Adjustable ammunition magazine pouch

An adjustable pouch having a front portion, rear portion, first side portion, and a second side portion that are connected to a bottom portion and collectively defines an interior space that may be configured to receive different sizes of ammunition magazines is disclosed. The front and rear portions include a plurality of straps that extend lengthwise and the first and second side portions include a plurality of channels. The plurality of straps and the plurality of channels are configured to receive an elastic member having free ends that are tied together. In operation, an individual can pull on the tied free ends of the elastic member in order to adjust the volume of the interior space to accommodate ammunition magazines of different sizes.

FIELD

The present document relates to an adjustable pouch for receiving an article, and in particular to an adjustable pouch configured to store different types of ammunition magazines.

BACKGROUND

Pouches are used for storing various articles. In tactical applications, pouches may be configured to store ammunition magazines for different types of weapons. Since ammunition magazines have different shapes and sizes, it is a necessary requirement that the pouch have the capability to accommodate different kinds of ammunition magazines. As such, it is desirable for improvements in pouches that are adjustable to accommodate ammunition magazines of different sizes.

SUMMARY

Implementations described and claimed herein involve systems and methods for carrying different sized articles. In one implementation, an adjustable pouch comprises a pouch body having a front portion, a rear portion, a first side portion, and a second side portion that are flexibly connected to a bottom portion and collectively define an interior space. Respective edges of the front portion, the rear portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion are not directly connected to each other. One or more front channels are defined along the front portion, and one or more rear channels are defined along the rear portion. A first elongated elastic member extends through the one or more front channels and the one or more rear channels and connects the front portion, the rear portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion. The first elongated elastic member is adjustable to modify a volume of the interior space of the pouch body.

In another implementation, an adjustable pouch comprises a pouch body including a front portion, a rear portion, a first side portion, and a second side portion that are each bendable along a corresponding connection point with a bottom portion and collectively define an interior. Respective edges of the front portion, the rear portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion are unattached to each other. A first set of channels is defined along the pouch body, and a second set of channels is defined along the pouch body. A first elongated member extends through the first set of channels and the second set of channels thereby connecting the front portion, the rear portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion, such that the first elongated member is adjustable to tighten the pouch body and modify a volume of the interior of the pouch body by dynamically adjusting a distance between each of the respective edges.

In still another implementation, an adjustable pouch comprises a bottom portion, a front portion, a rear portion, a first side portion, a second side portion, and an elongated elastic member. The bottom portion extends between a front edge, a second edge, a first bottom side edge, and a second bottom side edge. The front portion has a pair of opposing front side edges extending from the front edge of the bottom portion, and the front portion is bendable along the front edge of the bottom portion. A rear portion has a pair of opposing rear side edges extending from the rear edge of the bottom portion, and the rear portion is bendable along the rear edge of the bottom portion. A first side portion has a pair of opposing first side edges extending from the first bottom edge of the bottom portion, and the first side portion is bendable along the first bottom edge of the bottom portion. The second side portion has a pair of opposing second side edges extending from the second bottom edge of the bottom portion, and the second side portion is bendable along the second bottom edge of the bottom portion. The elongated elastic member flexibly binds the front portion, the rear portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion together forming an adjustable interior of a pouch body. The pair of opposing front edges, the pair of opposing rear edges, the pair of opposing first side edges, and the pair of opposing second side edges are loose from each other permitting independent movement of the front portion, the rear portion, the first side portion, and the second side portion.

DESCRIPTION

An adjustable pouch having a pouch body configured to receive different types of articles, such as an ammunition magazine, using an elongated elastic member that binds together different portions of the pouch body such that an interior space defined by the adjustable pouch can be adjusted to accommodate ammunition magazines of different shapes and sizes is described herein. Referring to the drawings, various embodiments of an adjustable pouch are illustrated and generally indicated as100inFIGS. 1-10. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the adjustable pouch100includes a pouch body104configured to receive various types of articles, such as an ammunition magazine102, in which one portion of the ammunition magazine102is received within an interior space106(FIG. 7) defined by the pouch body104, while the remainder of the ammunition magazine102extends outwardly from the interior space106through an opening121(FIG. 7) of the pouch body104. As further shown, the pouch body104includes a front portion110, a rear portion112, a first side portion114, a second side portion116that collectively extend from a bottom portion117to define the interior space106when bound together using a first elongated elastic member108. In some embodiments, the first elongated elastic member108may define an elongated body with a first free end and a second free end. In addition, the first elongated elastic member108may be a chord, a rope, a string or other type of elongated stretchable member made of a material that exhibits elastic or stretching qualities that allow the first elongated elastic member108to be stretched, tied together and/or be configured to apply a bias that binds the front portion110, rear portion112, first side portion114, and second side portion116together to accommodate different sizes of ammunition magazines or the like to be engaged to the adjustable pouch100.

