GB1588017A

GB1588017A - Laundry bag

Info

Publication number: GB1588017A
Application number: GB2704177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-06-28
Filing date: 1977-06-28
Publication date: 1981-04-15
Also published as: NL7707107A; CA1081664A; DE2729200A1

Description

(54) IMPROVED LAUNDRY BAG (71) I, WINALEE G. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States of America, of Pine Lake Industrial Park, Dunbridge, Ohio 43414, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to bags, and in particular to bags such as laundry bags having a flap which acts as both a bag closure and a support band.

Ever-growing pressure to control escalating costs of hospitalization has caused even the lowly hospital laundry bag to come under scrutiny. Such factors as initial cost,bag capacity, handling efficiency, wear resistance, and ability to withstand rough handling without tearing or splitting (even after repeated washing of the bag itself) all enter into the cost picture. Considering the great frequency with which towels, bed linens, wearing apparel, and other fabric items are changed and laundered in routine hospital operations, necessitating the maintenance of a large inventory of laundry bags which are used over and over again, small differences in the above-mentioned cost factors can have significant economic impact. Evidencing this fact, knowledgeable purchasers of hospital supplies have established detailed specifications for such bags with the objective of achieving maximum performance at the least possible cost.

Among the bags meeting existing specifications is a commercial product similar to the prior art bag disclosed in U.S. Patent No.

2,789,610. Such bags include a flap, stitched to the sides of the bag, which acts as a combined bag closure and support band. When the bag is open, the flap forms a pocket with a downwardly directed mouth which can be slipped over the back of a chair to support the bag. When this flap is pushed inside out and slipped over the top opening of the bag itself, it serves as a closure, protecting the bag contents from loss and further soiling.

Heretofore, there has been a problem of tearing of this flap or of the stitching which secures it to the side seams of the bag. To provide adequate strength in the face of rough handling, gussets have been cut out and sewn between the lower edge of the flap and the side seams of the bag. This measure contributes significantly to the construction costs of these bags. Nevertheless, the use of such gussets has generally been accepted heretofore as an important factor in achieving adequate resistance against destruction of the bags by rough handling.

Accordingly the present invention provides a bag which includes a wall portion and a flap secured to the upper portion of the wall portion, the flap having a bag-open position in which the flap forms a pocket with a downwardly directed mouth to receive means for supporting the bag, and a bag closed position in which the flap has been pushed inside out and slipped over an opening in the top of the bag, the flap being attached to opposite sides of the wall portion by a pair of side seams with which the lower edge of the flap intersects, in which the flap, when laid flat in an unstretched condition, is narrower at the centre than at the side edges thereof, and the lower edge of the flap, viewed with the flap in both the bag-open position and the bag-closed position, intersects with each of the side seams at an acute angle.

The savings effected in this manner make it possible, if desired, to provide the bag with a cylindrical wall and a generally round bottom panel, thereby significantly increasing its capacity, while retaining the overall cost of the bag at a very reasonable level.

If the aforementioned flap, or more preferably the entire bag, is of a bias-cut cloth fabric, a particularly damage-resistant structure is thereby obtained.

Since the centre of the flap is narrower than its sides, it is possible to practice a particularly advantageous method of cutting bag components from a fabric, resulting in better utilization and savings of fabric. The method is described below.

If the flap lower edge describes a substantially continously concave curve, it tends to redistribute tearing forces exerted intermediate the ends of the lower edge, apparently further increasing resistance against such tearing forces.

If the acute angle portions of the flap are connected by a substantially continously concave curve and the material is bias-cut, the application of a pucker-free binding to the curved edge is an easier and less time consum ing task, saving production costs.

In one embodiment of the invention in which the bag is in a form which is particularly convenient to handle, the laundry bag is defined at least in part by two side panels joined by seams, which panels form a substantially cylindrical wall portion when the bag is filled; and a lateral extension of one or both of the side panels, having a free edge, extends to the outside of the bag from each of the seams, the edge of each extension being folded against the outer surface of the bag and the lower edge of each extension being secured to the bag to form handle pockets.

