Reversible Handbag

Info

Publication number: 20170202325
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 15, 2016
Publication Date: Jul 20, 2017
Inventor: Rihena Diana Hodgson (Hollywood, FL)
Application Number: 14/997,308

Abstract

A reversible handbag comprises front, back, bottom, first side, and second side panels configured together to form a handbag with the bottom panel permanently joined to the bottom side of the front, back, first side, and second side panels. The remaining sides of the front, back, first side, and second side panels removably attach to corresponding others sides of the front, back, first side, and second side panels at various seams so that, when so attached, exterior surfaces of the panels form a bag exterior and interior surfaces of the panels form a bag interior, to reverse the handbag from exposing the bag exterior to exposing the bag interior, the panels are temporarily detached from one another at the seams and, thereafter, reattached in a different configuration. An interior sack removably attaches to the bag interior to be a lining of the handbag and act as a bag content receptacle.

Description

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of handbags. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reversible handbag that is configured to easily reverse from one design to another to permit changing the handbag for various aesthetic tastes, clothing combinations and occasions, permitting the purchaser to select between two or more looks whenever desired. Furthermore, the reversible handbag is lined with an interior sack of thin profile that is removably secured to the interior of the handbag. Contained within the interior sack are the entire contents of the handbag such that, when the user wishes to reverse the handbag, the interior sack, along with all of its contents therein, is simply detached from the handbag, the handbag is then reversed in the manner described below, and the interior sack is thereafter re-secured to the interior of the now-reversed handbag. Accordingly, the reversible bag allows a user to quickly transform the appearance of the handbag with minimal effort.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There have long been many varieties, configurations, and styles of handbags, purses, satchels, messenger-style bags, and other similar containers for carrying personal and business items. A limitation inherent in these types of articles has been that whatever design and configuration they initially have cannot be altered or modified such that only one permanent style is provided. Accordingly, due to the fact that the attire of a well-dressed individual typically comprises a plurality of outfits having different styles, colors and patterns and for a variety of occasions, both formal and casual, and whereas fashion dictates that any accessories worn therewith must coordinate with the outfit such that the accessories and outfit combine to form a harmonious scheme, a person must own multiple handbags in order to achieve this fashionable goal. However, handbag and purses, etc. are oftentimes relatively expensive items, especially when they are constructed of high-priced materials (e.g., leather and/or precious skins or metals) or when the bag is designer-made, custom-made, or handmade. Therefore, for many people, it is only possible to afford one or two bags at one time. Yet, as just mentioned, these types of articles are used as decorative accessories that contribute to a person's expression of their own individual style and, therefore, owning just one or two bags severely limits a person's creativity and sensibility. For example, a handbag that has a certain style, size, color, pattern and/or embellishment that may be suitable for one type of occasion, such as for everyday use, may not exactly be best suited for a different occasion, such as for evening attire or for professional wear. Furthermore, for many people, these types of articles are carried on a daily basis and form a part of a person's daily wardrobe. Therefore, despite the fact that a person's clothing apparel, hairstyle, and jewelry, etc., may change every day, or nearly every day, having just one or two bags can become drab and monotonous and, in addition, does not allow a person to correspondingly change the bag to match or to complement various outfits. Accordingly, for most people, the only practical purchase is a bag that is highly conventional and neutral in its style and color. Consequently, there is a substantial need and an artful desire for the ability to take a single bag and convert its style, color, and/or pattern, etc. to accommodate different functions, outfits, and/or occasions, or simply for the sake of instilling some creativity and variety into a person's wardrobe.

Moreover, for individuals who can afford owning multiple bags, the space needed to store the bags that are not being used is not insignificant. Furthermore, ownership of a plurality of handbags requires that, when the owner decides to switch between bags, he or she must transfer the contents of one bag to another, which takes a considerable amount of time and increases the risk of losing or displacing items during the transfer.

Additionally, articles of these types are routinely used for their carrying function and for many people, are invaluable for storing personal items, travel, and transporting business-related items to and from the workplace. Therefore, bags are, generally speaking, subject to significant wear and tear, especially when the same bag is used often and for its actual practical function. As a result, a frequently-used bag becomes soiled over time and, for a substantial part of its life, exhibits signs of damage such that its overall appearance deteriorates. Therefore, unless a person is fortunate enough to be able to purchase a new bag whenever an existing bag becomes worn, a person must typically carry, for a significant period of time, a bag that has become somewhat unsightly, if not structurally damaged. Thus, there is a further need for the ability to convert a single bag in such a manner that will either hide or minimize any blemishes to the visible exterior of the bag.

To reduce the cost that necessarily arises from purchasing multiple bags, efforts have been made to develop reversible or convertible handbags. For example, the outer appearance of a bag may be modified or customized using permanent, removable or interchangeable accessories or embellishments that are attached or applied to the exterior surface of the bag. However, this type of approach requires that the owner of the handbag store and maintain a number of small flourishes and/or interchangeable parts, each of which must be individually applied to the handbag and may easily get displaced. Furthermore, any accessories or embellishments can only result in relatively slight alterations to a handbag and cannot fully transform the handbag's appearance. Also, the use of accessories and/or embellishments may clutter the appearance of the handbag and, in some instances, could detract from its sophistication.

