WATERPROOF POCKET AND CLOSURE SYSTEM AND METHOD

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to traveling equipment, more particularly, the invention relates to watertight accessories.

BACKGROUND

Outdoor traveling and recreating are increasingly popular. According to the Outdoor Foundation's annual outdoor industry trends report, some 164 million Americans over the age of 6 took part in an outdoor activity in 2021, more than half of the U.S. population, and a more than 2 percent increase compared to 2020. In some outdoor activities related to water, for example, fly fishing, and recreational Kayaking, a continuous upward trend expressed in a five-year average annual growth rate between the years 2016 and 2021 was 3% and 6% respectively. As the outdoor and travel industries grow, gear companies constantly innovate to provide better products. With the increase in outdoor recreation in general and water activities in particular, the need to provide effective solutions for participants in these types of recreational activities has increased. On the other hand, the need to keep personal belongings increases because people got used to carrying with them an increasing number of personal belongings according to the changing lifestyle. In addition, the sensitivity of these personal items to water has also increased due to the growing use of electronic equipment such as cell phones, digital cameras, tablets, and car remote keys.

The growing demand and the shortcomings of the existing equipment led the present inventor to contemplate a solution that seemed to him a better fit for keeping water-sensitive items.

The terms “flexible container” and “sack” may be used interchangeably hereinafter. The terms “watertight”, “waterproof”, and “hermetic” may be used interchangeably hereinafter.

The terms “correspond to”, and “complementary” may be used interchangeably hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to meet a growing need for keeping items in a moist or wet environment. Another object of the invention is to keep liquids and wet contents inside a flexible container. Another object of the invention is to store gas inside a flexible container. Another object of the invention is to maintain a vacuum in a flexible container. The term “flexible container” may refer among other things to pouches, bags, pockets, food and beverage packaging, vacuum packaging, sterile packaging, floats, and hot air balloons.

A watertight flexible container according to aspects of the present invention includes one or more openings, one or more first members located in one or more of the openings, and a second member located opposite the first member. The second member has one or more protrusions towards the first member. When the members are pressed against each other, the members interlock to form a hermetic seal. In some embodiments of the present invention, the second member may be made of a soft or flexible material so that the protrusion of the first member is pressed into the soft second member. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first member comprises at least one socket that corresponds to the protrusion. In some embodiments the protrusion and socket materials and dimensions may be such that mutual pressing of the members causes deformation and mutual adjustment in the dimensions of the protrusion and socket, allowing penetration and interlock of the protrusion into said socket. In some cases, the socket is a through hole. In some examples, the distal part of the protrusion is wide compared to the protrusion proximal part. In some cases exemplifying the invention, when the protrusion and/or socket are made of a flexible material, the extended distal portion of the protrusion can be pushed into or through the socket. In some of those cases, the interior part of the socket is expanded relative to its portion closer to the entrance, and the proximal portion of the protrusion is pushed into the interior part of the socket to increase the interlock between the two members. In cases, when the socket is a through hole, the distal part of the protrusion is pushed through the hole towards the other side of the hole, the one remote from the opening through which the protrusion entered. In some examples, the socket may be a tapped hole while the protrusion is a screw that tightens during rotation within the tapped hole. In some embodiments the second member is assembled of two parts, a first part with the protrusion and a second part with at least one hole through which the protrusion is inserted such that when is assembled, the second member includes the protrusion. In some embodiments, the members e.g., strips, are with at least one first dimension of the same length, and the members are positioned so that when the members are attached, the first dimension of the first member is located parallel to the first dimension of the second member. In some embodiments exemplifying the invention, means for maintaining the members fastened are included such as zipper, snap button, magnet, screw, tapped hole, hook-and-loop fastener, glue, and combinations thereof. According to some embodiments, the container includes rigid parts. In some containers embodying the invention, a valve or tap is installed which is used to empty the contents of the container or to create a vacuum inside it. Containers according to some embodiments of the invention are divided into different sections where, for example, different types of filling can be filled. In some cases, each section has its own opening with members as described above.

A method according to some aspects of the present invention for keeping items in a hermetic flexible container includes putting one or more items into the container, and interlocking one or more first members located in the container's opening, to one or more second members located opposite to one or more of the first members. The interlocking is carried out by pressing one or more of the first members against one or more of the second members. The second members have one or more protrusions toward one or more of the first members. This interlocking of one or more of the first members to one or more of the second members creates a hermetic seal in the container's opening. In some cases, one or more of the first members have one or more sockets that correspond to one or more of the protrusions. In some examples the pressing of a first member to a second member causes deformation and mutual adjustment of a protrusion and of a socket, allowing penetration and interlock of a protrusion into a socket. In some the embodiments the socket is a tapped hole and the protrusion is a screw and the method includes tightening the screw within the tapped hole. The method may include assembling a second member of two parts. One part with one or more protrusions and a second part with one or more holes. The assembling includes inserting one or more protrusions through one or more holes of a second part. The method may include fastening at least one first member to at least one second member with a zipper, snap button, magnet, screw, tapped hole, hook-and-loop fastener, glue, and combinations thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A complete understanding of the present embodiments and the advantages and features thereof will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated as examples and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container

FIG. 1B illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container

FIG. 1C illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container

FIG. 2 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with two members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, with one of the members having a socket

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, with a detail depicting the structures of the members.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with two members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container both having protrusions and sockets

FIG. 5 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, where one member having a protrusion with an expansion in the distal part of the protrusion

FIG. 6 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, where one member has a socket which is a through hole.

