US20180078008A1

US20180078008A1 - Waterproof Carriers

Info

Publication number: US20180078008A1
Application number: US15/705,239
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Allen Sturm
Original assignee: Think Tank Photo Inc
Current assignee: Think Tank Photo Inc
Priority date: 2016-09-16
Filing date: 2017-09-14
Publication date: 2018-03-22

Abstract

An interior compartment of waterproof carrier is accessed by an opening that is closed by a waterproof primary zipper. An external or secondary zipper reversibly joins flaps attached to the carrier over the waterproof zipper. The external zipper may be closed when the primary zipper is open.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/396,079, filed on Sep. 16, 2016 and titled “WATERPROOF CARRIERS,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the invention is that of carriers for articles, and particularly waterproof carriers made of flexible material.

BACKGROUND ART

Waterproof carriers or containers are useful for carrying and storing objects while preventing the objects from coming into contact with external moisture. Merriam-Webster defines “waterproof” as “impervious to water; especially: covered or treated with a material (as a solution of rubber) to prevent permeation by water.”
“Water” usually means liquid water such as rain and the water that fills lakes, rivers, and seas. Water vapor, such as the gaseous water that normally is part of the air, sometimes may not be excluded by “waterproof” material. as in the case of some materials that exclude liquid water but not air or water vapor. Examples of the latter include high-quality tightly-woven long staple cotton fabrics sold under the trademark Ventile® and the Gore-Tex® stretched polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes bound to fabrics to prevent the passage of liquid water. Following the success of Gore-Tex® membranes, other processes have been developed to provide a degree of permeable waterproofness to fabrics. Furthermore, “waterproofness” comes in degrees that vary according to the environment in which the carrier is placed.
The IP code, the International Protection marking (IEC standard 60529), is of interest. It classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against intrusion (body parts such as hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water by mechanical casings and electrical enclosures. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) publishes the standard for the IP code. The IP code currently has two numbers. The first number rates the degree of protection from intrusion by solid particles and has seven levels, ranging from 0 (no protection) to 6 (no intrusion by dust in a vacuum test). The second number rates the degree of protection from intrusion by liquids and has eleven levels, including 0 (no protection), 6K (water projected in powerful jets (6.3 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction, under elevated pressure, shall have no harmful effects), 8 (no entry of liquid after indefinite immersion to a depth of more than one meter), and 9K (protected against four thirty-second close-range high pressure, high temperature (80 C) water jet sprays, each from a different angle). A code of IPX5, for example, means that the device or enclosure is not rated for protection against intrusion of solid objects (thus the “X”) but has rating 5 for protection (intrusion of water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects).
ASTM International of West Conshohocken, Pa., established ASTM D3393-91 (“Standard Specification for Coated Fabrics—Waterproofness”). This standard is intended to “establish a recognized criterion for ‘waterproofness’ in terms of a minimum hydrostatic resistance. The coated fabric to be tested is placed in a machine that will apply and release a water pressure of 207 kiloPascal (kPa), plus or minus 7.0 kPa (equivalent to 30 pounds per square inch (psi) plus or minus 1.0 psi) four times within one minute, followed by maintaining a pressure at 207 kPa, plus or minus 7.0 kPa for 60 seconds (plus or minus five seconds). The coated fabric fails the test if the tester observes any penetration of water through the fabric while the fabric specimen is under pressure.
“Waterproofness,” as a term used to describe fabrics and other materials that are meant to be impervious to (at least) liquid water, depends at least on the pressure of the water against the material. Another known method of measuring the relative waterproofness (“waterproof rating”) that is less dynamic than the ASTM standard test is to measure the height in millimeters of a column of liquid water, having a cross-section of one inch squared and placed above and against the material to be tested, that will be sufficient to cause leaking of water through the material. This is the “static column test.” The height of the column in millimeters corresponds to the static pressure of the water against the material and measures the imbalance of force on the material that would tend to drive the water through the material. 704 millimeters corresponds to one pound per square inch (psi) or 68.95 mBar. (One Bar is defined as 100,000 Pascals, equivalent to 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi) absolute or 0.987 standard atmospheric pressure (atm).)
