Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MULTI-COMPARTMENT RESEALABLE STORAGE BAG AND
CONTAINER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[001] The present PCT application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application
No.
13/866,931, filed on April 19, 2013, entitled "Multi-Compartment Resealable
Storage Bag
And Container", which is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of
priority under 35
U.S.C. 120 of U.S. Patent Application No. 12/474,250 (now issued as U.S.
Patent No.
8,449,186), filed on May 28, 2009, and entitled "Multi-Compartment Resealable
Storage
Bag", which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
61/056,440, filed
on May 28, 2008, and entitled "Multi-Compartment Resealable Storage Bag". The
above-
identified applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety
for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[002] The subject matter described herein relates generally to a storage
apparatus
and, more particularly, to a storage bag and a storage container having
multiple resealable
compartments.
BACKGROUND
[003] Resealable storage bags can be used to store a variety of items
including, for
example, perishable items (such as food, snacks, and the like) and non-food
items (such as
buttons, postage stamps, and the like). Because conventional storage bags
generally have a
single storage compartment, the variety of items that can be stored in these
bags without
mixing the items together is compromised. For example, when storing food a
person may
want to keep different types of perishables in separate bags (such as
miniature carrots and
slices of pizza). The same can also apply to the storage of household items
(such as screws
and nails). In order to accommodate the storage of these items, multiple
storage bags may be
needed in order to separate the different types of items from each other.
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SUMMARY
[004] In some implementations, a storage apparatus is provided for a
bag/container
having multiple resealable storage compartments.
[005] In some implementations there is provided a storage apparatus having a
multi-
compartment bag formed of a flexible material. Each compartment of the multi-
compartment
bag has two or more seams and one resealable opening edge. The multi-
compartment bag
further includes a front surface, a back surface, and a generally rectangular
peripheral edge
defined by a top edge, a bottom edge, and opposing side edges. The seams in
each
compartment include at least one tearable seam that includes a perforated seam
positioned
between a first solid seam and a second solid seam. The perforated seam is
configured to
physically separate one of the compartments from the multi-compartment bag.
[006] In some variations, one or more of the following features can optionally
be
included in the above storage apparatus in any feasible combination.
[007] The perforated seam can be positioned along a horizontal axis, a
vertical axis,
or at an angle.
[008] The storage apparatus can include a resealing element. The resealing
element
can be selected from a group consisting of a zippered closure, a press lock, a
magnetic
closure, a snap closure, and a heat seal. The resealable opening edge can be
sealed and
unsealed using the resealing element.
[009] The flexible material can be selected from a group consisting of hemp,
cotton,
cloth, burlap, mesh, plastic, and a laminated material. The flexible material
can be water
proof or moisture proof
[0010] In some implementations, the storage apparatus can also include a first
handle
that includes a first hole positioned on the front surface, and a second
handle that includes a
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second hole positioned on the back surface. The first hole and the second hole
can be
substantially aligned with each other.
[0011] Alternatively, the storage apparatus can include a first handle
attached to the
front surface at a front first position and a front second position, and a
second handle attached
to the back surface at a back first position and a back second position. The
front first position
and the back first position can be substantially aligned with each other.
Likewise, the front
second position and the back second position can be substantially aligned with
each other.
[0012] The multi-compartment bag can further include two or more rectangular
compartments in a lower portion of the multi-compartment bag. Each of the
rectangular
compartments can have their resealable opening edge along the bottom edge of
the multi-
compartment bag. The multi-compartment bag can have at least one pair of
substantially
right triangular compartments in an upper portion of the multi-compartment
bag. Each of the
right triangular compartments can be arranged such that one of their seams is
a common
sealed seam at their respective hypotenuses. Moreover, each of the right
triangular
compartments can have their resealable opening edge along the opposing side
edges of the
multi-compartment bag perpendicular to the bottom edge of the multi-
compartment bag.
[0013] The multi-compartment bag can further include three or more rectangular
compartments in an upper portion of the multi-compartment bag and three or
more
rectangular compartments in a lower portion of the multi-compartment bag.
