REUSABLE GENERAL PURPOSE BAG

Abstract

A reusable bag having side walls, end walls and a bottom forming an enclosed space with an open top. A pocket is located on the inside. The pocket is sized to permit the entirety of the bag to fit within the pocket. A flap on the pocket assists in keeping the bag material in the pocket. The bag is easily converted to/from a use configuration, a flat storage configuration and a second storage mode wherein the bag is placed into the pocket.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This nonprovisional application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/031,827, filed Feb. 27, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a reusable general purpose bag useful for shopping, carrying items, storage of items, etc.

2. Description of the Related Technology

U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,736 to Leonard E. Canno et al. is directed to a paper bag 10 with lap seams 22 and stiffening panels 22 and 26. The '736 Canno bag has a handle 40 made of cord 42 that permits the bag to be carried and assists with closing of the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a reusable bag comprising first and second side walls, first and second end walls coupling the first and second side walls, a bottom coupled to the side walls and end walls, a pocket wall coupled to a side wall, and a handle coupled to a side wall. The side walls, end walls and bottom are made from a single piece of flexible material forming a container having an open top in a use mode. The pocket is adapted to enclose the side walls, end walls, and bottom in a storage mode.

The bag is provided with handles coupled to the first side wall and coupled to the second side wall. The handles preferably have reinforcement.

The reusable bag is adapted to be turned inside out and used as a shopping bag in the inside out condition and well as in the right side out condition.

At least one additional pocket is provided on the inside of the bag.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the reusable shopping bag.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the bag of FIG. 1 with the bag being flat and with stitching depicted in the lower left and lower right corners by dashed line.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along jogged line 4-4 of FIG. 2 with stitching depicted by dashed line.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an initial step of putting the bag into the flap pocket of the bag of FIG. 1 wherein the person grips the inside of the pocket.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a next step of putting the bag into the flap pocket of the bag of FIG. 1 wherein the bag is being pulled into the pocket as the pocket is turned inside out.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the next step of putting the bag into the flap pocket of the bag of FIG. 1 wherein the flap pocket is substantially inside out and the bag is being pushed into the flap pocket.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the next step of putting the bag into the flap pocket of the bag of FIG. 1 wherein the flap pocket is substantially inside out and showing the flap on the outside of the flap pocket.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bag fully inserted into the flap pocket of the bag of FIG. 1 wherein the flap is folded over the opening of the flap pocket to substantially close the flap pocket.

FIG. 10 is an end view of the bag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along jogged line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the bag side wall with the flapped pocket attached and showing the stitching holding the flap pocket to the side wall and with a window view through the pocket wall showing a portion of the pocket flap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is directed to a reusable bag 21 having a front side wall 27, a rear side wall 22, a first end wall 31, a second end wall 32 and a bottom 33 forming an enclosed space with an open top. At least one pocket 34 is located on the inside of the bag 21. The pocket 34 is formed between first pocket wall 25 and a bag side wall. The pocket 34 shown in FIG. 1 is formed between front side wall 27 and pocket wall 25 and is sized to permit the entirety of the bag 21 to fit within the pocket 34. Pocket wall 25 is attached to the front wall 27 with stitching 38. As seen in FIG. 13, stitching 38 extends along the sides and bottom of pocket wall 25. The seam may be single or double stitched. Other means, such as adhesives, staples, etc., for coupling pocket wall 25 to the front wall 27 are possible, however, stitching is preferred. A pocket flap 23 on the pocket 34 assists in keeping the bag fabric (material) in the pocket 34. The bag fabric (material) is one that will permit the bag 21 to be repeatedly stuffed into the pocket 34 and removed from the pocket 34 without the material being weakened.

The preferred bag fabric (material) is reinforced nylon or reinforced polyester or similar washable plastic material. For example, reinforced nylon which is light-weight, water-repellent, washable fabric with inter-woven reinforcement threads in a crosshatch pattern is useful as the bag fabric. Such material resists ripping or tearing and puncturing. The use of reinforced fabric is advantageous in that when the fabric is perforated (or torn) the reinforcement inhibits expansion of the perforation (or tear) and enables normal use even with the perforation (or tear). Wrinkle resistance is another desirable feature of reinforced plastic material. Other similar materials may be used.

The bag 21 is preferably made from a single piece of fabric (material) which is cut to the desired shape and joined by a single seam. Manufacturing the bag with a single seam reduces manufacturing costs. Alternatively, the bag 21 may be produced by injection or blow molding plastic to form a monolithic bag. The bag 21 is intended for use such as carrying canned goods, groceries, hardware, clothing and all types of goods. The bag material should be tough so as to permit carrying items without bag failure (rip, tear, puncture, etc.) and so that the bag 21 can be repeatedly reused. The bag 21 is made of flexible material so that the bag 21 can be turned inside out and used as a shopping bag in the inside out condition. Use in the inside out mode permits one or more inside pockets to be on the outside which may be more convenient to the user.

