Patent Publication Number: US-2020298178-A1

Title: Portable Moisture Absorbing Athletic Bag

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is portable tote bags or containers with a moisture absorbing feature and more particularly bags that can be used to carry sweaty athletic clothing or shoes while controlling odor within the bag as the items inside are dried. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Drying agents such as silica gel are known and used in a variety of applications such as in packaging for electronic equipment to keep moisture under control. Some applications to clothing have been used to control moisture in the form of sweat while the clothing is worn such as during outdoor activities. Some examples of this are US 20070174949 and US 20160255897. Some designs feature a container for the moisture absorbing material that removes moisture from a surrounding space such as a closet as in US 20080314772. Another application is a bedding mat for sweat absorption from the body as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,008. A wound care application is described in US 2009009488. Some containers are built to dehumidify the surrounding air as opposed to the internal contents as in US 20120061261. 
     The present invention addresses a late developing need for those people who exercise during normal working hours and have a need to store their sweaty exercise clothes in their office or workspace until the end of the work day when the soiled clothing can be brought home and laundered. The clothing and shoes used in daily exercise during the working day become more pungent as the day wears on. The storage container of the present invention contains odors from such clothing or shoes and dries such articles during the working day. In this manner when it is time to launder such items the odor is less offensive as the drying agent has been at work during the work day and after use to remove moisture from such articles. The moisture removing agent can cooperate with auxiliary drying agents and can further contain an indicator reflecting remaining ability to further remove moisture. The drying agent can be thermally rejuvenated or reactivated for continuing applications. The container or tote can either have the drying agent permanently built-in (sewed to the inside walls) or be modular such that the drying agent can be exchanged and replaced for continued service. These and other aspects of the present invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the appended claims. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A tote bag with an internal drying feature accepts sweaty exercise clothing or shoes for temporary storage and dries such items after exercise and during working hours until the contents can be brought to a laundry facility. The drying agent can be regenerated with a heat source or other ways. Additional materials can be combined with a drying agent for odor control such as baking soda. The drying agent can feature an indicator that provides feedback on the remaining useful life such as by a color change. The drying agent can be sized to fit in internal pouches in the bag that can optionally be secured to retain the drying agent in place. An array of drying agent elements supported with a backing material can be used to expedite drying agent replacement. The drying agent can be thermally rejuvenated or reactivated for continuing applications. The container or tote can either have the drying agent permanently built-in (sewed to the inside walls) or be modular such that the drying agent can be exchanged and replaced for continued service. Optionally, the backing material can be modular segments that are selectively connected to form the container for exercise clothes or shoes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an outside view of the bag showing a closure for the bag opening; 
         FIG. 2  is an inside view of opposed internal walls of the bag in a laid flat presentation; 
         FIG. 3  is a section view through an internal wall shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  schematically illustrate the use of a color indicator on the drying agent indicating a fully activated condition in  FIG. 4  and a spent condition in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  schematically illustrate the drying agent combined with an odor control material or a fragrant material, respectively; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates sweaty articles inserted into the opening of the bag at 11 AM; and 
         FIG. 9  is the view of  FIG. 8  at a later time in the afternoon schematically showing moisture removed from the articles at, for example, 4:30 PM. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a bag  10  with an opening  12  and a closure  14  for the opening  12  that can be a draw string, a zipper or interlocking fibers, for example. A brand name or other forms of advertising can go on one or opposed outer walls such as  16 .  FIG. 2  shows a possible inside detail illustrating modular segments  18  and  20 . Segments  18  and  20  are shown in section in  FIG. 3 . A square grid pattern  22  is shown that is composed of a porous material that passes moisture  24  and inside each compartment that defines the pattern is a drying material  26  that is preferably silica gel but can be other materials that grab moisture from the air or soiled clothing or shoes  28 . Although a square grid pattern is shown with a single piece of drying material  26  in a discrete compartment, other arrangements are contemplated. While the arrangement is preferably optimized for outer surface area of the drying agent  26  or any porous cover over the drying agent  26  to minimize crumbling or dusting other arrays are contemplated keeping in mind the space needed inside the bag  10  for articles  28  and the need to target the empty weight of the bag for the users convenience. The porous pockets or spaces  24  can be formed on an impermeable backing material  30  that can be fabric, to save weight. Thus the backing material  30  stays connected to the porous pockets or spaces  24  with the drying agent  26  inside. A porous liner material  32  can be mounted to the backing material  30  for tandem removal from the bag  10  or the porous liner material  32  can be secured internally to the bag  10  so that it stays in the bag when the assembly of items  24 ,  26  and  30  are removed from the bag  10  for regeneration such as with a heat source such as a microwave oven, preferably on low power or a normal oven with the setting at under  300  degrees Fahrenheit or in a clothes dryer. If the assembly of items  24 ,  26  and  30  is not removable the bag  10  should be turned inside out before regenerating the drying agent  26 . The regenerating temperature used can vary with the selected materials, with those skilled in the art appreciating that the time to regenerate the drying agent  26  varies inversely with the temperature of the heat source. Alternatively, the  FIG. 3  assemblies, of which there are two disposed in an opposed manner, can be left in the bag  10  and the entire bag  10  with the insert opposed assemblies such as in  FIG. 3  can be regenerated as a unit without removing the  FIG. 3  opposed assemblies from the bag  10 . In this option the backing assemblies  30  can actually form the outer walls of the bag  10  as the entirety of the bag  10  is regenerated as a unit.  FIG. 3  shows that the outer wall  10  can be attached to the liner material  32  to define a pocket or space in between so that the assembly of  24 ,  26  and  30  can be removed as a unit for regeneration. Alternatively, items  10  and  30  can be one and the same so that the assembly of  24 ,  26  and  30  remain an integral part of the bag for regenerating the drying agent  26  as a unit. 
