US20070122066A1

US20070122066A1 - Diaper Changing Accessory Organizer

Info

Publication number: US20070122066A1
Application number: US11/669,823
Authority: US
Inventors: Lisa Landay
Original assignee: Gem and I Products Inc
Current assignee: Gem and I Products Inc
Priority date: 2005-05-23
Filing date: 2007-01-31
Publication date: 2007-05-31
Also published as: US20060260046A1; WO2006127566A2; US7171707B2; WO2006127566A3

Abstract

A portable diaper changing accessory organizer including an elongated bag body having a plurality of pivotally connected or hinged sections, a capturing element, and a carrying strap such that a user may organize and store personal articles along with diaper changing provisions including an optional changing mat in the storage sections and then fold and capture the sections together and transport the organizer along with the packed articles in a relatively thin profile pack that may be opened flat to expose each of the storage sections for quick access to the articles necessary to change an infant.

Description

This is a continuation-in-part of, U.S. Ser. No. 11/134,962, filed on May 23, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,707, entitled Portable Rollup Pack, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting personal articles and more specifically to portable packs for organizing, storing, and transporting substantially flattened or compressible articles alone or along with rolled up, folded, or flattened cushioning articles such as sleeping gear, exercise and seating mats, personal towels, diaper changing mats or pads, beach towels, blankets, and other similar articles.
2. Background Art
Adults as well as children often engage in overnight camping trips as well as slumber parties. For such extended stays, the overnighter generally must pack both a sleeping bag and a personal carrying pack. Typically, any personal items are stored in a carrying pack such as a school backpack or knapsack that is transported on the individual's back or hand-carried. The sleeping bag is also generally rolled up into a bulky cylindrical package and lugged under one arm or otherwise carried by a handle. Thus, even with the carrying pack worn on the back, this transportation method occupies at least one arm and takes up a significant amount of space. While the size of some backpacks allows the user to compress the sleeping bag into the bottom of the pack, this is not practical for many of the larger, less compressible sleeping bags commonly used on overnight trips. In addition, the sleeping bag is typically stored at the bottom of the pack and is not readily accessible without removing the entire contents of the pack.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,072 to Hsu an integrated knapsack and sleeping bag combination is described in an attempt to reduce some of this transportation concern. However, the sleeping bag in this combination is connected to the lining of the knapsack and thus does not facilitate cleaning the sleeping bag or replacing the sleeping bag once it is outgrown or degrades so as to be no longer useful.
Another solution for carrying personal items is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,300 to Robinson. This patent describes a roll pack for transporting articles to the beach or a picnic area. The roll pack described in this patent describes a set of pockets along one edge for storing articles including a pillow and a set of pockets along the opposite edge for storing a set of tie wraps so as to prevent the hook and loop fasteners from becoming fouled with dirt or other contaminants. The majority of the roll pack is taken up by a large intermediate section made up of an absorbent material such as terry cloth. This central enlarged section is provided for use as a towel so that the user does not need to bring a separate towel. By providing such a large towel section, this roll pack configuration wastes a considerable amount of useable storage space. Moreover, it would be impractical to store articles up against the wet towel section as such articles could absorb the towel moisture and become damaged.
In addition to focusing on various overnight travel needs, other travel accessories are geared more specifically to address diaper changing needs for day traveling and/or extended overnight stays. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,336 to Marteeny discloses a portable diaper changing station for changing a baby on a protruding support surface such as a bathroom sink. The changing station includes a non-bendable rigid central section with a handle and supporting a cushioning pad. A nonporous wipeable carrying case is releasably attached to the upper surface of the central section in the form of a pair of opposing flaps that may cover the cushioning pad. Thus, each flap may be removed from the central section. One of the flaps includes a series of pockets with openings running parallel to a long edge of the cushioning pad for storing spare diapers. The other flap does not include any pockets and instead provides a cushioning surface to protect the baby from protruding objects such as a sink faucet. The flaps are closed together over the cushioning pad with opposing sets of complementary hook and loop fasteners. In use, the rigid central section is placed over a sink opening. The rigidity of the central section prevents the changing station from sagging into the sink under the weight of the baby. The flaps are released from one another with the cushioning flap being propped up against the sink faucet and the other flap being lowered to hang over the outer edge of the sink. The baby is placed on the cushioning pad of the central section with the baby positioned perpendicularly to the diaper changing person and changed conventionally. While this changing station is useful for changing a baby on a surface such as a sink because of its rigid section, such rigidity throughout the central section is also limiting. For instance, the rigid section must be large enough to accommodate most sink openings. This renders this changing station rather bulky or requires the user to carry multiple changing stations of different sizes. The narrow cushioning pad includes an outwardly bowed surface and is also raised significantly off the surrounding surface and, if the provided restraining straps are not used, the baby may easily roll off the narrow pad toward the sink edge and be injured. Also, there is a significant amount of wasted storage space as both the central section and cushioning flap have no storage capacity. As there are no closed pockets, personal items may easily be lost as the changing station is carried and jostled throughout the day. Thus, the user would still be required to carry and secure personal items in a separate bag such as a purse, wallet, or other handbag.
Another product called the Changing Station has been described as a lightweight changing station that comes with straps so that it may be attached to another backpack, diaper bag, or stroller, or as a carry alone. Like the Marteeny changing station disclosed above, the Changing Station has a central diaper mat section disposed between a storage section and a cover flap. The storage section includes two spaced apart pockets to either side of a daisy chain strap. The pocket openings are next to the diaper changing pad and are oriented parallel to the long edges of the diaper mat. Due to this parallel arrangement, when the baby is on the integrated changing pad, the baby's body inhibits the user from easily withdrawing articles from the pockets. Also, the left side openings are not ergonomically proper for right handed people, the majority of the population. In addition, since the two pockets are presumably loaded with baby changing supplies such as a diaper and wipes, the Changing Station lacks considerably as a standalone product. A purse or another pack would be a necessity. Furthermore, the diaper changing pad is integrated into the body of the Changing Station and thus is not replaceable due to wear and tear or easily removed for cleaning. This configuration also omits the entire section beneath the pad as a potential storage space. The flap section provides no storage capability and provides another wasted storage space. Similarly, the external surface of the Changing Station when closed up fails to utilize the exterior space for any storage capacity.
A similar construction can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,150 to Fitzsimmons. However, the Fitzsimmons baby accessory carrier includes a detachable diaper changing pad overlying a central section with both outer sections containing pockets having openings facing the center section. The carrier is constructed of a soft quilted material. To assume a purse-like configuration, this carrier also requires a folding order that requires three steps as first one side is folded over the central section about a first transverse axis and then the second side is folded about a second spaced apart transverse axis over onto the first side. Then the entire elongated package is folded in half about a longitudinal axis to bring a pair of opposing handles together. The package is then tied together using tie strips to provide the purse-like configuration.
While the changing pad of the Fitzsimmons carrier can be removed, there is no storage space beneath the pad. In addition, as with the Changing Station, the pocket openings face the center section and thus removal of the articles therein is inhibited when the infant is on the pad. Also, the pockets must be subdivided in half to accommodate the folding process and thus limit the article size that can be placed therein. Moreover, the reduced size of the pad to fit within the confines of the central section limits the usefulness of the pad as a changing surface as the pad size may be too restrictive in some instances by limiting the infant's placement. Finally, the soft quilted body of the carrier will likely sag under a significant weight load and not retain its purse-like shape very well when folded into that configuration.
Other exemplary diaper bags can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,649 to Gonzalez and U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,130 to Coates. The Gonzalez diaper bag is in the form of a horizontally elongated, substantially rectangular bag body having opposing handles at either end. Pockets located in the outer regions of the bag are closed off using a flap. The entire bag is then folded in half to bring the handles together to form a rather unwieldy, elongated, purse-like configuration. There is no attachment for a diaper changing pad and thus such pad, if used, must be crammed into one of the pockets. In use, the changing pad would have to be retrieved from a pocket first and then laid out on a flat surface in order to perform the changing. Since many diaper changing activities involve at least a modicum of speed, this arrangement detracts from that purpose. In addition, the soft corduroy or flannel material will typically sag under a significant weight load and not retain its purse-like shape when being carried. According to the patent, the interior pockets are opaque thus concealing the contents. This adds to the search time for articles therein and is unnecessary since the pockets are concealed when the bag is folded up.
The Coates patent discloses a carrying bag for diaper accessories in the form of a vertically elongated, substantially rectangular bag body with a handle at the top. The bag body has three vertically aligned sections, each with a pocket having an opening at the top of the respective section. The center section may include a removable waterproof pouch for containing soiled diapers. A fastener such as a zipper runs down the sides of the bag body. To convert to a carrier, the two end sections are folded inwardly, one over the other, onto the middle section. This folding process requires that specific order to form the final configuration. The sections are then sealed together with end snap fasteners and zipped up along the sides and can be carried by hand or as a backpack. Alternatively, the bag folds in half like the Gonzalez carrier above to pair up opposing handles. According to the patent, when the bag body is laid out, the infant may be changed directly on top of the pockets. However, there is no intervening pad which means the entire bag would have to be cleaned or a pad would have to be retrieved from another pocket adding to the changing time. Also, due to its compact size and narrow profile, the changing surface area is unlikely to be sufficient.
