EP4344578A1

EP4344578A1 - Handbag with adjustable length strap

Info

Publication number: EP4344578A1
Application number: EP22199256.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Attilio Rebuglio
Original assignee: Alfred Dunhill Ltd
Current assignee: Alfred Dunhill Ltd
Priority date: 2022-09-30
Filing date: 2022-09-30
Publication date: 2024-04-03

Abstract

A handbag (10, 10') comprises a body (15) having an openable end (12A) and a closed end (12) and defining a pouch (18) for housing articles, the body (15) having an outer skin part (20) and an inner lining part (30), the outer skin part (20) being separated from the inner lining part (30) by an inner section (40). At least one adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B) has first and second end sections (51), each end section having an attachment portion (52, 54, 52A, 52B, 54A, 54B) for fastening the at least one strap (50, 50A, 50B) to the body (15). The first end section comprises two or more adjustment attachment portions (52A-2, 52-A-1, 52A-n, 52B-2, 52-B-1, 52B-n) positioned along said first end section including a first adjustment attachment portion (52A-1, 52B-1) positioned closest to an extremity of the strap for providing a maximum useable strap length, and a second adjustment attachment portion (52-2, 52A-2, 52B-2) positioned furthest from said strap extremity for providing a minimum useable strap length. The handbag further comprises a first bag fastening element (70A, 70B) for each adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B), the first bag fastening element (70A, 70B) being mounted on the body (15) and adapted to cooperate with a selected one of the adjustment attachment portions (52A-2, 52-A-1, 52A-n, 52B-2, 52-B-1, 52B-n) in order to securely, but releasably, fasten the first end section of the strap (50, 50A, 50B) to the body (15) at said selected adjustment attachment portion (52A-2, 52-A-1, 52A-n, 52B-2, 52-B-1, 52B-n). For each adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B), the body (15) further comprises a first opening (60B) formed in the outer skin part (20) or in inner lining part (30) such that when the length of the strap (50, 50A, 50B) is adjusted to less than the maximum useable strap length, at least part of an unused strap length on the first end section is inserted via the first opening (60B) into the inner section (40) and is concealed therein.

Description

The invention relates to the field of handbags and more particularly to handbags having a strap that is adjustable in length.
A handbag, also referred to as a purse, is a handled medium-to-large bag having a pouch that is used to carry personal articles. Handbags are typically made from soft materials such as natural or imitation leather, nylon, cotton, or denim. A handbag generally has at least one and often two straps which may vary in length depending on the style and size of the handbag. In this manner, handbags can be held in one hand, worn over the shoulder, or worn cross-body.
Handbags having an adjustable length strap are known, with the user being able to vary the length of the strap depending on wearing preference. In conventional handbags with an adjustable length strap, when the strap length is adjusted to less than a maximum useable length, the unused section of strap is often folded back along the length of the strap, doubling the strap thickness in certain areas. In other cases, the unused section of strap may simply dangle inside or outside of the handbag. The unused section of the strap is therefore often unsightly affecting the aesthetics of the handbag, and it may also hinder or interfere with access to the handbag's pouch. There is therefore a need for a handbag with an adjustable length strap that overcomes the above drawbacks.
In order to help satisfy this need and alleviate the above drawbacks, the present invention provides a handbag comprising a body having an openable end and a closed end, and defining a pouch for housing articles, the body having an outer skin part and an inner lining part, the outer skin part being separated from the inner lining part by an inner section. At least one adjustable length strap has first and second end sections, each end section having an attachment portion for fastening the at least one strap to the body. The first end section comprises two or more adjustment attachment portions positioned along said first end section including a first adjustment attachment portion positioned closest to an extremity of the strap for providing a maximum useable strap length, and a second adjustment attachment portion positioned furthest from said strap extremity for providing a minimum useable strap length. The handbag further comprises a first bag fastening element for each adjustable length strap, the first bag fastening element being mounted on the body and adapted to cooperate with a selected one of the adjustment attachment portions in order to securely, but releasably, fasten the first end section of the strap to the body at said selected adjustment attachment portion. For each adjustable length strap, the body further comprises a first opening formed in the outer skin part or in inner lining part such that when the length of the strap is adjusted to less than the maximum useable strap length, at least part of an unused strap length on the first end section is inserted via the first opening into the inner section and is concealed therein.
Other advantageous features and embodiments of the present invention are described further below and are set out in the dependent claims, and exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a tote handbag with two straps;
Figure 2 is a top view of the tote handbag of figure 1;
Figure 2A is a top view of an adjustable strap for use with the tote handbag;
Figure 3 is a partial cross-section view taken along the line III-III of figure 2;
Figure 4 is a side perspective of the tote handbag with adjustable length straps in a minimum length configuration;
Figure 5 is a side perspective of the tote handbag with adjustable length straps in a maximum length configuration;
Figure 6 is a side view of a variant of the tote handbag illustrating an inner channel guide for a strap; and
Figure 7 is a side perspective of the tote handbag with adjustable length straps in a minimum length configuration according to another embodiment.

