GB2184938A - Portable receptacle primarily intended for the stowing of clothes - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable receptacle, which may be adapted to befitted in, or be incorporated as original equipment in, a luggage case, comprises a support sheet (1), preferably of pliant material so that it may be folded, having a hook (6) by which it can be suspended and pockets on both sides into which items of clothing can be inserted. There may be just one large pocket on the one side which can receive bulkier items such as sweaters and cardigans. The hook (6) may protect from a generally triangular frame which spreads the support sheet whilst it is suspended. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Portable receptacle primarily intended for the stowing of clothes This invention relates to a portable receptacle which is primarily intended for the stowing of clothes.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a portable receptacle which is primarily intended forthe stowing of clothes and comprises a support sheet having hanger means by which the support sheet can be suspended, and which support sheet has a plurality of pockets on one side into which items of clothing can be inserted and on its opposite side at least one additional pocket into which one ormorefurther items of clothing can be inserted.

The pockets enable items to be stowed away in an organised manner, separately from one another if desired, and to be readily accessible when required to bused.

Preferably the support sheet is of a pliant material so that it may befolded. The material may be a sheet of plastics, for example polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, oratextilefabricof natural or synthetic, or mixed natural and synthetic, materials. At leastthe pockets on the said one side ofthe support sheet may be spaced from a part or parts of the support sheet aboutwhich the sheet may be folded.

The support sheet may be a unitary piece of material or be composed of two or more pieces of material.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hanger means is provided at one end of the support sheet so thatwhen suspended the support sheet hangs straight down from the hanger means.lt is possible, however, forthe hanger means to be at in intermediate part ofthe support sheetforthe support sheet to hang in an at least partlyfolded state. The hanger means may comprise one or more hooks.

Preferablythe hook or hooks, or other hanger means, areattachedto,orform partof,aframetowhichthe support sheet is connected, and which spreads out the supportsheet laterallywhilst it is suspended.

The plurality of pockets on the said one side of the supportsheet may be ofsimilarsizesto one another or be of various sizes to suit items of different sizes. For example, in the latter arrangement there may be a pocket or pockets of a size suitable to receive folded shirts or blouses, another of a size suitable to receive a folded pair oftrousers or a skirt, and one or more others of smaller size in which items such as socks, stockings, underwear, ties and handkerchiefs may be stored. There may be pockets in which other articles such as razors, brushes, toilet items and jewellery may be stored.The pocket or pockets on the opposite side ofthe support sheet may be largerto receive bulkier items of clothing, for example sweaters and cardi gans, orthe pocket or pockets may provide a repositoryforsoiled items until those items can be cleaned. The pockets on both sides ofthe support sheet may all be orientated so that when the support sheet is suspended from one of the receptacles the pockets open upwards, or at least one ofthe pockets may be orientated so that it opens towards a depending side edge of the suspended support sheet.

The receptacle may be adapted to be detachably fitted in a luggages case. Thus items of clothing may be packed in a luggage case in the pockets ofthe receptacle fortransportation, and at a destination the receptacle may be removed from the luggage case with the items still in its pockets and hung in a wardrobe or on a rack or other support.

The receptacle may be adapted to befitted in an existing luggage case or it may be included as original equipment in a luggage case. With this latter possibility in view the invention further consists in a luggage case which includes a portable receptacle in accordance with the aforementioned first aspect of the invention. The hanger means may attach to an anchorage in the luggage case. Fastenings may be provided on the support sheet which engage with other anchorages in the luggage case to locate the receptacle. Spring clips, for example, may provide the fastening, or buckled tabs, for engagement with rings or loops in the luggage case, or press-stud fastenings, may serve the purpose. Aiternatively or in addition a strap or straps may be provided in the luggage case which fasten overthe receptacle to retain it in position in the luggage case.

An embodiment ofthe invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa front view of a portable receptacle in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the receptacle, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of an open luggage case in which the receptacle is detachably fitted.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 ofthe accompanying drawings, the portable receptacle comprises an oblong, generally rectangular, support sheet 1, for example of transparent polyvinyl chloride. One end portion 2 ofthe support sheet is shallowly tapered symmetrically and is backed by a matching triangular piece 3 of similar material so that an enclosure 4 is defined. Accoommodated in the enclosure 4 is a triangularframe5having an integral hook6which projects out ofthe enclosure a the apex ofthe tapered end portion 2. The frameS may, for example, be of wire or be a plastics moulding.

