Patent Publication Number: US-2021169188-A1

Title: Tent roll bag

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/943,489, filed on Dec. 4, 2019, entitled “Tent Roll Bag,” currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to storage. More particularly, the invention relates to storage for soft goods that are subject to becoming dirty with use, such as an outdoor recreational tent. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Tents can be challenging to pack up after use. Instant tents can be even more difficult to pack up because the footprint generated by the combination of the frame and fabric is large, even when collapsed. The unwieldy nature of such a structure makes it hard to return the tent to a bag, especially if the zipper on the bag is difficult to operate when the bag is stuffed. The problem is only made worse when the tent bottom is also dirty or wet, or when a user is in a rush to pack the tent up due to inclement or cold weather. 
     One existing solution involves large, oversized, zipper bags, some of which have separate compression straps to reduce the unwieldy nature of instant tents. Such bags have multiple parts and/or result in squeezing and wrestling with the tent and bag to get the zipper shut. Existing bags really have only one option to properly pack a tent such that it fits it in the bag, and that involves taking the time to neatly break down and stow the tent. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The bag provided herein includes a pouch portion for receiving a tent therein, and an elongated flap extending from that pouch portion. A tent (or other equipment, including a traditional tent having tent poles) may be stuffed into the pouch and rolled onto the bag&#39;s elongated flap and subsequently latched closed by a buckle system present on the bag. The ability for the tent to easily be placed in the pouch reduces the likelihood that the user gets dirty from a soiled tent. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the following accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tent roll bag constructed according to the teachings hereof; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the tent roll bag of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a tent roll bag constructed according to the teachings hereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the tent roll bag of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in its unrolled position; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the tent roll bag of  FIG. 3  in its unrolled position; and 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of the tent roll bag of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5  in a partially closed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a bag  1  is illustrated that may be used to store a tent therein in an improved manner. Like traditional bags, the bag  1  includes a handle  5  that may be used to tote the bag when a tent (or other good) is contained therein. The bag  1  also includes four strap members  10  that may be used to close and tighten the bag  1  after a tent or other good has been placed within the bag  1 , though more or fewer strap members  10  are foreseeable in alternative constructions of the bag  1 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates such an alternatively-constructed bag, bag  15 , that includes a handle  20  and three strap members  25 , though more or fewer strap members  25  are foreseeable. The handle  20  of the bag  15  may be comprised of two strap portions  27  that meet at the top of the bag  15 , where they may be selectively attached to one another, for example by a hook and loop fastener, snap fastener, or the like. The strap members  25  are also shown to include buckle mechanisms  30  that may be used to fasten the strap members  25  when a tent or other good has been placed within the bag  15 . 
     In  FIG. 4 , the bag  1  is illustrated as open and having received a tent  35  stuffed within a pouch  40  of the bag  1 . The pouch  40 , like pouches of many bags that have long been known in the art, is of a size and shape appropriate for receiving goods therein (in this case, the tent  35 , though other goods are foreseeable). 
     Opposite from the pouch  40  and extending from a rear portion  45  of the bag  1 , an elongated tongue or flap member  50  may be provided. After a user has stuffed a tent such as the tent  35  into the pouch  40 , the flap member  50  of the bag  1  may be wrapped around the open portion of the pouch  40  where the tent  35  is retained. An upper edge  55  of the flap member  50  may then extend to the strap members  10 . Then, first end portions  60  the strap members  10  may wrap around the closed flap member  50  and be secured by a buckle to their second end portions (not illustrated) at the rear portion  45  of the bag  1 . Alternatively, the strap members  10  may be secured by a hook and loop fastener, clips, or the like.  FIG. 4  illustrates the bag  1  with four strap members  10 , though in some embodiments more or fewer (e.g., three strap members  10 ) may be provided. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the bag  15 , and it further illustrates the strap members  25  on a rear portion  65  of the bag  15 .  FIG. 5  further illustrates a pouch  70  of the bag  15 . The bag  15  functions in substantially the same manner as the bag  1 .  FIG. 6  also illustrates the bag  15 , but with the tent  35  stuffed within the pouch  70 . Unlike the bag  1 , the bag  15  includes three strap members  25  instead of four. Further, unlike the bag  1 , the bag  15  includes side flaps  75  that may substantially cover the pouch  70  after a tent or other good has been placed therein and before rolling the bag  1  shut and securing the strap members  25 . 
     Because the flap member  50  (and the flap member  80  of the bag  15  is longer than the pouch  40 , a tent may be more puffy and less compact when stored. As such, the pouch may be rolled one, two, three, or more times, depending on how tightly the contents of the bags  1 ,  15  are rolled. As illustrated, the strap members  10 ,  25  aren&#39;t sewn to the edge of the flap members  50 ,  80  respectively to allow contents to be rolled up without rolling over the strap members  10 ,  25 , respectively. Further, the strap members  10 ,  25  are substantially positioned on the flap members  50 ,  80  and do not extend to the pouches  40 ,  70 , respectively. 
     From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the present structures. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of the present embodiments are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all disclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts, principles, and scope of the present invention. 
     Many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.