Compartmental Handbag With Detachable Cosmetic Inserts And Containers For Storing Cosmetics And Toiletries

Abstract

A handbag having a vertical obverse side and a vertical reverse side where each side has a horizontal rim that extends around its perimeter. A centrally located ring member is located between the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag and is pivotally attached to the horizontal rim of the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag to provide first and second chambers. A first enclosure which is removably attached to the vertical obverse side of the first chamber is provided for holding articles of clothing, and a second enclosure which is removably attached to the vertical reverse side of the second chamber is provided for holding cosmetics. A third enclosure which is removably attached to the centrally located ring member and is located in the second chamber is also provided for holding cosmetics.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/167,001 filed on Apr. 6, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a handbag for carrying cosmetic products along with clothing and/or miscellaneous necessities and more specifically to a handbag which is compartmentalized to prevent spillage of cosmetic chemicals onto other items in the handbag.

2. Description of Related Art

Organizer type handbags having various compartments and pockets for the orderly storage of assorted toiletry articles within a case for ease of transportation and storage is known in the prior art.

More specifically, by way of example, U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2007/0267114 to Greiner discloses a handbag having panels joined by a base which extends between and along the bottom edges of the panel where one or both of the panels of the handbag includes an interior compartment which is formed by an interior surface of a corresponding panel and a sidewall joined to that interior surface. The interior surface has a material which may be readily wiped clean such as vinyl, making the compartment suitable for the storage of cosmetics or other toiletry items.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,486 to Godshaw, et al. discloses a purse shaped container having an open top and which further includes an extension panel that wraps around the bottom and front side of the kit and fits over the open top of the kit where the extension panel is retained by means of a zipper to enclose the contents of the kit. A top flap folds over and covers the flexible extension panel. Hanging straps are attached to the top flap or to the backside of the kit to enable it to be hung with the extension flap open downwardly to expose the contents of the kit.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,653 to Roegner discloses a portable multi-pocket carrying case formed of a pair of substantially identical half shells connected together for hinging along a common side and having at least two open mesh pockets. A full width open transparent pocket is mounted on the back panel for holding cosmetic accessories and the like. Two pairs of elastic straps are attached at multiple positions to the lower portion of the bottom section of the back panel forming multiple loops for mounting large cosmetic brushes, combs and the like.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,209 to Roegner discloses a pair of elongated elastic straps secured by stitching at multiple points along the face of a panel to form a plurality of loops for holding small articles. A flap or cover is closed over pockets of a pocket assembly where the upper portion of the cover is transparent at the top of the pockets.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,447 to Hersh, et al. discloses a handbag which includes an enclosure having opposed front and rear walls, opposed side walls, a bottom wall, and an opening defined opposite the bottom wall for access into an interior area of the enclosure. The interior area of the enclosure is subdivided into first and second incommunicable storage regions separated from one another by a curtain wall. The first storage region is accessible through the opening of the handbag, and the second storage region is accessible through a structural portal formed in the front wall of the handbag.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,451 to Sherman discloses a cosmetic case having a front cover, a back cover, and a connecting member between the front cover and the back cover. A binder member, which is situated on at least one of the connecting member, the front cover and the back cover includes at least one holder which detachably couples at least one cosmetic holder insert to the binder member.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,603 to Merritt-Munson discloses a carrying bag or case for storing heat sensitive cosmetics in an internal storage compartment having a releasable fastener for closing the storage compartment. The storage compartment is surrounded by an auxiliary storage compartment for holding a replaceable refrigerant adjacent to the stored cosmetics which maintains the cosmetics at a suitably low temperature to avoid spoiling. The carrying bag walls defining the storage compartment consists of a layered construction including flexible cushioning as well as temperature controlling characteristics.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,204 to Young, et al. discloses a softside travel bag for cosmetics having a plurality of separate individual inside compartments and which is foldable for carrying and storage and is hangable in an open vertical position where personal care items may be removably stored.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,924 to Stanfield discloses a toiletry case that has a left section hinged to aright section. Each section has a rectangular side panel bounded by a bottom wall, a top wall and two side walls. The top wall has a recessed portion through which articles contained within the case may be accessed. Brackets which extend from panels of the case are provided to hold toiletry articles within the case. The case also has venting holes to allow moisture within the case to escape to ambience.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,751 to Walker discloses a cosmetic carrier for use alone or for placement in the bottom of a larger container to prevent the cosmetic bottles from bumping and tipping in transit. The carrier has a vertically disposed ribbon of elastic material which horizontally crisscrosses the container to create a plurality of generally triangular areas within the container each being bounded on two sides by the elastic material and on a third side by a portion of the sidewalls. A plurality of first fastening means are provided for fastening the elastic material to the sidewalls where the triangular areas can be releasably subdivided to contain smaller articles.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,938 to Siegel discloses a ladies handbag having a main handbag component and a separate detachable organizer clutch purse component. The clutch purse has an organizer section for the convenient reception and display of cosmetic items and attaches to the main handbag at a hinged rear flap, or is receivable in an inner pocket of the main handbag. The clutch is provided with expandable loops which retain cosmetic accessories in place. A viewing slot in the clutch permits the user to identify and access contained items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a handbag having a vertical obverse side and a vertical reverse side where each side has a horizontal rim that extends around its perimeter. A centrally located ring shaped member is located between the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag and is pivotally attached to the horizontal rim of the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag to provide first and second chambers. A first enclosure which is removably attached to the vertical obverse side of the first chamber is provided for holding articles of clothing, and a second enclosure which is removably attached to the vertical reverse side of the second chamber is provided for holding cosmetics. A third enclosure which is removably attached to the centrally located ring member and is located in the second chamber is also provided for holding cosmetics.

