Collapsible Bag

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/647,244, filed May 14, 2024, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.

Not Applicable.

The present subject matter relates to a storage container, and more particularly, to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, and which can be secured to a ride-on vehicle.

Puncture mechanisms for high pressure gas containers are known in the art. While such mechanisms, according to the prior art, provide a number of advantages, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present disclosure seeks to overcome certain of those limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present disclosure is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the disclosed subject technology relates to a bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, comprising: an internal frame structure supported by an outer shell, wherein the internal frame structure comprises: a first folding sidewall, a second folding sidewall, a front frame, a rear frame and a bottom member; wherein the first folding sidewall comprises a first sidewall member and a second sidewall member connected at a hinge, and the second folding sidewall comprises a third sidewall member and a fourth sidewall member connected at a hinge; wherein the front frame comprises a frame having a top member, a bottom bar, a first side bar and a second side bar, and wherein the top member, bottom bar, first side bar and second side bar of the front frame member are connected together; and, wherein the rear frame comprises a frame having a top member, a bottom bar, a first side bar and a second side bar, and wherein the top member, bottom bar, first side bar and second side bar of the rear frame member are connected together; and, wherein the outer shell is made of fabric and comprises: a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall, which define a cavity, and a bottom retainer member in the cavity and adjacent the bottom wall in the use orientation of the collapsible bag, wherein the first folding sidewall is retained within the first sidewall of the outer shell, wherein the second folding sidewall is retained within the second sidewall of the outer shell, wherein the front frame is retained within the front wall of the outer shell, wherein the rear frame is retained within the rear wall of the outer shell, and wherein the bottom member of the internal frame structure is retained within the bottom retainer member of the outer shell, wherein the bottom retaining member pivots from a use position to a collapsed position, and wherein the bottom retaining member holds the outer shell in the use orientation when the bottom retaining member is in the use position.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, comprising: an internal frame structure supported by an outer shell, wherein the internal frame structure comprises a first folding sidewall, a second folding sidewall, a front frame, a rear frame and a bottom member, wherein the rear frame has clips to secure the collapsible bag to another structure, wherein the outer shell is made of fabric and comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall, which define a cavity, and a bottom retainer member in the cavity and adjacent the bottom wall in the use orientation of the collapsible bag, wherein the first folding sidewall is retained within the first sidewall of the outer shell, wherein the second folding sidewall is retained within the second sidewall of the outer shell, wherein the front frame is retained within the front wall of the outer shell, wherein the rear frame is retained within the rear wall of the outer shell, and wherein the bottom member of the internal frame structure is retained within the bottom retainer member of the outer shell, wherein the bottom retaining member pivots from a use position to a collapsed position, and wherein the bottom retaining member holds the outer shell in the use orientation when the bottom retaining member is in the use position.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, comprising: an internal frame structure supported by an outer shell, wherein the internal frame structure comprises a first folding sidewall, a second folding sidewall, a front frame, a rear frame and a bottom member, wherein the first folding sidewall comprises a first sidewall member and a second sidewall member connected at a hinge, wherein the second folding sidewall comprises a third sidewall member and a fourth sidewall member connected at a hinge, wherein the outer shell is made of fabric and comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall, which define a cavity, and a bottom retainer member in the cavity and adjacent the bottom wall in the use orientation of the collapsible bag, wherein the first folding sidewall is retained within the first sidewall of the outer shell, wherein the second folding sidewall is retained within the second sidewall of the outer shell, wherein the front frame is retained within the front wall of the outer shell, wherein the rear frame is retained within the rear wall of the outer shell, and wherein the bottom member of the internal frame structure is retained within the bottom retainer member of the outer shell, wherein the bottom retaining member pivots from a use position to a collapsed position, and wherein the bottom retaining member holds the outer shell in the use orientation when the bottom retaining member is in the use position.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the hinges of the first folding sidewall and the second folding sidewall comprise living hinges.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the first sidewall member, second sidewall member, third sidewall member, fourth sidewall member and the bottom member are all generally rigid components that are all generally planar.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the front frame and rear frame are each made of a rigid material.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the rear frame has clips to secure the collapsible bag to another structure.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the bottom retainer member is provided within the cavity of the outer shell, and wherein the bottom retainer member is hingedly connected to one of the front wall, rear wall and bottom wall.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the first sidewall, second sidewall, front wall, and rear wall of the outer shell each have an internal cavity for housing a portion of the internal frame structure therein.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the first sidewall, second sidewall, front wall, and rear wall are made of an outer layer and an inner layer to form the cavity for housing a portion of the internal frame structure therein.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the outer shell has handles to allow a user to carry the collapsible bag.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the outer shell has at least one retaining member to secure the collapsible bag in the collapsed orientation such that the front wall and the rear wall of the outer shell are adjacent one another.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the first folding sidewall comprises a first sidewall member and a second sidewall member connected at a hinge, and wherein the second folding sidewall comprises a third sidewall member and a fourth sidewall member connected at a hinge.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the front frame comprises a frame having a top member, a bottom bar, a first side bar and a second side bar, and wherein the top member, bottom bar, first side bar and second side bar of the front frame member are connected together, and wherein the rear frame comprises a frame having a top member, a bottom bar, a first side bar and a second side bar, and wherein the top member, bottom bar, first side bar and second side bar of the rear frame member are connected together.

