Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to an article bag for attachment to a bed
rail.
The invention consists of an article bag for attachment to a bed
rail having a first cloth flap and a second cloth flap including a common
top portion which is adapted ~o be supported in saddle fashion over a rail,
with the two flaps depending from each side of the rail. The first and
second flap further includes first fastening means having first and second
cooperating elements adjacent the top portlon for fastening the article bag
together under the rail. Also, the first and second flaps further include
~ lO second fastening means having first and second flaps displaced from the top
portion for fastening the article bag together under the rail. The second
fasten m g means has first and second cooperating fasten m g elements on the
first and second flaps displaced * om the top portion for fastening the
first flap to the second flap. The first flap and second flap further embrace
a plurality of pockets placed on each.
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The preferred bag described~herein comprises a substantially square
~; or rectangular panel of material having a central segment that is position-
able over the top~of a bed rail ai~lowing two contiguous~side panels to
; depend from each side of the~rail~;m saddle fashion~.~ Each side panel includes
20 ~ a plurality of compartments or pockets`suitab~le for storage of magazines or
personal articles. The central segment includes further snap fasteners to
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secure the bag to the bed rail. Preferably the central segment also includes
an elastic loop suitable for retaining a nurse call-button such that the
button is most conveniently located to the reach of the patient. The pockets
or compartments are of differing sizes to accommodate a variety of differènt
articles. By pleating the rectangular panel, the capacity of the pockets,
formed by a flat;facing material, can be greatly increased. The two
contiguous side panels or flaps are fastened together by~additional snap
fasteners such that a narrow profile is maintained even when numerous
articles are stored in the bag. The narrow profile is important in order
that the bag does not unduly expand causing interference with convenient
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attendance of the patient by staff personnel. Expansion of individual
pockets, however, is permitted by a pleated type seam.
`: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of the article bag.
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the
article bag taken on the lines 2-2 in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the
article bag, continuing from the view in Figure 2, taken on the lines 3-3
in Figure 1~
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the article
bag taken on the lines 4-4 in Fikure 1.
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Figure S is a plan view of the article bag laid
flat.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the back of the
article bag of Figure 1.
Figure i is a cross-sectional view of the article
bag taken on the lines 7-7 in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a
portion of the article bag taken on the lines 8-8 in Figure 6.
Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional exploded
view of a portion of the article bag taken on the lines 9-9
in Figure 6.
Figure 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional exploded
view of a portion of the article bag taken on the lines 10-
10 in Figure 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREEERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figure 1, the article bag designated
generally by the reference'numeral 10 is illustrated in
perspective showing, in detail, one side of the bagt arbitrarily
termed the front flap 12. The'article bag is constructed of
- a cloth material with both a front flap 12 and a rear flap 14
both of which contain a plurality of pockets. A perspective
view of the article bag 10, detailing the rear flap 14, is
shown in the perspective view of Fi~ure 6. The article bag is
saddled over a bed rail 16 such that the two flaps depend
therefrom. The'front flap 12 is shorter than the rear flap in
contemplation of the limited height between the bed rail 16 and
the top of a mattress on a bed (not shown). In this respect,
the front flap 12 faces the patient confined to his bed. The
back flap 14 preferably depends at a greater length than the
front panel, it not being so restricted by the bed.
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soth ~laps 12 and 14 have a rolled pipin~ 18 around
their peripheral border for purposes of appearance and strength.
The piping provides additional material for a border seam 20,
as shown in the continuum illustrations of Figures 2 and 3 and
Figure 5.
The front flap 12, as shown in Figure 1, includes
two rows of pockets. A top row 22 has a series of four pockets,
22a b, c, and d, extending in depth to the border seam 20 at
the bottom of the flap. The pockets are formed by a first over-
lay panel 24 stitched to a backing panel 26 which is common toboth the front and back flaps. In part, the periphery of the
overlay panel has a seam in co~mon with the border seam 20 of
the flaps 12 and 14. The top of the overlay panel has a hem
stitching 28.
In order to increase the capacity of the top row of
'pockets 22, the backing panel 26 has a series of overlying rib
; pleats 30 extending over both flaps, as shown in Flgure 5.