Figures 1-3 provide side perspective, top, and partial cross-section views respectively of a handbag 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Handbag 10 generally comprises a body 15 and at least one strap 50 that acts as a handle. Figure 2A additionally provides a top view of an adjustable length strap 50 suitable for use with handbag 10. In the illustrated example, handbag 10 is a tote-type handbag having two straps 50A and 50B that run generally in parallel to one another, but the invention is applicable to other types of handbags including those having only one strap. As best shown in Figure 3, the handbag body 15 generally comprises an outer skin part 20 and an inner lining part 30 separated by an inner section 40. The outer skin 20 and inner lining 30 comprise relatively soft materials such as natural leather, vegan or imitation leather, nylon, cotton, denim, or other fabrics. Preferably, the outer skin comprises real or imitation leather, and it has a sufficient thickness, for example at least 4 mm, to confer some sturdiness to the handbag. In addition, padding or filler material (not shown) may be added within inner section 40 to add further structural support and volume to the handbag.
In the illustrated embodiment, handbag body 15 is generally rectangular-shaped and the outer skin part 20 comprises first and second opposing main surfaces 22A, 22B and first and second opposing minor surfaces 24A, 24B, the minor surfaces generally having a much smaller surface area than the major ones. Similarly, the inner lining part 30 comprises first and second opposing main surfaces 22A, 32B and first and second opposing minor surfaces 34A, 34B. Other handbag shapes are of course also possible. The body 15 has a closed end 12 (generally defined as its bottom) and an openable end 12A opposite to the closed end 12 (generally defined as its top) revealing a pouch 18 where articles can be housed inside the body 15. The pouch 18 may remain open or means for closing the pouch such as a zipper, magnet closure, flap, one or more press studs, buttons or any combination thereof (not shown) may be provided at its openable end 12A. The handbag body 15 can be fabricated in well-known manner by stitching the outer skin part 20 and the inner lining part 30 together, and for that purpose their constituent surfaces 22, 24, 32 and 34 (as well as bottom 12) may be provided as separate pieces of material, as is also well-known. The outer skin part 20 may further comprise a top outer band 25, and similarly the inner lining part 30 may further comprise a top inner band 35 (see figure 3). The bands 25 and 35 can improve the structure and appearance of the handbag by acting as a collar, and they may optionally be formed from a single piece of material. A decorative tag 13 may also be affixed to the top outer band 25.
In general, strap 50A is attached to the body 15 at an attachment portion 52A positioned on a first end section 51 of strap 50A and at an attachment portion 54A positioned on a second end section 51 of strap 50A. Similarly, strap 50B is attached to the body 15 at an attachment portion 52B positioned on a first end section of strap 50B and at an attachment portion 54B positioned on a second end section of strap 50B.
In accordance with the invention and illustrated in figure 2A, at least two adjustment attachment portions 52-1, 52-2, 52-n are positioned along at least one end section 51 of each strap 50, so that the length of the strap is changeable by releasably fastening the end section of the strap to the body 15 at a different adjustment attachment portion. These include at least a first adjustment attachment portion 52-1 positioned closest to an extremity of the strap for providing a maximum useable strap length, and a second adjustment attachment portion 52-2 positioned furthest from that strap extremity for providing a minimum useable strap length. One or more intermediate adjustment attachment portion 52-n may further be located between the first and second adjustment attachment portions 52-1 and 52-2. As shown in figure 2A, the other end section 51 of the adjustable length strap 50 may be shorter and comprise only a single fixed attachment portion 54. Furthermore, as shown in the cross-section view of figure 3, when the strap is adjusted so that its length is less than a maximum useable strap length, at least part of the unused strap length is inserted into the inner section 40 via an opening in the body 15 where that part of the strap remains concealed from view and does not hinder the use of handbag 10 or detract from its appearance. The unused strap length notably refers to the part of the end section of the strap that is located between a selected adjustment attachment portion and the corresponding extremity of the strap.
