US20180312329A1

US20180312329A1 - Combination garment bag, hamper, and duffel bag

Info

Publication number: US20180312329A1
Application number: US16/030,452
Authority: US
Inventors: Rick Siegel; Jennifer Nigrosh; Guiseppe LaManna
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-08-13
Filing date: 2018-07-09
Publication date: 2018-11-01
Also published as: US20100224515A1; US20190210794A1; US8235206B2; US20120241484A1

Abstract

A reusable bag for laundry and laundry hangers includes an enclosure made from a flexible web material having an open end and a closed end. The open end has a closure means, while the closed end includes an aperture adapted to receive a portion of each laundry hanger therethrough. With the open end of the enclosure facing upward in a hamper configuration, dirty laundry may be collected and, when the bag is full, the open end of the enclosure may be selectively closed with the closure means. The reusable bag may be transported to a laundry cleaning facility by carrying with a handle strap, and returned with clean laundry hanging on the laundry hangers inside the enclosure. The closed end of the enclosure may be facing upward in a garment bag configuration for protecting the clean laundry.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/491,515, filed Jun. 7, 2012, currently pending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/428,413, filed on Apr. 22, 2009, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,206 on Aug. 7, 2012, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/088,685, filed Aug. 13, 2008, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to garment bags, and more particularly to an environmentally friendly reusable combination garment bag, hamper, and duffel bag.

