Abstract:
A thermally insulating activity mat bag having a bag portion with two openable faces, an activity mat portion that is connected to the bag portion, a closure for closing the activity mat portion over the two openable faces of the bag portion, attachments for holding the activity mat bag to a surface, and tethers for holding toys and other items to the activity mat bag. The activity mat portion preferably bears graphical indicia thereon which can be themed to the tethered toys. Accessory mats with different graphical indicia can be provided which attach to the top, sides, or ends of the activity mat. The tethered toys can be selected to fit the theme of the activity mat portion and the accessory mat(s) if desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to the field of portable bags, and more particularly relates to the field of insulated bags with multiple uses.  
         [0002]     Parents, relatives and other caretakers of infants, toddlers and young children often find themselves carrying large quantities of gear including food, drink, diapers, towels, play equipment, toys and educational aids to take care of infants and young children.  
         [0003]     In situations where a caretaker wishes to take infants and young children outside of the house, it is desirable to bring along a large number of miscellaneous items. Some of these items may be necessities, such as food or drink, and some of these items may be used to entertain the child while on an outing. Organizing and carrying all of these items at one time may prove to be problematic simply because of the large number and differing types of items that need to be accounted for. In addition, many kinds of food for children require some degree of refrigeration.  
         [0004]     It is also desirable to provide a stimulating, educational, and sanitary environment where the child can safely play. Public locations such as restaurants are often not as clean as they should be, and it is desirable that toys remain in a sanitary, defined location so that the caretaker need not retrieve scattered or dropped toys which may need to be cleaned before being given back to the young child to play with.  
         [0005]     Young children need mental activities and stimulation, and particularly in cases they are forced to remain in one location for any extended period of time, they tend to become distracted. It is therefore desirable that a play environment be provided that permits the young child a great degree of freedom to play, yet which is easy for the caretaker to transport, set up, and maintain in a sanitary condition.  
         [0006]     Therefore, a need exists for a convenient container to transport a number of items when on an outing with a child. It is desirable that such a container provide features that allow the transportation of refrigerated items and be useable for an additional purpose, such as entertaining and protecting a child. Various aspects of the present invention meet such a need.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The invention provides an activity mat integrated with an insulated container, such as an insulated bag, which has a closure such as a zipper. When the closure is opened, a mat portion can be deployed from a bag portion. The mat portion can preferably bear design indicia. The mat portion will preferably have retention means such as straps with suction caps, to hold the activity mat and the bag portion in place on a flat surface such as a table, counter, high chair or other surface. Other means to retain the mat in place can be provided, such as weights, surface tension adhesion pads, etc. The activity mat portion can be either permanently connected to the bag portion, or it can be made to be separatable by a zipper, snaps, hook and loop material, or other means. The activity mat portion preferably has snaps or other attachments located thereon. These attachments provide a place to attach tethered toys and other items such that when infant or child plays with tethered toys on the mat, the tethered toys will not fall on the floor, become dirty or get lost.  
         [0008]     In order to permit a change in the theme of the play surface, additional activity mat surfaces can be provided on separate sheets which attach to the attachments (e.g. snaps). Thus, a single activity mat bag can be provided to have a zoo theme, a farm theme, a playhouse theme or any other desired themes with appropriate toys so that the theme can be easily changed. If desired, bottle holders, pockets, separate compartments, and attachment can be placed on the inside and outside of the bag portion to provide for convenient carrying and attachment points and locations for these various items.  
         [0009]     To use the activity mat portion, the user can easily unzip and deploy the activity mat portion, attach suction caps or other attachment means (e.g. straps, weights, etc.) to the surface the bag is to be used on, attach the tethered toys to the mat (if not already attached), and the child quickly begin to play on the clean activity mat portion. The opened up “backstop” of the bag portion can provide a place to store items even during play and, if desired, bear graphical indicia that is complementary to the themed activity mat portion.  