Referring toFIG. 8, a tab portion144may be sewn or otherwise secured along the bottom portion117of the pouch body104for securing both free ends of the first elongated elastic member108. The tab portion144includes a ring146that defines and reinforces an opening148configured to receive the first elongated elastic member108. In some embodiments, the free ends of the first elongated elastic member108extend through the fastener150and are tied together in a knot to secure the first elongated elastic member108to the fastener150. In one embodiment, the fastener150may be a conventional fastener that includes a spring-biased portion disposed within a chamber defined by the fastener150. The fastener150defines a first aperture and the spring-biased portion defines a second aperture that may be positioned to establish communication with the first aperture when the first and second apertures are substantially aligned to permit the first elongated elastic member108to be inserted through both the first and second apertures, thereby securing the first elongated elastic member108to the fastener150.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, in some embodiments the adjustable pouch100may include a retainer member142attached to a second elongated elastic member109having one portion looped through a channel defined by a tab member128, which is secured to the front portion110of the pouch body104and another portion of the second elongated elastic member109, which is tied to one of a plurality of straps113secured to the rear portion112of the pouch body104. As shown inFIG. 1, the retainer member142engages and retains a portion of the ammunition magazine102within the confines of the interior space106of the pouch body104.

As shown inFIGS. 1-4, in some embodiments a first plurality of straps113may be a first strap118and a second strap120that extend lengthwise across the front portion110and may be sewn or otherwise secured to the front portion110, while in some embodiments a second plurality of straps113(FIG. 4) may be a third strap122, a fourth strap124, and a fifth strap126that are sewn or otherwise secured to the rear portion112of the pouch body104. In other embodiments, the front portion110and rear portion112of the pouch body104may have any number of a plurality of straps113that allow the first elongated elastic member108to be engaged to one or more straps113.

Referring toFIG. 3, in some embodiments the first strap118may have a sewn portion156that divides the first strap118into a strap portion118A and a strap portion118B of substantially equal length, while the second strap120may have a sewn portion158that divides the second strap120into a strap portion120A and a strap portion120B of substantially equal length. Similarly, in some embodiments, the third strap122may have a sewn portion160that divides the third strap122into a strap portion122A and a strap portion122B of substantially equal length, while the fourth strap124may have a sewn portion162that divides the fourth strap124into a strap portion124A and a strap portion124B of substantially equal length. In addition, the fifth strap126may have a sewn portion164that divides the fifth strap126into a strap portion126A and a strap portion1268of substantially equal length. As shown, each of the strap portions118A,1188,120A,1206,122A,1228,124A,1248,126A and1268forms an open ended channel configured to receive a portion of the first elongated elastic member108when binding the pouch body104together as shall be discussed in greater detail below.

Referring toFIGS. 1-6, the pouch body114further includes a plurality of channels113that are defined along the first side portion114and the second side portion116. The plurality of channels113are configured to receive respective portions of the first elongated elastic member108when binding the first and second side portions114and116to the front portion110and rear portion112, respectively. As shown inFIG. 5, in some embodiments the first side portion114may define a first channel130, a second channel132, and a third channel134configured to receive a portion of the first elongated elastic member108. Similarly, as shown inFIG. 6, in some embodiments the second side portion116may define a fourth channel136, a fifth channel138, and a sixth channel140that are also configured to receive a portion of the first elongated elastic member108when binding the pouch body104together.

The plurality of channels113formed along each the first and second side portions114and116, respectively, establish contact points between the first elongated member108and the first and second side portions114and116such that the front portion110, rear portion112, first side portion114, and second side portion116of the pouch body104are bound together with greater binding force by the first elongated member108. In this arrangement, the plurality of channels113prevent the first elongated elastic member108from slipping or otherwise disconnecting from the first and second side portions114and116which can cause the first side portion114and/or second side portion116from becoming partially or fully unbound from the front portion110and/or rear portion112.

