WO2004098343A1 - A reusable shopping bag - Google Patents
A reusable shopping bag Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2004098343A1 WO2004098343A1 PCT/AU2004/000569 AU2004000569W WO2004098343A1 WO 2004098343 A1 WO2004098343 A1 WO 2004098343A1 AU 2004000569 W AU2004000569 W AU 2004000569W WO 2004098343 A1 WO2004098343 A1 WO 2004098343A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- bag
- flexible member
- further characterized
- bag according
- bags
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45C—PURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
- A45C7/00—Collapsible or extensible purses, luggage, bags or the like
- A45C7/0059—Flexible luggage; Hand bags
- A45C7/0077—Flexible luggage; Hand bags collapsible to a minimal configuration, e.g. for storage purposes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45C—PURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
- A45C3/00—Flexible luggage; Handbags
- A45C3/04—Shopping bags; Shopping nets
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45C—PURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
- A45C11/00—Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a reusable shopping bag and, in particular, to a shopping bag including a flexible member that maintains the mouth of the bag in an open position for easy access to and from the inside of the bag.
- Bags and in particular, those used for grocery shopping are available in a number of different varieties. Most of these bags are known to the public and generally consist of a body portion adapted to hold the goods to be carried, an opening so that the body portion can be accessed and a carrying means typically extending above the mouth. The materials used in the construction of these bags are generally plastic or cardboard for obvious cost and strength requirements.
- the difficulty to date has been to provide reusable shopping bags, that may be required in some quantity, in a manner that is practical for users.
- the invention therefore relates to a collapsible bag and a container for a plurality of such bags.
- a reusable shopping bag including a flexible member which maintains the mouth of the bag in an open position, said flexible member being movable between an open condition in which the bag has an accessible opening to an interior thereof and a compressed condition in which the flexible member serves to maintain a packable shape of the bag
- said flexible member is a thin annular strip which defines the mouth of the bag.
- the invention should not be limited to a thin annular strip as a square, rectangular or thick strip may very well be used.
- said bag is reduced to a size to fit into a storage means.
- said flexible member is biased in an annular position in a configuration that allows it to return to this position subsequent to any position alteration.
- said flexible member is made of a material that is able to be folded into a figure-eight configuration and then twisted into a circular configuration thereby collapsing the bag.
- said reusable shopping bag includes a body portion connected below the edge of the flexible member and adapted to hold goods.
- said reusable shopping bag includes a carrying means connected above the edge of the flexible member and adapted to be held by a user.
- said body portion and carrying means are made of plastic or fabric. Any material capable of holding relatively heavy goods without rupturing is sufficient for these purposes.
- said storage means is a cylindrical purse correspondingly shaped to enclose a plurality of bags in their collapsed state.
- said storage means is a cylindrical container correspondingly shaped to enclose a plurality of bags in their collapsed state.
- said cylindrical container includes at least one side aperture for easy access to said bags.
- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a reusable shopping bag in accordance with the present invention
- Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the reusable shopping bag of
- Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the reusable shopping bag of
- Figure 1 in its first stage of collapse
- Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the reusable shopping bag of
- Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the initial stage of storing the collapsed bag
- Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the final stage of storing the collapsed bag.
- Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating an alternate storage means.
- the present invention discloses a shopping bag 10 or any bag used to carry various goods whose mouth 12 is maintained open by a flexible member 14 so that access to and from within the body portion 16 of the bag 10 is made easier.
- the present invention further discloses various storage means 18 and 20 for such bags so that, for example, in a supermarket a customer may take a collapsed bag 10 from the storage means 20 and simply wait for the bag 10 to unravel into an open position.
- FIGS 1-2 illustrate the bag 10 of the present invention which includes a hollow body portion 16 sealed at the underside to hold goods placed inside, a flexible member 14 which is biased in an open circular position and which defines the mouth 12 of the bag 10, and a carrying means 22 which in this case are two opposed identical handles 24 and 26 adapted to be gripped by a user 28 when handling the bag 10.
