Abstract:
A gift bag for presentation of a gift, with the gift bag including an attached pocket for holding an insert such as a gift card, birthday card, greeting card, or other type of card.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]     This application claims the priority date of the provisional application entitled BAG WITH POCKET filed by Jayne Schindele on May 18, 2005 with application Ser. No. 60/682,493, and provisional application entitled BAG WITH POCKET AND VARIATIONS filed by Jayne Schindele on Jun. 1, 2005 with application Ser. No. 60/686,568. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Field of the Invention. The present invention generally relates to gift containers, and more specifically to gifts containers such as bags and boxes, and more specifically the invention is related to gift bags with an attached pocket.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Background Information. People often give presents which are contained in a gift bag to enhance the presentation of the gift. Gift bags can take a number of forms, but are typically made of paper or plastic, with color or patterns or designs that are appropriate to the occasion. With the gift a card is often enclosed in the bag. This is not very handy, and a better form of gift presentation would be to have the card be more accessible. Besides a card to the recipient of the gift, other items are sometimes included with the gift, such as gift certificates, poems, money, and photographs, which are used to personalize and enhance the significance of the greeting card. There is a need in the art for a gift package that easily and properly holds an insert of various types.  
         [0004]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gift presentation and package for containing a gift, and for holding for display an insert.  
         [0005]     Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The invention is a gift bag, with the gift bag including a front and back side, a left and a right side, and a bottom. Attached to at least one side of the gift bag is at least one pocket, with the pocket being present to hold one or more insert. The insert can be gift card, a greeting card, or any type of card. It can also be money, a photo, or decorative items like tissue, or objects like pen, pencils, a flower, or other three dimensional items. The gift bag is configured for enclosing a gift and for displaying to a gift recipient the insert in the pocket.  
         [0007]     The gift bag can also include a top flap which is an extension of one side of the gift bag, with the top flap configured to drape from one side of the gift bag to an opposite side. The top flap has in an out-facing surface and an in-facing surface, and the pocket can be attached to either the out-facing or the in-facing surface.  
         [0008]     The gift bag can also be made with the pocket attached to said in-facing surface, so that said insert and pocket are not accessible when the top flat is draped over said opposite side, and becomes accessible when said top flap is moved to a vertical position or bends away from the gift bag.  
         [0009]     The gift bag can also be configured so that the pocket is attached to the out-facing surface, so that the insert and pocket are accessible when the top flat is draped over the opposite side.  
         [0010]     The gift bag can also be configured so that the pocket is attached to the out-facing surface, and the top flap is configured to fold and hang inside the gift bag, with the insert and pocket accessible when the top flat hangs inside the gift bag.  
         [0011]     The gift bag can be made so that the pocket is attached to an out-facing surface of at least one of the sides.  
         [0012]     The gift bag can be made so that each of the sides have an out-facing and an in-facing surface, with the in-facing surfaces forming the interior of the gift bag, and with the pocket attached to an in-facing or an out-facing surface of at least one of the sides. The pocket can also be configured to include a window for display of a photo inserted in the pocket, and also to receive an insert.  
         [0013]     The gift package of the invention can also be in the form of a gift bag, which is generally rectangular, with four sides and a bottom. The sides are configured to fold together at a free edge to form a gathered top edge. In this configuration, the gift bag contains at least one opening in each side of a pair of opposite sides of the package, for passing a closure ribbon between the openings. The openings would preferably include a grommet, and could be two openings on one side and one opening on another side, two openings on each side, or one opening on each opposite side. The closure ribbon passed through the openings from one opposite side to another, and served to close the top edges of the gift package, and hold the gift package closed by securing the closure ribbon. The closure ribbon can be ribbon, rope, cord, string, lace, chain, beads on a string, raffia, or other string or ribbon like material, or fabric that can be tied. The free ends of the ribbon can be made available to tie a bow as part of the packaging of the gift package. The free ends can also pass over the top of the free edges of the sides and secure the gift package over the top edge of the sides.  
         [0014]     The invention can also be in a configuration that is in the form of a gift bag that is enclosed within another bag, with the outer bag having shorter sides than the inner bag. The outer bag thus forms pockets between the walls of the inner and outer bag. More than one bag can surround the inner bag. The inner bag would be a generally rectangular gift package with four sides and a bottom, with an outer liner surrounding the gift package, the outer liner comprising four sides and a bottom and configured for a snug fit around the gift package, with the sides of the outer liner being shorter than the sides of the gift package, and forming pockets between the sides of the outer liner and the sides of the gift package, with the pockets configured for receiving an insert. As in all the embodiments described, the insert which goes in the pocket can be any type of card, a photo, or other gift related item or decorative item.  
