Abstract:
A dry bag harness system for use with a roll top dry bag. The harness system allows for stitch free construction of a waterproof bag to provide use of compression straps around the perimeter of the bag. The webbing or strap is one continuous piece, and is free moving within the contained area. The containment system includes a patch that is sealed or welded to the bag to provide for a waterproof and airtight construction. The patch includes a passageway for the strap to allow the strap to slide within the patch while the strap is being tightened around the bag. The dry bag is constructed without any stitched areas and this arrangement allows the strap to apply even pressure to the bag when cinching the web type strap.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/245,566 filed Sep. 24, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to bags and specifically to water proof dry bags used to keep clothing and equipment dry when used in wet environments. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    According to the present disclosure, a bag includes a webbing containment system that is used in connection with a dry bag. 
         [0004]    In illustrative embodiments, the webbing containment system allows for stitch free construction of a waterproof bag to provide use of compression straps around the perimeter of the bag. The webbing or strap is one continuous piece, and is free moving within the contained area. The containment system includes a patch that is sealed or welded to the bag to provide for a waterproof and airtight construction. The patch includes a passageway for the strap to allow the strap to slide within the patch while the strap is being tightened around the bag. The bag of the present disclosure allows the product within the dry bag to be constructed without any stitched areas, which could cause leaks. The present design provides for a stronger and more bag than stitched straps. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the bag showing a bottom wall, an annular side wall extending downwardly from the bottom wall and a strap extending from the bottom wall down the side wall and also showing the webbing containment system sonic welded to the bottom wall of the bag, the containment patch having a pair of slits that allow for the passage of the web strap and further showing a handle; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the webbing strap passing through the containment patch and a handle laying across the top of the containment patch; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the bag showing the containment patch extending across the bottom wall of the bag perpendicular to the handle and showing a webbing material passing through the containment patch, the perimeter of the containment patch being sonic welded to the bottom wall of the bag; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bag showing the containment web strap extending down the sides of the bags into a pair of snap buckles and a user pulling up on the containment web straps to compress the bag and its contents; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a top view showing the containment web strap passing through the containment patch, the containment being tightened to compress the bag and also showing the handle positioned above the containment patch and web strap; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the bag in a compressed state with the containment web strap tightened to the bag. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the bag showing a mouth opening into a product receiving chamber formed by the sidewalls of the bag; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the top of the bag rolled down and coupled to the containment web strap. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    While the present disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, embodiments with the understanding that the present description is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. 
         [0015]    Dry storage bag  11  is configured to store items that the user of the bag would like to keep dry, as shown for example, in  FIG. 1 . Dry storage bag  11  includes an annular side wall  20  and a bottom wall  22  coupled to the annular side wall  20 . Side wall  20  and bottom wall  22  form a product receiving chamber  17  with dry storage bag  11 . Bottom wall  22  is coupled to side wall  20  by sonic welding, RF welding or other coupling means such as bonding with an adhesive. Dry storage bag  11  also includes an annular rim  15  that defines a mouth opening into the product receiving chamber  17 . 
         [0016]    The annular sidewall  20  of the dry storage bag is configured to be rolled up by a user at an end opposite the bottom wall  22  to seal the opening and close off the product receiving chamber, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The bag  11  also includes an adjustable harness strap  14  that is configured to extend from the bottom wall  22 , along the annular side wall  20  and to the mouth of the bag  11 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . When the overall length of the harness strap  14  is shortened through adjustment by tightening the slide buckles, the harness strap  14  exerts a compressive force on the bag  11  to compress the bag  11  and the contents in the product receiving chamber. 
         [0017]    The bag  11  also includes a containment patch  18  coupled to the bottom wall  22  and configured to generally limit lateral movement (side to side movement) of the adjustable harness strap  14  without restricting linear movement of the harness strap  14  through the containment patch  18  during tightening of the harness strap  14  around the bag  11 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The containment patch  18  maintains the position of the harness strap  14  on bottom wall  22  so that it remains generally centered during tightening of the harness strap  14 . This results in uniform compression of the dry bag  11  so that one portion of the side wall  20  is not compressed further by the strap  14  than the other side. 
