Abstract:
An elongated sleeping bag is proportioned to resemble a character when it is in an elongated, flat state on a relatively flat surface. An element resembling the head of a character is attached to the sleeping bag facing in the same direction as the front panel of the sleeping bag. The head element contains a pouch into which the sleeping bag can be stuffed so as to form a base or floor on which the head can stand for storage or display. Shoulder straps are attached to the head to permit carrying of the entire assembly as a backpack when the sleeping bag is stored within the pouch. Accessories can likewise be attached to the head. The combined sleeping bag, character display item, and backpack is primarily intended for use by children but could be fabricated for uses ranging from dolls to adults.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the field of sleeping bags that perform a bedding function particularly useful for a human child and which, when placed in a collapsed or stuffed state, can be displayed on a shelf or the like, and/or can be transported on the back of a person or child in the manner of a backpack. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     While sleeping bags, including those that resemble fictional characters, known animals, dolls, or other characters have been provided for use by children, and while backpacks for use by children are known, the need remains in the art for a combined sleeping bag and backpack wherein the appearance of the unfolded sleeping bag is entertaining to a child, and wherein the folded, stuffed, or collapsed sleeping bag forms a backpack that can be set on a shelf or the like for display in a manner to entertain the child, and wherein the folded, stuffed, or collapsed sleeping bag can be carried on the back of a child that is both pleasing and acceptable to child. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. 300,681 provides a combination animal back rest and sleeping bag, and U.S. Design Pat. No. 365,485 provides a sleeping bag with pillow. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,124 provides a backpack and sleeping bag combination, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,833 provides a convertible article that provides sleeping bag, jacket and carrying bag utility. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,734 provides a sleeping bag that has an animated-object pouch, such as a cat-shaped pouch, that is located on an exterior surface of the sleeping bag. When the pouch is pulled inside out, the sleeping bag fills the pouch, and the animated object appears as a three-dimensional object. In an embodiment, the animated object is a knapsack having interior straps. When the knapsack is pulled inside out, the straps of the knapsack are for use by a child to carry the knapsack. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,131 provides a doll-shaped sleeping bag wherein the head of the doll forms a pillow. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,344 provides an animal toy having an openable abdominal cavity that holds baby-size animals, thus simulating a pregnant animal toy. A backpack container provides a bed or sleeping bag for the animal toy. When the animal toy is inserted into the backpack container, the animal toy&#39;s head protrudes from the backpack container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The combination sleeping bag/backpack device of this invention is constructed and arranged to amuse, entertain, and be of general interest to a human child; for example, a child in the 2 to 8 year old range although the invention is not limited to use by those in that particular age group. 
     The characters that are represented by an unfolded state of the combination device of the invention (i.e., by the device&#39;s generally flat sleeping bag state) are that of a character that is lying in an extended state; for example, but without limitation to, an upward facing animal such as a bear, a leopard, a walrus, a gorilla, or a bull dog. 
     Compatible with sleeping bag use, the interior human body containing portion of the combination device is preferably made of a cloth such as flannel or a flannel-like material, and the exterior surface is preferably formed by a polar fleece material and/or a tricot material. While preferred embodiments of the invention are intended for sleeping bag use at relatively mild ambient temperatures, the spirit and scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto. 
     Pockets that are manually closable, such as by way of zippers, snaps, buttons, or Velcro-type hook and loop fabric fasteners are located outside of the device sleeping area, thus providing pockets for a child to store items of interest, these items being readily available to the child as the child occupies the sleeping bag portion of the device. 
     The sleeping bag portion of the device is permanently attached to a top-disposed, three-dimensional, and generally hollow head of the character, and this sleeping bag portion easily stuffs into a stuff pouch that is provided by the interior hollow cavity of the head, thus making it easy for the child to convert the device into a stuffed character head that can be placed on a surface for display. The rear portion of the character head (i.e., the back of the head portion) includes shoulder straps that facilitate carrying the stuffed character head in the manner of a backpack as the upright face of the character head faces to the rear of the child. 
