US2845973A - Multiple compartment handbag - Google Patents

Description

F. STRONG MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT HANDBAG Aug. 5, 1958 Filed Oct. 28, 1955 United States Patent MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT HANDBAG Flora Strong, New York, N. Y. Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,399 1 Claim. (Cl. 150-28) This invention relates generally to handbags, purses, and the like, and more particularly to an improved construction thereof providing a plurality of compartments.

Under present custom, handbags are primarily carried by women and misses, and are used to contain a large number of different articles. This is particularly so because for reasons of style, female attire is usually devoid of pockets, or if pockets are provided, they are small and few in number. Frequently in the use of a ladies handbag, it is desirable to have certain articles more readily available, so that it is not necessary to rummage through the various contents in order to find the same. For example, such articles may be spectacles, tickets, a wallet, or small coins. In an effort to get these articles, the user frequently causes others to spill, and it is therefore among the principal objects of this invention to provide improved structure whereby certain articles may be maintained in a readily accessible separate compartment.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the articles maintained in the auxiliary compartment may be placed therein or removed at will without in any way disturbing the contents of the main compartment.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the class described, which by virtue of the simplicity thereof, adds little to the cost of the regular article, so that the same may have a consequent wide distribution and use.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a multiple compartment handbag in which, when the auxiliary compartment thereof is closed, a relatively inconspicuous appearance thereof occurs. This feature is advantageous, not only from the point of view of reducing theft, but also permits my construction to be utilized with hand bags having many different basic designs.

The objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 2-2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Turning to Figures 1 and 2, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a. main body 12, an intermediate wall 14, a first closure element 16, and a second closure element 18.

The main body may include an annular side Wall which is suitably integrated with the intermediate wall 14, which forms the bottom of the main compartment 22. The first closure element 16 may be of suitable form, and as shown, is connected to the upper portion of the wall 20. The closure element 16 may have a mouth 24, which may be opened or closed by the drawstrings 26. Depending from the intermediate wall 14, and preferably constituting a downward extension of the wall 20, is the auxiliary wall 28, which encompasses the auxiliary compartment 30.

The second closure element 18 preferably includes a panel member 32. The panel member 32 through preferably more than half its periphery, is permanently connected to the lower edge of the auxiliary wall 28. The relatively free edge portion 34 of the panel member 32 is detachably connected with the relatively free edge portion 36 of the auxiliary wall 28 by means of slide fastener members 38 and 40. These may be interconnected or separated in the usual manner by the slider 42.

In use, the main compartment 22 may serve to contain various usual articles carried by the user, and access thereto is gained through the loosening of the draw strings 26 and placing the users hand down through the mouth 24.

Special articles, such as, for example, the spectacles 9, or a wallet, keys, passbook, or the like (not shown), may be maintained within the auxiliary compartment 30. When it is desired to remove one of the last-mentioned articles, the user need only to manipulate the slider 42 to separate the members 36 and 38, and thereby gain access to the compartment 30. In Figure 1, for example, the placement or removal of the spectacles within the openings of the auxiliary compartment is shown.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, other types of closure retaining mechanism may be substituted, such as, for example, snap fasteners, or the like.

Turning to the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, the same is illustrated in connection with a relatively circular-type purse. For the purpose of avoiding needless repetition, certain of the parts corresponding to those of the first embodiment are given the same reference character with the addition of a prefix 1. Here again, it will be apparent that the high degree of utility is not sacrified by a change in general contour or style of the handbag, since the main compart ment and the auxiliary compartment are independently accessible for the replacement or removal of specific articles as chosen by the user.

It may thus be seen that I have provided novel and useful handbag construction, which while presenting conventional appearance, enables the user to selectively distinguish certain articles and to segregate the same for independent and convenient accessibility.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

I claim:

Ladies handbag construction comprising: a main body having a main compartment therein and a first closure element associated with said main body; a bottom wall; an intermediate wall disposed between said bottom wall and said main body; and a closure element associated with said bottom wall forming an auxiliary compartment; said closure element being disposed entirely within the plane of said bottom wall so as to be substantially concealed from view.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 285,305 Peirson Sept. 18, 1883 1,220,957 Conway Mar. 27, 1917 1,283,170 Hauser Oct. 29, 1918 1,559,307 Bernardo Oct. 27, 1925 2,025,101 Halpin Dec. 24, 1935 2,299,673 Zolkind Oct. 20, 1942 2,473,993 Meyers Mar. 8, 1949 2,540,165 Fiel Feb. 6, 1951 2,555,778 Blurne June 5, 1951 2,730,152 Stakofsky Jan. 10, 1956

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