[0014] The multi-compartment bag can further include one or more chambers
disposed between the compartments of the multi-compartment bag. One or more
chamber
closures can be removably attached to each of the one or more chambers. The
one or more
chamber closures can be selected from a group consisting of a twist-off cap
and a pop-off
cap.
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[0015] In some implementations there is provided a storage apparatus formed of
a
rigid material having one or more removable lids, an upper portion, and a
lower portion. The
upper portion includes at least an upper first compartment, an upper second
compartment,
and an upper third compartment. The upper first compartment is separated from
the upper
second compartment by an upper first divider, and the upper second compartment
is
separated from the upper third compartment by an upper second divider. The
lower portion
includes at least a lower first compartment, a lower second compartment, and a
lower third
compartment. The lower first compartment is separated from the lower second
compartment
by a lower first divider, and the lower second compartment is separated from
the lower third
compartment by a lower second divider. The upper portion is separated from the
lower
portion by an intermediate layer.
[0016] In some variations, one or more of the following features can
optionally be
included in the above storage apparatus in any feasible combination.
[0017] The one or more removable lids can include a removable lid positioned
over
the compartments in the upper portion of the multi-compartment container. In
this
configuration, the intermediate layer can be configured to be removed from the
multi-
compartment container.
[0018] In some implementations, the one or more removable lids can include a
removable upper lid positioned over the compartments in the upper portion of
the multi-
compartment container, and a removable lower lid positioned over the
compartments in the
lower portion of the multi-compartment container. In this configuration, the
intermediate
layer can be immovable.
[0019] The one or more removable lids can be configured to be sealed to the
multi-
compartment container using one or more snap closures or one or more magnetic
closures.
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[0020] The rigid material used to form the storage apparatus can be selected
from the
group consisting of hard plastic, glass, and pyrex.
[0021] The storage apparatus can further include a first handle attached to a
front
surface of the multi-compartment container at a front first position and a
front second
position, and a second handle attached to a back surface of the multi-
compartment container
at a back first position and a back second position. The front first position
and the back first
position can be substantially aligned with each other, and the front second
position and the
back second position can be substantially aligned with each other.
[0022] The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described
herein are
set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other
features and
advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the
description,
drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute
a
part of this specification, show certain aspects of the subject matter
disclosed herein and,
together with the description, help explain some of the principles associated
with the subject
matter disclosed herein. In the drawings,
[0024] FIG. lA illustrates a resealable bag having three compartments;
[0025] FIG. 1B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a resealing
element;
[0026] FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of the resealable bag of FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 2B illustrates the resealable bag of FIG. 1 with an additional
chamber;
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates the resealable bag of FIG. 1 with items stored in
the
compartments;
[0029] FIG. 4A illustrates a resealable bag having four compartments in a
first
configuration;
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[0030] FIG. 4B illustrates the resealable bag of FIG. 4A with additional
chambers;
[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates a resealable bag having four compartments in a
second
configuration;
[0032] FIG. 6A illustrates a magnified view of a tearable seam;
[0033] FIG. 6B illustrates the separation of a compartment from a resealable
bag;
[0034] FIG. 7 illustrates a resealable container having six compartments;
[0035] FIG. 8 illustrates a resealable container having eight compartments;
[0036] FIG. 9 illustrates a resealable container having ten compartments;
[0037] FIG. 10 illustrates a resealable container having twelve compartments;
[0038] FIG. 11 illustrates a resealable container having fourteen
compartments;
[0039] FIG. 12 illustrates a resealable container having sixteen compartments;
[0040] FIGs. 13A and 13B illustrate handles that can be used with a resealable
bag/container.
[0041] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a storage bag or
container having
multiple resealable compartments.
[0043] FIG. lA illustrates an implementation of a resealable bag 100 having
three
compartments 110, 120, and 130. Resealable bag 100 can be made from high
clarity
polypropylene or other flexible, resilient and preferably translucent
material. Using a
substantially translucent material, such as polypropylene, can facilitate
quick visual
identification of the contents of bag 100. Bag 100 can be made with other
materials
including, for example, hemp, cotton, cloth, burlap, mesh, plastics of varying
weight, and
laminated materials. In some implementations, moisture proof or water proof
materials can
be used.
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[0044] Compartments 110 and 120 can be positioned along top edge 115, and
compartment 130 can be positioned along bottom edge 135. Each compartment can
store
different items with larger items placed in compartment 130. Seam 125 can
separate
compartments 110 and 120 from each other, and seam 140 can separate
compartment 130
from compartments 110 and 120. Seams 125 and 140 can keep items placed in
compartments
110, 120, and 130 in their designated space and prevent these items from
shifting into other
compartments.
[0045] Resealing elements 117 and 137 can be used to seal and unseal bag 100
along
edges 115 and 135, respectively. If, for example, a user wishes to place items
in
compartments 110 and/or 120, the user can slide resealing element 117 along
top edge 115 to
unseal the desired compartment. In order to reseal bag 100, the user can slide
resealing
element 117 along top edge 115 in the reverse direction. Resealing element 137
can be
operated in a similar manner to unseal and seal bottom edge 135. Although the
implementation of FIG. 1 illustrates the use of a single resealing element 117
for
compartments 110 and 120, different configurations are possible including, for
example, the
use of a separate resealing element for each compartment.
[0046] FIG. 1B illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a resealing
element 160
which can correspond to any of the resealing elements described herein.
Resealing element
160 can be implemented using a zippered closure that removably couples sides
163 and 167.
For example, when a user slides resealing element 117 along top edge 115 from
left to right
in FIG. 1A, sides 163 and 167 of top edge 115 can be joined together to seal
bag 100.
Similarly, when resealing element 117 is moved in the opposite direction (for
example, from
right to left), sides 163 and 167 of top edge 115 can be separated to unseal
bag 100.
Although FIG. 1B illustrates the use of a zippered closure, resealing element
160 can be
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implemented with other types of closures including, for example, a press lock,
a magnetic
closure, a snap closure, a heat seal, and the like.
[0047] FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of resealable bag 100. FIG. 2B
illustrates another implementation of resealable bag 100 that includes a
chamber 205.
Chamber 205 can separate the upper compartments in resealable bag 100 from the
lower
compartments and can be used to store condiments (such as ketchup, relish, or
mayonnaise),
utensils (such as a toothbrush, a skewer, or a knife), and the like. The
perimeter of chamber
205 can be sealed such that the contents of the chamber do not mix with the
adjacent
compartments. Chamber closures 210 and 215 can be removed from resealable bag
100 or
reattached to the resealable bag to access the contents of chamber 205.
Chamber closures
210 and 215 can be made from twist-off caps, pop-off caps, and the like.
Chamber 205 and
chamber closures 210 and 215 can be optionally used with any of the resealable
bags
disclosed herein. In some implementations, chamber 205 can be sub-divided into
two
separate chambers with a shared plug separating the chambers.
[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary use of resealable bag 100. In the
example of
FIG. 3, different types of food may be placed in each compartment.
[0049] FIG. 4A illustrates an implementation of a resealable bag 400 having
four
resealable compartments 410, 420, 430, and 440. Compartments 410 and 420 can
be
positioned along top edge 450, and compartments 430 and 440 can be positioned
along
bottom edge 460. Seams 465, 470, 480, and 485 can separate compartments 410,
420, 430,
and 440 from each other. Resealable element 445 can be moved along top edge
450 to seal
and unseal bag 400 so that items can be inserted or removed from compartments
410 and/or
420. Similarly, resealable element 455 can be moved along bottom edge 460 to
seal and
unseal bag 400 so that items can be inserted or removed from compartments 430
and/or 440.
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[0050] FIG. 4B illustrates another implementation of resealable bag 400 that
includes
chambers 467, 472, 482, and 487. Various condiments, utensils, and the like
can be stored in
chambers 467, 472, 482, and 487. Each chamber has a chamber closure 490, 491,
492, or
493 on one end, and a shared plug 494 at the other end. Similar to chamber
closures 210 and
215 of FIG. 2B, chamber closures 490, 491, 492, or 493 can be made from twist-
off caps,
pop-off caps, and the like. Shared plug 494 can be a substantially impermeable
structure that
prevents the contents of the chambers from mixing with each other.
[0051] Chamber closure 490 can separate the top edge of resealable bag 400
into two
separate segments 450A and 450B, each segment having its own resealable
element (445A or
445B). Similarly, chamber closure 492 can separate the bottom edge of
resealable bag 400
into two separate segments 460A and 460B, each segment having its own
resealable element
(455A or 455B).
[0052] Although the implementation of FIG. 4B illustrates the use of four
chambers
467, 472, 482, and 487 in resealable bag 400, other variations are possible.
For example, in
some implementations, only one chamber can be used. This single chamber can,
for
example, correspond to any one of chambers 467, 472, 482, and 487.
Alternatively, this
single chamber can span the entire length of the bag (for example, a single
chamber that fuses
chambers 467 and 482 into a single chamber). In other variations, any two or
any three of the
chambers can be used in combination with each other.
[0053] Although the implementations of FIGs. 4A and 4B use four total
compartments (upper and lower portions of resealable bag 400 each having two
compartments), other configurations are possible. For example, resealable bag
400 can have
six total compartments (upper and lower portions each having three
compartments), eight
total compartments (upper and lower portions each having four compartments),
ten total
compartments (upper and lower portions each having five compartments), twelve
total
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compartments (upper and lower portions each having six compartments), fourteen
total
compartments (upper and lower portions each having seven compartments),
sixteen total
compartments (upper and lower portions each having eight compartments), and
the like. In
some implementations, the resealable bag can have a different number of
compartments in
the upper and lower portions. Moreover, the compartments in the bag can be of
the same size
or different sizes.
[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates another implementation of a bag 500 having four
resealable
compartments 510, 520, 530, and 540. Unlike the implementation of FIG. 4 which
includes
two rectangular compartments 410 and 420 in the upper portion of bag 400, the
implementation of FIG. 5 can include two triangular compartments 510 and 520
in the upper
portion of bag 500. Compartments 510 and 520 can be right triangles that are
separated from
each other by seam 545. Seam 545 can run along the common hypotenuse of right
triangle
compartments 510 and 520. A user can access compartment 510 by sealing and
unsealing
upper left edge 580 using resealing element 565. Similarly, a user can seal
and unseal upper
right edge 585 using resealing element 570.
[0055] Seam 550 can separate compartment 520 from compartments 530 and 540 in
the lower portion of bag 500. The lower portion of bag 500 can be similar to
the lower
portion of bag 400. Seam 560 can separate compartment 530 from compartment
540. A user
can access compartments 530 and 540 by sliding resealable element 575 along
lower edge
590.
[0056] In the implementations described above, a tear resistant seam can be
used to
separate the different compartments in a resealable bag. In some
implementations, however,
the seam can have a perforated edge that enables a user to physically separate
compartments
from each other by tearing along the seam. FIG. 6A illustrates an
implementation of a
tearable seam 545 between compartments 510 and 520 in bag 500 of FIG. 5.
Although FIG.
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6A illustrates a diagonal seam 545, this tearable seam can be used with any of
the bags
described herein and can enable tears in any direction (i.e., along a
horizontal, vertical axis,
or at an angle).
[0057] FIG. 6A illustrates a magnified view of seam 545 which can include
solid
seam 610 in compartment 510, solid seam 620 in compartment 520, and perforated
seam 630
between the solid seams. When seam 545 is torn along perforated seam 630,
compartment
510 can physically separate from bag 500 as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Solid
seams 610 and 620
can provide a permanent seal in their respective compartments and can remain
unaffected by
the tear. Accordingly, solid seams 610 and 620 can keep the contents of
compartment 510
and 520, respectively, from spilling out post-separation.
[0058] FIG. 7 illustrates an implementation of a resealable container 700
having six
compartments 705, 710, 715, 720, 725, and 730. Unlike the storage bags
described above
with respect to FIGs. 1-5 which can be made from a flexible material,
container 700 can be
made from a substantially rigid material such as hard plastic, glass, pyrex,
and the like.
Compartments 705, 710, and 715 can be positioned in the upper portion of
container 700.
Compartments 720, 725, and 730 can be positioned in the lower portion of
container 700.
Intermediate layer 745 can separate the compartments in the upper portion of
the container
from the compartments in the lower portion of the container. As explained in
further detail
below, intermediate layer 745 can either be integral to container 700 or, in
some
implementations, removable from the container.
[0059] Dividers can separate the compartments of container 700 from each
other. In
the implementation of FIG. 7, divider 735 can be placed between compartments
705 and 710,
and divider 740 can be placed between compartments 710 and 715. In the lower
portion of
container 700, divider 737 can be placed between compartments 720 and 725, and
divider
742 can be placed between compartments 725 and 730.
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[0060] Lids can be used with container 700 to keep the contents of the
compartments
from falling out. Various configurations are possible including, for example,
the use of either
a single lid or two lids.
[0061] When a single lid is used, the lid can be placed on top of the
container in plane
750 and sealed to the container using snap closures, magnetic closures, and
the like. Items
can be inserted or removed from compartments 705, 710, and 715 by removing the
lid. In
order to access compartments 720, 725, and 730, intermediate layer 745 can be
physically
removed from container 700. In some implementations, intermediate layer 745
can contain
openings (e.g., slots) that are substantially aligned with the dividers. These
openings can
allow a user to slide intermediate layer 745 up through container 700. Bottom
surface 755
can be a solid surface integral to container 700.
[0062] When two lids are used, one lid can be placed on top of the container
in plane
750, and a second lid can be placed on the bottom of the container in plane
755. Both top and
bottom lids can be sealed to container 700 using one or more snap closures,
one or more
magnetic closures, and the like. In this implementation, intermediate layer
745 can be an
immovable layer integral to container 700 or a removable layer.
[0063] Other configurations are possible including, for example, a container
having
eight compartments as illustrated in FIG. 8, ten compartments as illustrated
in FIG. 9, twelve
compartments as illustrated in FIG. 10, fourteen compartments as illustrated
in FIG. 11,
sixteen compartments as illustrated in FIG. 12, and the like. Although the
implementations
of FIGs. 7-12 illustrate an equal number of compartments in both the upper and
lower
portions of the container, other configurations are possible including, for
example, using a
different number of compartments in the upper and lower portions. Moreover,
the
compartments in the container can be of the same size or different sizes.
Container 700, for
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example, can have 3 different sized compartments in the upper portion and 1
compartment in
the lower portion.
[0064] FIGs. 13A and 13B illustrate various handles that can be used with the
resealable bags and containers described herein. In the implementation of FIG.
13A, handles
1310A and 1310B can be integral to resealable bag/container 1300 and can be
formed by a
cutting hole from surface 1320 and another hole from opposing surface 1330.
These holes
can be substantially aligned with each other such that a person's hand can
pass through both
holes to grasp bag/container 1300.
[0065] In the implementation of FIG. 13B, handles 1355 and 1363 can be
attached to
resealable bag/container 1350. Unlike the handles of FIG. 13A which are
integral to bag
1300, handles 1355 and 1363 can be attached to bag/container 1350. Handles
1355 and 1363
can be made from twisted paper, cardboard, yarn, plastic, and the like. Handle
1355 can be
attached to surface 1370 at positions 1360A and 1360B. Handle 1363 can attach
to opposing
surface 1380 at positions 1365A and 1365B. Positions 1360A and 1365A can be
substantially aligned with each other. Likewise, positions 1360B and 1365B can
be
substantially aligned with each other. Other configurations are possible
including, for
example, using a single handle or attaching handles 1355 and 1363 to a single
surface such as
a lid along plane 750 of container 700.
[0066] The implementations set forth in the foregoing description do not
represent all
implementations consistent with the subject matter described herein. Instead,
they are merely
some examples consistent with aspects related to the described subject matter.
Although a
few variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or
additions are
possible. In particular, further features and/or variations can be provided in
addition to those
set forth herein. For example, the implementations described above can be
directed to
various combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and/or
combinations and
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subcombinations of several further features disclosed above. Other
implementations may be
within the scope of the following claims.
