Patent Application
20210059367
This invention relates to the fields of carrying bags, food containers, and more specifically in some examples to handbags with food compartments.
Portable food containers such as lunch boxes must often be carried in addition to other items and bags. Moreover, the few available hybrid food containers/carrying bags are often cumbersome and easily recognizable as food-related bags, and therefore unattractive options for consumers (for example, consumers who are more fashion conscious). Accordingly, there exists a need for a dynamic portable handbag having a food container and/or food compartment and that is easily portable and disguisable from the perspective of a casual observer.
The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In one embodiment, described herein is a dual-compartment handbag having a unitary handbag exterior body and a handbag interior having an upper compartment and a lower compartment. The exterior body may have at least two sidewalls, an upper portion having a top opening, and a lower portion having a bottom side. The bottom side may be defined by bottom perimeter edges of the at least two sidewalls, and may have a resealable bottom opening positioned on the bottom side. The interior upper compartment may correspond to the upper portion and be accessible via the top opening. The interior lower compartment may be concealable, correspond to the lower portion, and be accessible via the resealable opening. A divider may be positioned in the handbag interior and arranged to divide the upper compartment from the lower compartment.
In some examples of the handbag embodiment, the resealable bottom opening may have a flap having a portion that extends downwardly away from the at least two sidewalls and the bottom side when the flap is in an open position. In some examples, the resealable bottom opening may extend along at least a portion of the bottom perimeter edges of the at least two sidewalls defining the bottom side. In further examples, the bottom side may have a rectangular shape with four sides, and the resealable bottom opening may extend along three of the four sides.
In some examples, the lower compartment may have interior walls having insulated material. In further examples, the lower compartment may have waterproof material. In further examples, at least one interior wall of the lower compartment (e.g., an interior wall along the bottom of the lower compartment and corresponding the bottom side) may have a netted pocket to hold a cooler pack. In further examples, the resealable bottom opening may have a flap and a flap hinge. The flap hinge may permit movement of the flap downwardly and away from the bottom side and the at least two sidewalls when in an open position.
In some examples, the resealable bottom opening may have a zipper, which may be operable to open and close the resealable bottom opening. In some examples, the handbag may have a maximum width of 0 to 5.5 inches, a maximum length of 8.0 to 15 inches, and a maximum height of 6 to 11 inches.
In some examples, the divider may have a resealable opening to provide access between the lower compartment and the upper compartment. In some examples, the lower compartment may be configured to securely house a removable storage container. In some examples, the lower compartment and the removable storage container may both have elongated shapes.
In some examples, the lower compartment may have a first pair of sidewalls, and a second pair of sidewalls that are longer than the first pair of sidewalls and arranged perpendicular to the first pair of sidewalls. In further examples, the first and second pairs of sidewalls may be configured to restrict movement of the removable storage container when the removable storage container is housed in the lower compartment. In further examples, the length of the removable storage container may be less than a length of the second pair of sidewalls, and may form a space for storing additional items within the lower compartment while the removable storage container is housed in the lower compartment. In further examples, at least one of the sidewalls of the lower compartment may have a netted pocket configured to hold a cooler pack, and the cooler pack and netted pocket may be adapted to a size and shape of the removable storage container, and configured to cool the removable storage container.
In some examples, the upper compartment may be configured to enclose a substantially equivalent volume as the lower compartment. In some examples, the top opening may have a zipper, and the at least two sidewalls may be tapered towards the top opening when the top opening is closed. In some examples, the lower compartment may have a liquid-tight seal when the resealable bottom opening is closed. In some examples the lower portion may have a width greater than a width of the upper portion.
In another embodiment, a dual-compartment handbag includes a unitary handbag exterior body and a handbag interior. The exterior body may have at least two sidewalls, an upper portion having a top opening, and a lower portion. The lower portion may have a bottom side, which bottom side may be defined by bottom perimeter edges of the at least two sidewalls. The bottom side may also have a resealable bottom opening positioned at least in part along the side walls and within three inches distance from the bottom side. The handbag interior may have an upper compartment corresponding to the upper portion and accessible via the top opening, a thermally-insulated lower compartment corresponding to the lower portion and accessible via the resealable opening, and a divider positioned in the handbag interior and arranged to divide the upper compartment from the lower compartment.