In another embodiment of the invention which is particularly easy to manufacture, the pair of handle pockets is formed adjacent the bottom of the cylindrical wall portion by lateral extensions of both side panels from both of the seams, forming double thicknesses of fabric which are folded back at substantially diametrically spaced locations to overlie the cylindrical wall portion.

When the bag includes a handle pocket or pockets and a bottom panel having a peripheral seam along which it is joined to the lower edges of the side panels, the lower edges of the extension or extensions which form the handle pockets may be secured to the bag by the peripheral seam.

The method of cutting out bag components referred to above, includes cutting two of the above-mentioned flaps from a single piece of material. The flaps are cut from the material along cutting lines corresponding to the two lower edges of the respective flaps leaving a panel of fabric between the cutting lines. This panel is then formed into one or more other components of the bag, such as a bottom panel, and is preferably divided into a pair of bottom panels for a pair of laundry bags. According to an optional but advantageous aspect of this method, each of the aforementioned flaps is formed integral with, i.e., from the same continous running length of material, as one of the side panels which in part defines the side walls of the bag. The line of intersection between the top of the flap and the top edge of the adjoining side panel can be a stress point when the bag is in use, assuming this line of intersection defines the top of the pocket which is used to hang the bag on a chair or other object. When this line of intersection is formed by a fold in a single piece of fabric, which includes both the flap and the side panel, the tensile strength of the full thickness and width of the material is made available at this stress point.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a laundry bag according to the invention in which the combined closure and support band is in its support position so that the bag may be filled with laundry; Figure 2 shows a laundry bag according to the invention with the combined bag support and closure band arranged in its closed position so that the bag may be transported without spilling its contents; Figure 3 shows the mode of attachment of the bag closure/support band to the body of the bag; Figure 4 shows an enlarged portion of the mode of attachment of the bag closure/support band to the body of the bag of Figure 3; Figure 5 and 6 show the manner in which the gripping loops are attached to the upper portion of the bag to facilitate closing the bag; Figure 7 shows the upper portion of the handle pockets of the bag, indicating the manner in which the bag wall is folded to form the pocket structure; Figure 8 shows a section taken along line 8-8 of Figure 1, indicating the location of the handle pockets; Figure 9 shows an enlarged view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 1 indicating the geometry of the handle pockets; Figure 10 shows a bottom view of the laundry bag; Figure 11 shows a bolt of bias-cut material; and Figure 12 shows how the bag components are laid out on the material in accordance with the method of the invention.

There follows a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the drawings in which like reference numerals identify like elements of structure in each ofthe several figures. Although the invention has particular utility as a laundry bag, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it has additional applications.

The bag is made of any sheet material having the requisite strength and flexibility but is preferably made of fabric and more preferably a heavy woven cloth such as canvas or the like.

The most preferred material is a woven blend of polyester and cotton.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a laundry bag 10 according to the invention comprises a front wall portion or panel 12 and a rear wall portion or panel 14 which, if laid flat, would be rectangles of substantially equal area. Wall portions 12 and 14 are joined together along side seams 16 and 18 to form a generally cylindrical bag, as illustrated. In this instance, the side seams are substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder. Those skilled in the art will realise that the wall portions 12 and 14 could also be made from a single piece of material rather than the two pieces illustrated.

Front wall portion 12 includes as an integral extension thereof a combination bag closure and support band or flap 20 which extends across the front of the bag from the vertical side seam 16 to vertical side seam 18. At its centre flap 20 has a depth of about three-fourths of the diameter of the top opening of the bag to provide enough material for closing the bag; however, this depth may be varied somewhat without departing from the scope of the invention. As illustrated in Figure 1, flap 20 is folded down in front of front wall portion 12 and sewn to the upper perimeter of bag 10 by means such as an upper seam 24. Flap 20 is also secured to both front and rear portions 12 and 14 by side seams 16 and 18.

The lower edge 26 of support and closure flap 20 is smoothly, concavely curved toward the centre of the flap so that it intersects side seams 16 and 18 in upwardly opening acute angles . A preferred form for edge 26 is generally arcuate, having an average radius of at least five eights and more preferably at least three fourths of the width of flap 20.