     The drying agent  26  can be presented in a variety of shapes such as hemispherical, disc or other geometric shape. For ease of manufacturing all the shapes can be identical but that is optional. The end surfaces or at least one end surface can be planar or arcuate but shapes that enhance the outer surface area are preferred as this has a direct effect on its ability to adsorb moisture. This can be accomplished with irregular end surfaces such as arrays of protrusions spaced apart from interspersed valleys, akin to a waffle shape as schematically illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , for example. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  schematically illustrate the use of cobalt chloride which is blue when dry and light purple when moisture saturated. Methyl violet can also be used. Methyl violet is commonly used on pH test strips. This material is orange when dry and green when fully saturated. Either of these indicators suggest the timetable for regeneration of the drying agent  26  as the colors vary between the stated colors for the dry to the saturated condition. In addition or in the alternative,  FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate the use of a material to control odor such as baking soda  34  that can be either adhered to the drying agent  26  or manually added periodically on an as needed basis. By the same token an air freshening material  36  can be adhered to the drying agent  26  or periodically manually added as needed. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  shows the array of  FIG. 3  in opposed facing modules so that the articles of clothing or shoes  28  can be put into the bag  10  in between and closed at closure  12 . The moisture is removed from the clothing or shoes  28  and into the drying agent  26  while odors are retained in the bag  10  and mold and mildew is controlled with periodic regeneration of the drying agent  26  in the manner described above. 
     Pockets or spaces  24  can be selectively opened to replace a drying agent  26  mounted inside. In that manner individual elements, regardless of their shape, can be replaced if they reach the point where regeneration becomes ineffective. Alternatively, an entire array such as  24 ,  26  and  30  can be replaced as an assembly. The opposed arrays as depicted in  FIGS. 3, 8 and 9 , can be spaced apart by sidewalls such as  40  and  42  which give the bag  10  width to hold soiled clothing or sweaty shoes. The walls  40  and  42  can also have drying agent  26  disposed in the manner previously described for the opposed long walls such as  16 . 
     Those who face a long interval between athletic activity and access to laundry facilities such as people that exercise before or during the work day will find the bag and described method for storage of soiled clothing or shoes particularly helpful. The stored items are dried while stored in a container that retains or masks odors. The drying process controls mold or mildew formation and facilitates the laundering process that takes place after working hours. The benefits ultimately include the long term preservation of the athletic clothing. Color changing materials provide an indication that the drying agent is approaching a spent condition. Regeneration of the drying agent can occur with removal of panels of the drying agent from the bags for application of heat from a conventional dryer, a microwave or standard oven or some other heat source. If the regeneration temperature is controlled it is also possible to leave the drying agent (as in the version with permanent array) in the bag and apply heat to the empty bag without disassembly of internal components. The outer walls that form the bag are moisture impervious such that the drying effect takes place within the bag and is directed at the contents of the bag without taking moisture from outside the bag. The bag can have rigid exterior walls to hold a shape to facilitate loading the bag. Material that controls odor or adds fragrance can be used in tandem with the drying agent. 
     The drying agent can be silica gel, zeolite or activated alumina, although silica gel is preferred because it absorbs a great deal of moisture by adsorption and regenerates at fairly low temperatures of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. It can absorb as much as 40% moisture by volume. 
     The wall material for the bag may have a small transparent window to alert the user that it has contents that need attention, so they do not get overlooked. 
     The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below: