Collapsible decoy bag

• US 6,830,170 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icon Outdoors LLC
• Original Assignee: Gary V. Abel
• Inventors: Abel, Gary V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US10/394,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20030218039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 224/576, 224/627, 224/634, 224/645, 224/656, 190/107, 220/9.2, 220/666, 220/904
• US Class Current: 224/634
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/006 Game carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/06 Decoys
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/04 Frames
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/1046 of strings or cords
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/385 with rolling means trunks with built-in rolling means A45C5/14
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2003/002 Mesh materials
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 7/0077 collapsible to a minimal configuration, e.g. for storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/02 Sacks or packs carried on the body by means of one strap passing over the shoulder
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/04 Sacks or packs carried on the body by means of two straps passing over the two shoulders

Abstract

A collapsible decoy bag utilized to carry hunting supplies/accessories such as water fowl decoys. The decoy bag includes a collapsible, semi-rigid, spring-reinforced frame covered by a fabric shell formed of flexible panels. The fabric shell includes a top cover with drawstring opening to facilitate the loading and unloading of the bag with decoys, a mesh side panel to allow drainage, and a reinforced bottom panel to prevent wear and allow dragging. A shoulder harness is provided to allow a hunter to carry the bag across one or both shoulders like a backpack. In use, the present invention remains upright and open to facilitate the decoy unloading/loading process. The decoy bag is fully collapsible for ease of storage when not in use, and includes snaps for maintaining the collapsed configuration.

Claims

1. A collapsible storage bag for hunting equipment such as decoys and the like, comprising:

a collapsible frame including a top stay, a bottom stay, and at least one expanding central support attached between said top and bottom stays;

a fabric shell covering the bottom stay and central support of the collapsible frame;

a shoulder harness for carrying the collapsible storage bag;

wherein said collapsible frame and fabric shell form a three-dimensional, collapsible assembly enclosing a volume.

2. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder harness comprises at least one adjustable-length shoulder strap fixedly attached to said fabric shell between the top stay and at the bottom stay.

3. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sets of mating fasteners attached around the periphery of the top and bottom stays, respectively, and connectable together when the storage bag is collapsed, to maintain the storage bag in said collapsed configuration.

4. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 1, further comprising a wheeled support frame detachably attached to said collapsible frame.

5. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 1, wherein the fabric shell further comprises an open top panel attached to the top stay, and a drawstring threaded through a margin of said open top panel to allow selectable closing of the inner volume by the drawstring.

6. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 5, wherein said open top panel with drawstring closure is formed with an excess amount of material to allow it to be inverted around the collapsed storage bag to envelop and maintain it in a collapsed state.

7. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 5 wherein said drawstring further comprises a locking mechanism to maintain an opening at any user-defined size.

8. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder harness comprises a pair of shoulder straps fixedly attached to said fabric shell between the top stay and at the bottom stay.

9. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 8, wherein said shoulder straps are each adjustable length.

10. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 8, further comprising a waist strap connectable between said pair of shoulder straps.

11. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 1, wherein the expanding central support attached between said top and bottom stays further comprises a resilient spiral-shaped spine.

12. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 11 wherein said top stay, said bottom stay, and said spiral spine are fixedly attached in the form of a large compression spring.

13. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 11 further comprising a plurality of reinforced strips each fixedly attached along a coil of said spiral-shaped member behind said shoulder harness to avoid wear.

14. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 11, wherein the fabric shell further comprises a flexible side panel section fixedly attached to the expending central support and expandable therewith.

15. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 14, wherein the flexible side panel section is formed of mesh fabric for drainage.

16. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 15, wherein the fabric shell further comprises a reinforced bottom panel section attached to said bottom stay.

17. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 16 wherein said reinforced bottom panel section further comprises a flexible, rubberized fabric.

18. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 16 wherein said bottom panel section further comprises rigid, molded plastic.

19. A collapsible storage bag for hunting equipment such as decoys and the like, comprising:

a collapsible frame including a rigid top stay, a rigid bottom stay, and at least one expanding central support attached between said top and bottom stays;

a fabric shell covering the bottom stay and central support of the collapsible frame, said collapsible frame and fabric shell forming a three-dimensional, collapsible assembly enclosing a volume;

a shoulder harness for carrying the collapsible storage bag; and

a wheeled support frame, said wheeled support frame including,

a handle extending upward beyond said top stay,

a bottom support proximate said bottom stay and said bottom panel section, and

a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said bottom support.

20. The collapsible storage bag according to claim 19 wherein said wheeled support frame includes an attachment fixture for detachably attaching said wheeled support frame to said top and bottom stays.