In some examples, the resealable bottom opening may form at least part of a flap having a portion that may extend downwardly away from the at least two sidewalls when in an open position. In some examples, the resealable bottom opening may run parallel to the plane of the bottom side and the flap may include the bottom side when in an open position. In further examples, the bottom side may have a rectangular shape with four sides, and the four sides may correspond to the perimeter edges of the at least two sidewalls. In some examples, the resealable bottom opening may run horizontally along at least two of the at least two sidewalls at a distance between zero to two inches above the perimeter edges of the at least two of the at least two sidewalls.
In some examples, the divider may be removable. In further examples, the divider may be configured to snap into position dividing the upper compartment from the lower compartment. In further examples, the divider may be configured to snap into any of several positions dividing the upper compartment from the lower compartment. In further examples, each position may be located at a different distance above the bottom side. In some examples, the divider may include a divider resealable opening to provide access between the lower compartment and the upper compartment. In further examples, the divider resealable opening may be configured for removal of a storage container therethrough. In some examples, the lower compartment may have a liquid-tight seal when the resealable bottom opening and the divider resealable opening are closed.
In some examples, the lower compartment may be configured for housing a single removable storage container.
A few embodiments of the disclosure and improvements have been described. It should be understood that this description has been made by way of example, and that the invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.
Described herein is a dual-compartment handbag, where the dual compartment feature may be disguised from the casual observer viewing the exterior of the handbag. The dual compartments may each have a respective opening by which the compartments may be accessible. The opening to one of the compartments—for example, a lower compartment—may by located along or near a bottom side of the handbag when the handbag is in an upright orientation, thus assisting in accomplishing and/or facilitating the disguising of the dual compartment feature from side and top views of the upright oriented handbag. For example, in one embodiment, perimeter edges of the bottom opening may extend along the seams of the bottom edges of the sidewalls of the handbag, or close thereto, or located entirely along the inner portion of the bottom side (e.g., spaced inward from the sidewalls of the handbag). An upright orientation for the handbag provides the bottom side facing generally vertically downward, the sidewalls facing generally laterally or in a horizontal direction, and the top side facing generally vertically upward and in a direction opposite the bottom side.
In an embodiment, one compartment—for example, a lower compartment, may be configured for storing objects such as food and/or a food container (such as by having an insulated interior space). Thus, using, for example, the features described in the preceding paragraph, the compartment capable of storing food may be disguised from view along the sides and top of the exterior of the handbag when the handbag is oriented upright. In one example, the food storing compartment may be configured to house a single food container of modest size and generally matching dimensions and/or shape corresponding to the dimensions and/or shape of the food storing compartment for storing the single food container. Relatedly, in one aspect, the handbag may be a non-bulky convenient-sized purse for easy and unassuming portability of foods. For example, with just a single food container securely housed within the lower compartment, the bag may be relatively light to carry when compared with another type of carrying apparatus for storing a plethora of food containers. Thus, some consumers who only need to carry a single meal (e.g., a lunch meal) may prefer carrying just a single food container and corresponding lighter weight and less bulk rather than lugging around several or many food containers, which may not be necessary. Relatedly, the space of the handbag that would otherwise be used for several or many food containers, in some aspects as described herein, may be used more efficiently for space in a different non-food storing (e.g., upper) compartment, and/or may facilitate a less bulky handbag.
Turning to the figures,
In some examples, the top opening 130 may be openable and closeable using a zipper 170 and an overflap 175. In some examples, at least some of the at least two sidewalls 110, 115 may be tapered towards the top opening 130—for example, when the top opening 130 is in a closed position. In some examples, the upper portion 120 may have a width W1 less than a width W2 of the lower portion 125. In some examples, one or more sidewalls 110, 115 and/or the bottom side 135 may be rigid or non-rigid. In some examples, the upper portion 120 may also include a handle 180.
It should be appreciated that different variations of resealable bottom openings are contemplated. For example, in addition to the embodiment 100 shown with the bottom side 135 having a rectangular shape with four sides 150, 155, 160, 165, and the resealable bottom opening 145 extending along (or using as a hinge) all four sides 150, 155, 160, 165—in other embodiments with a bottom side having four sides, a resealable bottom opening may utilize for example only three of the four sides of the bottom side.
