Abstract:
A bag includes a flap secured to the body of the bag, this flap being formed from a deformable piece and the bag further having at least two passages whose function is to allow the passage of a strap for the purpose of holding the flap on at least one wall of the body, the passages being situated at a sufficient distance from each other and disposed on the flap so that, when the flap is mounted on the body of the bag, the passages are opposite the wall in order to make it possible to secure the flap to the latter by the strap.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It relates more particularly to a flap for a bag, intended to be mounted on the wall of the bag removably and without stitching, and a bag comprising this flap. 
     It also concerns the method of assembling the bag. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     The document U.S. Pat. No. 2,784,756 concerns a handbag having a removable covering leaf. The leaf or flap is held on the bag by means of clasps and a handle passing through the leaf. The handle and clasps are sewn onto the bag. 
     Such a flap is simply placed and held on the bag by the clasps and the handle. In addition, the clasps and handle are fixed to the bag by sewing or welding. As a result, producing the bag is in the end fairly complex and therefore expensive. 
     In addition, the opening in the bag is predetermined and fixed. It does not make it possible to adapt the volume of the bag according to its content. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the invention is therefore to remedy these drawbacks. 
     To this end it proposes a bag in which the flap is mounted on the wall removably and without stitching, the opening in the bag being able to be adapted in accordance with the content. 
     A first object of the invention concerns a flap for a bag intended to be secured to the body of the bag, this flap being formed from a deformable piece comprising at least two passages whose function is to allow the passage of a strap for the purpose of holding the flap on at least one wall of the body, the passages being situated at a sufficient distance from each other and disposed on the flap so that, when the flap is mounted on the bag body, the passages are opposite the wall in order to make it possible to secure the flap to the latter by means of the strap. 
     The flap has, towards its rear longitudinal edge, two passages situated in the vicinity of its transverse edges. 
     According to a variant embodiment, it has at least two pairs of passages. 
     According to other characteristics, it has two passages situated in the vicinity of its middle part between its transverse edges. 
     It also has, close to its rear longitudinal edge, at least one first aperture for a locking system. 
     The first aperture is situated in the middle part between its transverse edges. 
     The flap has a second aperture for the locking system close to its front longitudinal edge. 
     The first and second apertures are disposed substantially opposite each other when the flap is folded on itself about a median longitudinal axis. 
     The first aperture is surrounded, on each side and close to it, by two passages for the securing strap. 
     The passages and the first aperture have the same general shape. 
     The passages and the first aperture are disposed along the same straight line substantially parallel to the rear longitudinal edge of the flap. 
     This flap also has at least one cutout for at least one handle to pass. 
     According to a variant, it has at least two cutouts or at least one pair of cutouts. 
     The cutouts are situated in the middle part between the front and rear longitudinal edges. 
     According to a variant, the cutouts are situated in the vicinity of its transverse edges. 
     According to another variant, the cutouts are situated in the vicinity of its middle part between its transverse edges. 
     A second object of the invention is a bag comprising a wall forming the container delimiting an opening and a flap as just described, associated with the wall so as to be able to cover the opening, in which the flap is mounted removably and without stitching on the said wall by means of a strap itself mounted for slight friction in loops on the wall in order not to escape therefrom unintentionally. According to other characteristics, the strap fulfils the functions firstly of the removable holding of the flap on the wall and secondly the closure of the opening by folding the bag wall on itself, the latter being shaped so as to form folds or bellows through which the strap passes so as to be able to be deployed, or on the other hand flattened. 
     The strap also has the function, thirdly, of the locking of the bag by cooperation with the locking system. 
     The bag wall forms, close to its rear longitudinal edge adjacent to the opening, a hem in which a rigid rod cooperates. 
     It also has at least one handle passing through the cutouts in the flap, provided at its two end parts with holes, these said end parts being housed in two scallops formed in the hem, the transverse rigid rod cooperating with the holes in the handle, so that the handle is mounted on the wall of the bag body removably and without stitching. 
     According to a variant, the bag has two handles mounted in the same pair of cutouts in the flap and scallops in the hem. 
     The locking system is in the form of a piece comprising: 
     a plate; 
     a journal projecting with respect to the plate; 
     a first aperture provided in the journal adjacent to the plate; 
     a projection projecting from the plate opposite to the journal. 
     The plate is positioned, interposed and immobilised between the internal face of the flap and the handle which holds it, which passes through the first aperture of the closure system. 
     The journal passes through a first aperture provided in the wall of the bag body against which the flap is applied and the projection passes through the first aperture in the flap. 
