Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a mattress carrier includes forming a bag from a sheet of plastic film material. The bag is sized to receive a mattress and has an opening for placing the mattress into the bag. An extension is formed on at least one side or end of the bag. The extension comprises a plurality of layers of the plastic film material. Handles are formed as openings in the extension.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of and claims the priority of U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/176,534, filed Jul. 7, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,772 entitled “Carryable Plastic Mattress Bag,” which is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims priority of and incorporates by reference, the provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/585,992 filed on Jul. 7, 2004. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bag for moving, carrying and storing mattresses. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A problem in moving furniture is moving large objects without damaging the object or it being too cumbersome. One such object is a mattress of a bed. Dragging a mattress causes damage and soilage to the mattress. Mattresses are heavy, hard to get a good grip on, and cumbersome to handle. 
     Certain mattress constructions provide handles or grips sewn into the sides of the mattresses to facilitate positioning of the same; however, with large heavy mattresses, the weight and the bulk of the same often results in the handles tearing out of the mattress construction, carrying a mattress by means of these handles is not recommended by the manufacturers. In addition, without an outer covering, there is no protection against soilage or water damage. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,904 relates to a mattress carrier, of molded, integrated, high impact plastic construction, having a pair of opposed sides and a bottom that form an open ended cradle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,000 relates to an article carrier with an adjustable cradle portion for receiving and supporting articles having various thicknesses, and a handle portion for accommodating users of various heights. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,056 relates to a mattress moving system which includes a horizontal strap with two detachable, rotating and adjustable handles, a pair of vertical straps, each with an expandable detachable and position adjustable castered platform. The horizontal strap wraps around and is secured to the mattress lengthwise while the handles are positioned on opposite mattress end edges, the vertical straps extend from the horizontal strap on opposite sides of the mattress and wrap halfway around the mattress widthwise, while the castered platforms are positioned on the mattress side edges and slidably attached to each vertical strap. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,049 relates to a mattress moving arrangement which includes a plurality of legs configured in “A” shaped orientation formed with an orthogonal extending handle relative to the intersection defined by the aforenoted legs. The lowermost portion of the legs include “L” shaped members for receiving a mattress. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,226 relates to a large mattress carrying device having a wraparound band or strap mattress carriers to enable two people to carry a large mattress. The device is adjustable to carry more than one size of mattress. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,826 relates to a mattress carrier using a horizontal rectangular open frame adjustable in width and length. A plurality of parallel U shaped members are used. Each member is secured at each end to a corresponding side of the frame, extends downward therefrom and then extends transversely between the sides of the frame. The top of the platform carries manually operable clips detachably securable to the transversely extending sections of the members. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,250 relates to a mattress carrying device comprised of a heavy cloth-like material and shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped and has sides or ends having a length corresponding to the length of a king-sized mattress and a bottom having a width corresponding to the thickness of a king-sized mattress. A pair of carrying straps of endless square configuration are affixed to the bottom of the material and to the sides at corresponding opposite ends of the parallelepiped. The straps extend in loops from the opposite ends of the parallelepiped at angles with the bottom, whereby two people, each holding the extending part of a corresponding one of the straps, support and carry a mattress placed in the material and resting on the bottom thereof. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,045 relates to a mattress carrier for containing and protectably enclosing a mattress and for facilitating handling of the mattress during transportation to a location of use. The carrier comprises a flexible, rectangular cover designed to receive and contain a mattress therein. The cover has an upper zippered opening, sets of reinforcing strap bands and spaced pairs of handles on opposite ends of the cover to be gripped by respective deliverymen to support the mattress in a generally vertical plane. The handles which may be formed of flexible looped ends of the reinforcing bands are spaced along the ends of the cover on opposite ends of a midline of the mattress carrier, such that the mattress and carrier may be easily manipulated and reoriented about the midline in confined spaces to facilitate handling of the same. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a mattress bag with built in handles. It is an object of the present invention for the bag to be easy to grip and handle. 
     The present invention relates to a polyethylene mattress bag with built in handles to carry and transport a mattress. It is an object of the present invention for the device to protect against water, dirt and stains. It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for easily lifting, carrying and transporting the mattress from one place to another. 
     It is an object of the present invention for the device to be made of a flexible material, such as, canvas, vinyl, non-woven fabric, polyethylene, or polypropylene. 
     The handles are built into the extensions of the bag and are easy to grab while the mattress is standing vertically on its end, horizontally on its edge, or while laying flat. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the strain of having one or more persons try to grip the mattress through the plastic in an effort to lift and move it with nothing to grab onto. The easy to grip, built-in handles, provide a convenient means of carrying a mattress for an extended period of time. 
