Abstract:
An auxiliary storage accessory for use with shoulder bags releasably attaches to the attachment points of the shoulder strap on the shoulder bag with elastic straps in order to be usable with a variety of shoulder bags. The storage accessory is typically an auxiliary bag. The storage accessory is removable and can include a storage compartment and/or item holders such as pockets, straps, clips, hooks, loops, and combinations thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to increasing the utility of shoulder-carried bags and luggage by use of an auxiliary attachment or bag that attaches to the strap-attachment points of the shoulder-carried bag or luggage. 
         [0002]    Shoulder-carried bags and luggage (hereinafter referred to as “bags”) are commonly used by travelers and are also used by business persons as laptop carriers and briefcases. In use, these bags are supported at the side of a user by a strap that drapes over the user&#39;s shoulder (i.e., a shoulder strap). As such, the bags will typically rest against the user&#39;s hip or waist. If the bags are overstuffed, the sides will often bow outwards, moving the center of gravity further from the user, thus transmitting forces through the strap that tend to pull the strap off of the user&#39;s shoulder, which makes the bag uncomfortably difficult to carry. Additionally, the bowed sides can cause the bag to twist and bounce off of the user while they walk. 
         [0003]    To avoid some of these problems caused by overstuffing, some shoulder bags will limit the expansion ability of the bag to keep the sides from bowing outwardly. While it solves some of the problems caused by overstuffing, the user is limited to the existing capacity of the bag and must carry other items in some other manner. 
         [0004]    Various attempts have been made to address these problems in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,713 to Lee for a “Travel Bag” discloses the use of upper hook-and-loop fasteners and lowers straps with snap fasteners to attach add-on bags to a shoulder bag. The specific nature of the attachments limits the system to use of the add-on bag with the corresponding shoulder bag. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,869 to Saltzman et al. for a “Main Carrying Bag with Detachable Secondary Bag” discloses a system wherein a secondary bag is zippered to a main bag. Again, the specific nature of the attachments limits the system to use of the secondary bag with the corresponding main bag. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,771 to Hellenbrand for a “Modular Carry-All Assembly” discloses a secondary bag strapped to a primary bag, with both bags having shoulder straps. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. Des. 500,590 to Sachen for a “Diaper Bag/Backpack with Removable Shoulder Bag” discloses a main pack that allows a purse or similar pouch to be clipped onto a mid/lower portion. 
         [0008]    What would be useful is an auxiliary attachment or bag with an elastic attachment system that can be attached to virtually any shoulder bag and which provides additional means for carrying articles. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Embodiments of the present invention provide an auxiliary attachment or bag that uses elastic straps that extend from the upper comers and terminate with fasteners to attach to the shoulder strap attachment location on an existing shoulder bag. The elastic straps allow the auxiliary attachment or bag to be attached to variously-sized shoulder bags. In exemplary embodiments, the upper edge of the auxiliary attachment or bag includes a stiffening member. The stiffening member keeps the auxiliary attachment or bag from sagging and combines with the elastic straps to allow the upper edge to be pulled away from the shoulder bag in order to drape clothing and similar items over the upper edge. 
         [0010]    The auxiliary attachment or bag can provide additional utility to shoulder bags by providing pockets, straps, loops and hooks for engaging or holding commonly carried items such as cellphones, PDAs, iPods® or other media players, travel umbrellas, shopping bags, water bottles, writing utensils, business cards, etc. The auxiliary attachment or bag may be made of lightweight material, such as nylon or canvas, and comprise both a bag and storage attachments for items on an exterior side of the bag. 
         [0011]    Various means can be used to releasably secure the auxiliary attachment or bag to the shoulder bag, but in most cases the auxiliary attachment or bag can use the same type of attachment means as used by the straps of the shoulder bag since these straps are usually releasably removable via conventional spring-biased clips or the like. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment with a storage attachment mounted on a shoulder bag; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment with an elastic strap securing a lower end of a storage attachment in the form of an auxiliary bag; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates a back side of a shoulder bag in the embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of an auxiliary attachment  110  releasably secured to a shoulder bag  100 . Shoulder bag  100  includes a shoulder strap  102  connected to strap attachment points  104 ,  104 ′. Although illustrated as circular rings, attachment points  104 ,  104 ′ can take various other forms, including but not limited to D-rings, buckles, loops, and integral metal grommets. While auxiliary attachment  110  will typically be an auxiliary bag with one or more primary storage compartments, the auxiliary attachment  110  can also merely comprise a base for supporting item carriers, without any primary storage compartment. 