FIG. 7 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, where one member has a socket with a tapped hole, and an additional member with a screw

FIG. 8 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, where one member is assembled of two parts

FIG. 9 illustrates schematically, two members having the same length for hermetically sealing the opening of a flexible container

FIG. 10 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container, according to some embodiments, of the present invention, with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container, and a zipper for maintaining the members fastened.

FIG. 11 illustrates schematically, a watertight flexible container having a rigid part according to some embodiments of the present invention with members for hermetically sealing the opening of the flexible container

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Outdoor traveling and recreating are increasingly popular. With the increase in outdoor recreation in general and water activities in particular, the need to provide effective solutions for participants has grown. Technological advancement brought significant changes in lifestyle, one of which is that people got used to carrying a greater number of personal items. Many items are electronic equipment such as cell phones, digital cameras, tablets, and car remote keys, which are sensitive to a wet environment. The growing demand and the shortcomings of the existing solutions led the present inventor to contemplate a solution that seemed to him a better fit for keeping water-sensitive items.

The present invention is intended to meet a growing need for keeping items in a moist or wet environment. Another object of the invention is to keep liquids and wet contents inside a flexible container. Another object of the invention is to store gas inside a flexible container. Another object of the invention is to maintain a vacuum in a flexible container. The term “flexible container” may refer among other things to pouches, bags, pockets, food and beverage packaging, vacuum packaging, sterile packaging, floats, and hot air balloons.

As depicted in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, watertight flexible container 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention includes flexible body 110, opening 120, member 130 located in one or more of the openings, and a member 140 located opposite member 130. Member 130 has protrusion 132 towards member 140. When the members are pressed against each other, the members interlock to form a hermetic seal. A schematic illustration of the pressing of the members against each other is depicted by arrows P. In some embodiments of the present invention, member 140 may be made of a soft or flexible material so that the protrusion 132 is pressed into member 140. According to some embodiments of the present invention depicted in FIG. 2, member 140 comprises socket 142 which corresponds to protrusion 132. Detail M depicting schematically the structures of the members, with protrusion 132 and socket 142, according to some embodiments, is shown in FIG. 3 alongside a similar view of flexible containers 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In an example shown in FIG. 4, both members 130 and 140 are with protrusions and sockets. In some embodiments, protrusion 132 and socket 142 materials and dimensions are such that mutual pressing of the members causes deformation and mutual adjustment in the dimensions of protrusion 132 and socket 142, allowing penetration and interlock of protrusion 132 into socket 142. Embodiments, where protrusion 132 includes expansion 134 in its distal part, are illustrated schematically in FIG. 5. According to some embodiments depicted in FIG. 6, member socket 142 is a through hole through which protrusion 132 with expansion 134 is inserted. In some examples schematically illustrated in FIG. 7, socket 142 may be a tapped hole while protrusion 132 is a screw that tightens during rotation within the tapped hole. Nut 136 is used to tighten the screw part of protrusion 132. In some embodiments shown in FIG. 8 member 130 is assembled of two parts, part 130.2 with protrusion 132 and part 130.4 with hole 130.6 through which protrusion 132 is inserted. A schematic illustration, according to some embodiments, of a view toward opening 120 appears in FIG. 9 where lengths A and B of members 130 and 140 respectively, are equal. In an example shown in FIG. 10 flexible container 100 . . . includes zipper 150 for maintaining members 130 and 140 fastened. In some embodiments exemplifying the invention, other means for maintaining the members fastened are included such as snap buttons, magnets, screws, tapped holes, hook-and-loop fasteners, glues, and combinations thereof. A watertight flexible container 100 which includes rigid part 160 according to some embodiments is shown in FIG. 11.

It should be understood that elements and/or features of an apparatus, or a method described herein can be combined in a variety of ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present teachings, whether explicit or implicit herein. For example, where reference is made to a particular structure, that structure can be used in various embodiments of apparatus of the present teachings and/or in methods of the present teachings, unless otherwise understood from the context. In other words, within this application, embodiments have been described and depicted in a way that enables a clear and concise application to be written and drawn, but it is intended and will be appreciated that embodiments may be variously combined or separated without parting from the present teachings and invention(s). For example, it will be appreciated that all features described and depicted herein can be applicable to all aspects of the invention(s) described and depicted herein.

It should be understood that the expression “at least one of” includes individually each of the recited objects after the expression and the various combinations of two or more of the recited objects unless otherwise understood from the context and use.

The use of the term “include,” “includes,” “including,” “have,” “has,” “having,” “contain,” “contains,” or “containing,” including grammatical equivalents thereof, should be understood generally as open-ended and non-limiting, for example, not excluding additional unrecited elements or steps, unless otherwise specifically stated or understood from the context. The use of the singular herein, for example, “a,” “an,” and “the,” includes the plural (and vice versa) unless specifically stated otherwise.

The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language herein, for example, “such as,” “including,” or “for example,” is intended merely to better illustrate the present teachings and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the present teachings.

The present teachings encompass embodiments in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The foregoing embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative rather than limiting on the present teachings described herein.