Abstract:
A tool storage bag is provided for storing tools and accessories at a work site. The tool storage bag is formed with soft sides and has external expandible pockets to accept a variety of tools and accessories. In one version, the bag has an A-frame opening which presents an unobstructed opening in the open position for receiving larger tools such as a circular saw. In another version, the tool bag has a rectangular opening which is spanned by a rigid handle with end portions which are attached to selected opposing sidewalls of the bag. The rigid handle accommodates heavier loads and adds increased stability to the bag construction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to the field of storage and carrying bags and more specifically to worksite storage or carrying bag designed to hold and protect various tools and accessories and which is equipped with a flexible, expandible pocket construction.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     In the past, some companies have offered either metal or hard plastic tool boxes that have a hinged top and a small removable tray that lifts out to reveal the inner confines of the box for bulk tool storage. Some have small mounted drawers either in the top or the bottom for smaller tools or loose fasteners. Since these boxes are made of metal, hard plastic or rubber, they often do not conform to unique storage situations in real life trade applications. For a tradesman, storage in a vehicle is critical and sometimes a specific space for a rectangular hard box is not available. Some pick-up trucks have storage space behind the seats that do not lend itself to a rectangular box shape. Additionally, the surface of these boxes is slick and the boxes will quickly slide around if not properly wedged or packed tightly for security.  
         [0005]     Another more recently introduced product in the marketplace is the “soft” or synthetic fabric tool bag which is available in different sizes and configurations. It is known in the art to produce a bag of this type that is required to carry substantial loads for various situations. These bags have numerous designs for various specific functions. Some of these are very similar to a doctor&#39;s bag with a zippered opening providing access to an inside cavity where tools lay horizontally. These synthetic fabric bags offer an improvement to the metal and plastic boxes by overcoming many of the deficiencies discussed above. However, these designs fail to address many concerns for a bag in use, for example, by a plumber, carpenter or an electrician at a construction or job site.  
         [0006]     Thus, despite the advantages offered by the soft-sided bags, there continues to exist a need for improvements in tool bags of the type used by carpenters, plumbers, electricians and similar tradesmen. For example, many prior bag designs, though good for light loads, have features which are not well suited for carrying larger loads that require a great deal of strength. The handles and sidewall construction of many of the prior art designs are not sufficiently robust or of industrial strength for use by tradesmen. Also, it would be advantageous to provide an external expandible pocket construction for soft sided tool bags of this general type in order to better accommodate the various tools and accessories used by those in the industry.  
         [0007]     There exists a need, therefore, for an improved expandible pocket design for a soft sided tool bag of the type used by carpenters, electricians, and the like.  
         [0008]     There also exists a need, therefore, for an improved soft-sided tool bag which has a sidewall construction and a handle arrangement which is able to accommodate heavier loads.  
         [0009]     There exists a need for such a tool bag which provides increased load carrying ability for the bag and overall structural reinforcement, while utilizing a soft sided construction.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention is a heavy-duty soft-sided tool bag which is well adapted for use, for example, at a construction work site by a plumber, carpenter or electrician. The bag has a bottom panel from which extends a plurality of sidewalls each having a bottom edge attached to the bottom panel and having an outside surface and an inside surface, the sidewalls together with the bottom panel defining a bag exterior and a bag interior. At least one carrying handle or element is provided which connects selected sidewalls of the bag. At least one expandible pocket is located on the bag exterior, the expandible pocket having an outer panel, an intermediate zippered panel and an expandible pleated panel which connects the zippered panel to the bag exterior. The pleated panel is connected to the zippered panel and to the outer panel at selected spaced locations by a length of stretch material, whereby the expandible pocket may be expanded from an initial volume to an expanded volume by stretching the pleated panel and the accompanying stretch material.  
