SECURE BAG
A bag comprising: a first enclosure comprising at least a first material; a securing member comprising at least a second material, said second material being tougher than said first material; a second enclosure within or connected to said first enclosure and secured to said securing member, said second enclosure comprising a third material tougher than said first material, and an access point having an open position and a closed position; and at least one locking mechanism for locking said access point in said closed position and securing said securing member to said second enclosure.
The invention relates generally to bags and luggage, and, more specifically, the bags and luggage having security features.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTIONToday's society is becoming increasingly more mobile and active. This on-the-go lifestyle is epitomized by students and young adults whose schedules often take them from morning to night without ever going home. For example, many students attend school and then immediately afterward participate in sports and extra curricular activities and/or social activities.
Due to schedules and logistics, students are often unable to use lockers effectively and are forced to carry with them most of what they require for the entire day. This includes, for example, books, equipment, and a change of clothes. Students also carry with them relatively expensive items such as a watches and jewelry and, more recently, electronic equipment, such as, cell phones, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phones, and portable multimedia players (e.g., iPods® and MP3 players). These items can cost several hundred dollars a piece. Indeed, it is not unusual for the contents of a student book bag to exceed $500.
The value of these bags has increased the risk of their theft. This risk is compounded by the fact that often students participate in activities in which they are forced to leave their bags unattended. For example, while participating in a soccer or basketball game after school, a student is simply not able to keep a vigilant eye on his or her bag at all times. Given the mobile nature of these bags, they can easily be taken quickly without notice. Although, in the past, the potential loss from theft was minimal because the bags contained only personal items, such as clothes and books, which had little value or interest to a would-be thief, the risk has increased significantly in recent years with the proliferation of valuable electronic devices.
One approach to prevent theft is to lock the bag to an immovable structure such as a fence or telephone pole. Such an approach however is generally ineffective against a determined thief, who typically would have no trouble breaking into the bag, which is typically constructed of a fabric that is easily ripped, cut, or torn. Although one could use a fortified bag which is not susceptible to ripping or cutting, the weight and bulkiness associated with such a fortified bag would be prohibitive for most pedestrian users. Furthermore, the expense likely associated with such a fortified bag would be prohibitive.
Therefore, a need exists for a bag that is lightweight and convenient to use but can be secured to protect valuable contents while left unattended. The present invention fulfills this need among others.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThe following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The present invention provides a secure bag having a rugged sub-container that is securable to an immovable object. More specifically, applicant recognizes that not all of the contents of a bag need to be secured, but rather just a portion of relatively small items. Applicant also recognizes that, because these items are relatively small, only a small rugged enclosure is needed. In other words, there is no need to invest in a large fortified structure for all the contents of the bag. This not only minimizes the materials (and hence cost and weight) required for the secured portion bag, but also allows the majority portion of the bag to be fabricated from traditional lightweight and aesthetically-pleasing materials. Even if a thief rips or cuts open the bag, the secured sub-container will remain intact, protecting the items locked within.
Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is a secure bag having a secured portion. In one embodiment, the bag comprises: (a) a first enclosure comprising at least a first material; (b) a securing member comprising at least a second material, said second material being tougher than said first material; (c) a second enclosure within or connected to said first enclosure and secured to said securing member, said second enclosure comprising a third material tougher than said first material, and an access point having an open position and a closed position; and (d) at least one locking mechanism for locking said access point in said closed position and securing said securing member to said second enclosure.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of retrofitting an existing, non-secure enclosure with a secure portion comprising a securing member, a second enclosure secured to said securing member, said second enclosure comprising an access point having an open position and a closed position, and at least one locking mechanism for locking said access point in said closed position and securing said securing member to said second enclosure. In one embodiment, the method comprises: (a) providing an off-the-shelf first enclosure; (b) disposing said second enclosure in said first enclosure such that said securing member extends from said first enclosure; and (c) providing access through said first enclosure such that a lockable end of said securing member can enter said first enclosure and connect with said locking mechanism.
