WO2003086136A2

WO2003086136A2 - Elastic double bag

Info

Publication number: WO2003086136A2
Application number: PCT/FR2003/001175
Authority: WO
Inventors: Geneviève Mortemard de Boisse
Original assignee: Mortemard De Boisse Genevieve
Priority date: 2002-04-18
Filing date: 2003-04-14
Publication date: 2003-10-23
Also published as: US20050157958A1; WO2003086136A3; DK1494560T3; AU2003246827A1; EP1494560B1; EP1494560A2; ES2255680T3; FR2838614B1; ATE313282T1; DE60302880T2; DE60302880D1; FR2838614A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a bag (1) in the form of a double bag, consisting of at least two layers (E1 et E2) of material. Said layers are the same shape and have the same dimensions, are superposed and interconnected along the periphery (2-5) thereof in such a way that they define two pockets (P1 et P2) which are accessible by an opening (7) made in the longitudinal direction of the bag (1). Furthermore, the material forming at least one of the layers (E1 et E2) is extensible in the machine direction and/or in the cross-machine direction.

Description

Elastic bag

The present invention relates to the field of bags for the transport on foot of loads of modest weight, such as current domestic purchases (food, cleaning products, etc.).

There is currently a need for a bag of large capacity, leaving the hands free, and which, in the empty state, is light and occupies a minimum volume, such that it can be placed, for example, in a pocket of clothing or a handbag. A backpack has the first two properties, but not the last two.

It has been proposed in the past, provision nets whose mesh was made from bundles of elastic son foam type. These nets were very light and offered a large capacity compared to their bulk in the empty state, but they did not leave the hands free and, moreover, the dilation of their meshes in the charged state prohibited placing there small objects likely to escape, not to mention the rapid deterioration of the elastic threads in which non-smooth items came to hang, such as bread.

In an even more distant past, bags were used for the transport of moderate loads on foot. By saddlebag is meant a bag split in the middle and closed at its ends, forming two pockets when worn astride the shoulder.

Although the satchels have, for several centuries, been one of the most used types of bags, they have fallen into disuse, since the appearance, among other things, of backpacks. It follows that they have not been subject to modifications or changes.

The bags had to reconcile two contradictory criteria. On the one hand, they had to be made of a sufficiently thick and rigid material to resist 1 wear and the force exerted by the loads that can be housed there.

On the other hand, they had to be made of a sufficiently thin and flexible material to allow them, when loaded, to fold comfortably around the shoulder of the wearer.

Leather was the material best suited to the compromise between these contrary properties, however giving an expensive and heavy product, even in the empty state. In addition, the bags, in their known form, had the disadvantage that the access opening to the two pockets generally affected the entire width of the bag with the risk of seeing the transported articles being accidentally ejected from the bag when it was thrown on the shoulder or dropped.

As indicated above, the objective of the present invention is to provide a bag of large capacity, leaving the hands free, and which, in the empty state, is light and occupies a minimum volume, which it does in offering a new bag type bag, consisting of at least two layers of material, of the same shape and the same dimensions, superimposed and integral with each other along their periphery so as to define between them two pockets accessible by a median opening, said bag having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, and being characterized in that said opening is formed in the longitudinal direction of the bag and in that said material constituting at least one of the layers consists of a stretch fabric in the machine direction and / or in the cross direction.

Thus, according to one of the basic characteristics of the bag according to the invention, the median opening is provided, not transversely, as is the case in one prior art, but longitudinally. These two layers of the bag can be two separate pieces of material sewn together along their edges, a single piece of folded material in half on itself and sewn, or a single piece of tubular material.

According to a preferred embodiment, the opening is formed at the periphery of the bag. In the case where said bag is not made from a tubular material, said opening may be located at one of the seam lines making the layers of material constituting the bag integral. In this way, the opening does not consist of an incision made in the fabric, but in a discontinuity of one of the seam lines, and the integrity, and therefore the resistance, of the fabric is not diminished.

By seam line, we must understand here any type of attachment that can be made between the two layers, such as sewing, bonding, fusion, etc.

In the case where the bag is made from a tubular material, that is to say one comprising no seam line in the longitudinal direction but only at the two ends, in the transverse direction, said opening is provided directly by cutting along a generatrix of the tube.

The second basic characteristic of the bag according to the invention is that it consists of a fabric that can be extended in the machine direction and / or in the cross direction. By "fabric" here is meant both a material obtained by a weaving process, a material obtained by knitting, or even a non-woven material or a film.

As used herein, the term "machine direction" refers, in the case of woven materials, to the direction of the warp, in the case of knitted materials, to the direction of the columns of stitches, and in the case of non-woven and films in the direction of displacement of the sheet in formation in the production facility.

