Portable organizer

A portable organizer has a parallelogrammical front panel and a parallelogrammical back panel in facing relation with the front panel. A left side panel connects a first edge of the front panel to a first edge of the back panel and a right side panel connects a second edge of the front panel to a second edge of the back panel. A bottom panel spans between a bottom edge of the front panel to a bottom edge of the back panel, and between a bottom edge of the left side panel to a bottom edge of the right side panel. A strap system secures the portable organizer to a backrest of a vehicle seat, where the strap system has a belt strap configured to encircle the backrest of the vehicle seat. The strap system also has left side and right side suspender suspender straps which further secure the portable organizer to the vehicle backrest.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many persons use their private vehicles not only for transportation, but also as a temporary office. Realtors, attorneys, sales persons, estimators, contractors, repair people, etc. will review and fill out documents and forms within their vehicles. However, when a vehicle is employed for this use, the carrying, organizing, and accessing of papers and documents can present a unique set of challenges.

Loose lightweight items carried within the interior of a motor vehicle (whether automobile, truck private plane, helicopter) inevitably move around the interior of the vehicle as the vehicle is traveling. Papers and documents in particular will fly around the interior of the vehicle because of stops, starts, turns, open windows and ventilation systems. Papers placed in the right front passenger seat for convenient access by the driver will frequently slide off the seat into the front leg well when the vehicle brakes, making the papers unreachable by the driver. While a briefcase, box or other container may be utilized to contain papers and documents, many times a vehicle driver requires immediate access to a particular paper or document, which access is limited or frustrated by placing the papers and documents in such containers.

Boxes, brief cases and other containers are often placed on the front passenger seat for easy access by the driver. However, boxes, containers and similar devices may slide or move with movement of the vehicle. In addition, these devices must be removed from the seat if the driver wishes to make the passenger seat available for a passenger.

A person transporting papers and documents in a motor vehicle must also transport those papers and documents into the vehicle and out of the vehicle. If the documents are spread all over the interior of the vehicle, the documents must first be gathered prior to exiting the vehicle.

A device is desirable which: (1) enables a person to easily bring papers, documents, and other relatively small and lightweight items into a motor vehicle in an organized fashion; (2) prevents the papers, documents and other items from moving around in the interior of the vehicle during the operation of the vehicle; (3) allows easy access and organization of papers, documents and other items; (4) allows a passenger to sit in the front side passenger seat; (5) is restrained from moving around the interior of the vehicle; and (6) is easily attached and detached from the interior of the motor vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a solution to the above-identified need. An embodiment of the present invention is a portable organizer having a parallelogrammical front panel and a parallelogrammical back panel in facing relationship with the front panel. A left side panel connects a first edge of the front panel to a first edge of the back panel. Likewise, a right side panel connects a second edge of the front panel to a second edge of the back panel, and a bottom panel spans between a bottom edge of the front panel to a bottom edge of the back panel. The bottom panel further spans between a bottom edge of the left side panel and a bottom edge of the right side panel. A storage volume is defined by the front panel, the back panel, the left side panel, the right side panel, and the bottom panel.

An embodiment of the present invention further has a strap system which is configured to secure the portable organizer to a backrest of a vehicle seat, either with the storage volume against the front of the backrest or with the storage volume against the back of the backrest. The strap system has a belt strap configured to encircle the backrest of the vehicle seat. The strap system further has a left side suspender strap having a first end attached to the back panel and a second end attached to a first portion of the belt strap adjacent to the backrest. The left suspender strap has a left side length adjustment buckle. The strap system also has a right side suspender strap having a primary end attached to the back panel and a secondary end attached to a second portion of the belt strap adjacent to the backrest. The right suspender strap also has a right side adjustment buckle. It is to be appreciated that with this configuration, the strap system may be utilized to secure the portable organizer as a backpack by using the belt strap to secure the device around the waist of the user. The left side suspender strap may be used to secure the device to the user's left shoulder. Likewise, the right side suspender strap may be used to secure the device to the user's right shoulder.

The parallelogrammical front panel, the parallelogrammical back panel, the left side panel, the right side panel and the bottom panel may be fabricated from a variety of materials. Among these materials are soft materials such as leather, denim, suede, cotton fiber and polyester.

