U.S. patent number 3,609,342 [Application Number 04/883,753] was granted by the patent office on 1971-09-28 for light for ladies handbag.
Invention is credited to Maria Wisniewski.
United States Patent |
3,609,342 |
Wisniewski |
September 28, 1971 |
LIGHT FOR LADIES HANDBAG
Abstract
A lighting unit for placement in a ladies handbag embodying a
support structure that carries a battery, a light bulb housing and
an off-on switch. The entire unit is self-contained and is secured
within the handbag adjacent one of the upper open ends thereof so
as to be readily accessible for replacement of the battery and/or
the light bulb and which will in no way interfere with the normal
contents contained within the handbag. With the switch in "on"
position the light from the light bulb housing will be directed
into the interior of the handbag to illuminate the same. The light
bulb housing may either be integral with the support structure or
made as a separate entity hinged thereto and formed to be swung
from it inside position to an outside position over and across the
adjacent top open end of the handbag should it be desired to direct
the light on an exterior object such as the key-receiving opening
of a door lock. The conductors connecting the battery, light bulb
and switch are all contained within the support structure.
Inventors: |
Wisniewski; Maria (Brooklyn,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
25383268 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/883,753 |
Filed: |
December 10, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/156; D3/318;
362/269; 362/100 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C
15/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45C
15/00 (20060101); A45C 15/06 (20060101); A45c
015/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;240/6.45P |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Prince; Louis R.
Assistant Examiner: Shoon; Frederick
Claims
I claim:
1. For use with a handbag having a pair of frame sections hingedly
connected together to be moved to closed and open position on
corresponding closing and opening of the handbag, a light unit for
the handbag comprising:
a. an elongated base support mounted within said handbag adjacent
the top of one frame section;
b. a light housing mounted on said base support including;
1. at least one bulb-receiving socket for a light bulb fixedly
positioned therein,
2. a light bulb in said bulb socket,
c. a battery-receiving and support means carried by said base
support at one side of said light housing;
d. a switch mechanism carried by said base support at the other
side of said light housing, and
e. conductors electrically connecting said battery, bulb-receiving
socket and switch mechanism,
whereby with the switch mechanism in ON position, the circuit will
be closed to operate the light bulb, such that the same in
cooperation with the light housing will illuminate the interior of
the handbag,
wherein said battery-receiving and support means comprises:
f. a first battery-receiving socket adjacent one end of the base
support,
g. a second battery-receiving socket longitudinally spaced from and
coaxial with the first battery-receiving socket,
h. a contact lug centrally positioned in the bottom wall of one
battery-receiving socket,
i. a contact slate carrying a compression coil spring seated on the
bottom wall of the other battery-receiving socket, and
j. a spring leaf supporting clip secured to the base support
substantially centrally between said battery-receiving sockets for
supporting a battery coaxial with both said sockets,
whereby
with a battery held in position by said spring clip, the coil
spring in said other battery-receiving socket will engage the
contact base of the battery to maintain the battery top contact
plug in contact with the contact lug in said one battery-receiving
socket to supply electric current through said conductors to said
switch mechanism and light bulb socket,
wherein the switch mechanism comprises:
k. separate contact poles carried by the base support,
l. a housing cover for the contact poles,
m. removable fastener elements detachedly securing the housing
cover to the base support,
n. each contact pole having a conductor connected thereto,
o. a movable contact member for engaging both contact poles to
close the circuit, and
p. a finger manipulated member extending outward of said housing
cover carrying said movable contact member and guidedly movable by
finger engagement relative to said housing cover to operate the
switch mechanism selectively to OFF or ON position,
wherein:
q. said base support and battery-receiving housing are formed as a
single integral unit of plastic material,
r. a pair of like plastic material support lugs integral with said
base support each carrying a switch contact pole,
s. a pair of like plastic material fastener lugs integral with said
base support to which the removable fastener elements of said
switch housing cover are connected, and
t. said light housing being separate from said base support
including
1. means hingedly mounting the light housing on said one frame
section of the handbag, whereby
said light housing may be selectively moved from a position inside
of the handbag to a position exterior of said handbag to direct the
light from the bulb therein to an external object,
wherein:
u. said movable light housing is located between said second
battery-receiving socket and the inner end wall of said switch
housing,
v. said conductors connected to the bulb socket within said light
housing constituting a freely movable unit section of a length
sufficient to accommodate the change in position of the light
housing from within the handbag to exterior of the handbag,
wherein said means hingedly connecting the
light housing to its associated frame section comprises:
w. a bracket member comprising;
1. an upper horizontal arm,
2. an integral vertical depending arm, and
3. an integral lower downwardly inclined arm,
x. a hinge plate fixedly secured to said associated frame
section,
y. means hingedly connecting said upper horizontal arm to said
hinge plate,
z. said light housing being mounted on said lower inclined arm,
aa. said light bulb socket within said light housing being attached
to said lower inclined arm, and
bb. said freely movable unit section of the conductors connected to
said light bulb socket being disposed between said frame section
and said lower inclined arm when said bracket member is in its
position disposing the light housing interiorly of the handbag.