     It is the object of the present invention for the built-in handles to be placed in the extensions on each side of the bag. It is an object of the present invention for the built-in handles to be placed in the extensions on each end of the bag. It is an object of the present invention for the built-in handles to be placed in the extension of the closed end, with additional handles in both the front and back of the bag at the open end. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a mattress carrier which serves as a protective cover to avoid soiling and damage of mattresses during delivery, and which has carrying handles located at spaced intervals. It is an object of the present invention to enable the mattress carriers to be folded and stored in a compact condition when not in use. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a mattress carrier which protects the mattress and facilitates handling, storing, moving and delivery of the same to a location of use. 
     The present invention relates to a large plastic mattress bag with sturdy handles built into an extension of multiple layers of film on one or both sides (or ends) that enables one or more persons, without strain, to easily carry a mattress in the bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention for the device to protect, store or transport a mattress. A mattress is inserted into the bag through the open end (or side). After inserting the object, additional film is provided at the open end to be folded over and taped (sewn or sealed) closed. The mattress is then transported to a new location, where it can be stored within the carrier or opened to remove the mattress from the bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention to place built-in die cut handles in the film extended beyond the sealed area. 
     It is an object of the present invention for handles to be positioned at one or both sides (or ends) of the bag. If is an object of the present invention for multiple handles to be placed in specific positions or at random though the film extended beyond the sealed area. 
     It is an object of the present invention to be able to use a wide variety of flexible film which can be produced in bag form (closed at one end) or sleeve form (open at both ends), with built-in handles die cut into the film extended beyond the enclosed interior area, at one or both sides (or ends) of the bag or sleeve. 
     It is an object of the present invention for the built-in handles to have multiple layers of film, (four or more, instead of just two) in the area extended beyond the seals. It is a further object of the invention to seal vertically along the entire inside edge of each bag to bond two or more layers of film together which allows a thinner, more cost effective film to be used, while still providing adequate strength to carry a mattress in the bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention for the mattress bag to be economically produced in-line so that the extrusion and bag making process can be done without interruption until the bag is completed, including the die cut handles, sealed extensions and sealed bottom. 
     It is an object of the present invention for the bag to be produced not in-line in a conversion process with the same die cut handles, sealed extensions and sealed bottom after the extrusion is completed. 
     It is an object of the present invention for vertically sealed extensions to be provided on one or both sides as a means of providing multiple layers of film bonded together to produce greater strength for the handles in the area of film extended beyond the inner seals. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide film extensions (with or without handles) on one or both sides (or ends) to provide a means of easily gripping the bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a heavier gauge film rather than multiple layers to support the handle grips placed in the extended area beyond the inner seals. 
     It is an object of the present invention for the handles to be placed in the extended area by means of a die cut through a heat sealed “patch reinforcement”, burned through, applied as a rigid or flexible handle and riveted through the plastic with a cardboard reinforcement, or die cut through an applied pressure sensitive patch reinforcement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Throughout the following views, reference numerals will be used in the drawings, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the several views and in the description to indicate same or like parts of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows an end open bag construction with handles on one side through one layer of film according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows an end open bag construction with handles on one side through two layers of film according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows an end open bag construction with handles on two sides through two layers of film according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows an open end bag construction with handles on two sides through four layers of film according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4   a  shows a cross section of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a side open bag construction with handles on both ends through two layers of film according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows an open end bag construction with handles on both ends according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates two people carrying a mattress in an open end bag construction with handles on two sides through four layers of film according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates to a mattress bag having built-in handles for carrying a mattress. In an embodiment, the bag is made of polyethylene. The bag is designed to protect against water, dirt and stains and provides a means of easily lifting, carrying and transporting a mattress from one place to another. 
     The handles are built into the extensions of the bag and are easy to grab while the mattress is standing vertically on its end, horizontally on its edge, or while laying flat. This eliminates the strain of having one or more persons trying to grip the mattress through the plastic in an effort to lift and move it with nothing to grab onto. The handles provide a convenient means of carrying a mattress for an extended period of time. The built in handles are placed in the extensions on one side of the bag as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  (with the opening on one end), the extensions on each side of the bag as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  (with the opening on one end), built in handles are placed in extensions on both ends of the bag as shown in  FIG. 5  (with the opening on one side) or handles on both ends and an opening at one of the ends as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Any type of flexible material like canvas, vinyl, non-woven fabric, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. may be used to produce this same type of bag with extensions to provide easy to grip, built-in handles. 
     In the embodiment, the mattress bag is mad with sturdy cut-out handles built into an extension of multiple layers of film on one or both sides (or ends) that enables one or more persons, without strain, to carry the mattress placed in the bag. The mattress is inserted into the bag through the open end or side. After inserting the mattress, addition film is provided at the open end which is folded over and taped (sewn or sealed) closed. The mattress is then transported to its new location. The mattress can then be stored in the same bag to provide protection against soilage and water damage. After removing the mattress from the bag, the bag itself can then be folded and stored in a compact form. 
