Abstract:
A handbag is disclosed which comprises an enclosure having opposed front and rear walls, opposed sidewalls, a bottom wall and side walls defining a storage space. A closure panel is associated with at least one of the walls and arranged for pivotal movement toward and away from the at least one wall so as to define a compartment therebetween. At least one first magnetically attractive device is associated with the at least one wall. A functional device such as a wallet, change purse or the like, is arranged for separable attachment within the compartment, the functional device having associated therewith at least one second magnetically attractive device for removably attaching the functional device within the compartment by positioning the first and second magnetically attractive devices in opposed relation so as to develop mutual magnetic attractive force between said at least one first and second magnetically attractive devices. A method of separably attaching a functional device such as a wallet to a handbag is also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/285,395, filed Apr. 20, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to handbags and other personal carrying containers, and more particularly, to a handbag having an enclosure which defines a storage space wherein functional devices such as organizers, change wallets, eyeglass holders, mobile phone holders and the like are removably secured in position thereto by magnetically attractable devices.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    The structure and use of handbags, satchels, and other personal carrying containers is generally well-known. Such handbags and carrying containers generally include an enclosure which defines a large interior compartment that is often subdivided into smaller pockets or regions for separation and storage of objects such as organizers, wallets, change purses, lipstick holders and articles in general.  
           [0006]    The use of magnetically attractable devices in conjunction with such handbags is also well known. For example, it is well-known to use magnetically attractable fasteners as closures, latches or the like for such handbags. One example of a magnetic fastener for use with such handbags is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,874 to Chen which relates to a magnetic closure device adaptable for use with such handbags or other enclosures. Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/749,364 filed Dec. 27, 2000 relates to a handbag having compartmentalized storage space and magnetic closure panel wherein magnetically mutually attractable closure devices are respectively positioned on each of at least one wall and the closure panel, the devices being arranged to magnetically assist movement of the closure panel towards a closed position and to retain the closure panel in the closed position adjacent to at least one wall of the compartment. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,447 relates to a handbag having compartmentalized storage area. The disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,675,874; 5,749,447, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/749,364 are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this disclosure.  
           [0007]    Up to the present, although it has been known to utilize magnetically mutually attractable devices to provide closure and to assist latches for such closures on handbags, satchels, suitcases and in general on article carrying devices, the use of magnetically mutually attractable devices to retain functional components of the handbag in assembled relation while permitting separation thereof for such functional reasons is yet unknown. The present invention relates to a handbag wherein a device having a specific function such as an organizer, wallet, change purse or the like, which is generally permanently secured to the handbag, is now removable secured in position with respect to the handbag by magnetically attractable devices so as to give the appearance of a permanent assembly, while separation of the functional device from the handbag is readily permitted by manual separation of the magnetically attached components and removal of the device from the handbag.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    A device, preferably a handbag, is disclosed for carrying articles or the like which comprises, an enclosure, a functional device for carrying articles, information or the like, such as a wallet, change purse or the like, the functional device being removably positionable with respect to a preselected portion of the enclosure, and mutually magnetically attractable devices respectively associated with the enclosure and the functional device for retaining the functional device in position with respect to the enclosure by magnetic attractive force, while permitting separation of the functional device from the enclosure. The enclosure is preferably comprised of opposed front and rear walls, opposed side walls, and a bottom wall, the walls defining a storage space. The mutually magnetically attractable devices preferably comprise at least one magnetic or magnetizable device associated with at least one portion of the enclosure and at least one mutually magnetically attractable device associated with at least one portion of the functional device. The enclosure preferably forms at least part of a handbag.  
           [0009]    The magnetically attractable devices preferably comprise at least one magnet and at least one magnetically attractable device positioned in opposed adjacent relation with each other, the magnet for providing magnetic force for separably retaining the functional device adjacent at least a portion of the enclosure and the magnetically attractable device being either a magnet or a ferromagnetic material device capable of attraction to the magnet.  