The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is an obverse view of a handbag for carrying cosmetics containing removable enclosures and other items such as clothes in separate removable enclosures in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the handbag for carrying cosmetics and other items such as clothes each in their separate removable enclosures of FIG. 1 showing the obverse flip down side, the reverse flip down side and centrally located open side ring shaped member located between the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the handbag for carrying cosmetics and other items such as clothes each in their separate removable enclosures of FIG. 1 showing the obverse flip down side, the reverse flip down side and centrally located open side ring shaped member located between the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of the handbag in a wide open configuration showing the inside of the obverse flip down side, the inside of the reverse flip down side and the top of the centrally located open side ring shaped member located between the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show side views of separate removable enclosures for holding cosmetics which are adapted to be removably attached to the reverse side of the handbag;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show side views of separate removable enclosures for holding other items such as clothes which are adapted to be either removably or permanently attached to the obverse side of the handbag; and

FIG. 9 is a view of the inside of the handbag showing cosmetic and clothes holding enclosures ready to be attached to the interior of the handbag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 there are shown three views of the handbag for carrying cosmetics and other items such as clothes each in their separate removable enclosures where a centrally located open side ring shaped member is located between and pivotally connected to the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag in accordance with the principles of the invention.

The handbag 10 is made of a soft flexible material which can be used to carry both cosmetics and clothes when closed and which can be hung vertically to allow a user to have ready access to the cosmetics and/or clothes which are in soft sided flexible closable enclosures which are removably attached to the interior of the hand bag. Except for the presence of a pocket that is accessible via a zipper closure member, the exterior side of the obverse side of the handbag is similar to the reverse side 14 and, therefore, the exterior of the reverse side 14 of the handbag will not be repeated.

Looking at FIG. 1, the obverse side 12 of handbag 10 is composed of a soft, preferably water resistant material such as canvas, cloth or plastic having two reinforcing straps 16 attached to the side of the handbag by sewing or with an adhesive. The ends of straps 16 are looped over connecting rings 18 and secured to themselves with a rivet which connects the ends of the straps to the side of the handbag. The straps 16 are attached to the obverse side, the bottom and the reverse side of the handbag. A handle 20 which can be used to carry the handbag is attached to the connecting rings on the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag.

Protective corner wear pads 22 which can be of the same material and color as the sides of the handbag are attached to the lower corners of the sides 12, 14 with stitching or with an adhesive. A pocket 24 which is accessible thru an opening that can be closed with a zipper 26 having a pull 28 is attached to the obverse side 12 of the handbag with stitching or an adhesive. Pocket 24 can be used to hold an airplane ticket, a credit card, a driver's license, a set of keys, etc. Protective feet 30 of plastic, rubber, or the like are attached to the bottom of the handbag to protect the handbag when it is placed on the floor of a public area.

Looking at FIG. 2, there is shown a side view of the handbag 10 for carrying cosmetics and other items such as clothes, each in their own separate removable enclosure, showing the obverse flip down side 12, the reverse flip down side 14 and the centrally located open side ring shaped member 32 located between the obverse and reverse sides of the handbag. The obverse side and reverse sides are pivotally attached to the ring shape member 32 with double pull zippers 34 which terminate at the soft flexible bottom 36 of the handbag. If desired, the double pulls of the zippers can be tassels where the color of the tassels either match, complement or contrast with the color of the handbag. When either or both zippers 34 are fully opened, the side(s) of the handbag rotate about the soft flexible bottom 36 which functions as a hinge to open the handbag. Thus, opening zipper 34 between the obverse side and ring shape member 32 will open the front of the handbag, and opening zipper 34 between the reverse side and ring shape member 32 will open the rear of the handbag. Ring shape member 32 can be made of the same material and have the same color as the side members and can be soft, semi rigid or fully rigid. Located on each side of ring shape member 32 is a strap attachment ring 36 rotatably attached to a holding strap which is attached to ring shape member 32 with rivets, stitching or an adhesive. Strap attachment rings 36 are provide to allow a user to carry the handbag with a shoulder strap which has a clip at each end.

