Abstract:
Disclosed is a device for storing, organizing, and transporting toys. The disclosed device is a bag having characteristics making it suitable for use by children and for use in conjunction with storage and transport of children&#39;s items such as toys.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/117,768 titled “Bag,” to Kristi L. Mitchell, filed Feb. 18, 2015, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to an organizational and transportation bag for toys. 
       BACKGROUND AND BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Organizing and managing the clutter that children often leave in their wake has long been a task that ultimately falls upon their mothers, fathers, teachers, or other caretakers. From toys, to clothes, to food, caretakers are constantly having to clean up after these children within and outside the home. Further, many caretakers, especially parents, are often on-the-go as they have to shuttle their children around to school, sports practices, or whatever other errand that must be completed. Notwithstanding the efficiency of organizational products, safety is also a paramount concern. As such, products intended to make the organization process safe, easy, and/or efficient are of value to these weary caretakers. Unfortunately, the organization solutions currently on the market do not provide optimum flexibility for caretakers to manage their little ones. 
         [0004]    The present disclosure teaches a device that allows caretakers to organize kids&#39; clutter safely. As will be explained in greater detail below, a bag for organizing children&#39;s toys and other items is provided that allows caretakers to pack, organize, and transport items in a container that is both durable and safe. The bag can be used primarily in the home to store discrete groups of toys (e.g., action figures bearing the branding of a specific movie franchise, the toys belonging specifically to one child, toys that can be brought to the beach). Each bag may have a label holder that can be used to identify the discrete group to which the contents belong. Additionally, the label holder secures the label on all sides so it will not fall out when a child is using the bag. 
         [0005]    The bag of the present disclosure may be made out of durable material that facilitates cleaning it in between uses. The bag is also built with safety in mind. The sides are made of mesh that not only allows the bag to be collapsible, but allows a child to breath should he or she put it on his or her head. The front and rear panels of the bag are also made of a semi rigid material that prevents a child from suffocation by resisting collapsing over the child&#39;s facial features (ex. nose, mouth, cheeks, etc.). This semi rigid material also works in conjunction with tubing in the seams of the bag that allows it to stand freely without having to hold the bag up. 
         [0006]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a bag is provided having front and rear panels made of a semi rigid material and a mesh side wall extending between the front and rear panels. The front and rear panels cooperate with the mesh side wall do define a vented interior space sized to store items, such as toys. 
         [0007]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a bag for holding toys is provided that comprises a substantially transparent front vinyl panel having a first perimeter and a substantially transparent rear vinyl panel having a second perimeter. The substantially transparent front vinyl panel is substantially parallel to the substantially transparent rear vinyl panel. The bag further includes a mesh wall extending between a majority of the first and second perimeters of the substantially transparent front and rear vinyl panels. The substantially transparent front and rear vinyl panels and the mesh wall cooperate to define an interior space sized to hold toys and permit the flow of air into the interior space through the mesh wall. The bag further includes a first web extending between the first and second perimeters of the substantially transparent front and rear vinyl panels; a second web extending between the first and second perimeters of the substantially transparent front and rear vinyl panels; a strap removable coupled to the first web and coupled to the second web; and a zipper extending along the mesh wall to provide access to the interior space when the zipper is in an unzipped state and to substantially block access to the interior space when the zipper is in a zipped state. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The aforementioned aspects of this disclosure will grow to be appreciated at a greater level once references to the following accompanying illustrations are expounded upon. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is front perspective view of a bag for toy organization showing an exemplary embodiment of the bag having front and back panels and a mesh side wall that defines an interior region and a handle coupled to the side wall; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the bag of  FIG. 1  showing the handle removed and a zipper providing access to the interior region; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the bag of  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  showing interior structures of the bag of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged cut-out view of a portion of the bag of  FIG. 1  showing an interior side of a seam including support tubing; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a seam of the bag of  FIG. 1  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  showing the arrangement of the support tubing, the mesh side wall, and the back panel into the seam. 
       
    
    
       [0014]    Equivalent reference components point to corresponding parts throughout the several views. Even though the drawing depict manifestations of components and attributes to the present disclosure, certain features are magnified due to the fact that not only are the drawings not scalable, but also because this method is the best way to illustrate the present disclosure. Wherein, the illustrations depicted are manifestations of the disclosure, and such illustrations shall in no way be interpreted as limiting the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0015]    Before the present disclosure is described in detail, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims. 
