Abstract:
A collapsible and erectable organizer for holding bags and their contents, such as bags containing grocery items, upright during transport, such as in the trunk of a car. The organizer has Velcro® pieces on its bottom that resist slipping on a carpeted surface and that secure opposite halves of the bottom when the bottom is folded in half to collapse the organizer. The organizer can be used when collapsed to carry smaller items.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority of Provisional Application No. 60/598,309, filed 2 Aug. 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to organizers. More particularly, it relates to organizers for holding collapsible bags and their contents, such as bags containing grocery items, upright during transport, such as in the trunk of a car.  
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     When a grocery bag that contains grocery items is placed upright in the trunk of a car for transport, it is inherently prone to tipping over and spilling its contents as the car accelerates, stops, and turns. Hence, a person may take measures that are appropriate to guard against that possibility. A filled bag may be buttressed by tightly packing it in the trunk, using other filled bags and/or other available objects. Filled bags may also be placed in cardboard boxes. Netting is also a means for confining bags in a car or van.  
         [0004]     The present invention relates to a new and unique organizer that is useful in holding filled bags upright, yet can be collapsed substantially flat when not in use. By being collapsible to a flat condition, the organizer, unlike a cardboard box, can be kept in a vehicle without taking up a large volume of space. Yet when needed to hold a bag or bags upright, it can be conveniently erected, and the bag or bags easily placed inside it.  
         [0005]     When collapsed to substantially flat condition, the organizer can still be used to carry certain articles, especially, but not exclusively, flat sheet materials like papers and notebooks.  
         [0006]     One aspect of the invention relates to a collapsible and erectable organizer comprising several fabric panels stitched together to form a bottom and four sides surrounding an open interior space that, when the organizer is erected and stood upright on an underlying support, comprises an open top that allows articles to be set into the interior space.  
         [0007]     The bottom comprises a fabric panel that is divided into two equal rectangular halves by a line of stitching that provides a line of folding allowing the two halves to fold along the line of stitching. When the organizer is fully opened and erected, and the bottom is placed on an underlying surface like the floor of a car trunk, the two bottom halves lie side-by-side and generally flat. The four sides are generally upright with the top open. This enables the user to place into the organizer articles that would otherwise be inclined to tip and spill their contents (potted plants, prepared foods, beverages, grocery bags, etc.).  
         [0008]     The sides of the organizer are also fabric panels that are stitched together along adjoining edges and also stitched to the edges of the bottom panel. Carrying handles are attached to two opposite sides that are stiffened by inserts between their fabric and a fabric liner on the inside of the fabric. The other pair of sides are fabric that, although also lined on the inside, lack such stiffeners, thereby allowing them to collapse. Attachments are provided at the midpoints of the top edges of that other pair of sides allowing them to be fastened together at those locations when they are collapsed. The two stiffened sides containing the handles remain essentially rectangular.  
         [0009]     Velcro® pieces on the confronting faces of the outsides of the bottom halves attach the two halves together when they are folded into substantial face-to-face contact as the organizer is being collapsed from erected condition. This also collapses the unstiffened sides, which can then be tucked inward to enable them to be fastened together at the midpoints of their upper edges. In this condition, the top is still open to either side of the tucked-in sides, allowing the organizer to be filled with certain materials like books and notebooks. The handles can be drawn together so that the organizer and contents can be easily carried using only one hand.  
         [0010]     Conversely, certain contents may be easier to carry by separating the two handles and using both hands to carry them. Likewise, when the organizer is erected and rather full, it can be conveniently carried using two hands, one grasping each handle.  