In some examples, the lower compartment 310 may have a first pair of sidewalls 320, 325, and a second pair of sidewalls 330, 335 that are longer than the first pair of sidewalls 320, 325 and arranged perpendicular to the first pair of sidewalls 320, 325. In further examples, at least one of the sidewalls 320, 325, 330, 335 of the lower compartment 310 and/or the lower compartment interior floor 340, which may be or form part of the interior floor of the bottom side 135 (shown in
In further examples, the divider 315 may be configured to change positions within the handbag 100, for example, by “snapping” into different vertical positions dividing the upper compartment 305 from the lower compartment 310. For example, the divider 315 may have a first pair of divider sidewalls 355, 360 corresponding to the first pair of sidewalls 320, 325 and a second pair of divider sidewalls 365, 378 corresponding to the second pair of sidewalls 330, 335. The first pair of sidewalls 320, 325 may have different receivers 370 (e.g., pairs of button sockets) for receiving or fastening with attachers 390 (e.g., a pair of button caps, studs or posts) located along the first pair of divider sidewalls 355, 360, allowing the divider 315 to snap into any of several positions 375, 380, 385 dividing the upper compartment 305 from the lower compartment 310. In some examples, each position 375, 380, 385 may be located at a different distance above the bottom side 135. In some examples of the interior 300, all of the interior of the sidewalls 320, 325, 330, 335 may be lined with insulating material 395. In some examples, the lower compartment 310 may have a liquid-tight seal when the resealable bottom opening 145 is closed.
In the embodiment 600 shown, the bottom side 635 may have a rectangular shape. The resealable bottom opening 650 may be located interior to and a distance D2 from the bottom perimeter edges 640, 645 of the at least two sidewalls 610, 615 defining the bottom side 635. In addition, in some examples, the bottom side 635 may be recessed a distance D1 from the bottom perimeter edges 640, 645 of the at least two sidewalls 610, 615. In some examples, the distance D2 may be greater than the distance D1. In other examples, the distance D2 may be less than the distance D1. In some examples, the distance D2 may be equal to the distance D1. In some examples, the distance D2 may be 0-4 inches, and about 2 inches in one embodiment. In some examples, the distance D1 may be 0-3 inches, and about 0.7 inches in one embodiment. In some embodiments, the recessed distance D1 of the bottom side 635 may further increase concealability and may also prevent a zipper 655 of the resealable bottom opening 650 from being dirtied if the handbag 600 were placed on dirty surface. In some examples (not shown), this latter objective may also be accomplished by pegs or other means for raising the bottom side 635 elevated over a surface. In some examples, the resealable bottom opening may define a flap 660 that may swing down when the zipper is opened, via connection at a flap hinge 665. In some embodiments, entire bottom side 635, or portions thereof such as just the flap 660, may be made a hard material, which may provide for more stable placement of objects thereon, and/or for a more uniform swinging downward movement by the flap 660 from the flap hinge 665. Examples of such hard materials may include acrylic, and may be in some variations a clear acrylic base shaper. In some embodiments, the thickness of the acrylic base shaper may range from ⅛″ to 1/16″, and may have rounded corners and polished edges, to prevent wear and tear to any other material of the bottom side 635 (or a portion thereof), such as synthetic leather or other material that the base shaper is placed within.
In some embodiments, the flap 715 may include all of a bottom side 735. In other embodiments (such as handbag 600 shown in
In some examples, the resealable bottom opening 855 may be positioned at least in part along at least some of the at least two side walls 810, 815 and within a distance D3 from the bottom side 835 and/or from the bottom perimeter edges 845, 850 of the at least two sidewalls 810, 815. In some examples, the distance D3 may be three inches or less. In some examples, the resealable bottom opening 855 may run horizontally along at least some of the at least two sidewalls 810, 815 at a distance between zero to two inches above the perimeter edges 845, 850. In some examples, the resealable bottom opening 855 may run parallel to the plane of the bottom side 835 when in a closed position.
In some examples, the bottom opening 855 may be concealable, (and relatedly, the lower compartment (not shown) may also be concealable by virtue of the bottom opening 855 being concealable). In some examples, the concealability of the bottom opening 855 may be accomplished or enhanced by the position of the bottom opening near the bottom side 845, or by narrow flaps of material covering the bottom opening 835 (e.g., pieces of material on either side of a zipper track 860 that blend in with and/or form part of the rest of the handbag 800 exterior, and/or the color of the zipper 865 may match the bag or features thereof).