In another example, there exist bags that are configured to have expandable compartments that, when selectively utilized, increase the size of the bag (e.g., increases the surface area or volume), or change the overall shape of the bag, and then may be collapsed to return the bag to its smaller size or initial shape. In a further example, some handbags are made to be reversible such that the interior surface of the bag is also suitable to serve as an exterior surface of the bag and, therefore, the bag can be simply turned inside out. In this way, if the exterior surface of the bag is comprised of a fabric that has one pattern to it and the interior surface of the bag is comprised of a different fabric having a second pattern, turning the bag inside out will change the overall look of the bag. However, these approaches also suffer from several limitations. For example, a bag that depends on the collapsing and expanding of compartments, or requires that it be turned inside out by hand, necessarily requires that the bag be made of a soft, flexible, pliable, and durable material that can be easily and quickly manipulated, such as nylon, cotton, silk, and jute. Accordingly, such handbags cannot be made of a stiffer and, perhaps, a more valuable material such as leather, that is capable of defining a tightly-structured bag. Therefore, these types of bags have a limited range of materials and shapes. In addition, with respect to the contents of the bag, such bags suffer from a similar difficulty to that of owning multiple bags. To convert or reverse the bag, all of its contents must first be removed, put aside, and then placed back into the bag once it has been converted or reversed. In addition, to improve the ease in converting or reversing the bag, oftentimes these types of bags do not have any adequate measures for closing the bag or are designed to have an open top. As such, the contents of the bag are not secured and are not protected from damage from the environment, such as from inclement weather. Furthermore, with respect to existing reversible bags, there is no extra provision made for an internal lining that, in a conventional handbag, protects the interior of the bag from any damage that occurs from the bag's contents (e.g., a leaking bottle or a lipstick tube inadvertently left open). In order that the exterior and interior of the bag are equally exposed such that they can be reversed, a lining is completely omitted. Accordingly, over time, neither side of the reversible bag maintains a clean and unblemished appearance.

Thus, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art bag designs as discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a reversible handbag, which comprises a plurality of individual panels that are configured together to form a handbag structure having a bag exterior and a bag interior, the panels comprising a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, wherein each of the front, back, bottom, first side, and second side panels has an exterior surface and an interior surface and each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels has a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side. The bottom panel is permanently joined to the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels. Further, the left side of the front panel is removably attached to the right side of the first side panel at a first seam, the right side of the front panel is removably attached to the left side of the second side panel at a second seam, the right side of the back panel is removably attached to the left side of the first side panel at a third seam, and the left side of the back panel is removably attached to the right side of the second side panel at a fourth seam, such that when the front, back, first side, and second side panels are attached, the exterior surfaces of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels form the bag exterior and the interior surfaces of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels form the bag interior. To reverse the handbag from exposing the bag exterior to exposing the bag interior, the front, back, first side, and second side panels are temporarily detached from one another at the first, second, third, and fourth seams and, thereafter, reattached such that the bag interior is now exposed to constitute the bag exterior. Additionally, an interior sack removably attached to the bag interior and shaped to conform to the bag interior such that the interior sack comprises an interior lining and acts as a removable receptacle for any contents placed inside the handbag.

In accordance with another mode of the invention, the exterior surface of each panel is different in appearance from the interior surface of that panel.

In accordance with a further mode of the invention, reversal of the handbag changes an outer appearance of the handbag.

In accordance with an added mode of the invention, one or more of the panels are comprised of leather.

In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, the individual panels comprise a thick-walled material and the interior sack comprises a thin-walled material.

In accordance with yet another mode of the invention, the interior sack is comprised of DACRON® or canvas fabric.

In accordance with yet a further mode of the invention, the bottom panel is integral with the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels.

In accordance with another mode of the invention, there is further provided one or more connectors that removably attach the left side of the front panel to the right side of the first side panel at the first seam, removably attach the right side of the front panel to the left side of the second side panel at the second seam, removably attach the right side of the back panel to the left side of the first side panel at the third seam, and removably attach the left side of the back panel to the right side of the second side panel at the fourth seam.

In accordance with a further mode of the invention, the one or more connectors are comprised of zippers.

In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, there is further provided a plurality of first fastener portions disposed on at least one of the exterior surfaces and the interior surfaces of the panels, and a corresponding plurality of second fastener portions disposed on the interior sack, such that the interior sack removably attaches to the bag interior when at least one of the first fastener portions matingly attach to at least one of the second fastener portions.

In accordance with an added mode of the invention, each first fastener portion and its corresponding second fastener portion together form a metal snap.

With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for configuring and reversing a reversible handbag, wherein the method comprises providing a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, wherein each of the front, back, bottom, first side, and second side panels has an exterior surface and an interior surface, and each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels has a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side; configuring the panels to form together a handbag structure, wherein the bottom panel is permanently joined to the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels, the left side of the front panel is removably attached to the right side of the first side panel at a first seam, the right side of the front panel is removably attached to the left side of the second side panel at a second seam, the right side of the back panel is removably attached to the left side of the first side panel at a third seam, and the left side of the back panel is removably attached to the right side of the second side panel at a fourth seam, such that when the front, back, first side, and second side panels are attached, the exterior surfaces form a bag exterior and the interior surfaces form a bag interior; and removably attaching an interior sack to the bag interior, wherein the interior sack is shaped to conform to the bag interior such that the interior sack comprises an interior lining of the handbag and acts as a removable receptacle for any contents placed inside the handbag; and when desired, reversing the handbag from exposing the bag exterior to exposing the bag interior by temporarily detaching the front, back, first side, and second side panels from one another at the first, second, third, and fourth seams and, thereafter, reattaching the panels at the first, second, third, and fourth seams such that the bag interior is now exposed to constitute the bag exterior.