         [0018]    The bag  11  also includes a handle  36  positioned to lie near the bottom wall  22  of the bag  11  and proximate to the containment patch  18 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The handle  36  is adapted to permit the bag  11  to be carried by a user after the bag  11  has been filled and sealed. The handle  36  includes a first and second ends  37 ,  39  that are coupled to the bag  11  at the perimeter of the bottom wall  22 . Ends  37 ,  39  are connected to the bag  11  at a position that is perpendicular to the direction of the harness strap  14  so that the handle  36  does not interfere with the operation of the harness strap  14 . 
         [0019]    The harness strap  14  is preferably a two piece configuration. The harness strap  14  includes a first portion  21  that is positioned to lie near the mouth of the bag  11 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The first portion  21  of the harness strap  14  is coupled to the mouth of the bag  11  so that when the annular side wall  20  of the bag is rolled up, the first portion  21  of the harness strap  14  is rolled up along with the annular side wall  20 . The harness strap  14  includes a second portion  23  that passes loosely through containment patch  18 . Both the first and second portions  21 ,  23  include buckle portions that can be coupled together to form a continuous strap. 
         [0020]    The bottom wall  22  of dry storage bag  11  is preferably plastic welded to the annular side wall  20  so that no holes are placed in the material, as shown in  FIG. 1 . This makes the construction waterproof. The containment patch  18  is also plastic welded to the bottom wall  22 . The containment patch  18  includes an opening to allow the harness strap  14  to pass through. The harness strap  14  is free to move through the opening in the containment patch  18 . The bottom wall  22  and the annular side wall  20  are preferably made from the same flexible material. This allows both pieces to flex at the same rate and allows the material to be compatible for use of the plastic welding process. The harness strap is used to prevent the annular sidewall  20  from unrolling until desired by the user. 
         [0021]    The strap containment &amp; compression system  10  on bag  11  allows for stitch free construction of the waterproof bag  11  while providing the ability to compress said bag  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Harness strap  14  is secured to the bag  11  and is made of a continuous piece of material and is free moving within the contained area  16  of containment patch  18 , allowing for the compression force from the continuous piece of harness strap  14  to pull against itself on each side of bag  11 . Note, compression comes from one continuous piece of strapping itself as it is not stitched or tethering to the side wall  20  or bottom wall  22  of bag  11 . This arrangement allows for maximum bag compression. 
         [0022]    The containment patch  18  is sealed or welded (sonic welded or the like) to the bag  11  to provide for a waterproof construction. The containment patch  18  is oval in shape and has a perimeter edge  24 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Perimeter edge  24  has an attachment zone  26  that is sealed or welded to the bottom wall  22  of bag  11 . The containment patch  18  includes a pair of slits  28 ,  30  to create a passageway that allows for the unrestricted passage of the harness strap  14 . The harness strap  14  includes a first portion  21  that is coupled to the opening of the bag  11 . The first portion  21  includes the first halves of a pair of buckle fasteners  32 ,  34 . 
         [0023]    Containment web strap  14  includes a second portion  23  that is configured to include the second portions of the buckle fasteners  32 ,  34  when the mouth of the bag is rolled down to seal the opening of the bag  12 . Containment harness strap  14  is coupled at its ends to buckle fasteners  32 ,  34  and pulled tight to compress containment harness strap  14  around the bag. Since containment patch  18  does not restrict the movement of the containment harness strap  14 , the strap  14  can move freely to evenly compress the bag  12 . 
         [0024]    In use, a user puts their goods into the opening of the bag into the product receiving chamber  17  within. The user next rolls the side walls of the bag downwardly toward the bottom, which contains the first portion  21  of the harness strap  14 . Once the sidewalls are rolled, the user next couples the end portions of the fasteners  32 ,  34  together and pulls the ends of the harness strap  14  tightly to compress the containment web strap  14  around the bag  12 . Since containment patch  18  only guides containment web strap  14 , strap  14  is allowed to move freely and evenly compress the bag  12 . Once compressed, a user can grab handle  36  formed at the bottom wall  22  of the bag  12  and carry the bag. 
         [0025]    The present design allows the bag  12  to be constructed without any stitched or patched areas to prevent leaking. This design provides for a stronger and more durable design than stitched and or patched straps and allows for uniform compression to the bag  12 . 
         [0026]    While embodiments have been illustrated and described in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustrations and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. The applicants have provided description and figures which are intended as illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure, and are not intended to be construed as containing or implying limitation of the disclosure to those embodiments. There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from various features set forth in the description. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the disclosure and associated methods, without undue experimentation, that incorporate one or more of the features of the disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.