         [0011]     The foregoing, along with additional features, advantages, and benefits of the invention, will be seen in the ensuing description and claims, which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose a presently preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at this time for carrying out the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  shows side view of the organizer in a folded-up state.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view with the top spread partially open.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view with the top spread more fully open, but the bottom still folded.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view with the top spread fully open, and the bottom spread flat to give the organizer a generally rectangular shape.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is front view of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a left side view of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is left side view corresponding to the  FIG. 2 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]     When fully open and erected as in  FIGS. 4, 5 ,  6 , and  8 , the fabric organizer  10  has a bottom  12  and four sides  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20 . The top is open. The sides and bottom are fabric lined on the inside. Sides  16  and  20  comprise rectangular pieces of semi-rigid material, such as cardboard, that provide rigidifying inserts completely enclosed by fabric on the outside and liner fabric on the inside that are stitched together around their edges. Sides  14  and  18  and bottom  12  comprise fabric and liner stitched together along their edges, but without an insert. While not always necessary, it is generally desirable that the fabric comprising the outside of the organizer be durable and of relatively heavy weight in order to contribute to the shape and stability of the open organizer. Fabric handles  22 ,  24  are attached to the outside of opposite sides  16 ,  20  as shown. On the outside of bottom  12  are two pieces of Velcro® hook material  26 ,  28  and two pieces of Velcro loop material  30 ,  32  arranged in a rectangular pattern as shown.  
         [0021]     The bottom  12  is divided into two halves by a fold  34  defined by a row of stitching which continues up sides  14  and  18 , also defining folds  36  and  38 . When the bottom is folded onto itself as in the conditions of  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 , and  7 . Piece  26  adheres to piece  30  and piece  28  to piece  32 . The two halves extend into the space between the sides  16 - 20 .  
         [0022]     Vertical fold lines  36 ,  38  divide each side  14 ,  18  into two halves. Those sides also tend to fold approximately along imaginary lines  40 ,  42  allowing the organizer to assume conditions like those of  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  7 . Proximate the top of each fold line  36 ,  38  is an attachment means  44  such as two mating parts of a snap or else opposite Velcro® pieces.  FIG. 2  shows the attachment means holding the sides  14 ,  18  together at the tops of the fold lines  36 ,  38 . For the organizer to assume fully open condition for erection to hold grocery bags, the attachment elements are detached from each other.  
         [0023]     Sewn to the inside of sides  14  and  18  just below the attachment means  44  are ends of respective rectangular flaps  46 ,  48 . The flaps have a height about one-fourth to one-third the height of the sides. With the organizer fully open, free ends of flaps  46 ,  48  are brought together in overlapping relation. Opposite Velcro® pieces  50 ,  52  fasten the free ends of the flaps together to create two generally equal sized interior compartments, with the flaps forming a divider between the compartments. Each is capable of holding a paper grocery bag containing groceries (not shown). When the grocery bags are removed and the organizer is to be collapsed to the folded  FIG. 1  condition, flaps  46 ,  48  are disconnected and folded back as in  FIG. 3 . The sides  14  and  18  are brought together at the top and fastened together by attachment means  44 , with appropriate folding of the sides as in  FIG. 2  concurrent with folding of the bottom. The bottom is pushed up along its fold line  34  to fold its halves onto each other so that the opposite Velcro® pieces on the bottom can re-attach to hold the bottom in folded condition.  
         [0024]     The Velcro® pieces on the bottom aid in holding the organizer against sliding on a carpet or fabric, such as in a car trunk, when the organizer is opened and used to contain the grocery bags. It keeps the bags upright and in place. The handles allow the organizer to be carried by hand, even with grocery bags in it. In a modified form, the two halves of the bottom could be provided with respective rigidifying inserts without impairing the ability for the halves to be folded onto each other when the organizer is collapsed.  
         [0025]     The organizer can also be used in the condition of  FIG. 2  to carry flat sheet-like materials, such as notebooks and the like, or other small objects. The arrows in  FIG. 7  show how such materials can be inserted to the organizer while the bottom remains fully folded. Each of the four fastener pieces  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  is disposed proximate a corner of bottom  12  to provide a line about which sides  16  and  20  can pivot when the organizer is collapsed with pieces  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  fastening the two bottom halves, and attachment means  44  is attaching sides  14  and  18  together. Such pivoting tends to enlarge the open area to either side of the attachment means at the top of the organizer.  
         [0026]     While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it should be appreciated that principles of the invention apply to all embodiments falling within the scope of the following claims.