Although the present invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a reversible handbag, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.

Additional advantages and other features characteristic of the present invention will be set forth in the detailed description that follows and may be apparent from the detailed description or may be learned by practice of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Still other advantages of the invention may be realized by any of the instrumentalities, methods, or combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.

Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, which are not true to scale, and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to illustrate further various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention. Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front of an exemplary embodiment of a reversible handbag;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an interior surface of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 1, wherein one or more connectors between the side panels of the reversible handbag have been disconnected from one another to place the reversible handbag in an intermediate configuration while being reversed;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of an interior sack of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 1, wherein side panels of the interior sack are shown as detached from one another;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a side of the interior sack that is depicted in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of another exemplary embodiment of an interior sack of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 1, wherein side panels of the interior sack are shown as detached from one another;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a side of the interior sack that is depicted in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an interior surface of an exemplary embodiment of a reversible handbag, wherein one or more connectors between the side panels of the reversible handbag have been disconnected from one another to place the reversible handbag in an intermediate configuration while being reversed;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a first side of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8, with a top of the reversible handbag in an open configuration;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the side of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 10, with the top of the reversible handbag in a closed configuration;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a back elevational view of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of a second side, opposite of the first side, of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8, with the top of the reversible handbag in an open configuration;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the second side of the reversible handbag depicted in FIG. 14, with the top of the reversible handbag in a closed configuration;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a front of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a back of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 8;

FIG. 18 is a front side elevational view of a further exemplary embodiment of a reversible handbag in a closed configuration;

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a right side elevational view of the reversible handbag depicted in FIG. 18, with the top of the reversible handbag in a closed configuration;

FIG. 21 is a left side elevational view of the reversible handbag depicted in FIG. 18, with the top of the reversible handbag in a partially open configuration;

FIG. 22 is a top plan view of an exterior surface of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 18, wherein one or more connectors between the side panels of the reversible handbag have been disconnected from one another to place the reversible handbag in an intermediate configuration while being reversed;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the front of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 18, with the top of the reversible handbag in an open configuration; and

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the front of the reversible handbag that is depicted in FIG. 18, with the top of the reversible handbag in a closed configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.

Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.

Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

As used herein, the term “about” or “approximately” applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.

In this document, the term “longitudinal” should be understood to mean in a direction corresponding to an elongated direction of the object being described.

The phrase “at least one of A and B” is used herein and/or in the following claims, where A and B are variables indicating a particular object or attribute. When used, this phrase is intended to and is hereby defined as a choice of A or B or both A and B, which is similar to the phrase “and/or”. Where more than two variables are present in such a phrase, this phrase is hereby defined as including only one of the variables, any one of the variables, any combination of any of the variables, and all of the variables.

Herein various embodiments of the present invention are described. In many of the different embodiments, features are similar. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, repetitive description of these similar features may not be made in some circumstances. It shall be understood, however, that description of a first-appearing feature applies to the later described similar feature and each respective description, therefore, is to be incorporated therein without such repetition.

Described now are exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For purposes of illustrating the general concept, function and utility of the reversible nature of the present invention, the following disclosure relates specifically to handbags. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to just handbags and may be applied to the design of any type of bag or carrier. Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the exterior 10 of a first exemplary embodiment of a reversible handbag 5, wherein the handbag is in its fully upright and assembled configuration. The reversible handbag 5 is comprised of left and right side panels 15 and 25, respectively, a front panel 30, a back panel 20, and a bottom panel 45, that when assembled together along a series of vertical and horizontal seams 40, 85, form a rectangular box-like structure that results in the form of a handbag. Each of the panels 15, 20, 25, 30, and 45 may be comprised of any material of suitable strength and durability for the construction of a handbag that may experience daily use. For example, the panels may be comprised of leather, faux leather, nylon, heavyweight canvas, cotton, or denim, etc., or may be comprised of a combination of different materials. Furthermore, the materials comprising the panels may be of one or more different colors or finishes, and/or may exhibit a design or pattern that has, for example, been printed onto or weaved into the material, or embroidered thereon. In this particular embodiment, each of the front panel 30, back panel 20, left side panel 15, and right side panel 25 are permanently attached to the bottom panel 45 at a series of horizontal seams 85 by hand or machine-stitching or by any other suitable measures. Alternatively, the bottom panel 45 may form one integral piece with the any or all of the front panel 30, back panel 20, left side panel 15, and right side panel 25. By contrast, the vertical seams 40 that are formed between the vertical edges of the front panel 30, back panel 20, left side panel 15, and right side panel 25, are comprised of a connector or connectors 50 that act to removably connect each of the vertical edges of the front panel 30, back panel 20, left side panel 15, and right side panel 25, to a corresponding vertical edge of the panel that lies immediately adjacent thereto. Accordingly, as depicted in FIG. 1, when the handbag 5 is in an assembled configuration, each of the vertical edges of the front panel 30, back panel 20, left side panel 15, and right side panel 25 is removably joined at a seam 40 to one other vertical edge of another panel. The connector or connectors 50 may be comprised of any type of fastener that is capable of removably binding the panels 15, 20, 25, and 30 together at seams 40. In this particular embodiment, the connector/s 50 is/are comprised of individual metallic zippers disposed along the seams 40. However, other fasteners, such as snaps, VELCRO®, buttons, or durable adhesives can be used. In the present case, the zippers are necessarily visible at the seams 40 and, as a result, provide a further decorative element in addition to their utilitarian function.

