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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 substantially vertical portion extending downward from the support member at the second end thereof, and a curved portion, said curved portion extending underneath the support member in a direction towards the first end thereof.
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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.
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Some examples of a portable hook for hanging the bag from the edge of a table are known from e.g.
FR 1,051,301 or
WO 2005/072483 . 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.
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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 café, without scratching the table or the bag.
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Accordingly, the invention consists of 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, 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, and with a cavity extending on the underside at the first end to the second end thereof; and a hook member extending downward from the support member at the second end thereof, said hook member comprising a mounting portion, a substantially vertical portion extending from a mounting portion, and a curved portion, said curved portion extending underneath the support member in a direction towards the first end thereof, where the mounting portion is pivotably mounted in a mounting member which is rotatably mounted in the support member, so that the hook member is pivotably mounted in the support member for being pivoted between a retracted and an extended position.
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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. When suspending a load, such as 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.
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By the invention, the portable device is furthermore advantageous since the hook can be retracted in the flat support member, so that the device is stackable and less likely to become entangled with other objects when portably stored, e.g. by the user. Moreover, it is realised by the invention that the device is also suitable for suspending cables or wires underneath a table edge rather leaving such cables on the floor underneath the table.
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Preferably, the mounting member is rotatably mounted in the second end of the support member for rotating about an axis substantially perpendicular to the underside. In the preferred embodiment, the mounting portion of the hook member is provided with a distal lock tap which extends beyond the mounting member for movement in a semi-annular space in the mounting member which is terminated with an contraction for receiving the lack tap and thereby limiting the rotary movement and locking the hook member in its extended position, as said annular space preferably extend approximately ¼ around the mounting member. Hereby, a simple and efficient retention and locking of the hook may be performed.
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Preferably, the cavity circumscribes at least the vertical and curvature portions of the hook member. Hereby, storage is provided for the hook when it is retracted to an inactive position. Particularly, it may be advantageous, if the cavity is provided with an extension in the first end in the section circumscribing the hook member. Hereby, an easy gripping of the hook may be provided so that the user easily can extend the hook.
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In a preferred embodiment, the support member is made of plastic. Moreover, the support member may preferably comprise an upper and a lower part and preferably having a weight, such as a cast iron element, mounted inside the two parts. Hereby, an inexpensive manufacturing of the device may be achieved.
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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.
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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 may be provided with bag receiving portion, which is substantially parallel with the underside of the support member.
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In the following, the invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- fig. 1
- is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention;
- fig. 2
- is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention;
- fig. 3
- is a cross-section side view of a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention; and
- fig. 4 a) - c)
- are illustrative examples of the use of a device according to the invention.
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In the figures 1, 2 and 4, 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 portion 5 with a curved portion 7 and a mounting portion 8 on each side of the vertical portion 5, so that the hook member is formed integrally by bending a rod or the like into the preferred shape. The hook member 4 may be terminated with a ball stop 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.
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The underside 6 of the support member 1 is provided with a cavity 9 generally circumscribing the contour of the hook member 4. The cavity 9 includes an extension 9a at the first end 2 and a bend 9d at the second end, said bend 9d allowing for substantially ¼ of a revolution of the hook member 4 when extended. A semi-annular passage 9c is provided opposite the bend 9d and mirrored in contour. At the cavity extension 9a a snap-retention of the hook may be provided so that the user can easily release the hook for using the device.
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The mounting portion 8 of the hook member 4 is substantially perpendicular to the vertical portion 5 of the hook 4. The mounting portion 8 penetrates in a radial direction a mounting member 15, which is rotatably mounted in the support member 1. At the distal end of the mounting portion 8 which extends beyond the mounting member 15, there is provided a locking tap 8a which cooperates with the rotation limiting end stop 9b. The locking tap 8a has a flat configuration and the end stop 9b has a contraction so that the tap is clamped into the limit stop for locking the hook member in the extended position. The hook member 4 is pivotably mounted in the mounting member 15 and the locking tap 8a is only oriented correctly for engaging into the contraction 9b when the hook member 4 is fully extended.
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As shown in fig. 2, at least a portion of 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.
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With reference to fig. 3, the support member 1 is preferably made as an upper part 14 and a lower part 13. The mounting member 15 is likewise made as two portions which are assembled around the mounting portion of the hook member 4. The portions of the mounting member 15 as well as the parts 13, 14 of the support member 1 are preferably moulded in plastic and assembled by adhesives, ultrasonic welding or any other suitable assembly process.
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In figures 4a to 4c, 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 load 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 load, such as a bag.
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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.
