WO2006030469A2 - Illuminating device for handbags and handbags provided therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

An illuminating device (1) for handbags and handbags (5) including said illuminating device, comprises a plurality of light sources arranged in an electric circuit including at least a battery (6) with preferably a switch (7) associated with said battery, wherein said light sources comprise incandescent lamps (2) and/or light emitting diodes (LED's) (2). Said electric circuit further includes a photo-sensor (15) and, preferably, a control pressure switch (8) for switching on and off said device, and a timer element (9) for switching off the illuminating device after a preset time, for example 5 seconds, from said switching on, said sensor (15) preventing electric power from being undesirably consumed, by preventing the handbag inside from being illuminated under good visibility conditions.

Description

(3-414 LUCE)

"ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR HANDBAGS AND HANDBAGS PROVIDED THEREWITH"

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an illuminating device for handbags and handbags including said illuminating device, according to the preambles of claims 1 and 12, respectively.

Background of the invention

As is known, handbags, in particular woman handbags, conventionally hold therein a plurality of articles for different purposes and functions, which are generally individually used. This requires a locating of said articles which, desirably, would be as quick and safe as possible. This can be achieved without problems as the handbag is used in daylight, or in illuminated rooms or environments, whereas can originate difficulties and corresponding delays, under poor or lacking illumination conditions, such as in a theater, a cinema, a car or a train, in a tunnel or, in general, under insufficient visibility conditions.

Accordingly, inner illuminating or lighting means for said handbags, adapted to facilitate in locating and gripping a desired article, such as a keyholder, a purse, a comb, a cosmetic products, an agenda, a lighter and so on, under dark or poor illuminating conditions are usually provided.

For allowing a controlled illuminating inside handbags a lot of approaches are already known in the prior art, which generally provide to use an electric power source, in the form of a battery, and a lighting source comprising one or more incandescent lamps or light emitting diodes (or LED's), together with a switch operatively arranged between the battery and illuminating source, to allow the illuminating source to be manually controlled to its on or off condition. The document US 3,307,027 discloses an illuminating device for illuminating the inside of handbags, comprising casing made of a clear synthetic material to be coupled to an inner side of the handbag or a liner therefor, and holding a battery and lamp, and a second casing of a flexible material holding a pressure switch and adapted to be coupled to an articulated perimetrical frame fixed to the opening edges of the handbag. An electric cable connects said switch to the battery/lamp assembly. The pile and battery housing casing comprises a pivoting openable wall, for easily replacing said pile and battery. The illuminating device herein shown can be applied to handbags having a metal material articulated or hinged frame. The light is diffused in a concentrated manner and, for a handbag having a comparatively large height, cannot always reach the bottom of the handbag. Moreover, the two casings are visually very striking and negatively affect the aesthetic aspect of the handbag, in particular of the so called "evening" handbags, made of very expensive materials and having a very refined design.

The document US 3,792,652 discloses a handbag having, at its top sides, a respective hollow framework, one of which houses batteries and a lamp, together with the related electric circuit, the switch of which is a slider switch mounted outside of the framework. In this case too, the handbag must comprise a specifically designed metal framework, and the lighting is of a localized type. Thus, as in the preceding case, the provision of an inner separating wall in the handbag prevents the inside portion of the handbag opposite to the illuminating device holding portion from being properly illuminated.

The document US 3,609,341 discloses a handbag, also including a handbag framework, having on an inner side thereof a lamp and, on the opposite side thereof, is arranged a detent clip for a handbag closing wing, which clip also has a switching function. This structure is very complex, requires a high number of component parts and, accordingly, has a comparatively high cost. Even in such a case, moreover, the illumination is of a concentrated type.

The document US 3,808,416 shows an inner illuminating device for handbags, comprising a flat bottom and a plurality of lamps distributed through the handbag longitudinal sides near the handbag bottom housing batteries and a projecting switch. In addition to requiring a comparatively large electric power drain, the plate-like device shown herein is not suitable for use in woman handbags having a bellows comparatively narrow handbag bottoms.

