IE59601B1

IE59601B1 - An expandable bag

Info

Publication number: IE59601B1
Application number: IE274986A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Namgyal Champa; Weinreb Robert
Priority date: 1986-10-17
Filing date: 1986-10-17
Publication date: 1994-03-09
Also published as: GB2196242A; GB8724484D0; GB2196242B; LU86776A1; IE862749L

Abstract

An expandable bag, particularly for photographic equipment, has a rear wall, a front wall, two side walls 3, 4 and a base, wherein the side walls and the base comprise a foldable fabric, and a pair of cooperating slide fastener tapes 14, is attached on the exterior of the side walls 3, 4 and base, respectively spaced from the front and rear edges thereof by a distance which is a minor proportion of the width of the bag, such that the bag may be reduced from a wide configuration as shown to a narrow configuration by closing the slide fastener, and the bag may be expanded from the narrow configuration to the wide configuration by opening the slide fastener. A carrier strap, preferably of webbing, extends continuously around the bag, and is attached to the fabric so that it is folded behind the slide fastener 18 when the fastener is closed. A removable insert 20 fits inside and reinforces the walls of the bag in both configurations of the bag. An external pocket 7 is provided on both of its internal faces with a multiplicity of holders for small accessories.

Description

This invention relates to bags of lightweight material which can be carried by hand or on the shoulder. The invention provides a multipurpose bag which is suitable for carrying photographic equipment and which can be adapted for use as a document case or as a travelling bag.

The present invention provides a bag adaptable from a wide configuration to a narrow configuration and having a rear wall, a front wall, two side walls, a base and a cover, wherein the four walls define an opening which is closable by the cover, the side walls, and the base comprise a foldable fabric, and a pair of cooperating slide fastener tapes is attached on the exterior of the side walls and base, respectively spaced from the front and rear edges thereof by a distance which is a minor proportion of the width of the bag from the front wall ( to the rear wall in the wide configuration of the bag, such that the bag and the opening thereof may be reduced from the wide configuration to the narrow configuration by closing the slide fastener and causing the fabric of the side walls and base between the tapes to fold, and the bag and the opening thereof may be expanded from the narrow configuration to the wide configuration by opening the slide fastener.

Suitably the said distance may be from 10-30% of the said width of the bag in its wide configuration, preferably 12.5-30%, more particularly 15-25%. Most suitably the ratio of the width of the bag in its wide configuration to its width in its narrow configuration may be in the range from 4:1.5 to 5:4, more particularly 2:1 to 3:2. t The above mentioned measurements of the width of the bag do not include exterior pockets or other fittings outside the walls which define the -2main compartment of the bag. The measurements are made (where applicable) from seam to seam. The phrase a minor proportion of the width of the bag means substantially less than half of the width of the bag.

Preferably the slide fastener tapes extend continuously down from the top of one side wall, along the base and up to the top of the other side wal1.

In a preferred feature of the invention, a foldable weather flap extends upwardly from each side wall of the bag, each weather flap preferably being of generally triangular configuration, tapering downwardly towards the front of the bag.

In a further preferred feature, a carrier strap, preferably of webbing, extends continuously around the bag, on the centre line of the side walls and of the base, the carrier strap being attached to the fabric so that it is folded behind the slide fastener when the fastener is closed.

In another preferred feature, the bag is provided with a removable insert adapted to fit inside and to reinforce the walls of the bag in both wide and narrow configurations of the bag, said insert comprising two sheets of fabric with pads of foam plastics sandwiched therebetween, wherein the pads are separated by longitudinal seams joining the sheets of fabric, the insert is hingeable about some of the said seams to form a rear wall, a front wall, a base and a convertible * portion which can be aligned with one of the walls or can form a corner between the base and that wall, depending upon the configuration of the bag.

In an additional advantageous feature, a pocket outside the main body of the bag is provided on both of its internal faces with a multiplicity of holders for small accessories.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: -3Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the bag closed in its narrow configuration; Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the bag open in its narrow configuration; Fig. 3 is a slightly different front perspective view of the bag open in its narrow configuration, with the front pocket also open; Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the bag closed in its expanded configuration; Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the bag closed in its expanded configuration; Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of the bag open in its expanded configuration; Fig. 7 is a perspective view from below of the bag in its narrow configuration, Fig. 8 is a perspective view from below of the bag in its expanded configuration, Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of the insert in its narrow configuration; Fig. 10 is a front perspective view of the insert in its wide configuration; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the underneath of the insert in its wide configuration; Fig. 12 is an end perspective view of the insert in its wide configuration.

