Travel garment bag

In one aspect, the present invention provides a travel garment bag having a cover with an opening through which items to be carried within the bag may be inserted; a wire box inflexible frame enclosed within and supporting the cover; and a hanging strap attached to the inflexible frame and capable of extending through a second opening in a top wall of the cover. The hanging strap includes a strap having a hook and ring attached to opposite ends thereof. In order to hang the garment bag on a horizontal rod, such as a closet rod, the strap is wrapped around the rod and the hook is hooked on the ring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to garment bags for use when 
traveling. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Most travel garment bags have been designed primarily for items such as 
suits and shirts that can be conveniently hung on hangers. However, there 
are many clothing items such a underwear, socks, handkerchiefs, folded 
shirts, etc. which are not readily used with hangers. When such small 
items are placed in a conventional garment bag, they tend to collect in 
one large mass at the bottom of the bag and become disordered. Therefore, 
there exists a need for a travel garment bag which can be used to carry 
such small items of clothing so that they do not become disordered during 
traveling. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rigid 
travel garment bag for small items that can be easily carried and which 
will prevent its contents from being rearranged while it is being carried. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a travel garment 
bag for non-hanging items that can be hung on a closet rod or other 
similar place where clothing is hung. 
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a travel 
garment bag with an improved exterior pouch. 
In one aspect, the present invention provides a travel garment bag having a 
cover with an opening through which items to be carried within the bag may 
be inserted; a wire box inflexible frame enclosed within and supporting 
the cover; and a hanging strap attached to the inflexible frame and 
capable of extending through an opening in a top wall of the cover. The 
hanging strap includes a strap having a hook and ring attached to opposite 
ends thereof. In order to hang the garment bag on a horizontal rod, such 
as a closet rod, the strap is wrapped around the rod and the hook is 
locked on the ring. 
In another aspect, the present invention provides a travel garment bag 
having a cover with an opening through which items to be carried within 
the bag may be inserted and a wire box inflexible frame enclosed within 
and supporting the cover. The inflexible frame includes at least two 
horizontal rods extending across the frame from supporting members on one 
side wall of the frame to supporting members on the other side wall of the 
frame for supporting items hung thereon; and a device for hanging the 
garment bag on a horizontal rod, such as a closet rod. 
In another aspect, the present invention provides a travel garment bag 
having a cover with an opening through which items to be carried within 
the bag may be inserted; a wire box inflexible frame enclosed within and 
supporting the cover; a pouch on the cover supported by a polygonal 
reinforcing member; and a device for hanging the travel garment bag on a 
horizontal rod, such as a closet rod. 
Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from 
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows the front side of a preferred embodiment of a travel garment 
bag 10 made according to the invention having a cover 12 made of a typical 
natural or man-made garment bag material such as imitation leather, 
leather, canvass, etc. A six-sided tapering reinforcement 14 is mounted on 
the cover 12 by means of a bottom channel 16 and two shoulder channels 18 
and 20 fixed to the cover 12. Channels 16, 18 and 20 cover a bottom rod 
22, and two lower shoulder rods 24 and 26, respectively, of the 
reinforcement 14. The reinforcement 14 can be made of any sturdy material 
such as metal or plastic. Although the reinforcement 14 is preferably made 
in one piece, it can also be made in multiple pieces which are attached 
together after they have been inserted through the channels 16, 18, and 
20. The reinforcement 14 is additionally held to the cover 12 by two upper 
shoulder channels 28 and 30 which cover upper shoulder rods 32 and 34 of 
the reinforcement 14. Upper shoulder channels 28 and 30 are attached to 
the cover 12 by diagonal straps 36 and 38, respectively, which are 
attached along their lengths to the cover 12, preferably by sewing. A 
handle 40 is rotatably attached to a top rod 42 of reinforcement 14 
thereby allowing the handle 40 to rotate away from the cover 12. The 
handle 40 is a conventional handle of the type used for suitcases or 
briefcases and can be made of a manmade material such as plastic or 
natural material such as leather. 
Stretched between the channels 16, 18 and 20 is a membrane 44 which is 
preferably made of the same material as the rest of the cover 12 and lies 
over a portion of the cover 12 to form a compartment having an opening 46. 
The compartment may be sealed shut using a piece of Velcro.RTM. on the 
interior of the lip of opening 46 (not visible in FIG. 1). Although the 
channels 16, 18, and 20 can be made separately from the membrane 44, in a 
preferred embodiment of the invention, the channels 16, 18 and 20 are 
formed during the process of attaching the membrane 44 to the cover 12. On 
top of the membrane 44 there may be fixed an additional pouch 48. In 
another embodiment, shown in FIG. 10 the bottom channel 16 and, therefore, 
also, the membrane 44 may be displaced several centimeters from the bottom 
of the cover 12. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, channels 16, 18 and 20 
may totally enclose rods 22, 24 and 26, respectively. 
The cover 12 includes a zipper track 50 which extends from slightly over 
midway up one side wall 52 of the cover 12, along the bottom of the bag, 
as shown in FIG. 2, and up an opposite side wall 54 of the cover 12 as 
shown in FIG. 8. The zipper track 50 may be equipped with two heavy duty 
zippers 56, shown by shadow lines in FIG. 2, for opening and closing the 
cover 12 to allow clothing (not shown) and other items stored in the 
travel garment bag 10 to be removed. Near the end of each end of the 
zipper track 50 is a metal semicircular retaining ring 58 for retaining 
respective hooks 60 of a shoulder strap 64 (shown in FIG. 4). The shoulder 
strap 64 also includes a cushioning pad 66 which rests against the 
shoulder of the user when the bag is being carried, as shown in FIG. 8. 
