Carrier - for Bottles and Such

Abstract

The device according to the present invention is primarily meant for carrying and storing bottles (e.g. wine bottles etc) and cans. The common irritating phenomena of rattling and unstable bottles during transport are eliminated. This is achieved by carrying the bottles lying down in a (more or less) horizontal position, firmly packed against each other by the force of gravity and the enclosing straps. The device furthermore has preferably one compartment per bottle. The force of the bottles against each other, with the carrying handles extended as to function as straps/bands that enwrap all the bottles, holds the bottles firmly in place when carried. The opening of the device is closable, by means of a top lid or other closure. This makes sure that the bottles cannot fall out, even if their force against one another disappears, as when they are no longer carried, but placed in a car trunk or so. The device is superior to the prior art for bringing home full bottles of wine etc, as well as for storing empty bottles and bringing them to their place of disposal.

Description

CITATIONS

U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,484, D441,612

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the field devices for carrying and storing.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Most any bag may be used for carrying bottles. And there are prior art carriers specifically meant for carrying bottles. One such carrier has several compartments. The bottles are carried standing upright, one bottle per compartment. Such prior art carriers are made from metal, plastic, basketwork, cloth etc. Especially, one forerunner of the present invention, by the same inventor as the present invention, has been marketed in Europe by one of the present inventors under the name EcoPac. Here the bottles are also carried lying down and packed against each other. But there is no top or lid or tightening device. So in this prior art device there is a possibility that the bottles may escape from the bag when they are not meant to, e.g. when the device no longer is carried but put on the car floor, seat or baggage compartment etc. The forces of gravity and the enwrapping handle no longer hold the bottles in place when the device is put aside, which is a drawback, especially during transport in a car etc. Thus the present invention has a major practical advantage over its forerunner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION & DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a bag-type device meant for carrying bottles. There is preferably one compartment per bottle. The bag with its compartments may be sewn from cloth. There is a pair of handles for carrying the carrier. The handle straps may be sewn from ribbons/bands of more sturdy cloth. They extend more or less perpendicularly from the lengthwise direction of the bottle compartments, and preferably all around the carrier. The bottles are preferably to be inserted in the compartments when the carrier is in standing position with the openings of the compartment pointing upwards, so that placing the bottle in the carrier is similar to placing a bottle on a table standing up. When the bottle carrier is carried, its handles are gripped, so that the bottles are tipped and turned about 90 degrees to a horizontal or nearly horizontal position. The weight of the upper bottles on the lower ones and on the encompassing handle straps fix the bottles tightly and firmly against one another when the carrier is carried, so that the bottles stay fixed in the carrier, with all the weight placed directly on the handle straps, rather than rattling and leaning back and forth as bottles do when carried upright as in many prior art carriers.

The present invention furthermore is closable, so that bottles will not fall out even when the pressure from the carrying bands is not present, i.e. when the bag is not carried by the carrying bands. This can be achieved by means of a top lid equipped with a zipper, Velcro or such, or by any appropriate securing device. The closing of the bag can also be achieved by tightening the bag with an appropriate device, either at the very top, or further down, but preferably not further don than around the bottle necks. Such a closable top has several major advantages:

A) Even if the carrier is put down to rest with the bottles lying down, they cannot escape from the carrier. This can occur in the no-top prior art model, when the enclosing handle straps are no longer stretched by the weight of the bottles. This has at times lead to breaking bottles in the prior art. Putting the carrier device of the present invention with the closable top down in tipped position with horizontal bottles (rather than standing bottles) is at times desirable, especially when transporting it in a car, train, etc.

And although the prior art version, in spite of its drawback of being open with no top, was still very practical in many ways, some potential customers have expressed doubt that it will retain the bottle even when carried. B) The present closable top put such worries at bay, increasing consumer confidence in the product. C) And last but not least, the closable top provides a new surface well suited for a commercial message such as logo, visible from the position of facing the person carrying the present invention.

The invention makes it easier and more comfortable to carry bottles than any prior art method. In a bag or any other prior art carrier, the bottles are not steadily fixed, but can sway hither and thither, and rattle against each other. When placing for instance a plastic bag with a couple of wine bottles on a table, care must be taken so that the bottles remain standing. And when such a bag is lifted, the bottles rattle and become displaced. When carrying bottles in a box of the kind bottles are shipped in commercially, two hands must be used, and the back must be bent slightly backwards, which may cause a bad back ache . The present invention is easily placed on, and lifted from a surface and carried, without any such problems.

There is furthermore prior art devices made from cloth with individual compartments, for bottles but where the bottles are carried standing up. This type of carrier is much less stable, because the weight of the bottles is placed not directly on the handle straps, but at the bottom on the fabric of the bag , causing the bag to sag. Here, gravity does not to work to pack the bottles tightly together. Thus, standing upright, the bottles can sway and rattle. In the present invention, gravity packs the bottles together tightly and firmly when carried. There are no more problems of bottles swaying, rattling, falling over and even breaking, or sagging bags and feelings of unsteadiness. The present invention carries wine bottles lying down snugly, pressed rock-steady against one another by the force of gravity, making it much easier to carry bottles. The advantage is clearly perceived by the person carrying the wine bag. More bottles can be carried, and with greater ease.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has the bottles lying down flat, more or less perpendicular to the arm of the carrying person, the spirit of present invention is present in any device where the force of gravity is employed to make the bottles support each other when carried—this can be achieved, to some extent, by tilting the bottle less than 90 degrees from their upright position. It can also be achieved by a bag where the opening is on the long side of the bag, without or without individual compartments for bottles.

