EP1849384A1

EP1849384A1 - A portable device for holding a bag or the like

Info

Publication number: EP1849384A1
Application number: EP06008411A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Per Schytte
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-24
Filing date: 2006-04-24
Publication date: 2007-10-31

Abstract

The present invention concerns a portable device for holding a bag or the like, said device comprising a support member having a first end and a second end with a lateral extension between said two ends, and a hook member having a first substantially vertical portion extending downward from the support member at the second end thereof, and a second curved portion, said curved portion extending underneath the support member in a direction towards the first end thereof, wherein said support member is provided with a substantially flat underside of the entire support member for providing an area surface contact with the upper surface of an edge region of a table or the like. By providing a flat support member that engages the edge region of a table or the like with an area contact, a stabile holding device is achieved.

Description

The present invention relates to a portable device for holding a bag or the like, said device comprising a support member having a first end and a second end with a lateral extension between said two ends, and a hook member having a first substantially vertical portion extending downward from the support member at the second end thereof, and a second curved portion, said curved portion extending underneath the support member in a direction towards the first end thereof.
Hooks for suspending a handbag or the like are known in various types having different shapes and forms. However, most of these hooks are unsuitable as portable holding devices for a bag or the like. In for instance restaurants and the like, it is common to place the handbag whilst seated on the floor next to the proprietor of the bag. However, in some circumstances this is not attractive as the bag may be damaged by the floor, e.g. if the substrate is damp or dirty. This becomes increasingly unattractive if the handbag is expensive and that the proprietor therefore is careful in preserving the bag. Besides wanting to protect the bag from being worn or scratched, the placing of the bag next to the restaurant table and the chair of the proprietor is also unattractive due to the risk of theft.
Some old examples of a portable hook for hanging the bag from the edge of a table are known. However, they are found to be unstable and does not provide a firm and reliable suspension of the bag or the like that are hanged from this portable hook. This portable hook device was abandoned and its use ceased many decades ago.
Nevertheless, it is an object by the present invention to provide a portable hook which can be used in a stabile manner so that the user can avail him- or herself of a reliable hook device when hanging the handbag from the edge of a table, such as a table, e.g. a restaurant or in a cafe, without scratching the table or the bag.
The invention consists of a portable device of the initially mentioned kind wherein said support member is provided with a substantially flat underside of the entire support member for providing an area surface contact with the upper surface of an edge region of a table or the like.
By providing a flat support member that engages the edge region of a table or the like with an area contact, a stabile holding device is achieved. By suspending a handbag or the like from the hook member, the support member is kept in contact with the table surface and the device is retained in this position by the gravity of the bag. In particular, the support member provides area contact support along the entire contact surface of the support member, i.e. also area contact including around the hook member. Hereby, the risk of tilting is eliminated and a steady and firm portable bag holding device is provided.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the underside of the support member is provided with a high-friction material, such as rubber or the like. This enhances the frictional retention of the device by increasing the frictional forces between the support member and the table surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the hook member is provided with a threaded portion, which is permanently mounted in a threaded hole in the second end of the support member. Hereby a simple and firm mounting of the hook member in the support member may be provided. The support member and the hook member may be made in any suitable material, such as a metal or metal alloy, e.g. brass.
In order to ensure that the straps of the bag is positioned correctly underneath the support member and the table panel, the curved portion of the hook member is preferably provided with bag receiving portion, which is substantially parallel with the underside of the support member.
In the following, the invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1: is a first perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention;
fig. 2: is a second perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention; and
fig. 3 a)-c): is an illustrative example of the use of a device according to the invention.

In the figures 1 and 2, a device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The device comprises a flat support member 1 having a first end 2 and a second end 3. A hook member 4 extends from the underside 6 of the second end 3 of the support member 1. The hook member 4 comprises of a generally vertical first portion 5 and a second curved portion 7, preferably formed integrally by bending a rod or the like into the preferred shape of the hook member 4. The hook member may be terminated with a ball stop 14 or the like. As shown in the figures, the curved portion 7 may include a bag receiving portion which is generally parallel with the support member 1, i.e. substantially horizontal for receiving the straps of the bag.
The support member 1 may be provided with a hook receiving hole 9 in which the hook member 4 is inserted. The hole may be provided with an internal threading and the end of the hook member 4 being provided with a corresponding threading for firmly mounting the hook member 4 in the support member 1.
As shown in fig. 2, the underside 6 of the support member 1 is provided with a friction material layer 10 increasing the gripping properties between the support member 1 and the surface of the table 11 (see fig. 3). This friction material layer could be made of rubber, soft plastic or leather.
In figures 3a to 3c, the functionality of the holding device according to the invention is shown. A holding device is positioned on the edge of a table board 11 so that the support member 1 rests on the edge of the table 1 and the hook member 4 extends downwards from the edge of the table and terminates in the curved hook portion 7 which extends underneath the table edge. A bag 12 is then hung on the curved hook portion 7 of the hook member 4, whereby the device is retained in its position due to the gravity of the bag.
Above, the invention is described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is realised that variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

A portable device for holding a bag or the like, said device comprising
an upper support member having a first end and a second end with a lateral extension between said two ends, and
a hook member having a first substantially vertical portion extending downward from the support member at the second end thereof, and a second curved portion, said curved portion extending underneath the support member in a direction towards the first end thereof,
characterised in that
said support member is provided with a substantially flat underside of the entire support member for providing an area surface contact with the upper surface of an edge region of a table or the like.
A device according to claim 1, wherein the underside of the support member is provided with a high-friction material, such as rubber or the like.
A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hook member is provided with a threaded portion, which is permanently mounted in a threaded hole in the second end of the support member.
A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the curved portion of the hook member is provided with bag receiving portion, which is substantially parallel with the underside of the support member.