Thus, there exists a need for an easy to use, portable travel pack that maximizes storage space reducing the need for extra baggage and provides superior organizational features while being capable of transporting a diaper changing pad and related accessories along with personal items, providing a changing station, and freeing the user's hands during transportation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable diaper changing accessory organizer is provided in the form of an elongated bag body having pivotal connections between first and second storage sections and a common central section with the bag body having an interior surface with at least one storage pocket in each of the sections and a third pivotal connection substantially parallel with the first two connections along with a capturing element and a carrying strap whereby a user may fold the first and second storage sections onto the central section about their respective pivotal connections to form first and second overlapping regions and then fold and releasably capture these regions together with the capturing element to transport the bag body in a folded configuration with the carrying strap.
In another aspect of the present invention, a diaper changing mat or pad may be releasably fastened to the interior surface of the diaper bag body and folded up along with the storage sections prior to transport.
Yet another aspect of the present invention involves the incorporation of rigidity and/or retention features such as a rigid spine to prevent sagging during transportation or suspension of the folded bag body from a stroller handle and outer section retaining elements for releasably securing portions of the overlapping regions to a central anchor to further prevent sagging and/or inadvertent unfolding.
The present invention may also include a series of pockets substantially spanning the length and height of the bag body that may provide waterproof compartments along with viewing windows to assist in the quick retrieval of the packed accessories.
A method of preparing a diaper changing accessory organizer for transport is also disclosed herein both with and without a removable diaper changing mat.
Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent with further reference to the following drawings and specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an interior surface of a rollup pack in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a reverse elevational view of an exterior surface of the rollup pack of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 a top view of an unrolled, partially open, conventional sleeping bag for use with the rollup pack of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view illustrating various articles being stored within the pockets of the rollup pack of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 5A-5C is a set of perspective views illustrating the packing of the sleeping bag and rollup pack of FIG. 1 to prepare for their transport as an integrated unit;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of an interior surface of another embodiment of the portable rollup pack in the form of a diaper changing accessory organizer with diaper changing mat in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of an exterior surface of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 6 without the diaper changing mat;
FIG. 8 is an elevational view of a rear surface of an exemplary diaper changing mat for use with the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIGS. 6-7;
FIG. 9 is a similar view to FIG. 6 with the diaper changing mat of FIG. 8 attached and opened up for use or in a pre-folding configuration;
FIGS. 10-13 depict similar views to FIG. 9 and illustrate the subsequent steps of folding the diaper changing mat and diaper changing accessory organizer as an integrated unit;
FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the diaper changing accessory organizer in a travel configuration;
FIG. 15 is a rear elevational view of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 14 in a travel configuration;
FIG. 16 is a right hand end view of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 14 with the stroller straps in an open configuration and the shoulder strap in a relaxed state;
FIG. 17 is an elevational view of an interior surface of a third embodiment of a portable rollup pack in the form of a diaper changing accessory organizer in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 18 is an elevational view of an exterior surface of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 17;
FIG. 19 is a similar view to FIG. 17 with an exemplary diaper changing mat attached and partially folded onto itself;
FIGS. 20-21 depict a similar view to FIG. 17 with the diaper changing accessory organizer in a partially folded up configurations;
FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 17 in a travel configuration;
FIG. 23 is a rear elevational view of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 22 in a travel configuration; and
FIG. 24 is a right hand end view of the diaper changing accessory organizer of FIG. 22 with the stroller straps in an open configuration and the shoulder strap in a relaxed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2 illustrating interior and exterior views of an exemplary portable rollup pack in accordance with the present invention and generally designated 10, the rollup pack is provided for organizing, storing, and transporting personal articles, items, or objects including a rolled up sleeping bag for extended stays. An exemplary sleeping bag, generally designated 12, is illustrated in FIG. 3. When laid flat as in FIGS. 1-2, the rollup pack 10 generally includes a substantially rectangular bag body 14 that may be divided generally into a medial carrying section 16 interposed between a left lateral wing wrap 18 and a right lateral wing wrap 20. The bag body is constructed of an outer layer of fabric 22 sewn to a similarly dimensioned inner layer of fabric 24 forming an exterior bag body surface 26 and interior bag body surface 28, respectively. The top edge 21, bottom edge 23, left hand edge 25, and right hand edge 27 of the bag body are then finished off with conventional ¼ inch filled piping 30 circumscribing the perimeter of the bag body. In this exemplary embodiment, the overall height of the bag body measured from the top edge 21 to the bottom edge 23 is approximately 12.5 inches and the overall length is approximately 45 inches measured from the left hand edge 25 to the right hand edge 27 as viewed in FIG. 1.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, the interior surface 28 of the bag body 14 may be divided into a number of pockets for organizing, storing, and transporting personal articles. In this exemplary embodiment, the bag body includes six pockets arranged across substantially the entire length and height of the bag body as viewed in FIG. 1. The leftmost upper pocket 31 and lower pocket 32 are vertically stacked and span the entire height of the bag body. In this exemplary embodiment, these dual pockets subdivide the height of the bag body equally. These dual pockets include a common bottom edge 34 that corresponds with the leftmost edge 25 of the bag body as viewed in FIG. 1. The dual pockets also share a common sidewall 35. Each pocket 31, 32 includes a vertically projecting top edge 36, 38, respectively, forming an opening into the respective pocket. The openings face the right hand end 27 of the bag away from the left hand edge 25. The top edges of the pockets 31, 32 may be lined with a conventional hook and loop type closure as indicated by strips 37, 39, respectively, to seal off the contents of the pocket. A convenient pull tab 40, 42 is provided on each pocket 31, 32, respectively, to facilitate separating the hook section from the loop section to gain access to the pocket.
These dual pockets 31 and 32 are typically dimensioned to accommodate smaller personal articles. In this exemplary embodiment, these pockets measure approximately 7.5 inches in depth from the bottom edge 34 of each pocket to the top opening edge 36 or 38, respectively. Depth is generally defined as the distance from the bottom edge of a pocket to a top open edge of a pocket. To the immediate right of the dual pockets 31 and 32, a first enlarged pocket 44 is provided. The bottom edge 46 of this pocket is located proximate the openings of the dual pockets 31 and 32. This enlarged pocket 44 spans the entire height of the bag body 14 and measures approximately 14 inches in depth. As with the dual pockets, the first enlarged pocket is provided with a top edge 48 providing an opening facing the right hand end 27 of the bag body 14. A closure device in the form of a nylon zipper 50 may be used to seal off this pocket.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, spaced to the right of the first enlarged pocket 44 is a pair of intermediate pockets 52 and 54. These pockets are constructed identically and each measure about 4.75 inches in depth and span the entire height of the bag body 14. The bottom edge 56 of the first intermediate pocket 52 is conjoined with the top edge of the zipper closure 50. The top edge 58 of the first intermediate pocket faces the right hand end 27 of the bag body. The second intermediate pocket 54 includes a bottom edge 60 spaced to the right of the top edge of the first intermediate pocket and an opening 62 that faces the right hand edge of the bag body as well. In this example, each of the intermediate pockets 52, 54 incorporate hook and loop closures as indicated by strips 53, 55, respectively, to seal off their respective contents. As with the dual pockets 31, 32, each intermediate pocket includes a pull tab 63, 65 respectively to assist in separating the hook and loop closures lining the opening of the intermediate pockets.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the rightmost pocket 64 is a second enlarged pocket and includes a bottom edge 66 corresponding with the right hand edge 27 of the bag body 14. Unlike the other pockets, the top opening 68 of this pocket faces to the left hand side 25 of the bag body, as viewed in FIG. 1. The second enlarged pocket includes a zipper closure 70 for controlling access to the pocket compartment. The second enlarged pocket 64 also spans the entire height of the bag body and measure approximately 11 inches in depth in this exemplary pocket configuration.
The pockets 31, 32, 44, 52, 54, and 64 may be formed by sewing, adhering, welding or using other suitable joining techniques to join the three sides of a substantially rectangular plastic sheet or sheets to the interior surface 28 of the bag body 14. As described above, a fourth edge of the plastic sheet forms an opening into the respective pocket compartments that may be closed using conventional closure devices such as plastic or metal zippers, hook and loop closures, buttons, snaps, and other suitable closure device. It is not necessary to use a closure device however. It is preferable to use clear plastic sheets to form a viewing window, such as exemplified by reference numeral 72 (FIG. 4), so that the contents of the pocket may be easily ascertained without having to open the pocket and remove the contents one at a time until the desired article is retrieved. Other suitable materials may be used as well and the viewing window may comprise the entire pocket wall or a portion thereof. To maximize the storage capacity of the bag body, it is also preferable to provide pockets across the entire width and height of the bag body 14. However, other pocket configurations will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. In this example, all of the pocket openings are configured substantially parallel to the left and right hand edges 25, 27, respectively, of the bag body.
