Patent Publication Number: US-2011075953-A1

Title: Tote bag

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This present application claims all available benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of co-pending U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/277,901 filed Sep. 30, 2009. By this reference, the full disclosure, including the drawings, of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/277,901 is incorporated herein as though now set forth in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to personal accessories. More particularly, the invention relates to a tote bag particularly adapted for outdoor use and, especially, for use as a beach bag, a gardening bag, a fishing bag or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tote bags of wide variety are routinely found in use during recreational activities, such as trips to the beach, as well as in the furtherance of hobbies or home activities, such as gardening. Such a tote bag as heretofore know in the arts generally comprises a canvas or like material sack having one or more handles affixed thereto. Unfortunately, and especially in the types of activities previously noted, such prior art tote bags are prone to falling over and spilling out of their contents. Additionally, whether through falling over or as a consequence of use, such tote bags also often become filled with soil or sand, which soil or sand is generally difficult to remove from the bag and can rarely be removed without first removing from the bag any contents. Still further, the canvas or like material forming the base of such prior art tote bags is generally placed directly in contact with often wet sand or soil as commonly found in beach or garden areas, causing the sack itself to become wet and/or muddy, further frustrating the cleaning process and, as a result, negatively impacting the practical utility of such bags. 
     With the forgoing disadvantages and limitations of the prior art in mind, it is an overriding object of the present invention to improve over the prior art by providing a tote bag that is particularly adapted for use in the type of environments encountered in the described and similar activities. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tote bag that is prone to remaining generally upright while in use, thereby reducing the ingress to the bag of sand and soil. Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a tote bag that is also provided with some measure of protection from direct contact of sack materials with wet sand or soil. Still further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a tote bag wherein any sand or soil that should enter the bag is relatively easily cleaned therefrom, the cleaning process being simple and effective without generally requiring removal from the tote bag of any contents thereof. Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a tote bag that is economical to manufacture and aesthetically pleasing in appearance, such that the tote bag may be as widely as possible distributed to an accepting population of consumers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the foregoing objects, the present invention—a tote bag particularly adapted for outdoor use—generally comprises a preferably semi-rigid sack wall dependently and upwardly disposed about a rigid base to present an upwardly oriented mouth. The semi-rigid sack wall is affixed at the lower edges thereof to the separately constructed rigid base, which generally comprises an outer perimetrical frame and an inner perimetrical frame, the outer perimetrical frame and the inner perimetrical frame being cooperatively adapted to dependently support an interiorly disposed, wire mesh and to anchor the lower edges of the semi-rigid sack walls. A removable panel may also be included to selectively close the bottom of the tote bag, preventing travel through the mesh of contained material. 
     Finally, many other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts, especially in light of the foregoing discussions and the following drawings, exemplary detailed description and appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the scope of the present invention is much broader than any particular embodiment, a detailed description of the preferred embodiment follows together with illustrative figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like components, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows, in a partially cut away side perspective view, the preferred embodiment of the tote bag of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows, in cross sectional view taken through cut line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 , details of one preferred manner for construction of the tote bag of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows, in a partially cutaway side perspective view, various details of one extension of the invention of the tote bag as otherwise shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows, in a cross sectional view taken through cut line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 , various additional details of the extension of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Although those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize many alternative embodiments, especially in light of the illustrations provided herein, this detailed description is exemplary of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the scope of which is limited only by the claims appended hereto. 
