Pompon handbags and a method of making thereof
A handbag comprising a plurality of pompon strips may be used to cheer for a competitive sports entity and to contribute to the atmosphere of fun and festivity surrounding a sporting event. The handbag comprises a plurality of sewing lines to which are affixed rows of pompon strips. The pompon strips are made of flexible material such as plastic, paper and cloth and are generally glittering and colorful and may include a fluorescent or phosphorescent dye material to provide an after-glow and a glow-in-the-dark effect. The method of making the handbag comprises marking the sewing lines on a handbag body material, producing front and back panels from the body material, and affixing rows of pompon strips along the sewing lines.
The present invention generally relates to handbags and a method of making thereof and in particular to handbags to which are affixed a plurality of pompon strips.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn general, pompons are handheld devices used for cheering at or for competing entities in such as professional, collegial and high school sporting events, as well as numerous team spirit building endeavors of various companies and associations. Pompons are bundles of flexible strands, streamers and/or strips (hereinafter “strips”) made from various materials, such as vinyl, cellophane, and other plastic materials, as well as textile and paper. Pompon users shake or move the stick that holds a bundle of pompon strips to cheer for their teams and also to generate an atmosphere of fun and festivity. To contribute to an atmosphere of fun and festivity, pompon strips are in general colorful, glittering, glossy, and/or light reflective, and may also be dyed or injected with luminescence causing materials such as fluorescent or phosphorescent dies, pigments, elements and materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,045 discloses pompon strips formed of transparent plastic, preferably poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET), containing fluorescent dies such that the pompon strips provide a glowing effect in the presence of light.
There are numerous novelty items that use pompon strips to enhance users' enjoyment thereof and to facilitate an atmosphere of fun and festivity and attract public attention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,808 discloses a puppet for cheering that has pompon strips attached to its controllable limbs; U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,725 discloses a wrist structure having pompon strips; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,215 discloses an advertisement device having pompon strips.
There continues to be a need for new, useful items for facilitating and contributing to an atmosphere of fun and festivity. The present invention further fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThe present invention provides handbags comprising a plurality of pompon strips and a method of making such handbags. A handbag according to the present invention comprises a front and a back panels to which are attached, connected, glued, or affixed (hereinafter “affixed”) a plurality of pompon strips. Thus, the handbags may be used to cheer at or for competing entities in team sports and to contribute generally to the atmosphere of fun and festivity.
In a first preferred embodiment, a handbag comprises a front and a back panels, each panel comprising a plurality of pompon strips. The bottom edge and two side edges of the front panel are sewed, affixed, attached or connected (hereinafter “connected”) to the bottom and two side edges of the back panel, respectively. An adaptively open-able and closable opening device interconnects the top edges of the front and back panels. A shoulder strap having two ends are attached to the handbag by affixing the ends of the strap near the opposite, longitudinal ends of the opening device.
In a second preferred embodiment, a handbag comprises a front and a back panels, each panel comprising a plurality of pompon strips. The second embodiment further includes a first and a second side panels and a bottom panel. The first side panel is used to interconnect the first side edges of the front and back panels; the second side panel is used to interconnect the second side edges of the front and back panels; and the bottom panel is used to interconnect the bottom edges the front and back panels, as well as the bottom edges of the two side panels. This embodiment also includes an outer top panel and an inner top panel, which panels are designed so that they are adaptively open-able and closable. The handbag also includes a strap having two loops, each of the loops being connected to one of the two side panels.
In a third preferred embodiment, a handbag comprises a front and a back panels, each panel comprising a plurality of pompon strips. In this embodiment, the top edge of the front panel is folded over and sewn along a line on the front panel below the top edge so as to form a front panel channel, which runs the width of the front panel. The front panel further defines a front panel hole below the front panel channel and about centrally located from the side edges of the front panel. Similarly, the top edge of the back panel is folded over and sewn along a line on the back panel below the top edge so as to form a back panel channel, which runs the width of the back panel. The back panel defines a back panel hole below the back panel channel and about centrally located from the side edges of the back panel. A stiff rod is preferably inserted into the channels to provide to the user a rigid handle structure for the handbag. In this embodiment, the handbag preferably also comprises a first and a second side panels and a bottom panel.
