Patent Publication Number: US-2022227561-A1

Title: Sealable vacuum luggage bag

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/137,912, filed Jan. 15, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, including but not limited to those portions that specifically appear hereinafter, the incorporation by reference being made with the following exception: In the event that any portion of the above-referenced provisional application is inconsistent with this application, this application supersedes said above-referenced provisional application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates generally to a sealable vacuum luggage bag. More specifically, the sealable vacuum luggage bag may include one or more valves which allow air to exit the sealable vacuum luggage bag when sealed. Further, the sealable vacuum luggage bag may include anti-moisture and anti-microbial treatments which prevent moisture and odors from contaminating other clothing in luggage. The bag may be used in contexts outside of luggage such as for carrying items in a trunk or storing items in a small closet. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Since humans began to travel from one place to another, devices have been used to transport a person&#39;s necessary or important belongings with them as the person traveled from place to place. Transportation vessels, such as baskets woven from reeds, bags made from simple fabrics, chests and trunks for the more affluent travelers, and simple pockets for more spartan travelers have all been used to transport a traveler&#39;s belongings. Bags, for example, have been used since antiquity to store important goods and protect them for traveling or for storage. For example, Joseph in Egypt transported and stored corn in sacks to prepare for a famine. Seemingly, those sacks would have been transported and stored with dried corn to prevent mold from ruining the corn. 
     In the latter half of the 20th century, as the advent of mass commercial airline travel produced innovation in luggage technology, which transitioned from chests and trunks that were suitable for traveling in ships across the ocean, to more airplane friendly luggage. In another example, duffel bags, which were popular among sailors lost popularity as airlines have promulgated luggage restrictions which restrict both a size and weight for baggage accepted for transport. Other improvements brought about by commercial airline travel include luggage that ensured or added to the protection of articles inside the luggage. Since commercial airline travel became available to the masses, luggage has been developed with soft or hard sides, roller wheels, and internal pockets which are useful to separate clean clothing, for example, from soiled clothing. More recently, consumers have spurred numerous innovations in luggage technology to enhance the traveling experience. 
     In particular, compressive bags, made from a layer of plastic, have been developed with a seal and a valve for two main purposes. First, the various bags are an efficient way to to sort articles of clothing in luggage (e.g., clean or soiled; day by day; wet from dry, etc.). Second, the various bags allow excess air to be removed from the bag and articles inside such that the bags occupy less room in the luggage than they would if not compressed and held in a compressed state in a vacuum. 
     These bags, however, also cause users some issues and a potential to ruin clothes with mildew or mold. For example, a wet swimming suit stored in a conventional bag used on the first day of the trip and stored in the bag after may experience mildew or mold due to the inability of moisture to leave the bag. The mildew or mold may stain or otherwise discolor or weaken the fabric that makes up the swimming suit. Thus, when the user returns home or to a laundromat, the user becomes aware that the swimming suit is ruined by an unpleasant aroma from mold escaping the bag with the swimming suit. 
     These bags are also susceptible to puncture. Since the bags are typically a thin plastic material, any sharp edge or point tends to perforate the bag and release the seal within the bag as air is able to move through the perforation in the bag. Reinforcement to the surface of these bags is unknown in the art. Further, being able to affix such bags within the luggage to minimize movement during handling of articles inside is unknown in the art. 
     It is therefore one object of this disclosure to provide a sealable vacuum luggage bag that is formed using fabric for reinforcement. Another object of this disclosure is to provide a bag with anti-moisture elements. Another object of this disclosure is to provide a bag with anti-microbial elements. Finally, an object of this disclosure is to provide a bag with connector elements. 