Angle (3must be less than 90band an angle in the range of about 20 to 60 has been found to be preferable, with about 45" being considered best. This configuration of the lower edge of flap 20 eliminates the need for the reinforcing gussets commonly used in prior art laundry bags, thereby simplifying manufacture of the device.

As stress is placed on flap 20, it is distributed along a substantially longer portion of side seams 16 and 18 than would be the case if the lower edge of flap 20 intersected the side seams at a right angle. The upwardly curved shape of edge 26 also facilitates closing the full bag to the condition shown in Figure 2, since the center of the flap is narrower and may be flipped over the bag more easily. Thus, the combined support and closure band of the bag considerably simplifies construction of the laundry bag without any sacrifice in bag strength and convenience of use. Preferably, a binding tape 27 of a distinctive colour is added to the lower edge 26 for identification and appearance purposes.

In the bag-open configuration illustrated in Figure 1 ,bag 10 would be supported by a chair back or support frame, not shown, which would be inserted behind flap 20, thereby leaving the bag open at its upper end for receiving laundry in the conventional manner.

When the bag has been filled, it is removed from the support, and flap 20 is pulled over the top of the bag to the bag-closed position illustrated in Figure 2 in which the bag may be transported without spilling its contents.

Figures 5 and 6 show gripping loops 28 which may be provided, if desired, for assisting the user in changing the flap 20 of a filled bag from the bag-supporting to the bag-closure position. Loops 28 may, for instance, be secured between flap 20 and front wall portion 12 by stitched seam 24. To close the bag, the user reaches under flap 20, grips loops 28, and pulls them downward and out from under flap 20. Then, when the weight of the filled bag is lifted by loops 28, the pocket formed by the flap 20 and the adjacent side wall panel is pulled inside out and the flap is thus flipped over to the closed position shown in Figure 2.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2 and particularly to Figures 7 to 9, the bag may also include a pair of handle pockets 30 and 32 located at the lower end of bag 10, which can be used to carry the loaded bag once it has been closed as in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 7, side seams 16 and 28 comprise an overcast stitch portion 34 which prevents unravelling of the bag material and a straight stitch portion 36 which secures front and rear portions 12 and 14 to each other. In this preferred embodiment, a double thickness of the bag wall, comprising extensions of wall portions or panels 12 and 14, and possibly the lower portions of side seams 16 and 18, is folded back against the main body or cylindrical wall portion of the bag. The fold, which is generally triangular in configuration as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is then sewn back through both thicknesses of the bag as best seen in Figure 9, using a third straight stitch 38 which tapers pockets 30 and 32 to open gradually from a location below flap 20 toward the lower edge of wall portions 12 and 14.

A bottom portion or panel 40 of generally circular shape may be sewn to wall portions 12 and 14 and to the lower edges of pockets 30 and 32 by a seam 42. Thus, generally round bag is provided which provides maximum carrying volume.

Bag 10 is generally inverted when full and while being transported to ensure hygenic protection and to prevent spilling of the bag contents. Handle pockets 30 and 32 facilitate the lifting and handling of the bag in the inverted position, as well as the emptying of the bag. Due to the presence of folded, double thicknesses of bag material in the outer edges of pockets 30 and 32, the pocket handles are particularly strong and have sufficient thickness to provide a good grip for the user.

An optional but quite advantageous feature of the invention is the construction of flap 20, and possibly other parts of the bag, or most preferably the entire bag, of bias-cut material.

Such material is a woven cloth having a warp and weft, which is so oriented in the bag that the warp and weft both run at an appropriate angle to the bag seams, e.g. side seams 16 and 18, to impart lateral stretchiness to the one or more parts of the bag, thereby minimizing stresses on the seams and/or spreading tearing forces exterted on the lower edge of flap 20.

One may employ any angle greater than 0 and less than 900 which is sufficient to perform the foregoing function, but the angle of the warp and weft relative to the side seams will generally be in the range of about 10 to 800, more preferably about 15 to 750 and most preferably about 20 to 700.