         [0011]     Preferably, the sidewalls of the bag are arranged as a pair of relatively narrow opposing sidewalls and a pair of relatively wider opposing sidewalls, and wherein selected ones of both the narrower and wider sidewalls are equipped with expandible pockets. The carrying element can comprise a pair of handle straps, each having a first and second planar end portions and an intermediate portion, wherein the first and second planar end portions of each handle strap are attached to selected opposing sidewalls of the bag, the intermediate portion of each strap forming a carrying handle for the bag. The carrying element can also comprise a single rigid handle element having first and second end portions and an intermediate portion, wherein the first and second end portions of the rigid handle element are attached to selected opposing sidewalls of the bag, the intermediate portion of the handle element forming a carrying handle for the bag.  
         [0012]     In one version, the bag has a closed position and an open position in which the opposing sidewalls carrying the handles form substantially vertical parallel planes with respect to each other and a substantially perpendicular plane with respect to the bottom panel, whereby the handles present a full-width and non-obstructed opening for the bag. In another version, the relatively narrow opposing sidewalls and the pair of relatively wider opposing sidewalls are all arranged generally perpendicular to the bottom panel of the bag so that the bag always presents a full width opening, and wherein a single rigid handle element connects the relatively narrower pair of opposing sidewalls.  
         [0013]     Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the tool bag according to the present invention having an A-frame construction.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another bag of the invention, the bag having a fixed, rectangular opening.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is an isolated view of one of the expandible pockets of the bag of the invention, showing the pocket in the relaxed position.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but showing the pocket in the expanded position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5A  is a side view of one of the expandible pockets of the invention with portions broken away in order to better illustrate the pleated panel and associated stretch elements thereof, the pocket being shown in the relaxed position.  
         [0019]      FIG. 5B  is a view similar to  FIG. 5A , but showing the pleated panel in the expanded position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]     Turning to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a soft sided tool bag  11  for carrying a workman&#39;s tools. Although the bags of the invention can be used for a variety of purposes, there are primarily directed toward the needs of a workman such as a carpenter, electrician, plumber or the like who has need for transport and easy access to tool at a work or construction site. These tools can range from fairly small items, such as a screwdriver, to fairly large, heavy and bulky items such as, for example, a five inch circular saw. One object of the present invention is to provide a soft sided tool bag which is robust enough to accommodate a variety of tools of the above type which a workman might need to transport and which also is equipped with expandible pockets for accommodating a variety of additional tools and accessories.  
         [0021]     The bag  11  includes a bottom panel  13  and a plurality of sidewalls, such as sidewalls  15 ,  17 ,  19 ,  21 . Each sidewall has a bottom edge, such as edge  23  in  FIG. 1 , attached to the bottom panel  13 . In the case of the bag  11 , shown in  FIG. 1 , the opposing sidewalls  15 ,  17  comprise an A-frame for the bag when in the closed position illustrated. Each of the opposing sidewalls  15 ,  17  also has attached thereto a carrying element such as the flexible carrying straps  25 ,  27 . Each of the carrying straps has first and second planar end portions  29 ,  31  and an intermediate portion  33 . The intermediate portion  33  forms a carrying handle for the bag. The bag sidewalls are formed of a soft but durable fabric material, such as ballistic nylon.  
         [0022]     With reference to  FIG. 2 , another version of the soft-sided tool bag  35  is illustrated. In this version of the bag, the sidewalls are arranged as a pair of relatively narrow opposing sidewalls  37 ,  39  and a pair of relatively wider opposing sidewalls  41 ,  43 . As in the case of the first bag, the sidewalls have an outside surface  45 , an inside surface  47 , the sidewalls together with the bottom panel defining a bag exterior  49  and a bag interior  51 . In the case of the bag  35  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a single rigid handle element  53  has a first and second end portions  55 ,  57  and an intermediate portion  59 . The first and second end portions  55 ,  57  of the rigid handle element are attached to selected opposing sidewalls  37 ,  39  of the bag. The intermediate portion  59  of the handle element forms a carrying handle for the bag. The handle element  53  can be formed of any rigid, lightweight material, such as aluminum with the intermediate portion  59  being wrapped with a fabric material to facilitate gripping and carrying.  
