GB2557689A

GB2557689A - Handbag

Info

Publication number: GB2557689A
Application number: GB1621406.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Korshøj Moyal Betina; Shalom Moyal Dror
Original assignee: Real Brands Ltd
Current assignee: Real Brands Ltd
Priority date: 2016-12-15
Filing date: 2016-12-15
Publication date: 2018-06-27
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-15
Also published as: WO2018109615A1; GB2557689B; GB201621406D0

Abstract

A ladies handbag comprises two opposite sidewalls 2A, 2B, an access opening allowing access to the interior of the handbag and a closure flap 1 which can be opened to uncover the access opening and closed over one of said sidewalls 2B to close the access opening. An upper region of one of the sidewalls 2B has a cut away region 3 and the closure flap carries a pocket 4 which is accommodated within said cut away region when the closure flap is closed. The cut away region allows more light into the bag and facilitates access to items in the bag. The pocket 4 is lifted toward the user when the closure flap is opened such that the pocket is easily accessible. The pocket 4 can fit into the cut away region and make up for any loss in capacity due to the reduction in size of the sidewall resulting from the cutting away of that region. The packet 4 may be accessible from the outside of the handbag via a zip (7, figure 3) when the flap is closed.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Handbag

Abstract Title: Handbag with a cut away region (57) A ladies handbag comprises two opposite sidewalls 2A, 2B, an access opening allowing access to the interior of the handbag and a closure flap 1 which can be opened to uncover the access opening and closed over one of said sidewalls 2B to close the access opening. An upper region of one of the sidewalls 2B has a cut away region 3 and the closure flap carries a pocket 4 which is accommodated within said cut away region when the closure flap is closed. The cut away region allows more light into the bag and facilitates access to items in the bag. The pocket 4 is lifted toward the user when the closure flap is opened such that the pocket is easily accessible. The pocket 4 can fit into the cut away region and make up for any loss in capacity due to the reduction in size of the sidewall resulting from the cutting away of that region. The packet 4 may be accessible from the outside of the handbag via a zip (7, figure 3) when the flap is closed.

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Figure 1 Figure 2 <·\

Figure 3

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Handbag

The present invention relates to handbags, particularly to ladies handbags.

Handbags normally have an upper opening disposed between two sidewalls and have a closure flap for closing the upper opening. Typically handbags are quite deep in relation to the width of the upper opening, which can make it difficult to find and retrieve items from the bottom of the bag.

It is known to provide pockets or compartments in handbags for smaller items such as bank cards, cash, mobile devices and the like but such pockets or compartments are often not easily accessible. For aesthetic reasons, particularly with ladies handbags, it is undesirable to have such pockets or compartments on the outside of the bag.

An object of the present invention is to overcome or alleviate at least some of the above disadvantages.

Accordingly the invention provides a handbag comprising two opposite sidewalls, an access opening allowing access to the interior of the handbag and a closure flap which can be opened to uncover the access opening and closed over one of said sidewalls to close the access opening, a region of one of the sidewalls having a cut away region and the closure flap carrying a pocket which is accommodated within said cut away region when the closure flap is closed.

The cut away region allows more light into the bag and facilitates access to items in the bag.

The pocket, being carried by the closure flap, is lifted toward the user when the closure flap is opened and its therefore easily accessible. Furthermore it can fit into the cut away region and make up for any loss in capacity due to the reduction in size of the sidewall resulting from the cutting away of that region. Furthermore the pocket can contain items near the upper portion of the bag which would otherwise fall to the bottom of the bag.

Preferably said cut away region comprises at least 25%, more preferably at least 35%, still more preferably at least 50% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall. Typically the extremities will be the four corners of the sidewall. These features maximise the admittance of light into the bag.

Preferably said pocket occupies at least 70% of the area the cut away region. This feature maximises use of the capacity of the bag.

Preferably said closure flap has an elongate opening formed therein which provides access to said pocket when the closure flap is closed.

