Abstract:
A hanging laundry bag comprising foldable enclosure having hanger sleeves attached to the longer sides thereof accepting conventional wire or wood hangers and suspending the bag from a hanger rod. The bag also includes two straps for suspending the bag from hooks or for easily transporting the bag when it is full of laundry. The bag may further include magnetic fasteners for retaining the bag in a closed position. The bag may also include a removable liner for segregating damp laundry from the remaining portions of the bag, and any number of pockets within the compartment for securing smaller items.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/764,799, filed Feb. 3, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to storage articles and, more particularly, toward an hanging apparatus for storing and transporting laundry. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Dirty laundry, when not simply left on the floor or deposited into a hamper, is often placed into a conventional laundry bag formed by stitching together two pieces of fabric to form an enclosure having an opening at one end, and a drawstring provided in the hemline of the opening. These laundry bags are difficult to use because the drawstring is difficult to manipulate as it is subject to twisting, knotting, or breaking. In addition, the drawstring is often painful to a user trying to tote a full bag of laundry, particular if the laundry is damp or wet. The laundry bags are also difficult to store, as the drawstring will automatically close the opening of the bag if it is placed on a hook. These conventional systems also lack the ability to be suspended from a closet hanging rod, and thus must be placed on the floor. Finally, these laundry bags are usually far from aesthetically pleasing. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a laundry bag that is easily suspended from a hook or closet rod. 
         [0007]    It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a laundry bag that is easy to use. 
         [0008]    It is an additional object and advantage of the present invention to provide a laundry bag that is easy to transport. 
         [0009]    It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a laundry bag that is aesthetically pleasing. 
         [0010]    It is yet a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a laundry bag that remains in an open position. 
         [0011]    In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides a hanging laundry bag comprising a laundry enclosure having hanger sleeves attached thereto for accepting conventional hangers and suspending the bag from a hanger rod. In addition, the hanger sleeves allow the bag to be placed in an open configuration while the bag is suspended from a rod via the hangers. The bag may further include fasteners for retaining the bag in a closed position, and straps for easily transporting the bag. The bag may also include a removable liner for segregating damp laundry from the remaining portions of the bag, and any number of pockets within the compartment for securing smaller items. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0012]    The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of an embodiment of present invention in the open position with the hanger sleeves in upward position and the tote straps placed around hanger neck opening. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention in the open position with internal pocket and magnetic snap closures visible. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention in the closed position with one hanger sleeve in upward position and tote straps placed around hanger neck opening, and second hanger sleeve in downward position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in the closed position with both hanger sleeves in downward position and the tote straps in use. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a removable liner for a hanging bag according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIG. 1  a handing laundry bag  10  according to the present invention. Bag  10  provides a stylish and discreet way to store and transport clothing, such as for laundering. Bag  10  is adapted to be hanging in a closet via a standard clothes hanger or on a hook. 
         [0019]    Bag  10  generally comprises a body  12  formed from a flexible material, such as fabric, which may be printed with pleasing designs. Body  12  preferably comprises a front  14  and a back  16  attached together using a bottom seam  18  and two seams  20  and  22  and folded to form planar sides, although separate panels may be used in lieu of seams  18 ,  20  and  22  to form discrete sides. Along these lines front  14 , back  16 , bottom  18 , and any sides may be formed from separate pieces of fabric that are stitched together, or (to the extent possible) fewer pieces that includes folds rather than seams. Front  14 , back  16 , bottom seam  18 , and side seams  20  and  22  thus form an enclosure  24  that is accessible via a bag opening  26  or mouth at the top of body  12 . Side seams  20  and  22  are preferably positioned at an intermediate location to encourage easy folding of the material used to construct bag  10 . 
         [0020]    Bag  10  further comprises two hanger sleeves  28  and  30  interconnected to the upper edge of front  14  and back  16 , respectively, proximate to opening  26 . Hanger sleeves  28  and  30  comprise triangularly shaped first members  32  and  34  that are each attached along one side to the upper edge of front  14  and back  16 , respectively, to form a pouch. Hanger sleeves  28  and  30  further comprise triangularly shaped second members  36  and  38  that are attached to the remaining sides of first members  32  and  34 , thereby leaving a first, wide aperture  40  between each of first and second members  32  and  36  and first and second members  34  and  38  along the upper edge of enclosure  24 . Each of hanger sleeves  28  and  30  also include a second, narrow aperture  42  at their free, pointed ends. Those of skill in the art will instantly recognize that hanger sleeves  28  and  30  should be dimensioned to accommodate conventional wire or wood hangers that are inserted through wide aperture  40  and positioned such that the hook portion of the hanger extends through narrow aperture  42 . As a result, as seen in  FIG. 2 , bag  10  may be suspended from a closet hanger pole  44  by conventional hangers  46  and  48  positioned within hanger sleeves  28  and  30 , respectively. 
