Craft bag

Abstract

A craft bag includes a series of five panels including a backside panel, lateral side panels, a bottom panel and a top panel which may be folded to define an enclosed bag. The lateral side panels are flexibly attached to the backside panel and a stiffening mechanism for maintaining the lateral side panels and back panel in a coplanar array is provided.

1 . A craft bag comprising, in combination: 
 a generally planar backside panel having a generally rectangular configuration with an inside face and an outside face;    a first side panel flexibly hinged to a first side of the backside panel, said first side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said back side panel and a second closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a first extensible generally rigid rod attached to the back side panel, said rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the back side panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the first side panel to maintain the first side panel generally coplanar with the backside panel; and    a first fastener for attaching the first rod in the extended position.    
   
   
       2 . The bag of  claim 1  further including a second side panel flexibly hinged to a second side of the backside panel generally opposite the first side of said backside panel, said second side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said backside panel and a closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel; 
 a second extensible generally rigid rod attached to the backside panel, said second rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the backside panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the second side panel to maintain the second side panel generally coplanar with the back side panel; and    a second fastener for attaching the second rod in the extended position.    
   
   
       3 . The bag of  claim 2  wherein the backside panel includes a bottom edge and including a bottom side panel having an inside and an outside and a flexible hinge connection to the bottom edge of the backside panel for folding at least in part over the backside panel.  
   
   
       4 . The bag of  claim 3  wherein the backside panel includes a top edge opposite the bottom edge and including a top side panel having an inside and an outside and a flexible hinge connection to the top edge of the backside panel for folding at least in part over the backside panel.  
   
   
       5 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the first rod is on the inside of the backside panel.  
   
   
       6 . The bag of  claim 2  wherein the first and second rods are on the inside of the backside panel.  
   
   
       7 . The bag of  claim 4  including a fastener for attaching the top side panel to the bottom side panel when the top side panel and bottom side panels are folded over the backside panel.  
   
   
       8 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the extensible rod comprises an assembly of an elastic connection to the backside panel, a generally rigid rod member extending from the elastic connection and a fastener member on the rod for attachment to the first side panel.  
   
   
       9 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the rod is retained in a tubular channel on the backside panel.  
   
   
       10 . The bag of  claim 1  wherein the first side panel includes a tubular channel for receipt of the rod in the extended position.  
   
   
       11 . The bag of  claim 1  further including a second side panel, a bottom side panel and a top side panel, said first and second side panels foldable over the backside panel, said top and bottom side panels foldable over the folded first and second side panels to form an enclosed carrying case.  
   
   
       12 . The bag of  claim 11  further including a fastener for attaching the top side panel and bottom side panel to maintain the enclosed carrying case.  
   
   
       13 . The bag of  claim 11  further including a handle on the top side panel for carrying the enclosed case.  
   
   
       14 . The bag of  claim 11  further including storage pockets on at least one of the panels.  
   
   
       15 . The bag of  claim 2  including a first rod comprised of a generally rigid rod member with an elastic connection to the backside panel, and a fastener member for attachment to the first side panel; and 
 the second rod is comprised of a generally rigid rod member with an elastic connection to the backside panel and a fastener member for attachment to the second side panel.    
   
   
       16 . The bag of  claim 15  further including guide channels for the rod members in the backside panel, first side panel and second side panel.  
   
   
       17 . A craft bag comprising, in combination: 
 a generally planar backside panel having a generally rectangular configuration with an inside face and an outside face;    a first side panel flexibly hinged to a first side of the backside panel, said first side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said back side panel and a second closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a first extensible generally rigid rod in the back side panel, said rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the back side panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the first side panel to maintain the first side panel generally coplanar with the backside panel;    a first fastener for maintaining the first rod in the extended position;    a second side panel flexibly hinged to a second side of the backside panel generally opposite the first side of said backside panel, said second side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said backside panel and a closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a second extensible generally rigid rod in the backside panel, said second rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the backside panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the second side panel to maintain the second side panel generally coplanar with the back side panel; and    a second fastener for maintaining the second rod in the extended position.    
   
   
       18 . A craft bag comprising, in combination: 
 a generally planar backside panel having a generally rectangular configuration with an inside face and an outside face;    a first side panel flexibly hinged to a first side of the backside panel, said first side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said back side panel and a second closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a first extensible generally rigid rod slidably mounted in the back side panel, said rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the back side panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the first side panel to maintain the first side panel generally coplanar with the backside panel;    a first fastener for holding the first rod when in the extended position;    a second side panel flexibly hinged to a second side of the backside panel generally opposite the first side of said backside panel, said second side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said backside panel and a closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a second extensible generally rigid rod slidably mounted in the backside panel, said second rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the backside panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the second side panel to maintain the second side panel generally coplanar with the back side panel; and    a second fastener for holding the second rod when in the extended position.    
   
   
       19 . A craft bag comprising, in combination: 
 a generally planar backside panel having a generally rectangular configuration with an inside face and an outside face;    a first side panel flexibly hinged to a first side of the backside panel, said first side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said back side panel and a second closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a first extensible generally rigid rod in the back side panel, said rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the back side panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the first side panel to maintain the first side panel generally coplanar with the backside panel;    a first fastener for holding the first rod when in the extended position;    a second side panel flexibly hinged to a second side of the backside panel generally opposite the first side of said backside panel, said second side panel foldable between an open position generally coplanar with said backside panel and a closed position folded at least in part over the inside face of the backside panel;    a second extensible generally rigid rod in the backside panel, said second rod extensible from an unextended position within the profile of the backside panel to an extended position from the backside panel over a portion of the second side panel to maintain the second side panel generally coplanar with the back side panel;    a second fastener for holding the second rod when in the extended position;    the backside panel including a bottom edge;    a bottom side panel having an inside and an outside and a flexible hinge connection to the bottom edge of the backside panel for folding at least in part over the backside panel;    the backside panel also including a top edge opposite the bottom edge; and    including a top side panel having an inside and an outside and a flexible hinge connection to the top edge of the backside panel for folding at least in part over the backside panel.