Garment Bag Foldable Panel Zipper Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional garment bags face challenges in protecting garments during shipping, as they can bulge or have loose elements that may damage the bag, and existing designs often require dimension-based shipping costs rather than weight-based, which can be inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A garment bag design featuring foldable panels with a zipper that secures the bag in a shipping configuration, reducing bulging and eliminating loose straps or hooks, while allowing for easy conversion to a carrying configuration, and incorporating a support strip for structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If garment bags are made foldable with clips or zippers to hold folded configuration, then the bags can be folded for transport, but loose elements like clips or hooks may damage the bag during shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes traditional loose fastening elements like clips and hooks from the garment bag design. Instead, it uses a zipper mechanism that integrates the fastening function directly into the bag structure, eliminating the harmful loose elements that could cause damage during shipping while maintaining foldability.
Solution Approach 2:
The zipper mechanism merges the fastening function with the bag's structural panels. The zipper teeth and tape are directly attached to the panels, creating an integrated system where the fastening mechanism becomes part of the bag's body rather than a separate loose component.
2Ease of operation
If garment bags are designed with loose straps or hooks for carrying, then ease of carrying is improved, but bulging occurs during shipping and dimension-based costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The garment bag features dynamic panels that can transition between folded and unfolded configurations. When folded for shipping, the panels conform tightly to minimize volume. When unfolded for use, they expand to provide full carrying capacity, allowing the bag to adapt its shape and size based on its state.
Solution Approach 2:
The bag's physical parameters (shape, volume, configuration) are changed between folded and unfolded states. In the folded state, the panels create a compact form factor that minimizes shipping dimensions. In the unfolded state, the same panels expand to provide full garment coverage and carrying functionality.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional garment bags use clips to hold folded configuration, then the bag can be maintained in folded state, but the clips may detach or damage the bag during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical clip system with a zipper mechanism. The zipper uses interlocking teeth and a sliding pull mechanism, which provides more reliable and secure fastening compared to clips that can detach or slip during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The zipper creates a continuous curved seal along the panel edges when closed, distributing the holding force evenly across the entire folded configuration. This curved integration provides superior stability compared to discrete clip attachment points.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a garment bag which not only can be used for storage and transport of garments, but also may be used as a shipping package. The garment bag may compress the contents, reduce or eliminate loose straps, hooks, or other elements which could damage the garment bag during shipping, and protect the contents against water and rough handling.