IN-WHEEL BAG SYSTEM

An in-wheel bag system is provided. The system may include a bag with a cover moveable between and open and closed positions and a protective inner member removably received within the bag. The protective inner member has a body portion that includes a plurality of recesses formed within the body portion. Each of the plurality of recesses are sized and shaped to receive tools and a belt. One of the recesses is an impact wrench recess to receive an impact wrench. Two slots are formed in the body portion and extending from a bottom side of the body portion through a bottom surface of the impact wrench recess. A securing member extends through the slots to retain the impact wrench within the impact wrench recess in a fixed position relative to the body portion. This prevents accidental depressing off a trigger of the impact wrench and draining the battery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field

This invention relates generally to tool bags and particularly to an in-wheel bag system.

State of the Art

Conventional tool bags are commonly used by tradesmen, hobbyists, emergency medical and fire technicians, and others, to organize, carry, and protect the owner's tools. They may comprise any of a variety of interior and/or exterior pockets and/or storage compartments. They may be made of flexible materials, such as rugged fabric, polyester, or leather, for example, having any of a variety of handles and/or shoulder straps, making them light-weight and easily portable.

In the offroad industry, particularly with UTVs, trucks and so forth, there is a need to carry various tools for various specific purposes. Some common tools include an impact gun with sockets in order to replace wheels and tires that may be damaged during a ride, belts and tools to change belts, because belts can often fail. There are several bag systems that have been developed for carrying such tools. Bags, such as in-wheel bags have been developed to store within the spare tire until use is required, these bags however are lacking in their ability to protect the tools and belts.

Accordingly, what is needed is an improved in-wheel bag system for organizing, carrying, and protecting tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an in-wheel bag system that includes a protective inner member and an outer bag, wherein the protective inner member is held within the bag and the bag is secured within a spare tire of an offroad vehicle.

An embodiment includes an in-wheel bag system may comprise a bag with a cover moveable between and open and closed position; and a protective inner member that is removably received within the bag, the protective inner member comprising a body portion, wherein a body portion comprises: a plurality of recesses formed within the body portion, wherein the plurality of recesses include an impact wrench recess to receive an impact wrench; two slots formed in the body portion and extending from a bottom side of the body portion through a bottom surface of the impact wrench recess; and a securing member extending through the slots to retain the impact wrench within the impact wrench recess in a fixed position relative to the body portion wherein a trigger of the impact wrench is free of contact with the body portion.

An embodiment includes a method of using an in-wheel bag system, the method comprising: providing a bag with a cover moveable between and open and closed position, and a protective inner member that is removably received within the bag, the protective inner member comprising a body portion, wherein a body portion comprises: a plurality of recesses formed within the body portion, wherein the plurality of recesses include an impact wrench recess to receive an impact wrench; two slots formed in the body portion and extending from a bottom side of the body portion through a bottom surface of the impact wrench recess; and a securing member extending through the slots; retaining the impact wrench within the impact wrench recess in a fixed position relative to the body portion; and inhibiting depression of the trigger of the impact wrench in response to retaining the impact wrench within the impact wrench recess.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to an in-wheel bag system that includes a protective inner member and an outer bag, wherein the protective inner member is held within the bag and the bag is secured within a spare tire of an offroad vehicle.

Referring toFIGS.1-7, embodiments include an in-wheel bag system10. The system10may include a bag12with a cover14moveable between and open and closed position. The cover14may be coupled to the bag12with a seam on one end and may be held in a closed position by use of a zipper, as shown inFIGS.6and7. The system10may also include a protective inner member20that is removably received within the bag as shown inFIGS.1-7and the cover14may be moved to the closed position to prevent access to the protective inner member20or may be moved to the opened position (as shown inFIGS.6and7) and provide access to the protective inner member20and the tools held by the protective inner member20.