2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information

The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Consumers who want to or need to use dry cleaning services have to find a way to get their soiled clothes to the dry cleaning store. Sorting and transporting laundry has been a home solution for years; dry cleaning has never been a part of that solution.
Likewise, dry cleaners who offer pickup and delivery services must find appropriate packaging to transport their clients' clothes to their operation, and all dry cleaners must use some type of covering to protect the now-pristine clothes while they sit on the store conveyor and to protect them against the elements for the journey back to their customers' homes.
Many consumers utilize nothing more than their hands to carry their clothes to the cleaner; it is why often the last thing someone does before entering a dry cleaner is turn around to see what they may have dropped.
The standard ways clothes are usually carried from place to place include suitcases, luggage that includes methods to secure hangers in place to carry hung clothes, duffel and locker bags. None of these conventional methods work for the dry cleaning industry; the quantities needed for their customer base would take up too much room to store in the dry cleaning establishment; their size and weight making them too cumbersome for a dry cleaning conveyor.
For decades, drycleaners had pretty much just one methodology for covering the processed garments: single-use polyethylene bags. They are, in volume, costly. Further, because they are not breathable, they can compromise the quality of the clothes they are supposed to protect if kept on too long. Moreover, they create an environmental nightmare. In 2010, it was estimated that over two hundred million pounds (200,000,000 lbs.) of dry-cleaning plastic entered our environment, ending up in our landfills and waterways.
Three decades ago, an alternative entered the market. The retail manifestation of the patent filed on Nov. 19, 1990 to Gendreau (U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,559, hereinafter, “Gendreau”). The Gendreau bag efforted to solve the packaging problem to and from the drycleaner. It acted like a laundry bag for the soiled clothes as they were taken to the drycleaner, and when the bag was turned upside-down, hung clothes could slip thru a hanger hole and the bags could be carried home with a more substantial, reusable garment cover. As the bag was made of polyester, it was also thin enough in its hung position to surround all the cleaned clothes without compromising the number of garments that can be put onto a dry cleaning conveyor. When not in use, the bag was compact enough to be stored in the dry cleaning store while taking up little room. Unlike the types of carriers listed above (suitcases and the like), this new bag, with less than a ⅛th inch profile, they did not compromise the dry cleaner's operational needs or conveyor.
Unfortunately, the Gendreau bag did not have the features needed to make real market share inroads, and never even came close to having 1% of 1% (>0.0001%) of the market. It could only hold two or three pieces of cleaned, hanging clothes, so changing large orders from single-use polyethylene bags to these reusables was costly. Though created to be a vessel for dry cleaned clothes, as it was difficult to carry it comfortably, freshly-pressed clothes would wrinkle between the dry cleaner and the customers' homes.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved, reusable drycleaning bag user-friendly for both the drycleaner and drycleaning customer that may eliminate the need for millions of pounds of single-use plastic to enter the environment, save drycleaners money, and make the delivery/return process easier for consumers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention builds on Gendreau bag, as discussed above, and solves the problems to make the reusable drycleaning bag user-friendly for both the drycleaner and drycleaning customer. Important for the dry cleaner, the bag of the present invention has a gusset, such as a 5.5″ gusset, improving the capacity for hanging clothes from 2-3 (as in conventional bags) to up to 15 wardrobe pieces fitting into a single reusable bag. The present invention also may include a zipper, a feature that cuts down the production time for the drycleaners in getting the clothes into the covering and makes it easier for their customers to later remove the clothes from the bag.
The “route loops” or handles, found at the top and bottom of the bag of the present invention, allow the bag to be carried like a valise by folding the bag in half and slipping the loop over the hangers. The bottom loop also creates a space-saving hanging hamper for the customer to use at home, and for the dry cleaner to use on routes so the bag never has to touch the ground, adding convenience and safety.
Consumers benefit by the instant invention's having a shoulder strap to make the reusable drycleaning bag of the present invention easier to bring the clothes to the dry cleaner; analogous to how wheels on luggage made it easier to carry one's travel clothes. The handles serve a dual purpose—not only as an easy carry option, but also using the bottom loop, when the bag is upside down and the large opening is up top, as a route loop so the bag can be hung as a drycleaned-clothes hamper. The present invention marks the first time anyone has figured out a way to include these features on a carrier with a thin enough silhouette both to fit onto a drycleaning conveyor without compromising the amount of clothes that can be placed onto it; and for a drycleaner to store a clothes carrier/protector in large quantities.
These changes eliminate the need for single-use plastic to enter the environment, in time keeping tens of millions of pounds of single-use plastic from entering our environment and ending up in landfills and waterways, while at the same time saving drycleaners money—each reusable bag can replace two 23 lb. rolls of single use plastic or more—with the added bonus of making the delivery/return process easier for consumers.
The present device is a reusable bag for laundry and laundry hangers. The reusable bag includes an enclosure made from a flexible web material having an open end and a closed end. The open end has a closure means, while the closed end includes an aperture adapted to receive a portion of each laundry hanger therethrough. The enclosure also includes an inside surface and an outside surface. The reusable bag also includes at least one shoulder strap for facilitating carrying of the bag.
With the open end of the enclosure facing upward in a hamper configuration, dirty laundry may be collected and, when the bag is full, the open end of the enclosure may be selectively closed with the closure means. The reusable bag may be transported to a laundry cleaning facility by carrying with the at least one handle strap and returned with clean laundry hanging on the laundry hangers inside the enclosure, with each hanger traversing the aperture in the closed end of the enclosure. The closed end of the enclosure may be facing upward in a garment bag configuration for protecting the clean laundry.
In an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure includes a front sheet of the flexible web material, a back sheet of the flexible web material, and a gusset sheet of the flexible web material. A peripheral edge of the gusset sheet is sewn at least partially to each of the front and back sheets to form the enclosure, and the gusset sheet forms a peripheral edge thereof. Furthermore, in an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure may be divided into a dirty laundry compartment and a clean laundry compartment by a central sheet of the flexible web material sewn to the gusset sheet. The dirty laundry compartment may include the hem and the closure means, while the clean laundry compartment may be closed at both ends and may include a zipper in the peripheral edge thereof adapted to facilitate insertion of clean laundry into the clean laundry enclosure when the bag is in the garment bag configuration.
The present invention is a reusable storage bag that may be used to store and transport loose, dirty clothes that may also be used to provide protection for clean clothes from dirt and substantially maintain the clean clothes in a pressed state. The reusable storage bag may advantageously prevent clean clothes from coming into contact with dust or dirt. The reusable storage bag may also be transported by a user without having the user carry the reusable storage bag awkwardly carry the storage bag from the bottom of the bag or from the top of the bag. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a reusable bag for laundry and laundry hangers in garment bag configuration;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the invention in garment bag configuration;