The above features will be better appreciated by referring now to figures 3-5 which illustrate the above-described embodiment in more detail. In this embodiment, one end section of strap 50A is permanently fastened to body 15 at a fixed attachment portion 54A, and one end section of strap 50B is permanently fastened to body 15 at a fixed attachment portion 54B. The fixed attachment portions 54A and 54B are located at an end section 51 of their respective straps 50A, 50B, and the straps may be permanently fastened to the body 15 at these portions by stitching, riveting, or other known techniques. The fixed attachment portions 54A, 54B are preferably fastened to the top inner band 35 of inner lining 30 as shown, but they may alternatively be fastened to other parts of body 15 such as to the top outer band 25.
The other end section of strap 50A includes three adjustment attachment portions 52A: a first adjustment attachment portion 52A-1, a second adjustment attachment portion 52A-2, and an intermediate adjustment attachment portion 52A-n located between the first and second adjustment attachment portions 52A-1 and 52A-2. Similarly, the other end section of strap 50B includes three adjustment attachment portions 52B: a first adjustment attachment portion 52B-1, a second adjustment attachment portion 52B-2, and an intermediate adjustment attachment portion 52B-n located between the first and second portions 52B-1 and 52B-2. In other embodiments, the end sections of the straps may have more than one intermediate adjustment attachment portion or alternatively no intermediate adjustment attachment portion. Each adjustment attachment portion has an eyelet 55 (or alternatively another type of fastening element) for enabling the adjustment attachment portion to be releasably fastened to the body 15 of handbag 10 as described further below. Also, where three or more adjustment attachment portions are provided along an end section of a strap, they are preferably spaced apart equally from one another.
Figure 4 shows the straps 50A and 50B configured at a minimum useable strap length in which the second adjustment attachment portions 52A-2, 52B-2 are fastened to the body 15 by way of bag fastening elements 70A and 70B respectively, the bag fastening elements 70A and 70B being mounted on the handbag body 15 and cooperating with a corresponding adjustment attachment portion by means of for example a corresponding eyelet opening 55 located on each of the adjustment attachment portions 52A-2, 52B-2. In contrast, figure 5 shows the straps 50A and 50B configured at a maximum useable strap length in which the first adjustment attachment portions 52A-1, 52B-1 are fastened to the body 15 by way of bag fastening elements 70A and 70B and adjustment attachment portions 56A-1, 52-B-1, again for example by means of a corresponding eyelet opening 55. Although not illustrated, it will be appreciated that the straps 50A and 50B could also be configured in this embodiment at an intermediate useable strap length in which the intermediate adjustment attachment portions 52A-n, 52B-n are fastened to the body 15 in the same manner.
In the illustrated embodiment, the bag fastening elements 70A and 70B are button studs that are mounted via riveting or otherwise onto the body 15 and the adjustment attachment portions 52A-1, 52A-2, 52A-n, 52B-1, 52B-2, 52-Bn each comprise eyelet openings 55 situated at suitable locations at each adjustment attachment portion 52A-1, 52A-2, 52A-n, 52B-1, 52B-2, 52-Bn. The fastening elements 70A, 70B are adapted to cooperate with one another in order to securely, but releasably, fasten the strap to the body at a selected adjustment attachment portion. Instead of button studs and eyelets 55, the releasable fastening of the adjustment attachment portions 52A and 52B to the body 15 may be realised by any other suitable fastening elements, such as for example buckles, pin-buckles, male/female snap buttons, or Mousqueton-type clasps.
In both figures 4 and 5, part of bands 25 and 35 have been cut away to better show the adjustable attachment of strap 50B in particular. As illustrated, underneath bag fastening element 70B, an opening 60B is formed in the body 15 to allow the unused length of strap 50B to be inserted into the inner section 40 of body 15 and thereby concealed. Although the opening 60B is preferably located proximate and underneath the bag fastening element 70B, it may alternatively be positioned elsewhere on the body 15 of handbag 10. A similar opening (not shown) is formed in the body to allow the unused length of strap 50A to be inserted into and concealed within the inner section 40. The openings are appropriately sized to receive the straps 50A and 50B and may for example be slot-shaped. As shown in in figure 5, even when the straps 50A and 50B are configured at a maximum useable strap length in which the first adjustment attachment portions 52A-1, 52B-1 are fastened to the body 15 using bag fastening elements 70A and 70B, part of straps 50A and 50B may still extend and be concealed within the inner section 40. In this way, the handbag 10 and notably the adjustment attachment portions 52A and 52B of the straps have a uniform appearance regardless of the useable strap length that is selected.
