US20120031935A1

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Info

Publication number: US20120031935A1
Application number: US13/166,204
Authority: US
Inventors: Anne Marie Hanlon Cook
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-07
Filing date: 2011-06-22
Publication date: 2012-02-09

Abstract

Disclosed is a device forming a combination of a briefcase, purse, and/or backpack having a cushioned seat pad either permanently sewn onto or inserted into the cover flap of the device, referred to as a Personal Item Carrier. For comfort and security purposes, the cushioned-filled cover flap can be flipped onto any seating surface and serve the purpose of providing comfort and/or warmth to the posterior of any person atop any otherwise uncomfortable surface. The Personal Item Carrier is then in a safe position and is in immediate, continual contact with the user, either directly behind the calves of the person, adjacent to either side of the user, or on the lap. By this arrangement, the user can easily access the contents of the carrier, without concern of the carrier or its contents being removed or stolen.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/401,058, filed on Aug. 7, 2010, and is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

Sitting on hard, wet, cold surfaces is uncomfortable for people of all ages and sizes. The typical uncomfortable surfaces that are obvious include (but are not limited to) stadium seating, outside benches as in parks, outdoor or indoor restaurant seating, and generally, any seating with a hard surface in or out of doors. Also presenting challenges for outdoor ventures are any natural surface of the ground or trails in wooded areas. People can pack cushions, blankets or pillows into purses, backpacks or other methods of carriage if they know ahead of time that the seating will be uncomfortable. However, these items are bulky and cumbersome. Very often, people are not prepared for unexpected and unpleasant seating arrangements at all. The location could be commonly used areas such as a church pew, a library chair, a park bench, a train seat, or a rock or fallen tree trunk in the woods.

Another concern is for the security of the contents of the purse, backpack, or other carriage means. For example, a purse may be stolen from under a chair, or credit cards may be removed from a backpack that is sitting beside the owner on a bench. The inventive concept disclosed herein incorporates a manageable, comfortable seating surface with a person's everyday purse, tote, backpack or other such personal item carrier. Therefore, the user of this device is never without an immediate comfortable source for sitting, which includes means of securing personal items and important objects in an integral pouch and/or accessory pockets. The disclosed device is always within arm's reach, accessible, and easily collapsed, folded, and prepared for transport.

(2) Description of the Related Art

The following U.S. patents, patent application publications or other patent related documents are indicative of the general type of inventions in the field.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,740; Feb. 21, 1978, inventor, Anderson. This device features a combination pocketbook and cushion wherein the cushion can be detached from the pocketbook and sat on during protracted periods of sitting. The pocketbook includes a flap having a snap fastener for attachment to a complemental snap fastener on the cushion. The pocketbook is also provided with an exterior, expandable pouch for carrying items.

Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,310, (1978), Shields is a combined cushion and article carrier, the invention particularly provides a foam cushion held within a bag-like fabric covering, the fabric covering having a shoulder strap connected thereto to facilitate carrying. When used as a pillow, money, important documents or other valuable possessions may be placed in the pocket and thus protected from theft.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,918, Mar. 4, 1980, inventor Harvell. This invention is a hand-carryable folding cushion assembly having two cushions interconnected by a flexible inner panel and foldable from an extended position to a position where the cushions lie in back-to-back relationship. This device has a carrying strap and pocket for carrying necessary articles.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,315, Jan. 4, 1994, inventor, Carmack, a waist pack adapted to be worn about the waist of a human is disclosed. The waist pack includes at least one interior compartment. Attached to the waist pack by means of a connecting strap is a seat cushion.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,463 Oct. 6, 1998 Echeverri. A pack for safely securing personal items below stadium seating at sporting events includes a flexible sack including one or more pockets that can be scaled by a closure flap. One of such pockets may be used to contain a seat cushion to be placed upon such stadium seating.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,330 Aug. 31, 1993 Thompson. A beach chair bundle includes first, second, third, and fourth panels of terry cloth. The second panel is folded up on the first and fastened to it along side edges to form a pouch for a removable pillow. Tie loops connect the pillow pouch to the utility pocket, through the chair structure, to secure the beach chair bundle to the chair.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,132 Feb. 16, 1999 Hargreaves. A three-in-one belt pack having in combination a conventional pack, a cushion-flap, and a belt. When used in protection mode, the cushion-flap functions as a seat, being a comfortable, waterproof cushion, or as a walking advertising display, and as a protective barrier which shields the user's clothing from becoming soiled due to filthy chairs or benches.

Publication # DE 19820490 (Germany) Nov. 18, 1999 Hanik This device is an assembly comprising a seat cushion with an integrated cap of which is equipped with a visor for additional protection against snow and rain. The front side of the cushion is equipped with a pocket with a flap and Velcro fastener for storing the lightweight cape.