     A toy-size sleeping companion or toy character and a small battery operated flashlight, such as a penlight or a squeeze light, may be further provided for the amusement of the child. For example, the toy character can releasably clip to the backpack, and a penlight can be releasably attached to the arm, leg, or paw of the toy character by the use of a Velcro hook/loop fastener. 
     The invention provides a combined child&#39;s sleeping bag, item of display and backpack that resembles a character well know to children; for example, an animal, a doll, or a cartoon character. A head portion of the character faces upward during sleeping bag use, and an interior portion of the sleeping bag immediately under the character head opens to form a pillow pouch into which a pillow can be removably inserted during sleeping bag use. During non-sleeping bag use, the base of the character head opens to form a nylon fabric lined stuff pouch into which the body of the character can be stuffed, this stuffing operation forming a relatively broad and flat base for the character head. This flat base can be used to support the stuffed character head in an upright position for display on a table and the like. The back of the head portion of the stuffed character head includes shoulder straps enabling a child to carry the stuffed character head on the child&#39;s back with the head being upright and facing backward of the child. 
     As a feature of the invention, the sleeping bag includes two character leg portions at the top of the sleeping bag and two character leg portions at the bottom of the sleeping bag, these leg portions being disposed so they do not interfere with movement of the body of a sleeping child, and at least the top-disposed leg portions being manually openable to facilitate the storage of items that are of interest to the child. 
     As an additional feature of the invention, a toy-size character is releasably attached, snapped, or clipped to the combined child&#39;s sleeping bag, item of display and backpack, this toy-size character being for the convenience and/or amusement of the child. For example, the child&#39;s sleeping bag may resemble an animal of a given species, and the toy-size character may resemble a small animal of the same species. 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reference to the following detailed description, which description makes reference to the drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of a combination sleeping bag and backpack in accordance with the invention, and which is particularly suitable for use by a child. In this figure, the top-disposed head and the lower contour resemble a Himalayan bear, and the combination device is spread out on a flat surface such as a floor or a conventional bed. This figure also shows a top-disposed opening that is openable by way of a left-side zipper to receive the body of a child, such that the head of the child can be located vertically over an internal pillow pouch (not shown) that is located below the bear head. 
     FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  are views similar to FIG. 1 that show other animal characters that can be incorporated into a combination sleeping bag and backpack in accordance with the invention, FIG. 2 providing the top-disposed head and lower body contour of a walrus, FIG. 3 providing the top-disposed head and lower body contour of a gorilla, and FIG. 4 providing the top-disposed head and lower body contour of a bull dog. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the combination sleeping bag and backpack of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the FIG. 1 combination sleeping bag and backpack wherein the top panel of the sleeping bag is unzipped on the left side thereof so as to expose a pillow pouch disposed on the inner surface of the sleeping bag bottom panel, this pillow pouch providing for the placement of a pillow (not shown), and this unzipped position providing for ease of entry of the legs and then the torso of a child whose head will rest on the pillow. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial bottom view of the combination sleeping bag and backpack of FIG. 1, this figure showing a stuff pouch that is located within and at the bottom of the head of the Himalayan bear character, this stuff pouch enabling a child to stuff the body of the sleeping bag, into the stuff pouch. 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 wherein the body of the sleeping bag is completely stuffed into the stuff pouch and wherein a barrel-type slide fastener is positioned along draw strings to thereby reduce the size of the stuff pouch opening. 
     FIG. 9 is an upright view similar to FIG. 8, this figure showing how the stuffed head of the Himalayan bear character may be placed on a shelf, or the like, for storage and/or display, and this figure showing backpack straps that facilitate carrying the stuffed head of the Himalayan bear character on the back of a child, as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 11 shows the toy-size sleeping companion or toy character and a small battery operated flashlight, such as a penlight or a squeeze light, that are provided as examples of accessories for the convenience and amusement of the child. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of a combination sleeping bag, item of display, and backpack  10  that is constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention especially for use by a child. In FIG. 1, the top-disposed head  11  and the lower-disposed body contour  12  of device  10  resemble a Himalayan bear, and device  10  is spread out on a flat surface, such as a floor or a conventional bed, in order to provide for the sleeping bag use of device  10  by a child. 