In a preferred embodiment, on the bottom wall 68 of the cover 12 wheels 72 
are provided which allow the garment bag 10 to be dragged behind the user 
or pushed in front of the user. These wheels are of the conventional type 
used for rolling suitcases and carts and can be attached to the garment 
bag in a conventional manner such as by mounting them at the bottom of a 
metal frame 74 mounted in the back of the cover 12 (shown by shadow lines 
in FIG. 3). A flap 76 may also be provided for covering the two zippers 56 
where they meet on the bottom wall 68 of the cover 12. The flap 76 is 
fixed in place once the zipper track 50 is closed by the zippers 56 by 
means of a conventional latch, buckle or piece of Velcro.RTM. 78 (shown by 
shadow lines). 
FIGS. 5 and 6 show an interior structure 80 of the travel garment bag 10. 
The interior structure 80 consists of a wire box inflexible frame 82, two 
interior bags 84 and 86, and a hanging strap 88. The inflexible frame 82, 
which is made of a rigid and sturdy material such as metal or hard 
plastic, is located within and supports the cover 12 of the travel garment 
bag 10. 
For the purposes of the present invention, the term "wire box" when used 
with reference to the wire box inflexible frame 82 includes not only a box 
made of metal wire, but a box made of rods of rigid materials such as 
metal, plastic and wood. The term "wire box" is used to denote the fact 
that the inflexible frame is a cage-like structure as opposed to a 
solid-sided structure, such as a shoe box. 
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inflexible frame 82 includes two front 
vertical rods 90. The front vertical rods 90 are connected at their bases 
by a front bottom horizontal rod 92. Attached to the front vertical rods 
90 is a tapered front top portion 94. Together the two front vertical rods 
90, the front bottom horizontal rod 92 and the front top portion 94 form a 
front frame structure 96. The inflexible frame 80 also includes two back 
vertical rods 98 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 6) connected to 
each other by a back bottom horizontal rod 100. Attached to the back 
vertical rods 98 is a back top portion 102. Together the back vertical 
rods 98, the back bottom horizontal rod 100 and back top portion 102 form 
a back frame structure 104. Front frame structure 96 is connected to back 
frame structure 104 by three bottom connecting rods 106, 108 and 110, two 
lower side wall rods 112, and two upper side wall rods 114 (only one of 
each pair of side wall rods is visible in FIG. 6) to form the inflexible 
frame 82. 
The two lower side wall rods 112 support a lower intermediate horizontal 
rod 116 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 5) that extends from an 
intermediate position on one of the lower side wall rods 112 to an 
intermediate position on the other lower side wall rod 112. Similarly, the 
two upper side wall rods 114 support an upper intermediate horizontal rod 
118 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 5) that extends from an intermediate 
position on one of the upper side wall rods 114 to an intermediate 
position on the other upper side wall rod 114. Lower and upper 
intermediate horizontal rods 116 and 118 support interior bags 84 and 86, 
respectively. Each of the interior bags 84 and 86 is comprised of a 
suitable natural or man-made material of the same type or a different type 
from the material used for the cover 12. As shown, each interior bag 
includes a body portion 120, a flap 122 and two buckles 124. In order to 
hang an interior bag on one of the intermediate horizontal rods 116 and 
118, the flap 122 is folded around the intermediate horizontal rod and 
buckled to the body portion 120 by means of the buckles 124. The interior 
bags 84 and 86 are designed so that when they are closed and buckled by 
buckles 124, there is an opening 126 on each side of the bag through which 
one of the intermediate horizontal rods can extend. 
Connecting front top portion 94 and back top portion 102 is a top 
connecting rod 128. Looped around the connecting rod 128 is a ring loop 
130 of the hanging strap 88. Attached to the hanging strap 88 near the 
ring loop 130 is a semicircular strap ring 132. At the other end of the 
hanging strap 88 is a strap hook 134 attached to the strap 88 by means of 
a hook loop 136. The hanging strap extends through an opening 138 (shown 
in FIG. 1) in the top of cover 12. When not in use, the strap hook 134 is 
hooked on a semicircular ring 58 on the cover 12 (shown in FIG. 1). The 
travel garment bag 10 can be hung on a horizontal rod, such as a clothes 
rod in a closet, by wrapping the strap 88 around the rod until almost all 
of the strap 88 is used up and then fastening the strap 88 in place by 
hooking the strap hook 134 to the strap ring 132. As can be more easily 
seen in FIG. 7, the strap hook 134 is preferably the type of hook which 
can be opened and closed by pressing and releasing a button on the hook 
134. 
Other clothing can be hung in the travel bag in addition to the two 
interior bags 84 and 86. For example, pants may be hung on top of interior 
bag 86 which is hung on the upper intermediate horizontal rod 118 which 
extends through the opening 126. Suits, shirts and other clothing on 
hangers can be hung from the connecting rod 128. Alternatively, a jacket 
may be hung over the entire inflexible frame 82 before inserting the 
inflexible frame 82 inside the cover 12. 
FIG. 8 shows a user carrying the travel garment bag of the invention. The 
user carries the garment bag 10 under his arm by grasping the handle 40 
and extending his arm through the shoulder strap 64 so that the cushioning 
pad 66 rests on his shoulder and the garment bag rests next to the user's 
hip. 
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the travel garment bag of the invention 
in which a shoulder strap 142, similar to shoulder strap 64, is hooked on 
to two semicircular rings 144 mounted on the side of the bag. This 
arrangement allows a user to carry the travel garment bag 10 in a 
horizontal position. 
Although particular types of rings and hooks are described in the present 
application, it should be understood that the use of various other types 
of conventional ring and hook combinations are contemplated by the 
invention. 
Although the present invention has been fully described in conjunction with 
the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying 
drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications 
may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and 
modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the 
present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart 
therefrom.