GB2525164A

GB2525164A - Travel bag system

Info

Publication number: GB2525164A
Application number: GB1404287.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leanne Jane Macintyre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-03-11
Filing date: 2014-03-11
Publication date: 2015-10-21
Also published as: GB201404287D0

Abstract

A travel bag system comprises a bag (10, figure 2) having a substantially rectangular base and an opening at the top, the system further comprises at least one substantially rectangular, rigid or semi-rigid, tray 38 having at least one compartment 38c, said tray being fixed or removably received within the bag. The travel bag system is particularly useful for the storage and transport of equipment and clothes required for babies and young children. Also disclosed is a travel bag system including a rucksack (24, figure 2) removably attachable to one end of a bag. Further disclosed is a travel bag including a cover which may lie substantially flat on a surface when the cover is in an open configuration (figure 3). Further disclosed is a portable wardrobe (figure 11).

Description

TRAVEL BAG SYSTEM

This invention relates to a travel bag system and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a travel bag system for use in storage and transport of equipment and clothes required for babies and young children.

Many bags and holdalls exist for storing items for transport when, for example, travelling, and there are many bags available which are specifically intended for transporting equipment required for the care of babies and young children, both during a journey and after arrival at a destination.

Such bags and holdalls tend to be made of a light, flexible material, rather than in the form of a rigid suitcase, in order to minimise the weight that needs to be carried. However, although such bags and holdalls have the capacity to receive and store a wide variety of items, these items have a tendency to move around within a flexible holdall, such that equipment and other items that might be needed urgently, during a journey, for example, can drop to the bottom of the bag, making them difficult to find and retrieve conveniently.

Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel bag system comprising a bag having a substantially rectangular base and a releasably fastenable opening at the top, the system further comprising at least one substantially rectangular rigid or semi-rigid tray having at least one compartment, said tray being fixed or removably received within said bag.

In a preferred embodiment, the tray is formed of a plurality of configurable panels which enable selective reconfiguration of the tray and/or the or each compartment. In this case, the panels preferably comprise means for releasably fastening them to each each other. Such releasable fastening means may comprise, for example, cooperative strips of hook and loop type fastening material.

In a preferred embodiment, the bag may comprise a releasably fastenable compartment at one end thereof for receiving, for example, a wash bag, a toy bag or a wardrobe bag as defined and described later.

Another problem associated with existing bags and holdalls is that they are often very large, in order that they can be used to transport everything that might be required for use over a period of time, but this makes such holdalls inconvenient to carry during shorter journeys or, for example, if it is required carry some equipment to a public convenience in order to change a baby's nappy and/or clothes during a journey.

Thus, in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel bag system comprising a bag having a releasably fastenable opening at the top and a removable rucksack on one end wall thereof.

Such a removable rucksack may be provided on the end wall of the bag defined above in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, and preferably comprises at least one shoulder strap on a rear wall thereof, configured to be compressed between the rear wall and the end wall of the bag when the rucksack is attached to the bag.

The rucksack preferably comprises a releasably fastenable front wall panel for allowing selective access to an interior compartment thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the rucksack includes a removable rigid or semi-rigid tray or shelf received at the base of the interior compartment thereof. The system may further comprise an insulative cool bag, shaped and configured to be received within the tray or on the shelf.

Yet another issue that arises during a journey with babies and young children is that of providing a changing mat or the like for laying a child on whilst changing their nappy or clothes in, for example, a public convenience.

Conventional cushioned changing mats tend to be too bulky and rigid to be packed in a holdall and even travel changing mats, which can be rolled up for packing more compactly, take up valuable space in a bag or holdall.

Thus, in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel bag system comprising a bag having a substantially rectangular base, opposing front and real walls and an opening at the top, the bag further comprising a releasably fastenable cover which extends from said base over the rear or front wall and over said opening to completely close said opening in a closed configuration and is releasable from said opening and said front or rear wall to lie substantially flat on a surface, extending from said base, in an open configuration.

The inner surface preferably has a changing mat thereon, which may be separate from or formed integrally therewith. Indeed, in a more preferred embodiment, the cover preferably comprises a removable changing mat thereon, in which case, the cover and changing mat preferably include releasable fastening means, such as hook and loop type fastening means, for selectively attaching and removing the changing mat in respect of the cover.