         [0023]     With reference to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the relatively narrow opposing sidewalls  37 ,  39  and the pair of relatively wider opposing sidewalls  43 ,  45  are arranged generally perpendicular to the bottom panel  61  of the bag so that the bag always presents a full width mouth opening with the single handle element  53  connecting the relatively narrower pair of opposing sidewalls  37 ,  39 . The circumferential mouth region  63  is reinforced with longitudinal stiffening elements so that the mouth opening remains permanently in the open position illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0024]     With reference to both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each of the bags  11 ,  35  has at least one and preferably a plurality of expandible pockets, such as pockets  65 ,  67  and  69 ,  71  which are located on the bag exteriors. As shown in  FIGS. 3-5B , the expandible pockets, such as pocket  71  shown in  FIG. 3  is comprised of an outer fabric panel  73 , and intermediate zippered panel  75  and an expandible pleated panel  77  which connects the zippered panel to the bag exterior  49 . The pleated panel  77  might be sewn directly to the bag exterior  49  or might be sewn to an inner panel which overlays the bag exterior  49  upon assembly. The intermediate panel  75  is generally arcuate in configuration and contains a standard zipper element  79 .  
         [0025]     With reference to the broken away side view of  FIGS. 5A and 5B , it can be seen that the pleated panel  77  is connected to the zippered panel  75  along a seam line  81 . The pleated panel  77  is also attached to the zippered panel  75  at selected spaced locations by lengths of stretch material, such as longitudinal strips  83 ,  85 ,  87  illustrated in  FIG. 5A . As can be seen in  FIG. 5B , the lengths of stretch material  83 ,  85 , 87  are arranged longitudinally with respect to the plane of the outer panel  73 . As can best be appreciated from  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the use of spaced lengths of stretch material allows the pleated panel portion of the pocket to assume a relaxed and collapsed state as shown in  FIG. 3  but allows the pocket to be expanded elastically to the extended position shown in  FIG. 4  to accommodate larger tools or accessory items. The view of  FIG. 4  shows the expandible pleated panel  77  in the expanded state and illustrates the lengths of stretch material  83  and  85  in dotted lines since the stretch material is normally hidden from view within the interior of the pocket.  
         [0026]     The particular construction shown allows the expandible pocket  71  to be expanded from an initial volume to an expanded volume by stretching the pleated panel and accompanying stretch material. This allows the pocket to assume a greater volume without the necessity of providing, for example, an additional zippered closure which could be unzipped to reveal an expandible pleat. The use of the lengths of stretch material which are concealed within the pocket interior in normal use also eliminates the need for forming the pleated panel  77  entirely of stretch or mesh material which would add to the cost of the bag manufacture.  
         [0027]     As shown in the drawings, the bag sidewalls and pockets, including the pleated panels, can be formed of the same material, for example, from ballistic nylon shell material, or any other convenient durable material. The sidewalls of the bag may be reinforced in some circumstances. For example, a bag might be formed having inner and outer ballistic nylon shell panels with an open cell polyurethane liner disposed there between. The tools bags of the invention typically present a relatively large footprint. This large footprint allows for the storage of numerous tools of various sizes not currently accommodated by many of the other currently available tool bags. For example, the exemplary “giant tool bag” shown in  FIG. 2  may have a footprint on the order of 21 inches in width by 47 inches in length. Furthermore, the exterior pockets allow for the additional storage of tools and other attendant accessories.  
         [0028]     An invention has been provided with several advantages. The collapsible soft-sided tool bags of the invention are sturdy enough to accommodate even relatively heavy and bulky tools and accessory items. The bag can be provided in either an A-frame style with a full opening mouth and flexible handles or in a fixed mouth opening configuration with a relatively rigid carrying handle. The rigid handle element which spans two opposing sidewalls of the fixed mouth opening bag facilitates transport of heavier, bulky items. The bags of the invention also feature a plurality of exterior pockets with expandible pleated panels which allow the pockets to be expanded between collapsed and extended positions to accommodate various types of tools, items and accessories. The unique stretch material construction presents a neat external appearance and yet provides the flexibility of a expandible pocket construction without the attendant expense of the use of special fabric materials for the pleated panel portion of the pocket.  
         [0029]     While the invention has been shown in only two of its forms, it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.