Handbag With A Theft Alarm And Protection Device

Abstract

A handbag is combined with an alarm that is connected to an elastic member, fitted over the wrist of the hand grasping the handbag. The elastic member has sufficient strength that it does not break when the handbag is snatched from the hand by a thief but, at the same time, the elastic member sets off the alarm. The elasticity within the member prevents the user from sounding the alarm inadvertently.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a portable hand-carried container and more particularly to a lady's handbag with a thief alarm device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art suggests many ways for installing a thief alarm in a hand carried container. U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,311 teaches a system wherein the alarm device is actuated on the interruption of an electric circuit that normally flows through a frangible conductor that is strapped to the person's wrist. This system has the drawback that, besides being expensive and complicated, the alarm does not sound until after the person loses possession of the container, making recovery practically impossible especially if the theft occurs in isolated areas, because the thief can be out of reach in a very short time. Other devices are available wherein the switch for the alarm is located in the handle. This has the drawback that the alarm may be inadvertently set off by the owner. Also if the thief is aware that the switch is in the handle, he could seize the container by the handle in such a manner as to prevent release of the switch. Still other devices provide an umbilical cord or wire that is permanently attached to the possessor. Here again, the possessor may accidentally trigger the alarm, if he happens to set the container down.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide thief alarm devices for a lady's handbag that are more simple, compact, and inexpensive, as well as being more dependable than devices of the prior art.

Another object is to provide a thief alarm device that practically eliminates accidental triggering thereof.

Another object is to provide a lady's handbag with an elastic umbilical cord that is freely mounted onto the wrist which cord will stretch a relatively large amount before the alarm is set off and has sufficient strength to prevent rupture thereof under normal force used by a thief.

These and other objects and features of advantage will become more apparent after studying the following preferred embodiment of the invention together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a standard handbag practically broken away to disclose the preferred embodiment of the device.

FIG. 2 shows the switch and mounting on the handbag.

FIG. 2a shows another embodiment of the switch.

FIG. 3 shows how a lady can hold onto the elastic umbilical cord even after the handbag's handle is out of her possession.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIG. 1, a lady's handbag 10 is shown having a bag portion or member 11 with a normal opening 12 at the top thereof. The bag member 11 is made of, for example, an outer ply of leather 13. About two inches down from the opening 12 are formed vertical slits 14 in the leather 13. Through the slit 14 are threaded two loop-straps 16 and 17 in a standard manner so that when the respective loop-straps are pulled outward, the bag member 11 is closed. The user carries the handbag by holding both loop-straps 16 and 17 in one hand. The handbag has an inter ply or liner 18. The description of the handbag up to this point is well known in the art.

The novel safety features therein are as follows: between the liner 18 and leather 13 is disposed a standard buzzer alarm 21 which sound an audible frequency when activated with electric current as would be supplied by batteries 22. The alarm 21 is suitably fixed to the inside of the leather 13 in a manner not shown. To prevent muffling of the sound, suitable opening (not shown) could be formed in leather 13 and the holes could be decorated for beauty. The batteries 22 are suitably disposed in the space within the liner 18 and ar accessible through opening 12 so that they could be readily inspected and changed if required. Both leads 25 and 26 from the batteries 22 pass through a hole 27 formed in the liner 18. One lead 26 is connected to the alarm 21, the other lead 25 to a switch 28. A lead 29 connects the alarm 21 and switch 28 together. The switch 28 is also disposed in the space between the leather 13 and liner 18, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. The switch 28 is fixed to an angle bracket 31 which is riveted to the leather 13 by rivets 32 and a plate 33 on the outside thereof. This holds the switch tightly in place and immunes the leather from tearing under stress. The switch 28 is activated by a standard ballchain 34 that passes through a grommeted hole 35 in the leather 13. The free end of chain 34 is connected by suitable means 37 to an elastic member 36. The member 36 is for example standard dressmaker's elastic covered by black thread to match the color of the handbag. The means 37 is for example a metal-stamp link 37a, having formed thereon a suitable socket 37b to receive the last ball on the chain 34 and having a suitable grip 37c for gripping the elastic member 36. The free end of member 36 is shown formed with a loop 38 (FIG. 1) which can be placed around the user's wrist of the hand by which she is holding the straps 16 and 17. One could substitute a decorative bracelet for the loop 38.

The novel features herein operate as follows: As shown in FIG. 3 when a thief 101 grabs the handbag causing the straps 16 and 17 to slip from the fingers of an owner 102, the loop 38 on the elastic member 36 is attached to the wrist, allowing the owner 102 to maintain contact with her handbag. The elastic member 36 stretches but after a minor tension force, for example, 2-3 lbs., is placed therein, the switch 28 is actuated because the chain 34 has been pulled. This sounds alarm 21. If the thief still persists in pulling on the handbag, the socket 37b in link 37a will snap because it is inherently the weakest link. The chain 34, being short, will have its broken end dropped within the space formed by the liner 18 and leather 13. Therefore, the alarm cannot be readily stopped or interrupted, thereby causing the thief to drop the handbag than be detected.

As an alternative if one would rather maintain possession of her handbag, another elastic member 41 (FIG. 2) can be placed as shown, one end having a metal loop 42 engaging an eye 43 on plate 33 and the other end having another metal loop 44 engaging means 37. This member 41 does not interfere with the feature of allowing the user some degree of stretch within member 36 before the alarm is needlessly set off. For example, elastic member 36 breaks when 25 pounds tension is applied, but member 36 would have stretched about 5 inches before the switch 28 is activated which 5 inches is equivalent to 2-3 pounds tension.

