AU2008100337A4 - A padded bag for a bottle - Google Patents

Description

18-APR-2008 12:34 From:WYNNES PAT&TM RTT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.4

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00 o A PADDED BAG FOR A BOTTLE FIELD OF INVENTION 00 The present invention relates to a light weight padded bag. The present invention has particular but not exclusive application for carrying and transporting ec ec bottles of wine and spirits. Reference to the use of the invention with transporting O bottles of wine during flights is by way of example only and the invention is not 00 S restricted to this use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wine bottles can break while they are being transported or carried as hand luggage or within suitcases. Breakage of wine bottles in hand luggage creates a mess. Breakage of wine bottles in the suitcase may occur as a result of rough handling during loading onto an aircraft and unloading from an aircraft. Not only will the wine be lost but the clothes in the suitcase will be stained and damaged.

There are commercially available bottle bags that can be used to contain the wine bottles before the wine bottles are packed into the suitcase or hand luggage.

These bottle bags are insulated bags but don't protect the bottles from breakage.

The commercially available bottle bags are also relatively heavy and bulky and consequently add to the weight of the passenger's suitcase.

The current bottle bags are not suitable for transporting bottles on an aircraft.

COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-RPR-2008 12:34 From:WYNNES PAT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 00 S OBJECT OF THE INVENTION k It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternate bag for a bottle which overcomes at least in part one or more of the above mentioned 00 disadvantages.

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rn SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION o In one aspect the present invention broadly resides in a light weight bag for a 00 o bottle having walls and a fastener, the walls are capable of securely retaining the C bottle, each of the walls has an outer foil layer and an inner closed air cell layer, the fastener is adapted to enclose the bottle within the walls, wherein the closed air cell layer provides padding to protect the bottle from breakage.

In another aspect the present invention broadly resides in a light weight bag for a bottle including a bag portion having walls capable of securely retaining the bottle, each of the walls has an outer foil layer and an inner closed air cell layer; and a fastener adapted to enclose the bottle within the bag portion wherein the closed air cell layer provides padding to protect the bottle from breakage.

Walls capable of securely retaining the bottle are preferably walls that contact and abut the inserted bottle.

The walls are preferably shaped to prevent movement of the inserted bottle, Preferably, the walls are deformable walls to accommodate bottles of different sizes.

More preferably, the walls are resiliently deformable walls.

The closed air cell layer is a layer that contains air pockets or bubbles preferably produced from a plastic such as Bubble Wrap or a foam.

COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-RPR-2008 12:34 From:WYNNES PRT&TM RTT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.6 -3- 00 0 o Preferably, there is a single closed air cell layer. Alternatively, there may be k two or more closed air cell layers to provide additional padding.

The closed air cell layer preferably has cells with a diameter between 5 and 00 mm and a depth between 2 and 15 mm. Preferably, the closed air cell layer has cells with a diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 4 mm.

ec en The foil layer is preferably an aluminized PE film. Alternatively the foil layer is o a discrete aluminum foil layer bondable to the air cell layer with an intermediate 00 0 polyethylene layer.

Ci Preferably, there is a foil layer on both sides of the closed air cell layer, Each of the walls preferably includes an foil layer, polyethylene layer and a closed air cell layer, The polyethylene layer serves to attach the foil layer to the closed air cell layer.

Preferably, there is a foil layer on inner and outer surfaces of one or more of the walls.

There may be an additional foam layer in the walls.

The foam layer may be made of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, polyurethane or other suitable foam. Preferably, the foam layer is an EVA foam layer.

The foam layer preferably has a thickness of between 1 mm and 25 mm and more preferably about 5 mm.

In one embodiment, each of the walls includes a first foil layer, a first polyethylene layer, two or more closed air cell layers, a second polyethylene layer and a second foil layer. Where there are two or more closed air cell layers, there is preferably a polyethylene layer between each of the closed air cell layers.

COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-RPR-2008 12:34 From:WYNNES PAT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.7/18 -4- 00 0 O In another embodiment, each of the walls includes a first foil layer, a first polyethylene layer, a first closed air cell layer, a foam layer, a second closed air cell layer, a second polyethylene layer and a second foil layer.

