AU2004100342A4 - Bag closure construction - Google Patents

Description

The Decor Corporation Pty Ltd

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT "BAG CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 07/05/04,ckdecor2Smar.innovation patentj BAG CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to a construction of bag closure means which ensures reliable closure of bags, such as hand bags and carry bags in the form of luggage.

The invention particularly relates to "soft" bags, ie bags made from a fabric material, either natural or synthetic, and other flexible substances.

In particular, the bags of this invention have a closure flap which, on the end of the closure flap which is moved to open the bag and provide access to the interior, there is provided a fastener means for attaching that end of the flap to the body of the bag.

In one particular bag of this invention the closure flap is located at the top of the bag.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the fastening means for such closure flaps may be a press-stud; two strips of interlocking hook and pile material such as that sold under the trade mark Velcro; or, other engagement fastening means which require to be brought together with pressure.

There currently exists a problem with the bags to which this invention is directed, in that because of the soft and therefore non-rigid nature of the material from which the bag is made, engagement of the fastening means on the closure flap with its corresponding part on the body of the bag, is not necessarily always satisfactorily achieved just by pushing the end of the flap containing the fastening means against the appropriate section located on the bag body.

The result is that the user of the bag believes that the bag is securely closed by means of the fastener provided, but in fact the fastener is only partially, at best, engaged and is capable of releasing without the user of the bag being aware of that, therefore leaving the bag open, until the failure to properly close the bag is noticed either by the user or by another person.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction of soft bag which alleviates or overcomes this problem.

07/05/04,ckdecor25mar.innovation patent,1 -2- In accordance with the invention there is provided a soft bag having a body including a closure flap openable at one end to gain access to the interior of the bag, the closure flap having thereon at the openable end, the first part of a two part fastening means; the second part of the fastening means being provided on a section of the bag body other than the closure flap; said section having on at least one peripheral edge, an opening allowing one or more fingers or a thumb to be inserted through the opening to a position directly behind the second part of said fastening means; whereby to enable the user of the bag to exert by means of a thumb and one or more fingers, a squeezing effect on said second and first parts of said fastening means, whereby to engage said fastening means.

In one embodiment of the invention the fastening means is a press-stud in which a male and a female part of the press-stud engage, upon squeezing pressure being applied to them.

In another aspect of the present invention, the fastening means are two pieces of hook and pile material, such as that sold under the trade mark Velcro.

In a further aspect of the invention the section is at the top of one of the sides of the bag.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the opening in the section faces towards the bottom of the bag.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood a particularly preferred example of the construction of a bag in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a bag of the invention shown in the closed position; and Figure 2 is the bag of Figure 1 shown in a partly opened condition.

Referring to the Figures there is seen a bag 10 which has a closure flap 12 at the top thereof. Flap 12 has sliding clasp fasteners 14 and 16 running along the edges thereof which may be opened to allow flap 12 to be moved back to provide full access to the interior of bag 07/05/04,ckdccor25 mar. innovation patent.2 -3- End 13 of flap 12 extends past the end of side wall 18 of bag 10 and is adapted to be held against side: wall 18 of bagl 10 effectively. Means to close bag 10 is provided for in the form of first and second fastener parts, 20 and 22 respectively, where first fastener part is positioned toward end 13 of flap 12.

As seen in Figure 2, side wall 18 of bag 10 is formed with a section 24 fastened thereto at the top thereof at 24b and on another two sides 24a and 24c, but section 24 is not fixed on side 24d, leaving one side of section 24 with an open peripheral edge.

Second fastener part 22 is positioned on section 24 and when it is desired to engage the fastening means, the end of flap 12 is positioned so that first fastener part 20 aligns with second fastener part 22. One or more fingers of the hand of the person using the bag is inserted behind section 24, by moving one or more fingers through open side 24d, up behind second fastener part 22, in the direction shown by arrow 26 in Figure 1.

With one or more fingers located behind second fastening part 22, first fastener part 20 can be readily pressed onto the second fastener part 22 by the thumb and finger, or fingers, of the user of the bag, to ensure a full and positive engagement of fastener parts 20 and 22.

Variations and modifications may be made to the invention and these will be understood by those skilled in the art. All such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention and include the use of fastening means in the form of a Velcro fastening strip, one part of which is attached inside the end of flap 12 in Figure 1, and the other part of which is attached to the relevant portion of section 24 of Figure 1.

Also, the open side of the section of the bag (shown as 24 in Figure need not be at the bottom of section 24 when the bag is being carried, either side 24a or 24c could be open to allow insertion of one or more fingers behind the fastening means located on section 24.

Also, it will be clear to the skilled person that any fastening means requiring movement together of two parts of the fastener, under the application of pressure, would be suitable to be employed as the fastener means for the closure flap, whereby to enable certain closure of the flap of the bag to which this invention applies.

07/O5/04,ckdecor25mar.innovation patent,3 -4- In another variation, while the section of bag is described above as an additional piece of fabric material added to the bag, that is not necessarily the case. The open side of the section of the bag carrying the second part of the fastening means may also be formed by a slit in the sidewall of the bag. Preferably, in such a case the side wall would be lined internally at the position of the slit.

07/05/04,ckdecor25mar.innovation patcnt,4

Claims (4)

1. A soft bag having a body including a closure flap openable at one end to gain access to the interior of the bag, the closure flap having thereon at the openable end, the first part of a two part fastening means; the second part of the fastening means being provided on a section of the bag body other than the closure flap; said section having on at least one peripheral edge, an opening allowing one or more fingers or a thumb to be inserted through the opening to a position directly behind the second part of said fastening means; whereby to enable the user of the bag to exert by means of a thumb and one or more fingers, a squeezing effect on said second and first parts of said fastening means, whereby to engage said fastening means.

2. The soft bag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said section is an additional piece of material attached to the bag body.

3. The soft bag as claimed in claim 1 wherein said section is part of a side wall of the bag body.

4. The soft bag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the closure flap is at the top of said bag. The soft bag as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said fastening means is selected from the group consisting of two strips of releasably interlocking hook and pile material, and, a press-stud. DATED this day of 2004 THE DECOR CORPORATION PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE 07/05/04,ckdecor25mar.innovation