           [0010]    In the preferred embodiment a handbag comprises an enclosure having at least opposed front and rear walls, opposed side walls, and a bottom wall, the walls defining a storage space. First magnetically attractable device is associated with at least a portion of the enclosure, and at least one functional device such as a wallet or the like having at least one wall portion having second magnetically attractable device associated therewith. The wall portion is positionable adjacent the first magnetically attractable device, such that the first and second magnetically attractable devices are positioned in adjacent relation whereby the functional device may be separably attached to the enclosure by magnetic attractive force, while permitting separation of the functional device from the enclosure by movement of the magnetically attractable devices away from each other. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    Preferred embodiments of the invention are described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings, wherein:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a left front perspective view from above, of a handbag having an organizer-type wallet removably secured in position into a compartment which is closable by a closure panel, the organizer wallet being retained in position within the compartment of the handbag by magnetically mutually attractable devices respectively positioned on a wall of the compartment, on the organizer wallet, and on the closure panel, the handbag being shown in broken lines for environmental purposes only;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the handbag and organizer wallet shown in FIG. 1, the internal wall of the compartment and the compartment closure panel being shown in cross-section, and the organizer wallet being shown in vertical elevation;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 2, illustrating the internal wall of the compartment having a magnetic device embedded therein and the wall of the organizer-type wallet having a magnetically mutually attractable device embedded therein for mutual attachment thereof to each other in order to removably secure the organizer wallet in position within the internal compartment of the handbag;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partially in cross-section, of an alternative embodiment of an article carrybag or the like, illustrating an internal compartment formed of adjacent wall (or panel) members, the wall members having magnetically attractable devices embedded therein to secure in position an organizer or the like therebetween, the organizer or the like having magnetically attractable materials attached or otherwise embedded in the walls thereof for mutual attraction to the magnetically attractable devices in the walls of the compartment;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  5 - 5  of FIG. 4, illustrating the magnetically attractable device of FIG. 4 embedded in a wall of the organizer-type wallet and a magnetically mutually attractable device such as a similar magnet or opposite facing polarity or a metal plate, embedded in the adjacent wall of the compartment formed within the enclosure of the carrybag;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is an elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the invention, illustrating a typical wall or panel member of a handbag, carrybag or the like, wherein a mobile phone holder is attached to the wall or panel of the carrybag by respective magnetically mutually attractive devices, respectively attached to the mobile phone holder and to the panel of the carrybag; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is an elevational view of yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, illustrating a wall or panel member of a handbag, carrybag or the like, utilized to removably attach a functional device such as a wallet thereto by mutually magnetically attractive devices, the wall or panel member of the carrybag having either a magnet or a magnetically attractable device embedded therein and the wallet or other functional device having either a magnet of opposite facing polarity, or a magnetizable magnetically attractable device such as an iron or steel metal plate, attached thereto for securing the wallet to the wall or panel of the carry device. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Although the present invention is disclosed in conjunction with a handbag or the like utilizing magnetically mutually attractable devices to secure an organizer-type wallet within a compartment formed by the handbag, it is believed that the present invention may be best characterized by the incorporation of magnetically mutually attractable devices within any type of carrybag to retain any type or number of functional devices in a manner to permit separation of the functional device or devices from the handbag. The functional devices which are contemplated are such devices that are normally permanently assembled with the handbag, such as organizer-type wallets, change purses or the like. In the preferred embodiment disclosed herein, an organizer-type wallet of the type which is generally permanently incorporated into the handbag is now removably attached to the handbag by means of magnetically mutually attractable devices, the organizer-type wallet being readily removable from the handbag in a manner previously not known in the art. Reference herein to a magnet being “embedded” in a wall or panel means that the magnet is mounted between various layers of materials which form the wall or panel, such as leather, vinyl, cloth, cardboard or the like.  
