Abstract:
A container apparatus comprises a swappable accessory that can be customized to myriads designs and styles by interchanging the compartment body and the swappable portion. The swappable accessory of the present invention is firmly secured onto the bag and can be hidden partially if desired, such that the styles and aesthetic appearances of the container apparatus are maximized.

Description:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0001]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is in the field of container apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to container apparatus with swappable units for interchangeable appearance and application. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    During design, production and sales processes of conventional fashion accessories products (such as handbags and briefcases), the appearance, color, shape and usage of the product are generally determined at the product design stage. After the product is purchased, the appearance, color, shape and other parameters cannot be changed, the applications and dress occasions for the same product therefore become restricted. There is a need to provide a handbag and accessories thereof with simple interchangeable aesthetic functionality such that multiple appearances can be established by swapping different accessories to match multiple dress co-ordinations and occasions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is the object of the present invention to provide a container apparatus with swappable accessory configured such that aesthetic appearance of the container apparatus can be changed according to the user&#39;s needs, thereby extending the product life and utility. The present invention comprises a compartment body secures to a swappable portion firmly and part of the swappable portion can be hidden such that the swappable feature of the present invention does not restrict or has little or no affect on the aesthetic appearance and design of the container apparatus. The swappable portion is a removable assembly that can be attached to a container apparatus. 
         [0005]    The present invention is a container apparatus with swappable accessory comprising a compartment body which creates space for carrying contents, a swappable portion removably attached to said compartment body. The swappable portion comprises a bottom panel, a front section connected to one side of said bottom panel, a rear section connected to a second side of said bottom panel that is opposite to the front section and one or more handles, wherein the bottom panel has at least two sides that are open-ended, that is not being attached to any side portions. Opposite ends of said one or more handles are connected to said front and rear sections. Each of the one or more handles comprises an internal part, also refer to as an internal strap, that is hidden or covered by the compartment body and an external part that is exposed. The present container apparatus further comprises at least one connecting means to secure the compartment body and swappable portion. The male and female portions of said connecting means may be configured on either bottom panel of the handle portion or bottom of the compartment body. 
         [0006]    The compartment body of the present invention further comprises one or more channels along vertical axis thereof, wherein said internal part of said one or more handles pass through said one or more channels, thereby securing the handle portion onto the compartment body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows the handle portion is secured onto the compartment body according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows one variation of the handle portion to fabricate bag of the present invention of various aesthetic appearance; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows another variation of the handle portion to fabricate bag of the present invention of a different aesthetic appearance. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Reference is made in detail to the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, which serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments or examples disclosed herein are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be exemplarily described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0011]    The present invention provides a container apparatus in which aesthetic appearance thereof can be changed according to the user&#39;s needs. The present apparatus comprises a compartment body and a swappable portion that are removably attached to each other to fabricate container apparatus of variety designs. In particular, the container apparatus of the present invention is a bag. The present invention enables customization in both appearance and impression to match multiple dress occasions without the purchase of multiple handbags of different styles. The present invention is configured such that the compartment body is secured more firmly to the swappable portion than conventional handbags with interchangeable parts and part of the swappable portion can be hidden such that the swapping feature of the present invention does not affect or restrict the aesthetic appearance and design of the container apparatus. 
         [0012]    As seen in  FIG. 1-3 , the present invention comprises a compartment body  10  which creates space for carrying contents, a swappable portion  20  removably attached to said compartment body. The swappable portion comprises a bottom panel  23 , a front section  21  connected to one side of said bottom panel, a rear section  22  connected to a second side of said bottom panel that is opposite to the front section and one or more handles  30 , wherein the bottom panel has at least two sides that are open-ended, that is not being attached to any side portions and two ends of said one or more handles are connected to said front and rear sections. Each of the one or more handles comprises an internal part  31  (internal strap) that is hidden or covered by the compartment body and an external portion  32  that is exposed. The present invention further comprises at least one connecting means  40 . In one embodiment, said at least one connecting means are configured on either bottom panel of the handle portion or bottom of the compartment body. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the compartment body of the present invention further comprises one or more channels  50  along vertical axis of the compartment body, wherein said the internal part of said one or more handles pass through said one or more channels. In this embodiment, the internal part hides itself from being seen to increase the flexibility of styles and designs of bags that can be fabricated from the present invention and also firmly securing the swappable portion onto the compartment body. There exists handbag with interchangeable portions in the art. However, existing products of interchangeable concept appears to be incompatible to conventional design elements technically and the aesthetic appearance and functionality thereof remains limited. U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,424 shows an interchangeable handbag comprises a frame having front and back sections, a bottom panel, two side sections and two handles, and a bag portion that fits snugly within the frame. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,424 patent, while also discloses a handbag with swappable feature, comprises a frame includes two side sections and cannot be hidden which could potentially reduce the styles and designs of the bags. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the one or more handles are flap like member that connect the front and rear sections ( FIG. 2 ). In another embodiment, the swappable portion comprises a first annular strap and a second annular strap ( FIG. 3 ). The first and second annular straps each has two ends connected to the rear section and the front section, respectively. In another embodiment, the length between the two ends of the first and second annular straps are adjustable. In yet another embodiment, the present invention comprises a connecting device to connect the first and second annular strap together. 
         [0015]    It should be understood that components of the present invention may be of any materials and fabrics, shapes, colors and sizes so as to establish customized container apparatus of myriad styles and designs. Through the swappable feature of the present invention, the present container apparatus with swappable accessory may be adapted for, but are not limited to, handbag, briefcase, athletic bag, shoulder bag, duffel bag, laptop bag, messenger bag, satchel, and tote bag. The present invention is also suitable for electronic devices&#39; cover sleeve (e.g. smart phones and tablet computers). In such embodiment, the shape and size of the compartment body is fitted according to the shape of the electronic device. Any connecting means available in the art may be used in the present invention to secure the swappable portion to the compartment body so long as the connecting means can withstand sufficient weight. Examples of connecting means suitable for the present invention includes, but are not limited to, buckles, hook and loop type fastener (Velcro®) and magnetic fasteners. 
         [0016]    Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, based on the descriptions herein, modify the present invention without departing the spirit of the present invention and utilize the present invention to its fullest extend. All publication recited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.