Abstract:
A modular handbag or fashion accessory having a main body and one or more removably attachable accessories is provided herein.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/844,650, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to modular handbags and modular fashion accessories. Specifically, the present invention relates to modular pieces that can be combined to create handbags, such as hand-carried purses, shoulder bags, book bags, tote bags, messenger bags, and the like, or to create wearable items to which modular pieces with carrying capacity may be attached. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Handbags and other forms of carry cases, such as totes and luggage, are designed by manufacturers with consideration to a combination of aesthetics and functionality. However, only a limited amount of designs are mass produced, limiting a consumer&#39;s choice to the manufacturers&#39; chosen combination of aesthetic design and functionality. There remains a need for a user-friendly, customizable fashion accessory which provides carrying capacity. The invention addresses this need by providing a modular handbag and fashion accessories that are customizable to suit the owner&#39;s/user&#39;s unique usage and preferences while accommodating the immensely varied items that may be carried and stored. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention fulfills the need for an easily customizable modular handbag and/or fashion accessory. The present invention comprises a main body having features capable of receiving the connection of accessories or panels, such as apertures, and one or more fastening means to secure said panels and accessories to said main body. The main body may be a prefabricated item, such as a handbag, a belt, or other wearable articles. The main body may also be a single, substantially planar piece of material comprising apertures, or multiple substantially planar pieces of materials comprising apertures connected to one another by various fastening means. 
         [0005]    From a selection of individual components that connect in various ways, and that also can be altered and reassembled to suit future needs, the invention provides for a handbag or accessory that can be customized at the time of purchase or at any time after purchase, by adding, removing, or rearranging accessories and panels. The main body of the accessory comprises apertures such that straps, pockets, and various items, including keys, charms, trinkets and other items can be securely attached or hung from the accessory via fastening means. Accessories can be easily moved from one area of the main body to another, thereby providing the option to customize the product continually. Once assembled, the end product may look and function like a standard bag. Optionally, the handle(s) or strap(s) of the bag may comprise apertures such that accessories can be hung and/or attached. In another embodiment of the invention, a bag-like accessory may be created by attaching straps to a handbag-sized single perforated panel to which pockets may be attached or not. In other embodiments, bags of custom shapes and sizes may be created by attaching multiple panels to each other. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E  illustrate multiple configurations of a modular fashion accessory wherein the main body is a prefabricated handbag; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a decorative item being secured to an aperture of a main body; 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C  illustrate modular fashion accessories composed of multiple panels connected to each other.  FIGS. 3D and 3E  illustrates possible combinations of panels to create bag-like fashion accessories. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrates the functional use of straps as an item to which additional accessories can be fastened to. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an exemplary substantially-planar panel comprising a plurality of apertures.  FIG. 5B  illustrates one of an optional channel that may receive stays or stiffeners to provide rigidity or structural integrity where desired. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates a single, substantially planar piece of material being customized with straps and modular storage compartments to create a handbag-like fashion accessory. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of  FIG. 6 , illustrating the construction of a handbag-like fashion accessory. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  illustrates a fashion accessory comprises storage compartments connected to a substantially planar piece of material that is is strap-like. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  illustrates a fashion accessory configured to be a backpack-like fashion accessory, comprising a single, substantially planar piece of material to which additional storage compartments and straps are connected. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  illustrates a single, substantially planar piece of material being customized with straps and modular storage compartments having ribbons as a fastening element to create a handbag-like fashion accessory. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view of  FIG. 10 , illustrating the construction of a handbag-like fashion accessory. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  illustrates a fashion accessory wherein the main body is a single, oblong, substantially planar piece of material, wherein additional storage compartments and other substantially planar pieces of material able to receive modular accessories or modular panels. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  illustrates a wearable fashion accessory, wherein a single, oblong, substantially planar piece of material, wherein additional storage compartments and other substantially planar pieces of material able to receive modular accessories or modular panels. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The present invention comprises modular handbags, panels and fashion accessories having features capable of receiving the connection of accessories, such as apertures, and one or more fastening means to secure said handbags, panels, and accessories to other modular panels and accessories. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A-E , the main body  10  can be a prefabricated item, such as a handbag, comprising a plurality of apertures  11 . Through the apertures  11 , accessories, such as additional storage components  12 , straps  13 , and decorative items  14 , such as ribbons, charms, chains, and trinkets, are securely fastened through or hung from apertures  11 .  FIG. 2  shows the fastening of a ribbon both as a means of fastening and as a decorative item itself, through an aperture  11 , which is a grommet in this instance. Storage pockets used as accessories may be of any shape or size that may be secured to the handbag using the apertures and fastening means and include, but are not limited to, cell phone holders, mp3 player holders, change pockets, ID/credit card pockets, and the like. The plurality of the apertures  11  provides a high level of customization, as well as a large variety of configurations. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates various methods one can create a handbag or wearable fashion accessory by combining multiple substantially-planar pieces of materials comprising a plurality of apertures, connecting said substantially-planar pieces of materials by various fastening means, such as using hook and loop fastening (such as VELCRO) as a fastening element ( FIGS. 3A-B ). In certain embodiments, individual panels can be used to form side walls of a handbag. For example, the bag-like fashion accessory of  FIG. 3C  can be constructed as shown in  FIG. 3D , which is an exploded view of  FIG. 3C . Panels with apertures, such as the side walls and bottom panel, can be folded and connected to other panels to create a bag-like structure. In other embodiments, a single, substantially planar piece of material having apertures may be folded or rolled, and connected to other planar pieces of various shapes to create handbags of various shapes. For example,  FIG. 3E  illustrates a single planar piece being rolled, and fastened to various other planar pieces to create a cylindrical handbag. 
