Abstract:
An adjustable carrying bag having an open upper end and a closed lower end and being formed of a front panel and a rear panel. The panels are foldable about a vertically variable horizontal axis to close the bag such that by varying the vertical elevation of the fold, one varies the volumetric area of the bag. Attachment members are provided for releasably securing the front and rear panels in a folded and vertically adjustable disposition. A handle is slidably mounted on the rear panel such that upon folding the front and rear panels, securing the panels in a folded disposition and lifting the bag by the handle, the handle will slide to the top of the folded bag for carrying irrespective of the vertical elevation of the fold along the bag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to flexible containers, and in particular to a carrying bag that is adjustable in volume and has adjustable self-centering handles. The carrying bag of the present invention can be used in various embodiments as an adjustable gift bag, a shopping bag, a purse and in a variety of other container configurations in which variations in volumetric capacity and a convenient carrying handle are desirous. 
   Carrying bags of a wide variety of shapes, styles and sizes have long been used to carry items from one place to another. The contents of these containers vary widely and most containers are not customized to handle variations in the size of the cargo, particularly inexpensive carrying bags made of paper such as gift bags and shopping bags. Traditionally, gifts from one person to another are wrapped in a decorative manner to provide a visually exciting and pleasing appearance, retain an element of mystery as to the identity of the gift, and sometimes to enhance the prestige of the gift itself. A trend is to place gifts inside decorative bags, with the bag itself serving as both container and decorative wrapper. Thus, gifts placed in gift bags need not be first placed in another box and then wrapped before presentation. However, because the gift is not truly hidden when received and the bag is not generally sized for the gift inside, the bag does not appear to be customized for the particular gift, detracting from its presentation and from the thrill and anticipation of receiving the gift. It would be desirable if the gift bag were closed so as to conceal the gift inside and adjustable in size so that the bag would appear customized for the gift inside. It would also be desirable if an inexpensive handle could be provided on the bag that was self adjusting for conveniently carrying the closed gift laden bag regardless of the size to which the bag had been formed. 
   In other instances, it also would be beneficial to have a closeable inexpensive container such as a paper bag and be able to change the dimension of the container to match the size of its contents for security and/or aesthetic purposes. For example, a department store type bag is normally an open, one-sized bag for carrying merchandise. Even if the bag can be closed manually and wrapped around itself, there is no convenient way to pick up the wrapped bag because the fixed loop handle typically provided on such bags either becomes covered by the upper portion of the wrapped bag or, if exposed, is not properly positioned for conveniently carrying the wrapped bag and its contents. As will be seen, there is a widespread need in multiple applications for a variable-sized, closeable container that can conceal and better protect the merchandise contained therein and that can be easily carried by a properly positioned handle. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The carrying bag of the present invention is volumetrically adjustable in that the open upper portions of the front and rear panels of the bag can be pressed together and folded over and about the object(s) within the bag such that the upper portion of the rear panel is disposed adjacent and over the upper portion of the front panel. The two panels may then be secured against a lower portion of the front panel to maintain the bag in a closed and folded disposition. The location of the fold is at the option of the user and may depend upon the size and shape of the object(s) within the bag. By providing an adjustable securement that allows for variations in the positioning of the fold, the bag is rendered volumetrically adjustable. The carrying bag also is provided with a pair of laterally spaced, parallel, vertical slits in the rear panel through which the handle extends. The slits allow for the handle to be freely slideable upwardly and downwardly along the rear container panel and are of sufficient length such that almost regardless of the location of the fold along the bag, the bag handle, when used to carry the bag, always will position itself at the top of the bag, allowing for easy carrying. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention illustrating the bag in the open position. 
       FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention illustrating the bag in the open position. 
       FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the first embodiment after the upper open ends of the front and rear panels have been pressed together. 
       FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the first embodiment after the upper end portions of the front and rear panels have been pressed together into an adjacent disposition and partially folded toward the front panel to close the container about the object(s) contained therein. 
       FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the first embodiment showing the container folded and sealed about the object(s) therein with the adjacent upper end portions of the front and rear panels secured in place over the portion of the front panel disposed below the fold and the self-adjusting handle positioned at the top of the bag. 
       FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment in the folded and sealed disposition of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention similar to that shown in  FIG. 5  except that the front and rear panels are folded over further down the bag to encase a lesser volume. 
       FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment in the folded and sealed disposition of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 10  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention utilizing snaps to close the bag and to secure the bag in a folded position. 
       FIG. 11  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of this invention utilizing magnets to close the bag and to secure the bag in a folded position. 
       FIG. 12  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of this invention with a strip attached to the back panel that secures the bag in a folded position. 
       FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 12  after the bag has been closed, folded and secured, with the adjustable handle positioned at the top of the bag. 
       FIG. 14  is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of this invention with a flap attached along the back panel that secures the bag in a folded position. 
       FIG. 15  is a front perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 14  after the bag has been closed, folded and secured, with the adjustable handle position at the top of the bag. 
       FIG. 16  is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now in detail to the drawings, the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 1-9  is a foldable paper bag  10  of the type used as a gift bag or shopping bag. Bag  10  has an open upper end  12  and preferably defines a rear panel  14 , a front panel  16 , side panels  18  and  20  and a plurality of fold lines  22 - 48  (see  FIG. 2 ) that allow the bag  10  to be collapsed in a flat disposition as is typical in the formation of gift or shopping bags. It is to be understood, however, that bag  10  also could be formed of cardboard, canvas, leather, plastic, cloth or any other suitable material and that the folds are not all necessary for the proper functioning of the present invention. 
   The rear panel  14  of bag  10  has a pair of laterally spaced elongated openings or slits  50  and  52  on the outside surface of the bag. A handle  54 , preferably in the form of a closed loop, extends through the openings and about the portion  53  of the rear panel disposed between opening  50  and  52  (see e.g.  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), affixing the handle to the bag and allowing the handle to slide freely upwardly and downwardly along the rear side of the bag. The handle  54  is preferably made of a loop of string or rope for a gift or shopping bag application, but may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to leather, metal and plastic, etc., depending on the particular application. For example, if the bag configuration in which the present invention was being employed was a purse or tote bag, the handle would more preferably be made of leather, plastic, rope or a fabric as opposed to string. The actual thickness and configuration of the handle also may vary depending on the application. 
   To prevent the handle from tangling with and possible dislodging the bag&#39;s contents, a second layer  56  of material, preferably the same material of which the bag  10  is formed, can be provided on the interior of the bag inwardly adjacent openings  50  and  52 , the portion  53  of the bag extending therebetween, and the portion of the handle  54  extending about portion  53  (see  FIGS. 1 and 7 ). This second protective layer  56  may be adhered to the rear panel  14  by adhesive, stitching or any other suitable means, depending on the material or materials of which the bag  10  is formed. Layer  56  is preferably secured about its perimeter so as not to interfere with the sliding movement of the handle  54 . If desired, the openings or slits  50  and  52  may be reinforced along the perimeter edges  50 ′ and  52 ′ thereof (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) to prevent the handle from ripping through the bag during use. Further, if desired additional slits or openings (not shown) could be provided in the rear bag panel  14  for aesthetic purposes and/or to accommodate one or more additional slideably mounted handles. 
   In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-9 , a pair of fasteners or securement members  60  are provided on opposed sides of the rear panel proximate the upper ends thereof for securing the bag in a closed, folded disposition. The fastening members  60  could be adhesive strips, flexible plastic tabs, snaps, magnets, hook and pile fasteners or any other attachment means that would achieve the desired securement. For gift and shopping bag applications adhesive strips secured to the rear bag panel  14 , as shown, with peel-away coverings protecting the adhesive on the cantilevered portions  60 ′ of the strips provides an inexpensive and effective securement. 