A waterproof rating between 0-5,000 millimeters (0-7.1 psi or 0-489.7 mBar) gives resistance to leaking ranging from no resistance to some resistance to moisture. The latter rating is sufficient for the material to withstand dry snow and even light rain. Ratings over 5,000 millimeters (7.1 psi) to 10,000 millimeters (14.2 psi or 979.4 mBar) are considered rainproof and waterproof under light pressure. Higher ratings give more resistance to greater pressures.
Waterproof carriers or containers for goods are generally hard or soft. Hard waterproof containers are made of a rigid material such as a metal alloy, a thermoplastic, or fiberglass. The rigid material is usually waterproof as long as it has no weak points. The opening to the interior compartment usually is the area of concern because it breaches the rigid material. The opening to the inner compartment of the container may be accessed by a hatch or door. The hatch or door usually is closed against a seal located around the edges of the hatch or door or the edges of the opening to the interior compartment. The seal is compressed when the hatch or door closes the opening. Contemporary examples include the Otterbox® and Pelican® lines of waterproof cases. Examples having an earlier history are the waterproof ammunition boxes or cans developed for the U.S. military in World War II and still in use today for storage of ammunition and other items.
Soft or flexible waterproof carriers or containers are made of a flexible waterproof material such as waterproofed fabric or a plastic such as neoprene or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Soft waterproof containers have advantages over hard waterproof containers such as less weight, greater storability when not in use because they can be folded flat or rolled up, adjustability of size when loaded, and flexibility when loaded because the material of the carrier may deform to adapt to the space provided for the carrier.
Soft waterproof carriers or containers are used in the outdoor market for backpacks, bags of all types including duffle bags, shoulder bags, camera bags, stuff bags, and the like. These carriers protect their contents against rain, dew, and mist and perhaps being dunked in a stream or lake. A problem facing waterproof soft carriers is how to seal an opening provided in the carrier to allow insertion and removal of objects to and from an interior compartment. Unlike hard waterproof carriers, the carrier usually is not rigid enough to provide a compression seal against a port or door, although addition of rigid components could make this possible at the expense of greater weight and more rigidity.
One widely-used solution to providing a waterproof closure is to provide a carrier made of waterproof material having an opening at the end of a tube long enough that the tube can be rolled up to close the opening. The rolled-up tube typically is secured by a two-piece interlocking buckle in which a first piece of the buckle is attached by a strap to one side of the end of the tube and the second piece by a second strap to the other side of the end of the tube. Alternatively, hook-and-loop fabric may be employed to secure the rolled-up tube. Dry bags used in paddle sports and other outdoor pursuits often have a rolled-up tube closure.
An example of a soft carrier with such an enclosure is one of the line of Alpha FL backpacks, described by manufacturer Arc'teryx Equipment (currently a division of Amer Sports Winter & Outdoor Company) as an “ultra light, durable, highly weather resistant climbing pack designed for fast and light alpine, ice and rock routes,” with an inner compartment accessed by a “RollTop™ closure.”
Arc'teryx Equipment described its earlier carrier, the Naos backpack sold in 2005-2006 (see http://www.usoutdoor.com/arcteryx/arcteryx-naos-55-backpack/, last accessed on Sep. 16, 2016) and described as being waterproof. Arc'teryx made the body of the Naos backpack of two pieces of nylon fabric coated on both sides with urethane and joined with two fully taped seams. The Naos backpack used a roll-top closure to secure its waterproof interior compartment in the style of the Alpha FL “highly weather resistant” backpacks.
An example of a different closure for a soft carrier from the same company is one of Arc'teryx Equipment's Carrier Duffle series of carriers, described as a “light, durable, highly water-resistant . . . gear duffle” and having an inner compartment accessed by opening a “WaterTight™ main zipper.”
A well-known waterproof and gas-proof zipper is the TIZIP® slide zip fastener sold by Titex Vertriebs-GmbH of Germany. Titex GmbH describes its TIZIP® Super Seal slide zip fastener as “gas-tight up to 700 mBar” and being “made from a strong plastic coil zipper on a high strength fabric. Every coil half is safely embedded and secured in a plastic profile. When the TIZIP SuperSeal is closed the sealing lips above and below the coils are compressed making a perfect seal.” A pressure of 700 mBar corresponds to 7,147 millimeters of water or 10.152 psi. Other Titex GmbH slide zip fasteners have lesser degrees of gas-tightness. Titex's MasterSeal series of slide zip fasteners have teeth rather than a coil zipper.
Titex GmbH is not the only manufacturer of “waterproof” zippers. For example, YKK Corp. of Japan sells a variety of water-resistant and waterproof slide zip fasteners under the trademarks PROSEAL®, AQUASEAL®, and FLEXSEAL®. The PROSEAL® line offers waterproofness up to one Bar (14.504 psi) of water pressure and the two other lines offer lower degrees of protection. For example, FLEXSEAL® CR25 tape is rated to 0.4 Bar (5.8 psi) whereas FLEXSEAL® P23 tape is rated to 0.05 Bar (0.725 psi). Two versions of the AQUASEAL® zipper are rated as 0.3 Bar and 0.05 Bar, respectively.
Manufacturers of zippers may refer to the zippers with lower resistance to passage of water as “water-resistant” and zippers with high resistance to passage of water as “waterproof.”
All zippers that are designed to resist the passage of water and/or gas when closed must be completely closed in order to prevent passage of water or gas. This requires care on the part of the user. “Waterproof” zippers share another characteristic in addition to being highly water-resistant when closed. The slides of these zippers are difficult to move compared to ordinary zippers. The slides of waterproof zippers offer noticeable resistance to being moved because the slides are compressing or squeezing sealing material together when the zipper is closed (or opening such material when the zipper is opened) on either side of the coiled or toothed zipper. Accordingly, persons using carriers are less likely to open and close such zippers because of the necessary exertion unless the zipper must be opened to allow access to the interior of the carrier or closed to positively prevent ingress of water.
This specification will refer to zippers as being “waterproof” when such zippers are highly water resistant and have slides that are difficult to move compared to ordinary zippers. Examples of “waterproof” zippers are the TIZIP® Super Seal slide zip fastener and the YKK Corp.'s PROSEAL® line of slide zip fastener mentioned above.
Waterproof zippers also should be kept clean of sand, dust, and debris in order to be waterproof because the sealing material will not be able to properly close around the coils or teeth of a waterproof zipper if sand, dirt, dust, or other debris obstructs the sealing material. A carrier with an open waterproof zipper therefore should be kept away from sand, dust, and debris in order to not degrade the function of the waterproof zipper. The zipper may need to be cleaned if it is exposed to sand, dust, or debris.
A soft waterproof carrier employing a waterproof zipper that is exposed to field conditions therefore should have its waterproof zipper closed as much as possible in order to avoid entry of sand, dust, and debris. The user then will have to open the waterproof zipper in order to access the interior compartment of the carrier. As mentioned above, however, opening and then closing the zipper is no easy task. The user will be tempted to leave the waterproof zipper open, which means that sand, dust, and debris may contaminate the waterproof zipper and enter the interior compartment. Leaving the waterproof zipper open also exposes the contents of the interior compartment to the weather, such as mist and rain.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention provides a carrier with a waterproof primary or internal zipper closing an opening in one or more walls that define an otherwise waterproof interior compartment of the carrier. The carrier provides a flap connected to the exterior of one or more of the walls in such a way as to be able to cover and thereby protect the opened waterproof zipper from sand, dust, or debris. The flap may be moved from a first position in which the flap covers and protects the waterproof zipper to a second position away from the waterproof zipper in order to permit access to waterproof zipper and the opening to the interior compartment.
Preferably, two flaps are attached to the one or more walls on either side of, and exterior to, the waterproof zipper. Preferably, an external or secondary zipper secures the flaps to each other to cover the waterproof zipper. The external zipper is chosen to be easier to close and open than a waterproof zipper and preferably has a degree of resistance to the passage of water when closed. The flaps cover the waterproof zipper when the secondary zipper is closed and prevent sand, dust, debris, and moisture from reaching the waterproof zipper (and the interior compartment if the waterproof zipper is open). The invention provides a method of using the carrier to protect the internal or waterproof zipper and the interior compartment of the carrier when the waterproof zipper is open by closing the flaps with the secondary zipper.
Accordingly, an advantage of the invention is that the secondary or external zipper may be employed to close the flap or flaps over the waterproof zipper while the waterproof zipper is open. Closure of the flap or flaps prevents entry of sand, dust, debris, moisture, and other contaminants into the inner compartment and thereby protects the contents of the inner compartment secured in that compartment. It also keeps the waterproof zipper clean. The person using the carrier does not have to go to the trouble of closing the waterproof zipper except in situations that require the full waterproofness of which the carrier is capable, such as hard rain or possible immersion in a body of water or being splashed by a wave.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a carrier according to the invention in the form of a backpack;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 1, in which the external or secondary zipper is shown being opened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 1 in which the external zipper is fully opened.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the backpack shown in FIG. 1 in which both the external zipper and the waterproof or primary zipper are fully opened.