The pockets may be spaced apart from one another to accommodate folding of the bag body 14 as well. For instance, there are three folding wells in this exemplary bag body 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The first or leftmost folding well 74 is spaced between the top edges 36, 38 of the dual pockets 31, 32, respectively, and the bottom edge 46 of the first enlarged pocket 44. An intermediate folding well 76 is interposed between the top edge 58 of the first intermediate pocket 52 and the bottom edge 60 of the second intermediate pocket 54. The rightmost or third folding well 78 is positioned between the opening 62 of the second intermediate pocket 54 and the zipper closure 70 of the second enlarged pocket 64. In this example, these wells span the entire height of the bag body and measure about 1.5 inches across. These wells provide fold lines that accommodate folding the bag body even when the individual pockets are relatively full and may resist folding themselves.
It is also preferable to construct the bag body 14 from waterproof materials or at least highly water resistant materials such as nylon, polyester, or other suitable material. As an alternative, the materials or fabrics used to construct the bag body may be treated with a waterproofing substance. This prevents personal articles that may leak from spreading to the remainder of the bag body or sleeping bag 12 when the rollup pack is in contact with the bag. In addition, a wet towel may be placed in one the pockets without concern of dampening the other articles or sleeping bag. By providing a waterproof exterior surface 26, the items in the pockets and sleeping bag are further protected from exterior moisture. In addition, if the contents of the bag body 14 are removed or there is no concern if they are compressed, the rollup pack may be used as a mat underneath the sleeping bag 12 when unrolled further protecting the sleeping bag and providing an insulating surface beneath the sleeping bag.
Referring now to FIG. 2, on the exterior surface 26 of the bag body 14 includes a pair of carrying handles 80 and 82. The ends of each carrying handle are sewn to the top edge 21 and bottom edge 23 of the bag body 14. These carrying handles are approximately 22 inches in length to provide ample length for use as shoulder straps in addition to be used as carrying handles. In this exemplary embodiment, the shoulder straps 80 and 82 are spaced approximately 8.75 inches from the respective left end 25 and right end 27 of the bag body 14. The handles may be adjustable using a conventional shoulder strap adjustment construction. The shoulder straps are preferably constructed of a webbed strapping and may be padded. In general, the shoulder straps divide the intermediate carrying section 16 from the lateral wings 18 and 20, respectively. However, this division is for ease of description and not meant to be limiting in any manner.
With continued reference to FIG. 2, a first pair of pack fasteners 84, 86 is sewn into the exterior surface 26 of the bag body 14. The pack fasteners 84 and 86 include a length of webbed strapping 85, 87, respectively, measuring approximately 10.75 inches in length from an interior end fastened to the exterior surface 26 within the intermediate carrying section 16 to the left hand edge 25 of the bag body 14. Each fastener 84, 86 projects approximately 1-2 inches beyond the left most edge 25 of the bag body and terminates in a plastic clip 88, 90, respectively, of the dual bayonet variety. The fasteners 84 and 86 are spaced apart approximately 6.5 inches along the height of the bag body. The strap portions 85 and 87 of the fasteners are constructed from a similar webbed strapping material as the shoulder straps 80 and 82.
With continued reference to FIG. 2, on the right hand side of the bag body 14 is a second pair of pack fasteners 92, 94 constructed in a similar manner to the first pair of pack fasteners 84, 86 with a strap section 93, 95, respectively, sewn into the exterior surface 26 of the bag body. The ends of the pack fasteners 92, 94 project approximately 1-2 inches beyond the right hand edge 27 of the bag body and terminate in a plastic buckle 96, 98, respectively, for fastening to the clips 88, 90 of the first pair of pack fasteners when the wings 18 and 20 are brought together. As viewed in FIG. 2, upper first fastener 84 is aligned with upper second fastener 92 along the height of the bag body when the bag body is rolled out flat. Lower first fastener 86 is aligned with lower second fastener 94 in a similar configuration. These fastener pairs may be adjustable as well to accommodate a variety of sleeping bag dimensions. This exemplary embodiment describes a two pair of pack fasteners in the form of a clip and buckle. It will be appreciated that other suitable releasable fastening devices may be used as well including hook and loop closures, snaps, buttons, rings, clamps, hooks and grommets, or loose tie ends.
With reference now to FIGS. 1-4, in use, the rollup pack 10 is laid out flat on a bed or other convenient flat surface. The user may then grasp the tabs 40, 42, 63, 65 of the desired pocket 31, 32, 52, and 54, respectively, to separate the hook and loops and closures or unzip the zipper closures 50, 70, of the enlarged pockets 44, 64, respectively, to open the desired pocket 30, 32, 44, 52, 54, and 64 insert extended stay articles such as clothing, footwear, toiletries, snacks, reading materials, and other suitable items to be taken on an overnight trip in a manner of organization as befitting the user. Exemplary articles such as a toothpaste tube 104 a, toothbrush 104 b, pajamas 104 c, hairclips 104 d, socks 104 e, brush 104 f, comb 104 g, and sandals 104 h are illustrated in FIG. 4. When the desired overnight articles have been inserted into the pockets, the opening of the pockets are closed by mating the hook and loop closures or zipping the zipper closures where appropriate.
Turning now to FIGS. 5A-5C, the user may then roll up the sleeping bag 12 into a cylindrical configuration such as illustrated in FIG. 5A and place the rolled up sleeping bag on top of the interior surface 28 of the bag body 14 of the rollup pack 10 about the middle of the bag body. The flat ends of the sleeping bag are generally aligned with the top edge 21 and bottom edge 23 of the bag body but may extend beyond or fall short of the edges as determined by the relationship of the rolled up sleeping bag height in relation to the rollup pack height. The user may then grasp the left wing 18 by the left hand end 25 and fold it on top of the sleeping bag to partially wrap the wing about the circumference of the sleeping bag. Even with the pockets being filled to capacity and possibly resistant to bending, the left wing will fold about the well 74 onto to the sleeping bag and generally follow the curvature of the sleeping bag. Then, the user may grasp the right hand edge 27 of the bag body and bring the right wing 20 and its buckles 96, 98 proximate their respective counterpart clips 88, 90 of the first pair of pack fasteners 84, 86, respectively. Clip 88 is then inserted into buckle 96 and clip 90 is inserted into buckle 98. This action secures the left wing 18 to the right wing 20 and secures the sleeping bag 12 within the rollup pack 10 to from an integral unit, generally designated 100, for transportation as illustrated in FIG. 5C. The right wing may be inserted above or below the left wing about the sleeping bag as long as the fasteners are exposed and may be coupled together. Preferably, the wings overlap when the ends of the rollup pack are fastened together so that there are no gaps around the circumference of the sleeping bag (FIG. 5C). This is facilitated by attaching the fastener straps at their extreme inner ends (X-patterns in FIG. 2) to the exterior surface 26 of the rollup pack 10 while leaving the remainder of each strap length unattached to the rollup pack. The fastener straps may be adjusted as necessary to tighten the rollup pack 10 about the sleeping bag 12. Given the adjustability of the straps, it is not necessary to roll up the sleeping bag the same way every time and a variety of sleeping bags may be accommodated. The user may then don the rollup pack unit 100 as one would a backpack by slipping left and right arms through the corresponding shoulder straps 80 and 82 and carry the integrated unit 100 on the user's back. Alternatively, the user may grasp both straps with one hand and carry as a piece of luggage.
Once the integrated unit 100 has been transported to the desired destination, the user may set the unit on a relatively elongated flat surface and separate clip 88 from buckle 96 and separate 90 from buckle 98. The user may then peel back the right wing 20 from the left wing 18 exposing the sleeping bag 12 and laying the rollup pack 10 flat. The sleeping bag may then be moved off to a side and the contents of the rollup pack 10 accessed as desired. The viewing windows 72 of each pocket facilitate the removal of the desired articles 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, 104 d, 104 e, 104 f, 104 g, 104 h in an organized manner.
It will be appreciated that the interior facing pockets 30, 32, 44, 52, 54, and 64 and sleeping bag 12 cooperate to cushion the articles stored in the rollup pack during transportation. In addition, the vertical and inwardly facing openings of each pocket reduce the likelihood of any articles falling out of a pocket during transport. The interior facing pockets also reduce the likelihood of theft of important articles during transport. In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, the rollup pack is described as being flexible throughout its length. However, the medial section may include a rigid insert 102 (FIG. 2) or be formed of a formed foam or other cushioning material to conform to the user's back and the curved sleeping bag with the wing wraps remaining flexible to wrap about the substantially cylindrical object being transported.
Instead of a sleeping bag 12, a beach towel, rolled up cushion, mat or other similar cushioning article may be rolled up into a substantially cylindrical configuration, folded up, or otherwise flattened and the portable pack secured around the article for transport to the beach, gym, or other location. The portable pack may also be used simply as a standalone organizer pack with or without any cushioning article. Moreover, the flexible wing wraps of the portable pack easily accommodate cushioning articles arranged in a folded up configuration as well. The wing wraps of the portable pack may be folded over the article and locked together to secure the article in place and present a smaller profile portable pack. In packing the portable pack, the cushioning article may be pre-folded and placed on one of the storage sections of the laid out pack prior to folding the wing wraps or the article may be simply be placed over the laid out pack and folded along with the pack itself.
Referring now to FIGS. 6-16, a second embodiment of the portable rollup pack adapted for use as a diaper changing accessory organizer, generally designated 210, is illustrated. Like the previously described embodiments of the portable rollup pack 10, the diaper changing accessory organizer provides a convenient portable travel pack for organizing, storing, and transporting personal articles. In addition, the portable diaper changing accessory organizer is constructed to be particularly useful for transporting personal articles along with those items required for changing a baby. Moreover, this exemplary portable organizer 210 is constructed to releasably secure and transport rolled up, flattened, or folded objects such as a diaper changing mat or pad, generally designated 212 (FIG. 8), on which a baby may be changed, and thus provides a convenient diaper changing station as well. As noted above, this exemplary portable organizer 210 shares many of the same features with previously discussed embodiments of the rollup pack and like components are like numbered.
Before continuing further with the description of the portable diaper changing accessory organizer 210, attention is directed to FIGS. 6 and 8 wherein the exemplary two-sided diaper changing mat is illustrated. More particularly, the diaper changing mat is generally rectangular with rounded corners and includes a top edge 241, a bottom edge 243, a left hand edge 245 (as viewed in FIG. 6), and a right hand edge 247. The outer edges of the mat are finished with a stitched piping 229 around the periphery of the mat. When unfolded, the top edge 241 of the mat generally coincides with the baby's head while the bottom edge 243 coincides with the baby's feet but this is only for reference purposes and not meant to be restrictive. Regarding placement of the infant, it will be appreciated that the oversized mat, with dimensions approaching a square shape, allows the user to place the infant on the mat in any suitable way convenient for the user including vertically, horizontally, or diagonally in either direction with respect to the underlying organizer bag body 214, something a more narrow elongated mat restricted to a particular orientation would be lacking.
The changing mat 212 includes a changing surface 215 (FIGS. 6 and 9) and an opposing attachment surface 217 (FIG. 8). On the attachment surface 217, an elongated, rectangular anchor strip 219 a is positioned halfway between the left and right hand edges 245, 247, respectively, of the diaper changing mat with the outer end of the strip being positioned approximately an inch from the top edge 241 of the mat. The length of the strip is approximately 4-6 inches. In this exemplary embodiment, the diaper changing mat 212 measures approximately 21 inches long from the top edge 241 to the inner edge 243 and approximately 23 inches wide from the left hand edge 245 to the right hand edge 247. The length of the diaper changing mat 212 preferably coincides with the distance between the outer edge 225 of the diaper bag body 214 and the nearer edge of an intermediate fold well 276 a described below. The width of the mat is almost double the width of the bag body (12.5 inches) so that the mat may be opened out to almost twice the width of the bag body and only require each side being folded once to fit within the confines of the bag body. Other suitable mat dimensions will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art including a diaper mat that fits within the confines of the diaper bag body without being folded. While an infant may be changed directly on top of the portable organizer or other underlying surface, the inclusion of the mat provides a preferred changing surface and transforms the diaper changing accessory organizer into a more suitable changing station.
Returning to the description of the portable diaper changing accessory organizer 210, when unfolded and laid flat in a pre-packing or changing station configuration as in FIGS. 6-7, the portable diaper organizer 210 generally includes a substantially rectangular bag body 214 that may be divided generally into a common central section 216 interposed between a left lateral storage section 218 (as viewed in FIG. 6) and a right lateral storage section 220 that provide storage and organizational features as described below. The bag body is constructed of an outer layer of fabric 222 sewn or welded to a similarly dimensioned inner layer of fabric 224 defining an exterior bag body surface 226 and interior bag body surface 228, respectively. The top edge 221, bottom edge 223, left hand edge 225, and right hand edge 227 of the bag body are then finished off with conventional ¼ inch filled piping 230 circumscribing the perimeter of the bag body. In this exemplary embodiment, the overall length and width dimensions of the rectangular organizer bag body 214 are similar to the previous pack embodiment 10 discussed above.
With continued reference to FIG. 6, the interior surface 228 of the organizer bag body 214 may be conveniently divided into a number of pockets for organizing, storing, and transporting both personal articles and diaper changing accessories. In this exemplary embodiment, the organizer bag body includes seven pockets arranged across substantially the entire length and height of the diaper bag body. As viewed in FIG. 6, the left storage section 218 includes an upper pocket 231 and a lower pocket 232. These leftmost pockets are vertically stacked and together span the entire height of the diaper bag body. In this exemplary embodiment, these dual pockets also subdivide the height of the diaper bag body equally. These dual pockets include a common bottom edge 234 that corresponds with the leftmost edge 225 of the bag body as viewed in FIG. 6 and a common sidewall 235. Each pocket 231, 232 also includes a vertically projecting top edge 236, 238, respectively, forming an opening into the respective pocket. The openings face the right hand end 227 of the bag body. The top edges of the pockets 231, 232 may be lined with a conventional hook and loop type closure as indicated by strips 237, 239, respectively, to seal off the contents of the pocket. A convenient pull tab 240, 242 is provided on each pocket 231, 232, respectively, to facilitate separating the hook section from the loop section to gain access to the pocket. These dual pockets 231 and 232 are typically dimensioned to accommodate smaller personal articles such as baby shoes and socks. In this exemplary embodiment, these dual pockets measure approximately 7.5 inches in depth from the bottom edge 234 of each pocket to the top opening edge 236 or 238, respectively.
The common sidewall 235 of the dual pockets 231, 232 bears a second anchor strip 219 b complementing the changing mat anchor strip 219 a. The anchor strips 219 a, 219 b of the bag body 214 and the changing mat 212 are preferably conventional hook and loop fasteners for releasably securing the changing mat 212 to the diaper bag body 214 and are interchangeable. The common sidewall 235 of the dual pockets forms a slight depression in the middle of the organizer bag body within the leftmost storage section 218 that becomes more pronounced when articles are stored in the dual pockets. Such depression may be located beneath the child's head when in use and thus may assist in keeping the child centered on the mat.
Still referencing FIG. 6, to the immediate right of the dual pockets 231 and 232, a first enlarged pocket 244 is provided on the left hand side of the common central section-216. The bottom edge 246 of this pocket is located proximate the openings of the dual pockets 231 and 232. This enlarged pocket 244 spans the entire height of the bag body 214 and measures approximately 14 inches in depth. As with the dual pockets 231, 232, the first enlarged pocket is provided with a reinforced top edge 248 providing an opening facing the right hand end 227 of the bag body 214. A closure device in the form of a nylon zipper 250 is used to seal off this pocket.
Positioned to the right of the first enlarged pocket 244 on the right hand side of the common central section 216 as viewed in FIG. 6 is an intermediate quick retrieval pocket section 252. The quick retrieval pocket section is formed by sewing three sides of an expandable mesh retainer 253 into the interior surface 224 of the organizer bag body 214 and leaving the edge facing the top edge 221 of the organizer bag body free to form a top opening pocket. The mesh retainer is also sewn at two intermediate points to the interior surface 224 to further subdivide the mesh retainer into three expandable pockets 254 a, 254 b, and 254 c. An expandable, elastic band 258 extends horizontally across the bag body 214 within the pocket section 252 parallel to the top and bottom edges 221, 223 of the diaper bag body and provides common top edge for all three expandable pockets. This top opening edge is recessed below the upper edge of the diaper bag body. In this example, the top edge band 258 is positioned closer to the top edge 221 of the organizer bag body 214. The bottom edge 256 of the mesh pockets 254 a-c is aligned with the bottom edge 223 of the organizer bag body 214. These mesh pockets measure approximately 4.75 inches deep and span the entire width of the bag body 214 between the first enlarged pocket 244 and the rightmost enlarged pocket 264 described below.
While the tension of the band 258 assists in securing articles within these pockets 254 a-c, articles stored in the mesh pockets may be quickly withdrawn without having to unfasten a closure device once the pack is laid flat. Thus this quick retrieval pocket section 252 is useful for storing items such as clean diapers, wipes, and bottles that may have to be accessed quickly. The see-through mesh also enables the user to quickly identify the contents of these pockets.
Still referring to FIG. 6, the rightmost pocket 264 is a second enlarged pocket similar in construction to the first enlarged pocket 244. The rightmost pocket includes a bottom edge 266 corresponding with the right hand edge 227 of the bag body 214. Unlike the other pockets (231, 232, 244), the top opening 268 of this pocket faces the left hand side 225 of the bag body, as viewed in FIG. 6. The second enlarged pocket includes a zipper closure 270 for controlling access to the pocket compartment through the top opening 268. The second enlarged pocket 264 also spans the entire height of the bag body and measure approximately 11 inches in depth in this exemplary pocket configuration.
The sections 216, 218, and 220 of the organizer bag body 214 may be spaced apart from one another and joined together by a pivotal or hinged connection to accommodate folding of the bag body 214. For instance, there are three fold wells or pivotal connections in this exemplary bag body 214 as illustrated in FIG. 6. The first or leftmost pivotal connection 274 is spaced between the top edges 236, 238 of the dual pockets 231, 232, respectively, and the bottom edge 246 of the first enlarged pocket 244. An intermediate pivotal connection 276 a, 276 b is interposed between the top edge 248 of the first intermediate pocket 244 and the left hand end 260 of the mesh pocket section 252 at two locations to either side of the zipper closure 250. The rightmost or third pivotal connection 278 a, 278 b is positioned between the right hand end 262 of the mesh pocket section 252 and the top edge 268 of the second enlarged pocket 264 and occurs at two locations to either side of the zipper closure 270. In this example, these pivotal connections span the entire height of the organizer bag body and measure about 1.5 inches across. These pivotal connections provide gaps between the pockets that accommodate folding the bag body even when the individual pockets are relatively full and may resist folding themselves. Thus, the fold wells provide a pivotal or hinged connection between adjacent sections (216, 218 and 216, 220) or within a section 216 itself. The fold wells may be a narrow crease or region, depression, fold line, or a more broadened region on the organizer bag body positioned between adjacent pockets to allow the sections of the organizer bag body to be bent, pivoted, or folded about the folding area.
Referring now to FIG. 7, the exterior surface 226 of the bag body 214 includes a two- piece shoulder strap 284 a, 284 b for use in carrying the organizer 210 when in a folded configuration as discussed below. The first section 284 a of the shoulder strap includes a first end sewn into the bottom edge 223 of the diaper bag body and a distal end that terminates in a bayonet clip 285 a. The second section 284 b of the shoulder strap includes a first end sewn into the top edge 221 of the diaper bag body and a distal end that terminates in a complementary buckle 285 b for receiving the bayonet clip. When clipped together, the shoulder strap is approximately 22 inches long. However, the strap includes an adjuster 286. The adjuster is a conventional retaining slide to adjust the length of a shoulder strap and its use and construction will be familiar to one of ordinary skill in the art. The shoulder strap is preferably constructed of a webbed strapping and may be padded. In general, the shoulder strap is located at the center of the organizer bag body and coincides with the central pivotal connection 276 a, 276 b.
With continued reference to FIG. 7, to the left of the shoulder strap 284 a, 284 b, a pair of stroller retention straps 280 a, 280 b are sewn by their respective midsections into the exterior surface 226 of the bag body 214. The stroller straps include a length of webbed strapping similar to that used for the shoulder strap. Each stroller strap measures approximately one-half inch wide and 5-6 inches in length and includes opposing free ends with complementary fasteners that may fastened to one another to form a loop as shown in FIGS. 7, 14, and 15. A view of the stroller straps in an unfastened configuration is illustrated in FIG. 16. In this exemplary embodiment, the fasteners are snaps but other suitable fasteners may be used. The stroller straps are spaced apart approximately 6-8 inches between the top and bottom edges 221, 223 of the diaper bag body. Such stroller straps provide a convenient loops for fasteners over a conventional stroller handle (not shown) to retain the diaper bag thereon.
With continued reference to FIG. 7, an elastic retaining band 294 is provided. The elastic band is approximately a ¼ inch in diameter and has an overall length of 13 and ⅜ inches. As shown in FIG. 6 in phantom lines, the retaining band is positioned to the right of the leftmost fold well or pivotal connection 274 and to the left of the intermediate pivotal connection 276 a, 276 b. Each end of the band is sewn into the top and bottom edges 221, 223, respectively, of the organizer bag body 214. The band is used to capture an opposing folded section of the organizer bag body to maintain the organizer bag body in a folded configuration as will be described below.
Still referring to FIG. 7, positioned between the shoulder strap 284 a, 284 b and the retaining band 294 is an external security pocket 288 for storing items such as keys, credit cards, cell phones, and other items commonly stored in a carrying purse. The bottom edge of the security pocket 289 is located approximately one inch from the retaining band 294. The side edges of the security pocket are recessed from the top and bottom edges 221, 223 of the organizer bag body 214. Recessed from the top edge 295 of the security pocket is a zipper closure 293 for sealing off the security pocket. The security pocket is further conveniently divided into a cell phone pocket 290 and a credit pocket 292 as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 14 lining the inside surface of the security pocket providing further organizational capabilities. The security pocket is positioned on the exterior 226 of the organizer bag body to face outwardly when the organizer 210 is folded as will be described below. The security pocket may lay flat against the organizer bag body for carrying substantially flat items or may be expandable to accommodate larger articles.
In use, assuming the diaper changing accessory organizer 210 is initially empty and its pockets closed, a user may initially lay the diaper bag organizer and changing station 210 on a flat surface with the primary storage pockets 231, 232, 244, 254 a-c, 264 facing up as in FIG. 6. Each of the zippered pockets 244, 264 may be opened by grasping the zipper tabs of the respective zippers 250, 270 and pulled in the open direction. The pull tabs 240, 242 of the dual pockets may be pulled away from the organizer bag body 214 to open the dual pockets 231, 232, respectively. Articles such as diapers, wipes, spare clothes, powder, ointments, medicines, baby toys, bottles, and other typical baby changing or comfort articles may be inserted into any of the open pockets as befits the user. Some of these exemplary articles 291 a-e are illustrated in pockets 254 a, 254 b and 264. It will be appreciated that most of these articles lay relatively flat. For example, one suitable arrangement is to place softer good such as clothes and the like in the pockets 231, 232, and 244 that will underlie the changing mat 212 so that the baby can lay on this area when being changed without discomfort. Conveniently, items needed for changing the baby such as diapers, wipes, and bottles may be located in pockets 254 a-c in the quick retrieval section 252. Other items needed during the changing process may be stored in the rightmost pocket 264 as both the quick retrieval pockets 254 a-c and the rightmost pocket 264 are typically uncovered during the changing process. In addition, one or more of the pockets may be left empty to receive and keep separate soiled or dirty clothes. Other suitable packing arrangements will occur to the user.
With reference to FIGS. 6, 8, and 9, once the diaper changing bag 210 is packed with the accessories and the respective closures are fastened, the top edge 241 of the diaper changing pad 212 may be aligned with the left hand end of the organizer bag body 214 so that the main surface 215 of the changing pad covers the pockets 231, 232, and 244 of the left storage section 218 and a significant portion of the common central section 216, respectively, while leaving the quick retrieval pockets 254 a-c of the other portion of the common central section and pocket 264 of the right storage section 220 exposed. This placement of the changing pad will also closely align inner edge 243 of the changing pad with the zipper closure 250 (FIG. 6) of the first enlarged pocket 244 without interfering with the intermediate pivotal connection 276 a, 276 b. By centering the pad vertically on the bag body, the complementary hook and loop fasteners 219 a, 219 b of the changing mat and organizer bag body will also be aligned. The changing pad may then be pressed onto the organizer bag body to mesh the complementary hook and loop fasteners and releasably retain the changing pad to the organizer bag body.
With the changing pad 212 secured to the organizer bag body 214, the lower edge 245 of the diaper changing pad 212 may be folded upwardly onto itself so that the lower edge 245 of the diaper changing pad as viewed in FIG. 10 falls onto the proximate center of the diaper changing pad. In this manner, the lower folded edge of the diaper changing pad coincides with the bottom edge 223 of the diaper bag body (FIG. 10). In a similar manner, the upper edge 247 of the diaper changing pad as viewed in FIG. 11 may be folded downwardly to bring the upper edge proximate the folded lower edge 245 and near the center of the diaper changing pad as shown in FIG. 11. The upper folded edge of the diaper changing pad will now coincide with the top edge 221 of the diaper bag body. As shown in FIG. 11, the opposing edges 245 and 247 of the changing mat 212 may be slightly spaced apart but this may vary depending on the dimensions of the changing mat.
Referring now to FIG. 12, the user may grasp the outer edge 225 of the organizer bag body 214 and fold, bend, or pivot the left storage section 218 upwardly from the underlying surface and to the right about a vertical axis passing through the length of the left pivotal connection 274 and onto the interior surface of the left portion of the common central section 216 (FIG. 6). In this exemplary embodiment, fully pivoting the left storage section 218 onto the common central section forms a first overlapping region 298 a also referred to as a folded or bent wing with the elbow of the wing being the outermost edge of the folded region. In this configuration, the folded outer edge 225 of the diaper bag body will be spaced a few inches to the left of the central fold well 276 a, 276 b. It will be appreciated that the flexible diaper changing mat 212 is folded along with the organizer bag body. If a diaper changing mat is not used, then the interior surface of the left storage section 218 will abut the interior surface of the left portion of common central section 216 when fully folded again resulting in a first overlapping region.
In a similar manner, the user may grasp the right hand outer edge 227 of the organizer bag body 214 and pivot the right storage section 220 upwardly and to the left about a vertical axis passing through the length of the rightmost pivotal connection 278 a, 278 b and onto the right hand portion of the common central section 216 to form a second overlapping region 298 b (FIG. 13) such that the interior surface 224 of the right storage section is brought into contact with a right hand portion of the interior surface 224 of the common central section. In addition, the right hand edge 227 of the bag body is brought to rest to the right of the central pivotal connection 276 a, 276 b and spaced apart from the folded left hand edge 225. As shown in FIG. 13, the exterior surface 226 of the left and right overlapping regions 298 a, 298 b, respectively, and a reduced portion of the interior surface 224 of the common central section 216 are facing the user. Alternatively, the outer storage sections 218 and 220 may be folded onto the common central section 216 to form the overlapping regions at the same time or in reverse order as well. In addition, while it is preferred that the ends 225, 227 of the organizer bag body are spaced at least slightly apart when the outer storage sections 218, 220 are folded onto the common central section 216 to accommodate the subsequent folding step, a minor amount overlap may occur without detracting from the use of the bag due to the flexible construction of the bag body.
Referring now to FIGS. 13-16, the user may then fold the common central section 216 along a vertical axis that is parallel to the axes of the outer pivotal connections and passes through the length of the central fold well 276 a, 276 b to bring the opposing overlapping regions 298 a and 298 b and their respective folded storage sections 218 and 220 together with the exterior surface 226 of the left storage section 218 abutting at least a portion of the exterior surface 226 of the right storage section 220 to form a relatively thin profile transportable organizer (FIGS. 14-16). To capture and maintain the opposing overlapping regions together, the user may grasp the elastic restraining band 294 and pull it downwardly from the overlapping region 298 a and loop the band around the opposing overlapping region 298 b and then release the band to secure the overlapping regions 298 a and 298 b together as shown in FIG. 16. The tension of the capturing band maintains the overlapping regions in an abutting relationship and readies the organizer bag body 214 for transportation. It will also be appreciated that the diaper changing accessories and diaper changing mat 212 are secured inside the folds of the bag and will not fall out.
With the bag in a fully folded or transportation configuration as in FIGS. 14-16, the user may open the zipper closure 293 of the exterior security pocket 288 and load the security pocket and internal cell phone pocket 290 and credit card pocket 292 with the appropriate items. The zipper closure may be closed when finished loading the external pocket 288. For example, various items such as credit cards, identification, passports, keys, and the like may be inserted into the exterior pockets. If not already secured together, the bayonet clip 285 a may be inserted into the buckle 285 b to couple the shoulder strap sections 284 a, 284 b together. The combined diaper changing organizer and changing station 210 may then be worn on the user's shoulder as with a conventional shoulder bag with the security pocket facing outwardly from the user's body. Alternatively, the user could flip the bag around so that the security pocket is against the user's body to dissuade thievery even further. The shoulder strap may be adjusted using the adjuster 286 by the user if necessary using conventional methods. Alternatively, if a stroller is to be used, the user may open the stroller straps 280 a, 280 b by unfastening their respective fasteners. The free ends of each stroller strap may be looped over the handle bar of the stroller and refastened around the handle bar. The diaper changing organizer and changing station 210 may then be suspended from the stroller handle bar in this manner.
Once the diaper bag organizer and changing station 210 has been transported to the desired destination, the user may slip the organizer off the user's shoulder or unfasten the organizer from the stroller and place the organizer bag body 214 on a relatively elongated flat surface on one side. The restraining band is pulled off the captured folded section 298 b and returned to its original position. The user may then unfold the organizer and the diaper changing mat 212 by simply reversing the folding steps above until the configuration in FIG. 9 is reached.
With continued reference to FIG. 9, it will be appreciated that the organizer is unfolded with just a few quick movements to expose the changing mat. The mat itself only requires a couple of quick flips to unfold completely. It will further be appreciated that every accessory needed to change the baby is exposed in the quick retrieval mesh pockets 254 a-c and second enlarged pocket 264 during the unfolding process. The user may lay the infant down on the diaper changing mat 212 with the infant's head placed substantially over the anchoring strips 219 a, 219 b, which is the approximate midpoint between the left hand and right hand edges 245, 247 of the changing mat. This will also center the infant's head over the depressed area formed by the common sidewall 235 of the dual pockets 231, 232 and help to maintain the infant in a centered position on the mat. As the changing mat 212 is secured to the diaper bag body 214, no relative slippage will occur. The user may then perform a routine diaper changing using accessories from the quick retrieval pockets 254 a-c. Other accessories as needed may be retrieved from the second enlarged pocket 264. The viewing windows 272 of each pocket facilitate the removal of the desired articles in an organized manner. In addition, prior to placing the infant on the changing mat, the user may elect to remove the changing mat from the diaper bag body 214 by separating the anchor strips 219 a, 219 b to access the pockets 231, 232, and 244 beneath the mat, if necessary. The mat may then be replaced and the infant changed as before.
Referring now to FIGS. 17-24, a more secure and rigid embodiment of the diaper changing accessory organizer, generally designated 310, is illustrated, as in some instances a more rigid bag configuration is preferred, particularly when the combined weight of the diaper changing accessories is significant. This exemplary diaper bag organizer is constructed alike and shares many of the same features with the previously discussed embodiments and like components are like numbered. The primary differences between the prior organizer embodiment 210 and the presently described organizer 310 involve the pocket arrangements, anchor strip location, and some added stiffness and security features that will now be described.
Referring now to FIG. 19, the changing mat 312 of the second organizer embodiment 310 is constructed similarly to the changing mat 212 and like features are numbered alike. The dimensions of the two mats are the same. The only difference is that the length of the elongated, rectangular anchor strip 319 a on the diaper changing mat 312 is approximately the same as the overall height of the organizer bag body 314 from the top edge 321 to the bottom edge 323 thus provided an elongated anchoring surface over the previously described changing mat for a more secure attachment.
When laid flat as in FIG. 17, the bag body 314 of the organizer 310 may be divided generally into left storage section 318 and a right storage section 320 with a common central section 316 therebetween. In this exemplary embodiment, the overall length and width dimensions of the rectangular diaper bag body 314 are similar to the previous pack embodiments 14, 214 discussed above.
Extending from the leftmost edge 325 of the left storage section 318 is a set of left hand retention flaps 349 a, 349 b as viewed in FIG. 17. The retention flaps are spaced several inches apart along the leftmost edge 325 of the bag body 314. Each flap includes a fastener element 351 a, 351 b. Similarly, a set of spaced apart right hand retention flaps 353 a, 353 b extend outwardly from the rightmost edge 327 of the bag body with each flap including a fastener element 355 a, 355 b. These retention flaps are used to secure the respective folding wings to bag body when folded as will be described in more detail below.
With continued reference to FIG. 17, the diaper bag body 314 includes seven pockets 331, 332, 344, 354 a-c, and 364 arranged across substantially the entire length and height of the diaper bag body. These pockets are similar in construction to the previous embodiment but laid out in a different configuration to illustrate the versatility of the diaper bag organizer. More specifically, the pocket configurations of the left hand and right hand storage sections 318, 320, respectively, have been swapped in this example with the dual pockets openings facing one another instead of sharing a common sidewall. More specifically, the left storage section 318 includes the first enlarged pocket 344 instead of the dual pocket arrangement of the previous embodiment. The bottom edge 346 of this pocket is located proximate the first or leftmost pivotal connection 374. This enlarged pocket 344 spans the entire height of the bag body 314 and measures approximately 14 inches in depth. The first enlarged pocket is provided with a reinforced top edge 348 providing an opening facing the left hand end 325 of the bag body 314. A closure device in the form of a nylon zipper 350 is used to seal off this pocket.
Still referring to FIG. 17, to the immediate right of the first enlarged pocket is a second enlarged pocket 364 similar in construction to the first enlarged pocket 344. The rightmost pocket includes a bottom edge 366 corresponding with the leftmost pivotal connection 374. The top opening 368 of this pocket faces to the right hand side 327 of the bag body, as viewed in FIG. 17. The second enlarged pocket includes a zipper closure 370 for controlling access to the pocket compartment through the top opening 368. The second enlarged pocket 364 also spans the entire height of the bag body and measure approximately 11 inches in depth in this exemplary pocket configuration. The second enlarged pocket is located within the common central section 316 of the bag body 314. In this exemplary embodiment, the first enlarged pocket 344 includes a viewing window 372. The viewing window 372 of each pocket facilitates the removal of the desired articles in an organized manner. To the immediate right of this pocket 364 is an intermediate quick retrieval pocket section 352 and pockets 354 a-c constructed in the same manner as the prior organizer embodiment 210 and located on the right hand side of the common central section.
Located within the right storage section 320 and to the immediate right of the quick retrieval pocket section 352 are an upper pocket 331 and a lower pocket 332. These rightmost pockets are vertically stacked and together subdivide the height of the diaper bag body equally. Each pocket 331, 332 includes a vertically projecting top edge 336, 338, respectively, forming an opening into the respective pocket. In this exemplary embodiment, the top edges 336, 338 of the pockets 331, 332, respectively, face one another and are disposed proximate the mid-line of the bag body 314. The top edges of the pockets 331, 332 may be lined with a conventional hook and loop type closure as indicated by strips 337, 339, respectively, to seal off the contents of the pocket. A convenient pull tab 340, 342 is provided on each pocket 331, 332, respectively, to facilitate separating the hook section from the loop section to gain access to the pocket. The depth and width dimensions are reversed from the previously described organizer embodiment.
As with the prior embodiment, this exemplary bag body 314 includes three pivotal connections with some modifications. The first pivotal connection 374 is a 1.5 inch wide strip spaced between the bottom edges 346, 366 of the first and second enlarged pockets 344, 364, respectively. This pivotal connection or fold well also bears the elongated second anchor strip 319 b along its length complementing the changing mat anchor strip 319 a. As with the prior embodiment 210, this pivotal connection forms a slight depression when the adjacent pockets are full and thus may assist in keeping the child centered on the changing mat 312 when in use. Conveniently, the left and right sides of the changing mat 312 may be pivoted on the anchor strips 319 a, 319 b when the mat is releasably secured to the bag body 314 like the pages of a book to expose a corresponding underlying pocket 344, 364. In this manner, the user may access the pocket openings 348, 368 below as illustrated for example in FIG. 19 for the first enlarged pocket.
An intermediate pivotal or hinged connection with spaced apart edges 376 a, 376 b is interposed between the top edge 368 of the second enlarged pocket 364 and the left hand end 360 of the mesh pocket section 352. Unlike the earlier embodiments, this pivotal connection includes an optional 2-3 inch wide rigid insert or spine 373 shown in phantom lines in FIG. 17. This insert is located between the outer and inner sheets of the bag body and provides extra rigidity to the upper surface of the bag body 314 to prevent sagging when in a folded configuration and hung from a user's shoulder or the stroller. The rigid spine also ensures the bag body folds about the fold lines 376 a, 376 b to either side of the spine. Projecting through the spine is a set of vertically spaced apart rivets 375 a, 375 b as viewed in FIG. 17. These rivets secure the spine insert to the bag body between the outer and inner layers of fabric 322, 324 and further secure the stroller straps 380 a, 380 b to the exterior surface 326 of the bag body. Located between the rivets are pair of spaced apart wing anchors 377 a, 377 b. Each wing anchor includes a fastener constructed to receive the complementary fasteners of the corresponding storage section (or wing) retention flaps 349 a, 349 b, 353 a, 353 b. In this exemplary embodiment, the fasteners on the anchors and retention flaps are of the hook and loop variety. The anchors 377 a, 377 b are dimensioned to be approximately twice the width of an individual retention flap fastener 351 a, 351 b, 355 a, or 355 b to receive two opposing retention flap fasteners thereon. The top anchor 377 a is vertically aligned on the bag body 314 with opposing retention flaps 349 a and 353 a as viewed in FIG. 17. Likewise, the bottom anchor 377 b is vertically aligned with opposing retention flaps 349 b and 353 b.
Still referring to FIG. 17, the rightmost or third pivotal connection 378 is positioned between the right hand end 362 of the mesh pocket section 352 and the bottom common interior edge 335 of the dual pockets 331, 332. This fold well is approximately one-half inch in width and as with each of the pivotal connections, spans the entire height of the bag body 314.
When the diaper changing mat 312 is secured to the diaper bag body 314 by the corresponding anchor strips 319 a, 319 b, the length of the diaper changing mat 312 coincides with the distance between the outer edge 325 of the diaper bag body 314 and approximately the left intermediate fold well 376 a. The width of the mat is almost double the width of the bag body (12.5 inches) so that the mat may be opened out to almost twice the width of the bag body and only require each side being folded once to fit within the confines of the bag body.
Referring now to FIG. 18, the exterior surface 326 of the bag body 314 includes similar features as the organizer 210 such as an external security pocket 388 with internal cell phone pocket 390 and credit pocket 392 (FIG. 22), shoulder strap 384, and stroller straps 380 a, 380 b. However, in this exemplary embodiment, the shoulder strap 384 is a one-piece strap with a first end sewn into the bottom edge 323 of the bag body and an opposing end sewn into the top edge 321 of the diaper bag body. The shoulder strap includes a similar adjuster 386 as before and also includes an integral shoulder pad 385 that may be conveniently slid along the length of the shoulder strap. In general, the shoulder strap is located at the center of the diaper bag body and coincides with the central spine 373.
With continued reference to FIG. 18, between the shoulder strap 384 connections, a pair of stroller straps 380 a, 380 b are held in place by their respective midsections on the exterior surface 326 of the bag body 314 by rivets 375 a, 375 b, respectively. Each stroller strap 380 a, 380 b is constructed similarly to that used for the previously described stroller straps 280 a, 280 b except that each end of these stroller straps terminate in either a buckle 382 a, 382 b or an opposing bayonet clip 383 a, 383 b that may fastened to one another to form a loop as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. The dimensions and operations of the stroller straps 380 a, 380 b are the same as above.
With reference to both FIGS. 17 and 18, the elastic retaining band 294 of the prior embodiment has been replaced with a set of a folded section retainers 361 a, 363 a and 361 b, 363 b. Each retainer includes a length of strap webbing sewn into the upper or lower edge 321, 323, of the bag body that extends outwardly from the bag body 314. The ends of retainers 361 a, 361 b terminate in a buckle 365 a, 365 b, respectively, while the ends of retainers 363 a, 363 b terminate in a complementary bayonet clip 367 a, 367 b. The retainers are used to capture opposing folded sections 398 a, 398 b of the diaper bag body 314 to maintain the diaper bag body in a folded configuration as will be described below.
In use, the packing, folding and unfolding steps of this diaper changing accessory organizer 310 are essentially the same as that described above for the organizer embodiment 210 with the following exceptions. As viewed in FIGS. 17 and 19, once the diaper changing bag 310 is packed with the accessories (not shown) and the respective closures are fastened, the anchor strip 319 a of the changing mat 312 may be aligned with the anchor strip 319 b of the diaper bag body 314 such that the bottom edge 343 of the changing mat coincides with the left intermediate fold well 376 a. This will in turn position the top edge 341 of the changing pad with the left edge 325 of the bag body 314. The left and right edges 345, 347 of the mat extend beyond the underlying bag body as shown in FIG. 19 and would resemble the placement as in FIG. 9 of the embodiment above. The changing pad is pressed onto the diaper bag body to mesh the complementary hook and loop fasteners of the anchor strips 319 a, 319 b and releasably retain the changing pad to the diaper bag body. The changing pad also covers pockets 344 and 364 of the left storage section 318 and a significant portion of the common central section 316, respectively, while leaving pockets 354 a-c of the other portion of the common central section and dual pockets 331, 332 of the right storage section 320 exposed. It will be appreciated that the anchor strips 319 a, 319 b act as a hinge for the flexible changing pad in that the user can grasp the top or bottom edges 341, 343 of the changing pad and flip the respective half over like turning the page of book to expose the underlying pocket 344, 364 as mentioned above.
With the changing pad 312 secured to the diaper bag body 314, the pad is folded onto itself as with the pad 212 described above (FIGS. 10 and 11). Referring now to FIG. 20, the outer edge 325 of the diaper bag body may be grasped and the left storage section 318 pivoted about the vertical axis projecting through the first pivotal connection 374 and onto the left hand portion of the common central section 316 as with the above described embodiment 210. The left hand storage section retention flaps 349 a, 349 b are aligned with the left half of their corresponding wing anchors 377 a, 377 b and pressed thereon to mesh together the respective complementary fasteners (351 a, 351 b with 377 a, 377 b) and releasably retain the left storage section or wing to the spine 373. The flexible diaper changing mat 312 is folded right along with the folded left storage wing. The diaper pad may be left out if not needed by the user. In such case, the diaper mat attachment and folding steps may be omitted. In either arrangement, a first overlapping region or folded section 398 a in the form of a bent or folded wing will be configured.
In a similar manner, the right hand outer edge 327 of the diaper bag is folded inwardly pivoting about an axis projecting along the length of the rightmost pivotal connection 378 to align the right hand storage section retention flaps 353 a, 353 b onto their corresponding spine anchors 377 a, 377 b (FIG. 21). The flaps are pressed onto the right half of the corresponding anchors to mesh together the complementary fasteners as well (355 a, 355 b with 377 a, 377 b). Thus, a second overlapping region or folded section 398 b is configured. As shown in FIG. 21, the exterior surface 326 of the left hand and right hand storage sections 318, 320, respectively, and the spine 373 of the common central section 316 are facing the user.
Referring now to FIGS. 21-24, the user may then fold the common central section 316 along the central pivotal connection 376 a, 376 b to either side of the spine 373 bringing the opposing folded sections 398 a and 398 b and their respective folded storage sections 318 and 320 together to form a substantially organizer pack as shown in FIGS. 22-24. In this configuration, the exterior surface 326 of the left hand storage section and the exterior surface of the right hand storage section are brought together in an abutting relationship to form a relatively thin profile carrying pack. To capture and maintain the opposing overlapping regions 398 a, 398 b together, the user may buckle the restraining buckles and clips together (365 a with 367 a and 365 b with 367 b) to releasably secure the overlapping regions 398 a and 398 b together as shown in FIG. 24. This is the transport configuration and the organizer 310 is ready for travel. The buckle restraints and retention flaps are preferred over the retention band for heavier pocket loads to prevent the diaper bag body from sagging when in a folded configuration and worn on the shoulder.
With the bag in a folded condition as in FIGS. 22-24, the user may store articles in the exterior security pocket 388, adjust the strap 384, and attach the stroller straps 380 a, 380 b as described above the organizer embodiment 210. In addition, the shoulder pad 385 may be slid by the user along the strap 384 for a comfortable adjustment.
The diaper changing accessory organizer 310 may be unfolded by unbuckling the external fastener restraints 361 a, 363 a, and 361 b, 363 b from one another, separating or unfolding the overlapping regions 398 a, 398 b from one another, and separating the wing restraints 349 a, 349 b and 353 a, 353 b from their respective spine anchors 377 a, 377 b. The remainder of the unfolding steps may be accomplished by simply reversing the above-described folding steps to expose the pockets on the interior surface 324 of the bag body and the mat 312.
Regarding both diaper changing accessory organizers 210, 310, to maximize the storage capacity it is preferable to provide pockets across substantially the entire width and height of the diaper bag body 214, 314 with fold well or pivotal connections at intermediate locations to facilitate folding of the bag body even when the pockets are full. In addition, the pockets openings are generally configured parallel to the outer edges of the rectangular bag body. In addition, the vertical and inwardly facing openings of each pocket reduce the likelihood of any articles falling out of a pocket during transport even if the closures are left open. The interior facing pockets also reduce the likelihood of theft of important articles during transport. It will further be appreciated that the interior facing pockets and changing pads cooperate to cushion the articles stored in the organizer 210, 310 during transportation. While two such exemplary embodiments 210, 310 have been described above, other suitable pocket, pocket openings, and fold well configurations may be used. For example, while the diaper changing accessory organizer embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6-16 and 17-24 are arranged with the changing pad on the left side of the bag body and quick retrieval pockets on the right side of the bag body to accommodate the majority of population, i.e., right-handers, the pockets and pad configurations can easily be reversed for left-handers or other user preferences.
The pockets of the respective embodiments 210, 310 may be formed in the same manner and with the same materials as for the portable pack 10 and, as with that prior embodiment, it is preferable to use clear plastic sheets in constructing the pockets to form a viewing window such as exemplified by reference numeral 272 (FIG. 6) or 372 (FIG. 17), so that the contents of the pocket may be easily ascertained without having to open the pocket and remove the contents one at a time until the desired article is retrieved. Along these lines, it will be appreciated that the convenient quick release of the restraining band or buckles, quick and easy unfolding and folding process, and transparent pocket viewing windows accommodate a more rapid screening process when passing through airport security.
It is also preferable to construct the diaper bag body 214, 314 from waterproof materials or at least highly water resistant materials such as nylon, polyester, or other suitable material. As an alternative, the materials or fabrics used to construct the bag body may be treated with a waterproofing substance. This prevents personal articles that may leak from spreading to the remainder of the bag body or diaper changing pad 212, 312 when the diaper pad is in contact with the bag. In addition, a wet towel, soiled clothing, or used diaper may be placed in one the sealed pockets without concern of dampening or contaminating the other articles or the changing pad 312. By providing a waterproof exterior surface 226, 326, the items in the pockets and diaper changing pad are further protected from exterior moisture. In addition, if the contents of the bag body 214, 314 are removed or there is no concern if they are compressed, the diaper changing bag 210, 310 may be used as a mat underneath the changing pad 212, 312 when unrolled and providing an insulating and cushioning surface beneath the changing pad.
The changing surfaces 215, 315 of the respective changing mats 212, 312 are preferably manufactured of a waterproof, wipe clean, non-porous material such as a plastic based material. Alternatively, either changing mat could be constructed of a washable fabric or a combination of wipe clean and fabric surfaces. With either construction, the diaper changing mat is a flexible mat that may be folded into a reduced configuration or unfolded to expand and provide a sufficient changing area surface for changing a baby. Extra changing surface space is preferably provided to prevent the baby from contacting any underlying surface supporting the diaper changing bag when the baby is being changed.
While certain fasteners, retainers, or closure devices such as hooks and loop type fasteners, buckles and bayonet clips, zippers, and elastic restraining bands have been described herein, it will be appreciated that snaps, buttons, magnets, releasable adhesives or other suitable complementary fasteners may be used in place of or in combination with those fasteners. Also where a sewn article is indicated, adhesion, welding, and other suitable joining techniques including those mentioned herein may be used. Also, the dimensions discussed herein are not meant to be limiting in any manner or other suitable dimensions will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
While the present invention has been described herein in terms of a number of preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes, uses, and improvements may also be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof

Claims

1. A diaper changing accessory organizer comprising:

an elongated bag body subdivided into a first storage section, a second storage section, and a common central section, said bag body including an interior surface with at least one storage pocket in each of said sections;

a first pivotal connection between said first storage section and one side of said central section and constructed to enable said first storage section to be folded over onto a first portion of said central section to form a first overlapping region;

a second pivotal connection disposed between said second storage section and an opposing side of said central section and constructed to enable said second storage section to be folded over onto a second portion of said central section to form a second overlapping region;

an intermediate pivotal connection, substantially parallel to said first and second pivotal connections, disposed within said central section and constructed to fall between said first and second overlapping regions when formed, said intermediate pivotal connection constructed to enable said first and second overlapping regions to fold into at least a partially abutting relationship;

a capturing element on one of said overlapping regions operable to releasably capture an opposing overlapping region when said overlapping regions are brought together in said abutting relationship; and

at least one carrying strap secured to said bag body whereby a user may fold said first and second storage sections onto said central section to form said first and second overlapping regions and then fold and releasably capture said regions together with said capturing element to transport said bag body in a folded configuration with said carrying strap.

2. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 her including:

a first fastener element located in at least one of said sections on said interior surface of said bag body;

a changing mat having a second fastener element complementary to said first fastener element and releasably secured to said bag body in a covering relationship with at least a portion of two underlying sections and at least one pocket in each of said underlying sections.

3. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said first fastener element is positioned on and aligned with one of said pivotal connections; and

said changing mat, when releasably secured to said first fastener element, may be flipped back and forth to expose at least one pocket in each of said underlying sections.

4. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:

a central anchor coupled to said intermediate pivotal connection;

a first retention element on said first storage section proximate a distal end of said first storage section; and

a second retention element on said second storage section proximate a distal end of said second storage section, said retention elements being constructed to releasably fasten to said central anchor to inhibit said overlapping regions from unfolding during transport.

5. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:

at least one stroller strap on an exterior surface of said bag body operable to form an enclosed loop; and

an intermediate rigid spine member spanning a height of said bag body within a region including said intermediate pivotal connection and coupled to said stroller strap, said spine being constructed to resist sagging along a top edge of said bag body when suspended in a folded configuration.

6. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bag body includes a first edge and a second edge and a plurality of pockets substantially spanning an entire length of said bag body between said edges with at least one of said pockets including a transparent surface defining viewing window.

7. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

at least one of said pockets includes a closure device.

8. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said interior surface includes a pair of oversized pockets with closures, a quick retrieval section with a set of pockets having an elastic band closure, and a pair of pockets vertically stacked above one another.

9. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 8 wherein:

said pockets in side quick retrieval section include a mesh outer wall.

10. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said carrying strap is constructed of a webbed material, is adjustable in length, and includes an adjustable shoulder pad.

11. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bag body is constructed to lay substantially flat when unfolded and empty.

12. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said interior surface of said bag body and said pockets are constructed of a non-absorbent material.

13. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 further including:

said capturing element is an elastic restraining band secured to one of said storage sections and operable to expand over and capture an opposing overlapping region when said regions are in an abutting relationship.

14. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said capturing element includes opposing releasable fastening elements on each side of said overlapping regions.

15. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 14 wherein:

said capturing element projects outwardly from opposing long sides of said bag body.

16. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bag body includes an exterior surface with at least one pocket exposed when said overlapping regions are in an abutting relationship.

17. The diaper changing accessory organizer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said bag body is flexible throughout its length.

18. A diaper changing accessory organizer comprising:

an elongated, rectangular, bag body subdivided into first and second outer storage sections with a common central section with each section being pivotally connected to an adjacent section and said central section having an intermediate hinge, said outer storage sections being operable to fold over onto substantially complementary portions of said central section to form two overlapping regions and said central section being operable to fold about said hinge to bring said overlapping regions together in an abutting relationship;

at least one pocket in each of said sections on an interior surface of said bag body;

a first fastener element disposed on said interior surface of said bag body;

a mat with a complementary second fastener element operable to releasably attach said mat to said bag body with said mat aligned to one side of said hinge;

a first retainer located proximate a distal end of said first outer storage section;

a second retainer located proximate a distal end of said second outer storage section;

a stiffening element in said central section operable to resist sagging of said bag body when suspended from above,

an anchoring element connected to said stiffening element and operable to releasably attach to said first and second retainers when said outer sections are folded onto said central section;

a capturing element on said bag body and operable to releasably capture said overlapping regions together when said overlapping regions are brought together in said abutting relationship; and

at least one carrying strap secured to said bag body whereby a user may fold said first and second storage sections onto said central section to form said first and second overlapping regions and then fold said overlapping regions about said hinge and releasably capture said regions together with said capturing element to transport said bag body in a folded configuration with said carrying strap.

19. A method of preparing a diaper changing accessory organizer for transportation comprising the steps of:

providing an elongated bag body subdivided into a first storage section, a second storage section, and a common central section by a pair of spaced apart, pivotal connections, said bag body further including an intermediate hinge element substantially parallel to said pivotal connections and further subdividing said central section, a capturing element, and a carrying strap;

folding said first storage section over onto a first portion of said central section about one of said pivotal connections to form a first overlapping region;

folding said second storage section over onto a second portion of said central section about the other of said pivotal connections to form a second overlapping region with said hinge disposed between an interior edge of each of said overlapping regions;

folding said overlapping regions together about said hinge into a partially abutting relationship; and

capturing said overlapping regions together with said capturing element to expose said carrying strap on an exterior surface of said folded up bag body.

20. The method of preparing a diaper changing accessory organizer for transportation as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

prior to said folding steps, providing a first fastener element on an interior surface of said bag body;

providing a mat having a second fastener element complementary to said first fastener element;

fastening said mat to said interior surface of said bag body with said mat positioned between a distal end of one said storage sections and said hinge; and

folding any portion of said mat onto itself that extends beyond a boundary defined by said bag body.