In some examples, the divider 1105 may not be removable but rather fixed, thereby dividing the upper compartment 1110 from the lower compartment 1115. Ample space may be available in the upper compartment 1110 to store items that might typically be accessible via a top opening 1130, and to store other items or item in the lower compartment 1115. In some examples, the upper compartment 1110 may be configured to enclose a substantially equivalent volume as the lower compartment 1115. In one example, the handbag may have a maximum width of about 0 to about 5.5 inches, a maximum length of about 8.0 to about 15 inches, and a maximum height of about 6 to about 11 inches, and substantially equal volumes of corresponding upper compartment 1110 and lower compartment 1115.
In some examples, the lower compartment 1115 may be configured to securely house one or more removable storage containers 1140, and in some cases, configured for housing a single removable storage container 1140. In some examples, interior portions of the sidewalls 1150, 1155 (e.g., first and second pairs of sidewalls) of the lower compartment 1115 may be configured to restrict movement of the removable storage container 1140 when the single removable storage container 1140 is housed in the lower compartment 1115. To accomplish that, the removable storage container 1140 may have a length L1 that may be substantially similar to, but just less than a length L2 of the pair of sidewalls 1150, 1155 (e.g., a second pair of sidewalls). In some examples, the pair of sidewalls 1150, 1155 may also have a width W1 or W2 that, which may fill any space between the length L1 of the removable storage container and the length L2 of the pair of sidewalls 1150, 1155. In some example, the widths W1 or W2 may be made of a different material from that of the rest of the pair of sidewalls 1150, 1155. For example, the widths W1 or W2 may include (in some embodiments) insulating material 1165. Some examples of insulating material 1165 may include polymers (such as hydrocarbon or thermoplastic polymers), and/or fibrous or foam-based materials (e.g., closed cell polyurethane foam). In some examples, the insulating material 1165 may be semi-firm and contract when pressure is applied, to press against the exterior of the removable storage container 1140. In such examples, there may be no substantial extra space 1160 when the removable storage container 1140 is housed tightly in the lower compartment 1115, thereby restricting movement of the removable storage container 1140 (as a person carries the aforementioned variation of the handbag embodiment 800 of
In some examples (not shown), a divider, such as for example a removable divider 1005, or fixed divider 1105 may have a resealable divider opening to provide access between the lower compartment and the upper compartment, and in further examples the divider resealable opening may be configured for insertion and/or removal of a storage container therethrough. In some examples, the lower compartment 1115 may have a liquid-tight seal when the resealable bottom opening 1135 and any divider resealable opening are closed. For instance, in some examples the liquid-tight seal may include interlocking teeth that tightly engage so as to not permit liquid to pass therethrough. Some examples may include zipper/zipper tracks as shown and described above, which may include one or more of the following features and materials: nylon, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic polyurethane, and the like. Features described and/or shown in one figure with regard to one embodiment may be combined with features shown and/or described in another figure with regard to another embodiment. By way of specific and nonlimiting examples, some of the features of
In some examples, the divider 1205 may be configured to change positions within the handbag 1200, for example, by “snapping” into different vertical positions dividing the upper compartment 1210 from the lower compartment 1215. For example, the divider 1205 may have a first pair of divider sidewalls 1275, 1280 corresponding to the first pair of sidewalls 1265, 1270. The first pair of sidewalls 1275, 1280 may have different receivers 1285, 1290 (e.g., pairs of button sockets) for receiving or fastening with attachers 1295 (e.g., a pair of button caps, studs or posts) located along the first pair of divider sidewalls 1275, 1280 allowing the divider 1205 to snap into any of several positions located at a different distance above the bottom side 1245 and dividing the upper compartment 1210 from the lower compartment 1215.
In some examples of the interior 1200, all of the interior of the sidewalls (e.g., 1265, 1270) may be lined with insulating material 1201. In further examples, the lower compartment 1215 may be lined with waterproof material. In some examples, the lower compartment 1215 may be configured to house one or more removable storage containers 1240, 1250. In some examples, the removable storage containers 1240, 1250 may both have elongated shapes, conforming to the elongated shape of the lower compartment interior 1215, for more being more securely housed therein.
The above-described device is considered that of some embodiments only. It is therefore understood that the embodiments shown in the figures below and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit scope. Alterations and modifications, therefore, and such further applications as would occur to those skilled in the relevant art(s), are also contemplated.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62436375 | Dec 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15847525 | Dec 2017 | US |
| Child | 17096923 | US |