Referring to
The first enclosure 101 functions to provide a holding portion 106 of the bag 100 suitable for carrying items and to contain or otherwise be attached to the second enclosure 102. Suitable first enclosures include, for example, book bags, backpacks, duffle bags, computer cases, pocketbooks, beach bags, suitcases, picnic baskets, coolers, etc. In one embodiment, the first enclosure is an article used by students to carry items used for school and athletics, and resembles a traditional book bag, backpack or duffle bag. As shown in
The first enclosure comprises a first material which is not necessarily tough but rather may be chosen to optimize other features such as comfort, pliability, light-weight, manufacturability, cost, weather resistance, and aesthetics, just to name a few. Suitable first materials include, for example, material fabrics such as cotton, leather, silk, rubber, and wool, synthetic fabrics such as cotton blends, Nylon and Rayon, and plastics, such as ABS. for example, the book bag 101a typically comprises a pliable and aesthetically-pleasing material such as a Nylon.
The second enclosure 102 and securing member 103 function to provide a secure location or lockbox to store relatively small and expensive items such as watches, jewelry, cellular phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants, personal medial players, etc. To this end, the second enclosure 102 comprises a material which is relatively tough compared to the first material mentioned above.
As used herein, the term toughness refers to a material's ability to absorb mechanical (or kinetic) energy up to failure. Toughness can be found by taking the area (i.e., by taking the integral) underneath the stress-strain curve. Its energy per unit volume prior to fracture. The area covered under stress strain curve is called toughness. The explicit mathematical description is:
-
- Where:
- ε is strain
- εf is the strain upon failure
- σ is stress
The toughness of the second material should be sufficient to deter a would-be thief from cutting or ripping the second material to get to the contents of the second enclosure. In one embodiment, the toughness is sufficient to withstand commonly used tools such as a knife or screw driver. In one embodiment, the toughness is at least 10 KIC (MPa-m1/2). Materials with adaequate toughness include metals such as aluminum, titannum, steel and other alloys, polymeric materials, reinformed polymeric materials such as fiberglass and carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, polyester, polyuerathan, or other known polymer matrix, and farbics reinforced with fibers such as aramid fibers (e.g., para-aramid synthetic fiber (i.e., Kyvlar®)) and metalic weaves. Generally, although not necessarily, lighter weight materials are desirable since the bag is generally intended to be carried. In one embodiment, the second encloure 102 comprises aluminum.
The second enclosure 102 comprises an access point 105, having an open position in which the access point 105 is open thereby providing access to the second enclosure, and a closed position in which the access point 105 is closed thereby preventing access to the second enclosure and its contents. In
The securing member 103 functions to secure the second enclosure to an immovable object such as a telephone pole, basketball backboard support, bike rack, bleachers, desk, locker, railing, sign, etc. To this end, in one embodiment, the securing member is flexible and/or articulated such that it can be wrapped around an immovable object. Alternatively, the securing member may be a rigid member that hooks to the immovable object. Examples of securing members include cables, chains, straps, and hooks. Like the second enclosure, the securing member should be made form a tough material such as those described above with respect to the second enclosure. In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment, the locking mechanism 104 functions to secure the second enclosure in its closed state and to secure the securing member to the second enclosure. In one embodiment, these functions are combined in a single locking mechanism, meaning that the one lock functions both to secure the access point in its closed state and to secure the securing member to the second enclosure. Alternatively, two independent locking mechanisms may be used—i.e., a first to secure the access point in its closed state and a second to operatively secure the securing member to the second enclosure.
Considering the embodiment in which the locking mechanism secures both the access point and the securing member, various configurations are possible. In one embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises an interlock among the receptacle, door and locking end. For example, this interlock may require the door and locking end to cooperate such that the locking end can be received in the receptacle only if the door is closed. Likewise, the door can be opened only if the lockable end is not in the receptacle. Such interlock mechanisms are well known. For example, referring to
In one embodiment, the locking mechanism is integral with the second enclosure in the form of either a key or combination lock. As shown in
Rather than integrating the locking mechanism with the enclosure, the locking mechanism may be a discrete lock. For example, it may be an off-the-shelf, key or combination pad lock discrete from the second enclosure. In such a configuration, the access point and lockable end may have a common junction through which the pad lock can pass through and lock. For example, referring to
In one embodiment, the second enclosure, securing member and locking mechanism may be retrofitted to an existing first enclosure. Specifically, rather than providing the secured portion and first enclosure it may be preferable in some situations to provide this as a discrete component which can be retrofitted into an existing first enclosure and/or removed from an existing, worn first enclosure and reinstalled in a new second enclosure. To this end, retrofitting the secured portion may involve attaching the second enclosure to the first enclosure using known approaches such as hook and loop fasteners, snaps, adhesive, and double sided tape. Additionally or alternatively, the first enclosure may be modified to accommodate the secured portions. For example, this modification may include punching holes 130 in the first enclosure to allow the secured member to pass through as shown in
In one embodiment, the bag 100 is provided with a security alarm to notify the user or anyone around the bag if anyone is attempting to move the bag or tamper with the securing member 103. Various alarms may be employed. For example, in one embodiment in which the securing member 103 is conductive (e.g., stainless steel), the fixed end 120 and the lockable end 121 may be connected in a low voltage circuit comprising a normally closed rely connected to an alarm circuit or system. If the circuit is opened by virtue of someone cutting the securing member 103, then the normally closed relay is de-energized causing the alarm circuit to close. The alarm circuit may comprise an audio and/or visual alarm to indicate that the bag 100 is being tampered with. Alternatively, an alarm system using accelerometers or other known techniques/devices for sensing movement may be used to trigger and audio/visual alarm when the bag is moved. Still other alarm system will be obvious to one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure.