00 Preferably, there is a polyethylene layer between the foam layer and each of the first closed air cell layer and second closed air cell layer.

en The walls of the bag portion preferably include side and base walls.

0 o The bag portion may have one, two or three compartments in order to 00 O accommodate one, two or three bottles, respectively. Where there are several Ci compartments, each of the compartments is preferably separated by a divider wall that has the same structure as the side walls. The divider wall is preferably fixed in position to provide the bag with structural integrity.

In one embodiment, the bag portion has a top wall that is hinged on one side wall and is attachable to an opposed side wall to enclose the bottle within the bag portion. The top wall is preferably attachable to an opposed side wall with a fastener. The fastener preferably includes hook and eye portions, snap fit fasteners, a zip or any combination of fasteners.

The top wall preferably has the same structure as the side walls.

In a different embodiment, the bag portion has no top wall and a fastener is used to pinch together upper sections of opposing side walls to enclose the bottle within the bag portion.

In the embodiment that has the top wall, the foam layer may be in the form of a foam insert that is inserted in a pocket of the top wall. Preferably, the foam insert is positioned between the first closed air cell layer and the second closed air cell layer when the foam layer is inserted in the pocket of the top wall. The foam insert is COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-APR-2008 12:35 From:WYNNES PT&TM RTT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.8-116 00 0 0 preferably an additional foam layer in the top wall and serves to provide additional protection to the neck of the bottle.

Alternatively, the foam layer may be made integral with the top wall.

00 Preferably, the integral foam layer of the top wall is located between the first closed air cell layer and the second closed air cell layer.

en The light weight bag preferably further includes a carry handle or a shoulder o strap.

00 SThe carry handle or shoulder strap is preferably sewn onto the bag portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a bottle bag according to one embodiment of the present invention: Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top view of the bottle bag of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a photograph of a bottle bag according to second embodiment of the present Invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figures 1 to 2, there is shown a bottle bag 10 that has a bag portion 12 with a top wall 13, a base wall 14 and side walls 15. 16, 17. The top wall 13 is hinged on one side wall 15 and can be attached to an opposed side wall 17 to close the bag 10. There are complementary Velcro strips 18, 19 located on one of COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-RPR-2008 12:35 From:WYNNES PAT&TM TT 0733421292 To:026837999 P.9/18 -6- 00 o the side walls 17 and the top wall 13, respectively, that can attach to each other to close the bottle bag The bottle bag 10 has two compartments 20, 21 to accommodate two bottles 00 (not shown in the Figures) such as wine or spirit bottles. The compartments 20, 21 are separated by a divider wall 22.

ec en The base wall 14, side walls 15, 16, 17 and divider wall 22 are all resiliently o deformable walls that enable the bottles to be securely retained in each of the 00 o compartments 20, 21. The resiliently deformable walls 14, 15, 16, 17, 22 are shaped ci to contact and abut the wine bottles that are inserted into the compartments 20, 21 and thereby prevent movement of the inserted bottles.

Each of the resiliently deformable walls 14, 15, 16, 17, 22 has an outer aluminum foil layer, a first polyethylene layer, a first inner closed air cell layer, an EVA foam layer, a second inner closed air cell layer, a second polyethylene layer and an inner aluminum layer. The first and second polyethylene layer serve to attach each of the aluminum foil layers to the first and second inner closed air cell layer, respectively. The aluminum foil layer and the adjacent polyethylene layer are in the form of an aluminum polyethylene layer. There is also a polyethylene layer between between the EVA foam layer and each of the first and second inner closed air cell layers.

Each of the inner closed air cell layers is a layer that contains air pockets or bubbles made of plastic such as Bubble wrap. The closed air cell layer has cells with a diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 4 mm.

The EVA foam layer has a thickness of about 5 mm.

