Carrying bag adapted for accommodating a wheeled foldable article of furniture

A carrying bag includes a flexible bag body that defines an accommodation space therein and that has a lower peripheral edge defining a lower access opening. A rigid base member has a periphery configured to matingly engage the lower peripheral edge, and is displaceable relative to the lower peripheral edge between a closed position to close to the lower access opening, and an open position to expose the lower access opening. The base member has holes formed therethrough to be adapted to permit a wheel and a rest of a baby playpen to extend outwardly of the base member for facilitating carrying the playpen. A blocking member is disposed to block the holes so as to permit the bag to receive any other articles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 2005200005779, filed on Jan. 13, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a carrying bag, more particularly to a carrying bag adapted for accommodating a wheeled foldable article of furniture so as to facilitate carrying and transport thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional wheeled foldable article of furniture, such as a foldable baby playpen, can be carried in a carrying bag after being folded. Since the conventional carrying bag is not designed to permit extension of the wheels of the playpen therethrough, the user has to hand-carry or shoulder-carry the bulky playpen, which is very inconvenient to the user. Moreover, the conventional carrying bag is used only for carrying a foldable baby playpen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A main object of the present invention is to provide a carrying bag which can accommodate a wheeled foldable article of furniture, such as a baby playpen, and which permit a wheel of the article to extend through a base member of the carrying bag so as to facilitate carrying and transport of the article.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrying bag which can be used as a backpack.

According to this invention, the carrying bag includes a flexible bag body having an upper peripheral edge which defines an upper access opening, a tubular wall which extends from the upper peripheral edge in an upright direction to define an accommodation space therein, and which terminates at a lower peripheral edge that defines a lower access opening. A base member is made from a material more rigid than that of the bag body, has a periphery configured to matingly engage the lower peripheral edge, and is displaceable relative to the lower peripheral edge between a closed position, where the periphery of the base member engages the lower peripheral edge to close the lower access opening, and an open position, where the periphery of the base member disengages from the lower peripheral edge to expose the lower access opening. The base member has a hole unit formed therethrough to be adapted to permit a wheel and a rest of a folded article of furniture to extend outwardly of the base member when the folded article is placed in the accommodation space through the lower access opening and when the base member is displaced to the closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, the first preferred embodiment of a carrying bag1according to the present invention is adapted to accommodate a foldable baby playpen10. The playpen10has a base support100which includes a pair of wheels102and a pair of rests101spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction. The rests101are movable to be close to the wheels102so as to place the playpen10in a folded position. The carrying bag1is shown to comprise a flexible bag body2, a base member22, a blocking member3, a pair of back straps4, a collapsing member5, and a handle6.

The flexible bag body2has an upper peripheral edge21which defines an upper access opening210, a tubular wall20which extends downwardly from the upper peripheral edge21in an upright direction to define an accommodation space25therein, and which terminates at a lower peripheral edge26that defines a lower access opening220. A zipper fastener211is disposed along the upper peripheral edge21so as to close the upper access opening210.

The base member22is made from a material, such as plastic material, more rigid than that of the bag body2. The base member22has a periphery configured to matingly engage the lower peripheral edge26, and is displaceable relative to the lower peripheral edge26between a closed position, as shown inFIG. 1, where the periphery of the base member22engages the lower peripheral edge26to close the lower access opening220, and an open position, as shown inFIG. 2, where the periphery of the base member22disengages from the lower peripheral edge26to expose the lower access opening220. A zipper fastener221is disposed between the lower peripheral edge26and the periphery of the base member22and is operable to place the base member22in the closed position or the open position. The base member22has a pair of first holes223and a pair of second holes222which are formed therethrough, which are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction in the closed position, and which are configured to be adapted to respectively permit the wheels102and the rests101of the playpen10to extend outwardly of the base member22when the playpen10is placed in the accommodation space25through the lower access opening220and when the base member22is displaced to the closed position.

In this embodiment, the blocking member3is a flexible sack which is formed from a flexible sheet that is disposed in the accommodation space25. The flexible sheet has a periphery31connected to the tubular wall20, and upper and lower wall surfaces confronting the upper and lower access openings210,220, respectively. The flexible sheet is displaceable (deformable) relative to the base member22between an unblocking position, as shown inFIG. 3, where the flexible sheet is pushed upwardly to be kept away from the first and second holes223,222so as to permit the outward extension of the wheels102and the rests101of the playpen10received in the accommodation space25through the first and second holes223,222, and a blocking position, as shown inFIG. 1, where the flexible sheet is pushed downwardly to be superimposed upon the base member22and to block the first and second holes223,222so as to prevent the outward extension of the playpen10and other objects received in the accommodation space25.

The tubular wall20of the bag body2has upper and lower attached zones201,202spaced apart from each other in the upright direction by a collapsible area203. The collapsing member5includes a zipper fastener51which is connected to the upper and lower attached zones201,202, and which enables conversion of the collapsible area203from a spread position, as shown inFIG. 3, where the upper and lower attached zones201,202are remote from each other, to a collapsed position, as shown inFIG. 1, where the upper and lower attached zones201,202are in proximity to each other.

The handle6is disposed on the upper peripheral edge21of the bag body2. The back straps4are attached to a rear side24of the tubular wall20of the bag body2.

In use, when the base member22is in the open position, the folded playpen10is placed in the accommodation space25through the lower access opening220so as to spread the blocking member3upwardly to the unblocking position, thereby permitting the wheels102and the rests101to extend outwardly. The base member22is then moved to the closed position with the zipper fastener221so as to permit outward extension of the wheels102and the rests101through the first and second holes223,222. Thus, the user can grip the handle6to pull/push the playpen10along by means of the wheels223.

Moreover, when it is desired to store the playpen10in the accommodation space25without exposing the wheels102and the rests101, the playpen10is put inside the carrying bag1through the upper access opening210such that the blocking member3is pushed downwardly to the blocking position so as to block the first and second holes223,222. Hence, the carrying bag1can also be used as a backpack to carry any other articles concealing. Furthermore, due to the arrangement of the collapsing member5, the carrying bag1can be reduced in length if desired so as to facilitate carrying on the back.

It is noted that the number and size of the first and second holes223,222can be varied to suit playpens of varying size and design, such as that having four wheels, and that having four rests, etc.

Referring toFIGS. 4 to 6, the second preferred embodiment of a carrying bag according to this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment in construction. The differences reside in that the blocking member3is a cover sheet3which is detachably connected to the base member22and which is disposed beneath the base member22so as to block the first and second holes223,222in the blocking position. A zipper fastener301is disposed between the lower peripheral edge of the bag body2and the cover sheet3to fasten the cover sheet3in the blocking position. Further, the base member22includes a first rigid sheet224, a second rigid sheet225, and a flexible spacer226which is interposed therebetween and which is configured to permit the first and second rigid sheets224,225to be superimposed upon each other, thereby reducing the size of the carrying bag1for storage. Furthermore, the presence of the first and second rigid sheets224,225can increase the strength of the carrying bag.

Moreover, two ring fasteners72are disposed on the rear side24of the bag body2proximate to the base member22. Two straps71, which have hooks-and-loops fasteners, are secured to the cover sheet3such that each of the straps71passes through the respective ring fastener72to fasten the cover sheet3to the rear side24of the bag body2so as to position the cover sheet3in the unblocking position.

Furthermore, a fastening belt8includes two belt segments81which are attached to the tubular wall20of the bag body2, and can be fastened around the waist of the user when the carrying bag1is carried on the back of the user.