Abstract:
An organizer for facilitating the arrangement and organization of plastic shopping bags in a shopping trip, also lending itself to the general organization and cohesion of items that are difficult to consolidate or unify. Included are a first elongated member and a second elongated member extending from the first elongated member. The first and second elongated members combine to define therewithin a space for accommodating at least portions of items, the first elongated member acting to accommodate a plurality of looped items thereabout, the second elongated member at an introduction gap for introducing looped items therethrough to the accommodating space. Further, the second elongated member is elastically deformable to alter a width of the introduction gap.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/804,891, filed on Jun. 15, 2006, and entitled, respectively, “Improved One-Piece Carrier”, the contents of which are hereby fully incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention addresses problems relating to the arrangement and organization of plastic shopping bags in a shopping trip, and more broadly to the general organization and cohesion of items that are difficult to consolidate or unify.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Grocery shopping, as an oft thankless domestic task, presents challenges in the realm of time management and overall convenience that are too numerous to mention. Anything to make such a task easier or more pleasant would likely be highly welcome.  
         [0004]     One oft encountered problem is in the efficient organization and management of plastic grocery shopping bags. Normally, a shopper must wrestle with great numbers of these as he or she is transporting filled plastic bags to his or her vehicle and, once home, from the vehicle to the interior of his or her residence. This awkward and unwieldy task is, on many occasions, not helped in the least by grocery workers who seem content to minimize the number of items placed in each bag, thus artificially increasing the number of bags that the shopper needs to handle.  
         [0005]     Problems with handling and organizing grocery bags are also reminiscent of other organizational tasks, both on the domestic front and in the workplace, where normally disparate or loose items beg for some greater degree of organization or cohesion.  
         [0006]     A growing and compelling need has thus been recognized in connection with providing a relatively user-friendly and easy medium for facilitating the organization and handling of plastic grocery shopping bags or of essentially any items that are typically difficult to consolidate or unify.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In summary, one aspect of the invention provides an item organizer comprising: a first elongated member; a second elongated member extending from the first elongated member; the first and second elongated members combining to define therewithin a space for accommodating at least portions of items; the first elongated member acting to accommodate a plurality of looped items thereabout; the second elongated member terminating at an introduction gap for introducing looped items therethrough to the therethrough to the accommodating space; the second elongated member being elastically deformable to alter a width of the introduction gap. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bag carrier and loose/disparate item consolidator.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows the carrier/consolidator of  FIG. 1  in a side elevational view.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows the carrier/consolidator of  FIG. 1  in plan view.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is an elevational cross-sectional view of the carrier/consolidator shown in  FIG. 2 , taken along line F-F.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is an end elevational view of the carrier/consolidator of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a longitudinal and elevational cross-sectional view of the carrier/consolidator shown in  FIG. 3 , taken along line E-E. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further features and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.  
         [0015]     It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method of the present invention, as represented in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention.  
         [0016]     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” (or the like) means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.  
         [0017]     The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals or other labels throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the invention as claimed herein.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 1-6  show a bag carrier, or loose/disparate item consolidator, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in various views. Reference may be made to all of these figures simultaneously as needed.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bag carrier and loose/disparate item consolidator  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. (Hereinafter, the terms “carrier” and “consolidator” may be considered to be interchangeable.) Carrier  100 , as shown, may have a generally C-shaped cross-section.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows the carrier/consolidator of  FIG. 1  in a side elevational view. When viewed elevationally as in  FIG. 2 , the cross-section is even reminiscent of a human eye shape, but for a small gap ( 106 ) intended to accommodate items in a manner now to be described more fully.  
         [0021]     As shown, carrier  100  preferably includes an upper portion or half that itself includes a long arm  102 , a stub arm  104  and a gap  106  that separates these arms  102 / 104  from one another. Long arm  102  and stub arm  104  each preferably extend from an entire lower portion or half  108 . The upper portion  102 / 104  and lower portion  108  define a large opening  110  therebetween as shown.  
         [0022]     As shown, lower portion  108  is preferably gently curved and is symmetrical about a central transverse axis F-F. The upper portion  102 / 104  is nearly a mirror image of lower portion  108  except, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for some dimensional differences to be described herebelow and for the introduction of gap  106  between long arm  102  and stub arm  104 .  
         [0023]     Preferably, carrier  100  may be formed from a strong molded plastic or polymeric material that is sufficient for supporting about lower portion  108  a number of filled plastic shopping bags. Preferably, then, gap  106  is sufficiently large to permit the introduction therethrough of looped shopping plastic bag handles to allow the ensemble of the carrier  100  and shopping bags hung thereon to be sufficiently supported and carried. Preferably, the carrier  100  will be held in the hand like an egg, such that a user grips around a lower surface (or underside) of lower portion  108 . As such, if there are looped handles of shopping bags (or other looped items) disposed about lower portion  108 , the user&#39;s fingers may be interspersed between, or may flank, such looped handles or items.  