The goal of retaining the bottles inside the device can be achieved not only by a full top cover. The device can also be tightened around the bottles by other means. For example, a sewn-in (or sewn-on in loops) string similar to the tightening device of a lockable tightening string often seen in a carrying bags for sleeping bags etc can be employed. This string can be sewn in at the very top of the carrying device of the present invention, but also somewhat further down, preferably so that it tightens around the necks of the bottles. It can also be positioned in loops on the carrying band (FIG. 1.1) that is closest to the bottle necks.

Instead of a string, elastic can be used. This can also be placed at the very top, or somewhat further down.

Another way to force the bottles to stay in the device is to utilize the handles, i.e. the carrying bands nearest to the bottle necks (FIG. 1.1), as a bottle retaining device. The handle strap bands shall then be made lockable by a locking device such as a clasp, buckle, or such, preferably in different positions, depending on the amount of bottles in the bag, so that bands can be tightened around the bottle necks, forcing the bottles to stay in the carrying device. The bands are then preferably not sewn on all the way around the device, but are let free at a suitable position a certain distance on the sides of the carrying device, and then led to run in at least one loop each, positioned preferably on or near the corners of device that are nearest to the carrying hand. Thus the bands can be tightened around preferably any amount of bottles, but still stay in position, thanks to the loops.

One embodiment of the present invention holds up to nine (1-9) wine bottles in perfect order. The advantages of the present invention are easily appreciated, should one try to place nine wine bottles in any other kind of bag or carrier. In prior art devices problems of displacement, balance and possibly even breaking bottles are encountered. And the advantages of the present invention are equally obvious when comparing the ease with which the carrying devices can be placed on a surface without problems occurring.

In a basic embodiment, the bands of the handle straps are sewn onto the cloth of the compartment bag. Since the cloth is well suited for printing or embroidering, but the handle band often it is not, the band limits the space suitable for printing or embroidering.

The present invention can also be utilized for the following new methods:

• • The method of carrying bottles or cans in a preferably soft bag such as the device of the present invention described above, in which the bottles or (cans) are placed in individual compartments, where the device can be closed with a lid or top and where the bottles are carried lying down more or less horizontally, including the method of providing such a bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1

• • 1. Handles/carrying bands from textile material, encompassing three sides of the bag.
  • 2. Zipper with grip
  • 3. Closable top/lid
  • 4. Grip for raising bag with bottles to vertical standing position from horizontal carrying position
  • 5. Compartments for individual bottles
  • 6. Grip “tongue” to facilitate opening and closing of zipper. For 1-4 corners, only one corner shown.
  • 7. Compartment walls, preferably from textile material
  • 8. Suitable place for logotype or other commercial message

FIG. 2

• • 1-8: see FIG. 1
  • 9. Bottles, one in each compartment (5).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Not applicable, the invention is simple and is described in the brief description

Claims

1. A carrying device, meant primarily for bottles, but also for other articles such as cans having preferably one compartment per bottle to be carried—being made from preferably a soft fabric e.g. textile cloth or plastic cloth

Characterized by

the carrying straps/handles positioned so that the bottles are lying down more or less horizontally when carried, i.e. that the handle straps (FIG. 1.1.) are positioned more or less perpendicularly in relation to the lengthwise extension of the bottles, or at least non-parallel to the lengthwise direction of the bottles, to the extant that the force of gravity will bring the tilted/leaning bottles together in mutual support when the device is carried, preferably with the handle straps extending like supporting bands all the way around the device except on the top side, over which the handles meet when the device is carried, so that the weight of each bottle is taken up directly by said handle straps, rather than being transformed to them from cloth or other material of which the bag is sewn, thus reducing the weight on the cloth or other material, with the open end of the bag having a closable top, e.g. a flap being closable by zipper, Velcro, snap fasteners or other closing device, or other top closing or tightening technology, including the tightening device of a lockable tightening string similar to strings often seen in a carrying bags for sleeping bags etc.) or an elastic band in any suitable position tightening the bag, preferably above or around the necks of the bottles, or utilizing the handles, i.e. the carrying bands nearest to the bottle necks, as a bottle retaining device, with the handle strap bands then being made lockable, preferably in different positions, adjustable depending on the amount of bottles in the bag, so that said handle strap bands (FIG. 1.1.) are tight around the bottle necks, forcing the bottles to stay in the device, or a belt-like strap, elastic or not, that can be tightened around the full width of the bottles.

2. A device according to claim 1 where a larger printable side area is achieved by sewing the bag-enclosing part of the handle straps on the inside of the carrier fabric to a desired extent, where the straps can be led and fixed/sewn in and out of openings in the cloth from which the carrier is sewn, so that a larger area of the cloth is left free for printing.

3. The method of carrying bottles (or cans) in a device according to claim 1, where the method of carrying the bottles includes the method of providing such a device.

4. The method of carrying bottles or cans comprising the steps of providing and the steps of using a preferably soft bag in which the bottles or (cans) are placed in individual compartments, where the device can be closed with a lid or top and where the bottles are carried lying down more or less horizontally.