Abstract:
A purse securing device ( 1 ) having straps ( 4,5,6 ) with mechanical fasteners ( 13 ) that attach to head rest posts ( 10 ) or a rear portion of a seat in a vehicle and then wraps around handles ( 17 ) of a purse ( 3 ) or hand bag to prevent theft.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to purses and hand bags, and more particularly, a device to secure a purse from sliding off of a seat of a vehicle onto the floorboard or tipping over on a seat and spilling the contents of the purse and to prevent thieves from reaching into a vehicle and snatching and stealing a purse that is resting on a car seat. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Purses and handbags have always been a convenient and preferred method for females to carry and transport personal items. When females drive, they normally keep their purses on the passenger seat next them. If the bag is open and the driver makes a quick stop the purse will tip over and/or slide off the seat, thereby causing the contents of the purse to be spilled. 
     Another problem is with purses being stolen from vehicles. Thieves find purses sitting on car seats to be easy targets by reaching into open windows at snatching the purse off of the seat. This occurs in parking lots, gas stations and even at stop lights. This also commonly occurs at gas stations where thieves will sneak up to a vehicle at a gas pump, open a passenger side door and snatch a purse right off of the seat while the owner is distracted pumping gas. 
     Therefore, a need exists for an invention that will secure a purse to prevent it from tipping over or falling on the floorboard of a vehicle while driving and prevent thieves from freely grabbing the purse out of a vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a purse securing device that secures a purse a seat of a vehicle to prevent it from tipping over or falling on the floorboard of a vehicle while driving 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide a purse securing device that prevents thieves from freely grabbing a purse out of a vehicle. 
     The present invention fulfills the above and other objects by providing a purse securing device having straps with mechanical fasteners that attach to head rest posts or a rear portion of a seat in a vehicle and then wraps around handles of a purse or hand bag. The purse securing device preferably has hardware located thereon, such as snap hooks, carabiners, locking clips, O-rings, bars and so forth, that secure and lock the straps to the head rest and to the purse to prevent theft. 
     The present invention may also be used with other items, such as briefcases, camera cases, diaper bags, fragile packages, grocery bags, shopping bags and so forth. In addition the present invention may be used to secure items in the front seat or the rear seats of a vehicle. An additional benefit of the present invention is its use in convertible vehicles to prevent items from flying out of the vehicle while in transit and thieves from reaching into the open vehicle and a purse or other item out of the vehicle. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a purse securing device of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat and a purse wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are linked rings; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a purse securing device of the present invention wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are linked rings; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a purse securing device of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat and a purse wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are loops; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a purse securing device of the present invention wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are loops; 
         FIG. 5  is a cutaway side view of line A-A of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a purse securing device of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat and a purse wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are horizontal bars; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a purse securing device of the present invention wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are horizontal bars; and 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the present invention of the present invention, respectively, wherein the attachment points located along the length of the purse attachment strap are loops shaped like D rings. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For purposes of describing the preferred embodiment, the terminology used in reference to the numbered components in the drawings is as follows:
           1 . purse securing device, generally     2 . vehicle seat     3 . purse     4 . right seat attachment strap     5 . left seat attachment strap     6 . purse attachment strap     7 . upper end of purse attachment strap     8 . junction ring     9 . head rest     10 . head rest post     11 . rear portion of vehicle seat     12 A. distal end of right seat attachment strap     12 B. distal end of left seat attachment strap     13 . mechanical fastening means     14 . snap hook     15 . lower end of purse attachment strap     16 . attachment point     17 . purse handle     18 . linked ring     19 . notch     20 . loop     21 . horizontal bar     22 . extension strap     23 . distal end of extension strap       

     With reference to  FIGS. 1-8 , a view of a purse securing device  1  of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat  2  and a purse  3 , a front view of the present invention of the present invention, respectively, is illustrated. The purse securing device  1  comprises a right seat attachment strap  4  and a left seat attachment strap  5  that each extend from an upper end  7  of a vertically hanging purse attachment strap  6  at opposing angles to create a substantially Y-shaped configuration. The right seat attachment strap  4  and left seat attachment strap  5  may extend directly from the upper end  7  of a purse attachment strap  6  or be attached to the attached to the upper end  7  of a purse attachment strap  6  via a junction ring  8 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , to which each may be slidably attached. The junction ring  8  may be of any shape, such as circular, triangular and so forth, that will allow the right seat attachment strap  4  and a left seat attachment strap  5  to be secured to the seat. The junction ring  8  allows the angles of the right seat attachment strap  4  and left seat attachment strap  5  to be adjusted according to the width of the head rest  9 , head rest posts  10 , and/or rear portion  11  of the vehicle seat  2  to which distal ends  12 A,  12 B of the right seat attachment strap  4  and left seat attachment strap  5  are being attached. 
