EP0432635A2

EP0432635A2 - Watertight wrist-purse

Info

Publication number: EP0432635A2
Application number: EP90123397A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paolo Pozzo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-12-13
Filing date: 1990-12-06
Publication date: 1991-06-19
Also published as: IT8983530A0; EP0432635A3

Abstract

Watertight wrist-purse which comprises a container element (11) consisting of a container (14) and of a cover (15), and also comprises strap elements (12), male (20) and female (33) elements mating by constrained cooperation being included between the container (14) and cover (15), the container element (11) having an elongate conformation.

Description

This invention concerns a watertight wrist-purse. To be more exact, the invention concerns a purse which is to be borne on the wrist and is suitable to hold money, coins, tablets or other articles.
This purse is watertight for normal use even by bathers on the beach or by normal surface swimmers.
Purses are known which are borne hanging on a belt or from the neck on a chain, but these purses are not suitable for use in a swimming pool or on the beach when the user is swimming.
Moreover, a purse hanging from the neck is not only not very practical but is also dangerous if it becomes entangled in something.
So as to obviate such drawbacks and to provide a watertight purse to be borne on the wrist, the present applicant has designed this invention, which also provides further advantages, as will become clear in the description that follows.
The watertight wrist-purse according to this invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe variants of the idea of the solution.
According to the invention a container is provided with a relative cover and is equipped with a strap. The container and the cover, which are advantageously, but not only, made of a plastic material, have reciprocally connecting edges which are advantageously made of a resilient plastic material.
The container has an elongate shape suitable to cooperate with the portion of the arm near the wrist; the container is connected to the cover so that the latter will not be lost. The cover can be opened sideways or in the direction of its length.
According to a first variant the cover may include means to show the time, so that the wrist-purse has the functions of a watertight container and of a watch.
According to a further variant the cover comprises in its upper part elements to show the blood group of the bearer of the watertight wrist-purse.
According to another variant, details to identify the bearer, for instance, name, blood group, etc., are available on a card to be inserted into an appropriate seating within the cover.
According to yet another variant the free part of the cover will bear amusing words or advertisements.
According to still another variant the cover will bear screen- printed impressions or decorative ornaments.
According to a further variant the cover of the container will include a calculator and the display thereof may also act as a watch or a date display.
In a further variant the watch is included in the strap beside the container.
Yet another variant will provide in the front part of the container a small source of light fed, for instance, by a small battery having a cylindrical-flat body and capable of being actuated by a slight pressure on the cover or on a precise point of the wrist strap; the purpose of this is to light up briefly anything such as a keyhole or another object.
According to the invention tbe container and the strap form one single body, consisting advantageously of a plastic material.
According to a variant the strap comprises corrugations to provide expansive resilience and to lessen problems of sweating.
The attached figures, which are given as a non-restrictive example, show the following:-

Figs.1: show front and plan views respectively of a wrist-purse according to the invention;
Fig.2: shows a section of the embodiment of Figs.1;
Fig.3: shows a lengthwise section of the container and cover connected at one end;
Fig.4: shows the embodiment of Figs.1 from above with the cover open;
Fig.5: shows a detail of the container and cover;
Figs.6: show variants of the embodiment of Figs.1.

A wrist-purse 10 comprises a watertight container element 11 connected to strap elements 12; the container element 11 includes a container 14 and cover 15; the container 14 and cover 15 have an elongate shape.
In the figures the container element 11 is shown as having a substantially rectangular form with rounded corners, but in practice can be oval, rectangular with its ends rounded or with corners, for instance like half a hexagon, or can have any other desired shape.
The container element 11 can also include along the whole or part of its periphery auxiliary elements so as to show animal figures, normal or deformed human figures, articles or fancy elements.
The strap elements 12 are connected to the container 14 and, in the examples shown, are two in number and substantially symmetrical; but they may also be asymmetrical and may also consist of only one body and may anchor themselves directly to the container 14 during closure of the wrist-purse 10.
In the example shown, the strap elements 12 include corrugations 13 and are anchored to the container 14 by means of an extension.
In the example shown, the strap elements 12 include in one of their elements 12a recesses 16 separated at a regular distance from each other and also a projection 19 on the lower side of the element 12a; this lower projection 19 cooperates with a lengthwise groove 24 in the other element 12b during closure of the strap 12.
Instead, the recesses 16 of the element 12a cooperate with teeth 17 and 18 which exert a required lengthwise retention action.
The container 14 includes in its periphery a groove 33 of an inwardly enlarged shape, this groove 33 cooperating with a mating protrusion 20 included on the front periphery of the cover 15.
The male protrusion 20 cooperates with the narrow inlet of the female groove 33 in ensuring the required watertight seal engagement.
It is obvious that the inversion of the parts, with a female groove in the cover and a male protrusion on the container, would not affect the substance of the invention.
A resilient connecting element 21 is included between the container 14 and cover 15.
The container 14 comprises a seating 23 for a tongue 22, which is included in the cover 15 and has the purpose of assisting the opening of the cover 15.
An element 25 which indicates at least the time (Figs.6a, 6b) may be provided on the cover 15.
According to the example of Fig.6b the time indicator element 125 is associated with key elements 26 and a solar cell 30 so that the whole assembly can operate also as a calculating machine.
According to the variant of Fig.6c the container 14 is divided into two compartments 14-114, each of which can be used independently.
In this example the two covers 115-215 can be opened sideways.
According to the variant of Fig.6c the container 114 comprises an illumination element 27 which can be actuated by pressure and fed by a battery 28, for instance; this illumination element 27 provides light from the front portion of the container element 11.
According to Fig.6c it is possible to provide on the cover some lips 31 within which it is possible to insert a label or card 29 on which are shown the details to identify the owner or bearer.
According to Fig.6d the cover 315 can be removed lengthwise. The free area 32 of the cover can be used to carry words or other types of impressions or ornaments.

Claims

Watertight wrist-purse which comprises a container element (11) consisting of a container (14) and of a cover (15), and is characterized in that it also comprises strap elements (12), male (20) and female (33) elements mating by constrained cooperation being included between the container (14) and cover (15), the container element (11) having an elongate conformation.
Wrist-purse as claimed in Claim 1, in which the mating male element (20) includes a terminal swollen portion that cooperates with a narrowed portion of an inlet of the mating female element (33).
Wrist-purse as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the container element (11) has a substantially rectangular shape.
Wrist-purse as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the container element (11) has a rectangular shape with its shorter sides rounded.
Wrist-purse as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the container element (11) has a rectangular shape with its shorter sides bevelled.
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which comprises on its cover (15) elements (25) to indicate at least the time.
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which comprises on its cover (15) calculating machine elements (26-125).
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which comprises written words on its cover (15).
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which comprises decorative elements on its cover (15).
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the container (14) comprises two compartments and two covers (115-215) are included.
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the container (14) comprises an illumination element (27).
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the cover (15) comprises means (31-29) to identify the characteristics of the owner and bearer.
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, which comprises on one of the strap elements (12) at least means to indicate the time.
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which at least one of the strap elements (12) comprises corrugations (13).
Wrist-purse as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which mutual attachment elements (21) are included between the container (14) and cover (15).
Wrist-purse as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 14 inclusive, in which the cover (315) can be removed lengthwise from the container (14).