As used herein, the term "cross direction" refers to the direction which is perpendicular to the machine direction defined above. The use of a stretch fabric allows the bag to have a variable volume depending on whether it is empty or full.

While it is understood that the variation in dimensions of an extensible article under the effect of a force exerted on it is nothing new in itself, this property leads to unexpected effects in the context of the 'invention. Indeed, combined with the particular shape of the bag and the particular position of the opening, it makes it possible to give the loaded bag thrown on the shoulder a thin shape and gathered at the shoulder, followed by a shape dilated on either side of the shoulder by the volume of the articles slipped into one and the other pockets, the access opening to said pockets being closed by the traction exerted by the weight of said articles. In an empty state, the bag is light, thin and flat and it can be folded and slipped into a pocket or a handbag or even worn as a scarf, belt or hat.

To give the bag its optimum properties of lightness and compactness, the stretch fabric advantageously has a weight per m 2 of between approximately 60 and 400 g / m, preferably 200 g / m.

Satisfactory fabrics can consist of Lycra or fabrics composed of elastane, polyester and / or triacetate. In practice, it can be envisaged that, under the effect of a load, the bag preferably deforms in one direction relative to the other. To do this, we choose a fabric whose elongation is different in the machine direction and in the cross direction and, in the bag, the direction of greatest elongation is used in the transverse direction. Thus, the loading of the bag does not lengthen it excessively, which could hamper walking, but rather gives it volume towards the front and towards the rear.

Another measure to manage the shape of the bag in the loaded state is to use a material of relatively greater extensibility to form one of the walls of the bag and a material of more extensibility. weak or even not extensible to form the opposite wall, this latter wall being intended to come into contact with the wearer when the bag is thrown on his shoulder.

Yet another possible measure to manage the shape of the bag when it expands and to reinforce it at its seams is to provide at least one strip of non-elastic material along the periphery of the layers of material making up the bag. bag, except, at least, in the transverse zone of the bag which contains the access opening to the pockets of the bag. According to a particular embodiment, said transverse zone of the bag which contains the access opening to the pockets of the bag can also be reinforced, but by a strip of elastic material whose elasticity can be substantially identical to that of the fabric, or slightly lower to stiffen and tighten the opening.

However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this transverse area is devoid of reinforcing strip, on the one hand, so as not to alter the expansion capacity of the access opening to the pockets in order to their loading and, on the other hand, to give said transverse zone any latitude of extension under load, which thins it at the level of its contact with the shoulder, with the effect of improving the stability of the bag and of close the access opening to the pockets tightly.

In a preferred embodiment, the bag according to the invention has a rectangular shape and, when empty, has a length of between approximately 70 and approximately 100 cm and a width of between approximately 40 and approximately 60 cm.

The dimensions will be chosen, on the one hand, according to the average size of the intended user, adult or child, and on the other hand of the extensibility of the selected material. The opening will have a length between about 10 and about 20 cm, the chosen length depending on the size of the bag and the extensibility of the material.

As you can judge, the length of the opening is relatively small (preferably, much less than the width of the bag, unlike what is found in the bags of the prior art) but the extensibility material allows items of relatively large size to enter the bag only by deformation of the opening. The small size of the opening, as well as its position, limits the risks of "expulsion" of articles out of the bag through said opening when the latter is carried or else placed on the ground, the articles being "prisoners" of the bag. This expulsion is also quite impossible when the loaded bag is carried on the shoulder, the lips of the opening being firmly pressed against each other under the effect of the weight.

The bag according to the invention can take various forms and can consist of one or more pieces of fabric, joined together so as to form an enclosed space.

However, in a particularly economical embodiment, the bag consists of a single piece of fabric folded back on itself so as to form a superposition of two layers of fabric, said two layers being sewn along their edges. free, however leaving an opening in the middle of the side opposite the side forming the fold line.

Given the small size of the pocket access opening and its position, it can be difficult to locate it quickly when you want to load the bag. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a visual or tactile identification means can advantageously be associated with said opening.

Such a locating means can consist, for example, of a strap, a braid or a border of a contrasting color, or of a material with a different feel, etc. it being understood that, whatever the means chosen, it must not alter the extensibility of the opening.

The invention will be better understood, and its advantages will emerge better, in the light of the following detailed description made with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the bag according to the invention, flat and at empty; 2 shows a partial section, on a larger scale, taken along line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates the port of the bag of Figure 1 in one loaded state; Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a bag according to the invention, flat and empty; and Figure 5 illustrates another alternative embodiment of a bag according to the invention, flat and empty.