     One or more mechanical fastening means  13 , such as a snap hook  14 , an s-shaped hook, a spiral-shaped hook and so forth, are located on the distal ends  12 A,  12 B of the right seat attachment strap  4  and left seat attachment strap  5  to secure the purse securing device  1  the head rest  9 , head rest posts  10 , and/or rear portion  11  of the vehicle seat  2 . The one or more mechanical fastening means  13  are preferably swiveling and made of a rigid material. 
     A mechanical fastening means  13 , such as a snap hook  14  an s-shaped hook, a spiral-shaped hook and so forth, is located on a lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  and is used to secure the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  to one or more attachment points  16  located along the length of the purse attachment strap  6  to create a loop around one or more purse handles  17 . The mechanical fastening means  13  is preferably swiveling and made of a rigid material. 
     With specific reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a view of a purse securing device  1  of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat  2  and a purse  3  and a front view of the present invention of the present invention, respectively, wherein the attachment points  16  located along the length of the purse attachment strap  6  are linked rings  18  are illustrated. The linked rings  18  link or hold together two or more pieces of the purse attachment strap  6 . The linked rings  18  and the junction ring  8  allow a user to place the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  through one or more purse handles  17  and then to fold the purse attachment strap  6  upward back onto itself and to lock the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  onto itself by locking the mechanical fastening means  13  or snap hook  14  onto one of the linked rings  18  or the junction ring  8 . The multiple attachment points  16  and the junction ring  8  allow the size of the loop created to be adjusted and thus, the length of purse securing device  1  to accommodate the size of the purse being secured in place. Notches  19  are located between the purse attachment strap  6  and the linked rings  18  and the junction ring  8  to provide clearance for the snap hook  14  to attach to the linked rings  18  and the junction ring  8  in a perpendicular manner. 
     With specific reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , a view of a purse securing device  1  of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat  2  and a purse  3  and a front view of the present invention of the present invention, respectively, wherein the attachment points  16  located along the length of the purse attachment strap  6  are loops  20  are illustrated. The loops  20  and the junction ring  8  allow a user to place the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  through one or more purse handles  17  and then to fold the purse attachment strap  6  upward back onto itself and to lock the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  onto itself by locking the mechanical fastening means  13  or snap hook  14  onto one of the loops  20  or the junction ring  8 . The multiple attachment points  16  and the junction ring  8  allow the size of the loop created to be adjusted and thus, the length of purse securing device  1  to accommodate the size of the purse being secured in place. The loops  20  are preferably pivotably attached to the purse attachment strap  6 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , to allow the loops  20  to lay flat when not in use so that a passenger may sit against the purse securing device  1  without any discomfort. The loops  20  may be circular-shaped, D rings, triangular-shaped, rectangular-shaped and so forth. 
     With specific reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a view of a purse securing device  1  of the present invention attached to a vehicle seat  2  and a purse  3  and a front view of the present invention of the present invention, respectively, wherein the attachment points  16  located along the length of the purse attachment strap  6  are horizontal bars  21  are illustrated. The horizontal bars  21  and the junction ring  8  allow a user to place the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  through one or more purse handles  17  and then to fold the purse attachment strap  6  upward back onto itself and to lock the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  onto itself by locking the mechanical fastening means  13  or snap hook  14  onto one of the horizontal bars  21  or the junction ring  8 . The multiple attachment points  16  and the junction ring  8  allow the size of the loop created to be adjusted and thus, the length of purse securing device  1  to accommodate the size of the purse being secured in place. Notches  19  are located between the purse attachment strap  6  and the horizontal bars  21  and the junction ring  8  to provide clearance for the snap hook  14  to attach to the horizontal bars  21  and the junction ring  8  in a perpendicular manner. 
     With specific reference to  FIG. 8 , a front view of the present invention of the present invention, respectively, wherein the attachment points  16  located along the length of the purse attachment strap  6  are loops  20  shaped like D rings are illustrated. The loops  20  and the junction ring  8 , which is triangular-shaped, allow a user to place the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  through one or more purse handles  17  and then to fold the purse attachment strap  6  upward back onto itself and to lock the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  onto itself by locking the mechanical fastening means  13  or snap hook  14  onto one of the loops  20  or the junction ring  8 . The multiple attachment points  16  and the junction ring  8  allow the size of the loop created to be adjusted and thus, the length of purse securing device  1  to accommodate the size of the purse being secured in place. The loops  20  are preferably pivotably attached to the purse attachment strap  6  to allow the loops  20  to lay flat when not in use so that a passenger may sit against the purse securing device  1  without any discomfort. An extension strap  22  is provided and is removably attachable to the lower end  15  of the purse attachment strap  6  via a mechanical fastening means  13  and/or additional loop  20  (which as illustrated here is triangular) or combination thereof. A mechanical fastening means  13  or snap hook  14  is located on a distal end  23  of the extension strap  22 . The extension strap  22  may stay attached to a purse or other object and then used to secure the purse when not in the vehicle, such as to a shopping cart or chair. 
     It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.