Bag having expanding means therein

A bag expanding device in combination with a soft bag comprising:

• a pair of opposed portions partially forming the bag;
• means connected between the portions and together with the portions defining a compartment expandable to a predetermined shape;
• one or more of the means and the portions being soft and flexible so that the compartment may be readily collapsed into a substantially flattened state or expanded into a substantially stuffed state in which the portions are spaced apart from each other to substantially the full extent permitted by the predetermined shape of the expanded compartment;
• the expanding device including a generally planar, rigid insert;
• the generally planar, rigid insert being inserted inside the compartment adjacent to one of the portions;
• the expanding device also including an expandable piece having a pair of sections foldably attached to each other with each of the sections having a free end spaced from and opposite the free end of the other section;
• the sections of the expandable piece being foldable between a first substantially flat coplanar position and a second position in which the sections are substantially parallel to each other;
• the expanding device further including a resilient member attached directly to the sections adjacent to the opposite free ends;
• the resilient member being in tension when the expandable piece is in the first substantially flat position;
• the expandable piece being inserted in the first substantially flat position between the generally planar, rigid insert and the other opposed portion;
• and
• the resilient member urging the sections from their relatively flat coplanar position to an intermediate position in which the sections are at an angle to each other and are restrained by the predetermined shape of the expanded compartment.