element is an elastic restraining band secured to one of said storage sections and operable to expand over and capture an opposing overlapping region when said regions are in an abutting relationship.
14. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said capturing element includes opposing releasable fastening elements on each side of said overlapping regions.
15. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 14 wherein:
- said capturing element projects outwardly from opposing long sides of said bag body.
16. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said bag body includes an exterior surface with at least one pocket exposed when said overlapping regions are in an abutting relationship.
17. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
- said bag body is flexible throughout its length.
18. A diaper changing accessory organizer comprising:
- an elongated, rectangular, bag body subdivided into first and second outer storage sections with a common central section with each section being pivotally connected to an adjacent section and said central section having an intermediate hinge, said outer storage sections being operable to fold over onto substantially complementary portions of said central section to form two overlapping regions and said central section being operable to fold about said hinge to bring said overlapping regions together in an abutting relationship;
- at least one pocket in each of said sections on an interior surface of said bag body;
- a first fastener element disposed on said interior surface of said bag body;
- a mat with a complementary second fastener element operable to releasably attach said mat to said bag body with said mat aligned to one side of said hinge;
- a first retainer located proximate a distal end of said first outer storage section;
- a second retainer located proximate a distal end of said second outer storage section;
- a stiffening element in said central section operable to resist sagging of said bag body when suspended from above,
- an anchoring element connected to said stiffening element and operable to releasably attach to said first and second retainers when said outer sections are folded onto said central section;
- a capturing element on said bag body and operable to releasably capture said overlapping regions together when said overlapping regions are brought together in said abutting relationship; and
- at least one carrying strap secured to said bag body whereby a user may fold said first and second storage sections onto said central section to form said first and second overlapping regions and then fold said overlapping regions about said hinge and releasably capture said regions together with said capturing element to transport said bag body in a folded configuration with said carrying strap.
19. A method of preparing a diaper changing accessory organizer for transportation comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated bag body subdivided into a first storage section, a second storage section, and a common central section by a pair of spaced apart, pivotal connections, said bag body further including an intermediate hinge element substantially parallel to said pivotal connections and further subdividing said central section, a capturing element, and a carrying strap;
- folding said first storage section over onto a first portion of said central section about one of said pivotal connections to form a first overlapping region;
- folding said second storage section over onto a second portion of said central section about the other of said pivotal connections to form a second overlapping region with said hinge disposed between an interior edge of each of said overlapping regions;
- folding said overlapping regions together about said hinge into a partially abutting relationship; and
- capturing said overlapping regions together with said capturing element to expose said carrying strap on an exterior surface of said folded up bag body.
20. The method of preparing a diaper changing accessory organizer for transportation as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the steps of:
- prior to said folding steps, providing a first fastener element on an interior surface of said bag body;
- providing a mat having a second fastener element complementary to said first fastener element;
- fastening said mat to said interior surface of said bag body with said mat positioned between a distal end of one said storage sections and said hinge; and
- folding any portion of said mat onto itself that extends beyond a boundary defined by said bag body.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 31, 2007
Publication Date: May 31, 2007
Inventor: Lisa Landay (San Clemente, CA)
Application Number: 11/669,823
International Classification: B65D 30/00 (20060101); B65D 33/00 (20060101);