         [0022]    In other embodiments, the main body is a single planar piece of material. The single substantially-planar piece of material that is the main body may include channels closed on one end, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Said channels may receive stays or stiffeners that may add structural integrity where desired. Said channels for can be provided as a passage through the substantially-planar piece, as illustrated in  FIG. 5B , or may be provided on the face of the substantially planar material. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate one example of the main body comprising a single, substantially-planar piece of material. Strap  13  and storage components  12  are attached to main body  10  through apertures  11  using a fastening element. In this instance, the fastening element are buttons, and they are passed through apertures in the main body and the additional storage compartments.  FIG. 6  shows a constructed fashion accessory, while  FIG. 7  provides an exploded view, illustrating how one can piece together the fashion accessory of  FIG. 6 . 
         [0024]    Similarly,  FIGS. 8-13  illustrate examples of the main body comprising a single panel of substantially-planar material, wherein the shape and size of the main body vary, and the configurations of accessories and straps vary.  FIG. 13  specifically illustrates how the main body can be fastened to the opposite end of itself, creating a wearable main body. 
         [0025]    Apertures of the present invention include any type of aperture capable of receiving and connecting to a fastening means and suitable for use with the materials used in the construction of fashion accessories and handbags. Apertures suitable for use in the present invention include grommets, button holes, eyelets, snaps, fabric loops, perforations, interwoven fabric, and attached loops. The apertures may be integral with or attached to the walls of the handbag or fashion accessory. In the embodiments wherein the main body is a prefabricated handbag, both the inner and outer walls of the handbag may comprise apertures. In certain embodiments of the invention, the handle(s) or strap(s) of the handbag or fashion accessory may comprise apertures and may additionally receive accessories for connection. 
         [0026]    Means of fastening accessories, such as storage components  12 , can be buttons, snap fasteners, clips, zippers, ties, strings, ribbons, buckles, clasps, hooks, toggle fasteners, hook and loop fasteners such as VELCRO, and any other means known in the art. In addition, as shown in  FIGS. 1A-E  and  FIG. 4 , straps  13  can be woven through apertures  11 , creating an additional means for fastening accessories to the main body of the handbag. Further, the modular accessories can be fastened to the inside of the main body of a handbag, as well, using the same or different apertures. For example, if the aperture is a grommet or button hole that extends through both the inner and outer walls of the handbag, the aperture may be utilized to secure accessories on either the inside or outside of the handbag. In an alternative embodiment, the handbag may have separate apertures on both the inner and outer walls of the handbag, for example, grommets on the outside and button holes in fabric lining in the interior. Fastening the accessories, to the inside of the body of the bag can assist in compartmentalizing and organizing the contents of the handbag. 
         [0027]    In certain embodiments, where the main body is a prefabricated handbag, the main body may be comprised of an outer material and an inner lining. The outer material may be comprised of one or several layers and may optionally be supplemented with batting or stiffening materials to create the appropriate composition for thickness, durability, and strength. The inner lining is preferably sewn together with the outer material. In a preferred embodiment, a grid of apertures, such as buttonholes, is arranged throughout the outer material and, optionally, the inner material. The apertures may optionally be finished in a material other than thread. The dispersed or patterned arrangement of apertures permits a wide variety of attachment and accessory options and user/owner customization and additionally permits the user/owner to modify and alter the handbag as desired, adding, removing, and rearranging accessories. In certain embodiments, a lining material having an open cavity can be inserted between and fastened to two or more panels, creating a bag-like structure. 
         [0028]    The various attaching sets, for example, two buttons attached together back to back, attach to the buttonholes in the pocket and to buttonholes in the bag or panel. These pockets can be attached inside or outside the bag. An inside attachment would allow the attaching piece, for example, the button, to become a decorative element seen on the outside of the bag. Other items can be attached to the outside buttons, for example a fabric flower, as an additional decorative element. 
         [0029]    As both the main body and the pockets have buttonholes or openings, any number of attaching items can be used to secure one to the other. Custom-made clips and snaps may be used as optional attaching devices. Straps can be attached to the bag in much the same way as the pockets and other accessories and may include the use of standard buckles and locking loop hardware and the like. Further, the accessories themselves may have one or more apertures. This will allow for additional accessories to be fastened, or can be used as a part of a means to fasten the accessory itself to the main body  10 . For example, two buttons can be linked back-to back and be used as a fastening means by securing one button through an aperture in main body  10 , and securing the other button through an aperture in an accessory. 
         [0030]    Bags and accessories within the scope of the present invention may be made from any material known in the art of bag or storage container manufacture and design, including, but not limited to, all variants of fabric, metal, rubber, plastics, plant fibers, and other suitable materials, with a preference for environmentally conscious products. 
         [0031]    Various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different embodiments. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be encompassed by the disclosed embodiments.