US2254578A - Duffel bag - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1941. F. J. O'BRIEN DUFFEL BAG Filed Aug. 29, 1940 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUFFEL BAG Frank J. OBrien, Pelham, N. Y.

Application August 29, 1940, Serial No. 354,754

2 Claims.

The invention relates generally to luggage or baggage equipment and primarily seeks to provide a novel form of duffel bag which can readily be collapsed to a fiat condition to permit folding or rolling and out-of-the-way storage, or placement in another container or piece of luggage, and which can readily be set up into condition for carrying clothing, sports equipment or other materials customarily placed in such knockabout luggage.

An object of the invention is to provide a bag of the character stated which is formed of flexible blank material formed so that it can lie flat, and which includes end and body portions including edges which can be brought together to form base, side, end and top portions, and zipper means for securing said edges in bag forming relation and releasable for allowing a collapsing of the bag portions to the flat blank condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible duffel bag of the character stated in which the zipper means are so arranged that a single lock can be used to lock the bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible duffel bag of the character stated in which the zipper means effective to join the side and end edges at each end of the bag are mounted inside and accessible only inside the bag, and the zipper means effective to join the side portion edges along the topare mounted outside the bag, thereby to enable locking of the bag by a single lock eifective to secure said single outside zipper means.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the bag in the collapsed or flattened out condition.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail plan view illus-- trating the end extremity of the bag at which the lock is positioned when in locked condition.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the other end of the bag and illustrates a partially separated condition of the meeting edges of the bag.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the blank from which the colrectangular base or bottom portion 5, an integral side extension 6 projecting from one major length edge thereof, and an integral side extension projecting from the other major length edge thereof, Ends respectively designated 8 and 9 also project integrally from the minor length edge portions of the rectangular base or body 5, and these each include inwardly and upwardly converging upper edge portions I0 which merge into a short top or terminal portion II disposed parallel to the bottom or base when the bag is set .up in the manner illustrated in Figure l of the drawing.

When the bag is being set upas illustrated in Figure l, the flexible material of which the bag is composed, preferably thin leather, leather substitute, canvas, or the like, is bent up at the major and minor length edge portions of the base, as at I2, to dispose the side portions 5, 6 and the end portions 8, 9 uprightly with respect to the base or bottom 5. In order to cause the sides 6 and I to conform to the edge shape of the ends 8 and 9, said sides are bentat I3 to conform to the upwardly and inwardly converging edges II! of said ends, and as at I4 to conform to the horizontal top or terminal edge portions I I.

While it is preferred that the bag endsbe formed in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, and ashereinbefore described,

it is to be understood that the ends may be round or triangular in shape if a generally cylindrical, or

a triangularly shaped bag should be desired,

Where the edges of the sides and ends meet at the base, they are extended a short distance into the base in curved relation, as at I5, as is best illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. The

meeting edges of the side and end portions of the,

bag define the shape of the bag in combination with the bend lines I2, I3 and I4 hereinbefore described, and these meeting edges have zipper strips I6 attached thereto in'the manner illustrated inFigures l and 2 of the drawing.

The bag-forming and securing zipper equip ments of which the strips I6 are a part include the usual zipper stops I! at the upper terminals of the side and end meeting edges inthe manner best illustrated in Figures 3 and '4, and these zipper equipments also include the usual zippers I8 or securing slide s, one thereof being provided at each side of eachend of the bag. Each such cooperating pair of zippers I8 are adapted to seat at the terminal portions of the side and end meeting edges which extend into the base in curved relation'at I5 when the bag is inthe flatlapsible bag is made up is shaped to comprise a tened position illustrated in Figure 2, and to come together over the end terminal portions 1 I when the bag is set up as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing.

The zippers [8 include the usual pull elements I9 and are disposed inside the bag when it is in the set up position illustrated in Figure 1,

thus being inaccessible from outside the bag zipper member 22. .The zipper etiuipn'ier'it for the meeting edges of the sides or the main opening of the bag is of the type which enables complete separation ;of said opening edges, this being necessary to permit the bagv to be entirely collapsed into the fiat as illustrated in Figure 2..

The zipper element 22 includes a pull extension 23, preferably a chain, which may extend over the end of. the bag when the zipper hasbeen drawn -to the position for closing and securing the :mouth of the bag formed by themeeting edges 'of thesides 6 and .l, and this extension may carry a lock 24 at its end which maybe applied toa keeper member 25 secured to the end 9, in the manner illustrated in Figure '1,

thereby to secure the whole bag against unauthorized entry.

' JAt the end of the bag opposite that at which the zipper 22 is positioned in Figure l, separable elements 26 are fixed to the corners of thesides band 9 in the manner illustrated in Figure 4;. when it desired to separate these ends in order 'to flatten out the bag, the zipper member' 22 can ride downonto one of said elements 26 in the manner illustrated in Figure 4, and the insert portion 21 of the other element which is mountable in and withdrawable from "the receiving slotway 28' formed in the zipper 22 and the slotwaye'xtension 29 in the element 2t can-be removed from said slotway's 28 and" 28 in the manner illustrated in'said Figure f1.

