Convertible counter/dry cleaning bag with improved access

Abstract

The bag has a garment receiving entrance and a side preferably including a side gusset. An opening in the side extends from a point on the bag to the garment receiving entrance. A drawstring extends around the bag at the garment receiving entrance, except at a location aligned with the side opening. A zipper is movable along the opening in the side between a closed position, wherein the side opening is closed, and an open position, wherein the side opening and the garment receiving entrance combine to form a single large opening to facilitate the insertion and removal of garments into and out of the bag. The bag functions as a counter bag in one orientation and a dry cleaning carrier in a second orientation. In the second orientation, a hanger is situated in the bag with the hanger hook extending through a small opening at the top.

Claims

1. A convertible counter/dry cleaning bag for use with, a hanger with a hook member, said bag comprising an opening through which the hook member of a hanger may extend at one end thereof and a garment receiving entrance at the other end thereof, a first side including a side gusset, an opening in said side gusset defined by first and second edges and extending from a point on the bag proximate to but spaced from said hook member opening to said garment receiving entrance, a second side having an opening, a drawstring situated adjacent said garment receiving entrance comprising first and second drawstring parts, said first drawstring part extending from a location proximate the first side gusset opening edge with a portion thereof extending through said second side opening, said second drawstring part extending from a location proximate the second side gusset opening edge with a portion thereof extending through said second side opening, such that said portions of said, drawstring parts may be pulled away from said second side to alter the size of said garment receiving entrance, and a zipper movable along the side gusset opening between a closed position, wherein the side gusset opening is closed, and an open position, wherein the side gusset opening and the garment receiving entrance combine to form a single large opening to facilitate the insertion and removal of garments into and out of the bag.

2. The bag of claim 1 wherein the side gusset comprises first and second side gusset portions located on different sides of the side gusset opening and wherein first and second drawstring pails comprises an end, each of said ends being fixed to a different one of the side gusset portions.

3. The bag of claim 1 further comprising a channel through which the drawstring parts extend, wherein the channel comprises first and second closed channel ends.

4. The bag of claim 3 wherein each of said drawstring parts comprises an end, said drawstring part ends being fixed to different ones of the closed channel ends.

5. The bag of claim 1 wherein the bag functions as a counter bag in a first orientation and a dry cleaning transport carrier in a second orientation.

6. The bag of claim 1 further comprising a part said portion of said drawstring parts.

7. The hag of claim 5 wherein the position of said engaging part along said portions of said drawstring parts determines the effective length of said drawstring.

8. The bag of claim 5 wherein the position of said engaging part along said portions of said drawstring parts determines the effective length of said drawstring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

(1) To these and to such other objects that may hereinafter appears, the present invention relates to a convertible counter/dry cleaning bag as described in detail in the following specification and recited in the annexed claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag of the present invention oriented to function as a carrier for dry cleaned garments;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the lower portion of the bag of FIG. 1 showing the details of the garment receiving entrance, drawstring, side gusset and zipper, with the zipper in the closed position;

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the upper portion of the bag in the laundry bag orientation showing the garment receiving entrance closed by the drawstring;

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the lower portion of the bag similar to FIG. 2 showing the lower portion of the bag with the combined zipper opening and garment receiving opening; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of the entire bag with the zipper in the open position showing the combined side gusset opening and garment receiving entrance forming a single large opening to facilitate the insertion and removal of garments in and out of the body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) As seen in the figures, bag 10 of the present invention includes a flexible fabric body 12 defining a compartment adapted to retain garments. Bag 10 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 oriented to function as a carrier for dry cleaned garments. Body 12 has a relatively large garment receiving entrance 14 at the lower end, when the bag is oriented for use as a dry cleaning carrier.

(8) As seen in FIG. 1, body 12 has a substantially closed end opposite garment receiving entrance 14. A relatively small opening 13 is situated in the closed end. When the bag is used as a dry cleaning carrier, the hook portions 15 of one or more hangers 17 (only one is shown) situated within body 12 extend through opening 13 such that the bag can be suspended from a closet bar or the like. The dry cleaned garments (not shown) are hung from the hangers.

(9) Body 12 has at least one side. Preferably, the side takes the form of a side gusset 16. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the side gusset may be formed of a mesh-like material to allow fresh air to enter the bag.

(10) The bag has a shoulder strap 19 to facilitate transport when the bag is used in the dry cleaning transport orientation. It also has a hanging loop 21 to permit the bag to be suspended from a hook in a closet or the like when in the laundry bag orientation.

(11) An elongated opening 18 in side gusset 16 extends from a point 20 proximate the hanger hook opening 13 all of the way to the garment receiving entrance 14.