2. The light unit of claim 1 wherein:
a. said bracket member and light housing carried thereby when swung
to its exterior position is retained in such position by abutting
engagement of the upper horizontal arm with said associated frame
section, and
b. said freely movable unit section of said conductors will overly
said associated frame section in the zone normally covered by said
upper horizontal arm.
3. The light unit of claim 1 wherein:
a. said other frame section of the handbag is centrally recessed to
accommodate said bracket member whereby said handbag may be closed
either with the light housing located interiorly or exteriorly of
the handbag.
Description
This invention relates to a device for illuminating the inside of a
ladies handbag and has for its primary object the provision of a
single unit support structure arranged to carry a battery, a light
bulb housing and a switch conveniently mounted within the hand bag,
the support structure being adjacent one of the top open ends
thereof such that the light will illuminate the interior of the
handbag whereby the lady can readily observe the interior of the
handbag to locate articles therein.
Another object of this invention is to provide the support
structure as a single elongated rigid unit formed to mount the
battery at one side thereof, the switch at the other side thereof
and with the light housing centrally thereof between the battery
and switch.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide all the
conductors connecting the battery, light bulb and switch within the
support unit.
A further object of this invention is to form the light housing
containing the light bulb as an integral part of the support unit
immovable with respect thereto and formed such as to direct the
light into the interior of the handbag to illuminate the same.
A still further object of this invention is to form the light
housing separate from the support unit and hingedly mounted thereon
and so formed as to be swung into two operative positions; (1) to
direct the light into the interior of the handbag and (2) to be
swung over a top open end of the handbag to direct the light onto
an exterior object.
Another object of this invention is to form the support unit and
its associated parts of an extremely simple design which is
inexpensive to manufacture, that is efficient in operation, that is
not bulky and which will not distort nor take up any necessary room
in the handbag, and which not only may be easily installed in a
variety of forms and shapes of ladies handbag, but also in valises,
suit cases, attache' cases, brief cases, cabinets, desk drawers as
well as in a variety of other places, mobile or stationary,
wherever it is desired to illuminate the inside of an article
container.
Further objects of the invention will appear as the description
proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my
invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however,
that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be
made in the specific construction illustrated and described with
the scope of the appended claims.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the handbag light unit mounted in
position within the handbag.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the handbag light unit.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of handbag light
unit wherein the light is swingable to a position outside of the
hand bag.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the modified handbag light
unit mounted within one of the handbag frames.
FIG. 5 is a detail cross-sectional view taken on line 5--5, FIG. 4,
showing in dotted lines the light housing swung to an exterior
position.
Referring in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown
a ladies handbag 10 which is provided with a pair of inverted
U-shaped frame sections 12, 14, pivoted together at their lower
terminal ends as at 15. The body of the handbag is formed of any
desired material such as leather, fabric, plastic, etc. and the
frame sections 12, 14 may be of metal or plastic. Frame section 14
is of slightly larger dimensions so as to receive therein the other
frame section 12 when the handbag 10 is closed. Shown centrally at
the top of the frame sections 12, 14, respectively, are the
coacting snap fasteners 17, 18 of the type well known for locking
the handbag closed. The manner of securing the body of the handbag
10 to the frame sections 12, 14 is well known in the art and forms
no part of the present invention. Each frame section is provided
with a handle 20.
Mounted inside of the handbag 10 is a light unit 24. It is to be
noted, see FIG. 1, that the light unit 24 is located inside of and
adjacent to the top of frame section 12 which fits into frame
section 14 when both are closed. Referring to FIG. 2, the light
unit 24 is seen to consist of an elongated back support 26 and
extending centrally from the front face 27 of the back support 26
is a light bulb housing 28 provided at its left side, viewing FIG.