Another issue sought to be addressed by the present invention is that of convenient storage of items of clothing, not only during transport thereof, but also after arrival at a destination, in order to save time and space when unpacking children's clothing from a holdall or suitcase.

Thus, in accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable wardrobe comprising a flexible bag having a substantially rectangular base, opposing front and rear walls extending upwardly from respective opposing sides of said base, and side walls which taper upwardly from opposing ends of said base between said front and rear walls, such that the cross-sectional area of said bag is greater at the bottom than at the top of the bag.

The portable wardrobe is preferably provided with a flap at the rear wall which can be folded, in use, over an opening at the top of the bag and releasably fastened to the front wall so as to define an elongate channel between the bag opening and the inner surface of the fold in the flap for receiving the base of a clothes hanger or the like.

A handle may be provided at the upper end of the bag, and the front wall may be partially or wholly transparent, in order to allow the contents of the bag to be seen without having to open the bag.

The front wall may further include longitudinal fastening means, such as a zip fastener or the like, for enabling access to the contents of the bag from the font, rather than the top, if required. This is particularly useful when the bag is hung in a conventional wardrobe or the like.

It will be appreciated that the present invention extends to a complete travel bag system which comprises a bag as defined above in accordance with any of the first to third aspects of the present invention, and optionally includes one or more of the portable wardrobe defined above in accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, a wash bag, one or more removable rigid or semi-rigid trays and a toy bag.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of various items of a travel bag system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side perspective view of the main bag of the travel system of Figure 1, in the closed configuration; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the bag of Figure 2, in the open configuration; Figure 4 is an end perspective view of the bag of Figure 2, in the closed configuration; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the rucksack of the travel system of Figure 1, when removed from the main bag; Figures 6a and 6b are perspective views of interior trays suitable for use with the travel bag system of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a tray of Figure 6a or 6b showing the modular nature of the panels; Figure 8 is a side view of the rucksack of Figure 5; Figure 9 is a front view of the rucksack of Figure 5, in the open configuration, including a perspective view of a cool bag suitable for insertion therein; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the cool bag shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a side perspective view of a wardrobe bag suitable for use in the travel bag system of Figure 1 Figure 12 is a side view of the wardrobe bag of Figure 11, in the folded configuration; Figure 13 is a front perspective view of a toy bag suitable for use with the travel bag system of Figure 1; and Figure 14 is a front view of a wash bag suitable for use with the travel system of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a travel bag system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a main bag 10, a removable rucksack 24, interior, compartmentalised trays 38, a wardrobe bag 42, a toy bag 44 and a wash bag 46.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the main bag 10 of a travel bag system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a substantially rectangular container 12 having looped a looped strap 14 affixed generally centrally on each elongate sidewall thereof. The straps have cushioned handles 16, which may be adjustable/removable, provided thereon for additional comfort when the bag is being manually transported. The container further comprises a cover 18 which extends from the base 12a of a sidewall of the container 12, up and over the upper edge of that sidewall and over the opening 12b in the top of the container, to completely cover the opening 12b in the closed configuration. A releasable fastening means, such as a zip fastener 20a is provided around the three free peripheral edges of the cover 18 such that it can be securely held in place over the container opening 12b by means of a corresponding zip fastener 20b provided on the sidewall and container opening, when access thereto is not required. The cover 18 can be partially unfastened, just to give access to the opening 12b and, therefore, the contents of the container, or fully unfastened such that it is released from the sidewall and can lie substantially flat on a surface, extending from the container base 12a, as shown in Figure 3.

A cushioned mat 22 is releasably affixed to the inner surface of the cover 18 by means of, for example, cooperative hook and loop fastener strips, which mat 22 may serve as a changing mat which can be removed as required, for example, for washing.

Referring additionally to Figure 5 of the drawings, at one end of the container 12, there is provided a removable rucksack 24, which is attached to the end wall of the container 12 by means of a zip fastener 26a which extends around the periphery of the rear wall of the rucksack 24, with a corresponding zip fastener 26b being provided around the periphery of the end wall of the container. A flap 28 is provided which covers the zip fastener 26, when the rucksack 24 is attached to the container 12. The rucksack 24 is provided with two longitudinal padded shoulder straps 30 which are flattened and compressed between the rear wall of the rucksack and the end wall of the container 12 when the rucksack is fully attached to the container, but become available for convenient transport of the rucksack 24 on a user's back or shoulder(s) when the rucksack and container are fully separated from each other. Adjustment means 32 are provided to adjust the length of the shoulder straps 30, as required.

