Patent Publication Number: US-2013236608-A1

Title: Bag device

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/608,477 filed on Mar. 8, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is a bag and attachment device. More specifically, the present invention is a bag device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many households utilize bags to contain and freeze a wide variety of foods. Often these bags are freezer bags and are not properly sealed or secured closed and are not accurately dated if dated at all. A user can hold their freezer door open for an extended period of time while searching through their freezer to find a specific bag among other bags in their freezer. Additionally a user cannot determine what types of food items are contained in their bags due to accumulated frost and other factors. 
     The present invention allows a user to securely close a bag with a food item contained in the bag, to accurately date a bag, to easily determine what type of food item is contained in the bag and to reduce the amount of time a user would keep a freezer door open while looking for a specific bag. The present invention also provides a clip that accurately dates a bag that can be utilized in combination with a color-coded or a transparent bag. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a bag and attachment device. More specifically, the present invention is a bag device such as a freezer bag device. 
     The bag device allows a user to securely close a bag such as a freezer bag with a food item contained in the bag, to accurately date a bag, to easily determine what type of food item is contained in the bag and to reduce the amount of time a user would keep a freezer door open while looking for a specific bag. The bag device also provides a clip that can be utilized separately from the bag device that accurately dates a bag that can be utilized in combination with an existing color-coded bag or an existing transparent bag. 
     The bag device includes a clip, a rod, one or more torsion springs and a bag. The clip has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a front facing that a first plurality of buttons, a second plurality of buttons and a third plurality of buttons are disposed on. The first buttons include 12 month buttons each displaying a number 1 to 12 and can be depressed to indicate the month that the bag device is utilized. The second buttons include 4 week buttons each displaying a number 1 to 4 that can be depressed to indicate a week that the bag device is utilized. The third buttons include 7 day buttons each displaying a number 1 to 7 that can be depressed to indicate a day that the bag device is utilized. The bag can be a colored-coded bag that indicates a color that corresponds to a type of food item contained in the bag device. The bag can also be a transparent bag as well. 
     The clip from the bag device can be attached to any existing bag such as an existing color-coded bag or an existing transparent bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag device that allows a user to securely close a bag with a food item contained in the bag, to accurately date a bag and to easily determine what type of food item is contained in the bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag device that reduces the amount of time a user would keep a freezer door open while looking for a specific bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a bag device that accurately dates a bag that can be utilized in combination with a color-coded bag or a transparent bag. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a clip that can be attached to any existing bag such as an existing color-coded bag or an existing transparent bag. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front environmental view of a bag device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front exploded perspective view of a bag device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a front perspective view of a bag device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side environmental view of a bag clip, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of a bag clip, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments. 
     Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention, however, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation. 
     The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment, however, it may. The terms “comprising”, “having” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a front environmental view of a bag device  100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bag device  100  contains one or more food items  110  such as one or more meat items, one or more chicken items, one or more pork items, one or more seafood items, one or more vegetable items or other suitable food items or combination of food items. The bag device  100  and the food item  110  are typically placed in a freezer (not shown) to safely freeze and store the food item  110 . The bag device  100  and the food item  110  can also be placed in a refrigerator (not shown) to safely refrigerate and store the food item  110  or placed on a shelf (not shown) or other suitable area to simply store the food item  110 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a front exploded perspective view of a bag device  200 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bag device  200  includes a clip  210 , a rod  220 , one or more torsion springs  230  and a bag  240 . The clip  210  has a first portion  212  and a second portion  214 . The first portion  212  has a front facing  216  that a first plurality of buttons  213 , a second plurality of buttons  215  and a third plurality of buttons  217  are disposed on. The first buttons  213 , the second buttons  215  and the third buttons  217  can be depressed and remain depressed thereby indicating a date that the bag device  200  is utilized. The first buttons  213 , the second buttons  215  and the third buttons  217  are also reusable and can be easily returned to an original undepressed state. The first buttons  213  include 12 month buttons  213 ′ each displaying a number 1 to 12 and can be depressed to indicate the month that the bag device  200  is utilized. The 12 month buttons  213 ′ correspond to a month of the year that the bag device  200  is utilized. For example, the number 1 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized in January, the number 2 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized in February and the number 3 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized in March and so on sequentially for each of the 12 months of the year. The second buttons  215  include 4 week buttons  215 ′ each displaying a number 1 to 4 that can be depressed to indicate a week that the bag device  200  is utilized. The 4 week buttons  215 ′ correspond to a week of the month that the bag device  200  is utilized. For example, the number 1 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized in the first week of a month, the number 2 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized in the second week of the month and the number 3 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized in the third week of the month and so on sequentially for each of the 4 weeks of the month. The third buttons  217  include 7 day buttons  217 ′ each displaying a number 1 to 7 that can be depressed to indicate a day that the bag device  200  is utilized. The 7 day buttons  217 ′ correspond to a day of the week that the bag device  200  is utilized. For example, the number 1 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized on a first day of the week, the number 2 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized on the second day of the week and the number 3 button can be depressed to indicate that the bag device  200  is utilized on the third day of the week and so on sequentially for each of the 7 days of the week. The clip  210  allows a user to date their bag  240  without using a pen, a marker or other writing instrument. 