2, is a cylindrical socket 30 designed to receive one end of a
pencil-type battery 3l. Also extending from the front face 27 of
the back support and adjacent its left end, viewing FIG. 2, and in
opposed axial relation to socket 30 is a cylindrical socket 32 for
receiving the other end of battery 3l. Between sockets 30 and 32
there is secured to the back support 26, a spring clip 33 for
fixedly holding the battery 31 in its axial operative position, The
back support 26, light bulb housing 28, and sockets 30, 32 are
preferably molded as a single unit of a suitable plastic
material.
At the right side of the light bulb housing 28 viewing FIG. 2 is a
slide operated "Off-On" switch 34. The switch 34 consists of a
boxlike housing 36 having a front wall 37 which encases
longitudinally spaced fastener lugs 39, 40, and contact support
lugs 42, 43 which respectively carry metal contact plates 45, 46.
Screws 48, 49 secure the switch housing 36 to lugs 39, 40. The
inner end of the switch housing 36 is seen to abut the light bulb
housing 28. The fastener lugs and contact support lugs are also
integrally molded to the back support 26. Provided in front wall 37
is a horizontal longitudinal slot 50 for a pin element 5l to the
outer end of which is secured a plastic button 52 shaped to be
finger engaged and manipulated to move the pin element 5l to the
right or left slidable within the slot 50. The inner end of pin
element 5l carries a spring metal contact bar 54 that seats on
contact plate 45 when in OFF position, the pin element 5l being at
the inner end of slot 50. When moved to the right and to the other
end of slot 50, the contact bar 54 will seat on contact plate 46 to
close the circuit (to be hereinafter described), placing the switch
in its ON position. The slot 50 is of such a length that the ends
thereof provide limit stops for the OFF and ON positions.
The light bulb housing 28 is open at its bottom and shaped to
direct the light into the interior of the handbag. Suitably mounted
inside of the light bulb housing 28 and on the top wall thereof are
a pair of light bulb sockets 54, 55 of the type adapted to have
fitted thereinto flash light bulbs 56, 57. While two such light
bulbs are shown utilized it is to be understood that only one light
bulb may be employed if so desired.
Axially mounted within battery socket 30 on the bottom thereof is a
metal contact lug 60 to be engaged by the cylindrical projecting
contact 6l extending from the (+) end of battery 3l. Disposed on
the bottom of the other battery socket 32 is a circular contact
plate 64 suitably fixed therein and to which is secured one (the
the inner) end of a compression coil spring 65, the other (outer)
end of which engages the metal bottom (-) end of battery 3l and
also serves to urge the battery to the right such that its contact
61 will always abut contact lug 60. The inside diameter of battery
sockets 30, 32 is considerably larger than the diameter of battery
31 so as to enable placement of the battery therewithin and between
the arms of the support spring clip 33.
The conductors electrically connecting the battery 31, light bulb
sockets 54, 55 and the switch contact plates 45, 46 are suitably
molded within the plastic body of the light unit where expedient.
The conductors may also lie in suitable grooves or passages
provided therefore in the plastic body of the light unit. As seen
in FIG. 2, conductor 68 connects battery contact plate 64 with
switch contact plate 46; conductor 70 connects battery contact lug
60 with the corresponding center base terminals of the light bulb
sockets 54, 55; and conductor 72 is connected by branch conductors
73, 74 to the threaded walls of the light bulb sockets and to
switch contact plate 45, it being noted that the light bulb sockets
54, 55 are thus connected in parallel so that if one bulb should
burn out the other bulb would still be operative when the switch is
ON. If desired the light bulb sockets 54, 55 may be connected in
series in the manner well known in the art.
The back support 26 is provided with openings 76 for fastener
elements (not shown) such as rivets for securing the same either to
frame section 12 or directly to the material forming the body of
the handbag. Other means such as an adhesive may be employed for
securing the back support 26 to the handbag. In any event, the
light unit 24 to function for its intended purpose must be mounted
at the top of the handbag at the one side thereof in order to
illuminate the interior of the handbag when opened. The light
switch, as is seen is readily accessible and requires only a finger
engagement with button 52 to slide the same either to ON or OFF
position. FIG. 1 shows the switch in ON position with the light
shining downwardly into the handbag.
