Handbag Having Walls Attached Only At Bottom Edges

Abstract

A handbag having one main piece folded to form a front panel, a first two end panels, two narrow back panels, and a second piece folded to form two other end panels which overlap the first two end panels, and a rear panel which overlaps the two back panels. The panels are secured only at bottom edges thereof to a rectangular base to define a compartment which is covered by a free flap at the top of the second piece.

Description

This invention relates to the art of handbag construction and more particularly concerns a handbag assembled by attachment of walls only at their bottom edges.

Handbags, utility bags and traveling bags made of leather or plastic materials which are generally rectangular in horizontal cross section to enclose a large internal compartment have heretofore been assembled by stitching or cementing side edges of several panels to form seams. This requires a considerable amount of costly, skilled, hand labor, to assemble four or more individual panels. Also the seams often open which is objectionable.

In the present invention a handbag is constructed by means of only two main pieces which are attached only at their bottom edges to rectangular base pieces. The main pieces interfit with each other to form a large compartment which is expansible without use of gussets of seams and which is safely and effectively held closed solely by rivets at bottom edges of the two main pieces.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a handbag construction in which the amount of labor and material required to assemble the handbag is minimized.

A further object is to provide a seamless handbag having only two main pieces defining sides, ends and top flap or cover, the pieces being attached together only at bottom edge portions thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing top, front and one end of a closed handbag embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view showing bottom, back and other end of the closed handbag. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2, with top flap shown open.

FIG. 4 is a reduced oblique front view of the open handbag.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the handbag.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of part of the handbag taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a handbag, utility bag or traveling bag 10 having two main pieces 12 and 14. Piece 12 is generally rectangular with a semicircular top edge 15. Piece 14 is narrower than piece 12 between top and bottom edges but is almost equal in horizontal length to piece 12. Pieces 12 and 14 are made of flexible, pliant sheet material such as leather, leatherette, plastic, or the like.

In constructing the handbag, piece 14 is folded on vertical lines to form a rectangular front panel 16, two opposing rectangular panels end 18, and two inwardly extending coplanar narrow back panels 22. Panels 22 are abutted to the inner side of rear panel 26 formed by folding piece 12 on vertical lines to define rectangular rear panel 26 and end panels 28. The curved upper portion of piece 12 is free to be folded forwardly over the side and front panels to define top cover portion 29 and front flap 31 to close the handbag.

The base of the handbag 10 is formed by two rectangular pieces 34, 36 between which is disposed a rectangular piece 38 having narrow flanges 40 forming opposite end walls and narrow flanges side 41, 42 forming front and rear walls. Piece 38 is shaped like an inverted rectangular tray. End flanges 40 are shorter than side flanges 41, 42. A narrow strip 44 is provided to fit against rear flange 42 of piece 38 between opposing vertical edges of panels 22; see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5.

A tongue 46 is provided with a snap fastener member 48 which engages with another mating snap fastener member 50 centered on flap 31 of piece 12. A strap 52, buckle 54 and loop 56 secured by a rivet 58 are provided at the front to reinforce tongue 46. The upper end of strap 52 is secured by fastener member 48. Holes 60, 60' are provided at the bottom edges of pieces 12 and 14, tongue 46 and loop 56. These holes register with holes 62 formed in the end and side flanges 40-42 of piece 38, and with holes 64 in strip 44; see FIG. 5. Further registering holes 66 are formed at edges of horizontal top panel 68 of piece 38 and at edges of base pieces 34, 36.

Rivets 70 are inserted through the holes in front panel 26 and front flange 41 of piece 38. Rivets 72 are inserted first through the holes in end panels 28, then through the holes in end panels 18 and finally through the holes in end flanges 40 of piece 38. Rivets 74 are inserted first through the holes in back panel 16. Some of these rivets are then inserted through the holes in inside back panels 22 while others of rivets 74 are inserted through the holes in strip 44. The inner ends of rivets 74 are then inserted through the holes in rear flange 42 of piece 38. All rivets 70, 72 and 74 are swaged or peened at their inner ends at the inner faces of flanges 40, 41 and 42 of piece 38.