         [0020]    As noted hereinabove, the use of magnets and magnetic devices is generally known to separately secure items together. However, it is believed that the use of magnets, particularly of the rare earth type, and particularly of neodymium metal, provide such substantial magnetic attraction to magnets of the same type, or alternatively to mutually magnetically attractable materials, including magnetizable materials such as a ferromagnetic material, e.g. magnetic iron, steel or the like, that retention of such items such as wallets, eyeglass holders organizers or the like is now possible without fear of loss of the device. Furthermore, while magnetic materials such as neodymium or other rare earth magnetic materials may in certain circumstances (e.g. when uncovered) damage magnetic strips of credit cards or the like, it has been found that by mounting such magnetic devices in handbags in the manner disclosed herein, wherein the magnetic devices are embedded in a wall or panel; i.e., they are covered or generally surrounded by leather, cardboard, fabric or other materials, damage to credit cards passing adjacent or over the magnets is virtually impossible. Furthermore, wherever reference is made herein to “mutually magnetically attractive materials” , such materials as magnets and magnetically attractive materials, including magnetizable materials such as iron, steel, or other magnetizable materials, are contemplated. Having disclosed such background relating to magnetically attractive materials and handbags, reference is now made to the drawings in connection with the description of the present invention. As noted hereinabove, the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,675,874; 5,749,447, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/749,364 are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this disclosure.  
         [0021]    Referring initially to FIG. 1 there is shown a typical ladies handbag  10  in broken lines for environmental purposes only. As noted, although a ladies handbag is shown in FIG. 1 the invention may also be incorporated into other carry containers such as general carrybags, satchels, suitcases, gym bags or the like. Referring again to FIG. 1, the handbag is defined by an enclosure having front wall  12 , rear wall  14 , left-side wall  16 , right-side wall  18 , bottom wall  20  and carry handles  22 . Front wall  12  includes an opening which defines a compartment  24  having recessed wall  26  and closure panel  28  which is pivotally attached to front wall  12  for pivotal movement toward and away from the front wall  12  for to close and open the compartment, respectively.  
         [0022]    In FIG. 1, recessed wall  26  of compartment  24  includes disc-like magnets  30 ,  32  which are preferably made of cerium rare earth metal such as neodymium or the like. Such magnets provide a substantial magnetic force to other magnets of the same type, or alternatively to magnetically attractable materials such as other magnetizable materials including ferromagnetic iron, steel, or the like. The magnets  30 ,  32  are attached within internal compartment wall  26  for mutual attraction to magnets  34 ,  36  of the same type embedded in a rear wall  35  of organizer-type wallet  38  shown separated from handbag  10  in FIG. 1. In the same manner, rare earth magnets  40 ,  42  are attached within the closure panel  28  for mutual attraction to similar magnets, or alternatively, to magnetically mutually attractable disc-like magnetizable members  44 ,  46  which may be of metal and which are embedded or attached within the front wall  37  of the organizer type wallet  38 . As noted hereinabove, provided that at least one of the walls contains a magnet, the attractive wall need only contain a magnetically mutually attractable device or another magnet preferably of opposite facing plurality, for attraction of the walls to each other. In such instances a magnetizable device such as iron or steel disc or strip will provide the requisite attractive force.  
         [0023]    It can be readily appreciated that the organizer type wallet is removably attached within the compartment  24  of the handbag by simply placing the wallet into the compartment and permitting neodymium magnets  30 ,  32  to be attracted to mutually magnetically attractable magnets  34 ,  36  of the wallet and neodymium magnets  40 ,  42  being attracted to the magnetically mutually attractable magnets  44 ,  46  of the organizer-type wallet. When the user desires to remove the organizer wallet  38  from the compartment  24  of the handbag  10 , the outer walls  35 ,  37  of the wallet are merely separated from internal wall  26  and closure panel  28 , respectively of the handbag. The wallet is then conveniently lifted away from the compartment and the handbag and upon completion of the use of the organizer-type wallet outside of the handbags, the wallet may be reinserted into the compartment  24  of the handbag.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown inner panel  26  of the compartment of the handbag in cross-sectional view, and closure panel  28  of the compartment of the handbag also shown in cross-sectional view. The organizer-type wallet  38  is shown in position between internal wall  26  and closure panel  28 , and attached by the mutually magnetically attractable magnets described in conjunction with FIG. 1, wherein rear wall  35  and front wall  37  of the organizer-type handbag are attached to the respective wall  26  of the compartment and the closure panel  28 , respectively.  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a cross-sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 2, wherein internal panel  26  of compartment  24  is structured to secure the neodymium type magnet  30  thereto. An exemplary structure is disclosed in FIG. 3 wherein the internal wall  26  of handbag  10  may be formed of leather, vinyl or the like and the neodymium magnet  30  is encased in a disc-like shaped encasement  48  (or coating) formed of a magnetizable material, preferably a ferromagnetic material such as iron or steel, which is disc-like in configuration and having a peripheral rim  50  which covers the side edge of the disc-like magnet  30  as shown. The purpose of the case (or coating)  48  of the magnet  30  is to attract the magnetic field closer to the case in order to concentrate the magnetic field in a manner where the force provided on the opposite side of the encasement is increased and is more substantial in magnitude to be attracted to the magnetically mutually attractive device associated with the organizer wallet. In addition, the magnet  30  may be covered by a material  52  such as cardboard, vinyl or the like. Thereafter, the material  52  and the panel  26  are covered by an outer material  54  similar or identical to the material used for the handbag, i.e., leather, vinyl or the like.  
