Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a garment bag, more particularly a garment bag with pockets to allow for inclusion of items such as accessories, photos, tags and tracking tools. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Costumers in the wardrobe, film and entertainment industries are often plagued with problems related to the organization and continuity of costumes. For example, with current bags the costume designer may be unable to see exactly what has been put into each bag due to a lack of proper organizational tools within the bag, causing items to be broken, forgotten or two characters/people to accidentally wear the same thing. 
         [0003]    In another instance, the lack of organization in current bags could result in one or more garments or accessories being left behind. For example, a pair of shoes needed for the filming of a movie could be inadvertently left at the costume shop because they were in a separate bag. The shop is forty minutes away from set causing the entire film to be on hold for an hour and a half until the shoes are retrieved. 
         [0004]    In yet another instance, a client could be unsure how to wear the wardrobe provided in the garment bag. For example, a high profile celebrity has to travel out of town for a major event, but their stylist is unable to pre-fit or talk through the outfit before the celebrity has to depart. As a result, the celebrity assembles the outfit incorrectly and misses out on the stylist&#39;s trendsetting tips. This could be a significant problem as wardrobe can be a big part of the celebrity&#39;s public appeal. 
         [0005]    A last example is when identification tags or accessories are lost or ripped out of the bag during transportation and/or storage. An example of this would be when a film needs to reshoot scene(s) months after the original shoot, but when the costumer receives the garment bags from storage, all the identifying tags and jewelry that were pinned to the bag in accordance with industry standard have torn through the plastic or sprung open causing the items to be missing and/or the entire outfit to be unmarked. This forces the costumer to spend valuable time searching through continuity paperwork, inventory and original purchasing paperwork to find or re-purchase the correct pieces. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    The garment bag disclosed will be referred to herein as “the runway bag.” The runway bag is a clear, reusable garment bag comprised of multiple panels, including a front, back, two sides, a top and a bottom. Attached on one or more sides of the bag are pockets for continuity photos, inventory lists, manila tags, name tags, tracking tools (such as, but not limited to barcodes and GPS trackers) and accessories ranging from small earrings to larger pieces such as shoes, thus allowing for an entire outfit from head to toe to be stored neatly within one garment bag. 
         [0007]    The features of the garment bag disclosed herein resolve many, if not all, of the problems associated with current garment bags, as discussed previously. In a preferred embodiment, the runway bag is constructed of clear plastic to allow the user (typically a costumer or designer) to see exactly what is in the bag and organize their artistic choices for each outfit. This feature is extremely important for designers working in confined spaces, where organization is essential. The clear plastic also makes it possible to compare multiple accessorized outfits or character costume choices in an organized manner. 
         [0008]    In addition, the runway bag has accessory pocket panels, comprised of multiple pockets for accessories (small and medium) and shoes. Since all items of an outfit can be placed within a secure, designated pocket on/in the runway bag, the designer and their team only need to focus only one bag, alleviating the pressure to remember multiple bags and boxes for each look. Also, the bag is designed with a pocket to accommodate a checklist or inventory list for added assurance. 
         [0009]    There is also a pocket to store a continuity photo so a stylist can send an image with the runway bag full of clothing to inform the celebrity/client precisely how to wear the outfit, avoiding confusion and missed trendsetting moments. 
         [0010]    Lastly, the runway bag has a pocket for a tracking tool—whether a barcode, GPS tracker or some other tool of a similar nature—allowing the Designer and their team to check the bag into and out of each location much like tracking a package in the postal system. The bag&#39;s tracking device allows for a checking-in process or locating device so bags rarely get misplaced or left behind. 
         [0011]    The Runway Bag is the first garment bag treated as an artistic tool intended to help designers, stylists and their teams to organize their desired outfits and ensure the proper execution no matter how many times the look is revisited or sent to and from storage. There is no bag that allows a designer or stylist to organize a look in a neat and straightforward fashion, let alone allow for continuity or tracking These three key elements—the clear accessory pockets on a clear bag, the continuity photo pocket, and the tracking device—make the runway bag an artistic organizational tool that helps designers and stylists maximize their time, efficiency, and ultimately the vision of their work. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the runway bag. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of the runway bag. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a right side view of the runway bag. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a left side view of the runway bag. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the runway bag. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the runway back 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a detail view of the small accessory pocket panel. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a detail view of the medium accessory pocket panel. 
       
    
    
     PARTS LIST 
       [0000]    
       