During use of the adjustable pouch100, an individual can insert one of many different types of ammunition magazines102into the interior space106of the pouch body104such that the volume of the interior space106can be adjusted by the first elongated elastic member108. For example, once the ammunition magazine102is engaged within the pouch body104, the individual can then grasp the fastener150and pull in a substantially downward manner to cinch the first elongated elastic member108and tighten the pouch body104around the ammunition magazine102. This process allows the adjustable pouch100to be adjusted to accommodate the particular size of ammunition magazine102. In particular, cinching or tightening the first elongated member108around the pouch body104causes the front portion110, rear portion112, first side portion114and second side portion116to substantially even tightening of the pouch body104around the ammunition magazine102. This substantial even tightening around all sides of the pouch body104is due to the engagement of the first elongated member108through the plurality of channels119defined by the first and second side portions114and116.

Referring toFIG. 9, the pouch body104is shown in a disassembled state prior to assembly with the interior surface154of the pouch body104being shown, whileFIG. 10illustrates the pouch body104in a disassembled state with the exterior surface156of the pouch body104being shown. As shown, the front portion110, rear portion112, first side portion114, and second side portion116are connected to the bottom portion117in such a manner that the front portion110, rear portion112, first side portion114, and second side portion116may bend at the connection point with the bottom portion117. During assembly of the adjustable pouch100, the first and second side portions114and116may be bent upward toward each other as illustrated by arrows A and B, respectively, until the first and second side portions114and116are substantially perpendicular relative to the bottom portion117, which is kept substantially stationary during assembly. Similarly, the front portion110and the rear portion112may be bent upward toward each other as illustrated by arrows C and D, respectively, until the front and rear portions110and112are substantially perpendicular relative to the bottom portion117.

In this configuration, the front portion110, the rear portion112, the first side portion114and the second side portion116collectively define the interior space106configured to receive the ammunition magazine102. Once so configured, in one method of assembly the free ends of the first elongated elastic member108may be inserted through the respective plurality of channels119and plurality of straps113as shown inFIGS. 1-8. Once the first elongated elastic member108is inserted through the respective plurality of channels119and plurality of straps113the free ends are inserted through the opening148of the tab portion144and tied together through the fastener150as discussed above. AlthoughFIGS. 1-8show one method of engaging the first elongated elastic member108to the pouch body104in a binding configuration, the first elongated elastic member108may be engaged to the plurality of channels119and plurality of straps113in different locations and in different sequences such that an individual pulling the first elongated elastic member108proximate the fastener150causes the first elongated elastic member108to become more tightly bound around the front portion110, rear portion112, first side portion114, and second side portion116of the pouch body104, thereby allowing different sizes of ammunition magazines to be accommodated within the adjustable pouch100.

In some embodiments, the following method of manufacture may be used to manufacture the adjustable pouch100. One of the free ends of the first elongated elastic member108can be inserted through the first channel130and strap portion118A and then through the second channel132. The free end of the first elongated elastic member108is then inserted through the strap portions124B and126B and then the third channel134before being inserted through the strap portions120A and120B as shown inFIG. 3. The first elongated elastic member108is inserted through the sixth channel140and then through strap portions126A and124A before being inserted through the fifth channel138. After being inserted through the fifth channel140, the first elongated elastic member108is inserted through the strap portion118B before being inserted through the third channel136such that both free ends of the first elongated elastic member108hang freely through the first channel130and third channel136, respectively. The two free ends of the first elongated elastic member108are then inserted through the opening of the tab portion144before being engaged to the fastener150and tied together as discussed above. While a particular order of actions for the manufacture of the adjustable pouch100have been discussed, these actions may be performed in other temporal sequences. For example, two or more actions may be performed sequentially, concurrently, or simultaneously. Alternatively, two or more actions may be performed in reversed order. Further, one or more actions may not be performed at all. In addition, the first elongated elastic member108may be inserted through one or more of the channels119or through one or more of the straps113in any order to bind the pouch body104together. The apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture described herein are not limited in this regard.

In some embodiments, the front portion110, second portion112, first side portion114, second side portion116, and bottom portion117may be made from an underlying hard plastic material covered on both sides with a durable fabric material. The hard plastic material provides a reinforcing backing structure to provide structural strength and integrity to the pouch body104. In some embodiments, the durable fabric material may be a polyester material, a cotton material, a cotton-blend material, a polymer-based material, an animal hide material, such as leather, a burlap material, and any type of man-made or natural materials. The straps113may also be made from the same durable fabric material.

During manufacture of the plurality of channels119, a first durable fabric may form the interior surface154of the first and second side portions114and116that covers one side of the hard plastic material, while a second durable fabric may form the exterior surface152of the first and second side portion114and116that covers the opposite side of the hard plastic material. When attaching the second durable fabric to the hard plastic material, the second durable plastic may be sewn such that excess durable fabric forms each respective channel119.