PURSE WITH DISPLAY CASE

Abstract

The purse provides a display case incorporated therein which allows a collector to display his/her collectable, such as for example a doll, in a convenient manner. The display case is removably secured to the purse and can therefore be replaced when necessary. The display case has an adjustable back wall which provides for variations in the depth of the display case.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is generally directed to a purse which includes a display case for displaying an object therein while the purse is in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Collectors often display their collectable in cases which protect the collectable from external conditions. Collectors often attend shows and other gatherings during which they can display their collectables to be viewed by others. The display cases currently in use are generally not designed for transporting the collectable. Although some display cases have been designed for transporting collectables, these cases typically do not provide for visualization of the collectibles during transportation. More over these display cases are typically bulky and are not designed for every day use. In addition, many collectors desire to show their collectables more frequently and in a convenient manner. Thus, it is desirable to provide a display case which can be easily transported and provides display of collectables in a convenient manner.

The present invention provides a purse which overcomes the problems presented in the prior art and which provides additional advantages over the prior art. Such advantages will become clear upon a reading of the attached specification in combination with a study of the drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention discloses a purse which is designed for receiving a display case for displaying collectables therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The organization and manner of the structure and operation of the invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify like elements in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a purse including a display case in a closed condition;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the purse display case in an open condition;

FIG. 2B is an alternative perspective view of the purse in an open condition;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the purse and display case;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the display case with an object to be placed therein;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the display case;

FIG. 6A is an exploded perspective view of a doll receiving clamp of the display case;

FIG. 6B is an elevated view of the doll receiving clamp of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is an elevated view of an alternative doll receiving clamp of FIG. 6A; and

FIG. 7 is an elevated view of a dividing wall of the purse.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, a specific embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the invention provides a purse 10 including a display case 12 mounted therein. The display case provides protection for an object contained therein while providing display of the object. The purse 10 provides a means for transporting the display case 12 while simultaneously allowing for display of the object 14 contained within the display case 12. The purse provides a convenient and socially acceptable means for transporting and displaying the object 14 contained within the display case 12.

As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the purse 10 includes an exterior shell 16 which includes an inner surface 18, an outer surface 20, and which defines an interior compartment 22. The exterior shell 16 is comprised of a front wall 24, a rear wall 26 generally parallel to said front wall 24, a bottom wall 28 extending between said front and rear walls 24, 26 and generally perpendicular to said front and rear walls 24, 26 and a generally arched-shaped peripheral side wall 30 which extends between said front wall 24 and said rear wall 26 and which extends to opposite ends of said bottom wall 28. The arched-shaped edge wall 30 includes a front portion 30a and a rear portion 30b. An arched-shaped zipper 32 joins said front and rear portions 30a, 30b of the side wall 30 and secures the exterior shell 16 in a closed condition, as shown in FIG. 1. When the zipper 32 is in an open condition, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, access is provided to the purse compartment 22. Handles 34 and a shoulder strap 36 are attached to the outer surface 20 of the exterior shell 16 and provide for conveniently transporting the purse 10.

As best shown in FIG. 2B, the interior compartment 22 of the purse is generally divided in two portions: a display portion 22a and a personal contents portion 22b. A dividing wall 38 is positioned between the display portion 22a and the personal contents portion 22b.

The personal contents portion 22b of the interior compartment 22 is defined by the rear wall 26, a rear portion of the bottom wall 28 and a rear portion 30b of the side wall 30. A first portion 40 of the zipper 30 is mounted to a peripheral edge of the rear portion 30b of the side wall 30. A pouch 42 is mounted to the interior surface of the rear wall 26 and forms a pocket for receiving personal contents 44 to be transported by the user. A securing tab 46 is mounted to the interior surface of the rear wall 26 for securing the dividing wall 38 as will be described herein.

The dividing wall 38 is secured to the bottom wall 30 of the purse 10 at its lower edge and is formed from a rigid material. When the purse 10 is in its closed condition, the dividing wall 38 is positioned between the display and personal contents portions 22a, 22b of the interior compartment 22 and is generally parallel to the front and rear walls 24, 26 of the purse 10. The dividing wall 38 is dimensioned so as to conceal the personal contents 44 contained within the personal contents portion 22b of the interior compartment 22 when in the closed condition, as shown in FIG. 2A. An organizer 48 is provided on the front surface of the dividing wall 38. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 7, the organizer 48 includes a plurality of snap receivers 50 mounted to a horizontally positioned bar 52. A plurality of hangers 54, each including a snap 56, are mounted to the snap receivers 50. A plurality of rails 58 are positioned to form compartments 60 used to store and display objects. The organizer 48 can, for example, be used to contain accessories or other collectable related items such as doll clothing. A snap receiver 61 is also provided on the front surface of the dividing wall 38 to receive a snap on the securing tab 46.