FIG. 3 is rear view of the invention in garment bag configuration;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention in use as a hamper in an exemplary embodiment that includes a hamper frame; and

FIG. 5 is an inverted cross-section view of the invention in use as a hamper.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE OF INVENTION

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.
FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a reusable bag 10 for laundry 20 and laundry hangers 25 in a garment bag configuration 14. Garment bag configuration 14 in the exemplary embodiment refers generally to a substantially pliable travel bag configuration, which may hang straight or fold double, and that may be used to carry suits, dresses, coats, or the like substantially without crushing or wrinkling thereof. The reusable bag 10 includes an enclosure 30 made from a flexible web material 40, which may be any suitable flexible fabric, such as cotton, linen and polyester, or nylon, for example. The enclosure 30 may take any suitable shape for containing pressed clothing.
In an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure 30 may include a front sheet 160 of the flexible web material 40 and a back sheet 170 (FIG. 2) of the flexible web material 40. Each sheet 160,170 may be at least partially sewn together along peripheral edges 165,175 thereof. The flexible web material 40 in some embodiments may be a water resistant, air permeable material, such as nylon, for example.
The enclosure 30 has an open end 38 and a closed end 32. The open end 38 includes a closure means 50, which may be any structure that may substantially prevent clothes from falling out of the open end 38 (e.g., a zipper, snap buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, etc.). As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the closure means 50 may include a hem 100 around the open end 38 of the enclosure 30 through which a selectively cinchable drawstring 110 is slidably enclosed. The closed end 32 of the enclosure 30 includes an aperture 60 adapted to receive a portion 27 of each laundry hanger 25 therethrough (e.g., the hook portion 27 of the laundry hanger, or similar protruding portion used to hang the clothing). The enclosure 30 also includes an inside surface 37 (shown in FIG. 4) and an outside surface 39.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the invention in garment bag configuration 14. While no laundry hangers 25 are shown in FIG. 2, the aperture 60 adapted to receive a portion 27 of each laundry hanger 25 therethrough is shown at the closed end 32 of the reusable bag 10, thereby indicating that the bag 10 is in the garment bag configuration 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the enclosure 30 of the reusable bag 10 includes a front sheet 160 of the flexible web material 40, a back sheet 170 of the flexible web material 40, and a pair of gusset sheets 180 of the flexible web material 40. As shown in FIG. 2, a peripheral edge 185 of each gusset sheet 180 may be sewn at least partially to each of the front and back sheets 160,170 to form the enclosure 30, the gusset sheet 180 forming a peripheral edge 35 thereof. The gusset sheet 180 advantageously allows the reusable bag 10 to contain more laundry hangers 25, and therefore more clean laundry 22 than if the peripheral edges 165,175 of the front and back sheets were directly attached to one another.
Also, in an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the gusset sheets 180 may include a zipper 150 adapted to facilitate insertion of clean laundry 22 into the enclosure 30 when the bag 10 is in the garment bag configuration 14. By opening the zipper 150, a user may insert clean laundry 22 into the enclosure 30 through the peripheral edge portion 35 instead of from the open end 38 as is done conventionally. Allowing the user to access the enclosure 30 to insert clean laundry from the peripheral edge portion 35 is advantageous because it is difficult and time consuming to insert clean laundry 22 from the open end 38 without wrinkling same (e.g., the user may have difficulty placing a portion 27 of each laundry hanger through the aperture 60 when inserting from the open end 38 because of the presence of clean laundry items in the enclosure 30).
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the invention in the garment bag configuration 14. As shown in FIG. 3, reusable bag 10 also includes at least one handle strap 90 for facilitating carrying of the bag 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, both handle straps 90 are shown on the back sheet 170 of the reusable bag 10, but at least one handle strap 90 may be located on the front sheet 160, a gusset sheet 180, and/or on a peripheral edges 165 or 175 in other embodiments. As shown in FIG. 3, in an exemplary embodiment, the at least one handle strap 90 may include a pair of handle straps 90, one each proximate the closed and open ends 32 and 38, respectively, of the enclosure 30.
