Reusable container for carrying items

Abstract

A container includes a body with a parallelepiped-shaped interior, a closed bottom, and an open top defining a periphery. A flaccid hood is attached to the periphery and can be pulled out of the interior and pushed into the interior. The hood defines a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, and a drawstring can be cinched to close the top opening. The body can include an inside liner and an outer shell, with the inside liner being made of thermally insulative material. Corner pocket assemblies can be attached to the body at each interior corner of the interior and can be moved to be either flush against the interior walls of the body or extended to form parallelepiped-shaped pockets with the adjoining walls of the body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior, the body having a closed bottom and an open top, the open top defining a periphery;   a flaccid hood attached to the periphery of the open top and extendable beyond the open top, the flaccid hood also being pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom, the hood defining a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, the hood comprising a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening; and   at least one corner pocket assembly in the interior, the corner pocket assembly comprising a first pocket wall having a first end attached to a first side wall of the body and a second pocket wall having a first end attached to a first end wall of the body, the first side wall of the body being attached to the first end wall of the body along a first corner edge of the body, a second end of the first pocket wall being attached to a second end of the second pocket wall along a joint, the pocket assembly being movable between an extended configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is perpendicular to the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is perpendicular to the first end wall of the body and the joint is distanced from the first corner edge of the body by the pocket walls, and a collapsed configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is flush against the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is flush against the first end wall of the body and the joint is located along the first corner edge of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the closure element comprises at least one drawstring disposed in a drawstring pouch circumscribing the top opening. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising plural corner pocket assemblies each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising four corner pocket assemblies each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inside liner is made of thermally insulative material. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inside liner is made of polyvinylchloride (PVC). 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is made of polyester. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flaccid hood is more flaccid than the body. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flaccid hood is made of polyester. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a first handle strap attached to an outer surface of the first side wall of the body and a second handle strap attached to an outer surface of a second side wall of the body, the second side wall of the body being opposite to the first side wall of the body. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a webbing on the outer surface of the first side wall of the body and defining first and second edges merging with respective first and second end segments of the first handle strap, an external pocket being established between the webbing and the first side wall of the body. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior, the body having a closed bottom and an open top, the open top defining a periphery; and   a flaccid hood attached to the periphery of the open top and extendable beyond the open top, the flaccid hood also being pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom, the hood defining a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, the hood comprising a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening, the closure element comprising at least one drawstring disposed in a drawstring pouch circumscribing the top opening, wherein   the body comprises an inside liner juxtaposed with an outer shell, the inside liner being made of thermally insulative material.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the inside liner is made of polyvinylchloride (PVC). 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the flaccid hood is made of polyester. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , comprising a first handle strap attached to an outer surface of a first side wall of the body and a second handle strap attached to an outer surface of a second side wall of the body, the second side wall of the body being opposite to the first side wall of the body. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , comprising a cross-strap connecting a first end segment of the first handle strap to a second end segment of the first handle strap, a space being established between the body and the cross-strap. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus comprising:
 a body configurable to form a parallelepiped-shaped interior, the body having a closed bottom and an open top, the open top defining a periphery; and   at least one corner pocket assembly in the interior, the corner pocket assembly comprising a first pocket wall having a first end attached to a first side wall of the body and a second pocket wall having a first end attached to a first end wall of the body, the first side wall of the body being attached to the first end wall of the body along a first corner edge of the body, a second end of the first pocket wall being attached to a second end of the second pocket wall along a joint, the pocket assembly being movable between an extended configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is perpendicular to the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is perpendicular to the first end wall of the body and the joint is distanced from the first corner edge of the body by the pocket walls, and a collapsed configuration, wherein the first pocket wall is flush against the first side wall of the body and the second pocket wall is flush against the first end wall of the body and the joint is located along the first corner edge of the body.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , comprising:
 a flaccid hood attached to the periphery of the open top and extendable beyond the open top, the flaccid hood also being pushable into the interior such that the flaccid hood is substantially completely disposed in the interior between the periphery of the open top and the closed bottom, the hood defining a top opening through which items can be placed into the interior, the hood comprising a closure element manipulable to reduce a size of the top opening.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , comprising four corner pocket assemblies each being disposed adjacent a respective corner of the body.