Another novel safety feature is incorporated into the handbag 10. This feature includes a standard spring clasp 51 (FIG. 1) fixed to one end of an elastic member 52 that passes through another grommeted hole 53 formed in the leather 13. The other end of elastic member 52 is fixed to a metallic element 54 that is disposed between the liner 18 and leather 13. The element 54 is larger than the hole 53 and is thereby prevented from passing therethrough. This provides another safety feature in that when the owner lays down her handbag 10, for example when sitting at a restaurant table, she anchors the clasp 51 to her garment such as a skirt. Then, if she inadvertently walks away without picking up the handbag and the elastic member 52 stretches sufficiently to warn her before she goes too far or stumbles over a dragging handbag. The metallic element 54, being relatively heavy, drops to the bottom of the bag when this feature is not in use pulling up the clasp 51 to the hole 53 out of the way. One could as an alternative place a similar clasp (not shown) on elastic member 36 to perform a similar function. Now there happens to be a possibility of sounding the alarm 21 when one inadvertently tugs on the clasp.

Available economical switches such as switch 28 (manufactured by Leviton Corp. of Brooklyn, N. Y.) that are operated by the pull chain 34 into the open and closed positions or states have the inherent characteristics that when even tension is released from the chain 34 (chain is relaxed) and reapplied, the switch 28 changes state. Therefore if the thief 101 is smart and momentarily releases tension on the handbag 10 and reapplies it, the alarm would be turned off and the usefulness thereof would be limited. Referring to FIG. 2a I have shown an improvement on the switch 28 which prevents the switch from changing state every time tension is applied and released. In fact my improvement requires a compression force to be applied between pulls before the switch can change states. The switch 28 has a threaded sleeve 61 fixed to a body can 62. The chain 34 being a standard ball-link chain passes from the interior of the can 62 through the sleeve 61 and also through a coil spring 63. The spring 63 has one end extending out of the sleeve 61 and the other end fixed to the sleeve by a set screw 64. Care should be taken to insure that the chain 34 slides freely within the spring 63. However the chain 34 is modified so that one ball link 34a is greater than the other links and does not enter the spring 63. Therefore when one pulls on the chain the ball-link 34a allows the spring 63 to stretch and therefore when the pull force is released the spring 63 maintains the chain 34 stretched, therefore no matter how many times one pulls on the chain the switch does not change state. To cause the switch to change states, the spring 63 should be manually compressed to release all forces on the chain. This recocks the switch. The spring 63 is of a size that it will not activate the chain 63 and in turn the switch. However it has sufficient force to prevent the chain from retracting into the body can 62 when external tension is released. One can increase the tension force required to cause the switch 28 to change states by suitably fixing the ball 34a to the spring 63. Now one must also pull against the resistance of the spring 63.

Although some of the preferred embodiments have been described, one skilled in the art could now produce other embodiments without avoiding infringing the novel features taught herein. Therefore, the invention includes all embodiments coming within the scope of the claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A handbag comprising:

a bag portion having an opening for access therein,

a handle mounted to said bag portion,

an alarm disposed within said bag portion,

a source of electrical current,

a switch connected in series with said alarm and said source and fixed to said bag portion, and

a resilient elastic electrical insulating member connected to said switch to complete said series circuit when said member is stretched,

said switch being responsive to a pull force applied to said member, which pull force is below the breaking force of said member.

2. The handbag of claim 1 wherein said switch is actuated after said member is first stretched a predetermined amount.

3. The handbag of claim 2 wherein said switch has a metallic chain which is to be pulled to actuate said switch, and means are provided to connect said chain to said member which means is stronger than the force required to actuate said switch but is weaker than the chain and member so that, when excessive force is placed on said member, said means breaks.

4. The handbag of claim 3 wherein another resilient elastic member is fastened to said one elastic member and to said bag portion so that after said means breaks, said other member stretches to maintain a connection therebetween.

5. The handbag of claim 4 wherein:

a weighted member is fully disposed within said bag portion,

a third elastic member is connected at one end to said weighted member,

said bag portion having a port through which said third member passes,

a spring clasp connected to said other end of the third member to allow a person to anchor the handbag to another object.

6. The handbag of claim 3 wherein:

said switch is disposed inside of said bag portion,

said bag portion having a port through said chain passes,

said chain is of such length so that when said means breaks said chain would tend to retract within said bag portion making deactivation of the alarm more difficult.

7. The handbag of claim 3 wherein:

a weighted member is fully disposed within said bag portion,

a third elastic member is connected at one end to said weighted member,

said bag portion having a port through which said third member passes,

a spring clasp connected to said other end of the third member to allow a person to anchor the handbag to another object.

8. The handbag of claim 1 wherein a means is provided on said elastic member to allow a person to attach said member to their wrist so that when the handle is disengaged from their fingers, the person still has hold of said member.

9. The handbag of claim 1 wherein:

said switch is actuated after said member is stretched a predetermined amount,

said switch has a metallic chain which is to be pulled to actuate said switch, and means are provided to connect said chain to said member which means is stronger than the force required to actuate said switch but is weaker than the chain and member so that when excessive force is placed on said member said means breaks.

10. The handbag of claim 1 wherein:

said switch has a pull chain and is of the type that changes state whenever tension is applied to the chain whenever the chain is in the relaxed condition,

means are provided on the switch to maintain tension on said chain even after external tension is released, and

said means is further defined to cause the chain to be fully relaxed after external compression force is applied to recock the switch so that it may change states after tension is reapplied.