If we refer to Figure 1, we see that the bag 1 according to the invention consists of a rectangular piece of stretchy fabric folded over on itself at its longitudinal median, thus determining two thicknesses of superimposed fabric E _x and E ₂ of lengths 2 and 3 and widths 4 and 5. The two thicknesses E _x and E ₂ are made integral with one another, by sewing, according to 6, along said widths 4 and 5 and said length 3, an unsewn area forming an opening 7, however, being provided.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the free edges of the thicknesses of material E _x and E ₂ are turned inward and capped with a strip of non-elastic material 8, the whole being joined by two stitching lines 6a, 6b . This strip of material 8 strengthens the bag at the seams 6, removes the extensibility of the material of the bag at this same level and gives a good finish inside the bag. For the reasons explained above, it is preferred that there is no strip of non-extensible material in the transverse zone Z containing the opening 7, zone on either side of which the bag forms two pockets P _x and P ₂ . An elastic braid 9 of a contrasting color with respect to that of the bag borders the opening 7 so as to facilitate its location.

The dimensions of the piece of stretch fabric used to make the bag may vary depending on the capacity and the desired use. According to the embodiment shown, the finished bag is in the form of a rectangle having, when empty, about 80 cm in length by about 45 cm in width, with an opening 7 of about 18 cm in length, these dimensions constituting only a nonlimiting example.

To load the bag according to the invention, the articles to be transported are introduced through the opening 7 by distributing them equitably in the pockets P _x and P ₂ so that the bag is balanced. The expansion capacity of the opening 7 allows relatively large objects to pass through it. Once the bag is loaded, we enter it in zone Z, the weight per m of the fabric making it possible to hold the entire thickness of the bag in the ring formed between the thumb and forefinger, and we place the bag on horseback on the shoulder, with the zone Z thus assembled forming a hinge between the two pockets P _x and P ₂ of the bag (see FIG. 3).

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the bag is made up of a rectangular piece of fabric folded back on itself, no longer in two parallel folds and of the same width, as in FIG. 1, but in three parallel folds, the two outer folds having a width equal to half the width of the central fold and being folded over the central fold. The longitudinal seam 4 'of the bag in which the opening 7' is formed is therefore located along the median of one of the walls of the bag and not on an edge of the bag. It is of course understood that, in practice, the piece of fabric is folded in half as in FIG. 1, the seam 4 ′ is created by making the opening 7 ′, the tubular piece thus obtained is placed so that the 6 'seam is placed at the median longitudinal of one of the layers and the ends are still sewn free by the seams 5 'and 6'.

Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the bag 1 "consists of a single piece of tubular fabric sewn at its two free ends 5" and 6 ", in the width direction of the bag, the fabric being split lengthwise to create the 7 "opening.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown. In particular, instead of having a rectangular shape, the bag can have another elongated and symmetrical shape around its transverse median axis, for example being in the shape of an hourglass. In addition, instead of being in one piece, it can be made up of several pieces of fabric, possibly of different extensibility, sewn together or otherwise joined together.

Claims

1. Bag-type bag (1), consisting of at least two layers (E _x and E ₂ ) of material, of the same shape and the same dimensions, superimposed and integral with each other along their periphery (2-5) so as to define between them two pockets (P _x and P ₂ ) accessible by a middle opening (7), said bag having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, characterized in that said opening (7) is formed in the longitudinal direction of the bag (1) and in that said material constituting at least one of the layers (E _x and E ₂ ) is a stretch fabric in the machine direction and / or in the cross direction.

2. Bag (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said opening (7) is formed at said periphery (3).

3. Bag (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the elongation of said stretch fabric is different in the machine direction and in the cross direction and in that, in the bag, the direction of greatest elongation is used in the transverse direction.

4. Bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fabric has a weight per m of between approximately 60 and 00 g / m.

5. Bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one strip of non-elastic material (8) is provided along the periphery (3-5) of said layers (E _x and E ₂ ).

6. Bag according to claim 5, characterized in that said strip of non-elastic material does not affect the transverse zone (Z) of the bag which contains said opening (7).

7. Bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists of a single piece of fabric folded back on itself so as to form a superposition of two thicknesses (E -, _ and E ₂ ) of fabric, said two thicknesses (E _x and E ₂ ) being sewn (6) all along their free edges, however leaving an opening (7) in the middle of the side (3) opposite the side (2) forming the fold line.

8. Bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a rectangular shape and, when empty, a length of between approximately 70 and approximately 100 cm and a width of between approximately 40 and approximately 60 cm.

9. Bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when empty, said opening (7) has a length of between approximately 10 and approximately 20 cm.

10. Bag (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a visual or tactile identification means (9) is associated with said opening (7).