Among other features, embodiments of the present invention have the following characteristics: (1) the apparatus securely attaches to the seat to prevent its contents form shifting during vehicle movement; (2) the apparatus may be semi-permanently attached to the seat; (3) when the apparatus is not used, a person can sit in the passenger seat without obstruction or feeling discomfort; (5) the apparatus may have flexible dividers to allow customizing the compartments; (6) the apparatus has an adjustable strap system (belt and suspender) system to adapt to various seats and seat configurations; (7) the apparatus may have multiple compartments offering easy and predictable access to accessories, notebooks, bottles, purses, briefcases, etc.; (8) the apparatus is portable and can be carried around from a location or a vehicle to another through usage of the straps; (9) the bag material can be varied to allow container shape formation, better access, easier configuration changes, etc; (10) the apparatus design can be varied to allow better functionality for its purpose. (11). The strap system of the apparatus can be re-configured to adopt to the specific vehicle structure that the bag is being attached to, or the needs of the user, such as configuring embodiments of the apparatus to allow transition from a vehicle carrier to a backpack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In describing embodiments of the disclosed invention, the terms “right”, “left”, “front”, “back”, “top”, and “bottom” are used for the sake of convenience to conform with the orientation of the invention as depicted in the drawings. However, those terms are not intended to limit the scope, function and utility of the invention and are used only for the purpose of consistency of the text and claims with the drawing figures.

Turning now to the Figures,FIGS. 1-4depict an embodiment of the presently disclosed portable organizer10. As shown in the figures, portable organizer10has a parallelogrammical front panel12, a parallelogrammical back panel14in facing relationship with the front panel, a left side panel16, a right side panel18in facing relationship with the left side panel, and a bottom panel20. It is to be appreciated that a single panel may be utilized to form the front panel12, back panel14and bottom panel20.

Left side panel16connects an edge22of front panel12to a corresponding edge24of back panel14. Likewise, right side panel18connects an edge26of front panel12to a corresponding edge28of back panel14. Bottom panel20spans between a bottom edge30of front panel12to a bottom edge32of back panel14. Bottom panel20further spans between a bottom edge34of left side panel16and a bottom edge36of right side panel18. A storage volume V is defined by the front panel12, the back panel14, the left side panel16, the right side panel18and the bottom panel20.

Portable organizer10has a strap system38. Strap system38has a belt strap40, a left side suspender strap42, and a right side suspender strap44. Left side suspender strap42has a first end46attached to back panel14and a second end48attached to a portion of belt strap40. Left side suspender strap42has length adjustment buckle50. Right side suspender strap44has a first end52attached to back panel14and a second end54attached to a portion of belt strap40. Right side suspender strap44has length adjustment buckle56.

Belt strap40may have a right side belt strap58having an end60attached to the right side62of back panel14. Belt strap40may also have a left side belt strap64having an end66attached to left side68of back panel14. A coupling mechanism70may be utilized for connecting an end74of right side belt strap58to an end72of left side belt strap64. Coupling mechanism70may be hook and loop fasteners, a buckle, or other known devices for attaching ends of opposing straps. Right side belt strap58and left side belt strap64may be fabricated from an elastic material such that tension is required to connect end60to end66, thereby maintaining tension in belt strap40after the ends are connected. Alternatively, adjustment buckles may be utilized to adjust the lengths of right side belt strap58and left side belt strap64to adjust it to the dimensions of a particular vehicle seat100.

FIGS. 5-9depict a vehicle seat100with an embodiment of the portable organizer10attached to backrest102, showing how belt strap40encircles backrest102from a backrest front104to a backrest back106. As shown in the figures, left suspender strap42and right suspender strap44may be placed on either side of head rest106to further secure the position of the straps. While embodiments of the portable organizer10may be affixed directly to backrest102without support provided by seat cushion108, bottom panel20may be configured to set upon and supported by seat cushion108. In addition to the placement depicted inFIGS. 5-9, embodiments of the portable organizer10may be attached to a vehicle seat100with the back panel14disposed against backrest back106with belt strap40extending around back rest front104. Attachment of the portable organizer10in this position allows a person in the back seat of the vehicle to have easy access to items stored within portable organizer10.

It is to be appreciated that because of the relatively flat construction of portable organizer10, if the portable organizer is fabricated from a soft and flexible material such as leather, denim, suede, cotton fiber, or polyester, a passenger could sit on vehicle seat100without having any particular discomfort so long as the portable organizer is utilized for storing documents only.

Embodiments of the portable organizer10have additional components to facilitate installation and organization of documents and other items which may be stored within the device. A pocket member76may be attached to an outside surface of front panel12, where pocket member may be sufficiently sized to receive and secure water, soda, or wine bottles or to secure a mobile phone, tablet, writing implements, garage door opener, etc. Portable organizer10may also comprise one or more dividers to separate and organize documents and papers.