Various configurations of the protective inner member20are depicted inFIGS.1-5. The protective inner member20may have a body portion21. In embodiments, the body portion21is formed of a foam material that serves to insulate and protect the tools that are to be retained with the protective inner member20. The body portion comprises a plurality of recesses22,24,26,28,30,32,34(for example) formed within the body portion21. The plurality of recesses sized and shaped to receive tools40,42,44,46, and48and a belt60, wherein the plurality of recesses22,24,26,28,30,32,34include an impact wrench recess22to receive an impact wrench40. The body portion21may further include two slots50and51formed in the body portion21and extending from a bottom side of the body portion21through a bottom surface of the impact wrench recess22. A securing member52may extend through the slots50and51to retain the impact wrench40within the impact wrench recess22in a fixed position relative to the body portion21. This operates to prevent accidental depressing off a trigger of the impact wrench40and draining a battery of the impact wrench40. The securing member52bay be a strap that includes a fastening device, such as a buckle, hook-and-loop fasteners or other coupling devices that may be utilized to extend through slots and retain the impact wrench40in a fixed position with respect to the body portion21of the protective inner member20.

Further, in embodiments where the body portion21include a recess for receiving the belt60, the recess may be on an outer circumference of the body portion21to form a ledge, wherein on the belt is coupled onto the ledge. The remainder of the recesses and tools are held within the body portion21within the circumference of the belt60.

The system10may all be retained within a spare tire of an offroad vehicle. The bag12and the protective inner member20may be sized and shaped to fit within the spare tire.

An embodiment includes a method of using an in-wheel bag system, the method comprising: providing a bag with a cover moveable between and open and closed position, and a protective inner member that is removably received within the bag, the protective inner member comprising a body portion, wherein a body portion comprises: a plurality of recesses formed within the body portion, wherein the plurality of recesses include an impact wrench recess to receive an impact wrench; two slots formed in the body portion and extending from a bottom side of the body portion through a bottom surface of the impact wrench recess; and a securing member extending through the slots; retaining the impact wrench within the impact wrench recess in a fixed position relative to the body portion; and inhibiting depression of the trigger of the impact wrench in response to retaining the impact wrench within the impact wrench recess.

The components defining any modular tool bag system may be formed of any of many different types of materials or combinations thereof that can readily be formed into shaped objects provided that the components selected are consistent with the intended operation of a modular tool bag system. For example, the components may be formed of: rubbers (synthetic and/or natural) and/or other like materials; glasses (such as fiberglass) carbon-fiber, aramid-fiber, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; polymers such as thermoplastics (such as ABS, Fluoropolymers, Polyacetal, Polyamide; Polycarbonate, Polyethylene, Polysulfone, and/or the like), thermosets (such as Epoxy, Phenolic Resin, Polyimide, Polyurethane, Silicone, and/or the like), any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; composites and/or other like materials; metals, such as copper, zinc, magnesium, titanium, copper, iron, steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel, aluminum, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; alloys, such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, copper alloy, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; any other suitable material; and/or any combination thereof.

Furthermore, the components defining any modular tool bag system may be purchased pre-manufactured or manufactured separately and then assembled together. However, any or all of the components may be manufactured simultaneously and integrally joined with one another. Manufacture of these components separately or simultaneously may involve extrusion, pultrusion, vacuum forming, injection molding, blow molding, resin transfer molding, casting, forging, cold rolling, milling, drilling, reaming, turning, grinding, stamping, cutting, bending, welding, soldering, hardening, riveting, punching, plating, and/or the like. If any of the components are manufactured separately, they may then be coupled with one another in any manner, such as with adhesive, a weld, a fastener (e.g. a bolt, a nut, a screw, a nail, a rivet, a pin, and/or the like), wiring, sewing, any combination thereof, and/or the like for example, depending on, among other considerations, the particular material forming the components. Other possible steps might include sand blasting, polishing, powder coating, zinc plating, anodizing, hard anodizing, and/or painting the components for example.