An English patent application publication #GB 2373718, Oct. 2, 2002, by Jones features a cushion/bag, or travel bag combination using a polystyrene bead filing as a cushioning medium and featuring an additional small cushion which may also contain polystyrene beads, and further incorporating securable storage spaces which are for a user's possessions. One embodiment of the invention may comprise large pockets and a security flap.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,016 Jan. 26, 2010 Stewart. A combination waist pack is worn comfortably about the waist and unfolds to provide a protective accessory such as a seat cushion, or water resistant or insulated barrier to kneel or lay down upon. The invention is convertible to seat or other protective device while unfolded, and a warm and protective waistband/hand warmer and padded pack while folded.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

The inventive concept herein discloses a combination of a briefcase, purse, and/or backpack connected to a convenient cushioned pad for personal seating. The device is basically a two-part arrangement with both parts foldable into a unified carrier. The seat portion is referred to as a flap, while the briefcase/purse section is generally a pouch having both interior and exterior pockets accessible to the user. All the pockets may have a means for secured closing, such as zippers, snaps, hook-and-felt fastening mechanisms, or other commonly used devices. The carrier may be transported by utilizing two integral back straps or, alternatively, a single shoulder strap.

For comfort, the flap portion is filled with a resiliently-deformable material and, upon disconnecting the flap from the pouch section, the flap can be flipped onto almost any relatively horizontal surface and serve the purpose of providing ease and/or warmth to the posterior of any user. The Personal Item Carrier is then in a safe position and is in immediate, continual contact with the user, normally behind the calves of the user. The user may also elect to arrange the open Carrier in a sidewise orientation, thereby placing the pouch to the immediate left or right of the user. By means of either seating arrangement, the user can easily access the contents of the carrier, without concern for the carrier or its contents being removed or stolen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, features, and advantages of the concept presented in this application are more readily understood when referring to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling five figures, show the basic functions of various embodiments and methods. In the several figures, like reference numbers are used in each figure to correspond to the same component as may be depicted in other figures:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the Personal Item Carrier in its closed configuration, immediately accessible for carriage by a user.

FIG. 2 presents a downward-looking view of the Personal Item Carrier in an open configuration, displaying the flap topside and the pouch interior and frontside

FIG. 3 displays the PIC in an open configuration with the flap underside and the pouch backside in view. Also displayed are the two integral backstraps and their respective fastening means in a particular embodiment of the Personal Item Carrier.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the PIC deployed upon a typical bench or stadium seat, readily available for a user to sit upon.

FIG. 5 is a view looking head-on at an embodiment of the Personal Item Carrier, with the pouch frontside and the flap topside being prominently shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT

Many personal item and article carriers such as purses or backpacks have flaps that drape over the top opening of the purse or backpack. The purpose of the flap may be to close up, secure, and/or protect the contents of the carrier. As we refer toFIG. 1, there is shown the inventive concept disclosed herein, referred to as a PaddedPersonal Item Carrier1, or simply, the “carrier.” The instant disclosed inventive concept also is constructed with a “flap,” which functions as a cushioned seat when thecarrier1 is deployed for seating purposes. The view inFIG. 1 presents thecarrier1 from a predominantly left side view with the broad exposed surface being theflap underside4. Theflap2, itself is a generally rectangular enclosure having a resiliently deformable material forming acushion10 not shown) inserted within the confines of theflap2. Theflap2, combined with the interiorly positionedcushion10, thereby form a relatively comfortable seating surface for a user. Theflap underside4 is the portion of the device which is placed in direct contact with the object upon which the user intends to seat him/herself.

Theflap2 is fastened onto apouch9, which pouch extends across the breadth of thecarrier1. One end of theflap2 is permanently joined to thepouch9 at a common area which forms afold8. The other end of theflap2 may be attached to thepouch9 by means of two symmetrically-located

clasps

27,28 which are connected to two C-rings,35,36. Specifically shown inFIG. 1 is theleft clasp27 of thecarrier1, which is attached to the left C-ring35. Conversely, on the right side of thecarrier1, aright clasp28 is attached to a right C-ring36.

In its folded configuration ofFIG. 1, two

backstraps

18,17 are displayed, both of which may easily be donned by a user for easy transport of thecarrier1. Displayed inFIG. 1 is theleft backstrap17 which is attached to theflap2 by means of a stitched-onleft strap anchor25. Theleft backstrap17 culminates in an integral leftpronged fastener33 which, in turn, is inserted into aleft fastener receptacle23 attached to thepouch backside9b. These various fastening mechanisms are also clearly shown inFIG. 3. It is to be noted that a variety of fastening, closing, and attaching mechanisms and devices may be used for any of the similar components of thecarrier1 without causing a degradation of the functionality or effectiveness of thecarrier1.