     The first portion  212  and the second portion  214  of the clip  210  each have a pair of corresponding apertures  218 . The first portion  212  and the second portion  214  of the clip  210  are made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS or any other suitable material and the first buttons  213 , the second buttons  215  and the third buttons  217  are made of silicon or other suitable material, The rod  220  is extended through each of the pair of corresponding apertures  218  to connect the first portion  212  and the second portion  214  of the clip  210  and allow the first portion  212  and the second portion  214  of the clip  210  to rotate when depressed by a user. The rod  220  is made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS or any other suitable material. The one or more springs  230  each have an aperture  232  that the rod  220  is extended through to provide tension on the first portion  212  and the second portion  214  of the clip  210 . The one or more springs  230  are made of steel or any other suitable material. The bag  240  is a colored-coded freezer bag  242  that indicate a color  250  that corresponds to a type  260  of food item  210  contained in the bag device  200 . The bag  240  can be a freezer bag  240   a  or other suitable bag. The color  250  can be red, yellow, pink, blue or other suitable colors and the type  260  of food item  210  can be beef, chicken, pork, seafood or any other suitable type of food item. The color  250  can be translucent or opaque by way of tinting or printing or other suitable process. A red freezer bag  241  is color-coded to contain beef, a yellow freezer bag  243  is color-coded to contain chicken, a pink freezer bag  244  is color-coded to contain pork and a blue freezer bag  245  is color-coded to contain seafood. The bag  240  can also contain other suitable colors and suitable types of food items as well. The bag  240  is made of polypropylene but can be made of any suitable material. The bag  240  can be any suitable size and dimensions. The bag device  200  and clip  210  can be utilized in combination with other types of bags other than bags. A plurality of bags  240  can be packaged together in a suitable package (not shown) as well that is separate from the bag device  200 . The plurality of bags  240  can have a plurality of colors  250  such as two colors, three colors, four colors, five colors or any other suitable number of colors packaged together in a suitable package  255 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a front perspective view of a bag device  300 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bag device  300  includes a clip  310 , a rod  320 , one or more torsion springs  330  and a bag  340 . The clip  310 , the rod  320  and the one or more torsion springs  330  illustrated in  FIG. 3  are similar to the clip  210 , the rod  220  and the one or more torsion springs  230  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The bag  340  illustrated in  FIG. 3  utilizes a transparent freezer bag  342  in contrast to the colored-coded freezer bag  242  utilized in  FIG. 2 . The transparent freezer bag  342  allows a user to see what one or more food items  210  are contained in the transparent freezer bag  342 . The bag  340  is made of polypropylene but can be made of any suitable material. 
     In one embodiment of the bag device, the bag device allows a user to securely close a bag with a food item contained in the bag, to accurately date the bag and to easily determine what type of food item is contained in the bag. 
     In one embodiment of the bag device, the bag device reduces the amount of time a user would keep a freezer door open while looking for a specific bag. 
     In another embodiment of the clip of the bag device, the clip accurately dates a bag that can be utilized in combination with a color-coded bag or a transparent bag. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a side environmental view of a bag clip  400 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bag clip  400  illustrated in  FIG. 4  secures and dates a bag  400  that can be a colored-coded freezer bag  242 , a transparent freezer bag  342  or other suitable freezer bag. The bag clip  400  illustrated in  FIG. 4  includes a clip  410 , a rod  420  and one or more torsion springs  430  that are similar to the clip  210 , the rod  220  and the one or more torsion springs  230  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The bag clip  400  is reusable and removable from any attached bag  400 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of a bag clip  500 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The bag clip  500  illustrated in  FIG. 5  includes a clip  510 , a rod  520  and one or more torsion springs  530  that are similar to the clip  210 , the rod  220  and the one or more torsion springs  230  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The bag clip  500  illustrated in  FIG. 5  secures and dates a bag ( FIG. 4 ,  400 ) that can be a colored-coded freezer bag ( FIG. 2 ,  242 ), a transparent freezer bag ( FIG. 3 ,  342 ) or other suitable freezer bag. The bag clip  500  is reusable and removable from any attached bag ( FIG. 4 ,  400 ). 
     Use of the bag device  100  is straightforward. A user can obtain a bag device  100  and place a desired food item  110  in the bag  240 . If the bag  240  is a color coded freezer bag  242 , the food item  110  contained in the bag  240  must correspond to the color  250  on the bag  240 . A clip  210  is attached to the bag  240  and a first plurality of reusable buttons  213 , a second plurality of reusable buttons  215  and a third plurality of reusable buttons  217  disposed on a front facing  216  of the first portion  212  of the clip  210  are depressed to indicate a date that the bag  240  is placed in a freezer or other suitable area. The first reusable buttons  213 , the second reusable buttons  215  and the third reusable buttons  217  remain depressed thereby indicating a date that the bag device  200  is utilized. 
     While the present invention has been related in terms of the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. The present invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.