In addition to pocket 34, at least one additional pocket may be provided. A second pocket 35 is shown in, for example, FIG. 11. Second pocket 35 is coupled to the inside of the bag 21. In another embodiment a third pocket (not shown) is located on the bag exterior. As shown in, for example, FIG. 2, the bag side walls 22,27 have a top edge 40, a bottom edge 41 and side edges 42,43. The pocket wall 25 is coupled to the one of the side walls 22,27 and does not extend more than halfway from the top edge 40 to the bottom edge 41. The pocket 34 is centrally located between the side edges 42,43. The pocket is centrally located between the handles 36 and extends less than half the distance between the side edges 42,43.

The bag 21 has three conditions or modes. In a first use mode, see for example FIG. 1, the bag 21 is open and can accommodate goods inside the bag whereby the bag 21 is useful as a container for holding and/or transporting the goods. In a second flat mode, as seen in FIG. 2, the bag 21 is adapted to be folded into a flat configuration for storage (on a shelf, in a drawer, etc.). Only a single fold is needed to convert the bag 21 from the use mode to this easy storage configuration. In a third storage mode (see FIGS. 5-9) the bag 21 is stuffed (compacted) into the flapped pocket 34 for storage so that it can be carried in a purse, luggage, pants pocket or the like and is ready for conversion to the use configuration. The bag 21 is easily converted to the use configuration by opening the pocket flap 23 and pulling the bag 21 from the pocket 34.

In one embodiment the stitching 38 does not extend all the way from the bottom of pocket wall 25 to a top corner of pocket wall 25 whereby the top corner is not attached to the bag front wall 27. Leaving a corner of the pocket wall free from stitching facilitates stuffing the bag fabric into the pocket 34. One or both side edges of the pocket wall 25 can be coupled to the bag front wall 27 in this manner. Preferably, the pocket wall 25 is joined to the bag wall 27 along at least the portion of the pocket wall extending from the bottom of the pocket wall 25 to a point on the pocket wall across from the bag pocket flap 23. Thus, when the bag is in the storage mode (bag inside the pocket) the bag pocket flap 23 covers the entire portion of the pocket wall 25 that is not attached to the bag side wall 27.

Bag handles 36 are shown in, for example FIGS. 1 and 2. Each of the handles 36 includes reinforcement 37. The reinforcement extends from one handle to the other and extends across the top of the side walls 22,27 and end walls 31,32 of the bag 21. The reinforcement across the top of the walls aids in keeping the bag in an open position when it is desired to add or remove articles from the bag. The handles 36 may include padding (not shown) as reinforcement, to provide comfort, to provide absorbency and to enhance gripping of the handles. The padding may cover substantially the entire handle portions or be limited to the top or grip portions of the handles. Cotton and other similar materials are preferred padding materials. The padding may be reinforced to provide extended wearability of the padding material.

FIGS. 5 and 6 demonstrate that a person's hand may be placed into pocket 34 for gripping the inside of the pocket 34 to facilitate pulling the pocket material inside out. In another embodiment, a seam of the pocket 34 may be sewn with some of the pocket wall 25 extending upward from the seam and inside the pocket 34 so that this excess material is available for being grasped between two fingers. Alternatively, an extra piece of fabric may be sewn into the pocket 34 whereby the extra piece of fabric can be easily grasped to pull the pocket 34 inside out. For example, a portion of a loop (not shown) can be joined to the seam at the bottom of pocket wall 25 whereby one reaching into the pocket 34 can insert a finger into the loop portion extending above the seam to pull the pocket 34 inside out. The loop can be formed from any appropriate material, preferably a material that will retain the loop shape which facilitates grasping by a finger (or fingers). Graspable members other than a loop may be used, for example, a piece of fabric resembling a label may be sewn to the seam so that the label-like piece of fabric extends into the pocket 34 for grasping.

The location of the pocket 34 centrally between the handles 36 and with the pocket opening near the side wall top edge 40 facilitates grasping without having to reach a longer distance into the bag 21. Because the flap 23 is inside the pocket 34 when the bag is in the use mode the flap 23 does not interfere with a person's fingers reaching into the pocket 34 to grasp the pocket (or loop, etc.). The pocket 34 is located centrally between the side edges 42,43 of the bag 34 and the bag handles 36 to facilitate locating the pocket 34 for converting the bag 34 from the use mode to the storage mode.