FIG. 2 presents thecarrier1 deployed upon the surface of abench50, with theflap topside3 exposed for seating. This orientation is shown from the perspective of a vertically downward view, whereby thepouch9 of thecarrier1 is fully open, displaying the

interior pockets

48,49. Also shown, in the vicinity of thepouch9, are the right and left side pockets,29,30, and the left and

right pockets

19,20. Anadditional storage pocket5 is attached to theflap topside3. Theloop component14 of a hook-and-loop fastening mechanism is also attached to theflap topside3. Theloop component14 is fitted to attach to thehook component15, which is arranged at the bottom portion of the pouch frontside9a, as is more readily shown inFIG. 5.

As mentioned previously, the interior of theflap2 of thecarrier1 is filled with acushion10 comprising a resiliently deformable material. In viewingFIG. 4, thecushion10 is seen to be enclosed between theflap underside4 andflap topside3 of thecarrier1, which is shown deployed atop abench50 or similar hard surface. Thecushion10 material may be selected in variable densities of compressible foam, plastic, rubber, or any other similar resiliently compressible substance. Theflap underside4 is intended to be readily positioned upon a relatively flat surface, thereby providing a cushioned seat on theflap topside3 for the user. Upon placement of theflap underside4 upon a surface, thepouch9 will normally naturally hang in a vertical orientation from thefold8 and thereby eventually come in contact with the calves of the user as he/she sits upon thetopside3 of theflap2. The user, sitting upon thecarrier1 in this position, has easy access to the contents of thepouch9 of thecarrier1, and also the left and right front pockets19,20, and side pockets29,30.

It is contemplated that theflap2 with theseating cushion10 is readily available to be flipped onto practically any relatively horizontal surface with thepouch9 of thecarrier1 normally suspended downward from the seating surface. However, the user may also elect to arrange thecarrier1 in a sidewise seating orientation with thepouch9 to the left or right of the user.

Different embodiments of thecarrier1 may have aunitary piece cushion10 either permanently sewed to the interior of theflap2. Alternatively, thecushion10 can be inserted or removed by means of an opening in theflap2.FIG. 1 depicts the general location of alower aperture22 through which acushion10 may be inserted. Other embodiments of thecarrier1 may feature a mid aperture21 (not shown) which similarly functions as the insertion point of acushion10. Another embodiment of thecarrier1 may comprise a quantity of resilient material or fabric inserted into theflap2 interior to function as acushion10.

Whether thecushion10 is a unitary piece or a quantity of filled material, thelower aperture22 or mid aperture21 will, after insertion of thecushion10 then be closed by means of, for instance, a zipper13. Any suitable closing means, such as (by way of illustration only) snaps, hook-and-loop closing mechanism, cinches, or adhesive closures may be used to seal the mid orlower aperture21,22. Thecushion10 inside theflap2 fills the entire volume of theflap2 and thecushion10 may comprise varied thicknesses (thin, medium, dense), shapes (round, oblong, square, rectangle or triangle), and size (small, medium, large).

A different embodiment of thecushion10 is contemplated to be formed from filling theflap2 with a fabric or material that maintains a consistent shape and that is relatively permanent after insertion into theflap2. Thecushion10 may also comprise an airtight bladder that is inflatable for temporary use, and subsequently deflated when thecarrier1 is being transported.

In some embodiments of thecarrier1, theflap2 containing thecushion10 may be the same shape, length and breadth as thepouch9, (or the over-all length and breadth of the carrier1) to which it is attached. It is also contemplated that theflap2 withseating cushion10 can be larger than the dimensions of thepouch9, depending on the intended use, as (but not limited to) a purse with a flap with seating cushion that rolls or folds out to cover a larger seating area. It is contemplated that theflap2 withseating cushion10 can be smaller than thepouch9, or total length and breadth of thepersonal item carrier1, depending on its intended use. For instance a user may intend to coordinate travel items such as a piece of carry-on luggage having a total length that is longer than theflap2 component of thecarrier1.

Other embodiments of thecarrier1 may feature aflap2 component that can be attached or removed at what is shown as thefold8 of thepersonal item carrier1. Therefore, theflap2 withseating cushion10 is contemplated to be interchangeable among other personal storage means or devices, such as purses, briefcases, luggage, or backpacks. Thepouch9 of thecarrier1, in various embodiments, may have a separate means of being securely opened and closed other than the placement of theflap2 over thepouch9 opening. That is, while theflap2 withseating cushion10 is in use as a seating surface, thepouch9 may effectively be secured by (but not limited to) a zipper, clips, hook-and-loop type closures, snaps, clasps, buckles, or any other commonly used types of closing mechanisms.