Referring particularly to Figure 4 of the drawings, at the opposite end of the container 12 to the rucksack 24, there is provided an integral, zipped compartment 34 for receiving, for example, a wash bag 46 or wardrobe bag 42, as will be described later. Additional bags, such as a drawstring toy bag 44 or a dirty laundry/nappy bag may be provided which are conveniently shaped and configured to be stored within the container 12, for additional organisation of stored items. Referring to Figure 13 of the drawings, a toy bag 44 suitable for use with the travel bag system of the present invention may comprise a bag having an opening which is selectively opened and closed by means of a drawstring fastener 44a. Referring to Figure 14 of the drawings, a wash bag suitable for use with the travel bag system of the present invention comprises a generally rectangular bag, having a pair of strap handles 46a, and a transparent front panel 46b. The bag 46 may have an opening at the top which is selectively opened and closed by means of a zip fastener 46c.

Referring back to Figure 3 of the drawings, the outer sidewall of the container 12, which is obscured by the cover 18 in the closed configuration, may be provided with a plurality of flexible pockets 36 configured to receive and store small items for transport and easy retrieval as required.

The main interior of the container 12 is shaped and configured to receive at least one and, more preferably, two, stacked, substantially rigid or semi-rigid, compartmentalised trays 38, as shown in Figures 6a and 6b of the drawings, which serve, not only to enable items to be organised conveniently within the container for transport, but also to maintain the structure of the container, which would otherwise have a tendency to collapse, which can make it difficult for selected items to be found and retrieved quickly and without removing all of the contents of the container. It will be appreciated that, in an alternative exemplary embodiment, the bottom tray may actually be fixed to the base of the container 12, with only the top tray, if provided, being removable as required.

Referring additionally to Figure 7 of the drawings, one or both of the trays are beneficially formed of a plurality of reconfigurable panels 38a which can be selectively attached to and released from each other by means of, for example, hook and loop fastener strips 38b, in order that a user can configure the trays 38 and the compartments 38c as they wish to.

At least one of the trays 38 may comprise a pair of handles 40 for enabling them to be conveniently lifted out of the container and transported, as required. Other items of, for example, clothing can be folded and placed into the container, around the tray(s), or on top of, or even below, them, depending on the convenience with which such items might be required to be retrieved for use.

Referring back to Figure 5 and, additionally to Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, the removable rucksack 24 comprises a zipped front panel 50 which enables selective access to an interior compartment 52. A removable, rigid or semi-rigid, open-sided box or tray 54 may be provided at the base of the compartment 52, for storing items and also for maintaining the structure of the rucksack. The tray 54 may be fixed or removable. Other items, such as a further changing mat 56 in a rolled up configuration, may be placed within the compartment 53 on top of the tray 54. An insulated, zipped-top bag 58, which can be seen more clearly in Figure 10 of the drawings, may be provided as part of the travel bag system, which is of a size and shape to fit in the tray 54, and is suitable for storing and conserving foodstuffs such as milk or baby food. A handle strap 60 is provided at the top of the rucksack 24 for convenient handling thereof when it is not being transported on a user's back or shoulder(s).

Additional pockets 62 may be provided on the rear inner wall and/or on the side and front panels of the rucksack, for storing smaller items as required.

Referring to Figures 11 and 12 of the drawings, the wardrobe bag 42 comprises an elongate bag 64, having a transparent front panel 64a, with at least one longitudinal zip fastener 66 running along its length. The bag 64 is provided with a substantially rectangular base panel 64b, with the front and rear panels 64a, 64c extending from the long edges of the base panel, and side panels 64d which extend and taper from the short edges of the base panel, almost to a peak at the top of the bag 64. A releasably fastened flap 68 folds over the opening 70 at the top of the bag 64, from the rear panel to the front, with an elongate channel 72 being defined between the bag opening and the fold in the flap 68, when in the closed configuration, for retaining the base of a clothes hanger 74 or the like. In use, folded clothes and the like are placed at the base of the bag 64, the flap 68 closed over the opening at the top 70, and then the bag 64 itself can be folded down over the pile of clothes, as shown in Figure 12, to provide a more compact configuration for storage in the outer integral compartment 34 provided at the end of the rectangular container of the main bag, as described above. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the angle of taper of the side panels 64d may be much less than that shown, and in yet another alternative exemplary embodiment, they may not be tapered at all, with the side edges of the side panels 64d being substantially parallel to each other and the cross-sectional area of the bag at the top being substantially the same as that at the bottom.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A travel bag system comprising a bag having a substantially rectangular base and an opening at the top, the system further comprising at least one substantially rectangular, rigid or semi-rigid tray having at least one compartment, said tray being fixed or removably received within said bag.
2. A travel bag system according to claim 1, wherein said tray is removably received within said bag.
3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said tray comprises a plurality of reconfigurable panels, for selective reconfiguration of the tray and/or the or each compartment.
4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said panels comprise means for releasably fastening them to each other.
5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said releasable fastening means comprise cooperative strips or portions of hook and loop fastening material.
6. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said bag comprises a removable rucksack on one end wall thereof.
7. A system according to any preceding claim, the bag further comprising a relasably fastenable compartment at one end thereof.
8. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein said bag comprises opposing front and rear walls and a cover which extends from said base over either the front or rear wall and over said opening to completely close said opening in a closed configuration and which is releasable from said opening and said front or rear wall to lie flat on a surface, extending from said base, in an open configuration.
9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the inner surface of the cover has a changing mat thereon or formed integrally therewith.
10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said changing mat is removable from said cover.
11. A system according to any preceding claim, further including a portable wardrobe comprising a flexible bag having a substantially rectangular base, opposing front and rear walls extending upwardly from respective opposing sides of said base, the bag being shaped and configured to be received within said bag, in use.
12. A system according to claim 11, wherein a flap is provided at the rear wall of said portable wardrobe which can be folded, in use, over an opening at the top of the bag and releasably fastened to the front wall so as to define an elongate channel between said bag opening and the fold in the flap for receiving the base of a clothes hanger.
13. A system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a wash bag and/or toy bag shaped and configured to be received within said bag, in use.
14. A travel bag system comprising a bag having a releasably fastenable opening at the top, the bag further comprising a removable rucksack on one end wall thereof.
15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said rucksack comprises at least one shoulder strap on a rear wall thereof, configured to be compressed between said rear wall and said end wall of said bag when said rucksack is attached to the bag.
16. A system according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said rucksack comprises a releasably fastenable front wall for allowing selective access to an interior compartment thereof.
17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the rucksack comprises a removable rigid or semi-rigid tray or shelf received within the base of the interior compartment.
18. A system according to claim 17, further comprising an insulative cool bag shaped and configured to be received and stored in said tray or on said shelf.
19. A system according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the bag further comprises a releasably fastenable compartment at the end wall opposing the end wall having said rucksack fastenable thereto.
20. A travel bag system comprising a bag having a substantially rectangular base, opposing front and rear walls, and an opening at the top, the bag further comprising a cover which extends from said base over said rear or said front wall and over said opening to completely close said opening in a closed configuration, and which is releasable from said opening and said rear or front wall to lie substantially flat on a surface, extending from said base, in an open configuration.
21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the inner surface of said cover has a changing mat thereon or formed integrally therewith.
22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said changing mat is removable from said cover.
23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said changing mat and said cover comprise means for releasably fastening said changing mat to the inner surface of said cover.
24. A system according to claim 23, wherein said fastening means comprise cooperative strips or portions of hook and loop fastening material.
25. A portable wardrobe comprising a flexible bag having a substantially rectangular base, opposing front and rear walls extending upwardly from respective opposing sides of the base, and side walls which taper upwardly from opposing ends of said base, between the side and front walls, such that the cross-sectional area of said bag is greater at the bottom than at the top.
26. A system according to claim 25, wherein a flap is provided at the rear wall which can be folded, in use, over an opening at the top of the bag and releasably fastened to the front wall so as to define an elongate channel between said bag opening and the fold in the flap for receiving the base of a clothes hanger.
27. A system according to claim 25 or claim 26, further comprising a handle at the upper end of the bag.
28. A system according to any of claims 25 to 27, wherein said front wall is substantially transparent.
29. A system according to any of claims 25 to 28, wherein said front wall comprises at least one longitudinal opening and corresponding releasable fastening means for enabling selective front access to the interior of the bag.
30. A travel bag system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.