Onthefrontsideofthesupportsheetarefour pockets 7,8,9 10 which are defined by patches of similar materialtothe support sheetsecured to the supportsheet.Wherethesupportsheetandthe patches are mdde of plastics material, as for example the transparent polyvinyl chloride mentioned, the patches are conventiently welded or heat sealed to the support sheet. The pockets are disposed in two pairs spaced longitudinally ofthe support sheet so that a central transverse region 11 ofthe support sheet is left unoccupied by the pockets. Mouths 12 ofthe pockets open towards the tapered end portion 2 of the support sheet.

Asingle large pocket 13 is defined on the rearside of the supportsheet, again by a patch ofsimilar material to the support sheet secured to the support sheet. This large pocket 13 extend from the opposite, square, end 14 ofthe support sheet for approximately two thirds of the length of the support sheet, its mouth 13' also opening towards the tapered end portion.

Spring clips 15 are attached to the corners ofthe square end 140fthesupportsheet.

The pockets 7,8,9, 1 O at the front side ofthe support sheet are large enough to receive, for example, folded shirts.The large pocket 13 onthe rearside ofthe support sheet may receive bulkier items of clothing such as sweaters, or it may be used as a repository for soiled shirts, or other items, which when clean had been stowed in the pockets on the front side of the support sheet.

The support sheet may be folded into two aboutthe central transverse region 11.

The receptacle may be detachably fitted in a luggage case 16, as shown in figure 3. The luggage case shown is of the portmanteau type having two similar, hingedly connected, halves 17, 18 which open outto a flat position for packing and unpacking ofthe case, and are held together in the closed position by zip fastenings, not shown. When the case is open the receptacle can lie flat, unfolded, in the case, as shown.

One half 17 ofthe case has a loop 19 anchored to the inside of a wall 20 on the outside ofwhich a handle, not shown, is mounted for carrying the case when it is closed, orfor suspending the case from a hook or peg when it is open. The hook 6 projecting fromthe support sheet engages in the loop 19. There are rings 21 anchored to the inside of an opposite wall 22 ofthe other half of 18 ofthe case, and the spring clips 15 engage with those rings. An elasticated strap 23 anchored in the case opposite the hinge between the two halves buckles overthe central transverse region 11 of the support sheet. The receptacle folds over the strap 23 aboutthe central transverse region when the case is closed.

It will be appreciated that the frame5 keeps the support sheet spread out transversely so that it hangs down straight when it is suspended by the hook 6, and aiso, acting in combination with the spring clips 15 attached to the rings 21, spreads the support sheet out across the case when it is fitted insidethecase.

The pockets provide easy access to items stored in them,whetherthe receptacle is in the luggage case or detached from it, and the items can be readily seen so thatthey can be selected for use and removed as required without necessarily having to disturb other items in the receptacle or case in the process.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS:

1. A portable receptacle which is primarily in tended forthe stowing of clothes and comprises a support sheet having hanger means by which the support sheet can be suspended, and which support sheet has a plurality of pockets on one side into which items ofclothing can be inserted and on its opposite side at least one additional pocket into which one or morefurther items of clothing can be inserted.

2. A portable receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the support sheet is of a pliant material which enablesthe supportsheetto be folded.

3. A portable receptacle according to claim 2 wherein at least the pockets on said one side ofthe support sheet are spaced from a partorpartsofthe support sheet about which the supportsheet may be folded.

4. A portable receptacle according to any preceding claim wherein the hanger means is at one end of thesupportsheet.

5. A portable receptacle according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the hanger means is at an intermediate part ofthe support sheet such that when suspended by the hanger means for use the support sheet hangs from the hangermeans in an at least partly folded state.

6. A portable receptacle according to any preceding claim wherein the hanger means comprises a hook on a frame to which the support sheet is connected and which frame spreads outthe supportsheet iaterally whilst it is suspended.

7. A portable receptacle according to any preceding claim wherein the additional pocket occupies a major portion of said opposite side of the support sheet.

8. A portable receptacle according to any preceding claim wherein the support sheet has fastening means whereby the receptacle is adapted to be connected to anchorage means inside a luggage case to locate the receptacle in the luggage case.

9. Aluggage case including a portable receptacle as claimed in any preceding claim.

10. A luggage case according to claim 9 inside which there is afixed anchorageto which the hanger means of the receptacle is attached.

11. A luggage case according to claim 9 or claim 10 inside which are fixed anchorage means, and the support sheet has fastening means which are engaged with the anchorage means to locate the receptacle in the luggage case.

12. A portable receptacle substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

13. A luggage case substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.