A PORTABLE CARRIER BAG HOLDER AND DISPENSER

This invention relates to a portable carrier bag holder.

There is an increasing awareness that people should reuse their carrier bags. Carrier bags have a tendency to expand when "scrunched" up. This means that if a number of bags are scrunched up and put into another bag they will expand and become bulkier than necessary. When carrier bags are together in one bag there is also a tendency for several bags to come out when one bag is pulled out. These issues can make it more time consuming and less convenient to reuse carrier bags than to use new ones supplied by shops.

To overcome these issues, the present invention proposes a portable carrier bag holder and dispenser (PCBHD) which keeps carrier bags compact and allows them to be dispensed conveniently.

An aim of the invention is to provide a portable carrier bag holder and dispenser which is simple, inexpensive, and convenient to use.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a portable carrier bag holder and dispenser for holding and dispensing carrier bags, the portable carrier bag holder and dispenser comprising a means of inserting and removing carrier bags, wherein the means of inserting and removing carrier bags is through a single opening of a variable size.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a portable carrier bag holder and dispenser for holding and dispensing carrier bags, the portable carrier bag holder and

dispenser comprising a means of inserting and removing carrier bags, wherein the means of inserting and removing carrier bags is through at least one opening, in which the bag holder and dispenser comprises a hanging means which allows it to be hung so that the opening on the bag holder and dispenser is at the top, and in which the bag holder and dispenser comprises a hanging means which allows it to be hung so that the opening on the bag holder and dispenser is at the bottom.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a portable carrier bag holder and dispenser.

The portable carrier bag holder and dispenser may comprise any feature or combination of features set out herein.

The PCBHD may prevent carrier bags held with in it from excessively expanding.

The PCBHD preferably has a means of hanging it with the expanding and retracting hole opening at the top.

The PCBHD preferably has a means of hanging it with the expanding and retracting hole opening at the bottom.

Hanging the PCBHD with the expanding and retracting hole opening at the top can allow carrier bags to be put in easily.

Hanging the PCBHD with the expanding and retracting hole opening at the bottom can allow the carrier bags to be dispensed individually and conveniently.

Preferably, the bag would have an elastic opening to provide the means for the hole to expand and retract so that bags can be pushed in and pulled out.

Preferably, the bag can be made in a range of sizes to make it portable but able to hold a ranging number of bags to suit different users needs.

Preferably, the bag will have a loop or means of hanging the bag at opposite ends, one of which being the end with the hole opening.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows the PCBHD from the front in an upright position, in a first configuration for holding and storing carrier bags.

Figure 2 shows the PCBHD from the back in an upright position, in a first configuration for holding and storing carrier bags.

Figure 3 shows the PCBHD as a perspective view from the top, in a first configuration for holding and storing carrier bags.

--Figure 4 shows the PGBHD as a perspective view from the bottom, in a first configuration for holding and storing carrier bags.

Figure 5 is a frontal view of the PCBHD in use in a second configuration for dispensing bags.

Referring to the figures, a portable carrier bag holder and dispenser (PCBHD) 10 comprises an opening 12 at a first end 14, a first handle 16 at the first end, and a second handle 18 at a second end 20 which is opposite the first end.

The PCBHD 10 is made as follows:-

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a single piece of (cotton) material 22 is folded along a first side 24 to create a front part 26 and a back part 28. The front part 26 and the back part 28 (hidden detail and shown in broken line) are fastened, for example by stitching, at the second end 20 and at a second side 30, to create an end seam 32 and a side seam 34 (both of which are hidden detail and shown in broken line).

Prior to the front part 26 and the back part 28 being fastened together at the second end 20, the second handle 18 is arranged with each of its ends inbound of the edge of the piece of material 22 so that the ends can be fastened, by stitching, in the same operation as when the front part 26 is stitched to the back part 28.

Referring to Figure 3, the front part 26 and the back part 28 are not fastened at the first end 14 so as to leave the opening 12.

In order to make the size of the opening 12 variable, a piece of elastic material is fitted to the first end. In particular, the free end of the piece of material 22 at the first end 14 is folded around a piece of elastic material (hidden and not shown so as to avoid complicating the drawings) and back on itself with the piece of elastic material enclosed and the free end of the piece of material 22 is fastened to the part of the piece of material 22 it is folded back against so as to retain the piece of elastic material. The piece of elastic material is significantly shorter than the perimeter of the free end so that the piece of elastic material is under tension when it is installed and consequently the piece of elastic material pulls the piece of material 22 inwardly to reduce the size of the opening 12.

The first handle 16 is arranged so that each of its ends are inbound of the location at which the free end of the piece of material 22 is fastened to the part of the piece of material 22 so that the ends of the first handle can be fastened, by stitching, in the same operation as when the free end of the piece of material 22 is fastened to the part of the piece of material 22

The bag can conveniently be made of cotton.

The PCBHD is a bag 10 with no opening at the bottom 20 and an expanding and retracting hole opening at the top 14.

In use, the expanding and retracting hole opening 12 allows carrier bags C to be pushed into the PCBHD and pulled out as it can expand. The expanding and retracting hole opening 12 prevents carrier bags from falling out as it retracts reducing the size of the hole sufficiently to do so. The PCBHD has a means of hanging the bag near the top 14 and bottom 20.

■Referring to Figure 5, the PCBHD can be hung by its second handle 18 and carrier bags C can be pulled, one at a time, out of the opening 12, for example by a handle H of a carrier bag C.

The hanging device at the top 14 allows the bag to be hung with the hole at the top so that carrier bags can be easily pushed in. The hanging device at the bottom 20 allows the bag to be hung with the hole at the bottom so that carrier bags can be dispensed easily as required.

The Applicant found that one opening of the PCBHD is advantage in that it allows greater carrier bag compaction. The Applicant has found that pulling a carrier bag out of the PCBHD in a downwardly direction is favourable. The Applicant has found that loading a PCBHD with carrier bags in a downwardly direction is favourable. The invention of the Applicant has optimised these requirements with a simple to manufacture single opening device.