Looking at FIG. 3, there is shown a top view of the handbag for carrying cosmetics and other items such as clothes each in a separate removable enclosure showing the obverse flip down side and the reverse flip down side removably attached to the centrally located open side ring shaped member with double pull zippers 34.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a view of the handbag in a wide open configuration showing the inside of the obverse flip down side, the inside of the reverse flip down side and the top outside surface of the centrally located open side ring shaped member 32 located between the obverse and reverse sides where the reverse side of the handbag is at the top and the handbag can be hung in a vertical position by placing the handle 20 attached to the reverse side 14 onto a hook. Attached to the inside surface of the reverse side 14 of the handbag are a first plurality of snaps or hooks 40 which project horizontally out from the inside surface of the reverse side of the handbag when the handbag is hung in a vertical position. A second plurality of snaps or hooks which are aligned with the first set of snaps or hooks project horizontally out from the top, sides and bottom of a rim, not the inside surface, of the reverse side 14. The first set of snaps or hooks is for attachment to a first removable self contained enclosure for holding cosmetics and the second set of snaps or hooks is for attachment to a second removable self contained enclosure and is spaced from the first enclosure for holding a second group of cosmetics. It is understood that another set of snaps or hooks can be located on the inside surface of the top, sides and bottom of the rim of the reverse side 14 for attachment to a third removable self contained enclosure for holding cosmetics. It is also understood that some or all of the snaps and/or hooks can be replaced with strips of Velcro.

A similar plurality of snaps, hooks and/or strips of Velcro are located on the inside surface of the obverse side of the handbag and on the inside surface of the top, sides and bottom of the rim of the obverse side 12 for attachment to at least one removable self contained enclosure for holding other items such as clothing and, therefore, a repeat of the description is not here again provided.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there are shown side views of separate removable enclosures for holding cosmetics which are adapted to be removably attached to the hooks, snaps and/or Velcro on the reverse side of the handbag where the front of the enclosure of FIG. 6 faces the front of enclosure of FIG. 5 when the two enclosures are attached to the reverse side of the handbag. Looking at FIG. 5, enclosure 50 which is made of soft flexible material such as a plastic which can be transparent has a plurality of snap fasteners, openings for receiving hooks and/or strips of Velcro around its perimeter which engage snaps, hooks and/or Velcro strips located on the inside surface of the reverse side of the handbag. A pocket 52 which can be made of a transparent material is attached to enclosure 50 and has a zipper 54 for closing the pocket. Strips of elastic material and/or tie ribbons or tie cords 56 of various lengths are permanently attached to the side of the enclosure and are used for holding bottles and/or containers of various widths and heights. In an embodiment where strips of elastic material are provided, the strips can be made to perfectly fit bottles and/or containers of various sizes. Enclosure 60 of FIG. 6 is similar to enclosure 50 of FIG. 5, but has two pockets in place of one pocket and the elastic material and/or tie ribbons or tie cords are located in the top half of the enclosure. Enclosure 60 is designed to be removably attached to the second plurality of snaps or hooks which project horizontally out from the top, sides and bottom of the rim of the reverse side 14., see FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, there are shown side views of separate removable enclosures for holding articles of clothing and which are adapted to be removably attached to hooks, snaps and/or Velcro on the obverse side of the handbag where the front of enclosure of FIG. 8 faces the front of enclosure of FIG. 7 when the two enclosures are attached to the obverse side of the handbag. Looking at FIG. 7, enclosure 70 which is made of soft flexible material such as a plastic which can be transparent has a plurality of snap fasteners or openings for receiving hooks and/or strips of Velcro around its perimeter which engage snaps, hooks and/or Velcro located on the inside surface of the obverse side of the handbag. A pocket 72 which can be made of a transparent material is attached to enclosure 70 and has a zipper 74 for closing the pocket. The enclosure can also include an open pocket 76 for holding a drivers license, a credit card, etc. Enclosure 80 of FIG. 8 is similar to enclosure 70 of FIG. 7, but has no outside pockets. Enclosure 80 is designed to be removably attached to the second plurality of snaps or hooks which project horizontally out from the top, sides and bottom of the rim of the obverse side 14, see FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown a view of the inside of the handbag where cosmetic and toiletry holding enclosure 50 and clothes holding enclosure 70 are ready to be attached to the inside surfaces of the reverse and obverse sides of the handbag, and cosmetic enclosure 60 and clothes holding enclosure 80 are ready to be attached to the second plurality of snaps or hooks which project horizontally out from the top, sides and bottom surfaces of the rims of the reverse and obverse sides of the handbag.