     Referring now to the figures and to  FIG. 1  in particular, the tote bag  10  of the present invention is shown to generally comprise a preferably semi-rigid sack wall  11  dependently and upwardly disposed about a rigid base  16  to present upwardly oriented mouth  12 . As will be better appreciated herein, the semi-rigid sack wall  11  itself has no integral base, but rather is affixed at the lower edges  15  thereof to the separately constructed rigid base  16 . As shown in various levels of detail in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the preferred embodiment of the rigid base  16  of the present invention generally comprises an outer perimetrical frame  17  and an inner perimetrical frame  28 , the outer perimetrical frame  17  and the inner perimetrical frame  28  being cooperatively adapted to dependently support an interiorly disposed wire mesh  26  and to anchor the lower edges  15  of the semi-rigid sack walls  11 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 4  in particular, the outer perimetrical frame  17  is shown to preferably comprise a plurality of rabbeted, elongate blocks  18  joined together in mitered edges  22 . As shown in the figures, the outer perimetrical frame thus constructed comprises a vertically oriented portion  19  and a horizontally oriented portion  20 , which together, as shown in the figures, form an interiorly oriented shelf about the outer perimetrical frame. In order to begin assembly of the tote bag  10  of the present invention, a plurality of feet  23 , such as may comprise rectilinear blocks  24  are affixed about the corners of the outer perimetrical frame  17  with conventional mounting hardware, such as screws  25  or the like, disposed through the horizontally oriented portion of the frame  17 . The feet  23  in place, the wire mesh  26 , which preferably comprises a 0.25 inch by 0.25 inch to 0.5 inch to 0.5 inch square mesh of approximately 18 to 19 gauge welded wire coated with a polymer, is supported at its outer edges atop the horizontally oriented portion  20  of the outer frame  17  with the outermost edges  27  of the mesh  26  upturned to rest adjacent to the interior face of the vertically oriented portion  19  of the outer frame  17 . With the lower edges  15  of the sack walls  11  disposed generally adjacent the vertically oriented portion  19  of the outer frame  17 , the upturned outermost edges  27  of the wire mesh  26  being preferably interposed the lower edges  15  of the of the sack wall  11  and the outer perimetrical frame  17 , the inner perimetrical frame is inserted through the open mouth  12  of the sack wall  11  and friction fit against the lower edges  15  of the sack wall  11  in order to securely press or “sandwich” the interposed lower edges  15  of the sack wall  11  and the upturned outermost edges  27  of the mesh  26  between to inner frame  28  and outer frame  17 . In order to ensure stability of construction, however, the inner frame  28  is then preferably affixed to the outer frame  17  with conventional mounting hardware such as, for example, screws  33  inserted through the vertically oriented portion  19  of the outer frame  17 . 
     The inner perimetrical frame  28 , which is preferably constructed from a plurality of elongate blocks  29  joined together in mitered edges  30 , may be reinforced with the provision of gussets  31  or the like. For example, as shown in the figures, preferably triangular blocks  33  may be conventionally disposed in the interior corners of the inner frame  28  in order to enhance the structural integrity thereof. 
     As particularly shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the tote bag  10  of the present invention may optionally be provided with a removable panel  34  dependently supported on grooves or rabbets  36  formed about the distal edges  21  of the horizontally oriented portion  20  of the outer frame  17 . In this manner, sand or soil collected in the interior of the bag  10  may be prevented from falling out through the mesh  26  when, for example, travelling by car or entering a household. In order to allow sand or soil to freely escape, however, the panel  34  may be removed by sliding it out of a provided slot  35  through a section of the outer frame  17 . 
     While the foregoing description is exemplary of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize the many variations, alterations, modifications, substitutions and the like as are readily possible, especially in light of this description and the accompanying drawings. For example, conventional handles  13  such as, for example, straps  14  of canvas of the like may be conventionally attached to the outer faces of the sack walls  11  by, for example, stitching or the like. Such handles  13 , in addition to facilitating carrying of the tote bag  10 , also allow the bag  10  to be sharply banged onto its feet  23  to encourage removal through the mesh  16  of sand or soil. 
     Additionally, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that in various applications materials other than canvas may be desired in the construction of the sack walls  11 . Likewise, it will be recognized that the frames  17 ,  28  may comprise any of a variety of materials such as, for example, white oak, which is known to be a strong and stable lumber that readily accepts waterproofing treatments such as, for example, boiled linseed oil and the open mesh  26  may be manufactured of any relatively strong material, including some plastics and textile materials. In any case, because the scope of the present invention is much broader than any particular embodiment, the foregoing detailed description should not be construed as a limitation of the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims appended hereto.