     By placing built-in, die cut handles in the film extended beyond the sealed area, the bag serves its primary function of protecting its contents, while providing the additional feature of allowing one or more persons to carry the bag by means of gripping the readily accessible built-in handles. 
     The handles can be positioned at one or both sides (or ends) of the mattress bag. Multiple handles can be placed in specific positions or at random through the film extended beyond the sealed area. 
     In its most simple form, the mattress bag is made with a lip on one side, where the die cut handles are built in, consisting of a single layer of film extended beyond the pocket of an open end bag. If needed, reinforcements can be applied to the handle area to provide additional strength. 
     Sealing vertically along the entire inside edge of each bag bonds two or more layers of film together which allows the handles to be built into multiple layers of thinner, more cost effective film in the extended area beyond the vertical seals, while still providing adequate strength to carry a mattress in the bag. 
     Greater strength is achieved for the built-in handles by using multiple layers of film (four or more, instead of just two) in the area extended beyond the seals as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the mattress bag is produced in-line, so that the extrusion and bag making process is done without interruption until the bag is completed, including the die cut handles, sealed extensions and the sealed bottom. In a further embodiment, the bag is produced not in-line in a conversion process with the same die cut handles, sealed extensions and sealed bottom after the extrusion is completed. 
     A wide variety of flexible film can be used to produce this type of carrier in bag form (closed at one end) or sleeve form (open at both ends), with built-in handles cut into the film extended beyond the enclosed interior area, at one or both sides (or ends) of the bag or sleeve. 
     In an embodiment, vertically sealed extensions are provided on one or both sides as a means of providing multiple layers of film bonded together to produce greater strength for the handles in the area of film extended beyond the inner seals. 
     In an embodiment, film extensions (with or without handles) are provided on one or both sides (or ends) to provide a means of easily gripping the bag. 
     In an embodiment, heavier gauge film is used rather than multiple layers of film to support the handle grips placed in the extended area beyond the inner seals. 
     Handles may be die cut only, die cut through a heat sealed patch reinforcement, burned through, applied as a rigid or flexible handle and riveted through the plastic with a cardboard reinforcement, or die cut through an applied pressure sensitive patch reinforcement. 
       FIG. 1  shows an end open bag  10  having handles  11  through a single layer of film  15 . The seal  12  is on one side along the entire length of bag  10 . The bottom of bag  10  has a seal  13 . There is an area  14  which extends beyond the area of the seal  12 , where the handles  11  are located. The open end  16  of the bag  10  is where the mattress is placed. 
       FIG. 2  shows an end open bag construction  20  with handles  21  on one side through two layers of film  25 . There is a seal  22  on one side along the entire length of bag  20 . Bag  20  has a bottom seal  23 . Area  24  extends beyond the side seal  22  where the handles  21  are located. The bag  20  has an open end  26 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an end open bag construction  30  with handles  31  on two sides through two layers of film  35 . There are seals  32  along the entire length on both sides of bag  30 . Bag  30  has a bottom seal  33 . Area  34  extends beyond the side seals  32  and has handles  31 . The bag  30  has an open end  36 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 4   a  shows an end open bag construction  40  with handles  41  on two sides through four layers of gusseted film  45 . Seals  42  extend along the entire length on both sides of bag  40 . Bag  40  has a bottom seal  43 . Area  44  extends beyond side seals  42  and has handles  41 . Arrow  46  shows the width of the entire gusset which extends beyond the seal  42 . The bag has an opening  47  at one end. 
       FIG. 5  shows a side open bag construction  50  with handles  51  on both ends through two layers of film. Seals  52  extend along the top and bottom of bag  50 . Area  53  extends beyond the top and bottom seals  52  and contain handles  51 . Bag  50  has a side opening  54 . Side gusset  55  is on the closed side  56  of the bag  50 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an end open bag construction  60  with handles on both ends. Handles  61  are on the bottom of bag  60  through two layers of film. Seal  62  is located along the bottom of bag  60 . Area  63  extends beyond the bottom seal  62  and has handles  61 . Handles  64  are located on the top side of bag  60 . Handles  64  have reinforcement  65 . Handles  66  are located on the bottom side of the bag  60  with reinforcement  65 . Bag  60  has side gussets  67 . Bag  60  has an opening  68  at one end. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates two people carrying a mattress in an open end bag construction with handles on two sides through four layers of film. 
     The invention has been described by reference to detailed examples and methodologies. These examples are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Variations within the concepts of the invention are apparent to those skilled in the art. The disclosures of the cited references throughout the application are incorporated by reference herein.