The light unit 24 is not limited to a handbag having frame sections
such as 12, 14; as the same is readily adaptable for use in any
type of hand bag such for example handbags employing tubular frame
sections that abut each other in the same plane; handbags having
abutting rigid boxlike separate upper sections or handbags
employing a closure flap. Regardless of the type of handbag, the
light unit 24 can be fixed mounted in any desired manner inside of
and at the top of the handbag to light up the interior of the
same.
The modification of the handbag light unit shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and
5 differs from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in having the light bulb
housing swingable from an inside position within the handbag to an
outside position thereof so as to illuminate exterior objects as
for example the key slot of a door lock. This form of construction
is shown utilized with a handbag 80 having inverted U-shaped frame
sections 82, 83 similar to the frame sections 12, 14 of FIG. 1, and
hinged or pivoted together as at 84.
The light unit 86 is formed similar to the light unit 24 as to the
back support 88, the end battery socket (not shown) similar to
battery socket 32 FIG. 2, the spring clip for the battery (not
shown) similar to spring clip 33 and the sliding switch 90 and its
associated parts. The inner battery socket 92 comparable to battery
socket 32, FIG. 2, is formed separate and integral with the back
support 88 and in spaced relation to the inner wall 94 of the
switch housing of switch 90. The space between back wall 95 of
inner battery socket 92 and the inner wall 94 of the switch 90
housing is preferably at the center of the back support 88, see
FIG. 4.
Disposed on the upper side of frame section 82 is a bracket 98
having an upper horizontal arm section 99, a vertical depending arm
section 100 integral with the inner end of the horizontal arm
section 99, and an inclined outwardly directed lower arm section
101 integral with the lower end of the vertical arm section 100.
The width of at least the lower inclined arm section is such as to
loosely fit between the battery socket wall 95 and the inner wall
94 of the switch 90 housing, see FIGS. 4 and 5. The outer end of
the upper horizontal arm section 99 of bracket 98 has a hinge
connection 102 with a hinge plate 104 fixedly secured to the top of
frame section 82, see FIG. 5. Mounted on the lower arm section 101
is a bulb socket 106 for receiving a flash light bulb 107, and
enclosing the same is a light housing 108 open at its bottom. An
elongated coiled dual conductor wire 110 encases conductors 112,
113. Conductor 112 connects contact lug 60-a in battery socket 92
to the threaded part of bulb socket, and conductor 113 connects the
center base terminal of bulb socket 106 to the switch contact plate
45 (see FIG. 2), but not shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5 there is shown
provided in back support 88 grooves 115 and openings 116 for the
conductors. The finger button 52-a when moved to the right will
close the switch to light bulb 107.
It will be apparent from FIG. 5 that when the handbag 80 is opened
and the switch operated to ON position that the interior of the
handbag will be illuminated by the bulb 107 being turned on. At the
same time should it be desired to illuminate an object exterior of
the handbag such, for example, as the key slot 120 of a door lock
122, see FIG. 3, the bracket 98 is swung upwardly and down in the
direction of the arrow, see FIG. 5, so that horizontal arm section
99 will lie against the vertical side of frame section 82, as shown
by the dotted line position. In this position the light from the
bulb can be directed to the key slot 120 directly from the handbag
which can be held in one hand while the other hand can place a key
into the key slot to open the door The length of the precoiled dual
conductor wire 110 is such as to accommodate the placement of the
bracket 98 in its outside position, as shown by the dotted lines in
FIG. 5. Provided in the edge of the top of frame section 82 is a
notch 124 for the conductor wire 110, and also formed centrally in
the top of the opposite frame section 83 is a slot 126 to
accommodate the bracket 98 as to permit closing of the handbag 80
whether the light housing and bracket are within or outside of the
handbag, see FIG. 3. Pairs of conventional snap fasteners 128, 129
are provided on the top of the frame sections one pair on each side
of slot 126 for locking the frame sections 82, 83 together in the
manner well known.
FIG. 3 clearly illustrates the bracket and light carried thereby
positioned exteriorly of the hand bag 80 with the handbag closed.
With the light bulb turned on it is apparent that the light
therefrom emanating from light housing 108 may be directed in any
direction for any desired variety of purposes, such as locating a
dropped object, reading a street number or other printed matter,
and in fact wherever a portable light is desired. For illuminating
the interior of the handbag the bracket and light are in the
position shown in FIG. 5 as described above.
As with the light unit 24 of FIGS 1 and 2, the light unit 86 of
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 may be utilized in the manner disclosed with other
constructional forms of handbags, attache' cases, etc.
While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and
described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be
understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the
forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation
can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
* * * * *