         [0016]    Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, a limited number of the exemplary methods, materials, and configurations are described herein. 
         [0017]    The word “exemplary” or the like is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or the like is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Organizing a child&#39;s toys or other belongings is a difficult and ongoing task for any caretaker. Transporting these items outside of the home further complicates the process. Often toys become lost, misplaced, or left at a friends&#39; house or at school. In many instances, the bags used to keep track of all these items are unreliable. Though an embodiment is disclosed that may be used to store, organize, and transport toys, the present disclosure should not be understood to be limited only to use with toys. The present disclosure may be used to store, organize, and transport any other items for which a user may deem appropriate, such as clothes, knitting supplies, food, or first aid supplies. The present disclosure contemplates a device for safely organizing such items that comports with the limits of caretakers&#39; time and resources. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary bag  200  is provided.  FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of bag  200  adapted to transport and organize toys. According to this embodiment, hag  200  includes a front panel  10 , a back panel  20 , and a mesh wall  40  that makes up the sides, top, and bottom of bag  200 . Both front panel  10  and back panel  20  are made of a clear, semi rigid material such as vinyl that provides support for bag  200 , and helps to keep bag  200  upright without having to hold it open. The ability of bag  200  to remain upright when in a freestanding position facilitates loading and unloading by caretakers or children. Additionally, using a semi rigid material for front panel  10  and back panel  20  is safer for children as the material can&#39;t be inhaled (i.e. collapsing over the child&#39;s facial features (ex. nose, mouth, cheeks, etc.) if the bag is placed on a child&#39;s head as less rigid flexible materials may be (e.g., plastic commonly used in grocery store plastic bags). In this embodiment, front panel  10  and back panel  20  are made of a clear material that allows caretakers and children to see the contents of bag  200 . 
         [0019]    According to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, front and back panels  10 ,  20  are made of 49 C (i.e. 0.49 mm) clear PVC. Panels  10 ,  20  may be made of various thicknesses (ex. 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 C, or thicknesses there between). Panels  10 ,  20  may be made of various flexibility (ex. 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 34, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 70, 75, 80 PHR). According to an exemplary embodiment, mesh wall  40  is a plastic coated mesh with cross fibers spaced apart about 2 mm. According to alternative embodiments, the cross fibers may be spaced apart other distances (ex. 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 mm) and coated with various materials (ex. PVC, PTFE, etc.). 
         [0020]    Front panel  10  has an ID holder  90  capable of receiving an identification label made up of paper, cardboard, plastic, or any other material that is or can be flattened to fit in ID holder  90 . ID holder  90  can be made of any clear material so as to allow caretakers and children to see the identification label inside ID holder  90 . ID holder  90  is attached to front panel  10  by an ID holder fabric  100  that is stitched to front panel  10 . ID holder fabric  100  can be any type of fabric such as nylon, vinyl, or cotton. ID holder fabric  100  adjacent to an upper edge  150  of ID holder  90  may be stitched to only to front panel  10  so as leave ID holder  90  unattached to front panel  10  on the top, yet underneath ID holder fabric  100 , which enables caretakers or children to insert or remove the identification label. The remaining edges of ID holder  90  are covered with ID holder fabric  100  and stitched directly to front panel  10 , sealing II) holder  90  along the right, left, and bottom edges. Allowing the upper edge of ID holder  90  to remain free under the lip of ID holder fabric  100  whilst securing the remaining edges allow an identification label to be changed while preventing it from dislodging while in use. 
         [0021]    Both front panel  10  and back panel  20  are attached to mesh side wall  40  by fabric  28  that along with other components form a seam  30  that boarders the edges of both front panel  10  and back panel  20 . Fabric  28  can be made of any type of fabric, including nylon, vinyl, or cotton. Mesh wall  40  allows bag  200  to collapse when not in use. Mesh wall  40  is also breathable, meaning bag  200  allows air to flow freely into and out of bag  200 . Using breathable mesh materials also has other advantages that would be apparent to those of skill in the art. 
