Bag, tote, and backpack with channel-anchored drawstrings

Abstract

A drawstring bag comprising (i) a flexible container, which has at least one wall, a closed bottom, an open top, and a channel comprising at least two openings, (ii) a first drawstring, the ends of which are anchored at or near the first opening, (iii) a second drawstring, the ends of which are anchored at or near the second opening, and (iv) optionally, grips adjacent to the first and second openings; a tote comprising the drawstring bag and at least one handle and/or a strap comprising elongated grips connected by an opener; a backpack comprising the drawstring bag, first and second points of attachment at or near the edge of the at least one wall at the closed bottom end of the container through which the drawstrings pass, and, optionally, at least one handle and/or a strap comprising elongated grips connected by an opener, and/or drawstring length adjusters; and a method of stabilizing a drawstring in a flexible container.

1 . A drawstring bag comprising:
 (i) a flexible container having at least one wall, which has an interior surface and an exterior surface, a closed bottom, an open top, and a channel, which runs along the edge of the open top and which comprises at least two openings,   (ii) a first anchored drawstring having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is anchored by attachment to the wall of the container at or near a first opening of the channel and the second end passes through the channel to a second opening of the channel, where it extends outwardly to form a first loop and then continues to pass through the remainder of the channel to the first opening, where it is anchored by attachment to the wall of the container at or near the first opening,   (iii) a second anchored drawstring having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is anchored by attachment to the container at or near the second opening and the second end passes through the channel to the first opening, where it extends outwardly to form a second loop, which is equal in length to the first loop, and then continues to pass through the remainder of the channel to the second opening, where it is anchored by attachment to the wall of the container at or near the second opening, and   (iv) optionally, a grip adjacent to the first opening of the channel and a grip adjacent to the second opening of the channel.   
     
     
         2 . The drawstring bag of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 (v) at least one handle, and/or   (vi) a strap comprising elongated grips and an opener, which connects the elongated grips,   wherein the drawstring bag can be carried by the at least one handle or, when the opener is closed, by the strap as a tote.   
     
     
         3 . The tote of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one handle comprises:
 a first handle, which is attached to a surface of the at least one wall at or near the edge of the at least one wall at the open top end of the container and positioned midway between the first opening of the channel and the second opening of the channel, and a second handle, which is attached to the same surface of the at least one wall at or near the edge of the at least one wall at the open top end of the container and positioned midway between the first opening of the channel and the second opening of the channel,   wherein the first handle and the second handle are directly opposite each other, either both attached to the exterior surface of the at least one wall or both attached to the interior surface of the at least one wall, and optionally padded, and/or   the strap comprising elongated grips and an opener,   whereupon, the drawstring bag can be carried by either the first handle and the second handle or, when the opener is closed, the strap as a tote.   
     
     
         4 . The tote of  claim 2 , wherein the closed bottom is flat, the at least one wall comprises a front wall, a back wall, and two side walls, the channel runs along the edge of at least the front wall and the back wall at the open top end of the container, the first opening of the channel is positioned at the edge of one side wall at the open top end of the container, and the second opening of the channel is positioned at the edge of the other side wall at the open top end of the container. 
     
     
         5 . The tote of  claim 4 , which further comprises a bottom support panel, which optionally is removable. 
     
     
         6 . The tote of  claim 2 , which further comprises at least one pocket on the at least one wall, wherein the at least one pocket is accessible from the exterior of the bag, the interior of the bag, and/or from the exterior and the interior of the bag. 
     
     
         7 . The tote of  claim 6 , wherein at least one pocket is made from netting. 
     
     
         8 . The tote of  claim 2 , which further comprises (vii) a wallet or an identification holder, either of which is tethered, removable, or tethered and removable, (viii) an attachment sleeve or an attachment strap, and/or (ix) an attacher for a key holder and, optionally, a key holder. 
     
     
         9 . The drawstring bag of  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 (v) a first point of attachment and a second point of attachment, which are located along the edge of the at least one wall at or near the closed bottom end of the container and at least substantially vertically aligned with the first opening and the second opening, respectively, of the channel, in which case the first drawstring, upon extending outwardly through the second opening of the channel to form the first loop, passes through the second point of attachment before continuing to pass through the remainder of the channel to the first opening, and the second drawstring, upon extending outwardly through the first opening of the channel to form the second loop, passes through the first point of attachment before continuing to pass through the remainder of the channel to the second opening.   
     
     
         10 . The drawstring bag of  claim 9 , which is a backpack and wherein the loops are shoulder loops. 
     
     
         11 . The backpack of  claim 10 , which further comprises:
 (vi) at least one handle, and/or   (vii) a strap comprising elongated grips and an opener, which connects the elongated grips,   wherein the backpack can be carried by the at least one handle or, when the opener is closed, by the strap as a tote.   
     
     
         12 . The backpack of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one handle comprises:
 a first handle, which is attached to the interior surface of the at least one wall at or near the edge of the at least one wall at the open top end of the container and positioned midway between the first opening of the channel and the second opening of the channel, and a second handle, which is attached to the interior surface of the at least one wall at or near the edge of the at least one wall at the open top end of the container and positioned midway between the first opening of the channel and the second opening of the channel,   wherein the first handle and the second handle are directly opposite each other and optionally padded, and/or   the strap comprising elongated grips and an opener,   whereupon, the backpack can be carried by either the first handle and the second handle or, when the opener is closed, the strap as a tote or, optionally, the backpack can be turned inside out and then carried by either the first handle and the second handle or the strap as a tote.   
     
     
         13 . The backpack of  claim 10 , wherein the closed bottom is flat, the at least one wall comprises a front wall, a back wall, and two side walls, the channel runs along the edge of at least the front wall and the back wall at the open top end of the container, the first opening of the channel is positioned at the edge of one side wall at the open top end of the container, the second opening of the channel is positioned at the edge of the other side wall at the open top end of the container, and the first point of attachment and the second point of attachment are located along the edge of the back wall at or near the closed bottom end of the container, wherein the first point of attachment is at least substantially vertically aligned with the first opening and the second point of attachment is at least substantially vertically aligned with the second opening. 
     
     
         14 . The backpack of  claim 13 , which further comprises a bottom support panel, which optionally is removable. 
     
     
         15 . The backpack of  claim 10 , which further comprises at least one pocket on the at least one wall, wherein the at least one pocket is accessible from the exterior of the bag, the interior of the bag, and/or from the exterior and the interior of the bag. 
     
     
         16 . The backpack of  claim 15 , wherein at least one pocket is made from netting. 
     
     
         17 . The backpack of  claim 10 , which further comprises (vi) a wallet or an identification holder, either of which is tethered, removable, or tethered and removable, (vii) a port for earphone access, (viii) an attachment sleeve or an attachment strap, and/or (ix) an attacher for a key holder and, optionally, a key holder. 
     
     
         18 . The backpack of  claim 10 , which further comprises removable shoulder pads. 
     
     
         19 . The backpack of  claim 10 , which further comprises a drawstring length adjuster at or near where each of the first and second drawstrings is anchored. 
     
     
         20 . The backpack of  claim 19 , wherein the drawstring length adjuster is movably attached to the grip. 
     
     
         21 . A method of stabilizing a drawstring having a first end and a second end in a flexible container having at least one wall, which has an interior surface and an exterior surface, a closed bottom, an open top, and a channel, which runs along the edge of the open top and which comprises at least two openings, which method comprises anchoring the first end and the second end of the drawstring by attachment to the at least one wall of the container at or near an opening of the channel, whereupon the drawstring in the flexible container is stabilized.