Further, the back panel 20 is elongated in length to form a top extension 35 that, when so oriented, extends over or covers a top opening of the handbag 5, thereby closing the bag and securing any contents contained therein. The handbag 5 is secured into a closed position by a mating-type fastener mechanism 70 that is comprised of two portions. A first fastener portion is incorporated into the top extension 35 and a second fastener portion is incorporated into the front panel 30, whereby the first and second fastener portions are positioned such that they come into alignment and can be matingly engaged when the top extension 35 is brought over the top of the handbag 5. The first and second fastener portions may be comprised of any suitable type of fastener. Such fastener types may include, but are not limited to, metal snaps, a hook and latch mechanism, magnets, buttons, VELCRO®, and catch and release adhesives. In some embodiments, the first fastener portion could be advantageously used as a decorative element if designed to be visible to the eye when the handbag is in the closed position. For example, the first fastener portion could be specifically designed to have a decorative logo displayed on a visible part of the first fastener portion.

In addition to the several panels 15, 20, 25, 30, and 45, the handbag 5 is also comprised of a top handle 75 by which the handbag is carried. The handle is removably secured to the top extension 35 of the back panel 20 using any suitable type of securing mechanism. For example, in this particular embodiment, two metallic receiving hooks 60 that are positioned at an intermediate position of the top extension 35 matingly receive the two ends of the top handle 75. The handle 75 may be adjustable in, for example, its length, such that the user can carry the handbag 5 in a variety of ways (e.g., on shoulder or across the body) and can adjust the handle for comfort. In one example, the receiving hooks 60 may be in the form of drop strap hooks whereby each hook can secure the handle 75 at one of several points along the length of the handle. As such, the user can shorten or lengthen the handle 75 by determining which of the provided attachment points between the hook 60 and the handle 75 will result in the desired handle length and adjusting the handle and hook accordingly.

Further aspects of the exterior of the handbag 5 include one or more pockets 65 in which objects may be stored, and one or more decorative elements that may be applied to a surface of the handbag or is integral therewith.

Turning now to FIG. 2, which is an inward view depicting the interior 100 of the handbag 5 that is disclosed in FIG. 1, the handbag 5 is in a disassembled and collapsed configuration. The interior surface of each of the left side panel 15, right side panel 25, front panel 30, back panel 20, and bottom panel 45 are clearly shown in this view. Although not specifically illustrated in FIG. 2, the interior surfaces of panels 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45 are intended to have a markedly different appearance than that of the exterior surfaces of the panels (which are visible in FIG. 1), wherein both the exterior surfaces and interior surfaces of the panels are suitable for comprising the exterior of the handbag 5. For instance, the interior surface of each of panels 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45 may be comprised of a type of material that is different from the type of material used to construct the exterior surface of the panel. For example, one or more of the panels 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45 may be constructed of double layers, wherein a first layer that forms the exterior surface of the panel could be comprised of leather, and a second layer of the double-layered panel, which forms the interior surface of the panel, could be comprised of nylon. In another example, the color or pattern exhibited on the exterior surface of one or more of the panels 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45 may be entirely different from the color and pattern exhibited on the interior surface of the same panel. This could be accomplished, for instance, by constructing each panel to have a double layer, as mentioned above. Alternatively, each panel could be comprised of a double-sided material such that one side of the material is printed or dyed, etc., to have one appearance and the other side of the material is printed or dyed, etc., to have a second appearance that is different from that of the first side.

As indicated above, both the exterior surfaces and interior surfaces of the panels that comprise the exterior 10 and the interior 100 of the handbag 5 are of suitable quality and durability for comprising the exterior of the handbag. Accordingly, the ability to reverse the handbag to switch between having its exterior surface exposed to having its interior surface exposed, and vice versa, allows a user to completely transform the appearance of the handbag due to the fact that the interior surfaces of the panels 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45 have a different appearance than that of the exterior surfaces of the panels, as discussed above. The first step in reversing the handbag 5 is to detach each of the panels 15, 20, 25, and 30 from its neighboring panel by disconnecting the connectors 50 at seams 40. For example, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the user would unzip the zippers 50 to free the panels 15, 20, 25, and 30 from one another at seams 40, thereby resulting in the configuration that is shown in FIG. 2. To reassemble the handbag 5 into a functional form, the connectors 50 are reconnected, however, the panels 15, 20, 25, and 30 are first oriented such that, when the connectors 50 are reconnected, the interior 100 of the handbag 5 is now exposed and forms the exterior surface of the handbag and the exterior 10 of the handbag now constitutes the interior surface of the handbag. As such, the handbag 5 is reversible to create two different looks.