     Locking means are associated with the projection on the locking system. 
     The bag also has a second aperture provided in the wall of the bag body opposite to the first. 
     The journal of the locking system then passes through the second aperture when the bag is closed. 
     The free end parts of the strap are thus placed in the second aperture of the locking system placed outside the bag, these end parts being held in the locking system by the flap, which applies them against it. 
     The first and second apertures in the bag extend in the same direction, which is substantially parallel to the rear longitudinal edge. 
     A third object of the invention is a method of assembling a bag which has just been described, starting from a wall forming the bag body, a flap and a strap in which: 
     the flap is positioned with respect to the bag body; 
     the strap is slipped through the loops on the wall and through the passages in the flap; 
     the strap is tensioned; 
     the assembly thus being effected removably and without stitching. 
     First of all, the locking system is mounted on the flap and is made to cooperate with the first aperture in the wall. 
     The handle is next positioned in the cutouts in the flap and scallops in the hem; the rigid rod is slipped through the said hem; and the said rod is immobilised on the bag body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be clearly understood by means of the description which will follow with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the front face of the closed bag; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the rear face of the closed bag; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the closed bag; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of solely the flap when flat; 
     FIG. 5 is a view in section along the line V—V in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a view in longitudinal section along the line VI—VI in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the removable fixing system for the flap and handles on the bag body; 
     FIG. 8 is a view in section along the line VIII—VIII in FIG. 6; 
     FIGS. 9,  10  and  11  are views in elevation of the front, rear and side faces of the bag body; 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the rigid rod and the screws which cooperate with it; 
     FIG. 13 depicts the closure system alone in plan view ( 13   a ) and in side view ( 13   b ); 
     FIG. 14 depicts a plan view of the different elements making up the handles. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     According to the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the bag  1  comprises: 
     a bag body  2 ; 
     a removable flap  3 ; 
     at least one strap  4  for for securing the flap  3  to the bag body  2 ; 
     at least one handle  5 ; 
     at least one locking system  6  for the bag  1 . 
     The body of the bag  2  has the general shape of a substantially rectangular and hollow parallelepiped. It is formed by a wall  7  delimiting an opening  8 . 
     This wall  7  comprises two rear and front longitudinal walls,  9  and  10  respectively, and two side walls  11 , respectively face to face and substantially parallel in pairs. 
     It also comprises a seating wall  12 , on which the bag  1  is intended to rest, situated on the opposite side to the opening  8  in the bag  1 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated by the figures, the wall  7  is made in a single piece. 
     According to a variant embodiment, the wall  7  is produced by assembling several pieces, for example by stitching or the like. 
     The rear and front longitudinal walls  9  and  10  and the side walls  11  have, when flat, a substantially trapezoidal shape. 
     The small bases  13  of each trapezium thus delimit the opening  8  in the bag  1 . 
     The rear longitudinal wall  9  comprises, at its rear longitudinal edge  14  adjacent to the opening  8 , a hem  15  forming a tunnel. This hem  15  extends longitudinally, substantially parallel to the rear longitudinal edge  14 . It is disposed so as to project from the opening  8  in the bag  1 , on the opposite side to the wall  12 . 
     It is formed by folding the wall  9  on itself, and is connected, by stitching or the like, to the rear longitudinal edge  14 . 
     This hem  15  is intended notably to make it possible to hold the handle  5  on the body of the bag  2 . 
     Two scallops  16  are provided in the hem  15 . They are disposed in the middle region of the hem  15 . These scallops  16  are intended to allow the passage of the handle  5  and its positioning on the body of the bag  2 . 
     The wall  7  comprises on the one hand a first aperture  18  and on the other hand a second aperture  19 , both intended to cooperate with the locking system  6 . 
     The first aperture  18  is provided in the rear longitudinal wall  9 , in its middle region on the same side as the rear longitudinal edge  14 . 
     The second aperture  19  is provided in the middle region of the front longitudinal wall  10 , on the same side as the front longitudinal edge  20 . 
     The two apertures  18  and  19  are disposed substantially opposite each other. 
     The wall  7  also comprises loops  21 ,  21   a  intended to allow passage of the securing strap  4 . 
     According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9,  10  and  11 , the body  2  comprises two openings  21  on each longitudinal wall  9  and  10 . These openings  21  are each disposed substantially at an equal distance from the apertures  18  and  19 , close to the lateral edges  17 . 
     These openings  21  and the first and second apertures  18  and  19  are disposed substantially in alignment one after the other, in a direction B substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge  20  or  21 . 