Also, in an exemplary embodiment the at least one handle strap 90 may further include a shoulder strap 140 fixed at one end 142 to the outside surface 39 of the bag 10 proximate the closed end 32 of the enclosure 30 and at another end 148 to the outside surface 39 of the bag 10 proximate the open end 38 of the enclosure 30. The shoulder strap 140 is advantageous because the shoulder strap 140 facilitates transportation of the reusable bag 10 when it is full of dirty laundry 21, such as when it may otherwise be difficult for the user to carry the reusable bag 10. In an alternate embodiment, the at least one handle strap 90 may further include a V-shaped shoulder strap (not shown) fixed at three points to the outside surface 39 of the bag 10, and suitable for engaging both shoulders of a person for carrying the bag 10 as in a back-pack configuration.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention in use as a hamper in an exemplary embodiment that may include a hamper frame 220. Reusable bag 10 is shown in FIG. 4 to be in a hamper configuration 12, in which the reusable bag 10 takes the form of a receptacle to receive the dirty laundry 21. As shown in FIG. 4, with the open end 38 of the enclosure 30 oriented upward in the hamper configuration 12, dirty laundry 21 may be collected therein. When the bag 10 is full, the open end 38 of the enclosure 30 may be selectively closed with the closure means 50 (e.g., selectively cinchable drawstring 110 in the exemplary embodiment) and transported to a laundry cleaning facility by carrying with the at least one handle strap 90 or the shoulder strap 140.
As shown in the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 4, the reusable bag 10 may also include a laundry hanger retaining means 70 fixed to the inside surface 37 of the enclosure 30.
The laundry hanger retaining means 70 may be any apparatus that may prevent laundry hangers 25 from being loose within the enclosure 30, such as a strap made of the flexible web material 40 and fixed at either end thereof to the inside surface 39 of the enclosure 30, a clip (not shown), or a pocket (not shown), for example. The laundry hanger retaining means 70 may permit the user to transport laundry hangers 25 to the laundry cleaning facility, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for the laundry cleaning facility to provide hangers 25 with the clean laundry 22.
As shown in FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of the invention in use as a garment bag, the reusable bag 10 may be returned with clean laundry 22 hanging on the laundry hangers 25 inside the enclosure 30. Each hanger 25 traverses the aperture 60 in the closed end 32 of the enclosure 30 (e.g., using a hook portion 27 of the hanger 25 in the exemplary embodiment), while the closed end 32 of the enclosure 30 faces upward in the garment bag configuration 14 for protecting the clean laundry 22 (e.g., from dirt and/or wrinkling).
Returning to FIG. 4, the reusable bag 10 may, in an exemplary embodiment, further include a selectively closable pocket 130 fixed to the enclosure 30. The selectively closable pocket 130 may advantageously be used to store items related to the cleaning of the laundry 20, such as laundry hangers 25, or identification materials to identify the owner of the reusable bag 10, for example. While the selectively closable pocket 130 is fixed to the outside surface 39 of the enclosure 30 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, it may also clearly be located on the inside surface 37 in other embodiments.
The reusable bag 10 may also be used in an exemplary embodiment with the hamper frame 220, which may be selectively attachable proximate the open end 38 of the enclosure 30. The frame 220 may furthermore be adapted to support the enclosure 30 on a ground surface in the hamper configuration 12 with the open end 38 of the bag 10 open.
The hamper frame 220 may be a rigid structure that is configured to substantially hold the open end 38 of the bag 10 open so dirty laundry 21 may be more easily inserted into the enclosure 30. The hamper frame 220 may be selectively attachable to the open end 38 by any suitable means of attachment to the reusable bag 10 (e.g., by using one or more clips, a rigid lip having a closed shape over which the open end 38 may be placed substantially securely, using a fastening means, etc.). As stated above, hamper frame 220 may enhance the hamper functionality of the hamper configuration 12 by facilitating insertion of dirty laundry 21 into the reusable bag 10.
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the reusable bag 10 wherein the enclosure 30 is divided into a dirty laundry compartment 190 and a clean laundry compartment 200 by a central sheet 210 of the flexible web material 40 sewn to each gusset sheet 180. The dirty laundry compartment 190 may include the hem 100 and the closure means 50 in the exemplary embodiment, which may facilitate its use in the hamper configuration 12. The clean laundry compartment 200 may be closed at both ends and may include a zipper 150 in the peripheral edge 35 thereof adapted to facilitate insertion of clean laundry 22 into the clean laundry enclosure 200 when the bag 10 is in the garment bag configuration 14 (e.g., see FIG. 2). Such an embodiment may advantageously prevent clean clothes 22 from coming into contact with dirt from dirty clothes 21 by maintaining each in separate compartments as shown.
While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, as noted above, the at least one handle strap 90 may be located on the front sheet 160 instead of the rear sheet 170 as shown in FIG. 3.
Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
The teachings provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described herein. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above Detailed Description. While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its implementation details, while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein.
Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.
The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.
All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above “Detailed Description.”
While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.
In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims.
While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A reusable bag for laundry and laundry hangers, comprising:

an enclosure made from a flexible material and having an open end and a closed end, the open end having a closure, the closed end including an aperture adapted to receive a portion of each laundry hanger therethrough, the enclosure including an inside surface and an outside surface;

at least one shoulder strap configured and arranged to facilitate the carrying of the bag, the at least one shoulder strap coupled at one end of the strap to the outside surface of the bag, proximate one end of the enclosure, and extending away from the one end of the enclosure and at least partially across the outside surface of the bag towards the other end of the enclosure and coupled at another end of the strap to the outside surface of the bag; and

wherein the at least one shoulder strap is configured and arranged to enable a user to carry soiled clothes to a drycleaner while in a duffel bag configuration, and while in a garment bag configuration, substantially maintain the press and crispness of the drycleaned clothes while carrying the bag from the drycleaner; and

wherein the enclosure comprises a front sheet of the flexible material, a back sheet of the flexible material, and a gusset sheet of the flexible material, a peripheral edge of the gusset sheet sewn at least partially to each of the front and back sheets to form the enclosure and allow for multiple garments to be placed and stored inside; and

a zipper positioned down the center of the bag or coupled to the gusset and extending at least a partial length of the gusset, the zipper configured and arranged to selectively form a second aperture when at least partially unzipped.

2. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the closure includes a hem around the open end of the enclosure through which a selectively cinchable drawstring is slidably enclosed.

3. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises an air-permeable polypropylene material.

4. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises an air-permeable cotton web material.

5. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises an air-permeable linen web material.

6. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises a polyester material.

7. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises a non-woven nylon material.

8. The reusable bag of claim 1 further including a selectively closable pocket coupled to the outside surface of the enclosure.

9. The reusable bag of claim 1 further including at least one handle strap coupled to a back sheet of the bag, proximate the open end, running substantially parallel to the opening, the at least one handle strap substantially centrally disposed between sides of the back sheet.

