US2810599A

US2810599A - Spring lock for a handbag or the like

Info

Publication number: US2810599A
Application number: US636528A
Authority: US
Inventors: William H Hardy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-01-28
Filing date: 1957-01-28
Publication date: 1957-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1974-10-22

Description

Oct. 22, 1957 w. H. HARDY 2,810,599

' SPRING LOCK FOR A HANDBAG OR THE LIKE 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1.957

IN N #1222);

BY pg vp 7.9

ATTORNEY If If United States The present invention relates primarily to catches, locks, and the like, for ladies handbags and similar articles and more particularly to improvements in such devices and the operating characteristics thereof.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved lock or catch structure for ladies handbags.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a lock or catch structure that is positive in operation and which securely locks the hinged top or lid of a handbag to the body portion thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a lock or catch structure which is easily operated to release the hinged top and permit the bag to be opened.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a lock or catch which is easily and cheaply manufactured and which contains a minimum number of parts that are easily and conveniently assembled and attached to a handbag.

The above and further objects and features of the present invention will be more apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in the latter of which:

Fig. l is a top view of a substantially rectangular shaped ladys handbag of the so-called rigid type with the lock or catch of the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the handbag with the lock of the present invention thereon;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the handbag with the lock of the present invention thereon;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the details of the construction of the lock of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the handbag indicated generally by reference numeral 11, to which the lock of the present invention is applied, is of the rectangular or box type and comprises two rigid parts, a body part 12 and a lid or top part 13. The top 13 is hinged along one longitudinal edge thereof to the body part by a hinge 14, and the lid swings upward from the body portion in a conventional manner. The handbag 11 also includes a pair of carrying handles 16, the two ends of which are pivotally mounted on a suitable pivot 17 in the front and back of the body portion.

While the invention is shown and described as being applied to a particular shaped handbag, it will be obvious that the invention is equally applicable to any shaped handbag which comprises a rigid body part and a rigid cover part hinged thereto.

As shown in the detailed sectional view, Fig. 4, the catch of the present invention includes a lock member 18 which may be of similar material, although not necessarily so, as the handbag itself, such as Lucite. The lock member 18 in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is substantially round and has the lower end 19 thereof formed outwardly so that a surface 21 is provided at an angle to atent Q 2,810,599 Iatented Oct. 22, 1957 the main portion thereof. The surface 21 may be at an angle of approximately 45 to the main surface, and its purpose will be more apparent hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 5, the lock member 18 has formed therein somewhat above the center of the member a pair of through holes 22. Above the two holes 22 are formed a pair of recesses 23 which extend from the back side of the lock member to a point approximately half the thickness thereof. Another recess 24 is formed in the back side of the lock member in the lower half section thereof which is located somewhat above the angle section 21.

The lower section 12 of the handbag has in the fronttop edge thereof a so-called nose 26 which may be secured to the lower section by extending through the front and being riveted or headed over as at 27 on the inside of the bag. The nose 26 is circular in cross-section and the exposed section thereof on the outside of the bag extends a slight distance therefrom and is somewhat smaller in diameter than the diameter of the recesses 24 in the lock member.

The lock member 18 is secured to the lid of the bag by means of rivets 28 extending therethrough and being headed over, as at 29, from the inside of the lid. The diameter of the body section of the rivets 28 is somewhat smaller than the holes 22 through the lock member, and the lock member is permitted to rock a slight amount on the rivets to move the lower end of the lock member toward and away from the nose 26, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter. A washer 31 or other suitable means is placed on the rivets 2% to space the lock member a slight distance away from the front of the lid section, and compression springs 32 seated in the recesses 23 tend to pivot the lock member about the rivets in a counterclockwise direction.

With the structure of the present invention the springs 32 tend to pivot the lock member in a clockwise direction about the loose mounting thereon on the rivets 23 and thus place the recesses 24 thereof in engagement with the end of the nose 26 to lock the bag in a closed position. To release the lock to permit opening of the bag, a slight pressure on the lock member above the rivets 28 pivots the same in a counterclockwise direction and moves the recesses 24 out of engagement with the end of the nose 26 and permits the bag to be opened. With the bag in an open position, on closure thereof the upper edge of the nose engaging the sloping surface 21 pivots the lock member 18 against the action of the springs 32 until the bag is in a closed position at which time the recess 24 is opposite the end of the nose 26 and the springs 32 rock the lock member back into the locking position such as that shown in Fig. 4.

Thus in accordance with the invention there is provided an extremely efiicient and positive catch or lock for a ladies handbag of the general type disclosed in the drawings that is positive in its locking operation, and which can readily be released to permit opening of the bag. Furthermore, the lock of the present invention requires no operation on the part of the user in locking the bag in a closed position as its locking function is automatic on the closing of the bag.

While the invention has been described in but a single preferred embodiment thereof and as being applied to a specifically shaped and type of bag, it will be obvious that it is applicable to various other types of bags and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or essential attributes of the invention, and it is desired therefore that only such limitations be placed thereon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lock for a handbag or the like comprising two superimposed matching edged substantially rigid frame members hingedly connected along one coextensive edge thereof, a plurality of spaced apart rivets rigidly supported in and extending outwardly from the first one of said frame members and in a plane parallel to the matching edge thereof, a locking member loosely supported on said rivets and rockable thereon about an axis parallel to the hinged connection of said frame members, said locking member being held on said rivets by heads on the outer ends of said rivets, resilient means spaced above said rivets holding said locking memberagainst the heads thereof and tending to rock said locking member about said loose mounting on said rivets to move the inner face of said locking member toward the outer surface of the second one of said frame members with said frame members in a closed position, a recess in the inner face of said locking member opposite the outer surface of said second frame member, a nose stud in the outer surface of said second frame member and adapted to be engaged by said recess to lock said frame members in a closed position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and including the rocking of said locking member on said rivets against the action of said resilient means to disengage said nose stud and recess to permit opening of said handbag.

3. In a lock for a handbag or the like comprising a rigid recessed lower body section and a superimposed rigid recessed cover or lid section hingedly connected together along the back edges thereof, said sections each having a front surface in a substantially common plane with said handbag in a closed position, a plurality of outwardly extending spaced apart rivets rigidly supported in the front of said lid section above the lower edge thereof and in a plane parallel to the aXis of said hinge connection, said rivets having enlarged heads on the extended ends thereof, a locking member loosely supported on said rivets and spaced from the front of said lid section, a stud rigidly supported in and extending from the front of said body section, a recess in the lower inner face of said locking member adapted to engage said stud to lock said lid in a closed position, a resilient member disposed between the 5 inner face of said locking member and the front of said lid section above said rivets,

said resilient member holding said locking member against the heads of said rivets and tending to rock said locking member to engage the recess in the lower section thereof with said stud with said sections in a closed position and to hold the inner surface of said locking member against the lower outer edge of said cover section with said tion.

handbag in a closed posi- 4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 and wherein said locking member in response to a pressure applied to the outer face of the upper section thereof rocks on said rivets against the action of said resilient member to move the recess in the inner face of the lower section thereof out of engagement with said stud and permit opening of ing of said lid on said body,

said resilient member being operative to rock said locking member in the opposite direction to engage said stud and recess when said lid is in a substantially closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS