Retractable Mesh Bag with Spring Roller Housing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shopping bags, including plastic, fabric, and mesh bags, face issues such as lack of reusability, space inefficiency, and difficulty in storage, leading to reliance on ecologically unfavorable plastic bags when needed.

Innovation Solution

A tote bag with a housing that allows the bag body to fold up like a tube and roll into the housing, featuring a draw-in opening and retraction mechanism with a roller and elastic spring means for automatic retraction, ensuring space-saving storage and protection from dirt and other objects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a mesh or net-like bag is used to provide large capacity with little space requirement, then the carrying volume efficiency is improved, but the bag easily gets dirty and objects can get caught in the mesh during transport

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecarrying volumeVSAvoiddirt and object entanglement
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The mesh bag is nested inside a protective housing that completely surrounds it during storage and transport. The bag can be fully retracted into the housing, allowing it to be protected from dirt and preventing objects from getting caught in the mesh while maintaining its large carrying capacity when deployed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The system is divided into two functional parts: the mesh bag itself (providing carrying volume) and the protective housing (providing protection during storage). This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromise - the bag maintains its mesh structure for capacity while the housing provides the protective enclosure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Duration of action of stationary object

If a fabric bag is used for repeated use, then the reusability is improved, but the bag takes up a relatively large amount of space when stored

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereusabilityVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric bag can be fully retracted and nested inside the housing, reducing its storage volume to the size of the housing itself. This allows the reusable bag to maintain its durability and repeated use capability while occupying minimal space when not in use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The bag transitions between two states: expanded for use (providing full carrying capacity) and retracted/rolled up for storage (minimizing space occupation). The dynamic retraction mechanism allows the bag to adapt its volume based on whether it is being used or stored.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Volume of moving object

If a plastic bag is used for transport, then the space efficiency is improved, but the bag cannot be reused and is ecologically unfavorable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace efficiencyVSAvoidreusability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The housing serves multiple functions: it protects the bag during storage, provides a compact form factor for portability, and enables the reusable bag to maintain its small storage profile. This multi-functionality allows the system to combine the space efficiency of plastic bags with the reusability of fabric bags.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a reusable, space-efficient, and eco-friendly shopping bag that can be easily stored in other containers without tangling or getting dirty, reducing the need for plastic bags.

Implementation Method 1

draw-in means (26, 126, 226) connected to the bag body (18), the tote bag according to the invention being characterized in that the draw-in opening (17, 317) and the draw-in means are designed in such a way that the bag body (18) is folded up like a tube when it is drawn into the housing (11, 211, 311) and is rolled up in the housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic spring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

elastic spring means for automatic retraction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2088893B1Carrying bag
Publication Date: 2011.12.14 LORENZ CHRIS M
  • EP2088893B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2088893B1 patent drawingFigure 4~9
  • EP2088893B1 patent drawingFigure 10~12

AI summary

The invention relates to a carrying bag 10, particularly a shopping bag, having a preferably net- or mesh-like bag body 18, at least one handle 40, a housing 11, which has a pull opening 17 and pull means connected to the bag body 18, the means being made of a spring-loaded roller 26, for example, wherein the pull opening 17 and the pull means 26 are designed such that the bag body 18 is folded in a tubular manner when pulled into the housing 11 and is rolled up in the housing 11.