Abstract:
A bicycle bag which comprises a covering body, a main support strap, a first connection device and a second connection device is disclosed. The major characteristic of the present invention is that the main support strap, the first connection device, and the second connection device are directly or indirectly connected with each other. By means of associating with connection members, the first connection device and the second connection device can be fastened to a bicycle. Therefore, when the first connection device and the second connection device receive a force from the weight of the bicycle, the main support strap is capable of bearing such a force.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a shoulder bag or a handbag; more particularly, the present invention relates to a bag used for containing a bicycle. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates a schematic drawing of a known bicycle bag  80  according to a prior art. As shown in  FIG. 1 , support straps  82  are connected with a bag body  81 . Because the bag body  81  has to bear the total weight of the contents of the bicycle bag  80 , the fabric and structure of the bag body  81  have to be thick and sufficiently durable. Further, because the connection portions  83  between the support straps  82  and the bag body  81  are used for carrying the total weight of the bicycle placed within the bag  80 , the connection portions  83  are always the most easily damaged parts of the bicycle bag  80 . 
         [0005]    Another prior art, as shown in  FIG. 2 , a support straps  82   b  is attached to a bag body  81   b  with a surrounding manner, so as the bag body  81   b  do not have to carry the total weight of the bicycle bag  80   b . However, the bag body  81   b  still needs to share a significant weight of the bicycle. 
         [0006]    The bicycle bag is designed for containing a bicycle, especially a folding bicycle. Usually, the weight of the folding bicycle exceeds 10 kilograms; therefore, a conventional bicycle bag has to have a thicker and stronger bag body. Accordingly, the volume of the conventional bicycle bag is still quite large, even when the bag is empty. 
         [0007]    In U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,988 (Bicycle bag, hereinafter referred to as “the &#39;988 patent”), the bicycle bag has problems similar to those of the bicycle bag  80  shown in  FIG. 1 . That is, the connection portions between the support strap and the bag body are easily damaged, and the fabric of the bag body has to be very durable; otherwise, the bag body will easily damaged. 
         [0008]    In U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,722 (Wheelchair carrier), the wheelchair carrier applies the same approach to connecting the support strap with the bag body as the &#39;988 patent does, thereby resulting in the same problem. 
         [0009]    Therefore, there is a need to provide a bicycle bag to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a bicycle bag capable of bearing the weight of a bicycle, wherein the bag body of the bicycle bag barely needs to or completely needs not to bear the weight of the bicycle. Therefore, the bag body can be made of a relatively thinner material. Further, the connection portions between a support strap and the bag body must be resistant to damage. 
         [0011]    To achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention provides a bicycle bag, which comprises a covering body, a main support strap, a first connection device, and a second connection device. 
         [0012]    The major characteristic of the present invention is that the main support strap, the first connection device, and the second connection device are directly or indirectly connected with each other. The first connection device and the second connection device are used to fasten a bicycle. Therefore, when the first connection device and the second connection device support the weight of the bicycle, the main support strap is capable of bearing such a force. As a result, the covering body of the present invention barely needs to or completely needs not to bear the weight of the bicycle, such that the covering body of the present invention can be a very thin sheet. Compared to a conventional bicycle bag, which has a relatively thicker bag body, the bicycle bag of the present invention is much lighter. 
         [0013]    Further, because the covering body of the present invention barely needs to or completely needs not to bear the weight of the bicycle, connection portions between the main support strap and the covering body are not easily damaged, such that the bicycle bag of the present invention is more durable and has a longer life. 
         [0014]    Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic drawing of a known bicycle bag according to a prior art. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic drawing of another known bicycle bag according to a prior art. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate cross-sectional views showing two different approaches to connecting a main support strap and a first connection device with each other according to the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 3C ,  3 D,  3 E and  3 F step by step showing how a bicycle is placed in the bicycle bag according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  step by step showing how a bicycle is placed in the bicycle bag according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A  showing how a bicycle is placed in the bicycle bag according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a forth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  illustrates a schematic drawing of a bicycle bag as a backpack according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 9A  illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0029]    Please refer to  FIG. 3  and  FIGS. 3C˜3F  regarding a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0030]    A bicycle bag  1  a of the present invention comprises a covering body  10 , a main support strap  20 , a first connection device  30 , and a second connection device  40 . 