It is important to note that because the connectors 50 constitute the seams 40 themselves, there is a greater ease in reversing the handbag when compared to conventional reversible handbags. The seams of conventional reversible bags are typically permanently stitched and, thereby, require that the bag be completely turned inside out in order to reverse it. Accordingly, bags that are comprised of stiff materials such as patent leather or heavyweight canvas, or bags whose contours contain severe angles (e.g., an angle of 90° or less), are either difficult or impossible to turn inside out due to the constraints of the permanently-stitched seams. Therefore, due to the fact that the seams 40 that interconnect the panels 15, 20, 25, and 30 of the handbag 5 are not permanently joined, the handbag does not have the same limitations as that of the prior art with respect to the materials and shapes used in its construction and design.

Also depicted in FIG. 2 are one or more pockets 65 formed in the interior 100 of the handbag such that, once the handbag is reversed and its interior 100 now comprises its exterior surface, the functionality of having one or more pockets for article storage is not lost. Moreover, the interior 100 is also provided with a handle securing mechanism (not shown) that attaches to the top handle 75. In this particular embodiment, the two metallic receiving hooks 60 described above are configured in such a way that they may still be used to matingly receive the top handle 75 when the handbag 5 is in either of its two reversible forms.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it depicts the bottom portion 200 of the handbag 5 that is disclosed in FIG. 1. The bottom 200 is comprised of bottom panel 45, which is comprised of two sub-panels 105 and 110 joined together at a center seam 115 by, for example, hand base stitches. It is noted that the center seam 115 does not need to be at the exact center between seams 85. Visible from each of the four corners of the bottom panel 45 are the zipper heads 120 of the zippers comprising the connectors 50, in accordance with this particular exemplary embodiment of the handbag 5. Additionally, a plurality of feet (not shown) may be provided on the bottom of the handbag 5 in order to stabilize the handbag when it is placed on top of a flat surface and to protect the bottom panel 45 from being damaged, as well as to provide a professional touch to the handbag 5.

In addition to the reversible construction, the handbag 5 also comprises an interior sack that acts as an interior lining of the handbag 5 and is removably attached to the interior 100 of the handbag 5 such that it, along with all of the contents of the handbag, can be removed from the handbag 5 by the user prior to reversing the handbag and quickly reattached to the interior 100 after reversal of the handbag is complete. FIGS. 4-5 depict an exemplary embodiment of an interior sack 300, whereby this particular embodiment of the interior sack 300 is specifically shaped and configured to be utilized with the handbag 5 that is disclosed in FIGS. 1-3. The interior sack 300 is comprised of one or more thin-walled but durable materials, such as silk, a polyester fabric (e.g., DACRON® fabric), or a canvas material such as mochila fabric that allows for the interior sack 300 to maintain its shape when in a freestanding position apart from the handbag 5. The interior sack 300 is constructed out of a front side panel 130, a back side panel 135, a right side panel 140, and a left side panel 145, wherein the panels are permanently joined together at their adjoining seams, as depicted in FIG. 5. Although FIG. 4 depicts the side panels 130, 135, 140 and 145 as being separated at several of the seams, this deconstructed view is only for purposes of illustration and does not depict the appearance of the sack 300 when it is fully assembled for use. To attach the interior sack 300 to the interior 100 of the handbag 5, a plurality of mating-type fasteners 90b are incorporated into the interior sack 300 at certain points therein and attach to mating-type fasteners 90a at corresponding locations along the interior 100 of the handbag 5 (see, FIG. 2) such that, when the interior sack 300 is placed inside the interior 100 of the handbag 5, the portions of the fasteners 90b of the interior sack 300 may be removably and matingly attached to the corresponding portions of the fasteners 90a of the interior 100 of the handbag 5 in order to secure the interior sack 300 within the handbag 5 such that it acts as a protective lining for the interior of the handbag 5. With respect to the handbag 5, the fastener portions 90a are incorporated into both the interior 100 and exterior 10 surfaces (see, e.g., fasteners 80 in FIG. 1 and fasteners 125 in FIG. 3) such that the interior sack 300 can be used in either of the handbag's two reversible configurations, irrespective of which of the exterior or interior are exposed. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, fasteners 90b are incorporated along the upper perimeter 150 of some or all of the side panels 130, 135, 140 and 145 and at the base of the interior sack 300 along a central bottom-most seam 160 that connects the front side panel 130 to the back side panel 135. Illustrated in FIG. 2 are a plurality of fasteners 90a incorporated into the bottom panel 45 of handbag 5 such that they are positioned to matingly attach to the segment of fasteners 90b that are positioned along the seam 160 of the interior sack 300 when the interior sack 300 is being secured to the handbag 5. For additional storage of personal items, one or more interior pockets 165 may be incorporated into the interior sack 300 at various locations amongst the side panels 130, 135, 140 and 145.

FIGS. 6 and 7 depict a second exemplary embodiment of an interior sack 400, in which there are a fewer number of fasteners 90b incorporated into the interior sack 400 in comparison to the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Fasteners 90a-b can be comprised of any type of suitable fastener that allows the user to quickly secure the interior sack to the interior of the handbag 5, and to quickly remove the interior sack from the handbag 5 (and the contents of the handbag held within) when reversing the handbag 5. Such fastener types may include metal snaps, hook and latch type fasteners, buttons, magnets, and VELCRO®. In the exemplary embodiments depicted in FIGS. 4-7, each of fasteners 90a-b is a snap button/magnet-snap button.