         [0021]    Bag further comprises two straps  50  and  52 , each of which are attached at both ends to each of front  14  and back  16 , respectively, proximate to bag opening  26 , thereby forming handles for carrying bag  10 . In addition, bag  10  may be suspended from a pole or hook using one or both of straps  50  and  52 , as seen in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , bag  10  further comprises two sets of fasteners  54  and  56  attached along the inner surfaces of front  14  and back  16  proximate to bag opening  26 . Fasteners preferably comprise magnetized snaps that may be repeatedly engaged and disengaged, thereby allowing bag opening  26  to be selectively opened or closed by a user, and held firmly closed when fasteners  54  and  56  are in magnetic and/or snap engagement. Bag  10  may also include one or more pockets  60  attached within enclosure  24  to the inner surface of front  14  or back  16 . 
         [0023]    A removable support sleeve  62  comprised of two layers of fabric attached to each other along their peripheral edges to form a pouch containing a rigid member  64  therein, such as a piece of plastic or cardboard. Sleeve  62  may be provided separately or affixed inside bag  10 . Those of skill in the art will recognize that sleeve  62  may also be formed using the bottom of front  14  or back  16  as one of the layers of fabric, thereby forming a permanent support positioned in the bottom of bag  10 . Alternatively, only three sides of sleeve  62  may be closed to allow removal of rigid member  64  as desired. 
         [0024]    Bag  10  may additionally comprise a removable insert  66  having a front  68 , a back  70 , two sides  72  and  74 , and two handles  76  and  78  that correspond to those elements of bag  10 . Insert  66  is preferably formed from a water-resilient or waterproof material, such as coated nylon, thereby providing a moisture barrier between and damp laundry placed in bag  10  and the fabric from which bag  10  is constructed. Insert  66  may be provided with nearly the same dimension as bag  10 , or with less height to allow for additional laundry to be placed in bag  10  under insert  66 . Insert  66  may also include fasteners  80  and  82  corresponding to fasteners  54  and  56  to allow insert  66  to be selectively affixed within or disengaged from bag  10 . 
         [0025]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, bag  10  is provided a width of eighteen inches and a depth of six inches to easily fit into standard closets. The height of bag  10  may preferably vary from ten inches to eighteen inches. First members  32  and  34  of hanger sleeves  28  and  30  are preferably ten and a half inches between narrow aperture  42  and wide aperture  40 , while second members  36  and  38  of hanger sleeves  28  and  30  are eight and a half inches from narrow aperture  42  and wide aperture  40  to accommodate standard wire clothes hangers. 
         [0026]    Bag  10  may be assembled by separately assembling body  12 , hangar sleeves  28  and  30 , and support sleeve  62 , and joining the elements together. For example, support sleeve  62  is formed by attaching two layers of fabric along three sides, inserting rigid member  64 , and then attaching to the bottom edge of back  16 . With respect to the formation of body  12 , any pocket  50  is attached to inside of back  16 . Front  14  and back  16  are then attached together along bottom seam  18  and side seams  20  and  22 . Squared edges for bottom of bag  10  may be created by stitching bottom seam  18  to side seams  20  and  22 . The upper edge of body  12  is then folded over to form a hemline, and straps  50  and  52  are attached to the hemline. A support band  84  may further be attached to the hemline to strengthen the attachment of straps  50  and  52 . With respect to hanger sleeves  28  and  30 , first members  32  and  34  are preferably formed by stitching together two layers of material such that any printed sides face outwardly in both directions. Those of skill in the art should recognize that the various elements of bag  10  may be formed from one or more layers of material. For example, when printed fabric is used to construct bag  10 , multiple plies will likely be desired for first members  32  and  34  of hanger sleeves  28  and  30 , as both sides of hanger sleeves  28  and  30  may be visible pending on the configuration of bag  10 . Second members  36  and  38  are then stitched to first members  32  and  34 , leaving wide aperture  40  and narrow aperture  42 . Hanger sleeves  28  and  30  are then individually stitched to front  14  and back  16  via first members  32  and  34 , respectively, being careful to leave wide aperture  40  free. Fasteners  54  and  56  may then be attached at the designated locations. 
         [0027]    When using two hangers, each hanger should be slid into each of hanger sleeves  28  and  30 . Straps  50  and  52  may be looped over the hook of each hanger to keep them out of the way when bag  10  is hanged in a closet or on a rod. Bag opening  26  may then be placed in the open position or closed position by engaging fasteners  54  and  56 . Alternatively, one hanger may be slid into one of hanger sleeves  28  or  30 , and both straps  50  and  52  looped over the hook of the single hanger to keep them out of the way when bag  10  is hanged in a closet or on a rod. If hanging in place using one of straps  50  or  52 , bag  10  may be in the open or closed position. If both straps  50  or  52  are used, bag  10  will likely be in the closed position. 
         [0028]    Bag  10  thus allows a user to simply drop laundry therein for storage and, when the laundry is ready for transportation, bag  10  may be closed and used to transport the laundry. Bag  10  may also be easily transported empty, such as when traveling, as it may be easily folded and placed in a suitcase for later used.