The bias-cut arrangement is most conveniently provided by using cloth supplied in running lengths in which the warp and weft are both "on the bias" (skewed at the abovedescribed angle) relative to the edge of the cloth. Then any straight edges of those bag components which are intended to be of biascut material can be laid out or parallel to the edge of the cloth. However, if raw material with the warp and weft on the bias is not available, one can use material in which the warp and weft run parallel and perpendicular to the edge of the cloth, laying out the bag components with their edges at an appropriate angle to the edge of the cloth. However, this last-mentioned alternative can prove wasteful of material.

If the flap 20 is made of cloth which is not bias-cut material, e.g. the warp and weft of the cloth run parallel and perpendicular to side seams 20, the curved edge 26 will normally be bound with bias tape. This is a narrow tape woven on the bias which, when sewn onto edge 26, will more readily conform to its curvature than square woven ribbon or the like.

However, an advantage of having the flap 20 bias-cut, is that its edge 20 can be more quickly and conveniently self-hemmed than the corresponding edge of a flap which is not bias cut.

Generally, puckering of the edge during selfhemming is reduced.

Figure 11 shows a bolt 44 of bias-cut material of the type preferred for use in the invention. The warp 46 and weft 48 of the material are at angles of about 15" and about 75C to the edges of the cloth. Such the length or width direction, and preferably in both directions, so that the bags fabricated therefrom are particularly stretchy. This stretchiness helps to reduce localized stressing of the bag seams.

In Figure 12, bolt 44 has been unrolled to illustrate a method constituting one advantageous technique for the manufacture of bags according to the invention. The flaps 20a and 20b, each integral with an adjoining wall portion 12 (only one of which is shown), are laid out on the material using paper patterns or any other suitable means, with their lower edges 26a and 26b facing each other as illustrated. The boundary between the flap 20b and its integral side wall panel or portion 12 is indicated by dot-dash line d. Two bottom panels or portions 40 are laid out in the panel of material between edges 26a and 26b and two sidewall panels or portions 14 are laid out in series with and between each pair of wall portions 12. The material is then cut on the dashed lines e and fto produce the components of a bag according to the invention with virtually no waste material.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A bag which includes a wall portion and a flap secured to the upper portion of the wall portion, the flap having a bag-open position in which the flap forms a pocket with a downwardly directed mouth to receive means for supporting the bag, and a bag-closed position in which the flap has been pushed inside out and slipped over an opening in the top of the bag, the flap being attached to opposite sides of the wall portion by a pair of said seams, with which the lower edge of the flap intersects, in which the flap, when laid flat in an unstretched condition, is narrower at the centre than at the side edges thereof, and the lower edge, viewed with the flap in both the bag-open position and the bag-closed position, intersects with each of the side seams at an acute angle.

2. A bag according to Claim 1 in which the lower edge is curved upwardly toward its centre.

3. A bag according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which at least the flap is of bias-cut material.

4. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the wall portion and flap are of biascut material.

3. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the wall portion is substantially cylindrical and the bag has a closed lower end with a generally circular bottom portion and a pair of handle pockets located in the bottom portion of the cylindrical wall portion comprising a double thickness of the cylindrical wall portion folded back upon itself at substantially diametrically spaced locations on the cylindrical wall portion and secured to the bottom portion to form the pockets.

4. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the wall portion is made up from front and rear panels joined by a pair of seams.

7. A method of laying out and cutting the component pieces of bags as claimed in Claim 1, each bag having wall portions, a bag closure and support flap which has a concavely curved edge, and a generally round bottom portion, comprising laying out two of the flaps on a length of material with their concavely curved edges facing each other, laying out two of the bottom portions in the space between the concavely curved edges, laying out the wall portions on the strip in series with the flaps, and cutting the flaps, wall portions and bottom portions from the length of material.

8. The method of Claim 7 in which the length of material is of the width of the wall portions.

9. The method of Claim 7 or Claim 8 in which the ends of the concavely curved edges of the two bag closure and support flaps meet at the opposite edges of the length of the material.