A door 62 is attached proximate the lower end of the dividing wall 38 and is rotatable relative to the dividing wall 38. The door 62 is preferably formed from a rigid mesh material to allow visualization of the articles hanging on the hangers 54 and positioned within the compartments 60. The door 62 is secured in a closed position using snaps 66 affixed to straps 68 mounted on the dividing wall 38 which mate with snap receivers 70 affixed to the door 62.

The display portion 22a of the interior compartment 22 is defined by the front wall 24, a portion of the bottom wall 28, and the front portion 30a of the side wall 30. A second portion 72 of the zipper 32 is mounted to a peripheral edge of the front portion 30a of the side wall 30 and mates with the first portion 40 of the zipper 32 to secure the purse 10 in a closed position. The front portion 30a of the side wall 30 and the front wall 24 define a display case aperture 74 (See FIG. 1). The display case aperture 74 is generally centrally located in the front wall 24. Vertically positioned mounting strips 76 are provided on opposite sides of the display case aperture 74 at the interior surface of the front wall 24. A plurality of snap receiving elements 78 are secured to each mounting strip 76, As will be described herein, a plurality of snap elements 80 are provided on the display case 12 for securing the display case 12 within the display portion 22a of the purse as shown in FIG. 2A. A plurality of shelves 82 are provided within the display portion 22a of the interior compartment 22. The shelves 82 extend from the interior surface of the front wall 24 and are mounted generally perpendicular thereto. The shelves 82 abut the display case 12 and extend to the side wall 30 of the purse 10. The shelves 82 can be permanently or removably mounted within the display portion 22a of the interior compartment 22. Permanent mounting can be achieved through stitching or gluing, for example. Removable mounting of the shelves can be achieved by mounting tracks on the interior surfaces of the side and front walls 30, 24, for example and slidingly engaging the shelves 82 in the tracks. Shelving covers 84 are mounted to the side wall 30. The shelving covers 84 are preferably formed from a rigid mesh material to allow visualization of the contents positioned on the shelves. The shelving covers 84 are secured to the interior surface of the exterior shell 16 in a manner which allows covers to be moved between an open position (See FIG. 3) and a closed positioned (See FIG. 2A). An outer edge of each shelf cover 84 may, for example, be stitched to the side wall 30 to provide a hinge about which the shelf cover 84 can rotate.

The display case 12 is generally rectangularly-shaped and includes a front wall 90, a rear wall 92, opposite side walls 94, a top wall 96 and a bottom wall 98. The top and bottom walls 96, 98 are generally perpendicular to the side walls and the front and rear walls. The front and rear walls 90, 92 are generally perpendicular to the side walls 94. The display case walls 90, 92, 94, 96 are formed from a rigid material, and at least the front wall 90 is transparent. Flanges 91 extend outwardly from the side walls 94. The snaps 80 mate with the snap receiving elements 78 adjacent the display case aperture 74 defined by the front wall 24 to secure the display case 12 to the purse 10.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the top, bottom, front and side walls 96, 98, 90, 94 are preferably integrally formed and provide a display case base 100 which defines a display compartment 102 in which an item to be displayed is positioned. A lighting fixture 104 (see FIG. 4) is mounted to the bottom wall 98 to provide illumination of display compartment 102. A switch 106 is electrically connected to the lighting fixture to allow the user to easily turn the lighting fixture 104 on or off.

The rear wall 92 is removably mounted to the display case base 100 and provides closure of the display compartment 102. The rear wall 92 includes a back member 108 and a forwardly extending skirt 110 extending from a peripheral edge of the back member 108. The skirt 110 is positioned generally perpendicular to the back member 108 and includes a top flange 110a, a bottom flange 110b and opposite side flanges 110c. The skirt 110 is dimensioned such that when the rear wall 92 is mounted to the display case base 100 an exterior surface of the top flange 110a abuts the interior surface of the top wall 96, the exterior surface of the bottom flange 110b abuts the interior surface of the bottom wall 98, and the exterior surface of the side flanges 110c abut the interior surfaces of the side walls 94. As best shown in FIG. 5, outwardly extending locking members 112 are provided on the exterior surface of the top and bottom flanges 110a, 110b. A pair of forward lock apertures 114 and a pair of rearward lock apertures 116 are provided through the top wall 96 proximate a rear edge thereof for receiving the locking members 112 of the top flange 110a. A pair of forward lock apertures 118 and a pair of rearward lock apertures 120 are provided through the bottom wall 98 proximate a rear edge thereof for receiving the locking members 112 of the bottom flange 110b. The locking members 112 of the top flange 110a mate with either the forward lock apertures 114 or the rearward lock apertures 116 of the top wall 96 to secure the rear wall 92 to the base 110 and the locking members 112 of the bottom flange 110b mate with either the forward lock apertures 118 or the rearward lock apertures 120 of the bottom wall 98 to secure the rear wall 92 to the base 100. A plurality of clamp apertures 122 are provided through the rear wall 92 to receive the post of a clamp 124 therethrough. The rear wall 92 further includes a channel 126 between the front and rear surfaces of the rear wall 92. An interchangeable template 128 is sized to fit within said channel 126 and provides a scenic background for items to be displayed within the display compartment 102. The template 128 includes perforated holes 130 which are aligned with the clamp apertures 122 of the rear wall 92 when the template 128 is positioned within the channel 126.