   The use of bag  10  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3-6  and  8  and  9 . After the open bag  10  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) has been filled with one or more items, the bag  10  can be closed by manually pinching together the upper end portions  16   a  and  14   a  of the front and rear panels  16  and  14  so that the top edge portions of the front and rear panels are proximate to each other (see  FIG. 3 ). The upper portions of the front and rear panels below upper ends  14   a  and  16   a  also are pressed together above the item(s) within the bag  10  (see  FIG. 4 ) and the upper panel portions are then folded toward and against the front panel  16  from the position illustrated in  FIG. 4  to the position illustrated in  FIG. 5 , forming a fold  62  that extends across the top of the bag  10  about a horizontal axis X as seen in  FIG. 5 . The fastening members are now positioned below or downstream of the fold  62  and act to secure the bag in the folded position. In the embodiment of the securement members  60  shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , the adhesive strips are pressed against adjacent portions of the side panels  18  and  20  (see  FIG. 6 ) to secure the bag in its folded disposition. With other forms of fastening means, such as snaps, magnets, buttons, hook and pile fasteners, etc. the attachment point or area for the securement members may be on adjacent points or areas on the front panel itself as opposed to the side panels (see e.g.  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). As noted above, any suitable attachment mechanism can be employed for securing the bag in its folded position. 
   As seen in the drawings, the handle  54  is adjustable as a result of its freedom to slide along elongated openings  50  and  52  about the portion  53  of the rear panel  14  disposed therebetween. By positioning the upper ends  50 ″ and  52 ″ of the openings  50  and  52  (see  FIG. 1 ) proximate the upper open end of bag  10  and extending the openings downwardly a distance equal to or just slightly less than one-half the height of the bag, the handle openings will always intersect the formed fold  62 . As a result, regardless of the elevation of the horizontal axis X about which fold  62  is formed to encase different volumetric sizes, the handle can slide to the top of the folded bag for carrying. Accordingly, when the user lifts the bag and its contents using the handle  54 , the handle will slide to the fold  62  at the top of the bag where the handle is properly centered for carrying the bag. This is illustrated in comparing  FIGS. 5 and 6  with  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the bag  10  folded over and onto itself such that the top edge portions of the front and rear panels are proximate to the bottom of the bag. While the elevation of the axis X about which the fold  62  is formed is lower in this configuration than the elevation of the axis X illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the handle  54  still slides to the top center of the bag along elongated openings  50  and  52  into the ideal position for carrying. In this position, the volume of the bag is at its smallest unless the upper adjacent ends of the front and rear panels were folded about the bottom of the bag. In such an embodiment, the openings would be extended further down the rear panel to accommodate the further reduction in volumetric carrying capacity. Other variations in the length and positioning of openings  50  and  52  could be employed depending on the maximum and minimum volumes for which the bag is designed to encase. 
   As noted earlier herein, there are several different types of closures that could be utilized to close and secure the bag in the folded position.  FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a pair of laterally-spaced snaps  160   a  are provided on the upper end portions  16   a  of the front panel  16  that are adapted to cooperate with one of several sets of snaps  160   b  positioned at various elevations along the exterior side of the front panel below and in vertical alignment with snaps  160   a . To close and secure the bag, one would pinch the top edge portions of the bag together, press the upper portions of the front and rear panels together and then fold the bag with the handle facing outwardly, as previously explained with reference to  FIGS. 3-5 . The snaps  160   a  are then engaged with the appropriate pair of aligned cooperating snaps  160   b . As with the previous embodiments, the handle will slide to the top of the bag for easy carrying. 
     FIG. 11  shows another form of closure, wherein magnets are employed both to close the upper end of the bag and to secure the bag in the folded position. The concept is similar to the snap configuration illustrated in  FIG. 10 , but additionally provides a means for securing the bag in the folded state. As seen in  FIG. 11 , magnets  260   a  and  260   b  are provided proximate the upper ends of the front and rear bag panels. Those magnets are oriented to effect closure of the upper end of the bag. After the bag has been closed and folded (not shown), magnets  260   a  can cooperate with any of the appropriately aligned sets of pairs of lower magnets  260   c  to hold the bag in the folded disposition. The configuration of magnet fasteners illustrated in  FIG. 11  not only holds the bag in a folded disposition by maintaining the upper portion of the front panel  16  against the lower portion of the front panel, it also holds the ends of the bag together in a closed disposition. It should be noted, however, that additional sets of opposed and cooperating snaps could be provided in the interior of the bag illustrated in  FIG. 10  proximate the upper ends of the front and rear bag panels to secure the upper panel ends together in the folded position so as to enhance the appearance of the bag in the folded position as is achieved by magnets  260   a  and  260   b  in  FIG. 11 . Again, other fastening members could be employed in lieu of the above-discussed pre-applied adhesive strips, snaps and magnets. Examples of such closures include but are not limited to: hook and pile fasteners, buttons, ribbons, twine, hooks, and buckles, etc. While the number and positioning of the fastening members can be varied in all of these embodiments, the fastening members, regardless of their structure, should be positioned in a manner that allows them to fold and close the bag at different elevations to provide the bag with an adjustable interior capacity for differently sized contents. 
     FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate an alternative way to close the bag and to secure the bag in a folded position. In this embodiment, the fastening members  360  are comprised of a separate strap or length of material  360   a  attached to and extending from the back panel and a series of complimentary vertically-spaced fastening members  360   b  positioned on the front panel in vertical alignment with strap  360   a .  FIG. 13  illustrates the bag secured in the folded position. Through such a configuration, the bag can be secured in various folded positions by connecting the strap  360   a  to any one different complimentary fastening members  360   b  on the front panel. Straps  360   a  could have a buttonhole formed therein for receiving the fastening members  360   b  or have a mating fastening member secured thereto for attachment with any one of the aligned fastener members  360   b . Again, more than one strap  360   a  and a single column of complementary fastening members  360   b  could be employed. 
     FIGS. 14 and 15  illustrate a similar embodiment to the one shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  wherein the attachment strap extends along the upper edge of the rear panel to form a flap  460   a . The flap  460   a  could carry a pair of fastening members  460   b  for selective engagement with one of the aligned pairs of fastening members  460   c  located on the front panel of the bag.  FIG. 14  shows such a bag in a folded state. The number and positioning of the fasteners on flap  460   a , the number of sets of fasteners  460   c  and the number of fasteners  460   c  in each set could be increased or decreased as desired. 
   The embodiments of the invention depicted in  FIGS. 12-15  each contain an additional piece of material (e.g. strap or flap) extending from the rear bag panel. Depending on the length of the extended material, the bag may be able to be secured in a closed disposition without being folded over itself. In such a case, the laterally-spaced elongated openings may be extended to the upper edge of the back panel in the case of the thin strap  360   a  illustrated in  FIGS. 12 and 13  or into the extended flap  460   a  in the case of the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15  in order for the handle to be adjustable to be positioned at the top of the bag in an unfolded disposition or at the fold in the manner previously described. 
   In the above-described embodiments, the invention has been described in terms of a bag with front, rear and side panels. However, the bag or other container embodying the present invention does not require the use of panels. An embodiment of the present invention may comprise a bag that has no panels but is still capable of being folded and secured at different positions and is provided with an outwardly extending slidable and self-centering handle. As indicated earlier herein, while the above-described embodiments made specific reference to gift and shopping bags, the invention is not so limited. The present invention has many other applications including but not limited to: an adjustable purse; an adjustable tote bag or luggage, allowing a traveler who might start the trip with a few items but need to add or remove items during the trip the ability to expand or retract the bag to fit the contents; an adjustable lunch food bag (bigger at the beginning of the day, wrapped smaller for end of the day after lunch has been eaten); an adjustable gym bag; a picnic bag; and a utility bag. These containers may or may not contain panels but are nevertheless closable as above-described and are provided with the self-centering handle of the present invention. 
   In a variation of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 16 , an additional strip  553  of material, preferably of the same material as that of which the bag is formed, is stitched at  555  or, is adhesively or otherwise suitably attached to the exterior of the rear panel  514  of the bag in lieu of the elongated openings  50  and  52  in the prior embodiments. Thus, in the embodiment of  FIG. 16 , the handle  54  would extend about strip  555  so as to be slidable therealong, as opposed to extending through openings  50  and  52  and about the panel portion  53  disposed therebetween. This embodiment of the present invention seemingly would be better suited for applications other than paper gift and shopping bags such as purses, tote bags and the like. 
   Although the present invention has been described by way of exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art in carrying out the present invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof, as those changes and modifications are within the purview of the appended claims, they are considered to be part of the present invention.