         [0026]    Referring once again to FIG. 3, an exemplary rear wall  35  of the organizer  38  is shown in cross-section. The rear wall  35  is formed of a material  56  such as leather, vinyl or the like of the type of material from which the organizer type wallet is constructed. The magnetically mutually attractable device in the form of magnet  34  has a polarity which is opposite the facing polarity of attractable magnet  30  in wall  26 . For example, the side of magnet  30  facing magnet  34  may be the north pole and the facing side of the magnet  34  may be the south pole so as to provide for the greatest attractive force therebetween. As noted, alternatively other magnetizable materials, e.g, ferromagnetic material such as an iron or steel disc or strip  34  may be embedded in the wall and encased by a material such as cardboard  58  or alternative encasing material, as described in conjunction with magnet  30 . Thereafter the internal surface of the wall  35  is layered with a material layer  56  associated with the construction of the handbag, such as leather, vinyl, cloth or the like to shield and cover the magnet  34 .  
         [0027]    As noted hereinabove, although a neodymium type magnet is disclosed in conjunction with a mutually attractable magnetic disc it should be readily understood that other types of magnets may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention, as well as combinations of magnets and magnetizable material devices which may be interchanged and reversed in position without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 4 there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein a handbag, carrybag or the like  100  is formed in a similar manner to the handbag  10  shown in FIG. 1; however, in FIG. 4 an internal compartment is formed by internal wall panels  102 ,  104  and are arranged for magnetic reception of a functional device such as an organizer type wallet  106 . Alternatively, article  106  may be a coin purse, article holder or the like. As shown in FIG. 4 panels  102 ,  104  are arranged at an acute angle with respect to each other to complement the particular shape of the article of the organizer or article holder  106 , and such panels  102 ,  104  are sealable or closable by zipper  108 , both halves of such zipper  108  being individually attached to wall portions  102  and  104 , respectively as shown. Similarly, article holder  106  is closable by zipper  110 , having each half respectively attached to one of the walls  107 ,  109  of the article holder  106 . Wall panel  102  contains a magnetically attractable device in the form of a magnet or magnetizable device such as a magnetically attractable metal disc-like member  112 , and adjacent wall  107  of article holder  106  contains a magnetic device or magnetically attractable device  114  as shown. Device  112  may be in the form of a neodymium magnet and magnetically mutually attractable device  114  may be in the form of a neodymium magnet or other magnetically attractable magnetizable device such as a disc or strip. Alternatively, device  114  may be in the form of a neodymium or other rare earth-type magnet and device  112  may be in the form of a magnet or a magnetically mutually attractable metal disc. In a similar manner, the opposing wall  109  of article holder  106 , and the opposing wall  104  of the handbag may each contain magnetically mutually attractable devices  116  and  118  which may be in the form of magnets  116 ,  118  which preferably are in the form of a pair of neodymium-type or other rare earth magnets or alternatively, one or more magnets and one or more magnetizable discs or strips attractable to the magnets.  
