Dual-closure weather barriers and bags containing the same

Abstract

Dual-closure weather barriers that are configured to selectively seal an opening of a bag or enclosure. When sealed, the dual-closure weather barrier is configured to prevent an ingress of water into an interior volume of the bag or enclosure. The dual-closure weather barrier includes an outer sealing mechanism configured to form an outer seal of the opening and an inner sealing mechanism configured to form an inner seal of the opening. The dual-closure weather barrier is configured to be selectively transitioned between a fully sealed configuration and an unsealed configuration. When the dual-closure weather barrier is disposed in the fully sealed configuration, the outer sealing mechanism forms the outer seal, the inner sealing mechanism forms the inner seal, and the outer seal is maintained spaced above and away from the inner seal and an upper surface of the fabric bag relative to the interior volume.

1 . A dual-closure bag comprising:
 a body comprising a main body portion defining an internal compartment and opposed edge regions defining an opening in the body, wherein the opening provides access to the internal compartment; and   a weather barrier configured to selectively seal the opening to obstruct an ingress of water into the internal compartment through the opening, the weather barrier comprising:
 an outer sealing mechanism fixed to the opposed edge regions of the body and configured to be selectively sealed and unsealed, wherein when the outer sealing mechanism is sealed, the outer sealing mechanism forms an external seal of the opening; and 
 an inner sealing mechanism configured to be selectively sealed and unsealed, wherein when the inner sealing mechanism is sealed, the inner sealing mechanism forms an inner seal of the opening; 
   wherein the weather barrier is configured to be selectively transitioned between a fully sealed configuration and an unsealed configuration, and wherein when the weather barrier is in the fully sealed configuration, the outer sealing mechanism is sealed and forms the external seal of the opening, the inner sealing mechanism is sealed and forms the inner seal of the opening, and the external seal is maintained spaced apart from and above the inner seal relative to the internal compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein the outer sealing mechanism comprises an outer closure mechanism configured to be selectively closed and opened, wherein when the outer closure mechanism is closed, the outer sealing mechanism is sealed and forms the external seal. 
     
     
         3 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 2 , wherein the outer closure mechanism comprises an outer zippered connection. 
     
     
         4 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 2 , wherein the outer sealing mechanism further comprises an outer support layer having outer-support proximal end regions fixed to the opposed edge regions and outer-support distal end regions fixed to the outer closure mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 4 , wherein when the weather barrier is in the fully sealed configuration, the outer sealing mechanism is disposed in a raised position in which the outer support layer projects outward from the main body portion of the body relative to the internal compartment such that the outer closure mechanism is spaced above the main body portion relative to the internal compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 5 , wherein the outer support layer comprises a stiffening material configured to maintain and support the outer sealing mechanism in the raised position when the weather barrier is in the fully sealed configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 5 , wherein the outer closure mechanism is spaced above the main body portion of the body by at least 2 centimeters (cm). 
     
     
         8 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 5 , wherein when the weather barrier is in the fully sealed configuration, the weather barrier defines a closure volume that is bounded by the opposed edge regions, the outer sealing mechanism, and the inner sealing mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 8 , wherein the closure volume has a closed perimeter measured transverse to the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 9 , wherein the closure volume has a height, which extends directly outward from the opening, and a width that is measured across the opening, and wherein the height of the closure volume is at least 2 times the width of the closure volume. 
     
     
         11 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 4 , wherein the outer support layer is fixed to an interior side of the opposed edge regions. 
     
     
         12 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 4 , wherein the outer support layer is fixed to an exterior side of the opposed edge regions. 
     
     
         13 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 4 , wherein the outer-support proximal end regions are fixed to the opposed edge regions, and the outer-support distal end regions extend away from the body from the outer-support proximal end regions such that the outer-support distal end regions are able to move independently relative to the body. 
     
     
         14 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein the inner sealing mechanism includes an inner closure mechanism configured to be selectively closed and opened, wherein when the inner closure mechanism is closed, the inner sealing mechanism forms the inner seal. 
     
     
         15 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 14 , wherein the inner closure mechanism comprises an inner zippered connection. 
     
     
         16 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 14 , wherein the inner sealing mechanism further comprises an inner support layer having inner-support proximal end regions and inner-support distal end regions fixed to the inner closure mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 14 , wherein the inner closure mechanism is fixed to the opposed edge regions of the body. 
     
     
         18 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein when the weather barrier is in the fully sealed configuration, the outer sealing mechanism is disposed in a raised position in which the external seal is spaced above the main body portion of the dual-closure bag. 
     
     
         19 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein when the outer sealing mechanism is sealed, the external seal formed by the outer sealing mechanism is exposed to an external environment of the dual-closure bag. 
     
     
         20 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein when the weather barrier is in the fully sealed configuration, the inner seal is disposed internally between the external seal and the internal compartment. 
     
     
         21 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein when the weather barrier is in the unsealed configuration, the inner sealing mechanism is unsealed and the outer sealing mechanism is unsealed such that the opening is unsealed and a user is provided access to the internal compartment. 
     
     
         22 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein when the weather barrier is in the sealed configuration, the external seal is spaced above the inner seal relative to the internal compartment by a distance of at least 1 cm. 
     
     
         23 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed from a waterproof material. 
     
     
         24 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 1 , wherein the dual-closure bag comprises a bivouac bag. 
     
     
         25 . The dual-closure bag of  claim 24 , wherein the body is formed from a waterproof breathable material.