Portable bag having integrated handling openings and improved volumetric characteristics and assembly for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229592-A1
Application number	US-201615014396-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable bag is provided, comprising: a plurality of surfaces constructed of a foldable material and comprising at least a front surface and a rear surface connected relative to each other by a pair of side surfaces, a bottom surface, and a top surface opposite the bottom surface; at least two handling openings, the at least two handling openings being integrally defined on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, the at least two handling openings being positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the at least one of the plurality of surfaces; and an interior liner further defining the interior compartment of the portable bag, the interior liner being positioned intermediate the interior compartment and the plurality of surfaces, at least two portions of the interior liner being inset relative to the plurality of surfaces to define respective cavities substantially aligned with the at least two handling openings.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A portable bag comprising:
a plurality of surfaces configured to define an interior compartment for holding articles, the plurality of surfaces being constructed of a foldable material and comprising at least a front surface and a rear surface connected relative to each other by a pair of side surfaces, a bottom surface, and a top surface opposite the bottom surface; at least two handling openings, the at least two handling openings being integrally defined on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, the at least two handling openings being positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the at least one of the plurality of surfaces; and an interior liner further defining the interior compartment of the portable bag, the interior liner being positioned intermediate the interior compartment and the plurality of surfaces, at least two portions of the interior liner being inset relative to the plurality of surfaces, so as to define a respective cavities therebetween, the respective cavities being substantially aligned with and inset relative to the at least two handling openings.

2 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein the at least two handling openings are further positioned substantially along a horizontal midpoint of the at least one of the plurality of surfaces.

3 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two handling openings comprise four handling openings; a first set of two of the four handling openings are positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the front surface; a second set of two of the four handling openings are positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the rear surface; and at least one of the first and second sets of two of the four handling openings are further positioned substantially along a horizontal midpoint of the front or rear surface.

4 . The portable bag of claim 3 , wherein both of the first and second sets of two of the four handling openings are further positioned substantially along a horizontal midpoint of each of the front and rear surfaces.

5 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two handling openings comprise eight handling openings; a first set of four of the eight handling openings are positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the front surface and offset relative to a horizontal midpoint of the front surface, two of the four handling openings being positioned on either side of the horizontal midpoint; and a second set of four of the six handling openings are positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the rear surface and offset relative to a horizontal midpoint of the rear surface, two of the four handling openings being positioned on either side of the horizontal midpoint.

6 . The portable bag of claim 5 , wherein the offset relative to the horizontal midpoint of the front surface is different than the offset relative to the horizontal midpoint of the rear surface.

7 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two handling openings comprise six handling openings; a first set of two of the six handling openings are positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the front surface and along a horizontal midpoint of the front surface; and a second set of four of the six handling openings are positioned substantially adjacent opposing sides of the rear surface and offset relative to a horizontal midpoint of the rear surface, two of the four handling openings being positioned on either side of the horizontal midpoint.

8 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein the at least two handling openings are further defined by at least two corresponding grommets.

9 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein the top surface further comprises a closure mechanism, the closure mechanism being operable to selectively open and close at least a portion of the top surface.

10 . The portable bag of claim 9 , wherein the closure mechanism is at least one of a zipper, a magnetic strip assembly, a spring-loaded assembly, or a draw-string assembly.

11 . The portable bag of claim 9 , wherein:
the top surface comprises a first top portion and a second top portion; and the closure mechanism is positioned intermediate the first and second top portions, the closure mechanism being further operable to selectively separate the first and second top portions relative to one another, so as to define an opening therebetween, the opening being configured for receipt of the articles to be held in the portable bag.

12 . The portable bag of claim 11 , wherein the closure mechanism is configured such that the first and second top portions are biased toward each other such that the portable bag is, in its natural orientation, in a closed configuration.

13 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein:
the portable bag further comprises one or more creases on at least two of the plurality of surfaces; and the one or more creases are configured to facilitate an inwardly folding configuration of the portable bag.

14 . The portable bag of claim 13 , wherein:
the one or more creases comprise a plurality of side creases and a single bottom crease; the plurality of side creases comprise at least three side creases defined on each of the pair of side surfaces, the at least three side creases each being oriented differently relative to one another; and the single bottom crease is defined on the bottom surface of the portable bag.

15 . The portable bag of claim 13 , wherein:
the one or more creases comprise a plurality of side creases and a single front crease; the plurality of side creases comprise at least three side creases defined on each of the pair of side surfaces, the at least three side creases each being oriented differently relative to one another; and the single front crease is defined on a lower portion of the front surface of the portable bag, the lower portion being nearer the bottom surface of the portable bag than the top surface.

16 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein:
the portable bag further comprises at least one set of eyelets configured to accept therethrough at least a portion of an assembly configured to hold or support a plurality of the portable bags; and the at least one set of eyelets is positioned nearer the top surface than the bottom surface of the portable bag, so as to enable a hanging configuration of the portable bag relative to the assembly.

17 . The portable bag of claim 16 , wherein:
the at least one set of eyelets comprises two sets of eyelets; a first set of the two sets of eyelets is located on the front surface of the portable bag; and a second set of the two sets of eyelets is located on the rear surface of the portable bag.

18 . The portable bag of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of surfaces further includes at least one of a shipping label or a machine-readable barcode symbol.

19 . An assembly for facilitating consolidated transport of a plurality of articles, the assembly comprising:
a portable bag comprising: a plurality of surfaces configured to define an interior compartment for holding articles, the plurality of surfaces being constructed of a foldable material and comprising at least a front surface and a rear surface connected relative to each other by a pair of side surfaces, a bottom surface, and a top surface opposite the bottom surface; at least two handling openings, the at least two handling openings being integrally defined on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, the at least two handling open

Assignees

• United parcel service america inc

Inventors

• Davidson Mark J

Classifications

• B65D33/28

  Strings or strip-like closures {, i.e. draw closures} · CPC title

• B65D33/25

  Riveting; Dovetailing; Screwing; using press buttons or slide fasteners · CPC title

• B65D33/16

  End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices (valves of valve bags {B65D31/14}; closures of filled bags B65D77/10) · CPC title

• B65D33/14 Primary

  Suspension means (handles B65D33/06) · CPC title

• B65D31/10

  with gusseted sides · CPC title