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the receiver of the backpack shown in FIG. 1 before the external zipper is opened.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the receiver of the backpack as shown in FIG. 5 wherein the external zipper is opened to the top of the backpack.

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the receiver of the backpack as shown in FIG. 5 wherein the external zipper is opened to the other side of the backpack.

FIG. 8 is a partial side view of the receiver of the backpack as shown in FIG. 5 wherein the external zipper is completely opened and the primary zipper is opened to the top of the backpack.

FIG. 9 is a partial side view of the receiver of the backpack as shown in FIG. 5 wherein the external zipper is completely opened and the primary zipper is completely opened.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the receiver of the backpack as shown in FIG. 5 (wherein the external and the primary zippers are closed), taken along the plane 10-10,

FIG. 11 is a partial view of the sectional view of the receiver of the backpack shown in FIG. 10 within the semi-circle indicated in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following table is a list of the reference numerals used in the drawings and the objects identified by the reference numerals:
1 waterproof backpack
2 receiver
3 shoulder straps
4 waist belt
10 non-body contacting side wall
11 body-contacting side wall
13 top side wall
14 right side wall
15 left side wall
16 bottom side wall
17 secondary compartment
18 zipper for accessing secondary compartment
20 interior compartment
22 opening
30 waterproof primary or internal zipper
31 first zipper side
32 first side zipper element
33 second zipper side
34 second side zipper element
35 slider
36 slider pull
40 first flap
41 longitudinal first edge
42 end first edge
43 end first edge
44 longitudinal second edge
45 second flap
46 longitudinal first edge
47 end first edge
48 end first edge
49 longitudinal second edge
50 secondary or external zipper
51 first zipper side
52 first zipper element
53 second zipper side
54 second zipper element
55 slider
56 zipper pull
60 zipper pull handle
Referring now to FIG. 1 in the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a waterproof carrier according to the invention is shown. This is the waterproof backpack 1. The waterproof backpack 1 has a receiver 2 connected to shoulder straps 3 and a waist belt 4. The receiver 2 has six connected side walls. FIG. 1 shows a non-body contacting side wall 10 that is opposed to and generally parallel to a body-contacting side wall 11 (not shown in FIG. 1). The body-contacting side wall 11 is connected to and supports the shoulder straps 3 and waist belt 4. Both the non-body contacting side wall 10 and the body-contacting side wall 11 are connected to a top side wall 13, a right side wall 14, a left side wall 15, and a bottom side wall 16 (the left side wall 15 and the bottom side wall 16 also are not shown in FIG. 1). The right side wall 14 is connected to the top side wall 13 and the bottom side wall 16. The left side wall 15 is connected to the top side wall 13 and the bottom side wall 16.
The non-body contacting side wall 10, the body-contacting side wall 11, the top side wall 13, the right side wall 14, the left side wall 15, and the bottom side wall 16 together define an interior compartment 20 (not shown in FIG. 1 but shown in FIGS. 4, 9, 10, and 11).
The non-body contacting side wall 10, the body-contacting side wall 11, the top side wall 13, the right side wall 14, the left side wall 15, and the bottom side wall 16 preferably are made of a waterproof material. The waterproof material could be a fabric laminated to or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, and fluoropolymers. It could be a continuous plastic material such as PVC, and the like. The waterproof material may be flexible, semi-rigid, or rigid.
The non-body contacting side wall 10, the body-contacting side wall 11, the top side wall 13, the right side wall 14, the left side wall 15, and the bottom side wall 16 are joined to each other to form a waterproof barrier around the interior compartment 20. This can be accomplished by sealing sewn seams, welding (thermal or ultrasonic), or by forming the walls out of continuous waterproof material.