In the preferred method of making handbags according to the present invention, a plurality of affixation lines are marked on a basic handbag material, such as leather, plastic, textile and paper. Thereafter, desired shapes for the front and back panels are cut from the basic handbag material, and on or along (hereinafter “along”) each of the affixation lines is sewn, connected, glued or hot-melted (hereinafter “affixed”) a plurality of pompon strips, which are held together or interconnected by a common affixation band, thereby forming a row of pompon strips that can be affix to the panels using the common affixation band. For example, a row of pompon strips can be affixed to a panel by sewing the affixation band along the affixation line, and thereby resulting in each pompon strip having one end affixed to the panel and the rest of it being unattached and able to float or move according to the movement of the handbag.
The pompon strips are made from flexible materials, including vinyl, cellophane and other plastic materials, as well as textile and paper. The pompon strips may be colorful, glossy, glittering, and light reflective and may also include luminescent causing materials such as fluorescent and phosphorescent dies, pigments, elements, and materials.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Referring to
Referring to
In handbag 100, the bottom edge and the first and second side edges of the front panel 120 are connected to the corresponding bottom, first and second side edges of the back panel 122. For example, the corresponding edges are sewn together while the pompon strips are bunched together and pushed inside of the edges so that the pompon strips do not get sewn or protrude beyond the resulting hem lines. The adaptively open-able or closable opening device 112 interconnects the top edges, 120a and 122a, of the front and back panels and may comprise a zipper as shown in
The pompon strips 130 are made of flexible materials, including and not limited to, vinyl, cellophane, and other plastic materials, as well as textile and paper materials. To contribute to an atmosphere of fun and festivity, pompon strips 130 are in general made from colorful, glossy, glittering and/or light reflecting materials. In addition, they may include fluorescent, phosphorescent or dayglow dies, pigments, elements, or materials so that the pompon strips 130 may have an after-glow or luminescent effects, including a glow-in-the-dark property. The width of each pompon strip ranges about three-eighth (⅜) to one-half (½) of an inch. The unattached ends of the pompon strips 130 are about three (3) or more inches from the bottom edges of the front and back panels 120 and 122.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
The pompon strips 330 are made of flexible materials, such as plastics, textile and paper, and are preferably made colorful, glossy, glittering and/or light reflective. The pompon strips 330 may also include luminescent causing materials, such as fluorescent or phosphorescent dies, pigments, elements or materials so that the pompon strips may have after-glow or glow-in-the-dark properties. The unattached ends of the pompon strips 330 are about three (3) or more inches from the bottom panel 360. Additional pompon strips may also be attached to the side panels 370a and 370b.
Referring to
The front panel 520 has a top and a bottom edges and a first and a second side edges, referred to as 520a, 520b, 520c and 520d, respectively, in
The pompon strips 530 are attached to the front or back panels 520 and 522. Each pompon strip has one end affixed to its corresponding panel, and the rest of it is unattached, thereby allowing it to move generally in accordance with the movement of handbag 500. The pompon strips 530 may be made from any flexible material, such as plastic, textile and paper, and are preferably made colorful, glossy, glittering, and/or light reflecting. The pompon strips may also include luminescence causing material, such as fluorescent or phosphorescent dies, pigments, elements or materials. The unattached ends of the pompon strips 530 are about three (3) inches from the bottom panel 580.
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment, the affixation band 752 is sewn along each of the affixation lines 740. However, depending on the material used, the affixation band may be glued or hot melted onto to corresponding affixation line. After panels affixed with a plurality of pompon strips are prepared, appropriate panels are put together to make a handbag, as well known in the art.
As an example, to make handbag 100 shown in
Numerous modifications to and alternative embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. Details of the embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.