Preferably said elongate opening is closable.

Preferably a zipper (which may optionally be a magnetic zipper) or one or more snap fasteners, or a fastener of hook and loop materialis provided for closing said elongate opening.

Preferably a further flap is foldable over said closure flap to conceal said elongate opening.

Preferably said pocket is expandable.

Preferably the pocket has a base wall and said access opening is an upper access opening opposite the base wall. Preferably the base wall of the pocket has a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of the upper access opening. Preferably the handbag comprises two opposite end walls between said sidewalls, the end walls being narrower at their upper edges than at their lower edges whereby said sidewalls are inclined inwardly toward said upper access opening.

In one embodiment said closure flap extends from an edge of a sidewall over said upper opening to the opposite sidewall having said cut away region.

In one embodiment the handbag comprises two opposite end walls between said sidewalls, the end walls being narrower at their upper edges than at their lower edges whereby said sidewalls are inclined inwardly toward said upper opening.

In one embodiment the handbag has ends connected to respective opposite ends of the handbag.

In one embodiment the handbag is a ladies handbag and said sidewalls and closure flap are made of leather.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a handbag in accordance with the present invention shown with the closure flap open;

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the handbag of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the handbag of Figure 1 with the closure flap closed;

Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the handbag of Figure 1 showing the closure flap closed, and

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of a variant of the handbag of Figures 1 to 4 with an additional flap.

Features of the two embodiments which are identical are indicated by corresponding reference numerals and features of the second embodiment (Figure 5) which are which are similar to those of the first embodiment are indicated by primed reference numerals.

Referring to Figure 1, a ladies leather handbag is shown and comprises two opposite sidewalls 2A and 2B defining an upper opening between the upper edge El of sidewall 2A and the line L defined by the upper edges of the end portions of the sidewall 2B. The upper region bordering the upper opening is cut away as indicated by cut-out edge 3. The cut-out area (ie the area bounded by cut-out edge 3 and line L) is substantial, eg greater than 50% but preferably less than 90% of the area between the comers of sidewall 2B, and allows the contents of the bag to be seen and retrieved easily.

The sidewalls 2A and 2B are inclined towards each other and accordingly the bag has a base wall 9 which is somewhat wider than the upper opening.

The upper opening is closed by a closure flap 1 which carries an expandable pocket 4 on its interior surface.

The pocket 4 is surrounded by the the cut-out edge 3 when the closure flap 1 is closed and occupies at least 70% of the cut-out area, i.e. the area bounded by cut-out edge 3 and line L.

As seen in Figure 2, the pocket 4 has a zipper 7 which closes a slit opening in the pocket, allowing access to the pocket when the closure flap 1 is closed.

Important items which must be easily accessible can be kept in the pocket 4, eg keys, cash, cards and the like.

The closure flap 1 can be secured by conventional closure fittings 5A and 5B (Figure 1), the bag being shown open in Figures 1 and 2 and closed in Figures 3 and 4.

The end walls of the handbag are provided with metal handle fittings 6A (Figure 1) and 6B (Figure 2) for a conventional strap 8 (shown only in Figure 3). However in a variant in which the handbag is a clutch bag, the strap 8 may be omitted, as may fittings 6 A and 6B.

Figure 5 shows a variant in which a further flap 11 is provided on the exterior of closure flap Γ, and is foldable about line L to cover the zipper 7.

Closure flap Γ is similar to closure flap 1 of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 but has a tab portion extending from its edge on which closure fitting 5 A is mounted. This feature can also be used in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4.

In a further variant the upper access opening shown between edge El and line L of Figure 1 could be eliminated (ie closed by a further panel) and closure flap 1, instead of being folded about edge El, could be folded about line L. The resulting access opening would by a side access opening and would be be bounded by line L and edge

3.

A similar variant of the embodiment of Figure 5 is possible.

All the variants disclosed above may optionally be combined.