     SUMMARY 
     A vacuum bag is disclosed. The vacuum bag may include a body. The body may include a plastic layer and a fabric layer. The plastic layer and the fabric layer may be welded together on at least one portion of the body. The vacuum bag may further include a seal bar and a valve. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of a sealable vacuum luggage bag. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary implementation of a front side of a sealable vacuum luggage bag. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary implementation of an inside of a sealable vacuum luggage bag. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary implementation of an internal pocket of the sealable vacuum luggage bag. 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a horizontal cross-sectional view of a top end of a sealable vacuum luggage bag. 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a top view of a top end of the sealable vacuum luggage bag shown in  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates an exemplary alternative embodiment of a horizontal cross-sectional view of a top end of a sealable vacuum luggage bag. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a top view of a top end of the sealable vacuum luggage bag shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific techniques and embodiments are set forth, such as particular techniques and configurations, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the sealable vacuum luggage bag disclosed herein. While the techniques and embodiments will primarily be described in context with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the techniques and embodiments may also be practiced in other similar apparatuses. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. It is further noted that elements disclosed with respect to particular embodiments are not restricted to only those embodiments in which they are described. For example, an element described in reference to one embodiment or figure, may be alternatively included in another embodiment or figure regardless of whether or not those elements are shown or described in another embodiment or figure. In other words, elements in the figures may be interchangeable between various embodiments disclosed herein, whether shown or not. 
     Primarily, it is noted that sealable vacuum luggage bag  100  (“bag  100 ”) is explained with respect to use with luggage, but is not so limited. References to luggage and clothing are used solely for explanatory and exemplary purposes. Bag  100  may be used in any appropriate context where space, mold or mildew, or moisture for enclosed items may be a relevant consideration. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary implementation of a front side of a bag  100 . Bag  100  includes a body  105  which may be made from fabric which encases a thermoplastic polyurethane film, or any other suitable plastic or plastic derivative known to those of ordinary skill in the art which may be formed into a bag having a bottom, two sides, and a top. One example of a fabric used to encase the thermoplastic polyurethane film may include a micro brushed polyester. Fabric used for the body of bag  100  may prevent unintentional perforations of the thermoplastic polyurethane film layer of body  105 , making bag  100  far more durable than conventional vacuum bags. In addition, the fabric makes bag  100  more attractive and comfortable to hold both for filling bag  100  and for expelling air from bag  100 , as will be discussed below. Seal bar  110  may include an air-tight seal using any of the techniques for providing an air-tight seal known in the art. For example, a tongue and groove joint may be molded into the plastic which causes the tongue and groove joint to form an air-tight seal until opposing forces are applied to opposing sides of bag  100  to separate the tongue and groove joint. The tongue and groove joint may be joinable in the same fashion as a zipper bag or zip top bag, for example. Other air-tight seals may be made using zippers, magnets, or other air-tight closures known in the art. The term “air-tight” may be construed as permanently or temporarily preventing air from passing from outside or inside bag  100  to the inside or outside of bag  100 . Temporarily air-tight may mean that bag  100  may be sealed for a short period of time, such as several minutes. 
     Seal bar  110  may extend across a width of body  105  and define an opening of bag  100 . Body  105  may be enclosed using techniques known in the art, including thermoplastic welding techniques. Seal bar  110  may further include fabric from body  105  which is extended at seal bar past a width of body  105  to provide loops  120 A and  120 B which are respectively connected to a corresponding connector element, such as buckle elements  115 A and  115 B which form a buckle  115 . Loops  120 A and  120 B may be fashioned from fabric or the thermoplastic layer of body  105 . Buckle  115  may be used to connect bag  100  to other bags, corresponding buckle elements in luggage, or secure an opening of bag  100  in a circular position. 
