Sports garment bag with foot mat

Abstract

A garment bag with an end opening and a flap for covering the end opening has an interior pad located within the end opening which pad may be deployed outwardly to provide a foot-changing surface. The interior pad is preferably of a size and dimension which is larger than the opening in the end of the garment bag. In cases where the flap is provided with a peripheral fastening means along its outer edge, the interior pad is preferably of a size and dimension which will allow it, when deployed, to overlie and cover not only the end flap but also the peripheral fasting means along the outer edge of the end flap. The changing surface may be either rubberized or carpeted, and a pad may sufficiently long as to be folded over to substantially cover the changing surface when the pad is stored within the end opening of the bag.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A garment bag of flexible material with a bottom surface and an end portion comprising:
 a) an end opening of specific shape and dimension formed on said bag, the end opening having an end opening boundary;   b) an openable flap for closing the end opening, the flap being fastened to the bag along a flap fastening line at a location adjacent to the end opening, the flap having attachment means to hold the flap over the end opening when the flap is in its closed position;   c) the flap having a peripheral edge which is of a shape and dimension complementary to the boundary of the end opening against which the peripheral edge of the flap is positionable sufficient for the flap to cover such opening when the flap is closed, and   d) a flexible pad having an upper surface and fastened to the garment bag adjacent to the end opening along a pad fastening line, the flexible pad being connected to the bag so that the pad may be deployed outwardly through the end opening when the flap is in its open configuration and having a footwear-supporting surface on an upwardly directed face on the pad that is exposed when the pad is so deployed,   whereby, with the flap in its open position, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie a portion of a floor adjacent to the end of the bag and provide a footware-supporting surface to serve as a changing mat for a user.   
     
     
         2 . A garment bag as in  claim 1  wherein the pad has a shape and dimension around its free periphery which is larger than the shape and dimension of the bag end opening. 
     
     
         3 . A garment bag as in  claim 2  wherein the pad fastening line and flap fastening line are both located adjacent the end opening to permit both the flap and pad to be deployed outwardly to cover a portion of a floor adjacent to the end of the bag when the pad is to serve as a changing mat for a user. 
     
     
         4 . A garment bag as in  claim 3  wherein the pad, when deployed outwardly along with the flap to overlie a portion of a floor adjacent to the end of the bag, overlies the flap. 
     
     
         5 . A garment bag as in  claim 3  wherein the peripheral edge of the flap is provided with attachment means for engagement with complementary attachment means carried around the boundary of the end opening and wherein the pad is of a shape and dimension to allow the pad, when outwardly deployed, to extend beyond and overlie the attachment means present around the periphery of the flap, thereby serving to protect the attachment means on the flap from damage that may arise from placing footwear on the pad. 
     
     
         6 . A garment bag as in  claim 1  wherein the flap and pad are integrally connected to each other. 
     
     
         7 . A garment bag as in  claim 1  wherein the footwear-supporting surface is a waterproof surface. 
     
     
         8 . A garment bag as in  claim 7  wherein the footwear-supporting surface comprises rubber material presenting raised ribs interspersed with grooves. 
     
     
         9 . A garment bag as in  claim 1  wherein the footwear-supporting surface is a carpeted surface. 
     
     
         10 . A garment bag as in  1  wherein the pad has a length when deployed which is longer than the length of the deployed flap and may be folded-back over onto itself so as to contain at least a substantial portion of its upper surface when the pad is stored within the bag. 
     
     
         11 . A garment bag as in  claim 10  wherein the pad when deployed has a length which is substantially twice the length of the deployed flap. 
     
     
         12 . A garment bag as in  claim 1  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         13 . A garment bag as in  claim 2  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         14 . A garment bag as in  claim 3  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         15 . A garment bag as in  claim 4  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         16 . A garment bag as in  claim 5  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         17 . A garment bag as in  claim 6  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         18 . A garment bag as in  claim 7  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         19 . A garment bag as in  claim 8  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor. 
     
     
         20 . A garment bag as in  claim 9  in combination with a cart whereby, when the cart is in an upright position and the flap is open, the pad may be deployed outwardly to overlie the floor.