The rib pleats 30, shown in section in Figures 2 and 3, are
secured in place by the border seam 20 at the bottom of the
flaps and by an elongated cover patch 32 which is stitched to
' the'top of the backing panel by a border stitch 34 through a
border piping 36. Vertical stitching 38, fastens the first
overlay panel 24 to the center of the rib pleats 30~ as shown
in Figures 2 and 3. The side'edges of the first overlay panel
24 have a side pleat 40, again to allow for the expansion of
the pockets.
One of the pockets, 22c, includes a snap divider 42 '
allowing selective dividing of the pocket at the descretion of
the user. This snap divider 42 is shown in cross section in
Figure 4. The snap divider 42 includes reinforcing backing
strips 44 sewn to the backing panel 24 and the overlay panel 24~
A series of conventional mating snap fasteners 46 (shown detached)
may be eng~ged to divide the pocket 22c into two sub~pockets~
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~ second overlay panel 48 on the ~ront Elap is
fastaned to the backing panel 26 and over the first overlay
panel 24 by the border seam 20 and common vertical stitching
38, which also divides the second overlay panel 48 into a
second row of pockets 50. The row of pockets formed by the
second overlay panel 48 are substantially shallower that the
pockets 22 formed by the first overlay panel. The capacity of
the pockets 50 can be increased moderatly by a center
pleat 52 in the overlay panel at each pocket, as shown in
Figures 1 and 5.
The back flap 14, shown in perspective in Figure 6,
is constructed in a somewhat similar manner as the front flap.
A first overlay panel 52 is secured to the backing panel 26 at
the sides by the common border stitching 20 and at the bottom
by a separate bottom stitching 54. Vertical stitching 56
joining the overlay panel to the center of the rib pleats 30,
divides the overlay panel 52 into a series of elon~ated-pockets
5B.
- A second overlay panel 60 is secured to the backing
panel 26 below the first overlay panel 52 rather than over
the panel as described with regard to the front flap 12. The
second overlay panel is secured at the sides and bottom by the
common border stitching 20. Vertical stitching 62, joining
second overlay panel 60 to the backing panel 26, divides the
second overlay panel 60 into a series of pockets 64. The vert-
ical stitching in this instance is not joined to the rib pleats
30, but is simply secured to the backing panel along preselected
lines as a variation to the previously described construction.
The dlfferences in the pocket arrangements for the
front and back flaps 12 and 14, respectively, is most clearly
illustrated in the cross-sectional view of Figure 7.
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The article bag, as shown in unengaged state in
Figure 5, is fastened to a bed rail in the following manner.
The article bag is saddled over the bed rail 16 with the two
flaps 12 and 14 depending from the rail such that the cover
- patch 32 is centered uppermost on the rail as shown in
Figures 1, 6, 7 and 9~ A series of top snap fasteners 66
are attached through the rib pleats and side pleats 40, one
element 66a of the fastener arranged generally on one side of
the cover patch 32 and the other element 66b, arranged on the
other side of the cover patch 32, as illustrated in Figure 5.
As schematically illustrated in Figure 10, the element 66a is
alignable and engageable with the element 66br thereby secur-
ing the front flap 12 to the back flap 14 just below the bed
rail 16, as shown in Figure 7. The displacement of the
fasteners from the bed rail 16 allows the article bag to be
adapted to rails of varying size.
In order to maintain a narrow profile to the article
bag, thereby minimlzing any inconvenience to attendants, the
article bag includes a second series of snap fasteners 68
spaced across the bottom of the front flap 12 and across the
lower portion of the longer back flap 14. One element 68a of
the snap fasteners is secured through the bottom periphery of
the front flap 12, as shown in Figure 1, and the other element
68b is secured through the lower portion of the back flap
along the bottom of the first overlay panel 52 forming the top
row of pockets 56. As shown schematically in Figure 8, the
; elements 68a on the front flap 12 are in alignment with the
elements 68b on the back flap 14 such that the elements are
engageable, thereby securing the two flaps together. This
arrangement prevents the flaps from being accidentally raised,
for example, when changing bed linen or walking against the
article bag, thereby causing spillage of the contents.
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The article bag also includes two small elastic
collars 70 which are secured under the peripheral piping 18
adjacent each end of the elongated cover patch 32. These
collars 70 are included to retain a nurse call-button or a
television remote control selector (not shown) which might
otherwise become misplaced.
While in the foregoing specification an embodiment
of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail
for purposes of making a complete disclosure thereof, it will
be apparent to those skilled i~ the art that numerous changes
may be made in such details without departing from the spirit
and principles of the invention.
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