           1 . Front panel 
           2 . Back panel 
           3 . Side panel 
           4 . Bottom panel 
           5 . Access panel 
           6 . Hanger access panel 
           7 . Access hole (in hanger access panel) 
           8 . Zipper  8  (all zippers) 
           9 . Label pocket on access panel 
           10 . Small accessory pocket panel 
           11 . Medium accessory pocket panel 
           12 . Large accessory pocket 
           13 . Continuity photo pocket (in small accessory pocket panel) 
           14 . Inventory list Pocket (in small accessory pocket panel) 
           15 . Small jewelry pocket (in small accessory pocket panel) 
           16 . Medium jewelry pocket (in small accessory pocket panel) 
           17 . Small accessory pocket (in medium accessory pocket panel) 
           18 . Medium accessory pocket (in medium accessory pocket panel) 
           19 . Tracking Device 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0039]    In one embodiment, the runway bag is comprised of multiple primary panels. For example, the primary panels include front  1 , back  2 , side  3 , and bottom  4  panels. Preferably, all of the panels are a clear material, such as plastic. The panels may be bound and double stitched together with twill and bias tape on all sides, or other appropriate means to join the panels. 
         [0040]    In the embodiment shown in the figures, the front panel  1  and back panel  2  are connected near the top of the bag. At the top, center of the bag, positioned between the front  1  and back  2  panels, is a hanger access panel  6 . The front panel  1  and the back panel  2  are connected on either side of the hanger access panel  6 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The hanger access panel  6  has an access hole  7  through which the hook-shaped portion of a standard hanger may pass. Preferably, the edges of the access hole  7  are reinforced to prevent tearing. 
         [0041]    The front  1  and back  2  panels are also connected to at least one side panel  3 . In the embodiment shown in the figures, the front  1  and back  2  panels are connected to two side panels  3 . One or both of the side panels  3  functions as an access panel  5 . In the embodiment shown in the figures, the access panel  5  is located on the left side of the bag, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The access panel  5  has a zipper  8  which spans either the entire or partial length of the access panel  5 . Depending on its positioning, one side of a zipper  8  is connected to the front panel  1  or the back panel  2  with the other side of the zipper connected to the access panel  5 . 
         [0042]    A label pocket  9  is provided on at least one of the panels.  FIG. 3  shows the label pocket  9  on the access panel  5 . Preferably the label pocket  9  is sized to allow a standard size manila tag. 
         [0043]    The front  1  and back  2  panels are connected to the side panels  3  along their longitudinal edges. In the embodiment shown in the figures, a side panel  3  functioning as an access panel  5  is shown on the left side and a side panel  3  is on the right side of the runway bag ( FIGS. 3 &amp; 4 ). 
         [0044]    The bottom panel  4  is attached along its edges to the bottom edges of the front  1 , back  2 , side  3  and access  5  panels. 
         [0045]    In an alternative embodiment, the side panels  3  and bottom panel  4  are all one continuous piece. This continuous piece is positioned between the front  1  and back  2  panels, and attached along its perimeter to the front panel  1  and back panel  2 , respectively. In other embodiments, different panels are formed as one piece. 
         [0046]    Attached to the front panel  1  are a small accessory pocket panel  10  and a medium accessory pocket panel  11 . Each panel  10 ,  11  is comprised of multiple compartments. Both panels  10 ,  11  run horizontally across the front panel  1 . The pocket panels  10 ,  11  are attached along their top and bottom edges to the front panel  1 , by stitching or other suitable means such as an adhesive or welding. The side edges of the pocket panels  10 ,  11  are attached to the edges of the bag where the front panel  1  is attached to the side panel  3  and the access panel  5 . Running along the top of the panels  10 ,  11  are zippers  8 . Each panel is divided into multiple pockets by stitching the panel  10 ,  11  itself to the front panel  1 . 
         [0047]    In one embodiment, the small accessory pocket panel  10  has five pockets or compartments, created by one panel of clear fabric attached to the front panel  1 , where the edge of each individual pocket is a vertical stitch line connecting the small accessory pocket panel  10  and front panel  1 . The small accessory pocket panel  10  has individual pockets specifically sized to hold items such as a continuity photo  13 , inventory list  14 , small jewelry  15  and medium jewelry  16 . There is a zipper  8  that runs along the entire top of the small accessory pocket panel  10  to provide access to each of the individual pockets. 
         [0048]    Alternatively, the small accessory pocket panel  10  may have pockets that span only a partial length of the panel  10 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , there may be a two small jewelry pockets  15  separated from the medium jewelry pocket  16  by a horizontal stitch line accompanied by another zipper  8  at the top of the medium jewelry pocket  16 . 
         [0049]    In one embodiment, the medium accessory pocket panel  11  is positioned on the front panel  1  below the small accessory pocket panel  10  and consists of three pockets. The medium accessory pocket panel  11  is created by one panel of clear fabric attached to the front panel  1 , where the edge of each pocket is a vertical stitch line connecting the medium accessory pocket panel  10  and front panel  1 . In this embodiment, the medium accessory pocket panel  11  is comprised of two pockets specifically sized to hold small accessories  17  and one pocket sized to hold medium accessories  18 . The pockets may be pleated to allow for extra storage space. 
         [0050]    Attached to the back panel  2  is a large accessory pocket  12 , preferably sized to allow footwear and other similar sized items. The top edge of the large accessory pocket  12  contains a zipper  8  that runs the width of the pocket  12 . In a preferred embodiment, the pocket  12  is constructed with a large box pleat to allow for maximum storage. The large accessory pocket  12  is attached along its top edge to the back panel  2 , with the side and bottom edges bound and stitched into the side seams where the back panel  2  is attached to the access panel  5  and side panel  3 . 
         [0051]    The runway bag may also include a tracking device  19 , such as a barcode or a global positioning system tracker, QR code or equivalent. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, this tracking device  19  is positioned in one of the pockets of the small accessory pocket panel  10 , but can be located in any suitable location in or on the runway bag.

Technology Category: a