In an embodiment, the handbag can have a third chamber for further delineation of space and travel items. In an embodiment, the handbag can contain multiple zippers for partitioning items into separate chambers and ease the organization of different items stored in the handbag.

In an embodiment, the handbag can have detachable inserts with pre-set elastic material straps for securing items such as containers stored in the handbag. The detachable inserts can be approximately one-half of an inch wide and able to securely fasten the items stored in the handbag. The detachable inserts can be attached within a compartment of the handbag by metal snaps or similar types of fastener which allow a user to conveniently remove the inserts, or move them to another piece of luggage, or to detach the inserts when carrying the handbag on an airplane. The detachable inserts can be made with heavy plastic or similar materials and can be lined with a fabric that can be easily cleaned.

In an embodiment, the handbag can include multiple partitioned areas with secure locations for bottles and containers that are separated from the user's clothing to provide an accident free method for carrying products and avoiding the possibility of spilling cosmetic chemicals onto clothing.

The handbag disclosed allows the user to unzip desired chamber(s) to access items stored in particular enclosures located in the chamber(s). The user may detach the cosmetic enclosures to place them in a checked-in luggage if the user does not wish to carry the weight of these items in the enclosures or if the airline does not allow such items to be carried on board. The user may reattach the cosmetic enclosures to the chamber for secure travel at anytime.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.

Claims

1. A handbag comprising:

a ring member having a bottom, two sides and a top;

an obverse side having a vertical surface attached to a horizontal rim having a bottom, two sides and a top which encircles the vertical member and is pivotally attached to the ring member to provide a first chamber for a first enclosure holding articles of clothing; and

a reverse side having a vertical surface attached to a horizontal rim having a bottom, two sides and a top which encircles the vertical member and is pivotally attached to the ring member to provide a second chamber for a second enclosure holding cosmetics.

2. The handbag of claim 1 wherein the bottom of the horizontal rim of the obverse side of the handbag is pivotally attached to a first edge of the bottom of the ring member; and the bottom of the horizontal rim of the reverse side of the handbag is pivotally attached to a second edge of the bottom of the ring member.

3. The handbag of claim 2 wherein a first zipper removably attaches a first edge of the two sides and the top of the ring member to the two sides and the top of the horizontal rim of the obverse side of the handbag; and a second zipper removably attaches a second edge of the two sides and the top of the ring member to the two sides and the top of the horizontal rim of the reverside side of the handbag.

4. The handbag of claim 3 wherein the first enclosure is adapted to be removably attached to the vertical surface of the obverse side of the handbag; and the second enclosure is adapted to be removably attached to the vertical surface of the reverse side of the handbag.

5. The handbag of claim 4 wherein a third enclosure is adapted to be removably attached to the ring member and opposite the second enclosure in the second chamber.

6. The handbag of claim 5 wherein a fourth enclosure is adapted to be removably attached to the ring member and opposite the first enclosure in the first chamber.

7. The handbag of claim 6 wherein snap fasteners are attached to the vertical surface of the reverse side of the handbag to engage snap fasteners attached to the perimeter of the second enclosure.

8. The handbag of claim 7 wherein fasteners are attached to the ring member to engage fastening means on the perimeter of the third enclosure.

9. The handbag of claim 8 wherein fasteners are attached to the ring member to engage fastening means on the perimeter of the fourth enclosure.

10. The handbag of claim 9 wherein the second enclosure has holding members for receiving bottles or containers.

11. The handbag of claim 10 wherein the holding members are elastic strips.

12. The handbag of claim 11 wherein the elastic strips are of equal or unequal lengths.

13. The handbag of claim 10 wherein the holding members are tie ribbons or tie strings.

14. The handbag of claim 11 wherein the elastic strips are located along the lower half of the second enclosure.

15. The handbag of claim 14 wherein the third enclosure has holding members located along its upper half for receiving bottles or containers.

16. The handbag of claim 15 wherein the holding members are elastic strips.

17. The handbag of claim 16 wherein the holding members are tie ribbons or tie strings.

18. The handbag of claim 16 wherein handles are attached to the obverse and reverse sides for carrying the handbag.

19. The handbag of claim 18 wherein strap attachment rings are attached to the sides of the ring member to allow a user to carry the handbag with a shoulder strap.