The clamp 124 is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The clamp 124 includes an object securing portion 132 and a nut 134. The object securing portion 132 includes arms 136 for grasping an object, such as for example, the waist of a doll. The object securing portion 132 also includes a rearwardly extending post 138 having a thread thereon. The object securing portion 132 is positioned within the display compartment 102 such that the post 138 extends through one of the clamp apertures 122 of the rear wall and one of the perforated holes 130 of the template 128. The object securing portion 132 abuts the inner surface of the rear wall 92 of the display case 12. The nut 134 is threaded onto the post 138 and rotated until the nut 134 abuts the outer surface of the rear wall 92 and the clamp 124 is sufficiently secured to the rear wall 92. A logo may be imprinted on the nut 134.

An alternative clamp 124′ is shown in FIG. 6C. The clamp 124′ includes an extended securing portion 132′ to position the object to be secured to the rear wall 92 further from the rear wall 92. The alternative clamp 124′ can, for example, be used to display larger dolls within the display case 12.

Use of the purse 10 and display case 12 is provided as follows. A user begins by selecting a template 128 to provide a scenic background for the display case 12 and slides the template 128 in the channel 126 of the rear wall 92. Next, the user selects the appropriate sized clamp 124,124′ for the object to be displayed in the display case 12. Next, the user secures an object 14, for example a doll, within the arms 136 of the object securing portion 132 of the clamp 124. The user then determines the desired position of the clamp 124 and passes the post 138 of the object securing portion 132d through a clamp aperture 122 of the rear wall 92 and through a perforated hole 130 of the template 128. The nut 134 is then threadedly engaged with the post 138 to secure the clamp and doll relative to the rear wall 92. The rear wall 92 is then mounted to the display case base 100 by positioning the skirt 110 of the rear wall 92 proximate the interior surfaces of the top, bottom and opposite side walls 96, 98, 94 of the display case 12 and sliding the rear wall 92 forward to engage the locking members 112 of the rear wall 92 with the locking apertures of the top and bottom walls 96, 98. As the rear wall is advanced in the forward direction, the top and bottom flanges 110a 110b of the skirt 110 flex inwardly due to the engagement of the protruding locking members 112 with the inner surfaces of the top and bottom walls 96, 98 of the display case. When the locking members 112 are aligned with the rearward lock apertures 116, 120 or the forward lock apertures 114, 118, the top and bottom flanges 110a, 110b of the skirt 110 will spring outwardly to position the locking members 112 in the rearward apertures 116, 120 or the forward apertures 114, 118. If the locking members 112 are positioned in the rearward apertures 116, 120 a relatively large display compartment 102 is provided for accommodating objects of greater depth. If the locking members 112 are positioned in the forward apertures 114, 118 a relatively small display compartment 102 is provided for accommodating objects of lesser depth.

The display case 12 is then inserted into the display case aperture 74 of the purse 10. The snap members 88 on the flanges 91 of the display case 12 are aligned with the snap receiving elements 78 on the interior surface of the front wall 24 of the purse. The snaps 80 are then snap fit with the snap receiving elements 78 to secure the display case 12 within the purse 10.

Although in the embodiment shown a bowler-styled purse 10 is illustrated, it is to be understood that the purse 10 can be of a variety of styles so long as a display case aperture 74 is provided in a wall of the purse 10 so that the collectables within the display case can be viewed as the purse is carried. For example, display case apertures could be provided in the side wall of the purse. Display cases mounted in the side wall of the purse are particularly desirable for a purse where access to the interior compartment is provided at the top of the purse.