         [0022]    Bag  200  also has a handle  60  that is semi-detachable.  FIG. 1  discloses bag  200  having handle  60  that is fully attached. As seen in  FIG. 1 , bag  200  has a support web  80  spanning mesh wall  40  and joining both front panel  10  and back panel  20  at seams  30 . Handle  60  may be made of any durable material such as nylon, vinyl, or cotton. Both sides of bag  200  have a support strap/web  80  to which handle  60  is attached.  FIG. 1  further discloses that strap  80  has a fastener  70  enabling caretakers to detach handle  60  from support strap  80 . In the disclosed embodiment, fastener  70  is a snap button. In alternative, fastener  70  may be a flat button, a hook and eye fastener, or any other type of fastener. In the disclosed embodiment, only one support strap  80  has a fastener  70 . Support strap  80  on the opposite side of bag  200  (not pictured) is permanently attached to handle  60 . Support strap  80  allows the weight of bag contents to be distributed over a much larger surface area than if handle  60  was attached directly to mesh wall  40 . Providing a semi-detachable handle  60  as allows caretakers to secure bag  200  to objects while in transit. For example, handle  60  may be detached on one side at fastener  70 , allowing caretaker to weave handle  60  through a shopping cart or stroller handle and then reattach handle  60  at fastener  70 . This functionality allows caretaker to secure bag  200  to objects while in transit. In alternative embodiments, handle  60  may be fully-detachable or non-detachable. 
         [0023]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , atop perspective view of bag  200  of  FIG. 1  is provided. Bag  200  may be opened and closed through use of a closure  50 . In the disclosed embodiment, closure  50  is a zipper that spans the entire top portion of mesh wall  40  and down each side to both support straps  80 . In some embodiments, closure  50  may be made using Velcro, buttons, or any other type of fastener. As seen in  FIG. 2 , handle  60  (not pictured in  FIG. 2 ) of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , can be detached from one side of bag  200  to allow for unobstructed access to closure  50 . When in an open/unzipped state, closure  50  permits access to an interior region defined by front panel  10 , rear panel  20 , and wall  40 . When in a closed/zipped position, closure  50  substantially blocks access to the interior region to resist toys or other objects from falling out of bag  200 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a cross-sectional view of bag  200  at line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  is provided.  FIG. 3  shows a cross-section of bag  200  from directly above, revealing tubing  120  not exposed from the exterior of bag  200 . Tubing  120  provides a flexible internal support structure for bag  200 . This interior support structure gives bag  200  further rigidity and works in concert with the exterior support structures, front panel  10  and back panel  20 . Tubing  120  may be made of any flexible material capable of providing support to bag  200 , including vinyl, rubber, or plastic. As demonstrated in  FIG. 3 , tubing  120  can be incorporated into bag  200  at seams  30 .  FIG. 3  also shows handle  60  that is semi-detached from bag  200 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  provides an enlarged cut-out view of cut-out box  130  from  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  shows in more detail how the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3  incorporate tubing  120  into seams  30 . Tubing  120  can be incorporated into seam  30  along with mesh wall  40  and front panel  10  (not shown) or back panel  20 . Tubing  120  can be attached to seam  30  by stitching  140 . In alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, tubing  120  may be incorporated into bag  200  by other means and using different types and shapes of tubing  120  as would be appreciated by those of skill in the art. 
         [0026]    Turning finally to  FIG. 5 , a cross-sectional view of seam  30  at line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 4  is provided. As can be seen, this embodiment of the present disclosure includes tubing  120  that is not entirely circular, but that has a protrusion  160  along the length of the structure that allows tubing  120  to be sewn into fabric  32  to form seam  30  using stitching  140 . Protrusion  160  enables tubing  120  to be incorporated into seam  30  with mesh wall  40  and front panel (not pictured) or back panel  20 . Protrusion  160  may have sides that are substantial tangent to the cylindrical both of tubing  120  or protrusion  160  may be flatter than shown so the sides are substantially parallel to facilitate the forming of seam  30  during stitching. Seam  30  may also be formed through other processes such as ultrasonic welding, etc. 
         [0027]    Thus, specific configurations of “Bag for ToyOrganization” have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure. Moreover, in interpreting this disclosure, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprise(s),” “comprising,” “include(s),” and “including” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.