Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Hand luggage – Compartmented
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-04-10
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Hand luggage
Compartmented
C190S112000, C190S127000, C150S113000, C150S117000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213268
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to utility bags and specifically to soft-sided utility bags which are used by tradesmen, construction workers, handymen, plumbers, carpenters, fly fisherman and by anyone else who has the need to carry from place to place and thereafter have easy access to a plurality of numerous small and medium size items.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
There are currently in use many different types of carrying packs or bags used by various tradespersons, fly fisherman and the like who have a need to carry small items from place to place. Common examples include tool belts, bucket carriers, utility bags, and backpacks, all of which have numerous compartments or pockets for containing and carrying items of various sizes and shapes. However, each of the prior art devices has drawbacks for persons who deal with numerous small items to which they need access at the site, since the numerous small items tend to become lost or buried within the pockets or compartments. Further, the person seeking the items is required to search through the pockets or compartments until the correct item is found. The prior art devices also provide little protection or security for the tools themselves, and little or no compartmentalization for certain small materials or other items.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a bag that would provide easy access to any one of the numerous items contained therein. Further it also would be desirable if such a bag provided the user with a case that could contain numerous small and minute items without concern that they would be mixed together while being carried from place to place.
Certain prior art utility bags have hinged end enclosures which opens in doorlike fashion to give access to the interior of the bag such as the one that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,008. In that prior art device, the only means of access to the items contained anywhere within the bag is through the hinged end enclosure.
Likewise, most travel or storage systems used by fly-fishermen comprise hard-case fly-tying boxes (or an adapted hard-case fishing tackle box of conventional design) or one of the other prior art carriers set forth above. The hard-case fly tying box utilizes a system of drawers with individually divided sections and a larger top-loading drawer for miscellaneous storage. Usually these cases are made of hard plastic and have several inherent drawbacks—materials and tools are not equally and easily visible and accessible at all times and the overall size and weight of the case makes it difficult to carry.
Thus, none of the prior art carrying devices provide for the ease of removal of a combination of types of articles by the user, nor do they provide a means of removing various small items contained therein without having to remove other larger items to gain access to the smaller items. Likewise, none of the prior art devices provide a separate compartment for just the small and minute items so that they may be carrier to place to place without mixing.
The present invention provides a simple device for carrying small and minute items and larger items such as medium size tools and the like from place to place, while allowing ease of access to any of the small and minute items as needed. The device of the present invention eliminates the need to stack various items on top of one another, which may require the removal of several of them from the device in order to get to the case containing the small and minute items. Likewise, the present invention also provides a removable tray for holding the small and minute items separately. The tray easily may be removed from the device through a special opening in the bag. The tray also is maintained in a substantially horizontal position to ensure that one minute item does not combine with another minute item therein during transport.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a soft sided utility bag having a generally rectangular first compartment and a second substantially pocketbook shaped compartment. The first compartment is comprised of six generally rectangular walls: a pair of opposed vertical side walls, a pair of opposed vertical end walls, a top wall and a bottom wall. One of the first compartment vertical side walls provides access to the interior of the first compartment. In the preferred embodiment, the first compartment vertical side wall has a large opening which provides access to the first compartment. Inside the first compartment is at least one removable tray which has a plurality of individual compartments for storing small and minute items. In the preferred embodiment, the tray is rigid and has a lid which prevents the items in the tray from mixing and spilling when the tray is closed. Also in the preferred embodiment, the tray is approximately the same size as the bottom wall of the first compartment.
The second compartment is comprised of five generally rectangular walls, a pair of opposed vertical end walls, a bottom wall and a pair of opposed vertical side walls, which are capable of collapsing in on themselves. Handle means are also provided so that the bag of the present invention may be carried from place to place. In the preferred embodiment, a handle is permanently affixed to the exterior of each one of the vertical side walls of the second compartment. Also, in the preferred embodiment a rigid hinged frame is attached to the top of each of the vertical side and end walls of the second compartment to provide additional support.
In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of pockets are attached to the outside of end walls and one of the vertical side walls of the first compartment. Using the bag of the present invention, the user can carry tools of various kinds in the second compartment and in the pockets surrounding the first compartment and small/minute items in the tray located within the first compartment.
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Vaccaro Andra M.
Weaver Sue A.
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