Claims
1. A handbag, comprising:
- a body unit comprising a front and a back panels, each of said panels having a top, a bottom, a first and a second side edges, the bottom edge and the first and second side edges of the front panel being interconnected to the bottom edge and the first and second side edges of the back panel, respectively;
- a plurality of pompom strips being affixed to the front and back panels along a plurality of affixation lines, each of said pompon strips having an unattached end pointing generally toward the bottom edges of the front and back panels;
- an adaptively open-able and closable opening device interconnecting the top edges of the front and back panels; and
- a strap having two ends, each end being attached to the body unit near the opposite, longitudinal ends of the opening device.
2. The handbag according to claim 1, wherein the pompon strips are made of flexible plastic and the unattached ends of the pompon strips are at least four inches from the bottom edges of the front and back panels.
3. The handbag according to claim 1, wherein the pompon strips affixed on each affixation line have a common affixation band that is used to affix the pompon strips on the corresponding affixation line.
4. The handbag according to claim 1, wherein the pompon strips comprise a luminescent causing material and the unattached ends of the pompon strips are at least four inches from the bottom edges of the front and back panels.
5. A handbag, comprising:
- a front and a back panels, each of said front and back panels having a top, a bottom and two side edges; two side panels, one side panel connecting one side edge of the front panel and one side edge of the back panel, and the other side panel connecting the remaining side edges of the front and back panels; a bottom panel connecting the bottom edges of the front and back panels and the bottom edges of the two side panels; and an adaptively open-able and closable opening device interconnecting the top edges of the front and back panels; and
- a plurality of pompom strips affixed to the front and back panels, said plurality of pompon strips comprising at least a row of pompon strips having a common affixation band, said affixation band being used to attach the row of pompon strips to the corresponding panel, and each of said pompon strip having an unattached end that points generally toward the bottom panel.
6. The handbag according to claim 5, wherein the pompon strips are made of flexible plastic and the unattached ends of the pompon strips are at least three inches from the bottom panel.
7. The handbag according to claim 5, wherein the pompon strips comprise a luminescent causing material and the unattached ends of the pompon strips are at least three inches from the bottom panel.
8. The handbag according to claim 5, wherein the adaptively open-able and closable opening device comprises an inner top panel, which is formed by folding a top part of the front panel along a front panel folding line, and an outer top panel which is formed by folding a top part of the back panel along a back panel folding line.
9. The handbag according to claim 5, wherein
- each of the front and back panels comprises a channel and defines a hole below the channel; and wherein the adaptively open-able and closable opening device interconnects the front and back panels below the holes defined by the front and back panels.
10. A method of making a pompon handbag, comprising the steps of:
- marking a plurality of affixation lines on a handbag body material;
- making a front and a back panels from the handbag body material, each said panel having a top and a bottom edges, and a first and a second side edges;
- affixing a row of pompon strips along each of the affixation lines marked on the front and back panels, each of said pompon strips having an unattached end;
- connecting the top edges of the front and back panels to an adaptively open-able and closable opening; and
- connecting the bottom edge and the first and second side edges of the front panel to the bottom edge and the first and second side edges of the back panel, respectively.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the row of pompon strips comprises an affixation band which holds the pompon strips as a sheet of interconnected pompon strips, and wherein the row of pompon strips are affixed to the handbag body material by sewing the affixation band along the corresponding affixation line.
12. The method according to claim 13, the pompon strips are made of flexible plastic material.
13. The method according to claim 13, the pompon strips are made of flexible cloth.
14. A handbag, comprising:
- a front and a back panels, each of said panels having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first and a second side edges, the bottom edge and the first and second side edges of the front panel being interconnected to the corresponding bottom, first side, and second side edges of the back panel;
- an adaptively open-able and closable opening device interconnecting the top edges of the front and back panels; and
- a plurality of pompom strips affixed to the front and back panels, each of said pompon strip having an unattached end, which points generally toward the bottom edges of the front and back panels.
15. The handbag according to claim 14, wherein the pompon strips are made of flexible plastic having a fluorescent dye.
16. The handbag according to claim 14, wherein the pompon strips are made of flexible material having a glow-in-the-dark property.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 2, 2004
Publication Date: Jun 8, 2006
Inventor: Jong Hong (Atlanta, GA)
Application Number: 11/001,852
International Classification: B65D 27/06 (20060101); A45C 13/36 (20060101);