Abstract:
A lightweight carrier is provided for an item such as a laptop computer. The lightweight carrier is substantially open to the elements and while desirable in many intended usages, benefits from a rain jacket stowed in a cavity of the lightweight carrier. Adjusters provide a means for a user to selectively determine a dimension of the lightweight carrier. The lightweight carrier also facilitates the attachment of accessory carriers.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Bags, luggage, purses, and other handheld carriers are available to facilitate the transport of a wide variety of items. Many such carriers are general purpose carriers while others are specific to a particular item or group of items. One item that has particularly benefited from carriers is the laptop computer. While small and relatively lightweight, laptop computers have a high value and smooth surfaces, making carrying a laptop, without the benefit of a carrier, a precarious act. This is especially true when a handful of documents or other materials are also being carried. 
         [0002]    The use of a full featured laptop bag, with significant padding, ample storage and numerous compartments, is easily justified for more substantial portages, such as via air travel, however shorter portages, such as from a desk to a conference room, often do not justify the use of such a heavy duty carrier. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In one embodiment, a carrier is disclosed such as for carrying a laptop computer or similarly shaped item(s). The carrier has a folded loop, the fold providing the load bearing surface and the ends of the loop providing handles. A number of rings are attached to the loop to provide lateral support to secure the item being carried over the load bearing surface. 
         [0004]    In another embodiment, a concealed rain jacket is provided in a cavity of the carrier. In further embodiments, the rain jacket is stowed between the interior of the one ring elements of the carrier and a cover. In the closed configuration, the cover conceals the rain jacket. In the open configuration, the cover reveals the rain jacket. In a still further embodiment, the rain jacket is attached to the cover such that when the cover is opened, the interior of the rain jacket is revealed and accessible to accept an item to be carried. 
         [0005]    Additional embodiments include the incorporation of adjusters to allow a user to define a dimension of the carrier and accessory attachment means for common portage of an accessory item. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a lightweight carrier; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of a lightweight carrier embodiment with a number of adjusters; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates a portion of a lightweight carrier ring embodiment with a cover; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  illustrate another embodiment of a portion of ring of a lightweight carrier with cover; 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of a lightweight carrier embodiment with cover and rain jacket; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  illustrates a lightweight carrier embodiment with a laptop utilizing a rain jacket. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Although certain component parts are shown in conjunction with the figures provided herein, other embodiments may implement fewer or more component parts for providing similar function. Figures provided are not necessarily drawn to scale for any one or more elements. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of lightweight carrier  100 . Loop  102  may be oval having a long dimension and a short dimension. Loop  102  is folded at fold  110  along a line substantially parallel to the short dimension. In the embodiment illustrated, loop  102  is folded midway along the long dimension resulting in handles  112  of the same length. In another embodiment, loop  102  is folded a non-midway location resulting in handles of different length (e.g., a handle and a shoulder strap). Fold  110  forms the load bearing surface of lightweight carrier  100 . It should be noted that an oval geometry is approximate and may include other geometries whereby one of ordinary skill in the art would generally recognize the shape as an oval in such an application as provided herein. Other geometries may be implemented with substantially the same results. One example of such a similar geometry is a rectangle. Materials such as fabric webbing will not readily maintain such an angular shape on their own, means may be employed to maintain such an angular geometry. For example a rigid handle may be employed to maintain angles or rounded corners and thereby hold loop  102  in a rectangular configuration. Various other irregular geometries may be implemented as little precision in loop  102  geometry is required to produce the same result as an exact geometry. As a result, the term oval refers to all geometries that when implemented to form lightweight carrier  100 , result in substantially a folded oval or rectangular configuration of loop  102 . It should be further noted that a circle is an oval with similar long and short dimensions as a square is a rectangle with similar long and short dimensions. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates two rings  104  and  106  attached to loop  102  to provide lateral support for an item placed inside lightweight carrier  100 . The number of rings, such as rings  104  and  106 , is variously embodied and may be any number greater than zero. Rings  104  and  106  need not be continuous provided they operate provide lateral support for the item. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates rings  104  and  106  as substantially orthogonal to loop  102  and equidistant from fold  110 . Other embodiments may orient one or more rings at various orientations to loop  102 , such embodiments may result in a diagonal or “X” appears of lightweight carrier  100 . If the loop-ring angle results in the likelihood that an item being carried may not be property constrained, the width of one or more rings may be varied to provide additional lateral stability. 
         [0016]    The joining of members, such as ring  104  to loop  102  is provided by attachment  108  (for clarity, only a portion of all attachments  108  are identified). Attachments  108  are variously embodied and include sewing, welding, gluing, or other attachment means known in the art. 
         [0017]    In another embodiment, lightweight carrier  100  is provided with accessory attachment means. The accessory attachment means may include rings, straps, hooks, or similar devices. The accessory attachment means may be permanently attached to lightweight carrier  100 , such as by sewing, welding, or gluing or temporarily attached, such as by hook-and-loop, snaps, buttons or buckles. Accessory attachment means are variously embodied to accommodate the common portage of accessories such as power cords, network cords, memory storage devices, and secondary electronic devices (e.g., cell phone, music player, PDA, GPS). 
         [0018]    One accessory attachment means is a strap affixed to a member of lightweight carrier  100  at one end, a first segment of one component of hook and loop fastener along one portion, and a second segment of the other component of hook and loop fastener along a second portion. A user is then able to bunch a length of cable (e.g., network cable, power cable), wrap the cable in the free portion of the strap and engage the hook and loop faster, thereby securing the cable to lightweight carrier  100 . Another accessory attachment means is a pocket affixed to lightweight carrier  100 , such as to hold various loose items, such as business cards, coins, currency, writing instruments, and other miscellaneous items. 