Preferably, the bag fastening elements 70A and 70B and corresponding openings are positioned at or proximate the top of body 15 since this allows the unused length of straps to extend along the height of the handbag within the inner section 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the bag fastening elements 70A and 70B and openings are positioned on top inner band 35 of the inner lining 30 of the handbag, which also renders them less visible when the handbag is viewed from the side. However, the bag fastening elements and openings can alternatively be positioned on other parts of body 15 such as on the top outer band 25 of outer skin part 20. If the body 15 does not comprises top bands 25 and 35 or if otherwise desired, the bag fastening elements and openings may be positioned directly on the surfaces 22, 24 of the outer skin part 20 or on the surfaces 32, 34 of the inner lining part 30.
Figure 6 is a side view of handbag 10 illustrating a variant in which a channel 45 for guiding movement of the unused length of strap 50A is optionally formed within the inner section 40 of body 15. A similar channel (not shown) may be formed for guiding the unused length of strap 50B within the inner section 40. The inner section channels may be formed by stitching 42 and are slightly wider than straps 50A and 50B, and they serve to facilitate movement of the straps within the inner section 40.
Another embodiment of a handbag 10' is shown in figure 7. In this case, straps 50A and 50B no longer have fixed attachment portions 54A and 54B that are permanently fastened to body 15. Instead, straps 50A and 50B have adjustment attachment portions 54A and 54B similar to the attachment portions 52A and 52B that are illustrated in figures 4 and 5. For clarity, only the second adjustment attachment portions 54A-2 and 54B-2 of the straps are shown in figure 7, and they have eyelet openings 55 and are fastened to the body 15 by way of bag fastening elements 72A and 72B that are mounted on the handbag body 15 as in the embodiment above. In this embodiment, both end sections of each strap 50A and 50B comprise at least two adjustment attachment portions, including at least a first adjustment attachment portion positioned closest to an extremity of the strap and a second adjustment attachment portion positioned furthest from that strap extremity. Thus, for strap 50B, a further opening 62B is formed in the body 15, preferably underneath bag fastening elements 72B, to allow the unused length of strap 50B at its other end section to be inserted into the inner section 40 of body 15. Similarly, an opening (not shown) is formed in the body 15 underneath bag fastening element 72A to allow the unused length of strap 50A at its other end section to be inserted into the inner section 40. In this manner, both end sections of each strap can be concealed within the inner section 40 of body 15 depending on the strap length that is chosen, and there is a wider ability to adjust the useable length of each strap 50A and 50B since adjustment attachment portions are provided at both end sections of each strap. In this case, the notion of maximum and minimum useable strap length refers to the maximum and minimum length of only one half of the strap since both ends are separately adjustable.
It will also be appreciated that while the above embodiments describe a handbag having two straps that run generally parallel to one another, a handbag according to the invention may also comprise only one strap. A single strap handbag may for example have a strap extending between one of the minor surfaces 24A, 34A and one of the minor surfaces 24B, 34B of body 15. Such a single strap may have adjustment attachment portions at only one end section or at both of its end sections, with the unused length of strap at one or both end sections being inserted into the inner section 40 in a similar manner to that described above.
More generally, while the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that numerous alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.