- Flexible member 14 consists of a strip of resilient spring wire whose ends are secured together by a simple press connection. The resilience of the flexible member 14 ensures that subsequent to any manipulation (such as twisting or folding), the member 14 will return to its original open circular shape. It is to be understood that any material of the same or similar stiffness is acceptable and the invention should not be limited to the use of aluminium only. Furthermore, the connection means of the strip ends should not be limited to a press connection.
- hollow body portion 16 and carrying means 22 may vary in appearance without affecting the functionality of the invention.
- handles 24 and 26 could well be solid plastic handles while body portion 16 could very well be shaped in a rectangular shaped configuration.
- body portion 16 and carrying means 22 are made of a material that is environmentally friendly, however, any type of plastic or fabric that is capable of holding relatively heavy goods without rupturing will suffice.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate that body portion 16 and carrying means 22 are actually the same piece of fabric while a second strip of fabric is sewed around the flexible member 14 thereby enclosing it and securing it at the mouth 12 of the bag 10.
- This is one way of constructing the bag 10 when using fabric as a material, however, there are numerous other possible methods of construction and once again, the invention should not be limited to only this method. For example, if body portion 16 and carrying means 22 were made of plastic then obviously alternate connection means would need to be employed.
- the bag 10 of the invention may be collected together with other bags into a pouch ready for a major shopping trip. Alternatively, it is possible for the bag to be used and carried alone. As the bag is folded to a relatively small shape it is easily accommodated in pocket or purse. A shopper is thus prepared and able to make small or impulse purchases and still take advantage of the bag.
- An elastic strap 23, shown in figure 2 may be attached to the bag, preferably at adjacent of the spring wire 14. The strap 23 is secured around the bad in the compressed condition and helps maintain the position.
- FIG. 3-4 illustrate the steps involved in collapsing the bag 10 in accordance with the steps listed below:
- FIGs 5-6 illustrate the process of storing a collapsed bag into a cylindrical purse 18 shaped in a manner to comfortably fit a stacked plurality of collapsed bags.
- the bag 18 is initially aligned with the opening 48 of the purse 18 for easy entry and then rotated 90° once inside the purse 18 for it to be easily stacked.
- the purse 18 further includes a closing mechanism 50, in this case a zipper configuration.
- FIG. 7 An alternate storage means in the form of a cylindrical container 20 can be seen in Figure 7.
- the container 20 is correspondingly shaped to enclose a stacked plurality of collapsed bags.
- the container 20 further includes a side aperture 52 for easy access to the enclosed bags, especially useful when shopping at a supermarket where quick and easy access to a bag is favourable.
- the purse 18 and container 20 serve to store the bag thereby protecting it for its next use.
- the purse 18 and container 20 are further capable of storing a plurality of bags which is useful in situations such as those found in supermarkets where large numbers of bags are required. This process is also environmentally friendly in that it does away with the need for plastic bags currently being used which are generally used once and then disposed of.
- the present invention provides a shopping bag 10 that is not only maintained in an open configuration thereby ensuring ease of access to and from within the bag 10, but also a means for the bags to be compacted and stored.
- a further advantage of the invention is that if a user 28 takes a bag 10 subsequent to it being stored, there is no need to manipulate the bag 10 to create a useable shape as the flexible member 14 ensures this happens on its own.
- the invention is not only applicable in supermarkets and other shops that involve placing goods inside a bag but also in the fruit picking industry where continuous access to within the bag is also required.
