Patent Publication Number: US-7594883-B1

Title: Fabric gift bag

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to gift bags, and more particularly to a fabric gift bag having an open top. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditional gifts have, over the years, been presented in the form of packages or boxes having an external gift wrapping and a bow placed on the wrapping, or one or more ribbons extending around the wrapping and in some cases formed into a bow. These exterior wrappings and the placement of bows and ribbon is done by hand. Some individuals display more talent and ability at wrapping gift packages than others. While the end product is often attractive, exciting and pleasing in appearance, whether the gift was wrapped by an experienced and proficient individual or not, a great deal of time and labor is often expended. 
     In recent years we have seen the emergence of gift bags. Gift bags are sold in gift stores, retail shops of all types, and for the most part are constructed of paper that have a pleasing, colorful and sometimes exciting design formed about the exterior thereof. These paper gift bags are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. By utilizing such gift bags, one avoids the time consuming, and even sometimes, frustrating experience of having to wrap a gift for a loved one, friend, or other person. 
     While conventional gift bags have met with great success over the years, they are not appropriate for all occasions. Occasionally there is that special gift such as a diamond ring or other piece of jewelry that demands a more eloquent presentation. When these special occasions arise and an extraordinary or special gift is to be made, conventional paper gift bags will not suffice and the individual is again left with the challenging chore of hand wrapping a gift. 
     Therefore, there is and continues to be a need for a production type gift bag that is eloquent, pleasing, exciting, and which is appropriate for special or extraordinary gifts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention entails a fabric gift bag made of an elongated multi-panel composite wherein one end portion of the composite is opened by separating portions of the panels and inserting the other end portion therein. This forms a fabric gift bag having an open top. 
     In one embodiment of the fabric gift bag, the fabric gift bag when formed includes an upper portion and a lower portion and the upper portion flares outwardly with respect to the lower portion. 
     In still another embodiment of the present invention the fabric gift bag is provided with a retainer that extends around an intermediate portion of the fabric gift bag and effectively exaggerates the taper of the upper end portion. 
     The present invention also entails a method of forming a fabric gift bag. The method entails cutting two substantially matching fabric panels from one or more fabric sources. Each fabric panel is configured such that the panels include a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion and wherein the panels are sized such that the first end portion is narrower than the second end portion and the intermediate portion is wider than the first and second end portions. Next, the method entails securing the two panels together by a perimeter seam. Thereafter the first end portion is inserted into the second end portion to form a fabric gift bag having a bottom, an open top and a surrounding sidewall structure comprised of the two panels. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fabric gift bag of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a multi-panel composite that forms a part of the fabric gift bag. 
         FIG. 2A  is a sectional view taken through the lines  2   a - 2   a  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2  but with the multi-panel composite being reversed. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the fabric gift bag without the retainer. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the fabric gift bag as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the fabric gift bag particularly illustrating the sidewall structure thereof. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT 
     With further reference to the drawings, a fabric gift bag is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral  10 . As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the fabric gift bag  10  includes a bottom indicated generally by the numeral  12 , and a pliable sidewall indicated generally by the numeral  14 . An open top, indicated generally by the numeral  16 , is formed at the top of the gift bag. A retainer  18  extends around an intermediate portion of the gift bag, and as will be discussed subsequently herein, tends to exaggerate the flared nature of an upper portion  20  of the bag. When the retainer  18  is removed from the gift bag  10  and placed on a flat surface, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the upper portion  20  tends to flare outwardly. Retainer  18  may assume various forms. In some cases it can comprise a decorative ribbon or a decorative ribbon that includes an internal elastic member. Disposed below the retainer  18  is an area of the bag that is referred to as the lower portion  22 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , it is seen that the fabric gift bag is constructed or formed from an elongated multi-panel fabric composite indicated generally by the numeral  30 . This multi-panel composite is sometimes referred to as a base. By multi-panel, it is meant that in one embodiment the composite or base  30  includes two fabric panels, panels  32  and  34 . The term fabric, as used herein, means a cloth such as that produced by knitting or weaving, and further includes materials such as leather, vinyl and synthetics typically used to make handbags, apparel, and other bags for carrying personals. The two fabric panels  32  and  34  are generally of the same shape and size. That is, they are congruent. A perimeter seam  36  extends substantially around the perimeter of the two panels  32  and  34  so as to secure the panels together. Note that perimeter seam  36  is slightly indented from the outer edges of the respective fabric panels  32  and  34 . For purposes of reference, the multi-panel composite  30  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  is said to include a first end portion  40 , a second end portion  42  and an intermediate portion  44 . In the embodiment illustrated herein, the first end portion  40  is at least slightly narrower than the second end portion  44  when the composite  30  is laid flat on a surface. See  FIG. 2 . Further, the intermediate portion  44  is slightly wider than the first end portion  40 . In some cases, the intermediate portion  44  may be slightly wider than the second end portion  42 . 
     As noted above, each fabric panel  32  and  34  includes a surrounding edge. The intermediate portion  44  includes opposing edges that comprise curve segments  46 . In this embodiment the curved segments  46  extend outwardly and form a point  48 . 
     Each of the panels  32  and  34  has outer and inner sides. In  FIGS. 2 and 2A  the panel  32  includes an outer side  32 A and an inner side  32 B. The other panel  34  includes an outer side  34 A and an inner side  34 B. In the configuration shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2A , the outer sides  32 A and  34 A may be unfinished. The inner sides  32 B and  34 B would preferably be finished. Note in  FIG. 2  where the perimeter seam  36  does not extend entirely around the fabric panels  32  and  34 . The perimeter seam is terminated about an area such that there is a small opening formed between two seam points  36 A and  36 B shown in  FIG. 2 . The composite panel or base  30  shown in  FIG. 2  is reversed by pulling portions of the panels through the opening formed between seam points  36 A and  36 B. Other ways of reversing the composite panel  30  can be employed. But in any event, this reversal results in turning the composite right sides outwardly. That is, the inner sides  32 B and  34 B of the composite as shown in  FIG. 2  are caused to form the outside of the composite as shown in  FIG. 3 . Now the former inner sides  32 B and  34 B become the outer sides of the composite shown in  FIG. 3 . The multi-panel composite  30  shown in  FIG. 3  is sometimes referred to as a modified base. 
     To form or finish the gift bag  10 , the second end portion  42  shown in  FIG. 3  is somewhat larger in width than the first end portion  40 . End portion  42  is open by pulling portions of the panels apart. Once opened, the first end portion  40  is pushed down or inserted into the second end portion  42 . This forms the configuration shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . By inserting or pushing the first end portion  40  into the second end portion  42  a surrounding pliable panel wall structure is formed where the wall is generally two panels thick with the panel portions disposed in side-by-side relationship. The first end portion  40  can be stitched, or otherwise tacked or secured, to the lower portion  42 . 
     Once the first end portion  40  has been inserted into the second end portion  42 , an open top  16  is formed. The open top  16  extends around an opening and the insertion of the first end portion  40  into the second end portion  42  causes a top curl portion to form. This is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
     The perimeter seam  36  shown in  FIG. 2  forms a pair of exterior seams along opposite sides of the gift bag  10 . Because the composite  30  has been reversed from the configuration shown in  FIG. 2 , it follows that the seam  36  formed in the finished bag  10  is indented at least slightly from outer adjacent portions of the respective panel. See  FIG. 5 . 
     The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the scope and the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.