     In each side wall  11 , four openings  21   a  are provided. The openings  21   a  are disposed close to the side edges  17 . They are substantially aligned one after the other in a direction C substantially parallel to the side edges  17 . 
     The opening  8  in the body of the bag  2  is covered when the bag is closed, by a removable flap  3 , not sewn to the body of the bag  2 . 
     This flap  3  has, when flat, a substantially rectangular overall shape. It has two longitudinal edges, respectively rear and front  22 ,  23 , and two transverse edges  24 . These edges are disposed opposite each other and substantially parallel in pairs. 
     The flap  3  comprises, between its transverse edges  24 , at least one cutout  25  intended to allow passage of the handle  5 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the flap  3  comprises two cutouts  25 . 
     A first aperture  26  is provided in the flap  3 , in the middle region adjacent to the rear longitudinal edge  22 . 
     A second aperture  27  is provided opposite this first aperture  26 , in the middle region adjacent to the front longitudinal edge  23  of the flap  3 . 
     These first and second apertures  26  and  27  are intended to cooperate with the locking system  6 . 
     Passages  28 ,  28   a  are provided along the rear longitudinal edge  22  in alignment with each other and with the first aperture  26 . 
     In FIG. 4, they are four in number. Two passages  28   a  are disposed in the middle region, at equal distances on each side and close to the first aperture  26 , whilst the other two passages  28  are provided close to the side edges  24 , at equal distances from the first aperture  26 . 
     These passages  28  and  28   a  are intended to allow passage of securing strap  4  in the flap  3 . 
     The cutouts  25 , apertures  18  and  19  and passages  28 ,  28   a  each have an elongate or oblong overall shape. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, these cutouts  25 , apertures  18  and  19  and passages  28  and  28   a  extend in parallel with respect to the transverse edges  24 . 
     The flap  3  is formed by a substantially flexible material whilst having a certain strength. It is produced for example from leather or thick leather substitute. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the flap  3  is preformed. It is for example curved about a median longitudinal axis A. The concavity is then turned towards the opening  8  of the bag  1 . 
     This flap  3  is intended to be mounted on the wall  7  of the body  2  removably and without stitching. It is held on the bag  1  in cooperation notably with the securing strap  4  and handle  5 . 
     The securing strap  4  has the shape of an open section extending longitudinally. Its length is at least equal to the perimeter of the bag  1  adjacent to the opening  8 . 
     Its transverse dimension is determined according to the dimension of the loops  21 ,  21   a  and passages  28 ,  28   a.    
     Thus its transverse dimension is substantially the same as that of the loops  21 ,  21   a  and passages  28 ,  28   a , so that the strap  4 , once mounted on the wall  7  and flap  3 , does not unintentionally escape from the loops  21 ,  21   a  and passages  28 ,  28   a.    
     The two end parts  47  of the strap  4  are intended to cooperate with the locking system  6 . 
     This strap  4  has a certain flexibility and is produced for example from leather or leather substitute. 
     The handle  5  has the shape of a section extending longitudinally, provided at each of its end parts  29  with holes  30 . 
     It is intended to be mounted in the cutouts  25  in the flap  3  and scallops  16  in the hem  15 . 
     This handle  5  is produced, for example, from leather or leather substitute. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the bag  1  has two handles  5 ,  31 . A first long handle  5 , making it possible to carrying the bag  1  across the shoulder, and a second short handle  31 , for carrying the bag  1  in the hand. 
     The short handle  31  is produced by placing two pieces of leather  32  and  33  one on top of the other, the two faces on the flesh side being against each other. 
     In this case, the two handles  5  and  31  are mounted in the same pairs of cutouts  25  and scallops  16 . 
     The handle  5  is held on the bag  1  by cooperation with a rigid rod  34  inserted into the hem  15 . 
     This rigid rod  34  has a longitudinal axis D parallel to the longitudinal axis E of the hem  15 . 
     It has, at each of its end parts  35 , a housing  36  intended to allow the insertion of a removable projecting head  37 . 
     This projecting head  37  has, for example, the shape of a flat-headed nail. 
     Thus the rigid rod  34  is mounted removably, but in a captive fashion, on the bag  1  by screwing the projecting heads  37  into the housings  36 . 
     The locking system  6  is intended to cooperate with the first and second apertures  18  and  19  in the body  2  of the bag  1  and the first and second apertures  26  and  27  in the flap  3  respectively. 
     The locking system  6  has the shape of a piece extending longitudinally, for example cylindrical or parallelepipedal or with a similar shape. 