Additionally, the detachable interior sack may be used with any bag or carrier of another designer or manufacturer, including brand name handbags, whose interior has been retrofitted to matingly attach to the fasteners 90b of the interior sack. Such bags and carriers do not have to be reversible in nature. Accordingly, the interior sacks may be provided as stand-alone articles that come in different shapes and configurations that uniquely correspond to the interiors of a variety of bags or carriers being sold in the marketplace. Thus, the same advantages described above, whereby the interior sack is used to house all of the contents of the bag or carrier in a single vessel such that the contents can be easily transferred from one bag to another in a single move, can be applied to any bag or carrier and is not only limited to the reversible handbag disclosed herein. As a result, it is envisioned that the makers of these other bags or carriers will be prompted to design their products to be used in conjunction with the detachable interior sack based upon consumer demand for the utility provided by the interior sack.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-15, there is shown a second exemplary embodiment of a reversible handbag 500 in accordance with the present invention. In contrast to the box-like shape of the handbag 5 shown in FIGS. 1-3, handbag 500 is shaped to have a sawhorse-like profile when the top of the handbag 500 is closed, which is best shown in the side views provided in FIGS. 11 and 15. Beginning at FIG. 8, there is depicted an inward view of the interior 200 of the handbag 500, whereby the handbag is in a disassembled and collapsed configuration. Similar to the exemplary embodiment of the reversible handbag 5 shown in FIGS. 1-3, handbag 500 is comprised of several adjoining panels, wherein each panel has an exterior surface and an interior surface, whereby the exterior surface has a different look or appearance than that of the interior surface. Specifically, the handbag 500 is comprised of a front panel 205, a back panel 210, a left side panel 220, a right side panel 215, and a bottom panel 225. Further, the left side panel 220 is comprised of two sub-panels 220a and 220b removably connected along a center seam 230 by one or more connectors 235. Likewise, the right side panel 215 is comprised of two sub-panels 215a and 215b removably connected at a center seam 230 by one or more connectors 235. In addition, the bottom panel 225 is comprised of a central sub-panel 225c and two triangular-shaped side sub-panels 225a and 225b, wherein the side sub-panels 225a, 225b are permanently attached to opposite sides of the central sub-panel 225c at seams 240. For added storage and decorative detail, one or more pockets 245 may be incorporated into the front panel 205, back panel 210, right side panel 215, and/or left side panel 220, as shown in FIGS. 8-11 and 13-15.

FIGS. 9 and 13 depict the front and back, respectively, of the handbag 500. In this particular view, the seams 230 at the removable connection between the two right side sub-panels 215a and 215b and between the two left side sub-panels 220a and 220b are fanned outward such that they project outwards in left and right directions from the front panel 205. One or more top handles (not shown) are removably secured to the front and back panels 205, 210 of the handbag 500 using any suitable type of securing mechanism. In this particular embodiment, a series of metallic receiving hooks 260 are positioned near the top edge of the front and back panels 205, 210 and matingly receive the two ends of each of the one or more handles. Also shown in FIG. 9 is the incorporation of one or more decorative elements, such as a logo 250, that may be applied to a surface of the handbag or is integral therewith. FIGS. 10 and 14 depict the right and left side panels, respectively, of the handbag 500, as they appear when the handbag 500 is in an open configuration such that the seams 230 that connect the respective sub-panels 215a-b, 220a-b of the right and left side panels are not fanned either outward or inward and the sub-panels form a single, continuous plane. By contrast, FIGS. 11 and 15 illustrate the right and left side panels of the handbag 500 as they appear when the handbag 500 is in a closed configuration, wherein the seams 230 are fanned in an inward direction such that the profile of the handbag 500 assumes a triangular pyramid, tetrahedron, or sawhorse-type shape. FIG. 12 provides a view of the three sub-panels 225a, 225b, and 225c of the bottom panel 225 of the handbag 500, wherein a plurality of feet 255 are provided on the bottom of the handbag to protect the bottom surface of the handbag and for structural and decorative purposes.

As mentioned above, the sub-panels 215a, 215b of the right side panel of the handbag 500 and the sub-panels 220a, 220b of the left side panel of the handbag 500 are removably connected along their respective seams 230 by one or more connectors 235. The connectors 235 may be comprised of any type of fastener that is capable of removably binding the sub-panels 215a-b and 220a-b together at seams 230. For example, similar to the exemplary embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1-3, the connectors 235 may be comprised of individual metallic zippers disposed along the seams 230. However, other fasteners, such as snaps, VELCRO®, or durable adhesives can be used. Accordingly, to reverse the handbag 500 such that its exterior can be switched between the different appearances of the exterior surfaces and the interior surfaces of the panels 205, 210, 215, 220 and 225, a user first disconnects the one or more connectors 235 to substantially free each of sub-panels 215a, 220a from its respective neighboring sub-panel 215b, 220b at each seam 230, to result in the disassembled configuration that is shown in FIG. 8. Next, the user orients the several panels 205, 210, 215, 220, 225 to result in the exterior of the handbag 500 being comprised of either the exterior surfaces or the interior surfaces of the panels, as desired, and thereafter, the user reconnects the one or more connectors 235.