(12) Opening 18 is defined by first and second edges 22, 24. Edges 22, 24 extend from point 20 to the garment receiving entrance 14.

(13) A drawstring 26 extends from a location proximate the first side gusset edge 22 to a location proximate the second side gusset edge 24 around the garment receiving entrance. The ends of drawstring 26 are anchored to side gusset 16 at locations on either side of opening 18, proximate the different ones of edges 22, 24.

(14) A zipper 32 is mounted for movement along the side gusset opening 18. The zipper is movable between a closed position, proximate the garment receiving entrance, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the side gusset opening 18 is closed, and an open position proximate point 20 on the side gusset, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, wherein the side gusset is open and side opening 18 combines with garment receiving entrance 14 to form a single large opening to facilitate the insertion and removal of garments into and out of the bag body.

(15) Side gusset 16 includes first and second side gusset portions 16a, 16b located on opposite sides of opening 18. Drawstring 26 preferably includes two drawstring parts 28, 30. As seen in FIG. 2, one end 28a of drawstring part 28 is fixed within side gusset 16a at a point adjacent to edge 22. Similarly, one end 30a of drawstring part 30 is fixed to side gusset portion 16b at a point adjacent to edge 24.

(16) The parts 28, 30 of drawstring 26 are situated in a channel 34. Channel 34 has closed ends situated on the opposite sides of opening 18 within side gusset portions 16a, 16b. The ends 28a, 30a of drawstring parts 28, 30 terminate at and are fixed in the closed ends of channel 34, respectively.

(17) Channel 34 extends from a point within the lower portion of side gusset portion 16a proximate edge 22 to a point within the lower portion of side gusset portion 16b proximate edge 24. The ends of drawstring parts 28, 30 are permanently anchored to the closed ends of the channel by stitching or the like. Accordingly, the ends of the drawstring parts are fixed proximate to the opposite edges of the side opening. The side opening intersects the plane which passes through channel 34, is aligned with the space between the ends of side gusset portions 16a and 16b, and extends into the garment receiving opening 14.

(18) Channel 34 has an opening 36 at a point along the garment receiving opening substantially opposite to side gusset 16. The unattached ends of drawstring parts 28, 30 extend through opening 36 such that the unattached ends of the drawstring parts are exposed and accessible from the outside of the bag.

(19) When the drawstring parts are drawn in a direction away from the bag body, portions of the unattached ends of drawstring parts will withdraw from channel 34 to a limited extent (see FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5). That will cause the portion of the bag proximate the garment receiving entrance to bunch up and substantially restrict the size of the garment receiving entrance, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. This is normally done when the bag is being used as a counter bag, the bag is full of laundry and ready to be collected.

(20) A spring-loaded cylindrically shaped stop 38 is provided. Stop 38 may have a pushbutton 40 mounted on the side thereof. The purpose of stop 38 is to maintain the drawstring parts in the drawn position, keeping garment receiving entrance 14 in the restricted state (FIG. 3), so that no laundry can fall out of the bag as it is transported.

(21) The unattached drawstring end portions are drawn through an opening in stop 38 as the pushbutton 40 is depressed. When the drawstring parts have been drawn sufficiently, pushbutton 40 is released and the stop clamps the drawstrings such that the drawstrings cannot be drawn back into channel 34 through opening 36. That insures that the garment receiving entrance remains in a restricted state.

(22) Zipper 32 can be in any position along opening 18 when the dry cleaned garments are inserted into or removed from the bag. However, the further the pull of the zipper is from the garment receiving entrance 14, the larger the combined side gusset opening/garment receiving entrance will be and hence the easier it will be to insert into and remove garments from the bag.

(23) It should be noted that dry cleaned garments can be inserted into or removed from the interior of the bag of the present invention whether the drawstrings are drawn to restrict the size of the garment receiving entrance, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, or the garment receiving entrance is unrestricted, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. However, if the size of the garment receiving entrance is not restricted, the combined side gusset opening/garment receiving entrance opening will be larger than if the size of garment receiving entrance is restricted.

(24) It will now be appreciated that the bag of the present invention is convertible to function as a counter bag in a first orientation and a dry cleaning transport carrier in a second orientation. The convertible counter/dry cleaning bag has a side, preferably in the form of a side gusset, with an elongated opening. A zipper is movable along the side opening between a closed position, wherein the opening in the side is closed, and an open position, wherein the opening in the side opening and the garment receiving entrance combine to form a single large opening to facilitate the insertion and removal of garments into and out of the bag.

(25) While only a single preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.