BAG ZIPPER LOCKABLE WITH TETHERED CABLE LOCK

Abstract

A bag which has a zipper which is closable over an interior space of the bag using a zipper slider. The zipper slider has a pull and a first locking tab which juts forwardly from one end of the zipper slider and defines therein a first locking slot sized to receive a locking element of a lock. A second locking tab defines a second locking slot with the second locking slot also being shaped to receive the locking element. The first and second locking tabs are configured to be selectively overlapped or aligned so as to register their locking slots, whereby upon passage of the locking element through both locking slots, access to the interior space of the bag is prevented. The locking element can be connected to a cable with a loop to tether the bag to an immovable object.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/432,773 filed on Jan. 14, 2011; which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carrying bags, including computer bags and, more particularly, to zipper lock mechanisms which are suitable for being locked with a T-bar style lock that also incorporates a cable which allows the carrying bag to be tethered to an immovable object, such as to a chair or a desk.

Computer security locks have become popular, as well as standardized. One of those locks which has been made famous by Kensington, has a cylindrical body with a T-bar locking element which measures about 3×7 mm and fits a standardized slot of similar measurement that has been formed in computer equipment, such as laptops, displays, and other electronic devices. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,249,474 and 7,100,404 describe such standardized locks and their contents are incorporated by reference herein.

Carrying bags are typically closed with a zipper which opens and closes stringers on opposed edges of the opening in the bags, in well known fashion. Some carrying bags have a pair of zippers that travel in opposite directions and can meet one another, as is also widely known. A decade or so ago, zipper sliders were introduced which have on their front forward surfaces, cylindrical eyelets, and these cylindrical eyelets can be mated with one another when the opposing zippers are brought close and mated with one another. This allows the openings in the eyelets to be aligned and a padlock style lock shackle to be inserted therethrough. But, of course, the padlock lock would just close the carrying bag, but would not prevent pilferage of the entire bag.

The present invention is grounded in the inspired recognition of the instant inventor of the huge benefit that would ensue from being able to utilize the standardized computer lock for interlocking zippers on carrying bags. Not only does this approach realize the dual function of both locking the zipper and tethering the carrying bag to any movable object, but the wide availability of standardized computer locks means that a computer can be locked both directly and also while the computer is stowed away in its carrying case.

The aforementioned approach of providing a pair of spaced eyelets on one zipper slider and a single interfitting eyelet on the opposed slider is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,084, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to avoid the drawbacks of the prior art and to realize the synergistic effects described above.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a conventional, standardized computer security lock.

FIG. 1a shows a security, cable lock attached to an electronic device.

FIG. 2 shows a conventional zipper slider with a puller.

FIG. 3 shows a pair of zippers with eyelets that can be mated with one another to pass a padlock therethrough.

FIG. 4 shows a standardized carrying bag with a pair of zippers designed to travel toward one another in well known fashion.

FIG. 5 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a zipper with a differently formed locking mechanism.

FIG. 6 shows the mating zipper for the zipper of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a security lock for the zipper slider of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 shows a triangular shaped security hole for the lock of FIG. 1, which is formed with a triangular lock instead of with a T-bar.

FIG. 9 shows another zipper slider embodiment which receives the locking eyelet of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a cross section of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows the two zipper sliders of FIG. 10 spaced apart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The standardized computer lock 10 of FIG. 1 has a cylindrical body 12 with a rotatable T-bar locking element 14 with two pins 16, 18 that prevent rotation of the lock body 12 in the 3×7 mm security lock. When the key 20 is utilized to rotate the T-bar 14 in a rectangular 3×7 mm security slot, the lock 10 becomes attached to the particular piece of equipment, for example, a computer or keyboard 11, in well known manner. The lock 10 has a sleeve 22 that supports a long cable 24 with a loop 26 at the end, which is large enough to slip the lock therethrough. This type of a lock is described in great detail in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,249,474 and 7,100,404 patents the contents of which have been incorporated by reference. The T-bar locking element can be a scissors action or other type of locking element as described, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,404 patent.

The zipper slider 30 of FIG. 2 has a slider 32, and a pull 34 that is attached to the slider via a small connecting bridge 36.

In FIG. 3, two copies of the zipper of FIG. 2 are shown facing each other, with the left side zipper slider 32a having first and second eyelets 38, 40 with holes that extend in a plane perpendicular to the paper, while the right hand zipper slider 32b has a similar eyelet 42 which is positioned to fit between the locking eyelets of the first zipper. When the zippers are mated, the shackle of a standardized padlock can be passed therethrough, locking the zipper sliders to each other.

The zippers of FIG. 3 can be utilized on the bag 50 of FIG. 4 with the zipper 52, which consists of opposing stringers, in well known manner. The zipper 52 has a direction of travel along the surface of the bag.