FIGS. 16 and 17 depict the front and back of the reversible handbag 500 in its fully upright and assembled configuration, wherein the handbag 500 further comprises top handles 275, a decorative logo 250, and a back pocket 245.

Although not specifically depicted in the drawings, the reversible handbag 500 is provided with an interior sack having the same form and function as the interior sack 300, 400 described above with respect to FIGS. 4-5 and 6-7, except that it is differently shaped such that it conforms to the contours of the interior of handbag 500. Accordingly, mating-type fasteners are disposed at one or more matching locations (e.g., along the upper perimeter and bottom) of the interior sack and the exterior and interior surfaces of the panels 205, 210, 215, 220, 225 such that the interior sack can be quickly attached to and detached from the interior of the handbag 500 when the handbag 500 is being reversed. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of fastener portions 265 may be incorporated along a center seam 270 of the bottom panel 225 such that they are positioned to matingly attach to a segment of fastener portions that are disposed at corresponding locations of the interior sack when the interior sack is being secured to the handbag 500.

Proceeding now to FIGS. 18-24, there is shown a third exemplary embodiment of a reversible handbag 600, which differs in its overall shape and profile from the exemplary handbag embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 8-15. The handbag 600 is comprised of a front panel 305, a back panel 310, a right side panel 320, a left side panel 325, and a bottom panel 330. In addition, the back panel 310 is elongated in length to form a top extension 315 that extends over or covers a top opening 335 of the handbag 600, thereby closing the bag and securing any contents contained therein. The handbag 600 is secured into a closed position by a mating-type fastener mechanism that is comprised of two portions. A first fastener portion 340a is incorporated into the top extension 315 and a second fastener portion 340b is incorporated into the front panel 305, whereby the first and second fastener portions 340a and 340b are positioned such that they come into alignment and can be matingly engaged when the top extension 315 is brought over the top of the handbag 600. The fastener portions 340a, 340b may be comprised of any suitable type of fastener. Such fastener types may include, but are not limited to, metal snaps, a hook and latch mechanism, magnets, buttons, VELCRO®, and catch and release adhesives. Depicted in FIG. 23 is a front perspective view of handbag 600 in its fully upright and assembled configuration, wherein the top extension 315 is shown as partially open. In FIG. 24, the top extension 315 has been drawn over the top of the handbag 600 into a fully closed position. From a side vantage point, FIG. 21 depicts the top extension 315 as being partially closed and FIG. 20 shows the top extension 315 in the fully closed position that is depicted in FIG. 24. In some embodiments, the first fastener portion 340a could be advantageously used as a decorative element if designed to be visible to the eye when the handbag is in the closed position. For example, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 24, the first fastener portion 340a is specifically designed to have a decorative logo displayed on a visible part of the first fastener portion 340a.

In a similar fashion to the exemplary handbag embodiments described above, the exterior surfaces of each of panels 305, 310, 315, 320, 325 and 330 are configured to have a different appearance than that of the interior surfaces. Accordingly, the appearance of the handbag 600 can be transformed by reversing the handbag to display either its exterior or interior. To do so, the right side panel 320 and the left side panel 325 of handbag 600 are removably connected to their neighboring front and back panels 305, 310 at seams 345 by one or more connectors 350. By contrast, the bottom panel 330 is permanently attached to or integral with the front panel 305, back panel 310, and right and left side panels 320, 325 along its perimeter. The connectors 350 may be comprised of any type of fastener that is capable of removably binding the panels 305, 310, 320 and 325 together at seams 345. Such connectors 345 may be comprised of individual zippers, snaps, buttons, VELCRO®, or durable adhesives disposed along the seams 345. To reverse the handbag 600, the user first disconnects the one or more connectors 350 to free the right and left side panels 320 and 325 from the front and back panels 305 and 310 at the seams 345, to result in the disassembled configuration that is shown in FIG. 22. Thereafter, once the user orients the several panels 305, 310, 320, 325 and 330 into the desired reversed configuration, the user reconnects the one or more connectors 350.

Lastly, FIG. 18 provides a view of the bottom panel 330 of the handbag 600, wherein a plurality of feet 355 are provided on the bottom of the handbag to protect the bottom surface of the handbag and for structural and decorative purposes.

With respect to this third exemplary embodiment, although it is not specifically shown, there too is an interior sack that is intended to comprise the interior lining of the reversible handbag 600 and allows a user to quickly retain and remove all of the personal items from the handbag during reversal of the handbag and to easily place back into the handbag 600 these personal items once the handbag is reassembled after being reversed. The interior sack has a thin profile and is shaped to conform to the contours of the interior of the handbag 600. The interior sack is attached to and detached from the interior of handbag 600 using, for example, mating-type fasteners that are disposed at one or more corresponding locations (e.g., along the upper perimeter and bottom) of the interior sack and the exterior and interior surfaces of the panels 305, 310, 320, 325 and 330. For instance, as shown in FIG. 22, a plurality of fastener portions 360 may be incorporated at various locations in the bottom panel 330 and the front and back panels 305 and 310, respectively, such that the fastener portions 360 are positioned to matingly attach to a segment of fastener portions that are disposed at corresponding locations of the interior sack when the interior sack is being secured to the handbag 600.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, exemplary embodiments, and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims, if present. For example, in other exemplary embodiments of the reversible handbag, the bottom panel is not limited to only a square or rectangular shape. Rather, the bottom panel may be in the form of a variety of quadrilateral, oblong, or circular shapes.