10. The reusable bag of claim 1 further comprising a pair of handle straps, one each proximate the closed and open ends of the enclosure; and

wherein each handle strap is affixed on a back sheet of the bag, running substantially parallel to the opening, and substantially centrally disposed between sides of the back sheet; and

wherein the handle straps are configured and arranged to enable the bag to be carried by the user by the handle straps when used as a duffel bag.

11. The reusable bag of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is divided into a dirty laundry compartment and a clean laundry compartment by a central sheet of the flexible web material sewn to the gusset sheet, the dirty laundry compartment including the hem and a closure means; and wherein the second aperture is configured and arranged to facilitate insertion of clean laundry into the clean laundry compartment when the bag is in the garment bag configuration.

12. The reusable bag of claim 1, further including a hamper frame selectively attachable proximate the open end of the enclosure, the frame configured to support the enclosure on a ground surface in a hamper configuration with the open end of the bag open.

13. The reusable bag of claim 1, further including a laundry hanger retaining means coupled to the inside surface of the enclosure.

14. A reusable laundry bag comprising:

an enclosure comprising a flexible material and having an open end and a closed end, the enclosure including a front sheet of the flexible material, a back sheet of the flexible material, and a gusset sheet of the flexible material, a peripheral edge of the gusset sheet sewn at least partially to each of the front and back sheets to form the enclosure; and

wherein the open end includes a size-adjustable first aperture coupled to a closure means; and

at least one shoulder strap configured and arranged to facilitate carrying of the bag either while carrying soiled clothes in a duffel bag construction, and in a garment bag construction, substantially maintaining the press and crispness of the clean clothes, the at least one shoulder strap coupled at one end of the strap to the outside surface of the bag, proximate one end of the enclosure, and extending away from the one end of the enclosure and at least partially across the outside surface of the bag towards the other end of the enclosure and coupled at another end of the strap to the outside surface of the bag; and

wherein the gusset sheet forms a size-adjustable second aperture configured and arranged to facilitate the insertion and storage of multiple garments of clean laundry into the enclosure when the bag is in a garment bag configuration.

15. The reusable laundry bag of claim 14, wherein the closed end comprises a third aperture configured to receive at least a portion of a laundry hanger therethrough.

16. The reusable laundry bag of claim 14, wherein the closure means includes a hem around the open end of the enclosure through which the selectively cinchable drawstring is slidably enclosed.

17. A reusable laundry bag comprising:

an enclosure comprising a flexible material and having an open end and a closed end, the enclosure comprising a front sheet of the flexible material, a back sheet of the flexible material, and a gusset sheet of the flexible material, a peripheral edge of the gusset sheet sewn at least partially to each of the front and back sheets to form the enclosure; and

wherein the open end includes a size-adjustable first aperture coupled to a closure means, the closure means comprising a selectively cinchable drawstring; and

wherein the size of the first aperture can be selectively adjusted using the selectively cinchable drawstring; and

a peripheral edge portion including a selectively closable second aperture extending from one end of the bag proximate the selectively cinchable drawstring, and extending towards the closed end of the enclosure, the second aperture configured to selectively facilitate insertion of clean laundry into the enclosure when the bag is in a garment bag configuration; and

at least one shoulder strap configured and arranged for facilitating carrying of the bag, the at least one shoulder strap coupled at one end of the strap to the outside surface of the bag, proximate one end of the enclosure, and extending away from the one end of the enclosure and at least partially across the outside surface of the bag towards the other end of the enclosure and coupled at another end of the strap to the outside surface of the bag; and

wherein the at least one shoulder strap is configured and arranged to facilitate carrying soiled clothes in a duffel bag configuration, and maintain the press and crispness of the drycleaned clothes while being carried in the bag by a user using the at least one shoulder strap.

18. The reusable laundry bag of claim 17, further comprising a zipper coupled to the peripheral edge portion and positioned at one end proximate the selectively cinchable drawstring, and extending towards the closed end of the enclosure, the zipper configured and arranged to selectively form the second aperture.