     FIGS. 1 and 6 also show a top-disposed opening  13  that is manually-openable by operation of a left-side zipper  88  to receive the body of a child. Thus, the head of the child can rest on a pillow inserted into a manually-openable pillow pouch  80  that is located on the interior surface  81  of a back or lower cloth panel  25  (see the FIG. 5 side view) of device  10 . This pillow is then disposed at a location that is immediately below the bear head  11 . 
     In use as a sleeping bag, a pillow is inserted into pillow pouch  80 , whereupon pillow pouch  80  is closed, such as by the operation of a Velcro type closure member  82 . The physical location of pillow pouch  80  and its internal pillow is such that the head of a child sleeping within the body portion  12  of device  10  is located on the pillow, as the three-dimensional head  11  of character  10  sits in an overlooking and protective fashion relative to the head of the sleeping child, this protective position of head  11  being best seen in FIG.  5 . 
     As stated, character head  11  can be a three-dimensional hollow structure; for example, see FIG.  5 . The type of construction that produces this three-dimensional structure is not critical to the invention. However, in a preferred embodiment, head  11  comprised multiple layers of a relatively thick fabric whose multiple pattern parts, when sewn together, form a three-dimensional, self-supporting, structure. It is within the spirit and scope of the invention to provide other head construction and arrangements; for example, to provide head  11  by using one, or more, molded plastic pieces. 
     While the invention will be described while making reference to a character, such as a FIG. 1 bear, the spirit and scope of the present invention is not to be limited to this specific character, since other characters find utility in the invention of which the walrus of FIG. 2, the gorilla of FIG.  3  and the bull dog of FIG. 4 are non-limiting examples. 
     As used herein, the term “character” is intended to mean a three-dimensional physical object that is represented by device  10  when device  10  is in the extended, or sleeping bag state that is shown in FIGS. 1-4. In this state, the three-dimensional object  10  includes a three-dimensional and top-disposed head  11  and a lower-disposed and generally flat body portion  12 . As such, the term “character” includes, but is not limited to, a broad range of animals, cartoon characters, dolls, fictional human characters, simulations of actual human characters, and the like, and especially those that are of general interest to children. 
     By way of example, only as taken from one model of the present invention pursuant to the FIG. 1 embodiment, the overall height  14  of the device  10  is about 67-inches, the height  16  of head  11  is about 12-inches, the front-to-back height  99  of head  11  (note FIG. 5) is about 16-inches, the overall width  15  of device  10  is about 50-inches, mid-section width  17  is about 26-inches, width  18  is about 31-inches, and width  19  is about 35-inches. 
     As shown, character  10  includes two rear-leg portions  26  and  27  whose interior portions may or may not be portions of a sleeping compartment that is provided by body portion  12 . With reference to FIG. 6, the two front-leg portions  28  and  29  of character  10  preferably form two compartments that do not form portions of the sleeping compartment of body portion  12 , although these compartments can be arranged as accessible from the interior of body portion  12 . 
     Rather, leg portions  28  and  29  as shown are intended to provide pockets that a child may use to store objects of interest. By way of example, pocket  28  is closed by a zipper  30 , and pocket  29  is closed by a fabric hook and loop fastener  31  of the Velcro type. 
     In addition, and as is shown in FIG. 9, the back surface  40  of character head  11  includes a zipper  41  that is openable to provide further pouch storage space for articles of interest to the child. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial bottom view of the combination sleeping bag, item of display, and backpack  10  of FIG. 1, this figure showing a stuff pouch  50  that is located within and at the bottom or neck portion of head  11  of the Himalayan bear character. Note that the main body of the sleeping bag portion is shown in broken view as lifted upwardly to expose the opening of pouch  50 . The open mouth of stuff pouch  50  is encircled by a draw string  51  within a tubular sleeve and having a conventional barrel slide  52  associated therewith at an opening in that sleeve. 