"Anyform of separable zipper structure can be employed, and-the specific structure22, 26 29 is but an example 'of such separable equipment. This; particular equipment is disclosed in the U. 5. Letters Patent issuedto M. Kiessling'et al. 2;19,608,on August 15, 1939;

' Whenfthe bag is in the fiat condition illustrated in Figure2 of the drawing it can'be rolled up or folded, and placed in a bag, or in a desk, or many convenient storage place where it will consume a minimum of space.

When it is desired to use the bag, the zippers" [B then resting in the curved terminals l5 formed by the inwardly curved meeting edges of the sidesand ends 6,1, 8, '9 in the base or'bottom 5 are"drawnupwardly'along the "zipper? strips 16:

at the corners of the bag, thereby drawing the bag, dorner by corner, into the condition illustrated in Figure 1-.' The bag is then filled through a the operrmouth defined by the meeting edges of the s'id'esB and "I, and-then the insert-portion- 2-l-bt the'ele'ment 26 isinserted into .the"zip-:

'er element receivingslotways 28, 29, "after which the zipper z-zcan be drawn al'ong thezipper strips 20 to close thebag in the manner illustrated in Figure'l. When the bag ''mouth is thus closed the rf zip'pers l 8 are inaccessible because they are within the bag, and if it is desired to lock the bag the lock 24 is applied to the keeper 25 and the single lock 24 will secure the whole bag against unauthorized entry.

It is to be understood that the zipper members l8, l9 hereinbefore referred to preferably are of the clamp-locking type well known in the art, that is the type which is automatically clamped against sliding movement whenever the pull elements are laid flat against the zipper slide members as shown, in dotted lines in Figure 3. This type of zipper element is so well k nown in the art that additional description and illustration thereof is thought to be unnecessary. Obviously, when these zipper members are brought to the position illustrated in Figure 3 and there clamped by fiat positioning of the members! from within the bag, sliding movement cannot be imparted to the zipper members from without the bag.

While it is preferred that the "zipper members l8 be placed so that their pull members are accessible within the bag only, so that the whole bag can be secured by a single look as hereinbefor'e' described, it will be obvious that these ,zipperf. members can be placed so as to be accessible outside the bag if desired. When these elements are placed so that the pull members are accessible outside the bag, provision can be made for locking the bag with two locks instead of one as previously described. In this adaptation of the invention thepchain 23 attached to the zipper memberi22 can be passed through apertures in the pull members of the zipper elements 18 and then lock-secured to the keeper member 25. It is to be understood, of course, that a similar locking chain would be passed through the pull members it at the opposite 'end of the bag.

The term duffel bag hereinused is not to be considered an intentional limitation as to the form or kind of bagsince the invention relates to the specific collapsible nature of the bag and not to any particular form or shape of the bag or the kind of material employed in its manufacture.

It is, of course, to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention provided they'come within the scope of the claims;

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is:

1, A one piece duffel bag of foldable material comprising a bottom portion, side and end members all integral therewith, said end members having theedges thereof extended upwardly from the bottomami converging inwardly toward each other at theupper end, the side members having edges lying in parallel planesand dimensioned so as to extend along the edges or the ends in 'abu'tted relation thereto and meet centrally at the top portion of the ends in abutted relation, a plurality'of independent zipperequipments for joining the adjacent edges of the side members and enq' members, the manipulating devices for the zippers whenlthe side and end members are joined being disposedat the top portion of the sidemembers, said side and end meeting edges being extended into the bottom to enable the side anden'ds when'separated to lie flat relative tothe bottom and an independent zipper equipment 7 fonjoining the adiacentedges of the side members;, said last'named zipper equipment being separable 'throughout the whole length of the meeting edges whereby the end members and side members may be disconnected from each other and folded for storage.

2. A one piece duffel bag of foldable material comprising a bottom portion, side and end members all integral therewith, said end members having the edges thereof extended upwardly from the bottom and converging inwardly toward each other at the upper end, the side members having edges lying in parallel planes and dimensioned so as to extend along the edges of the ends in abutted relation thereto and meet centrally at the top portion of the ends in abutted relation, a plurality of independent zipper equipments for joining the adjacent edges of the side members and end members, the manipulating devices for the zippers when the side and end members are joined being disposed at the top portion of the side members, said side and end meeting edges being extended into the bottom to enable the side and ends when separated to lie fiat relative to the bottom and an independent zipper equipment for joining the adjacent edges of the side members, said last named zipper equipment being separable throughout the whole length of the meeting edges whereby the end members and side members may be disconnected from each other'and folded for storage, said manipulating devices for the zippers at each corner being disposed on the interior of the duffle bag so as to be concealed within the bag when the meeting edges of the side members are closed by the zipper equipment therefor.

FRANK J. OBRIEN.

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