Storage bag

Abstract

A storage bag characterized by comprising: a flexible bag body having a bottom and side walls; and reinforcing parts that reinforce the bag body, wherein the bag body may assume a folded-up first state and a second state in which the bag body is unfolded and the side walls are erected so as to allow goods to be stored inside, and the reinforcing parts extend at an incline relative to the erection direction of the side walls in the second state.

Description

storage bag

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage bag.

[0002] Previously, supermarkets and various retail stores offered free polyethylene or plastic bags at the cash register to make it easier for customers to carry home their purchased items.

[0003] However, in recent years, interest in environmental issues has increased, and consumers have begun to bring reusable eco-bags when carrying products home.

[0004] This eco-bag is folded up small and put in a pocket or the like when not carrying home purchases, and after purchasing products, it is taken out, unfolded, and the purchased products are placed inside, then carried around by hand. Therefore, eco-bags are made of flexible material.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-013493

[0006] However, the eco-bag described in Patent Document 1 is made of a flexible material, which makes it difficult to keep the opening of the bag open when putting products into the eco-bag, making it difficult to put products into the bag.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a storage bag that allows smooth loading and unloading of items.

[0008] The above object is achieved by the present invention described below: (1) A storage bag comprising: a flexible bag body having a bottom and side walls; and a reinforcing portion that reinforces the bag body, wherein the bag body can be in a first folded state and a second unfolded state in which the side walls stand upright and an item can be stored therein; and wherein the reinforcing portion extends in an oblique direction relative to the standing direction of the side walls in the second state.

[0009] (2) The storage bag according to (1) above, wherein the bag body has a plurality of sheets joined together, and the joints of the plurality of sheets function as the reinforcing portions.

[0010] (3) The storage bag according to (2) above, wherein the reinforcing portion is formed by sewing together parts of the plurality of sheets in a state where the sheets are overlapped with each other.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage bag that allows smooth operation when putting items in and taking them out.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a perspective view (second state) of a first embodiment of a storage bag of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a development view of the storage bag shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the bag is folded from the second state to the first state. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the bag is folded from the second state to the first state. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the bag is folded from the second state to the first state. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the first state. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a user is holding the handle in the second state. Fig. 8 is a perspective view (second state) of a second embodiment of a storage bag of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opening of the storage bag shown in Fig. 8 is narrowed.

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. <First Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a perspective view (second state) of a first embodiment of a storage bag of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a development view of the storage bag shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the bag is folded from the second state to the first state. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the bag is folded from the second state to the first state. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the bag is folded from the second state to the first state. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the first state. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a user is gripping the handle in the second state.

[0014] In the following description, "upper side" and "lower side" respectively refer to the "upper side" and "lower side" in the drawing, and similarly, "right side" and "left side" respectively refer to the "right side" and "left side" in the drawing. Also, in FIG. 1, x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis which are orthogonal to each other are illustrated, and the tip side of the arrow of each axis is the "+" side, and the base end side of the arrow is the "-" side.

[0015] 1 and 7, the storage bag 1 can be used as an eco-bag for carrying home purchased items at the cash register of a supermarket, various retail stores, etc. The storage bag 1 can be in a first folded state (see FIG. 6) and a second unfolded state (see FIGS. 1 and 7).

[0016] The storage bag 1 includes a bag body 2, a reinforcing portion 3 that reinforces the bag body 2, a grip portion 4, a grip portion 5, and a fixing portion 6. Each portion will be described below.

[0017] The bag body 2 is made of a flexible sheet and has a bag shape. The bag body 2 has a bottom 21 and a side wall 22 that is provided around the entire periphery of the bottom 21.

[0018] The bottom 21 is made of a sheet material and is rectangular in the illustrated configuration. However, the configuration is not limited to this and may be any shape, such as triangular, polygonal, circular, elliptical, etc. The bottom 21 may also be more rigid than the sheet of the side wall 22.

[0019] The side wall portion 22 is made of a sheet material and has a side wall portion 221 located on the +x-axis side, a side wall portion 222 located on the -x-axis side, a side wall portion 223 located on the +y-axis side, and a side wall portion 224 located on the -y-axis side.

[0020] The side wall portions 221 and 222 are trapezoidal in plan view (plan view when cut out into a single sheet). The upper base (short side) is located on the bottom 21 side, and the lower base (long side) is located on the opposite side from the bottom 21.

[0021] The side wall portions 223 and 224 form a triangle in plan view (plan view when cut out into a single sheet). The base side is located on the bottom 21 side, and the apex side is located on the opposite side from the bottom 21.

[0022] The side wall portion 221 is adjacent to the side wall portion 223 and the side wall portion 224, and the boundaries between these are folds.

[0023] The side wall portion 222 is adjacent to the side wall portion 223 and the side wall portion 224, and the boundaries between these are folds.

[0024] The side wall portions 221 and 222 are provided with fold lines (see FIG. 2), and can be folded outward along the fold lines to assume the second state shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] 2 is a development view of the storage bag 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the side wall portion 22 is formed by joining four sheets 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D together to form a single sheet, and then creating creases as shown in Fig. 1.

[0026] In the illustrated configuration, the sheets 2A and 2C have the same size and shape, and form a parallelogram in plan view (plan view when unfolded into a single sheet).

[0027] In the illustrated configuration, sheets 2B and 2D have the same size and shape, and are trapezoidal in plan view (plan view when unfolded into a single sheet).

[0028] The sheets 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are joined in this order in the left-right direction in Fig. 2. In this state, the sheets 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are each joined to the bottom 21, thereby obtaining the bag-shaped bag body 2.

[0029] The material of the bag body 2 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include fabrics such as woven fabrics and nonwoven fabrics made of natural or synthetic fibers, natural or synthetic leather, paper, synthetic resin films, etc. The gripping portion 4, gripping portion 5, and fixing portion 6, which will be described later, are also appropriately selected from these materials. The bag body 2, gripping portion 4, gripping portion 5, and fixing portion 6 may each be made of a different material, or two or more of them may be made of the same material.

[0030] Here, the joints between adjacent sheets 2A to 2D are not particularly limited, and examples include those formed by adhesion, fusion such as heat fusion or ultrasonic fusion, or sewing using thread or the like.

[0031] In the case of bonding, the joint portion is more rigid than the surrounding area due to the presence of the adhesive. In the case of bonding, it is preferable to bond the overlapping sheet materials by supplying adhesive between the overlapping sheet materials in a state where parts of the sheet materials are overlapped. In this case, the rigidity is further increased due to the presence of adhesive and the increased thickness of the overlapping sheet materials.

[0032] In the case of fusion bonding, parts of the sheet materials are overlapped and fused together, so the joint part is thicker than the surrounding parts due to the overlapping of the sheet materials, making it even more rigid.

[0033] When stitching using thread or the like, the presence of the thread makes the joint more rigid than the surrounding area. It is preferable to sew together overlapping portions of the sheet material. In this case, the presence of the thread and the increased thickness of the overlapping sheets further increase the rigidity.

[0034] Such joints function as reinforcing portions 3 that reinforce the bag body 2. Such reinforcing portions 3 extend at an angle relative to the erection direction (z-axis direction) of the side wall portions 22 in the second state. This effectively reinforces the entire side wall portions 22. Therefore, in the second state, the side wall portions 22 can be effectively maintained erect, i.e., aligned with the z-axis direction. As a result, items can be smoothly put in and taken out of the bag.

[0035] The inclination angle of the side wall portion 22 of the reinforcing portion 3 with respect to the erection direction (z-axis direction) is not particularly limited, and is preferably, for example, 10° to 80°, and more preferably 30° to 60°. This makes it possible to more reliably obtain the effects of the present invention.

[0036] Instead of the above-described configuration, the reinforcing portion 3 may be formed by embedding a reinforcing member such as a wire or by placing it on the surface of the sheet.

[0037] In this embodiment, the reinforcing portion 3 is linear. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the reinforcing portion 3 may be partially or entirely curved or bent. In this case, the inclination angle of the reinforcing portion 3 may be, for example, the angle between a line segment connecting the ends of the reinforcing portion 3 and the erection direction (z-axis direction) of the side wall portion 22.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, four reinforcing portions 3 are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number may be one to three, or five or more.

[0039] Next, the grip portion 4 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 7, the grip portion 4 is a portion that is gripped in order to carry the bag body 2 with items stored inside. The grip portion 4 is provided on the outer surface of each of the side wall portions 221 and 222.

[0040] One of the gripping portions 4 is belt-shaped, and both ends thereof are fixed to the side wall portion 221. The other gripping portion 4 is belt-shaped, and both ends thereof are fixed to the side wall portion 222.

[0041] The gripping portion 4 is provided on the −z axis side of the side wall portion 221 or the side wall portion 222, i.e., on the bottom portion 21 side. As a result, when the gripping portions 4 are gripped so as to approach each other, the side wall portions 221 and 222 approach each other and cover the opening of the bag body 2, as shown in Fig. 3. This prevents the items inside from being seen from the outside while the bag is being carried, and also prevents the items inside from falling out.

[0042] Next, the gripping portion 5 will be described. The gripping portion 5 is a portion that is pulled in opposite directions (towards the +y axis and the -y axis) when being gripped when folding from the second state to the first state. The gripping portions 5 are provided near the tops of the side wall portions 223 and 224, respectively. In this embodiment, the gripping portion 5 is made of a triangular sheet. However, this configuration is not limited thereto, and it may be made of, for example, a rectangular or circular sheet, or may be made of a ring-shaped or long string.

[0043] The gripping parts 5 allow for easy folding from the second state to the first state. Specifically, from the second state, the side wall parts 221 and 222 are folded outward as shown in Fig. 1, and then the gripping parts 5 are pulled away from each other, which is a simple operation that allows for a smooth transition to the subsequent folding operation.

[0044] Next, the fixing parts 6 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the fixing parts 6 are for maintaining the first state. As shown in Fig. 1, the fixing parts 6 are provided on the side wall parts 221 and 222, respectively. The fixing parts 6 are configured so that they can be fixed in a state of contact with each other in the first state as shown in Fig. 6. This makes it possible to maintain the first state and prevent unintentional deployment.

[0045] The method for fixing the fixing parts 6 to each other is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include fixing with a magnet, fixing with Velcro (registered trademark), and the like.

[0046] According to this storage bag 1, in the second state in which the side wall portions 221 and 222 are folded as shown in Fig. 1, the opening of the storage bag 1 can be kept as large as possible. This makes it easy to put items in and take them out. Furthermore, by simply lifting the handles 4 upward, the folded side wall portions 221 and 222 can be unfolded to the state shown in Fig. 7. In the second state shown in Fig. 7, the opening is narrower than in the state shown in Fig. 1, making it less likely that items inside will be exposed to the outside.

[0047] When the storage bag 1 is folded from the second state shown in FIG. 1 to the first state shown in FIG. 6, the following steps are taken.

[0048] First, by simply pulling the gripping portion 5 in opposite directions from the state shown in FIG. 7 , the side wall portions 221 and 222 are folded, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 1 . Further pulling of the gripping portion 5 causes the side wall portions 221 and 222 to be folded from the state shown in FIG. 1 so that the inner surfaces of the side wall portions 221 and 222 approach the surface of the bottom portion 21 on the +z axis side, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 3 . Next, the bag body 2 is folded so that the central portion in the lateral direction of the bag body 2 in FIG. 3 forms a peak, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 4 . Next, the bag body 2 is folded in thirds in the longitudinal direction of FIG. 4 to form the state shown in FIG. 5 . Next, the bag body 2 is folded so that the central portion in the lateral direction of the bag body 2 in FIG. 5 forms a valley, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 6 . At this time, the fixing portions 6 are fixed to each other, thereby maintaining the folded state, i.e., the first state.

[0049] As described above, the storage bag 1 comprises a flexible bag body 2 having a bottom 21 and side walls 22, and a reinforcing portion 3 that reinforces the bag body 2. The bag body 2 can be in a first folded state and a second unfolded state in which the side walls 22 are erected and items can be stored inside, and the reinforcing portion 3 extends at an angle to the erect direction of the side walls 22 in the second state. This effectively maintains the erect state of the side walls 22 in the second state, facilitating the smooth insertion and removal of items from the bag.

[0050] The bag body 2 has a plurality of sheets joined together, and the joints of the plurality of sheets function as the reinforcing parts 3. This configuration increases the degree of freedom in design and allows the joints to be used as the reinforcing parts 3, eliminating the need for a separate reinforcing member.

[0051] The reinforcing part 3 may also be formed by sewing together overlapping sheets. This not only allows for reinforcement with the thread used for sewing, but also increases the rigidity of the overlapping sheets. This allows the reinforcing part 3 to function more effectively.

[0052] The shape of the bottom 21 in a plan view is not particularly limited, and may be any shape, such as a square, a rectangle such as a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, etc. When the shape of the bottom 21 in a plan view is rectangular as shown in the figure, the length of one side is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 cm or more and 90 cm or less, and more preferably 30 cm or more and 70 cm or less.

[0053] The height of the side wall portion 22 (maximum height of the side wall portion 22 in the second state) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 cm or more and 90 cm or less, and more preferably 18 cm or more and 70 cm or less.

[0054] <Second embodiment> Fig. 8 is a perspective view (second state) of a second embodiment of the storage bag of the present invention, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opening of the storage bag shown in Fig. 8 is narrowed.

[0055] A second embodiment of the storage bag of the present invention will be described below. Differences from the first embodiment will be described below, and commonalities will be omitted.

[0056] 8, in a side view in the second state, the opening has a V-shaped notch 20. The notch 20 is formed on each of the side wall portions 223 and 224. The presence of the notch 20 makes it easy to put in and take out items.

[0057] The storage bag 1 of this embodiment has a squeeze mechanism 7 that squeezes the portion 20 after storing items. As a result, as shown in Fig. 9, the portion 20 is squeezed, preventing the items from being exposed through the portion 20. Note that there are two portions 20, and a squeeze mechanism 7 is provided for each portion 20. However, since each squeeze mechanism 7 has the same configuration, one of the squeeze mechanisms 7 will be representatively described below.

[0058] The tightening mechanism 7 has a tightening string 71 and an adjuster 72 attached to the tightening string 71 .

[0059] The drawstring 71 is stored in a storage section 220 formed on the edge of the portion 20 of the side wall 22. The storage section 220 is a hole formed by folding and sewing the sheet. One end of the drawstring 71 is fixed inside the storage section 220 on the side wall 221 side, and the other end is fixed inside the storage section 220 on the side wall 222 side.

[0060] A longitudinally intermediate portion of the drawstring 71 is exposed from the storage section 220. An adjuster 72 is provided at the portion where this exposed portion is folded into two strings.

[0061] The adjuster 72 is a block-shaped member having an insertion hole 720. The adjuster 72 has a first member 721, a second member 722, and a biasing member that biases the first member 721 and the second member 722 in a direction separating them. The first member 721 and the second member 722 are each block-shaped, and form an insertion hole 720 when the second member 722 is inserted into the first member 721. The biasing member biases the first member 721 and the second member 722 in a direction separating them from each other. When a force is applied in a direction that brings the first member 721 and the second member 722 closer together against the biasing force, the drawstring 71 becomes movable through the insertion hole 720, and when the force is released, the biasing force brings the first member 721 and the second member 722 closer together. As a result, the first member 721 and the second member 722 approach each other so as to close the insertion hole 720, and the position of the adjuster 72 relative to the drawstring 71 is fixed.

[0062] According to this embodiment, after storing items, by pulling the exposed portion of the drawstring 71, i.e., the folded portion, the portion of the bag body 2 facing the portion 20 is drawn, narrowing the opening, as shown in Fig. 9. This reduces the exposed portion of the stored items and stably maintains the stored state of the items. Furthermore, because this state can be fixed by the adjuster 72, the drawn state of the portion facing the portion 20 can be stably maintained.

[0063] The adjuster 72 is not limited to the above configuration. In addition, one drawstring 71 is provided for each portion 20, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured with, for example, two strings. In addition, the drawstring 71 may be stretchable.

[0064] While the storage bag of the present invention has been described above in relation to the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and each component of the storage bag may be replaced with any component that can perform the same function. In addition, any component may be added.

[0065] The bottom 21 may contain a magnetic material such as iron powder. This allows the bottom 21 and the fixing part 6 to be fixed together when a magnet is used in the fixing part 6, for example. This makes it possible to maintain the first state even better. Furthermore, when the user operates the device to change from the first state to the second state, it is possible to prevent or suppress the bottom 21 from rising up due to the opening force of the user.

[0066] The storage bag of the present invention comprises a flexible bag body having a bottom and side walls, and a reinforcing portion that reinforces the bag body, the bag body being capable of being folded in a first state and being unfolded in a second state in which the side walls are erected and items can be stored inside, and the reinforcing portion extends in an oblique direction relative to the erect direction of the side walls in the second state, thereby facilitating the operation of putting items in and taking them out of the bag.

[0067] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 storage bag 2 bag body 2A sheet 2B sheet 2C sheet 2D sheet 3 reinforcing portion 4 grip portion 5 grip portion 6 fixing portion 7 drawstring mechanism 20 portion 21 bottom portion 22 side wall portion 71 drawstring 72 adjuster 220 storage portion 221 side wall portion 222 side wall portion 223 side wall portion 224 side wall portion 720 insertion hole 721 first member 722 second member

Claims

1. A bag body having a bottom and side wall portions and being flexible, a reinforcing portion for reinforcing the bag body, a pair of gripping portions provided on the side wall portions, and a pair of fixing portions provided on the pair of gripping portions of the side wall portions, and comprising: the bag body can take a first state in which it is folded and a second state in which it is unfolded and the side wall portions stand upright and articles can be stored inside, the reinforcing portion extends in a direction inclined with respect to the standing direction of the side wall portions in the second state, the pair of gripping portions are respectively provided on opposite sides via an opening formed by the side wall portions in the second state, and are portions that are pulled in opposite directions in a gripped state when folding from the second state to the first state, the pair of fixing portions are respectively provided on opposite sides via an opening formed by the side wall portions in the second state, and are portions that can be fixed in contact with each other in the first state. A storage bag characterized by this.

2. The bag body has a plurality of sheets joined to each other, The storage bag according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion of the plurality of sheets functions as the reinforcing portion.

3. The storage bag according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing portion is formed by sewing a part of the plurality of sheets in a state where they are overlapped.