         [0031]    The covering body  10  mainly comprises a thin sheet  18 . The thin sheet  18  is preferably made of soft materials, such as plastic cloth (like PVC, PU or nylon), synthetic leather, or the like. The thickness of the thin sheet  18  is preferably less than 0.2 mm. In this embodiment, the thin sheet  18  is rectangular in shape and can be rolled to form a tube, such that the covering body  10  has an upper opening  11  and a lower opening  12 , and the inside of the tube formed by the thin sheet  18  thereby creates a storage space  13  for placing a bicycle  90  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0032]    The covering body  10  further comprises an upper connection member  15 , such as a zipper  15   a , a hook and loop (also known as Velcro), ect. The zipper  15   a  is attached to the thin sheet  18  and is located in the upper opening  11 . Therefore, the zipper  15   a  can almost or completely seal the upper opening  11 . 
         [0033]    In the lower opening  12 , the covering body  10  also comprises a lower connection member  16 , which is attached to the thin sheet  18  as well. The lower connection member  16  can be, but is not limited to, a drawstring  16   a , such that the lower connection member  16  can almost or completely seal the lower opening  12 . 
         [0034]    The main support strap  20  comprises a main first end  21  and a main second end  22 . The main first end  21  of the main support strap  20  is connected with the first connection device  30 , and the main second end  22  of the main support strap  20  is connected with the second connection device  40 . In this embodiment, the main support strap  20  is made as a shoulder strap. But please note that the main support strap  20  can also be made as a handle. 
         [0035]    The first connection device  30  comprises a first strap  33  and two first connection members  31 ,  32  (e.g. one hook, one loop). The two first connection members  31 ,  32  are respectively connected with two ends of the first strap  33 . Similarly, the second connection device  40  also comprises a second strap  43  and two second connection members  41 ,  42  (e.g. one hook, one loop). The two second connection members  41 ,  42  are respectively connected with two ends of the second strap  43 . 
         [0036]    Please refer to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 3A  regarding the connection relation among the main support strap  20  and the first connection device  30  (the second connection device  40  can have the same manner). 
         [0037]    The first strap  33  is connected with the thin sheet  18 . The main first end  21  of the main support strap  20  forms a small circle first to connect the first connection members  31  (such as a loop), and then connects with the first strap  33 . Therefore, the main support strap  20  and the thin sheet  18  can be connected with each other as well. In this embodiment, the abovementioned main support strap  20 , the first strap  33 , and the thin sheet  18  are connected with each other by means of sewing. 
         [0038]    Please note that the method of connecting the main support strap  20 , the first strap  33 , and the thin sheet  18  with each other can be varied. Please refer to  FIG. 3B  for another example. The main first end  21  of the main support strap  20  is connected with the thin sheet  18 . The first strap  33  forms a small circle first to connect the first connection members  31 . Then the first strap  33  is connected with the main first end  21 , such that the first strap  33  and the thin sheet  18  can be connected with each other as well. 
         [0039]    Please refer to  FIGS. 3C ,  3 D,  3 E and  3 F regarding the convenience of using the present invention. 
         [0040]    At first the user let the upper opening  11  and the lower opening  12  open, and place the bicycle bag  1   a  above the bicycle  90  (such as a folding bicycle), as shown in  FIG. 3C . 
         [0041]    Please refer to  FIG. 3D . The user lays down the bicycle bag la with the lower opening  12  toward the bicycle  90 , so as the covering body  10  covers the bicycle  90 . Then the use makes the first strap  33  and the second strap  43  pass through appropriate portions of the bicycle  90 , and connects two first connection member  31 ,  32  and second connection member  41 ,  42 , so as to fasten the bicycle  90 . For example, the appropriate portions of the bicycle  90  can be folded portions and the front wheel or the back wheel. Because the main support strap  20  is connected with both the first connection device  30  and the second connection device  40 , the weight of the bicycle  90  can be supported by the main support strap  20 . As a result, the thin sheet  18  of the covering body  10  barely needs to or completely needs not to bear the weight of the bicycle  90 , such that the thin sheet  18  of the covering body  10  of the present invention can be made as a very thin sheet rather than the thicker bag body of a conventional bicycle bag. 