The structure of the backpack 1 may be varied in a number of ways. For example, the backpack 1 is shown in FIG. 1 to have a secondary compartment 17 is formed in the non-body contacting side wall 10. The secondary compartment 17 is accessed by a zipper 18 and need not be waterproof because the interior compartment 20 will be waterproof. The secondary compartment 17 is not essential to the invention and may be omitted. More than one waterproof interior compartment 20 might be provided in the backpack 1 but this is optional and is not shown in the drawings.
The receiver 2 of the backpack 1 could be formed as a cylinder with a top and a bottom end. The specific configuration of the receiver 2 is not important as long as it provides waterproof walls around at least one interior compartment.
A waterproof primary or internal zipper 30 will seal an opening 22 into the interior compartment 20 so the interior compartment 20 may be made waterproof when the waterproof primary or internal zipper 30 is shut. The waterproof zipper 30 is shown in FIGS. 2-4 and 6-11. Commercially available waterproof zippers that are suitable are made by TIZIP and YKK as explained in the “background art” section of this specification. Waterproof zippers include two strips or sides. Each of the sides contains a lengthwise element that mates with a lengthwise element on the other side. The elements may be the two mating coils of a coil zipper or the two lines of teeth that mate with each other in a toothed zipper, together with sealing material. The elements are closed or opened using a slider.
FIG. 2 shows the waterproof zipper 30, its sides 31 and 33 and their corresponding lengthwise elements 32 and 34. The waterproof zipper 30 is shown to be closed in FIGS. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 11. The waterproof zipper 30 is shown to be open in FIGS. 4 and 9 and partially open in FIG. 8. FIGS. 3, 6, and 7 show the zipper 30's slider 35 together with a slider pull 36.
Two flaps or covers 40 and 45 are attached to the receiver 2 and together are adapted to cover the top side wall 13, the right side wall 14, and the left side wall 15. The first flap 40 is attached along a longitudinal first edge 41 to the seam or region where the non-body contacting side wall 10 is connected or joined to the top side wall 13, the right side wall 14, and the left side wall 15. The second flap 45 is attached along a longitudinal first edge 46 to the seam or region where the body contacting side wall 11 is connected or joined to the top side wall 13, the right side wall 14, and the left side wall 15. The end first edges 42 and 47 of each of the flaps 40 and 45, respectively, are connected to the seam or in the general region where the right side wall 14 is connected or joined to the bottom side wall 16 and the end first edges 43 and 48 (not shown in the drawings), respectively, to the seam or region where the left side wall 15 is connected or joined to the bottom side wall 16.
The first edges 41, 42, and 43 of the first flap 40 therefore are connected to the receiver 2. The first edges 46, 47, and 48 of the second flap 45 therefore are connected to the receiver 2. The first flap 40 has a longitudinal second edge 44 that is not connected to the receiver 2 and the second flap 45 has a longitudinal second edge 49 that is not connected to the receiver 2. A secondary or external zipper 50 connects the longitudinal second edges 44 and 49, respectively, of the flaps 40 and 45 whereby the flaps 40 and 45 completely cover the waterproof primary zipper 30.
The flaps 40 and 45 are made of a flexible material so their second edges may be moved away from the waterproof primary zipper 30 when the external zipper 50 is opened. The specific location of the flaps 40 and 45 may be varied from that shown in the drawings as long as the flaps 40 and 45 cover the waterproof zipper 30 when the external zipper 50 is closed.
The external or secondary zipper 50 has a first zipper element 51 attached to the second edge 44 and a second zipper element 52 attached to the second edge 49. The first and second zipper elements 51 and 52 are mounted on strips made of fabric or plastic that are connected to the second edges 44 and 49 by sewing, welding, and the like. The first zipper element 51 and the second zipper element 52 may be connected and disconnected to each other by moving the slider 55 along these zipper elements 51 and 52.