The disclosed technology further relates to a collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, wherein the first folding sidewall, second folding sidewall, and the bottom member are all generally rigid components that are all generally planar.

It is understood that other embodiments and configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

In one or more implementations, not all of the depicted components in each figure may be required, and one or more implementations may include additional components not shown in a figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be utilized within the scope of the subject disclosure.

While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as one of ordinary skill in the relevant art would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Further, descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the present disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law.

Generally, this disclosure describes several embodiments of collapsible bag that has a use orientation and a collapsed orientation, and which can be secured to a ride on vehicle.

Referring now to the figures, and initially to, there is shown an embodiment of a collapsible bag. The collapsible baghas an outer shelland an internal frame structure. In one embodiment, the internal frame structurecomprises a first folding sidewall, a second folding sidewall, a front frame, a rear frameand a bottom member. In one embodiment the first folding sidewallcomprises a first sidewall memberand a second sidewall memberconnected at a hinge, and the second folding sidewallcomprises a third sidewall memberand a fourth sidewall memberconnected at a hinge. In one embodiment, the hingesandare living hinges. Further, in one embodiment the first sidewall member, second sidewall member, third sidewall member, fourth sidewall memberand the bottom memberare all generally rigid components, and preferably are made of plastic, metal, wood, etc. Further, in a preferred embodiment these members are all generally planar.

As shown in, in one embodiment the front framecomprises a rectangular frame having a top member, a bottom bar, a first side barand a second side bar. Additionally, in one embodiment each of the members,,,of the front frameare connected together. In one embodiment, the front frameis made of metal, such as a bent metal rod or metal wire. In alternate embodiments the front frameis made of plastic or another rigid material. Similarly, in one embodiment the rear framecomprises a rectangular frame having a top member, a bottom bar, a first side barand a second side bar. Additionally, in one embodiment each of the members,,,of the rear frameare connected together. In one embodiment, the rear frameis made of metal, such as a bent metal rod or metal wire. In alternate embodiments the rear frameis made of plastic or another rigid material. Additionally, in one embodiment the rear frameincludes clipsto secure the collapsible bagto another structure, such as a ride on toy. For example, the clipsmay assist in securing the collapsible bagto the frame of a wagon (not shown).

In one embodiment, the internal frame structureis supported by the outer shell. In one embodiment, the outer shellcomprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall, a rear walland a bottom wallto form a cavity. In one embodiment, the first folding sidewallis retained within the first sidewallof the outer shell, the second folding sidewallis retained within the second sidewallof the outer shell, the front frameis retained within the front wallof the outer shell, and the rear frameis retained within the rear wallof the outer shell. The outer shellmay also comprise a bottom retainer memberto retain the bottom member. Further, in one embodiment the bottom retainer memberis provided within the cavityof the outer shell, and is hingedly connected to one of the front wall, rear wallor bottom wall. In the use position, the bottom retaining memberis positioned adjacent the bottom wallof the outer shell.

In one embodiment, the outer shellis made of a fabric. Further, in one embodiment the first sidewall, second sidewall, front wall, and rear walleach have an internal cavityfor housing the respective member of the internal frame structure. In different embodiments, the first sidewall, second sidewall, front wall, and rear wallare made of an outer layerand an inner layerto form the cavityfor the respective member of the internal frame structure. In one embodiment, the outer shellhas handlesto allow a user to carry the collapsible bag. And, in one embodiment, the outer shellmay have one or more pocketsthat may be closed by closure members, such as a zipper. Additionally, the outer shellmay have one or more retaining members, such as elastic straps, to secure the collapsible bagin the collapsed orientation. Further, the outer shellmay have connectors, such as Velcro straps or other connectors to removably secure the collapsible bagto a ride on vehicle.

In use, the combination of the outer shelland the internal frame structureoperate to maintain the collapsible bagin the open use orientation as shown in. In the open or use orientation the cavityof the collapsible bagis open. Specifically, the bottom retainer memberassists in keeping the front framespaced from the rear framesuch that the side walls are flat and not collapsed and thus the bagis in the open position. The open collapsible bagcan be connected to a ride on vehicle in the open orientation via the clipsor the connectors.

To close the bagsuch that it is in the collapsed orientation as shown in, the user first rotates the bottom retaining membercontaining the bottom memberfrom the lowered position as shown into a raised position as shown inand then further so that the bottom retaining memberis adjacent the rear wallof the outer shell. When the bottom memberis adjacent the rear wall, the first folding sidewalland the second folding sidewallcan be folded inwardly about their hingesand, as shown in. When they are fully folded as shown in, the bagwill be in the fully collapsed position. Then, the retaining memberthat are secured to the rear wallcan be wrapped around the front wallto secure the front walland the rear walladjacent one another, with the sidewalls,therebetween as shown in. To return the bagfrom the collapsed position to the open position the user disconnects the retaining membersfrom retaining the front wall, opens the bag by pushing the first and second folding sidewalls,outwardly so that they go flat instead of being bent or folded, and then the user pivots the bottom memberin the bottom retaining memberdownwardly to be in the lowered position as shown into essentially lock the bagin the open position.

The embodiments detailed hereinabove may be combined in full or in part, with any alternative embodiments described.

A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.

Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth” as used herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Further, the term “plurality” as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term “having” as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open-ended manner.

As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

To the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.

A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of particular implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

It will be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the Claims are not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the disclosure and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

Further, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirements of the applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in such a way.