         [0016]    Auxiliary attachment  110  is secured to shoulder bag  100  by first and second portions of elastic strap  112 ,  112 ′ that extend from either end of an upper edge of the auxiliary attachment  110 . The portions of elastic strap  112 ,  112 ′ terminate with fastening means  114 ,  114 ′ that are used to releasably attach the portions of elastic strap  112 ,  112 ′ to shoulder strap attachment points  104 ,  104 ′. While these fastening means will typically be spring-biased clips, nearly any means that is used for releasably attaching shoulder straps to a shoulder bag can be used as the fastening means. 
         [0017]    In an exemplary embodiment disclosed in  FIG. 1 , a stiffening member  116  is incorporated into the upper edge or margin of auxiliary attachment  110 . Such a stiffening member  116  can be made of rigid polymer (plastic), wood, carbon fiber, or lightweight metal, and can be incorporated by any suitable method, including but not limited to adhesive, fasteners, and sewn or bonded pockets. The stiffening member  116  prevents the auxiliary attachment  110  from sagging and further cooperates with straps  112 ,  112 ′ to allow items to be carried by being draped over the top of the auxiliary attachment  110 . This is done by pulling the auxiliary attachment  110  horizontally away from the shoulder bag  100 , draping the item over the top of auxiliary attachment  110 , and releasing the auxiliary attachment  110  so as to let the elastic straps  112 ,  112 ′ apply some horizontal force to the item, which is further supported against the forces of gravity by the strength of the stiffening member  116 . 
         [0018]    The auxiliary attachment  110  can also include various item carrying means.  FIG. 1  illustrates one exemplary embodiment having straps  120 ,  120 ′ holding an umbrella  122 , various pockets  124  for cellphones, PDAs, MP3 players, business cards, and the like, a hook  126  for shopping bags, camera straps, and the like, and a loop  128  for attachment of items having their own clips. Of course, the variations for configurations of conventional item carrying means is nearly endless and limited only by practical weight limits and the imagination of the designer. Indeed, for shopping bags having a looped handle, camera straps, and the like, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand that the function of a hook  126  can also be accomplished by the straps  112 ,  112 ′ and fasteners  114 ,  114 ′ by running straps  112 ,  112 ′ through the handle or strap to support the item in the manner of hook  126 . Additionally or alternately, hooks  126  and loops  128  can also be located on straps  112 ,  112 ′ or integral with fasteners  114 ,  144 ′. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment where auxiliary attachment  110  takes the form of an auxiliary bag that has one or more storage compartments. The auxiliary bag  110  can optionally include a conventional strap retention point  134 , illustrated in this example as a ring attached to a lower central portion of the auxiliary bag  110 . The retention point  134  is used in conjunction with a retention strap  130  and releasable fastening means  132  to prevent the auxiliary bag  110  from swinging. In a preferred embodiment that allows use with various shoulder bags, the retention strap  130  is elastic and splits into a Y-shape with elastic straps  136 ,  136 ′ to attach to the shoulder strap retention points with releasable fastening means  138 ,  138 ′ from a backside of shoulder bag  110 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0020]    Although, for purposes of illustration, the auxiliary attachment  110  has been shown as smaller than the shoulder bag  100 , in use the auxiliary attachment  110  will typically be similar in size to the shoulder bag  100  and can be smaller, the same size, or larger than the shoulder bag  100 . 
         [0021]    Elastic straps  112 ,  112 ′ can be separate portions of strap attached to the comers of the auxiliary attachment  110  or can be portions of the same strap that is secured to an upper central portion of the auxiliary attachment  110  and routed through means at the comers of the auxiliary attachment  110 . While described herein as “straps” and illustrated as flat, the straps are not limited to any particular cross-sectional shape or configuration and, without limitation, may be flat straps, braided flat straps, multiple parallel flat straps, substantially round cords (such as used with “bungee cords”), braided cords, or multiple parallel cords. 
         [0022]    A method and apparatus for providing an auxiliary attachment for a shoulder bag have been described. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed and that the examples and embodiments described herein are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art of the present invention will recognize that other embodiments using the concepts described herein are also possible. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.