     This piece comprises on the one hand a plate  38  and a journal  39 . The journal  39  projects with respect to the plate  38 , its longitudinal axis F being substantially perpendicular to the plate  38 . 
     First and second apertures  40 ,  41  are provided in the journal  39 . The first aperture  40  is disposed in the end part  42  adjacent to the plate  38 . The second aperture  41  is disposed in the end part  43 , opposite to the plate  38 . 
     These apertures  40 ,  41  are intended to cooperate with the securing strap  4 . 
     The locking system  6  also comprises a projection  44  projecting from the plate  38 , opposite to the journal  39 . 
     In FIG. 13 b , the projection  44  forms a ring  48  fitted into the plate  38 . This ring  48  is intended to cooperate with locking means  45 . 
     These locking means  45  are, for example, in FIG. 2, a padlock. 
     The connection of the removable flap  3  to the bag  1 , without stitching, is described below. 
     Firstly, the locking system  6  is mounted on the flap  3 . 
     The end parts  42 ,  43  of the journal  39  are inserted respectively into the first aperture  26  and the second aperture  27  in the flap  3 . 
     The first and second apertures  40 ,  41  in the journal  39  are then projecting towards the outside respectively of the front longitudinal edge  23  and rear longitudinal edge  22  of the flap  3 . 
     Then the flap  3  is positioned with respect to the body  2  of the bag  1 , so that the cutouts  25  in the flap  3  are opposite scallops  16  provided in the hem  15  of the body  2  of the bag  1 . 
     Next, the handle  5  or handles  5 ,  31  is or are connected to the body  2  of the bag  1  and to the flap  3 . 
     The end parts  29  of the handle  5  are inserted into the cutouts  25  in the flap  3 , and then into the scallops  16  in the hem  15 . 
     The rigid rod  35  is then slipped into the hem  15  and passes through holes  30  in the handle  5  and handle  31 . 
     The rod  34  is fixed to the body  2  of the bag by the insertion of a projecting head  37  at each of these end parts  35 . 
     The handle  5  or handles  5 ,  31  are thus mounted and trapped removably and without stitching on the bag  1 . 
     When the bag is closed, the locking system  6  come to cooperate with the apertures  18  and  19  in the body  2 . 
     The end part  42  is inserted in the first aperture  18  in the body  2 . 
     Whilst the end part  43  is inserted in the second aperture  19 , the apertures  40  and  41  in the journal  39  are then projecting outwards. 
     The locking system  6  is maintained in position on the flap  3  and body  2  by the locking means  45 . 
     The locking means  45  are, for example, a padlock inserted into the ring  48  which immobilises the locking system  6  on the rear longitudinal wall  9  of the body of the bag  2 . 
     The flap  3  then covers the opening  8  of the bag  1 , closing it, secured to the body  2  of the bag  1  by the strap  4 . 
     This strap  4  is mounted both on the body of the bag  2  and the flap  3 . 
     It is disposed at the periphery of the body of the bag  2 . 
     It is mounted for friction in the loops  21 ,  21   a  on the body of the bag  2  and the passages  28 ,  28   a  in the flap  3 . 
     It passes likewise through the first and second apertures  40 ,  41  in the locking system  6 , thus making it possible to lock the closure of the bag  1 . 
     The free end parts  47  of the strap  4  are then placed one on top of the other in the second aperture  41  of the locking system  6 . 
     They are maintained in position by the flap  3 . 
     Thus the flap  3  is mounted and secured to the wall  7  of the bag  1  by the securing strap  4 , cooperating both with the handles  5 ,  31  and the locking system  6 . 
     In order to open the bag  1 , the flap  3  is simply tilted towards the rear longitudinal wall  9  of the bag  1 . It is held on this wall  9 , both by the handles  5  and  31 , the strap  4  and the locking system  6  cooperating with the locking means  45 . 
     In addition, the use of the securing strap  4  makes it possible to close the bag  1  according to the opening  8  required. 
     Thus, by greatly tensioning the strap  4 , the wall  7  of the bag  1  is folded. This creates folds or bellows  46  at each side wall  11 . 
     The minimal opening  8  and therefore the closure of the body  2  of the bag  1  is thus obtained when the folds  46  are completely flattened. 
     A maximum opening  8  is obtained by greatly releasing the strap  4 , and the folds  46  are then completely deployed. 
     It is possible to confer different dimensions on such a bag  1  according to the use which is made thereof. 
     Thus this bag  1  can be used as a travelling bag or a handbag in particular.