Landscapes
- Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2004236366A AU2004236366A1 (en) | 2004-05-03 | 2004-05-03 | A reusable shopping bag |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2003902146 | 2003-05-05 | ||
AU2003902146A AU2003902146A0 (en) | 2003-05-05 | 2003-05-05 | A reusable shopping bag |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2004098343A1 true WO2004098343A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 |
Family
ID=31953499
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/AU2004/000569 WO2004098343A1 (en) | 2003-05-05 | 2004-05-03 | A reusable shopping bag |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2003902146A0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2004098343A1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2887531A1 (en) * | 2005-06-27 | 2006-12-29 | Pierre Andre Lobez | Product transport assembly for person making household shopping, has housing pipe with inner diameter greater than bag diameter so that bag, folded in cylindrical shape, is introduced in pipe and remains blocked after introduction |
WO2007085759A2 (en) * | 2006-01-27 | 2007-08-02 | Decathlon | Flexible material bag associated with a storage element |
WO2009025606A1 (en) * | 2007-08-22 | 2009-02-26 | Gustafsson, Christian | Bag and method for handling of bags |
FR2926447A1 (en) * | 2008-01-17 | 2009-07-24 | Hooman Peimani | Foldable and harmless bag for transporting bread i.e. European bread, from bakery to shop, has belt on its posterior surface, where belt is long and flexible so as to function as shoulder belt for transporting bread |
GB2460282A (en) * | 2008-05-24 | 2009-11-25 | Difei Wang | Shopping kit |
FR2981830A1 (en) * | 2011-11-02 | 2013-05-03 | Pascal Schaller | Self-expanding bag for transporting all kinds of clothing and household product, has fixed envelope comprising opening, set of sides and basic part, where set of sides is arranged with lateral margins and connected along margins |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5044774A (en) * | 1989-07-03 | 1991-09-03 | Mobil Oil Corporation | Hold-open bag top |
US5524990A (en) * | 1995-05-26 | 1996-06-11 | Buck; Jennifer E. | Flexible container |
US6022144A (en) * | 1997-06-30 | 2000-02-08 | Arthur D. Little Enterprises, Inc. | Closure system for pliable container and method and apparatus for producing same |
GB2376877A (en) * | 2001-06-23 | 2002-12-31 | Austen Charles Miller | A collapsable food container |
GB2393112A (en) * | 2002-09-20 | 2004-03-24 | Orla Kiely | A foldable bag having an opening which may be biased open. |
-
2003
- 2003-05-05 AU AU2003902146A patent/AU2003902146A0/en not_active Abandoned
-
2004
- 2004-05-03 WO PCT/AU2004/000569 patent/WO2004098343A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5044774A (en) * | 1989-07-03 | 1991-09-03 | Mobil Oil Corporation | Hold-open bag top |
US5524990A (en) * | 1995-05-26 | 1996-06-11 | Buck; Jennifer E. | Flexible container |
US6022144A (en) * | 1997-06-30 | 2000-02-08 | Arthur D. Little Enterprises, Inc. | Closure system for pliable container and method and apparatus for producing same |
GB2376877A (en) * | 2001-06-23 | 2002-12-31 | Austen Charles Miller | A collapsable food container |
GB2393112A (en) * | 2002-09-20 | 2004-03-24 | Orla Kiely | A foldable bag having an opening which may be biased open. |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2887531A1 (en) * | 2005-06-27 | 2006-12-29 | Pierre Andre Lobez | Product transport assembly for person making household shopping, has housing pipe with inner diameter greater than bag diameter so that bag, folded in cylindrical shape, is introduced in pipe and remains blocked after introduction |
WO2007085759A2 (en) * | 2006-01-27 | 2007-08-02 | Decathlon | Flexible material bag associated with a storage element |
FR2896671A1 (en) * | 2006-01-27 | 2007-08-03 | Promiles Sa | BAG IN SOFT MATERIAL, ASSOCIATED WITH A STORAGE ELEMENT |
WO2007085759A3 (en) * | 2006-01-27 | 2007-12-13 | Promiles | Flexible material bag associated with a storage element |
WO2009025606A1 (en) * | 2007-08-22 | 2009-02-26 | Gustafsson, Christian | Bag and method for handling of bags |
FR2926447A1 (en) * | 2008-01-17 | 2009-07-24 | Hooman Peimani | Foldable and harmless bag for transporting bread i.e. European bread, from bakery to shop, has belt on its posterior surface, where belt is long and flexible so as to function as shoulder belt for transporting bread |
GB2460282A (en) * | 2008-05-24 | 2009-11-25 | Difei Wang | Shopping kit |
FR2981830A1 (en) * | 2011-11-02 | 2013-05-03 | Pascal Schaller | Self-expanding bag for transporting all kinds of clothing and household product, has fixed envelope comprising opening, set of sides and basic part, where set of sides is arranged with lateral margins and connected along margins |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2003902146A0 (en) | 2003-05-22 |
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