The top wall 13 has a similar structure to the other walls 14, 15, 16, 17, 22 except that there is an additional EVA foam layer in the form of a foam insert COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-RPR-2008 12:35 From:WYNNES PT&TM RTT 0T33421292 To:262837999 P.10/18 -7- 00 o The top wall 13 has a pocket 24 for inserting the foam insert 25. When inserted in k the pocket 24, the foam insert 25 is positioned between the first and second inner closed air cell layers.

00 The closed air cell layers provide padding to protect the wine bottle from breakage. Further protection from breakage is provided by the foam layer of the side ec en and base walls 14, 15, 16, 17, 22 and the foam insert 25 positioned in the top wall o 13.

00 o The foil layer and the air cell layer(s) provide thermal insulation to reduce Ci fluctuations in temperature that may adversely affect the bottle contents within the bag. Controlling the temperature is particularly Important during flights where temperature can fluctuate between 35 and 7 degrees Celsuis in the cargo holds of aeroplanes.

The closed air cell layers, EVA foam layer, polyethylene layers and foil layers are all light weight layers. Consequently, the bottle bag 10 is a light weight bag.

There are two carry handles 26 that are sewn onto the side walls 15, 17. The stitching used to attach the carry handles 26 to the side walls 15, 17 prevents tearing of the carry handles 26 from the side walls 15, 17.

With reference to Figure 3 there is shown a different embodiment of the bottle bag 30, The bottle bag 30 is similar to the bottle bag 10 described above except that bottle bag 30 has a bag portion 31 with no top wall. The bottle bag 30 has opposing side walls 32, 33 that are pinched together at the upper sections of the opposing side walls 32, 33 by a Velcro strip 34.

COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-RPR-2008 12:35 From:WYNNES PAT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.11/18

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SADVANTAGES

An advantage of the preferred embodiment of the bottle bag is the provision of padding in the form of a closed air cell layer. The closed air cell layer reduces 00 impact of an external force to a bottle retained in the bottle bag and consequently protects the retained bottle from breakage.

ec eM Another advantage of the preferred embodiment of the bottle bag is that the 0 o bottle bag is a relatively light weight bag because of the materials used in 00 Smanufacture. The bottle bag can therefore be conveniently used to pack wine C1 bottles for inclusion in the suitcase of a person without contributing significantly to the weight of the person's suitcase A further advantage of the preferred embodiment of the bottle bag is that the foil layer of the bottle bag provides thermal insulation and maintains a relatively constant temperature within the bottle bag. Because of the increased security restrictions in taking fluids onto aircraft, bottles of wine and spirits are placed in checked luggage which is subsequently loaded into the cargo holds of the aircraft.

In the cargo holds temperature fluctuations are experienced and the thermal insulation provided by the bottle bag helps to maintain a constant temperature and thus not adversely affect the bottle contents.

VARIATIONS

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18 18-APR-2008 12:36 From:WYNNES PAT&TM ATT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.12/18 -9- 00 0 o Throughout the description and claims this specification the word "comprise" k and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

00 00 0 O0 ci COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18

Claims (1)

18-APR-2008 12:36 From:WYNNES PRT&TM RTT 0733421292 To:0262837999 P.13zlS 00 SCLAIMS i 1. A light weight bag for a bottle including a bag portion having walls capable of securely retaining the bottle, each of the 00 walls has an outer foil layer and an inner closed air cell layer: and a fastener adapted to enclose the bottle within the bag portion wherein the ec en closed air cell layer provides padding to protect the bottle from breakage. 00 S2. A light weight bag as claimed in claim one wherein the walls are deformable Ci walls to accommodate bottles of different sizes, the closed air cell layer has one or more air bubble layers with cells having a diameter between 5 and 30 mm and a depth between 2 and 15 mm, 3. A light weight bag as claimed in claim one or two, wherein one or more of the walls has one or more foam layers, said foam layer is made of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, polyurethane or other suitable foam. 4. A light weight bag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein there is an aluminum foil layer on inner and outer surfaces of one or more of the walls and a top wall has two foam layers. A light weight bag as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. COMS ID No: ARCS-187391 Received by IP Australia: Time 12:47 Date 2008-04-18