     Body portion  12  in this example is attached along the interior of the opening of pouch  50 , as shown in FIG. 7, although it could be attached outside of the pouch  50  opening. Thus, when the sleeping bag is not in use, body portion  12  of device  10  can easily be stuffed into stuff pouch  50  by the child, i.e., the body  12  of the sleeping bag may be rolled and folded so that it can be stuffed into stuff pouch  50 . After inserting body portion  12  into pouch  50 , barrel slide  52  is moved inwardly along draw-string  51  to reduce the size of the mouth of stuff pouch  50  and thereby secure body  12  within stuff pouch  50 . 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 wherein body  12  of the sleeping bag is completely stuffed into stuff pouch  50 , and wherein barrel-type slide fastener  52  has been moved along draw-string  50  to reduce the size of the mouth of stuff pouch  50 . In this operational state of device  10 , a flat bottom surface  60  is provided for head  11  either by a surface of body  12  or by a separate insert. This accommodates placement of head  11  of article  10  in an upright state on a flat surface for display and the like (see for example FIG.  9 ). 
     FIG. 9 also shows backpack shoulder straps  61 A and  61 B and a two-piece chest strap  62  all of which facilitates carrying the stuffed head  11  of the Himalayan bear character on the back of a child, as is shown in FIG.  10 . 
     As a feature of the invention, a toy-size sleeping companion or toy character  70  as shown in FIG. 11 is provided for the amusement of the child, and toy character  70  is provided with a conventional spring clip  71  whereby toy character  70  may be releasably attached to article  10 . This can be accomplished, for example, by releasable attachment to the shoulder straps  61 A,  61 B or the chest strap  62  as is shown in FIG.  10 . 
     As a further feature of the invention, a battery-operated flashlight  75 , such as a penlight or a squeeze light, is provided for the use and/or amusement of the child, and flashlight  75  is releasable attached to an arm of toy character  70  by the use of Velcro or the like. 
     From the above detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention it can be seen that the present invention provides a combined sleeping bag, item of display, and backpack device  10  for use by, and for the entertainment of a human child, wherein device  10  comprises an elongated fabric sleeping bag  12  that is proportioned to contain the extended body of a child, sleeping bag  12  having a front panel  100 , a back panel  25 , two side portions  101  and  102 , a closed bottom portion  103 , and an open top portion  13 , wherein front panel  100  and bottom panel  25  both having an exterior contour that resembles the front side and the back side of a character that is generally known to children. 
     This exterior contour of front panel  100  and back panel  25  are shaped to resemble a body portion  12  of the character when the sleeping bag is placed in an elongated and flat state with the back panel  25  engaging a relatively flat surface, as is shown in FIGS. 1-4. 
     A three-dimensional character head  11  is provided, having a front side  105 , a back side  106 , and a neck portion  107  that is permanently attached to back panel  25  at the top portion of sleeping bag  12 , character head  11  having a face portion on its front side, with the face portion facing in the same direction as front panel  100  of the elongated sleeping bag  12 . A manually-operable closure member  88  releasably closes at least a portion of at least one of the two side portions  101 ,  102 . 
     A stuff pouch  50  is formed internal of character head  11 , generally at a location whereat the  107  neck portion of character head  11  is attached to back panel  25 . This stuff pouch  50  receives the sleeping bag in a generally stuffed state, whereby the neck portion  50  of the character head forms a relatively flat base  60  that facilitates placement of stuffed character head  11  in an upright attitude on a surface for display, as shown in FIG.  9 . 
     Shoulder straps  61  and back straps  62  are attached to character head  11  for encircling the body of a child to enable stuffed character head  11  to be carried by a child with the face portion of character head  11  facing backward of the child and with the character head in an upright attitude, as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     A pillow pouch  80  is formed on the interior surface of back panel  25  at the location whereat the neck portion  107  of character head  11  is attached to back panel  25 , this pillow pouch  80  being openable as shown in FIG. 6 to receive a pillow for supporting the head of a sleeping child. 
     A toy-sized stuffed character  70  that resembles adult character  11 ,  12  is shown releasably attached to the adult character, as shown in FIG. 10, and a battery-operated light  75  is likewise shown as an accessory releasably attached to the toy-sized character  70 . 
     The invention has been described in detail while making reference to preferred embodiments thereof. However, since it is known that others skilled in art will, upon learning of the invention, readily visualize yet other embodiments, changes, modifications, additions, and applications of this invention that are within the spirit and scope of the invention, the above detailed description is not to be taken as a limitation on the spirit and scope of the invention.