It should be understood that the foregoing is illustrative and not limiting and that obvious modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the specification is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalence as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims
1. A bag comprising:
- a first enclosure comprising at least a first material;
- a securing member comprising at least a second material, said second material being tougher than said first material;
- a second enclosure within or connected to said first enclosure and secured to said securing member, said second enclosure comprising a third material tougher than said first material, and an access point having an open position and a closed position; and
- at least one locking mechanism for locking said access point in said closed position and securing said securing member to said second enclosure.
2. The bag of claim 1, wherein said second and third materials are different.
3. The bag of claim 1, wherein said second and third materials are independently selected from one or more of metals, alloys, polymeric materials, reinformed polymeric materials, and reinfocred fabrics.
4. The bag of claim 1, wherein said second and third materials have a toughness of greater than 10 MPa-m1/2.
5. The bag of claim 1, wherein said access point is selected from a zippered opening, a door, a drawstring, or a lid.
6. The bag of claim 1, wherein said securing member is elongated and has a fixed end and a lockable end, said fixed end attached to said second enclosure, and said lockable end being adapted to be received in a receptacle operatively connected to said locking mechanism.
7. The bag of claim 6, wherein said securing member is bendable or articulated.
8. The bag of claim 7, wherein said securing member comprises at least a cable.
9. The bag of claim 6, wherein said securing member is rigid and comprises a hook.
10. The bag of claim 1, wherein said lockable end comprises a contoured pin.
11. The bag of claim 1, wherein said securing member is integrated into a strap of said first enclosure.
12. The bag of claim 6, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a single mechanism to lock said lockable end to said second enclosure and to lock said access point in said closed position.
13. The bag of claim 12, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a receptacle for receiving said lockable end, and an interlock operatively connected to said receptacle such that said receptacle can receive said lockable end only if said access point is in said closed position, and such that said access point cannot be actuated to said open position when said lockable end is disposed in said receptacle.
14. The bag of claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a first mechanism to lock said access point closed and a second mechanism to lock said lockable end to said second enclosure.
15. The bag of claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism comprises a combination lock.
16. The bag of claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism is integral to said second enclosure.
17. The bag of claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism is discrete from said second enclosure.
18. The bag of claim 1, wherein said first enclosure is one of a book bad, duffle bag, backpack, pocketbook, suitcase, computer case, or beach bag.
19. A method of retrofitting a first enclosure to a have a secured portion, said secured portion comprising (a) a securing member (b) a second enclosure secured to said securing member, said second enclosure comprising an access point having an open position and a closed position; and (c) at least one locking mechanism for locking said access point in said closed position and securing said securing member to said second enclosure, said method comprising:
- providing an off-the-shelf first enclosure; and
- disposing said second enclosure in said first enclosure such that said securing member extends from said first enclosure; and
- providing access through said first enclosure such that a lockable end of said securing member can enter said first enclosure and connect with said locking mechanism.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming at least one hole in said first enclosure for said securing member to pass through.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 29, 2011
Publication Date: Sep 29, 2011
Inventor: W. Andrew Worthington (Stroudsburg, PA)
Application Number: 13/074,678
International Classification: A45F 3/04 (20060101);