It is contemplated that thecarrier1 may be temporarily or permanently attached to other portable storage devices such as purses, backpacks, tote-bags, duffel bags, computer bags, and luggage. Another feature of the disclosedcarrier1 is that a user may employ the integral left and right clasps27,28 (refFIGS. 1 and 4) which are affixed to theflap2 to fasten either or both

clasps

27,28 to some portion of a seating surface, such as a bench or chair, in order to hold theflap2 in place and prevent theflap2 from falling or slipping off the seating surface.

As shown inFIG. 5, a differing embodiment of thecarrier1 may comprise a hangingstrap39 attached to aclip51,lanyard46, and retaininghook47. This arrangement provides a means for the user to secure thehook47 to a protruding segment of a bench, chair, or other seating location, which in turn prevents thecarrier1 from inadvertently sliding off the seating location while in use. The retaininghook47 will also enable the user to store thecarrier1 on a clothes rod within a closet, or upon a convenient wall hook.

While preferred embodiments of the present inventive concept have been shown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those persons skilled in the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example only and not as a limitation to the scope of the inventive concept. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur or be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the intent, scope, and totality of the inventive concept. Such variations, changes, and substitutions may involve other features which are already known per se and which may be used instead of, or in addition to features already disclosed herein. Accordingly, it is intended that this inventive concept not be limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A cushioned seat and an assembled variety of personal storage compartments combined into a portable, unitary foldable device, comprising

a flap having an interior volume, a topside, an underside, a joined end, and a free end;

a cushion having exterior dimensions compatible with the inner dimensions of said flap;

a pouch with a securable opening, and further having a frontside and a backside;

a means for closing the securable opening of said pouch;

two front pockets symmetrically attached to the frontside of said pouch:

two side pockets, one attached to each side of said pouch;

a foldable seam forming a junction between the flap and pouch;

a pair of adjustable backstraps having one end of each backstrap affixed to said pouch and the opposite end detachably connected to said flap; and

a means for securing the free end of said flap to said pouch.

2. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 1, further comprising

a closeable longitudinal lower aperture on the flap underside; and

a means for closing and opening said lower aperture, whereby any of a variety of resiliently deformable materials may be inserted into and closed within said lower aperture.

3. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 1, further comprising

4. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 1, further comprising

two pockets in the interior of said pouch; and

a means for fastening the lower end of the frontside of said pouch to the flap topside;

5. A cushioned seat and an assembled variety of personal storage compartments combined into a portable, unitary foldable device, comprising

a means for closing the securable opening of said pouch;

two front pockets symmetrically attached to the frontside of said pouch;

two side pockets, one attached to each side of said pouch, between the frontside and the backside of said pouch;

a means for forming a foldable and detachable junction between the joined end of said flap and the top of said pouch;

a means for releasably attaching the free end of said flap to said pouch.

6. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 5, further comprising

a closeable longitudinal lower aperture on the flap underside; and

a means for closing and opening said lower aperture.

7. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 5, further comprising

8. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 5, further comprising

two pockets in the interior of said pouch; and

a means for fastening the lower end of the frontside of said pouch to the flap topside.

9. A cushioned seat and an assembled variety of personal storage compartments combined into a portable, unitary foldable device, comprising

a loop component of a hook-and-loop fastener mechanism attached to the free end of said flap topside;

a hook component of a hook-and-loop fastener mechanism attached to the lower portion of said pouch frontside;

a means for closing the securable opening of said pouch;

two front pockets symmetrically attached to the frontside of said pouch;

two side pockets, one attached to each side of said pouch;

a foldable seam forming an integral junction between the joined end of said flap and pouch;

a symmetrically-spaced left strap anchor and right strap anchor attached to the upper portion of said pouch frontside;

a left and a right backstrap having one end of each backstrap affixed to said left and right strap anchor, respectively;

a left and right pronged fastener affixed to each left and right backstrap, respectively; and

a left and a right fastener receptacle symmetrically attached to the lower portion of said pouch frontside.

10. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 9, further comprising

a closeable longitudinal lower aperture on the flap underside; and

a means for closing and opening said lower aperture.

11. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 9, further comprising

12. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 9, further comprising two pockets in the interior of said pouch.

13. A portable, unitary foldable device as inclaim 9, further comprising a means for attachment and detachment of the joined end of said flap from said pouch in the vicinity of the foldable seam.