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US 5,400,906 AGranted
Bag having expanding means therein
OwnerHin M. Tanginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for insertion into and expansion of a soft bag or backpack has a relatively flat foldable member comprising four parallel fold lines forming five panels. A rubber band is connected across each end panel and the panel adjacent thereto so as to urge the member to fold along the fold lines therebetween. The bag is caused to be expanded by the apparatus when the rubber bands cause the member to fold in a position to form a pair of gable-like structures which force the sides of the bag outwardly while the center section of the member rests against a major surface of the bag. The apparatus may be retained in the bag in a flat state for shipping.
Claims13
A bag expanding device in combination with a soft bag comprising:
- a soft bag having a major surface and an expandable compartment such that the bag can assume a collapsed, flat state or an expanded state;
- a bag expanding device inserted in the compartment such that the bag can assume its collapsed shape during shipping in a shipping container, and then either automatically or manually be caused to assume its expanded shape upon removal from the shipping container, the bag expanding device comprising a unitary, flat foldable member having resilient actuating means associated therewith for urging the member to fold into a predetermined shape, said member having four parallel, spaced fold lines so as to form five panels including a center panel, a left end panel and a panel adjacent thereto forming a first pair of panels and a right end panel and a panel adjacent thereto forming a second pair of panels, attachment means on each pair of panels for attaching resilient means thereto;
- a first resilient means attached to said attachment means of said first pair of panels and extending across the fold line between the panels comprising said pair;
- a second resilient means attached to said attachment means of said second pair of panels and extending across the fold line between the panels comprising said second pair of panels;
- said first and second resilient means urging the panels comprising the first and second pair of panels to fold along the respective fold lines between said panels.
2 more elements
A bag expanding device in combination with a soft bag comprising:
- a soft bag having a major surface and an expandable compartment such that the bag can assume a collapsed, flat state or an expanded state;
- a bag expanding device inserted in the compartment such that the bag can assume its collapsed shape during shipping in a shipping container, and automatically be caused to assume its expanded shape upon removal from the shipping container, the bag expanding device comprising
- a unitary, flat foldable member having resilient actuating means associated therewith for urging the member to fold into a predetermined shape, said member having four parallel, spaced fold lines so as to form five panels including a center panel, a left end panel and a panel adjacent thereto forming a first pair of panels and a right end panel and a panel adjacent thereto forming a second pair of panels;
- first and second attachment means, one on each end panel, for attaching one end of a resilient member thereto;
- third and fourth attachment means on the center panel adjacent each fold line of the center panel for attaching the respective other end of each resilient member thereto;
- a first resilient member attached by said first and third attachment means between said left end panel and said center panel;
- a second resilient member attached by said second and fourth attachment means between said right end panels and said center panel;
- said resilient means urging the panels to fold along the respective fold lines between said panels to form a pair of gable-like structures in the absence of a compressive force which structures act to expand the bag.
5 more elements
A bag expanding device in combination with a soft bag comprising:
- a soft bag having a major surface and an expandable compartment such that the bag can assume a collapsed, flat state or an expanded state;
- a bag expanding device inserted in the compartment such that the bag can assume its collapsed shape during shipping in a shipping container, and then either automatically or manually be caused to assume its expanded shape upon removal from the shipping container, the bag expanding device comprising a unitary, flat foldable member having resilient actuating means associated therewith for urging the member to fold into a predetermined shape, said member having four parallel, spaced fold lines so as to form five panels including a center panel, a left end panel and a panel adjacent thereto forming a first pair of panels and a right end panel and a panel adjacent thereto forming a second pair of panels, a plurality of attachment means for attaching resilient means thereto;
- a first resilient means attached to said attachment means and extending across at least one fold line between panels;
- a second resilient means attached to said attachment means and extending across at least one other fold line between the other panels;
- said first and second resilient means urging the respective panels comprising the first and second pair of panels to fold along the respective fold lines between said panels so as to cause expansion of the bag.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.