Rivets 75 are inserted in turn through the holes 66 in bottom piece 36, in panel 68 of piece 38 and inner piece 34. Inner ends of rivets 75 are secured by swagging or peening at the upper surface of piece 34 inside of compartment 80 defined by the attached pieces. Some of front rivets 70 also secure the tongue and loop to flange 41 with front panel 16 disposed therebetween.

Straps 85, 86 are also provided for the handbag. End portions of the straps extend through horizontal slits 88 formed in end panels 28 of piece 12. Ends of straps 85 and 86 are provided with holes 83 which register with holes in the end panels 28 and are secured in place by some of rivets 72. A buckle 89 at loop 90 of strap 86 adjustably engages in holes 91 of strap 85. All the rivets have rounded, projecting heads. The heads of the bottom rivets 75 may serve as feet for the handbag. Snap fastener 95 detachable engages the end of strap 85 to strap 86.

It will be apparent that the pieces which form the front, back, ends and top of the handbag are attached only at their bottom edges to the base pieces. The overlapping of the end panels 18 by parts of outer end panels 28 and infolding of back panels 22 are features which make this new construction possible. It will be understood that instead of using rivets, other fastening means such as stitching and/or cementing of the edges are possible. If the pieces are made of thermoplastic bonding by heat sealing is possible. In any case the several main pieces including the straps, tongue and loop will be secured only at their bottom edges to the base pieces. The handbag may be provided with inner partitions if desired. The handbag construction is characterized by the arrangement of fasteners so that a single machine such as a riveting machine can quickly and securely attach all pieces to each other.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A handbag, comprising a first generally rectangular piece folded on transverse vertical lines to define a front panel, a first two opposing end panels, and two narrow back panels coplanar with each other parallel to the front panel and with spaced vertical free end edges; a second generally rectangular piece folded on vertical lines to define a rear panel, and a second two opposing end panels, said second piece having an upper free end portion foldable horizontally to define a cover and flap; a third rectangular piece having narrow vertical end, front and rear walls; and fasteners securing only bottom edges of the first and second pieces to the said end, front and rear walls of the third piece, with said second end panels lapping the first end panels respectively and with said two narrow back panels abutting the inner side of said rear panel, so that a compartment is defined between the first, second and third pieces and is closed by said cover and flap.

2. A handbag as defined in claim 1, wherein said third piece has an inverted rectangular traylike structure with said walls being defined by narrow end, front and rear flanges.

3. A handbag as defined in claim 1, wherein said fasteners are rivets inserted through holes formed in said first and second pieces near bottom edges thereof.

4. A handbag as defined in claim 3, wherein said third piece has an inverted rectangular traylike structure with said walls being defined by narrow end, front and rear flanges, said flanges having other holes receiving and engaging inner ends of said rivets.

5. A handbag as defined in claim 1, further comprising other fasteners on said flap for engaging the same at said front panel to form a closure for said compartment.

6. A handbag as defined in claim 1, further comprising a tongue secured at one end near a bottom edge of said front panel; and other fasteners on said flap and said tongue for mutual detachable engagement to serve as a closure for said compartment.

7. A handbag as defined in claim 1, further comprising strap means secured at opposite ends thereof to bottom edge portions of the overlapped end panels of the first and second pieces to serve as a handle.

8. A handbag as defined in claim 1, further comprising other fasteners of said flap for engaging the same at said front panel to form a closure for said compartment; and strap means secured at opposite ends thereof to bottom edge portions of the overlapped end panels of the first and second pieces to serve as a handle.

9. A handbag as defined in claim 8, wherein the first-named fasteners are rivets inserted through holes formed in said first and second pieces near bottom edges thereof, and wherein said third piece has an inverted rectangular traylike structure with said walls defined by narrow flanges, said flanges having other holes receiving and engaging inner ends of said rivets.

10. A handbag as defined in claim 9, further comprising fourth and fifth rectangular pieces applied to opposite sides of said third piece to form a base structure, and fastener means securing said third, fourth and fifth pieces together.