         [0024]     As such, carrier  100  is preferably sufficiently large as to permit at least four fingers (i.e., all fingers but the thumb) of an average human hand to grip about its entirety; for instance, four fingers may preferably wrap around the underside of lower portion  108  as just described, while the thumb may go elsewhere for additional stabilization or support (e.g., on an upper side of long arm  102 ). At the same time, space  110  is preferably sufficiently large to accommodate several looped plastic shopping bag handles therewithin which will hang about lower portion  108 . In the context of exemplary dimensions to be described herebelow, it is indeed possible for carrier  100  to support up to four or five completely full plastic shopping bags from a grocery store or supermarket.  
         [0025]     While  FIG. 3  shows the carrier/consolidator of  FIG. 1  in plan view,  FIG. 4  is an elevational cross-sectional view of the carrier/consolidator shown in  FIG. 2 , taken along line F-F; both of these Figures help impart an even further appreciation of the relative dimensions of various components of carrier  100  that permit the degree of strength and support just described.  
         [0026]     On the other hand,  FIG. 5  is an end elevational view of the carrier/consolidator of  FIG. 1  while  FIG. 6  is an elevational cross-sectional view of the carrier/consolidator shown in  FIG. 3 , taken along line E-E. These two Figures show sample dimensions (in inches), wholly illustrative and non-restrictive, that nonetheless give an indication of an eminently workable implementation that has been found to yield impressive results. Dimensions proportionate or nearly proportionate to those shown will of course be just as viable.  
         [0027]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , an overall width of carrier  100  could be about 0.550 inch, while as shown in  FIG. 6  there are several varied dimensions that when combined can yield favorable results. As shown, an overall maximum length of carrier  100 , end to end, could be about 3.691 inches (or in the general neighborhood of 3.75 inches). An overall maximum length of opening  110 , on the other hand, could be about 2.332 inches, thus yielding a maximum longitudinal thickness of carrier  100  (defined in a horizontal direction with respect to  FIG. 6 ) of about 0.680 inch. A significant thickness dimension such as this, it will be appreciated, will help ensure a strong connection between long arm  102  and lower portion  108 .  
         [0028]     Opening  110 , as shown, may have a maximum transverse dimension defined in a vertical direction with respect to  FIG. 6 ) of about 0.813 inch. Generally, a near 3:1 ratio between the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of opening  110  will help ensure considerable space for looped items to be disposed therewithin (which will hang about lower portion  108 ) while still allowing significant structural integrity of the entire carrier  100 . In other words, the opening  110  will as such be sufficiently large to accommodate a variety of items therewithin but not so large as to compromise the overall structural integrity of carrier  100 .  
         [0029]     Also, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, lower portion  108  will generally be thicker than long arm  102 . Sample dimensions shown are an apical thickness (i.e., a thickness defined at a central transverse axis of carrier  100 ) of about 0.250 inch for lower portion  108  and about 0.188 inch for long arm  102 . It will be appreciated that the greater thickness of lower portion  108  will help provide even stronger support for shopping bags looped thereabout. Furthermore, with a lesser thickness long arm  102  will present a degree of elastic flexibility that will permit, to some limited degree, a selective widening and narrowing of gap  106  (i.e., by pulling long arm  102  away from stub arm  104  and/or pushing it towards stub arm  104 ).  
         [0030]     By way of other relative dimensions or considerations relating thereto, stub arm  104  need only be of minimal length as compared to long arm  102 . It will be appreciated that this will be helpful in terms of permitting a reasonable degree of flexibility for long arm  102  as just described.  
         [0031]     While reference has been made hereinabove primarily to an application in which plastic shopping bag loop handles may be introduced through gap  106  so as to be looped about lower portion  108 , there are numerous conceivable uses for a carrier  100  as broadly contemplated herein. For instance, carrier  100  could be used to gather up loops of wire or other elongated material to better consolidate or unify such material. Other ways in which loose or disparate items could be consolidated or unified by an arrangement such as carrier  100  include, but of course are by no means limited to, the use of carrier  100  as: 
        a “clip” to unite loose/disparate items such as documents, invoices and envelopes, to hold or mount one or more items against a mounting medium (e.g., to clip sunglasses to a sun visor in a car);     an “organizer” or “consolidator” to gather or bunch up elongated items such as cords, wires or string;     a “support” or “carrier” to hang or support one or more items such as clothes hangers or dog leashes.        
 
         [0035]     The uses for an item such as carrier  100  are, in general, quite varied and numerous and merely serve to demonstrate the extremely wide versatility of a medium such as carrier  100 .  
         [0036]     Carrier  100  could alternatively be formed from metal; even here, relative dimensions such as those discussed hereinabove should still preferably ensure that long arm  102  has a degree of elastic flexibility as discussed further above.  
         [0037]     If not otherwise stated herein, it is to be assumed that all patents, patent applications, patent publications and other publications (including web-based publications) mentioned and cited herein are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in their entirety herein.  
         [0038]     Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.