         [0019]    The structure of lightweight carrier  100  is variously embodied and may be constructed from plastic or natural fiber webbing or a more rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride or metal. One set of embodiments implement strips of nylon, polyester, or polypropylene webbing with ends attached via sewing or fusing to form loop  102  and/or ring  104 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of lightweight carrier  100  with a number of adjusters  202 . Adjuster  202  allows a user to configure the size of ring  104 , such as to narrowly accommodate an item to be carried by lightweight carrier  100 . In another embodiment, two adjusters  202 A and  202 B are provided to allow greater range of sizes and to facilitate symmetry of lightweight carrier  100 . Adjusters  202  are illustrated as external to loop  102 . In another embodiment, an adjuster is implemented on a ring segment interior to loop  102 , thereby selectively configuring the height of a handle portion of loop  102  above ring  104 . 
         [0021]    In the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 2 , adjusters  202  are hook-and-loop fasteners. Other embodiments of adjusters  202  include snaps, buttons, hook-and-rings, buckles, or other means to adjust the length of a strap as may be known in the art. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of a portion of ring  104  with cover  302 . Cover  302  is attached to ring  104  by stitching  308 , in other embodiments, other attachment means are utilized (e.g., welding, adhesive). Cavity  306  is thereby formed and is bounded by the portion of ring  104  proximate to cover  302 . Opening  304  is formed in cover  302 . Opening  304  enables a user to place and retrieve an item in cavity  306 . Opening  304  is variously embodied. Opening  304  may be in the center of cover  302 , as illustrated, or by omitting a section of stitching  308  such that opening is formed by separating the proximate faces of cover  302  and portion of ring  104 . Stitching  308  may be omitted entirely in favor of temporary attachments means, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, et cetera. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, at least one of ring  104  and cover  302  is deformable such that when the cavity  306  is empty, the volume of the cavity  306  is substantially zero. Upon an item being placed in cavity  306 , ring  104  and/or cover  302  are deformed to create cavity  306  and accommodate the item. In another embodiment, ring  104  and cover  302  are not user deformable. In such an embodiment, at least one of ring  104  and cover  302  is formed to provide cavity  306 . In one embodiment, of an item utilizing cavity  306  is a rain jacket operable to protect an item to be carried. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  illustrate another embodiment of a portion of ring  104  with cover  402  in a closed position. Cover  402  is attached to ring  104  at attachment points  410  and  412 . Attachment points  410  and  412  may be permanent (e.g., require destruction of stitching, cutting of cover  402 , cutting of ring  104 , or similar act to alter), or user detachable (e.g., hook-and-loop, snaps, et cetera). Cover  402  is held to a more exact position relative to ring  104  by optionally implementing a number of user attachment points  404 . A user may place cover  402  in a closed position, as illustrated, or in an open position (such as that illustrated by  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0025]    For clarity of the embodiments herein, except as identified, cover  402 , in the closed position, shall mean an item to be placed into lightweight carrier  100  would be placed interior to ring  104  and adjacent to non-cavity face  414  of cover  402  (as illustrated in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 ). Cover  402 , in the open position, shall mean an item to be placed into lightweight carrier  100  would be placed interior to ring  104  and adjacent to cavity face  416  of cover  402  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0026]    When cover  402  is in the closed position cavity  408  is bounded by cover  402  and a portion of ring  104  proximate to cover  402  and optionally by a number of user attachment points  404 . Upon an item being placed in cavity  408 , ring  104  and/or cover  402  are deformed to accommodate the item. In another embodiment, ring  104  and cover  402  are not user deformable. In such an embodiment, at least one of ring  104  and cover  402  is formed to provide cavity  408 . In one embodiment, an item to be placed in cavity  408  is a rain jacket operable to protect an item to be carried. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment attachment points  410  and  412  are determined such that ring  104  and cover  402 , forms an opening in lightweight carrier  100  of substantially the same size both when cover  402  is in the open position and in the closed position. 
         [0028]    In another embodiment, the location of attachment points  410  and  412  is determined such that ring  104  and cover  402  form dissimilar openings in lightweight carrier  100  when cover  402  is in the open and closed position. In one such an embodiment, a rain jacket stowed in cavity  408  would be unattached or readily detachable from lightweight carrier  100 . 
         [0029]    Tab  406  may be provided to facilitate a user&#39;s opening of cover  402 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of lightweight carrier  102 , with cover  402  in a mostly open position, with rain jacket  602 . Rain jacket  602  may be attached to ring  104  and/or cover  402 , to facilitate the act of placing of an item to be carried into rain jacket  602  concurrent with the act placing the item to be carried into lightweight carrier  100 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  illustrates lightweight carrier with a laptop utilizing rain jacket  602 . Rain jacket  602  is variously embodied and may incorporate top flap  704  and closure  706 . Rain jacket  602  may be permanently or selectively attached to members of lightweight carrier  100 , such as cover  402  (see  FIG. 6 ) and/or ring  104 . Rain jacket  602  may be minimally attached to lightweight carrier  100 , such as by one or two minimal attachment points along ring  104  and/or a cover, such as covers  302  or  402 . In other embodiments, rain jacket  602  is attached a more substantial portion of its perimeter in deployed contact with lightweight carrier  100 , such as along the length of cavity face  416  of cover  402 , the length of a portion of ring  104  adjacent to cover  402 , or both. In another embodiment, rain jacket  602  is not attached to light weight carrier  100  at all. And in still another embodiment, attachment is between minimal and entire. 
         [0032]    Rain jacket  602  is variously embodied. The composition of rain jacket  602  may be any suitable water proof or water repellant material as may be known in the art. Similarly the configuration may be akin to an envelop, as illustrated in  FIG. 7  or other suitable configuration, such as container with a hood, a bag, or bag with a separate closure such flap or drawstring. 
         [0033]    Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.