         [0029]    In operation any functional device may be secured to the handbag by magnetic attractive force. In the example illustrated, the article holder, organizer or the like  106  may be separable from walls or panels  102 ,  104  respectively by manually closing the walls  107 ,  109  by movement toward each other and by separating them from the respective walls  102 ,  104  of the handbag. Thereafter, the article holder  106  may be lifted away from the walls  102 ,  104  for use outside the handbag and replaced into the compartment formed by walls  102 ,  104  only to be attracted magnetically to the panels or walls  102 ,  104  for retention within the handbag.  
         [0030]    Referring now to FIG. 5 there is shown a cross-sectional view taken along lines  5 - 5  of FIG. 4, wall or panel  102  in which magnetic device  112  is embedded and wall  107  of article holder  106  in which magnetic device  114  is embedded. As can be seen, in this embodiment wall  102  is formed of a double layer of leather, vinyl or the like and contains a metal disc which is magnetically attractable to a magnet. Wall  107  which forms one of the walls of article holder  106  is formed of a double layer of leather or vinyl enclosing a neodymium magnetic disc  114 . In this embodiment the magnet has no encasement or coating (which is optional) purposes of directing the magnetic field, and it does not have a cardboard or other layer as in the previous embodiment.  
         [0031]    As noted hereinabove, it should be understood that metal disc-like device  112  may be replaced by a neodymium or other rare magnet and disc-like magnet  114  may be replaced by a magnetically attractable disc-like metal member or metal strip, provided that at least one of the devices is a magnet formed of a magnetic material. In addition, it should be noted that magnets other than rare earth metals may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0032]    In summary, it will be appreciated that the present invention clearly relates to the use of magnetically attractable devices whether in the form of pairs of adjacent repositionable magnets or magnets in combination with magnetically attractable materials, to provide removable attachment of functional devices into compartments or within an entire enclosure formed in whole or in part by handbags, carry cases, gym bags or the like.  
         [0033]    It should be further understood that the magnetically mutually attractable devices permit the securement of the article carrying devices within the compartment of the handbag or within the handbag enclosure, while also permitting ready separation from the handbag by the user for use outside of the handbag or carrybag. As noted hereinabove, such arrangements of such devices utilizing magnetically attractable devices are unknown to date.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIG. 6 an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which an exemplary wall  118  of a carrybag or hand bag is shown in vertical orientation and containing magnet or magnetically attractable device  120  similar to the magnet or magnetically retractable devices disclosed in connection with the previous Figs. An exemplary a mobile phone holder  124  is shown having a wall portion  126  containing a magnetically attractable device  122  embedded in the wall adjacent to vertical wall  118 . As disclosed in the previous embodiments the mobile phone holder may be attached to the vertical wall  118  by the mutually magnetically attractable devices  120 ,  122  and separated therefrom for use outside the handbag.  
         [0035]    Referring to FIG. 6, still another alternative embodiment is shown wherein a vertical wall or panel  128  contains a magnetic or magnetically attractable device  130  similar to the device shown in FIG. 6. However in FIG. 6 a wallet or coin holder  132  is attached to vertical wall  128  by magnetically attractable device  134  which is embedded in one of the walls of the wallet or coin holder  132 . Wallet or coin holder  132  may be readily separable from the vertical wall  128  for use outside the handbag and is readily reinsertable into position within the handbag or carrybag by the magnetic attraction of the respective devices  130 ,  134 .  
         [0036]    In FIGS. 6 and 7 vertical panels or walls  118 ,  128  may be internal walls of a handbag or carrybag or alternatively, they may be an outside wall or a wall forming part of an internal or semi-internal compartment similar to the compartment shown in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2. Moreover, it will be readily appreciated that the present invention may be practiced as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 4 whereby magnetic devices are positioned on more than one side of the functional device to retain it in portion, or alternatively as in FIGS. 6 and 7 whereby the functional device may be attached to a single wall by one pair of magnetically attractive devices.  
         [0037]    Although the subject invention has been described with respect to perferred embodiments, it will be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which it appertains, that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject invention as defined by the appended claims.