As noted above, the bag 21 is made of a single piece of fabric. The fabric is folded in half and stitched along the sides and at the top portion of the handles. FIG. 11 shows stitching 38 along one of the sides which stitching is midway of one of the end walls 31,32. The stitching at the top of the handles is not shown and joins the handle portions extending from the rear side wall 22 and front side wall 27. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 10 the outer end portions of the bottom are bent upwards so that they lie next to the end walls and then they are stitched to each end wall 31,32. This makes the bottom of the bag generally rectangular and facilitates folding to the flat mode of FIG. 2. That is, as seen in FIG. 2 stitching 38 extends from the bottom 33 of the bag up the end walls 31,32 to join the outer portions of bottom 33 to the end walls 31,32. Stitching the outer portions of bottom 33 to the end walls 31, 32 forms folds 50 which are generally straight and form an acute angle with the bottom 33 of the bag. The folds 50 may be grasped to easily convert the bag from the use mode (FIG. 1) to the flat mode (FIG. 2). Placing the fingers of each hand to grasp fold 50 on one side of stitching 38 of the end wall 31, 32 and pulling the bag slightly outward causes the bottom 33 to fold parallel with one side wall 22, 27 so as to easily achieve the flat configuration of FIG. 2.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A reusable bag comprising,

first and second side walls,

first and second end walls coupling the first and second side walls,

a bottom coupled to the side walls and end walls,

a pocket wall coupled to a side wall,

a handle coupled to a side wall,

wherein the side walls, end walls and bottom are made from a single piece of flexible material forming a container having an open top in a use mode, and

whereby the pocket is adapted to enclose the side walls, end walls, and bottom in a storage mode.

2. The reusable bag of claim 1 wherein a pocket flap is coupled to a side wall and the pocket flap is between the side wall and the pocket wall.

3. The reusable bag of claim 2 wherein the bag has a use mode in which the bag is an open container and accommodates goods inside the bag for holding and transporting the goods, the bag has a flat storage mode in which the bag is adapted to be folded into a flat configuration for storage, and the bag has a compact storage mode wherein the bag is compacted into the flapped pocket for storage so that it can be carried in a compact configuration.

4. The reusable bag of claim 2 wherein a first handle is coupled to the first side wall and a second handle is coupled to the second side wall.

5. The reusable bag of claim 4 wherein the first handle is coupled to the first side wall and to the second side wall and the second handle is coupled to the first side wall and to the second side wall.

6. The reusable bag of claim 1 wherein the bag is adapted to be turned inside out and used as a shopping bag in the inside out condition.

7. The reusable bag of claim 4 wherein the bag in the inside out condition has pockets on the inside.

8. The reusable bag of claim 1 wherein the handle has reinforcement.

9. The reusable bag of claim 5 wherein a lower corner of the bag is folded and attached to the bag body along a line substantially central to an end wall of the bag.

10. The reusable bag of claim 1 wherein the pocket is attached to the inside of a side wall when the bag is in the use mode.

11. The reusable bag of claim 10 wherein the pocket is attached to the inside of a side wall at a location substantially midway between the end walls.

12. The reusable bag of claim 1 wherein one of the side walls has a top edge, a bottom edge and side edges, the pocket is coupled to the one of the side walls and does not extend more than halfway from the top edge to the bottom edge.

13. The reusable bag of claim 12 wherein the pocket is centrally located between the side edges.

14. The reusable bag of claim 12 wherein the pocket is centrally located between the handles.

15. The reusable bag of claim 12 wherein the pocket is located between the handles and extends less than half the distance between the side edges.

16. The reusable bag of claim 12 wherein when the bag is compacted into the flapped pocket for storage the flapped pocket is on the outside and folds over the pocket opening to close the pocket with the bag inside the pocket.

17. A reusable bag comprising,

first and second side walls,

first and second end walls coupling the first and second side walls,

a bottom coupled to the side walls and end walls,

a pocket wall coupled to a side wall,

a handle coupled to a side wall,

wherein the side walls, end walls and bottom are made from a single piece of flexible material forming a container having an open top in a use mode,

whereby the pocket is adapted to enclose the side walls, end walls, and bottom in a first storage mode, and

whereby portions of the bottom are joined to the end walls to form folds outside the bag, which folds may be grasped to pull the bag slightly outward causing the bottom to lie generally parallel with one side wall so as to easily convert the bag to a flat configuration for storage in a second storage mode.

18. The reusable bag of claim 17 wherein the folds form a generally straight line which straight line forms an acute angle with the bottom of the bag.

19. The reusable bag of claim 17 wherein the single piece of flexible material comprises a washable fabric.

20. The reusable bag of claim 17 wherein the single piece of flexible material comprises a reinforced fabric which when perforated inhibits expansion of the perforation.