Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Convertible or combined
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-30
2004-05-04
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Convertible or combined
C224S231000, C224S237000, C383S013000, C383S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06729519
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a laundry backpack, primarily for use in carrying laundry from a residence, such as in a college dormitory or an apartment complex or to a laundromat and back. This laundry backpack has straps with U-shaped hangers for hanging on the door of a room such as a bedroom and for carrying on the back of a person. Two D-shaped perimeter wires retain the backpack's shape. It has flaps for the loading of soiled laundry and unloading at the laundromat and loading with folded laundry to carry home.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Persons who do not have a washing machine in their own home, apartment or room, typically utilize a laundry bag to transport their laundry to centrally located washing machines. Students who live in dormitories or apartment complexes may be able to wash their clothes at washing machines, which may be centrally located in their dormitory or apartment complex or may have to go to a commercial laundromat. The most familiar laundry bag is a simple cloth bag with a drawstring closure. This bag has remained unchanged over a long period and as a result, there are a number of difficulties and inconveniences in using this bag. For example, the bag when it is loaded with laundry is a relatively heavy and bulky load, which cannot be easily carried or hung without a hook or by placing a nail in the wall. Students in particular have complained about the simple laundry bag because it takes up too much space in their room or bathroom and is disorganized and too heavy to carry, resulting in the necessity to make several trips to the laundry facility. Both the conventional laundry bag and baskets for carrying laundry are difficult and cumbersome to carry, especially for smaller people. Frequently, the laundry overflows the basket and falls onto the ground or dirty hallway floors.
PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,998 issued Sep. 24, 1991, of which Wachtel is the inventor, discloses a laundry bag, which is divided into two (2) compartments with a drawstring closure at the top. The bottom of each compartment has a zipper closure, which allows discharging each compartment individually. The dual laundry bag has a pair of carrying straps with an adjustable belt for attachment of clothing. This laundry bag can be carried on the user's back utilizing the two (2) carrying straps. It is also provided with pockets to carry various items such as detergent and reading materials. It is specifically designed to carry laundry from a person's residence to a laundromat.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 363,370 issued Oct. 17, 1995 to Hamdan, shows a design for a laundry bag, which has two (2) compartments and can be carried on the back. This laundry bag is disclosed in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,476 issued Apr. 2, 1996 to Hamdan.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,278 issued Oct. 17, 1995 to LaConte discloses a laundry bag, which has a conventional drawstring at the top to open and close the opening. A zipper extends along the length of the laundry bag. This bag is designed to be carried over a person's shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,351 issued Jun. 13, 1978 to Catenaccio discloses a laundry bag with a shoulder strap with rope loops to close the top of the bag. It has a utility bag attached to the end of the shoulder strap for carrying detergent and reading materials.
A backpack laundry bag marketed under the name Laundra-Mate® is described in literature distributed by New Vision Enterprises®. It is a large cumbersome backpack that has the appearance of a conventional backpack with several compartments on the back.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a laundry bag that can be carried on the back and will support approximately two (2) washer loads of laundry.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a laundry backpack that can be hung over a door in a room for convenience in loading and storing soiled laundry.
It is a further object of this invention that the bag will stand upright when empty.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry backpack that can carry folded laundry from the laundry facility back to the room without wrinkling the clothing.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a laundry backpack, which incorporates fast zipper closures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry backpack, which has pockets for the storage of various items such as laundry soaps and detergents, personal radios, magazines, books, notebooks and the like.
The final object of the present invention is to provide a laundry backpack, which comprises a relative small number of simple component parts, which can be manufactured in an economical manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and figures.
These objects are achieved by having a laundry backpack bag which has D-shaped perimeter wires in the front and back of the laundry backpack and the closeable flap in the top and a closeable flap in the front for inserting and discharging laundry. The D-shaped metal or plastic wire perimeter frames between the front wall and the top, bottom and sidewalls and between the back wall, bottom and sidewalls preserves the vertical shape of the bag. There is a rigid horizontal support which may be in the form of the D-ring, firm material or staves in the top or the bottom of the pack. These perimeter frames and horizontal supports provide some rigidity to the structure. The laundry backpack also has a closeable flap in the bottom for discharging laundry.
The laundry backpack can have a mesh material in a substantial part of the sidewalls for ventilation purposes.
This laundry backpack has carrying straps so it can be carried on the back of a person and which can be attached to the U-shaped hangers at one end for hanging on a door for loading the backpack with laundry or for unloading the laundry.
The laundry backpack can be easily opened by providing double zippers on all of the closeable flaps.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4773585 (1988-09-01), Lehrman
patent: 4784248 (1988-11-01), Workman
patent: 5016792 (1991-05-01), Jay
patent: 5050998 (1991-09-01), Wachtel
patent: 5458278 (1995-10-01), LaConte
patent: 5503476 (1996-04-01), Hamdan
patent: 5927581 (1999-07-01), Reddy et al.
patent: 6092702 (2000-07-01), Cassidy, IV
patent: 6237825 (2001-05-01), Pencoske
patent: 6286461 (2001-09-01), Martz
patent: 6353941 (2002-03-01), Manning et al.
patent: 6386414 (2002-05-01), Kilduff
patent: 6592012 (2003-07-01), Godshaw et al.
patent: 2634514 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 1133195 (1999-12-01), None
patent: WO9631402 (1996-10-01), None
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley, L.L.P.
Weaver Sue A.
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