     Bag  100  may further include one or more valves, such as valves  125 A and  125 B illustrated in  FIG. 1  which may be attached to body  105  of bag  100  by any technique known in the art including a thermoplastic welding technique. Valves  125 A and  125 B may be implemented with a diaphragm and or a one-way valve to allow air to pass from inside the bag to outside the bag but prevent air from outside the bag from entering into the bag through the valve. Other types of valves installed in the bag are possible, such as a welded one-way valve, a one way maze welded valve, or a one way valve with a plurality of openings between horizontal and vertically joined series of welds. Two valves are illustrated as valve  125 A and valve  125 B, but this is merely for illustrative purposes. Any number of valves may be implemented in body  105  of bag  100 . Valves  125 A or  125 B may also be placed anywhere on bag  100 . However,  FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment where valves  125 A and  125 B are disposed at an end of bag  100  that is opposite the end created by seal bar  110  to allow for air to be squeezed from a sealed seal bar  110  towards valves  125 A and  125 B. In this manner, bag  100  may be rolled or compressed to push air through valves  125 A and  125 B, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Valves  125 A and  125 B allow air to pass through valves  125 A and  125 B as a one-way valve. Once the air is evacuated from inside bag  100  through valves  125 A and  125 B, valves  125 A and  125 B prevent air from reentering bag  100  through valves  125 A and  125 B. Since seal bar  110  is sealed in an air-tight fashion, preventing ambient air from entering bag  100 , and air is evacuated through valves  125 A and  125 B, a vacuum condition may be created within bag  100 . Articles such as clothing, clean or soiled, may therefore be enclosed in bag  100  and protect other clothing from becoming soiled or being contaminated by soiled clothing. 
     Bag  100  may further include apertures  130 A and  130 B in corner reinforcements  135 A and  135 B. Apertures  130 A and  130 B may be used to tether a bag  100  in a particular position inside a luggage case or may be used to attach multiples of bag  100  together within a luggage case. For example, buckle  115  and apertures  130 A and  130 B may be used in conjunction to organize clothing into bags each having a complete set of clothing for a day of traveling. To clarify, the use of clothing in bag  100  is purely explanatory and exemplary. Any item may be contained within bag  100  including pillows, blankets, coats, medications, or any other item that may benefit from being enclosed within a bag  100  sealed from external ambient air for the convenience or appropriateness of a bag  100  user. A further benefit is that when a vacuum condition is created within bag  100  by evacuating air through valves  125 A and  125 B, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the items contained within the bag, especially soft items, require less space in a luggage case, a trunk, or a small closet. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a coating or layer  140  of anti-microbial material may be positioned throughout or in a specific area(s) of an inside portion of bag  100 . Anti-microbial material may include materials that inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi (anti-fungal), viruses (anti-viral), and parasites (anti-parasitic). Anti-microbial coating  140  may be implemented with a chemical substance which prevents or substantially reduces the growth of undesirable bacteria/fungi/viruses/mold/mildew but also does not harm the clothing within. Exemplary anti-microbial material may include chemicals such as halogenated aromatic compounds, nanosilver, quaternary ammonium compounds, antiseptics, or any other suitable material known in the art. Anti-microbial layer  140  may prevent or substantially reduce the growth of microbial material, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, mold, mildew, etc., within bag  100 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary implementation of an inside of bag  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , bag  100  may include a pocket  205  disposed on an inside surface of bag  100 , which may be welded to bag  100  by a thermoplastic weld  200  which illustrates one exemplary implementation for connecting pocket  205  to bag  100 . Pocket  205  is representative of a plurality of pockets that may be installed within bag  100  to hold multiple desiccants or odor absorbing packets. This disclosure is not limited to the use of a single pocket within bag  100  and may implement a plurality of pockets for various different uses. Pocket  205  may include an opening  210 , such as a slit. Pocket  205  may receive a desiccant to remove moisture from bag  100  and/or an odor absorber. Both the desiccant and odor absorber may be implemented as desiccant or odor absorbing packages which may be disposed in pocket  205 . Pocket  205  may include one or more perforations  215 , or even a plurality of perforations  215 , which allow a desiccant or odor absorbing package within pocket  205  to interact with the surrounding environment within bag  100  and reduce a moisture level or odor level within bag  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , an antimicrobial layer  220 , which is similar to antimicrobial layer  140  discussed above with respect to  FIG. 1 , may be applied to an inside surface of a pocket  205  in a manner similar to that of layer  140  being applied to an inside surface of bag  100 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary implementation of an internal pocket  205  of bag  100 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , bag  100  may include a pocket  205  disposed on an inside surface of bag  100 , which may be welded to bag  100  by a thermoplastic weld  200  which illustrates one exemplary implementation for connecting pocket  205  to bag  100 . Pocket  205  may include an opening  210 , such as a slit. Pocket  205  may receive a desiccant to remove moisture from bag  100  and/or an odor absorber. Both the desiccant and odor absorber may be implemented as desiccant or odor absorbing packages which may be disposed in pocket  205 . Pocket  205  may include one or more perforations  215 , or even a plurality of perforations  215 , which allow a desiccant or odor absorbing package within pocket  205  to interact with the surrounding environment within bag  100  and reduce a moisture level or odor level within bag  100 . 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a horizontal cross-sectional view of a top end of a bag  100 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4A , seal bar  110  is shown for reference at a top end of bag  100 . A top portion of bag  100  may be provided by rolling a plastic layer  405  over to form rolled tops  410  which may receive a seal joint, such as a tongue and groove joint, discussed above, zip top technology or any other seal technology. The seal joint may also be implemented below rolled tops  410  which establish a top-most portion of bag  100 . As shown in  FIG. 4A , plastic layer  405  may be welded below rolled tops  410  to seal an opening around bag  100 . 
     Plastic layer  405  may further be welded to fabric  415 , which may be implemented as a shell around bag  100 , as described above, using techniques known in the art. While plastic layer  405  may extend downwards from seal bar  110 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , for example, a portion of fabric layer  415  may be added to a point at which plastic layer  405  ends on an outside of bag  100  to provide adequate space for fabric  415  to be welded to plastic layer  405 . 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a top view of a top end of bag  100 , shown in  FIG. 4A . As shown in  FIG. 4B , bag  100  may include seal bar  110  and may be terminated at a top end by rolled top  410 . Rolled top  410  may be formed by plastic layer  405 , shown in  FIG. 4A  which extends from a width of bag  100  to create a loop  120 A to secure buckle  115 A to bag  100 . One side of rolled top  410  may be extended to create a weld point  420  where the two sides of rolled top  420  may be joined together by welding. 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an exemplary alternative embodiment of a horizontal cross-sectional view of a top end of bag  100 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5A , seal bar  110  is shown for reference at a top end of bag  100 . A top portion of bag  100  may be provided by rolling a plastic layer  505  over to form rolled tops  510  which may receive a seal joint, such as a tongue and groove joint, discussed above, zip technology or any other seal technology. The seal joint may also be implemented below rolled tops  510  which establish a top-most portion of bag  100 . As shown in  FIG. 5A , plastic layer  505  may be welded below rolled tops  510  to seal an opening around bag  100 . At the same time, fabric layer  515  may also be welded to plastic layer  510  at a point just below rolled tops  510  on an outside of bag  100 , such that fabric layer  515  encompasses bag  100 . A second weld point  520  may be positioned below a stiffener  500 , which may be disposed between opposing sides of one of rolled tops  510  on plastic layer  505 . Stiffener  500  may be implemented as a plastic, metal, or wooden material which provides increased stiffness on one side of bag  100 . Stiffener  500  may be captured between a weld point  520  positioned below rolled tops  510  and below stiffener  500 . Fabric layer  515  may further be welded to plastic layer  505  at second weld point  520 . 
       FIG. 5B  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a top view of a top end of the sealable vacuum luggage bag shown in  FIG. 5A . As shown in  FIG. 5B , bag  100  may include seal bar  110  and may be terminated at a top end by rolled top  510 . Rolled top  510  may be formed by plastic layer  505 , shown in  FIG. 5A  which extends from a width of bag  100  to create a loop  120 A to secure buckle  115 A to bag  100 . One side of rolled top  510  may be extended to create a weld point  525  where the two sides of rolled top  525  may be joined together by welding. 
     The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the precise forms or embodiments disclosed. Modifications and adaptations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments. For example, components described herein may be removed and other components added without departing from the scope or spirit of the embodiments disclosed herein or the appended claims. 
     Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.