As shown in the drawings, the bag has a rear wall 1, a front wall 2, two side walls 3,4, a base 5 and a cover 6 all made of fabric such as -4fabric of tangulated multifilament nylon such as is sold under the Trade Mark CORDURA. The cover 6 extends from the top of the rear wall 1. The top edges of the two side walls 3, 4, and the front wall, together with the rear wall, define the opening of the bag, which is closable by the cover 6. Attached to the front of the front wall is a supplementary pocket 7 closed by a slide fastener 8. The cover 6 has clips 9 which engage sockets 10 on the outside of the front pocket.

Each of the side walls 3, 4 and the base 5 comprise a pair of narrow strips 11, 12 and a centre panel 13. One of the strips 11 adjoins the front wall 2, while the other strip 12 adjoins the rear wall. Each of the strips has a width which is a minor proportion of the width of the bag from the front wall to the rear in the expanded configuration. For example the strips 11, 12 may have a width of 2.5-4 cm (1.00-1.6 inches) preferably 3cm (1.25 inches) while the centre panel has a width of 12-15 cm (4.75-6 inches) and the side wall has a width of 18-20 cm (7-8 inches). A slide fastener tape 14, 15 is sewn into each of the seams by which the strips 11, 12 are attached to the centre panel 13.

A carrier strap 16 of webbing extends continuously around the side and base on the mid-line of the centre panel 13. The strap 16 is stitched to the centre panel 13. Above the bag the carrier strap 16 normally has the length of a shoulder strap but it may be shortened by a bridging clip 17 which engages a snap hook 17a in the manner described in our Irish Patent Application No. 2299/86, (GB Patent Application No. 8,720,246) the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

A slider 18 which draws the two tapes 14, 15 together can travel continuously around the sides and base of the bag. When the slide fastener is closed, the centre panel 13 is folded inwardly and the width of the side walls of the bag is reduced to a width determined by the width of the two strips 11, 12 and the width of the slide fastener assembly e.g. 7.5-12 cm (3-4.75 inches). As shown in Fig. 1, the carrier strap 16 is folded inwardly with the centre panel 13 and is hidden behind the closed slide fastener.

A weather flap 19 is attached at the top of each of the side walls 3, 4. The flap 19 is a triangular piece of fabric which tapers downwardly -5towards the front of the bag and terminates at the front seam of the centre panel 13. It has its short side (e.g. about 7 cm -2.75 inches high) attached to the inside of the top cover 6. When the bag is in its wide configuration (see Fig. 4) the flap 19 forms an upward extension of the side wall 3 or 4, substantially filling the gap between the side wall and the corner 6. In the narrow configuration of the bag (see Fig. 1), the flap 19 is folded like the centre panel of the side wall, but it nevertheless largely fills the gap (of a different shape) which is created between the narrow form of the side wall 3 or 4 and the cover 6.

The main compartment of the bag has a strengthening insert 20 which is more particularly shown in Figures 9-12. The insert 20 comprises two sheets of fabric between which pads of foam plastics material are sandwiched. The edges are bound with braid 31. Each pad is separated from the adjacent pad by a seam which draws the two fabric sheets together. One major pad occupies the area of the rear wall 21 of the insert; a second major pad, of lesser height, occupies the main part of the area of the front wall 22 of the insert; a third pad occupies the area of the base 2 of the insert in its narrow configuration (see Fig.7). Three narrow strip pads are provided in convertible portions 24, 25 and 31 which form the lower part of front wall 22 or rear wall 21 in the narrow configuration but which form part of the base or the corner of the insert in the wide configuration. The insert can be hinged along the longitudinal seams 26, 26a and 27 which extend alongside the narrow pads of the convertible portions 24, 25 and 31.

The inside surface of the side walls of the insert are covered with loop fabric 28 for the hook and loop type of fastening system which is sold under the Trade Mark VELCRO. Two sets of partition pieces are provided for the insert, each of the pieces having strips 33 bearing hook elements sewn into the edges of the partition piece so that it can be attached releasably to the loop fabric 28. The partition pieces also comprise two sheets of fabric with a plastics pad sandwiched therebetween.

The base 23 of the insert has a width of about 10cm (4 inches). The narrow partition pieces 29 have a width of about 9 cm (3.75 inches). A -6plurality of partition pieces is provided so that the space inside the insert can be divided up into compartments of chosen dimensions, e.g. for photographic equipment. Two of the partition pieces (about 19 cm 7.5 inches - high) are dividers which form the side walls 29a of the insert. Other partition pieces include two small dividers 51, each about 12 cm (5 inches) high and 9 cm (3.75 inches) wide; a lens bridge 52, about 9.5 cm (4 inches) high and 9 cm (3.75 inches) wide, which has a semicircular recess in its top edge and which is mounted at a distance above the base 23, and a horizontal ledge 53 which has flanges 54 bearing hook elements which engage loop fabric on the internal surface of an end divider 29a and a small divider 51.

Similar partition pieces 30 and 61-65 are provided as an expansion kit for the wide configuration of the insert, as shown in Fig. 6 and 10-12. These partition pieces may for example have a width of about 15 cm (6 inches). In the configuration shown in Figures 6 and 10, the partition pieces 62, 63 are combined with end divider 30 in the same manner as the corresponding elements 52, 53 and 29a, while the small divider 51 extends for only half the width of the compartment and meets a middle divider 65 which extends lengthwise. The middle divider is provided with strips 66 of loop fabric which are aligned with the hook-element strips 33 on the small divider 51.

The arrangement of partition pieces can be varied according to choice. Particular dimensions for the bag and/or the partition pieces of the insert can be chosen to suit photographic equipment of particular manufacturers.

Due to the releasable nature of the hook and loop type of fastener system, the partition pieces can be interchanged without difficulty when the configuration of the insert is being altered but they remain securely in position during use of the insert in either configuration.

The insert in its narrow configuration fits tightly into the main compartment of the bag in its narrow configuration, the somewhat larger dimensions of the insert relative to the bag causing the insert to be compressed and therefore to give a rigid structure to the bag (see Figs. 2 and 3). Likewise, the insert in its wide configuration fits -7inside the bag in its expanded configuration (see Fig. 6) although without compression of the insert. The insert in either configuration is substantially rigid; its rear wall 21 supports the rear wall 1 of the bag, while its front wall 22 supports the front wall 2 of the bag.

The front wall 22 of the insert is higher in the narrow configuration than in the wide configuration.

Outside the main body of the bag on the front of the front wall there is an accessory pocket 7 closable by a slide fastener 8. As shown in Figure 3, the interior of the accessory pocket has holders on both faces for a plurality of accessories of various kinds, such as photographic accessories or travelling office necessities. Each holder comprises a loop of fabric which is stitched at its sides to the fabric wall of the pocket and stitched also at the bottom to close the holder. A row of holders may be formed from a single piece of fabric.

The bag has several additional pockets formed between two sheets of fabric and closed by a slide fastener. Such pockets include one pocket in the front wall at 42; one pocket inside the cover at 43; one pocket accessible on top of the cover by means of a slide fastener covered by a flap at 44; this pocket extends down to the bottom of the rear wall 1; a further pocket on the outside of the rear wall at 45; and an open pocket, also accessible at 45 and formed by a panel 46 of smooth filament non-abrasive cloth, preferably of nylon of 400 denier, which provides a non-abrasive surface where the bag bears against the carrier's clothing.

The invention provides a bag having unique features which make it adjustable for many uses, and particularly for use as a slim photographic bag or a regular camera bag.

Claims

1. A bag adaptable from a wide configuration to a narrow configuration and having a rear wall, a front wall, two side walls, a base and a cover, wherein the four walls define an opening which is closable by the cover, the side walls and the base comprise a foldable fabric, and a pair of cooperating slide fastener tapes is attached on the exterior of the side walls and base, respectively spaced from the front and rear edges thereof by a distance which is a minor proportion of the width of the bag from the front wall to the rear wall in the wide configuration of the bag, such that the bag and the opening thereof may be reduced from the wide configuration to the narrow configuration by closing the slide fastener and causing the fabric of the side walls and base between the tapes to fold, and the bag and the opening thereof may be expanded from the narrow configuration to the wide configuration by opening the slide fastener.

2. A bag according to Claim 1 wherein the said distance is from 10 to 30% of the width of the bag in its wide configuration.

3. A bag according to Claim 2 wherein the said distance is from 15 to 25% of the width of the bag in its wide configuration.

4. A bag according to Claim 1 wherein the ratio of the width of the bag in its wide configuration to its width in its narrow configuration is in the range from 4:1.5 to 5:4.

5. A bag according to Claim 4 wherein the said ratio is from 2:1 to 3:2.

6. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the slide fastener tapes extend continuously down from the top of one side wall, along the base and up to the top of the other side wall.

7. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a foldable weather flap extends upwardly from each side wall of the bag, each weather flap being of triangular configuration, tapering downwardly towards the front of the bag. -98. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a carrier strap, preferably of webbing, extends continuously around the bag, on the centre line of the side walls and of the base, the carrier strap being attached to the fabric so that it is folded behind the slide fastener when the fastener is closed.

8. 9. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bag is provided with a removable insert adapted to fit inside and to reinforce the walls of the bag in both wide and narrow configurations of the bag, said insert comprising two sheets of fabric with pads of foam plastics sandwiched therebetween, wherein the pads are separated by longitudinal seams joining the sheets of fabric, the insert is hingeable about some of the said seams to form a rear wall, a front wall, a base and a convertible portion which can be aligned with one of the walls or can form a corner between the base and that wall, depending upon the configuration of the bag.

9. 10. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a pocket outside the main body of the bag is provided on both of its internal faces with a multiplicity of holders for small accessories.

10.

11. A bag substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.