Although in the embodiment shown a template 128 is provided on only the rear wall 92 of the display case 12, it is to be understood that channels can also be provided on the top, bottom and side walls 94, 96, 98 for receiving similar templates. In addition, although the channel 126 is described as a gap between the front and rear surfaces of the rear wall 92, the channels can also be provided by spaced tabs under which an edge of the template 128 can be positioned.

Because damage may occur to the display case 12 and in particular, the front wall 92 of the display case may become scratched, it is advantageous to provide for removal of the display case 12 from the purse. In this manner, the replacement of the display case 12 can be made without requiring replacement of the purse 10.

Securement of the display case 12 to the purse 10 has been described using snaps 80 positioned along opposite side walls of the display case 12 which mate with snap receiving elements 78 positioned on opposite edges of the display case aperture 74 of the purse 10. Alternatively, outwardly extending notches, having apertures therethrough could be provided on the side walls 94 of the display case and straps secured to the interior surface of the front wall 24 of purse 10 could be passed through the apertures so as to secure the display case 12 to the purse 10. A seal can be mounted to the interior surface of the wall at the perimeter of the display case aperture 74 so as to improve the fit between the display case aperture 74 and the display case 12.

Although not necessary, it is beneficial to allow the rear wall 92 of the display case 10 to be removed from the display case base 100 without detaching the display case 12 from the purse 10. In this manner, the object displayed can be removed from the display case 12 without removing the display case 12 from the purse 10.

The purse 10 provides for the display of a collectable in a manner which allows for simultaneous transportation and display of the collectable. Furthermore the purse is fashionable and therefore provides a device for displaying a collectable in a socially acceptable manner. Because the purse also accommodates a user's personal effects the display of a user's collectables can be incorporated in to a daily routine, providing frequent opportunities for displaying the collectable.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A purse comprising:

an exterior shell defining an interior compartment and a display aperture;

means for opening and closing said exterior shell to provide access to said interior compartment; and

means for securing a display case within said display aperture.

2. The purse of claim 1, wherein said means for securing a display case includes at least one snap receiver.

3. The purse of claim 1, wherein said means for securing a display case includes at least one strap.

4. The purse of claim 1, wherein said interior compartment includes at least one accessory compartment including a shelf attached to an interior surface of said exterior shell.

5. The purse of claim 4, further including a moveable door for providing access to said accessory compartments.

6. The purse of claim 1, wherein said interior compartment further includes hanger receivers.

7. The purse of claim 1, wherein said interior compartment includes a display portion and a personal belonging portion separated from said display portion by a dividing wall.

8. The purse of claim 1, wherein said dividing wall further includes a mesh cover and a display portion is provided between said dividing wall and said mesh cover.

9. The purse of claim 1, further including a display case wherein at least one wall of said display case is transparent and is aligned with said display case aperture.

10. The purse of claim 2, further comprising a display case including at least one transparent wall aligned with said display case aperture and at least one snap fastener for mating with said snap receiver.

11. The purse of claim 3, further comprising a display case including as least one transparent wall aligned with said display case aperture and at least one channel for receiving said strap.

12. The purse of claim 9, wherein said display case includes a display case base and a removable wall mounted to said display case base and wherein said display case base includes a locking aperture and said removable wall includes a locking member which mates with said locking aperture.

13. The purse of claim 9, wherein said display case base includes a plurality of locking apertures for receiving said locking member and for varying the depth of said display case.

14. The purse of claim 9, wherein at least one wall of said display case further includes at least one securing aperture therethrough and said display case further includes a clamp mounted in said securing aperture.

15. The purse of claim 14, wherein said doll receiving clamp further includes an object receiving portion including a post extending through said at least one securing aperture and a nut engaged with said post.

16. The purse of claim 9, wherein said display case further includes a light fixture.

17. A display case for mounting within a purse, said display case comprising:

a plurality of walls defining a display compartment;

a clamp for securing an item to be displayed within said display case;

fasteners for securing said display case to a purse;

wherein one of said plurality of walls is transparent for viewing the contents of said display compartment; and

wherein one of said plurality of walls is moveable to provide access to said display compartment.

18. A display case as defined in claim 17, wherein said moveable one of said plurality of walls includes snap fit fasteners to secure said moveable wall to a remainder of said display case.

19. A display case as defined in claim 17, wherein said moveable wall includes a plurality of apertures for receiving said clamp.

20. A display case as defined in claim 17, further including a light fixture.

21. A display case as defined in claim 17, further including a liner mounted to at least one of said plurality of walls.

22. A display case as defined in claim 17, wherein said display case further includes a flange extending from at least one of said plurality of walls and said fasteners are positioned on said flange.