The external zipper 50 may be closed by sliding the slider 55 along the first zipper element 51 and the second zipper element 52 in order to cover the waterproof internal zipper 30 with the flaps 40 and 45. Thus, closing the external zipper 50 will prevent sand, dust, debris, and moisture from entering the opening 22 and thus the interior compartment 20 when the waterproof zipper 30 is open. This also will prevent debris such as sand, dust, and debris from contaminating the first side zipper element 32 and the second side zipper element 34 when the waterproof zipper 30 is open and the first side zipper element 32 and the second side zipper element 34 are separated from each other and are vulnerable to contamination.
Preferably, the external zipper 50 is a water-resistant zipper but not as difficult to open and close as the waterproof zipper 30. The external zipper should be easily closed and opened so the user can zip together the flaps 40 and 45 without much effort and therefore protect both the contents of the compartment 20 and the open waterproof primary zipper 30. An external zipper 50 that is water-resistant will add protection from moisture to protection from the intrusion of sand and debris.
The carrier 1 may be used in one of three configurations. First, both the waterproof zipper 30 and the external zipper 50 are closed as shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 10, and 11. This configuration will provide the greatest protection to the contents of the interior compartment 20 from water, sand, dust, and debris in the environment.
In a second configuration the waterproof zipper 30 and the external zipper 50 are opened by sliding the sliders 35 and 55, respectively, in order to permit the user to access the contents of the interior compartment 20, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9. This configuration will permit water, sand, dust, and debris in the environment to enter the interior compartment 20 and for the elements 32 and 34 of the waterproof primary zipper 30 to become contaminated with sand, dust, or debris.
In a third configuration (not specifically shown in the drawings) the waterproof primary or internal zipper 30 is open but the external zipper 50 is closed. This configuration will keep moisture such as light rain out of the opening 22. In addition, the configuration will prevent sand grains and debris such as dirt and dust from contaminating the first zipper element 32 and the second zipper element 34 while those two elements are not joined to each other. Keeping both the first side zipper element 32 and the second side zipper element 34 clean will help ensure that the waterproof primary or internal zipper 30 will be waterproof when it is closed.
The third configuration is advantageous for a situation in which the user intends to use the contents of the interior compartment but does not need the carrier 1 to be waterproof. Perhaps the weather is not raining or is only lightly raining. Perhaps the carrier is in no danger of falling into a body of water. The third configuration allows the user to access to the contents of the interior compartment 20 as needed by opening the external zipper 50. The interior compartment 20 and the elements 32 and 43 of the waterproof primary zipper 30 will be quickly protected from sand, dust, debris, and external moisture by quickly reclosing the external zipper 50.
Opening the external zipper 50 is easier than opening the waterproof internal zipper 30; likewise, closing the external zipper 50 is easier than closing the waterproof internal zipper 30. Accordingly, the third configuration has the advantage that the user is more likely to keep the external zipper 50 closed when access to the interior compartment 20 is not needed. In addition, the waterproof zipper 30's elements 32 and 34 are protected from contamination when the external zipper 50 is closed.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to this embodiment or its particular manner of construction, materials or components. For example, the flaps may be secured to each other by hook-and-loop material attached to the flaps as another means to reversibly connect the second edges of the flaps. A single flap might be provided that can cover the entirety of the waterproof zipper instead of two flaps meeting each other above the waterproof zipper. The single flap could have a second or free edge provided with one side of a zipper that mates with the other side of the zipper connected to one or more of the walls of the receiver, in effect eliminating one of the two flaps of the preferred embodiment. The shape and type of the receiver may be varied as needed.
The invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier comprising:

a receiver having waterproof walls that are joined to each other in order to define an inner compartment,

an opening defined in one or more of the walls,

a waterproof primary zipper connected to the one or more of the walls at the opening such that the opening may be closed by sliding a slider along the waterproof zipper in one direction and opened by sliding the slider along the waterproof primary zipper in a direction opposed to the one direction,

a flap comprising one or more first edges attached to one or more of the walls and disposed so as to move between a first position covering an entirety of the waterproof primary zipper so as to prevent sand, dirt, or dust from accessing the waterproof primary zipper and a second position wherein the flap is displaced from the waterproof primary zipper in order to permit a user to obtain access to the waterproof primary zipper and thereby to open the waterproof primary zipper, and

a zipper attached to the flap for reversibly securing the flap in the first position.

2. A carrier comprising:

a receiver having waterproof walls that are joined to each other and define an inner compartment,

an opening defined in one or more of the walls,

a waterproof primary zipper connected to the one or more of the walls at the opening such that the opening may be closed by sliding a slider along the waterproof primary zipper in one direction and opened by sliding the slider along the waterproof primary zipper in a direction opposed to the one direction,

first and second flaps comprising one or more first edges attached to the walls of the receiver on either side of and external from the waterproof zipper, the first and second flaps each further comprising second edges connectable to each other wherein the first and second flaps may cover an entirety of the waterproof primary zipper so as to prevent sand and dust from accessing the waterproof primary zipper and the second edges of the first and second flaps may be displaced from each other in order to permit a user to obtain access to the waterproof primary zipper and thereby to open the waterproof primary zipper, and

an external secondary zipper attached to the second edges of the first and second flaps such that the second edges may be connected to each other by sliding a slider along the external secondary zipper in one direction and disconnected from each other by sliding the slider along the external secondary zipper in a direction opposed to the one direction.

3. The carrier according to claim 2 wherein the external secondary zipper is a water-resistant zipper.

4. A method of protecting an opening of a receiver having waterproof walls joined to each other and defining an inner compartment wherein the walls adjacent the opening are provided with a waterproof primary zipper and the opening may be closed by sliding a slider along the waterproof primary zipper in one direction and opened by sliding the slider along the waterproof primary zipper in a direction opposed to the one direction, comprising:

providing first and second flaps comprising one or more first edges attached to the walls of the receiver on either side of and external from the waterproof zipper, the first and second flaps each further comprising second edges connectable to each other, whereby the first and second flaps may cover an entirety of the waterproof primary zipper and the second edges of the first and second flaps may be displaced from each other in order to permit a user to obtain access to the waterproof primary zipper and thereby to open the waterproof primary zipper,

providing an external secondary zipper for connecting the second edges of the first and second flaps, and

sliding a slider along the external secondary zipper in one direction to secure the second edges of the first and second flaps to each other when the waterproof primary zipper is open so as to prevent sand and dust from accessing the waterproof primary zipper.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the external secondary zipper is a water-resistant zipper.