Claims

A handbag (10, 10') comprising:
a body (15) having an openable end (12A) and a closed end (12) and defining a pouch (18) for housing articles, the body (15) having an outer skin part (20) and an inner lining part (30), the outer skin part (20) being separated from the inner lining part (30) by an inner section (40);

at least one adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B) having first and second end sections (51), each end section having an attachment portion (52, 54, 52A, 52B, 54A, 54B) for fastening the at least one strap (50, 50A, 50B) to the body (15), and wherein the first end section comprises two or more adjustment attachment portions (52A-2, 52-A-1, 52A-n, 52B-2, 52-B-1, 52B-n) positioned along said first end section including a first adjustment attachment portion (52A-1, 52B-1) positioned closest to an extremity of the strap for providing a maximum useable strap length, and a second adjustment attachment portion (52-2, 52A-2, 52B-2) positioned furthest from said strap extremity for providing a minimum useable strap length; and

a first bag fastening element (70A, 70B) for each adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B), the first bag fastening element (70A, 70B) being mounted on the body (15) and adapted to cooperate with a selected one of the adjustment attachment portions (52A-2, 52-A-1, 52A-n, 52B-2, 52-B-1, 52B-n) in order to securely, but releasably, fasten the first end section of the strap (50, 50A, 50B) to the body (15) at said selected adjustment attachment portion (52A-2, 52-A-1, 52A-n, 52B-2, 52-B-1, 52B-n);

wherein, for each adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B), the body (15) further comprises a first opening (60B) formed in the outer skin part (20) or in inner lining part (30) such that when the length of the strap (50, 50A, 50B) is adjusted to less than the maximum useable strap length, at least part of an unused strap length on the first end section is inserted via the first opening (60B) into the inner section (40) and is concealed therein.
The handbag according to claim 1, wherein the first opening (60B) is positioned proximate to the first bag fastening element (70A, 70B).
The handbag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first opening (60B) is positioned further from said openable end (12A) of body (15) than the first bag fastening element (70A, 70B).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the first fastening element (70A, 70B) is mounted at or proximate to said openable end (12A) of body (15).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the first bag fastening element (70A, 70B) is mounted on the inner lining part (30), preferably on a top inner band (35) forming part of the inner lining part (30) at or proximate to said openable end (12A) of body (15).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the second end section (51) comprises a fixed attachment portion (54, 54A, 54B) at which the second end section is permanently fastened to the body (15).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein:
the second end section (51) of the at least one adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B) also comprises two or more adjustment attachment portions (54A-1, 54A-2, 54B-1, 54B-2) positioned along said second end section including a first adjustment attachment portion (54A-1, 54B-1) positioned closest to an extremity of the strap for providing a maximum useable strap length, and a second adjustment attachment portion (54A-2, 54B-2) positioned furthest from said strap extremity for providing a minimum useable strap length;

the handbag (10, 10') further comprises, for each adjustable length strap, a second bag fastening element (72A, 72B) mounted on the body (15) and adapted to cooperate with a selected one of the adjustment attachment portions (54A-1, 54A-2, 54B-1, 54B-2) of said second end section in order to securely, but releasably, fasten the second end section of the strap (50, 50A, 50B) to the body (15) at said selected adjustment attachment portion (54A-1, 54A-2, 54B-1, 54B-2); and

the body (15) further comprises, for each adjustable length strap, a second opening (62B) formed in the outer skin part (20) or in inner lining part (30) such that when the length of the strap (50, 50A, 50B) is adjusted to less than the maximum useable strap length, at least part of an unused strap length on the second end section is inserted via the second opening (62B) into the inner section (40) and is concealed therein.
The handbag according to claim 7, wherein the second opening (62B) is positioned proximate the second bag fastening element (72A, 72B) and further from said openable end (12A) of body (15) than the second bag fastening element (72A, 72B).
The handbag according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the second fastening element (72A, 72B) is mounted at or proximate to the openable end (12A) of body (15).
The handbag according to any one of claims 7-9, wherein the second bag fastening element (72A, 72B) is mounted on the inner lining part (30), preferably on a top inner band (35) forming part of the inner lining part (30) at or proximate to said openable end (12A) of body (15).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the body (15) comprises one or more channels (45) formed therein for guiding movement of one or more sections of unused strap length within the inner section (40).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the bag fastening element or elements (70A, 70B, 72A, 72B) comprise button studs and the adjustment attachment portions (54A-1, 54A-2, 54B-1, 54B-2) comprise eyelet openings (55) formed within the adjustable length strap (50, 50A, 50B).
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the outer skin part (20) and the inner lining part (30) each comprise a material selected from the list of: natural leather, vegan or imitation leather, nylon, cotton, fabric.
The handbag according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the handbag comprises two adjustable length straps (50A, 50B).
The handbag according to claim 14, wherein the handbag is a tote-type handbag.