         [0042]    Finally, the user closes the upper opening  11  and the lower opening  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3E . Then the user lifts the bicycle  90 , as shown in  FIG. 3F . Please note that, by using the present invention, the user does not need to lift the bicycle  90  (which is heavy) in order to place it in the bicycle bag  1   a  like the prior art. Furthermore, it is much easier to place the bicycle  90  into the covering body  10  from the lower opening  12  (it is hard to put a bicycle in a bag from the top of the bag). 
         [0043]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which illustrates a perspective view of a bicycle bag  1   b  according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The major difference between  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 3  is the upper opening. The bicycle bag  1   a  in  FIG. 3  comprises an upper opening  11 , while the bicycle bag  1   b  in  FIG. 4  does not comprise an upper opening. For the bicycle bag  1   a , the advantage of the upper opening  11  is that when the user wants to place or take out the bicycle  90 , s/he can easily fasten or unfasten the bicycle  90  from the upper opening  11 . For the second embodiment, the user can pull up (or turn inside out) the thin sheet  18  to reveal the first and second connection device  30 ,  40  first, as shown in  FIG. 4A , and fasten the bicycle  90 . Then the user can pull down (or roll down) the thin sheet  18  to cover the bicycle  90 , as shown in  FIG. 4B . Therefore, for the second embodiment, the user still can fasten or unfasten the bicycle  90  the lower opening  12 . As a result, it is not necessary to arrange the upper opening  11 . 
         [0044]    Please refer to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 5A , which illustrates a bicycle bag  1   c  according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The first connection device  30   c  comprises a first strap  33 E and one first connection members  32   c  (e.g. hook), instead of two in the first and second embodiment. The second connection device  40   c  comprises one second connection members  42   c  (e.g. loop). To fasten the bicycle  90 , the user makes the first connection device  30   c  passes through appropriate portions of the bicycle  90  and connects the second connection device  40   c.    
         [0045]    Please refer to  FIG. 6  which illustrates a bicycle bag  1   d  according to a forth embodiment of the present invention. The major difference between  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 5  is, for the forth embodiment, the main first end  21   d  and the main second end  22   d  are very close. 
         [0046]    Please refer to  FIG. 7 , which illustrates a bicycle bag  1   e  according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The first connection device  30   e  comprises only one first connection members  32   e  (e.g. hook). Similarly, the second connection device  40   e  also comprises only one second connection members  42   e  (e.g. hook). The bicycle  90  has two connection members  91   e  (e.g. loops) on the appropriate location. Therefore, the first and second connection members  32   e ,  42   e  can connect two connection members  91   e  for fastening purpose. Please note that the first and second connection device  30   e ,  40   e  can also comprise an appropriate length of first and second strap (not shown). 
         [0047]    Please refer to  FIG. 8 , which illustrates a bicycle bag If according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The major difference between  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 4  is, for the sixth embodiment, main support strap  20   f  is a handle strap instead of a shoulder strap. 
         [0048]    Please refer to  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 9A  which illustrates a bicycle bag  1   g  according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. The bicycle bag  1   g  is a backpack with two main support straps  20   g  (shoulder straps) and one waist strap  201   g . Each main support strap  20   g , on the main first and second end  21   g ,  22   g , also connects with a first and second connection device  30   g ,  40   g  like the first embodiment respectively. Each of the first and second connection device  30   g ,  40   g  can fasten the bicycle  90 . The bicycle bag  1   g  has a benefit to distribute the bicycle  90  weight between shoulders. In addition, the bicycle bag  1   g  also comprises a upper opening  11  and a lower opening  12 , too. 
         [0049]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.