As shown in FIG. 5, the present invention is rooted in the novel locking mechanism, wherein each zipper slider 48, such as the one in FIG. 5, is provided with horizontally extending and spaced tabs 54, 56, with each tab having formed therein the standardized about 3×7 mm slot 58, 60 in alignment with one another. An opposing slider 62 (FIG. 6) has a single tab 64 with a single slot 66 which can be inserted between the two tabs of the slider of FIG. 5, such that when the two zippers are aligned via their security slots, providing a pass through path for the T-bar 14 of the lock of FIG. 1 to be inserted therethrough. This not only closes the zippers and prevents access into the carrying bag, but also allows the bag 50 itself to be tethered to an immovable object, in well known manner. Alternatively, only a single tab 54 is provided, which is placed over and can be locked to the juxtaposed, underlying tab 64. In the figures, the length dimensions of the locking slots (or slot) extend perpendicularly to the direction of zipper slider travel, but in the preferred embodiment, the slots extend in the slider travel direction. See the slot 66a, drawn in dashed lines in FIG. 6.

More recently, the instant inventor has also invented a security lock, such as the one shown in FIG. 1, but with two T-bars, instead of a single T-bar. FIG. 7 provides a zipper closure that accommodates such a cylindrical lock, via the two slots 70, 72 and 74, 76 in each locking tab. Of course, the tab of FIG. 6 would be provided with dual slots as well.

Similarly, the instant inventor has come up with a cylindrical lock that has a triangular locking element, instead of the T-bar. The zipper slider of FIG. 8 accommodates such a locking member, by providing triangular slots 80, 82. In all instances, and as shown in FIG. 10, it must be kept in mind that the reach of the T-bar locking element 14 of FIG. 1 is approximately 3½ mm and, therefore, the dimension from the top of the upper tab to the bottom of the lower tab should not reach 3½ or, at most, 4 mm.

To alleviate that problem and to also allow each tab to have a thickness dimension of about 1½ or even 1¾ mm, FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment which forms the zipper slider 84 with only a single tab 86 with folded down flanges 88, 90 allowing the opposing tab of FIG. 6 to fit in the channel 92 formed therein. In this embodiment, the lock has to pass only two metal tab layers and each tab can be made much stronger by being considerably thicker, which might increase the safety factor of the locking mechanism of the present invention.

In the present invention, and unlike the prior art, the locking cylinder of FIG. 1 can be inserted directly and vertically down into the security slot 58, 60, unlike a padlock, whose shackle lies at 90° relative to the carrying case. Therefore, the size of the cylindrical body of the lock of FIG. 1 does not much matter or interfere with its functionality. FIGS. 10 and 11 provide sectional views of the zipper sliders of FIGS. 5 and 6.

In the foregoing figures, the tabs 54, 56, 64 and 86 are oriented such that their plane is generally parallel to the plane in which the zipper itself is contained. In accordance with another alternative, the tabs can be turned 90°, whereby they extend in a plane perpendicular to the plane containing the zipper. See FIG. 3. In this simple variation, the lock of FIG. 1 is inserted sideways, rather than from above, into the security slots 58 and 66.

In addition, and as marked in FIG. 4a, in the case where the bag 50 contains only a single zipper slider 48, and the zipper slider is closed from right to left in the figure. At the end of zipper travel, the zipper slider 48 meets and can be locked to a stationary tab 49 which is fixed at that position, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the zipper slider can be locked at its end of travel position and the utilization of the lock of FIG. 1 serves to both prevent access to the interior of the bag, as well as to tether the entire bag to an immovable object.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bag, comprising:

a zipper for selectively closing off access to an interior space of the bag;

a zipper slider including a pull and a first locking tab jutting forwardly from one end of the zipper slider and defining therein a first locking slot sized to receive a locking element of a lock;

a second locking tab defining a second locking slot, and also shaped to receive said locking element, said first locking tab and said second locking tab being configured to be selectively overlapped, to align their locking slots, whereby upon passage of the locking element through the said locking slots of said first and second locking tabs access to said interior space of said bag is prevented.

2. The bag of claim 1, including a second slider coupled to said zipper, said second locking tab being located on said second zipper slider.

3. The bag of claim 1, wherein said second locking tab is stationarily affixed to said bag, at one end of said zipper.

4. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first and second locking slots measure about 3×7 mm.

5. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first and second locking slots are triangularly shaped.

6. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first and second locking slots are each formed of two adjacently located and spaced pair of slots.

7. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first and second locking slots extend along a travel direction of said zipper slider.

8. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first and second locking slots extend in a direction perpendicular to a travel direction of said zipper slider.

9. The bag of claim 1, wherein said zipper slider comprises another locking tab disposed below and parallel to the first locking tab and defining therein, a respective locking slot that is aligned with said first locking slot.

10. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first locking tab and said second locking tab extend in planes that are parallel to a plane containing said zipper.

11. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first locking tab and said second locking tab extend in planes substantially perpendicular to a plane containing said zipper.

12. The bag of claim 1, wherein one of said first locking tab and said second locking tab has folded flanges defining a channel in which the other one of said first and second locking tabs is receivable.

13. The bag of claim 1, in combination with a lock comprising a lock body and said locking element, said locking element being insertable through both said first locking slot and said second locking slot, and a flexible cable coupled to said lock body and a loop at a free distal end thereof, for enabling said lock to tether said bag to an immovable object.

14. The bag of claim 13, wherein the locking element is in a shape of a T-bar.