         [0010]     This activity mat bag can be attached to a surface, for example, to a restaurant table or other table and the bag portion can either hang off of the edge of the table, or can be left on the table in front of or to the side of the child so that the child may quickly begin play. When it is time to go, the attachment means can be quickly and easily detached from the surface and the activity mat portion can be zipped back together with the bag portion, and user can quickly leave without worry about searching for and retrieving lost toys. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary activity mat bag of the invention in its closed position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the exemplary activity mat bag of  FIG. 1 , but in opened position with its activity mat portion deployed and attached to a surface.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another exemplary activity mat bag in its opened position, with its activity mat portion separated from the bag portion.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an exemplary optional accessory mat.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an exemplary attachment means comprising a weight.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of an exemplary attachment means comprising an adherent contacting means.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional diagram of a side of a activity map bag in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary mat bag  10  of the invention in its closed position. The activity mat bag  10  has a bag portion  12  and an activity mat portion  14 . A carrying handle  16  can be provided, and bag portion  12  can have pockets  18  formed thereon. A closure  20 , such as a zipper, is provided to engage activity mat portion  14  with bag portion  12 . The activity mat bag may be composed of a flexible insulating material, such as a multilayer insulting material having an insulating layer. Therefore, when in its closed position, the activity mat bag is thermally insulating and may be used to carry chilled or heated foodstuffs.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of exemplary activity mat bag  10  of  FIG. 1 , but in opened position with its activity mat portion  14  deployed from bag portion  12  by operating closure  20 . Mat portion  14  preferably has attachment means  22 , which can comprise elastic straps  24  to which suctions cups  26  are attached. Straps  24  can preferably be affixed to a perimeter area  28  of activity mat portion  14 , but could be affixed elsewhere. These suction cups  26  can be used to retain activity mat portion  14  to a surface “S”, such as a countertop or table top. Other attachment means such as elastic straps can be provided (not shown.)  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , which are perspective views of alternate exemplary attachment means, which can for example comprising a weight  30  (e.g. sand in a bag) and an adherent contacting pad  32 , respectively, attached to strap  24 .  
         [0021]     Referring back to  FIG. 2 , showing activity mat portion  14  deployed from bag portion  12  by unzipping zipper  20 , with activity mat portion  14  lying on surface “S”, and with two suction cups  26  attached to surface “S”. Bag portion  12  has a bottom portion  40 , a right side wall  42 , a left side wall  44  and a back wall  46 , and one part of closure (e.g., zipper)  20 A extends along a front edge  48  and top edge  50  of left side wall  44 , a top edge  52  of back wall  46 , a top edge  54  and front edge  56  of right side wall  42 , and the other portion of zipper  20 B extends along perimeter area  28  of activity mat portion  14 . A back edge  58  of activity mat portion  14  is affixed to the vicinity of front edge  60  of bag portion  12 . By zipping up zipper  20  by pulling on zipper pull  21 , activity mat portion  14  will close the open face  70  of bag portion between front edges  48  and  50  of side walls  44  and  42 , respectively, and close the open face  72  of bag portion between top edges  50  and  54  of side walls  44  and  42 , respectively. Bag portion  12  can have bottle holders, bottom pockets  74 , side pockets  76 , and attachments  98  such as hooks that can be placed on the inside or outside of the bag portion to provide for convenient carrying and attachment points and locations for these various items. A plurality of attachment means  80  are preferably formed on activity mat  14 , and can comprise, for example, a male or female portion of a snap, hook and lace materials, or other attachment means. Attachment means  80  are adapted to engage with a tethered item  82 , which can comprise a toy  84  or other items to which a tether line  86  is attached. Tether line  86  can have a complementary attachment means  88  formed thereon which is complementary to attachment means  80  formed on activity mat portion  14 , to permit tethered item  82  to be fixed to activity mat  14 . For example, attachment means  88  can comprise a female snap and attachment  80  can comprise a complementary male snap. Tether line  86  permits the infant or child to move toy  84  around on a surface  90  of activity mat  14 , which can preferably bear graphical indicia  92 . Together with toy  84 , the graphical indicia bearing activity mat  14  can create a themed activity environment for the player, such as a farm theme, a zoo theme, a playhouse theme or any other desired themes with appropriate toys so that the theme can be easily changed. If desired, the bottom  40  and/or back  46  of bag portion  12  can also have graphical indicia  96  located thereon so as to create a “backstop” complementary to the themed activity mat portion  14 .  