10. The method of any of Claims 7 to 9 in which the material is a cloth in which the warp and weft are on the bias.

11. A bag substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of laying out and cutting the component pieces of bags as claimed in Claim 7 substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

cloth. Then any straight edges of those bag components which are intended to be of biascut material can be laid out or parallel to the edge of the cloth. However, if raw material with the warp and weft on the bias is not available, one can use material in which the warp and weft run parallel and perpendicular to the edge of the cloth, laying out the bag components with their edges at an appropriate angle to the edge of the cloth. However, this last-mentioned alternative can prove wasteful of material.

If the flap 20 is made of cloth which is not bias-cut material, e.g. the warp and weft of the cloth run parallel and perpendicular to side seams 20, the curved edge 26 will normally be bound with bias tape. This is a narrow tape woven on the bias which, when sewn onto edge 26, will more readily conform to its curvature than square woven ribbon or the like.

However, an advantage of having the flap 20 bias-cut, is that its edge 20 can be more quickly and conveniently self-hemmed than the corresponding edge of a flap which is not bias cut.

Generally, puckering of the edge during selfhemming is reduced.

Figure 11 shows a bolt 44 of bias-cut material of the type preferred for use in the invention. The warp 46 and weft 48 of the material are at angles of about 15" and about 75C to the edges of the cloth. Such the length or width direction, and preferably in both directions, so that the bags fabricated therefrom are particularly stretchy. This stretchiness helps to reduce localized stressing of the bag seams.

In Figure 12, bolt 44 has been unrolled to illustrate a method constituting one advantageous technique for the manufacture of bags according to the invention. The flaps 20a and 20b, each integral with an adjoining wall portion 12 (only one of which is shown), are laid out on the material using paper patterns or any other suitable means, with their lower edges 26a and 26b facing each other as illustrated. The boundary between the flap 20b and its integral side wall panel or portion 12 is indicated by dot-dash line d. Two bottom panels or portions 40 are laid out in the panel of material between edges 26a and 26b and two sidewall panels or portions 14 are laid out in series with and between each pair of wall portions 12. The material is then cut on the dashed lines e and fto produce the components of a bag according to the invention with virtually no waste material.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A bag which includes a wall portion and a flap secured to the upper portion of the wall portion, the flap having a bag-open position in which the flap forms a pocket with a downwardly directed mouth to receive means for supporting the bag, and a bag-closed position in which the flap has been pushed inside out and slipped over an opening in the top of the bag, the flap being attached to opposite sides of the wall portion by a pair of said seams, with which the lower edge of the flap intersects, in which the flap, when laid flat in an unstretched condition, is narrower at the centre than at the side edges thereof, and the lower edge, viewed with the flap in both the bag-open position and the bag-closed position, intersects with each of the side seams at an acute angle.

2. A bag according to Claim 1 in which the lower edge is curved upwardly toward its centre.

3. A bag according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which at least the flap is of bias-cut material.

4. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the wall portion and flap are of biascut material.

3. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the wall portion is substantially cylindrical and the bag has a closed lower end with a generally circular bottom portion and a pair of handle pockets located in the bottom portion of the cylindrical wall portion comprising a double thickness of the cylindrical wall portion folded back upon itself at substantially diametrically spaced locations on the cylindrical wall portion and secured to the bottom portion to form the pockets.

4. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the wall portion is made up from front and rear panels joined by a pair of seams.

7. A method of laying out and cutting the component pieces of bags as claimed in Claim 1, each bag having wall portions, a bag closure and support flap which has a concavely curved edge, and a generally round bottom portion, comprising laying out two of the flaps on a length of material with their concavely curved edges facing each other, laying out two of the bottom portions in the space between the concavely curved edges, laying out the wall portions on the strip in series with the flaps, and cutting the flaps, wall portions and bottom portions from the length of material.

8. The method of Claim 7 in which the length of material is of the width of the wall portions.

9. The method of Claim 7 or Claim 8 in which the ends of the concavely curved edges of the two bag closure and support flaps meet at the opposite edges of the length of the material.

10. The method of any of Claims 7 to 9 in which the material is a cloth in which the warp and weft are on the bias.

11. A bag substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of laying out and cutting the component pieces of bags as claimed in Claim 7 substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.