         [0015]     The gift package described above can also have another bag around the two bags, to form a bag within a bag, within a bag, with the outer bags forming pockets for insertion of cards or other items as described above. The sides of the second outer liner would be shorter than the sides of the outer liner, and thus form pockets between the sides of the second outer liner and the sides of the outer liner, with the pockets configured for receiving an insert.  
         [0016]     The invention can also be a kit for preparing a gift package, the kit including a gift box with a box body and a box lid that goes on the box body. The box lid would have a preformed bow attached to the box lid. In one configuration, the bow is attached to the box lid through holes in the box lid, and the holes can include grommets. Ribbons may be attached to the box lid, for use in preparing a gift box with a bow, which presents a finished appearance from the kit. The ribbons may be attached through holes on the box lid and may include a preformed ribbon attached to the box lid.  
         [0017]     The invention may also be a kit for preparing a gift package including a gift box with box body and a box lid, and a box sleeve configured to slid over the box body and box lid when the box body and lid are joined, in order to attach the box lid to the box body, with a preformed bow and or ribbons attached to the box sleeve. The ribbons may be used in preparing a gift box with a finished appearance from the kit, using the ribbons to wrap around the gift box.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert on the top lid.  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert on the top lid.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert on the top lid.  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert on the inside of the gift bag.  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert and holes with ribbon closure.  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert and holes with ribbon closure.  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a gift bag with a pocket and insert and holes with ribbon closure.  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a gift bag with an outer liner and a second outer liner, basically a bag within a bag within a bag, forming multiple pockets for inserts.  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a gift box with a bow and ribbons attached to the lid.  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a gift box with a closure sleeve and a bow attached to the sleeve. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]      FIG. 1  shows a gift bag with a pocket for receiving an insert. The pocket is built to receive an insert, which can be a greeting card, thank you card, gift certificate, or other card for placement in the pocket. It can also be a photo, a decorative tissue, and can include a bow, a flower, a feather, or other gift related or decorative item. Shown is a bag  12 , with a pocket  14 , and an insert  18 . The bag includes sides  16  and a bottom  56 . The gift bag would typically be made of paper, but other materials could also be used, such as plastic or fabric.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  shows a gift bag in which the pocket  14  is built into a top flap  20  which folds over the top of the bag, with the pocket facing toward the bag. This version would display the pocket if the flap is flipped down against the side to which it is attached. It can also be folded as shown by the dotted line.  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  shows another version of a gift bag  12  with a pocket  14  for an insert  16 , and in this version the pocket is on the outside of the flap  20  when the flap is folded into the interior of the bag.  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  shows another version of a gift bag  12  with a pocket  14  for an insert  16 , and in this version the pocket is on the outside of the flap  20  and the flap is configured to fold over the open top of the bag, for display of the pocket and insert on the side of the gift bag.  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is a variation of the bag shown in  FIG. 2 , in which the pocket is positioned on the in facing surface of the bag side.  
         [0034]      FIG. 6  is a version of a gift bag which includes a pocket which is configured to display a photograph, as well as holding an insert. The insert could also be a photo as discussed above. This version also has holes in the sides, with grommets  28  and one or more closure ribbons  30 . The closure ribbon can be made of actual ribbon, or can be other types of material such as string, lace, rope, cord, or other similar materials. The closure ribbon  30  can include a cinch  44  for drawing the bag closed with the closure ribbon.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are other forms of the gift bag with grommets  28  and a closure ribbon  30 . These are alternative uses of the closure ribbon.  
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is a configuration of the gift bag of the invention, which includes an outer liner  48 , and also a second outer liner  50 . One or more outer liners could be provided for a gift bag to create pockets  14  between the walls of the gift bag and the walls of the outer liner. An insert  18  could be placed in any of these pockets. This version of the gift bag is basically a bag-within-a-bag.  
         [0037]      FIG. 10  shows a version of the invention which includes a box lid  34 , and box body  36 , and an attached ribbon  40 . The ribbon is preferably attached to the box lid by means of one or more holes  32 . This version can include one or more ribbons attached to the lid, as a replacement to the bow, as a way to make the bow, or as a decorative element in addition to the bow. The ribbon can wrap around the lid only, or may be wrapped around the box and lid.  
         [0038]      FIG. 11  shows a variation of the invention which includes a box lid  34 , a box body  36  and a sleeve  42 . The sleeve  42  slides on the box and lid, holds them together. The sleeve  42  includes an attached ribbon  54 . The ribbon is preferably attached to the box lid by means of one or more holes  52 . This version can include one or more ribbons attached to the lid, as a replacement to the bow, as a way to make the bow, or as a decorative element in addition to the bow. The ribbon attached to the sleeve can wrap around the lid only, or may be wrapped around the box and lid.