         [0022]     Pockets in the bag portion, such as side pocket  76 , may be used to hold devices for chilling or heating foodstuffs stored in the activity bag mat. For example, containers filled with frozen or heated liquids may be conveniently stored in the side pockets. In one thermally insulated activity mat bag in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the side pockets are composed of a netting like material. The netting material allows for the free flow of air around a chilling or heating device thus enhances the convective transfer of heat from or to the device.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another exemplary activity mat bag  120  in its opened position, with a separatable activity mat portion  122  separated from bag portion  124 . A tab  126  can have a first detachable attachment means formed thereon, e.g. hook and loop material, or snaps, a zipper, etc. (not shown), and bag portion  124  can have a complementary, second detachable attachment means  128 , e.g., hook and loop material (shown), or snaps, a zipper, etc. (not shown) formed thereon to permit mat portion  122  to be detachably attached to bag portion  124 . Attachment means  130  are also preferably located on activity mat portion  122 . In other aspects, exemplary activity mat bag  120  can be like the exemplary activity mat bag  10  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of an exemplary optional accessory mat  140 , with attachment means  142  located on an accessory mat body  144 , such that when accessory mat  140  is coupled to activity mat  14  or  122 , attachment means  142  will be aligned for connection with attachment means  80  or  130 . One or more accessory mats may be coupled to activity mat  14  in a side-to-side or end-to-end relationship in order to expand the play area of the activity mat. Accessory mats may also be placed over the activity map in order to change the appearance of the activity mat.  
         [0025]     Accessory mat body  144  preferably has graphical indicia  146  located thereon which can have any desired appearance, with one benefit of accessory mat  140  being that it provides an option to change the theme of activity mat bag  10  or  120  without purchasing an entirely new bag, so that the child&#39;s interest can be maintained. Interactive or dynamic components may be incorporated into the graphical indicia. For example, phosphorescent or thermally sensitive inks may be used to create images that may be manipulated using an appropriate stimulus. In addition, electrical components, such as lights and switches, may be incorporated to provide dynamic or interactive features. Auditory components may be added as well through the use of buzzers and sound chips.  
         [0026]     Attachment means  142  can preferably have a lower portion (e.g., a female snap) that is adapted for detachable attachment to attachment means  80  or  130 , and an upper portion (e.g., a male snap) that is adapted for engagement with complementary attachment means  88  of tether  82 . In this way, while accessory mat  140  can be affixed directly over a top surface of activity mat  14  or  122 , the same kinds of tethered toys can be attached to accessory mat  140  as to activity mat  14  or  122 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional diagram of a side of a activity map bag in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The sides of an activity map bag are composed of a multilayer flexible structure having thermal insulating properties. The multilayer structure includes an interior layer  200 , an intermediate thermally insulating layer  202 , and an exterior layer  204 . The types of materials used for the interior layer, insulating layer, and the exterior layer may be varied in order to enhance the durability, clean-ability, and thermally insulating features of the present invention. In a multilayer material in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the interior layer is composed of a washable vinyl material. The exterior layer is composed of a woven abrasion resistant material such as Nylon™. The insulating layer may be of any suitable insulating material such as a flexible closed cell plastic foam.  
         [0028]     Although the invention has been shown and presented herein by means of certain embodiments of the activity mat bag, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to identify various modifications which still remain within the ambit of the claims which follow.