Claims

1. A reversible handbag, comprising:

a plurality of individual panels that are configured together to form a handbag structure having a bag exterior and a bag interior, the panels comprising: a front panel; a back panel; a bottom panel; a first side panel; and a second side panel, wherein: each of the front, back, bottom, first side, and second side panels has an exterior surface and an interior surface; each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels has a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side; the bottom panel is permanently joined to the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels; the left side of the front panel is removably attached to the right side of the first side panel at a first seam; the right side of the front panel is removably attached to the left side of the second side panel at a second seam; the right side of the back panel is removably attached to the left side of the first side panel at a third seam; and the left side of the back panel is removably attached to the right side of the second side panel at a fourth seam, such that: when the front, back, first side, and second side panels are attached, the exterior surfaces of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels form the bag exterior and the interior surfaces of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels form the bag interior; and to reverse the handbag from exposing the bag exterior to exposing the bag interior, the front, back, first side, and second side panels are temporarily detached from one another at the first, second, third, and fourth seams and, thereafter, reattached such that the bag interior is now exposed to constitute the bag exterior; and

an interior sack removably attached to the bag interior and shaped to conform to the bag interior such that the interior sack comprises an interior lining of the handbag and acts as a removable receptacle for any contents placed inside the handbag.

2. The reversible handbag according to claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of each panel is different in appearance from the interior surface of that panel.

3. The reversible handbag according to claim 2, wherein reversal of the handbag changes an outer appearance of the handbag.

4. The reversible handbag according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the panels are comprised of leather.

5. The reversible handbag according to claim 1, wherein:

the individual panels comprise a thick-walled material; and

the interior sack comprises a thin-walled material.

6. The reversible handbag according to claim 5, wherein the interior sack is comprised of DACRON® fabric.

7. The reversible handbag according to claim 1, wherein the bottom panel is integral with the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels.

8. The reversible handbag according to claim 1, further comprising one or more connectors that removably attach:

the left side of the front panel to the right side of the first side panel at the first seam;

the right side of the front panel to the left side of the second side panel at the second seam;

the right side of the back panel to the left side of the first side panel at the third seam; and

the left side of the back panel to the right side of the second side panel at the fourth seam.

9. The reversible handbag according to claim 8, wherein the one or more connectors are comprised of zippers.

10. The reversible handbag according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first fastener portions disposed on at least one of the exterior surfaces and the interior surfaces of the panels; and

a corresponding plurality of second fastener portions disposed on the interior sack such that the interior sack removably attaches to the bag interior when at least one of the first fastener portions matingly attach to at least one of the second fastener portions.

11. The reversible handbag according to claim 10, wherein each first fastener portion and its corresponding second fastener portion together form a metal snap.

12. A method for configuring and reversing a reversible handbag, wherein the method comprises:

providing a front panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, wherein: each of the front, back, bottom, first side, and second side panels has an exterior surface and an interior surface; and each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels has a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side;

configuring the panels to form together a handbag structure, wherein: the bottom panel is permanently joined to the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels; the left side of the front panel is removably attached to the right side of the first side panel at a first seam; the right side of the front panel is removably attached to the left side of the second side panel at a second seam; the right side of the back panel is removably attached to the left side of the first side panel at a third seam; and the left side of the back panel is removably attached to the right side of the second side panel at a fourth seam, such that when the front, back, first side, and second side panels are attached, the exterior surfaces form a bag exterior and the interior surfaces form a bag interior; and

removably attaching an interior sack to the bag interior, wherein the interior sack is shaped to conform to the bag interior such that the interior sack comprises an interior lining of the handbag and acts as a removable receptacle for any contents placed inside the handbag; and

when desired, reversing the handbag from exposing the bag exterior to exposing the bag interior by temporarily detaching the front, back, first side, and second side panels from one another at the first, second, third, and fourth seams and, thereafter, reattaching the panels at the first, second, third, and fourth seams such that the bag interior is now exposed to constitute the bag exterior.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the exterior surface of each panel is different in appearance from the interior surface of that panel.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein reversal of the handbag changes an outer appearance of the handbag.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein one or more of the panels are comprised of leather.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the individual panels comprise a thick-walled material; and

the interior sack comprises a thin-walled material.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the bottom panel is integral with the bottom side of each of the front, back, first side, and second side panels.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein one or more connectors removably attach:

the left side of the front panel to the right side of the first side panel at the first seam;

the right side of the front panel to the left side of the second side panel at the second seam;

the right side of the back panel to the left side of the first side panel at the third seam; and

the left side of the back panel to the right side of the second side panel at the fourth seam.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the one or more connectors are comprised of zippers.

20. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises removably attaching the interior sack to the bag interior by mating at least one of a plurality of first fastener portions disposed on the interior sack to at least one of a corresponding plurality of second fastener portions disposed on the exterior surfaces and interior surfaces of the panels.