GB2225103A - Thermally-insulating carrying bag - Google Patents

Abstract

A carrying bag (10) incorporates a compartment (15) the walls of which are of sandwich construction with flexible inner and outer layers, a metal foil layer adjacent the inner surface of the inner layer and a layer of heat-insulating expanded plastics material between the metal foil layer and the outer layer. The compartment has a sliding clasp (18) or other readily releasable fastener providing ready access to the compartment. <IMAGE>

Description

CARRYING BAGS This invention relates to carrying bags of the kind used for shopping and other general purposes. The term carrying bag as used herein includes also satchels, shoulder bags and pannier bags.

According to this invention there is provided a carrying bag incorporating a compartment whereof the walls are of sandwich construction comprising inner and outer fabric layer, a metal foil layer outside the inner layer and a layer of heat-insulating expanded plastics material between the foil layer and the outer fabric layer, and readily releasable fastener means for opening and closing-off said compartment.

The inner fabric layer may be made from PVC or other plastics sheet material and is preferably waterproof.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a carrying bag according to the invention, Figure 2 shows in more detail the arrangement of the "cold" compartment of the bag of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, Figure 4 shows a further form of carrying bag incorporating the invention, and Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a carrying bag 10 is shown with side walls 11, 12 a bottom wall 13 and carrying handles 14. Side wall 12 has attached, as by stitching, to its inner face a cold compartment 15 formed by a looped side wall 16 extending in a loop and end walls 17 which provide gussets The two ends of the looped side wall are detachably secured together by a sliding clasp fastener 18 which provides ready access to the compartment.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings, the sandwich construction of the side wall 16 and end walls 17 is shown. The innermost layer 20 of these walls is made from a polyvinyl chloride material which is preferably waterproof. In one construction this material is of 0.15mm thickness. At the outer side of the layer 20 is a layer 21 of aluminium foil 0.lmm thick. At the outer side of the foil layer 21 is an 8mm thick layer 22 of foamed plastics material, and at the outer side of the foam layer 22 is the outermost layer 23, which in this instance a woven nylon material.

Thus the compartment 15 provides a heat-insulated compartment in which cold foods can be kept cold and separate from other foods.

Figures 4 and 5 show a second form of carrying bag 25 in which there is a partition wall 26 extending lengthwise of the bag and dividing the interior into two generally equal compartments 27, 28. The cold compartment 27 is closed at the top by a sliding clasp fastener 29, giving access to the compartment. The other compartment 28 may be open at the top or may have a releasable fastening means. The construction of the walls of the cold compartment 27 may be as shown in Figure 3. The layer 23 may be constituted by the outside fabric of the bag, but may alternatively be an additional layer.

It will be understood that there are numerous alternative ways in which a cold compartment can be incorporated in a carrying bag according to the invention. For example, the compartment may be in the bottom of the carrying bag and may have a sliding clasp or other fastener on the outside of the bag te provide access to the compartment.

Claims (5)

1. A carrying bag incorporating a compartment whereof the walls are of sandwich construction comprising inner and outer layers of flexible sheet material a metal foil layer outside the inner layer, a layer of heatinsulating expanded plastics material between the foil layer and said outer layer, and readily releasable fastener means for opening and closing-off said compartment.

2. A carrying bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner layer is made from PVC or other plastics sheet material and is waterproof.

3. A carrying bag as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said outer layer is made from woven fabric.

4. A carrying bag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fastener means comprises a sliding clasp fastener.

5. A carrying bag substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.