Claims

1. A handbag comprising two opposite sidewalls, an access opening allowing access to the interior of the handbag and a closure flap which can be opened to uncover the access opening and closed over one of said sidewalls to close the access opening, a region of one of the sidewalls having a cut away region and the closure flap carrying a pocket which is accommodated within said cut away region when the closure flap is closed.

2. A handbag according to claim 1 wherein said cut away region comprises at least 25% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall.

3. A handbag according to claim 1 wherein said cut away region comprises at least 35% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall.

4. A handbag according to claim 1 wherein said cut away region comprises at least 50% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall.

5. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said pocket occupies at least 30% of the area of the cut away region.

5. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said pocket occupies at least 70% of the area of the cut away region.

6. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said closure flap has an elongate opening formed therein which provides access to said pocket when the closure flap is closed.

7. A handbag according to claim 6 wherein said elongate opening is closable.

8. A handbag according to claim 7 wherein a zipper or one or more snap fasteners, or a fastener of hook and loop material is provided for closing said elongate opening.

9. A handbag according to any of claims 6 to 8 wherein a further flap is foldable over said closure flap to conceal said elongate opening.

10. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said pocket is expandable.

11. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein the pocket has a base wall and said access opening is an upper access opening opposite the base wall.

12 A handbag according to claim 11 wherein the base wall of the pocket has a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of the upper access opening.

13. Ahandbag according to claim 11 or claim 12 comprising two opposite end walls between said sidewalls, the end walls being narrower at their upper edges than at their lower edges whereby said sidewalls are inclined inwardly toward said upper access opening.

14. Ahandbag according to any preceding claim wherein said closure flap extends from an edge of a sidewall over said access opening to the opposite sidewall having said cut away region.

15. Ahandbag according to any preceding claim having a carrying strap having ends connected to respective opposite ends of the handbag.

16. A handbag according to any preceding claim which is a ladies handbag and wherein said sidewalls and closure flap are made of leather.

17. A handbag according to any preceding claim which is a ladies handbag and wherein said sidewalls and closure flap are made of leather.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1621406.6 Examiner: MrPaulMakin

17. A handbag substantially as described hereinabove with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings or Figures 1 to 4 as modified in accordance with Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows :Claims

15 11 17

1. A handbag comprising two opposite sidewalls, an access opening allowing access to the interior of the handbag and a closure flap which can be opened to uncover the access opening and closed over one of said sidewalls to close the access opening, a region of one of the sidewalls having a cut away region and the closure flap carrying a pocket which is accommodated within said cut away region when the closure flap is closed wherein said closure flap has an elongate opening formed therein which provides access to said pocket when the closure flap is closed.

2. A handbag according to claim 1 wherein the pocket has a base wall.

3. A handbag according to claim 2 wherein said access opening is an upper access opening opposite the base wall.

4. A handbag according to claim 3 wherein the base wall of the pocket has a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of the upper access opening.

5. A handbag according to claim 3 or claim 4 comprising two opposite end walls between said sidewalls, the end walls being narrower at their upper edges than at their lower edges whereby said sidewalls are inclined inwardly toward said upper access opening.

6. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said cut away region comprises at least 25% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall.

7. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said cut away region comprises at least 35% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall.

8. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said cut away region comprises at least 50% of the area bounded by the extremities of said one sidewall.

9. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said pocket occupies at least 30% of the area of the cut away region.

10. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said pocket occupies at least 70% of the area of the cut away region.

11. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said elongate opening is closable.

15 11 17

12. A handbag according to claim 11 wherein a zipper or one or more snap fasteners, or a fastener of hook and loop material is provided for closing said elongate opening.

13. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein a further flap is foldable over said closure flap to conceal said elongate opening.

14. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said pocket is expandable.

15. A handbag according to any preceding claim wherein said closure flap extends from an edge of a sidewall over said access opening to the opposite sidewall having said cut away region.

16. A handbag according to any preceding claim having a carrying strap having ends connected to respective opposite ends of the handbag.