The document US 4,972,304 discloses a handbag in which, between a liner and an outer side of said handbag a lamp and a switch are supported, therebetween, two batteries are arranged. Even in this case, a single lamp emits a concentrated light, thereby preventing the bottom of the . handbag from being evenly illuminated; moreover, to obtain a satisfactory lighting, a comparatively high electric power drain is required.

The document US 5,073,844 discloses a handbag including an inner perimeter and a cross-wise extending a clear synthetic material tube housing a plurality of lamps, spaced from one another and power supplied by a switch-battery assemblies. Such a perimetrical arrangement of the lamps greatly reduce the light efficiency, thereby requiring a high number of incandescent lamps and, consequently, a high electric power drain. Moreover, the coupling of this illuminating "tube" in the handbag is very expensive from a material and labor cost standpoint.

The US patent application No. 10/280,982, published at No. US 2003/0090895 on May 15, 2003, discloses an illuminating device for a casing, such as a woman handbag, including lighting sources in the form of lighting diodes and a control circuit including, among other things, a battery and a magnetic type of switch.

In all the above mentioned prior devices, the lighting sources may accidentally be switched on even in daylight, when their use would not be necessary, thereby causing an undesired discharging of the batteries, which will no longer proivide a desired illumination of the handbag inside as required.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide an illuminating device for handbags adapted to prevent the device batteries from being discharged under light condition allowing the handebag inside to be properly seen, such as in daylight conditions.

The above mentioned aim is achieved by a handbag illuminating device having the characteristics of claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the depended claims.

The subject handbag illuminating device, and the handbags including said illuminating device, provide the following advantages. At first, it is possible to automatically prevent, i.e. without requiring any operations by the handbag holder, the light sources from being switched on in a daylight condition allowing the handbag inside to be properly seen.

Moreover, a very even illumination of the handbag inside is obtained, without bulky projecting portions, so as to allow the handbag inside to be easily accessed, which would not be possible in a handbag not including the illuminating device. A further advantage is that the subject lighting device can be associated with any handbag types, since it does not require or use, pivoting handbag frameworks like those used in prior handbags. Furthermore, by using, as light sources, well known LED's, the device electric power consume will be negligible. Thereby providing a so called "cold" light, (i.e. without heat generation). Since said LED's have a very small size, it is possible to arrange a plurality thereof on a single support element, for example of strip configuration; thus the movements of a user hand inside the handbag are not hindered. Moreover, since said LED's are substantially bidimensional elements, they can be easily fitted to the opposite inner faces of the handbag, to provide a contemporaneous or separated lighting of the two inner compartments of the handbag, if a separating wall is provided therein, as it frequently occurs, for example, in a comparatively large size handbag. A further advantage of the illuminating device according to the invention is that, in addition to the light sensor, a switch associated with the battery, preferably a pressure switch for switching on the illuminating device, as well as a timing element for automatically switching off the light sources, i.e. the LED's or incandescent lamps, after a set time, for example 5 sec, from their actuation are moreover provided .

Further, advantageously the light sensor, the light sources and remaining components of the electric circuit can be made at a very low cost, to provide an illuminating device of very small making and assembling cost.

Yet another advantage is that the subject device does not require modifications to the handbag shape or design and does not affect the handbag aesthetic aspect, since it is not exposed to view.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics, advantages and details of the illuminating device for handbags, and the handbags including said device, according to the invention, will become more apparent hereinafter from the following disclosure of exemplary embodiments thereof, given by way of a merely indicative example and shown in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 illustrates a designing principle for making the illuminating circuit according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the inside of the handbag of figure 3, including the illuminating device according to the invention, and taken along the section plane H-II;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a handbag according to the invention, as shown in figure 2, with light sources, such as light emitting diodes, in an open or off condition thereof; and Figure 4 is a view of the outside handbag according to the invention, like that of figure 2, with light sources including incandescent lamps.

Description of the preferred embodiments In the above mentioned figures, like parts has been indicated by like reference numbers.

The illuminating device according to the invention is generally indicated by the reference number 1 and, as lighting sources, comprises, in the embodiment shown in figures 1-3, a plurality of light emitting diodes, or LED's 2 supported on a strip 3 made for example of a synthetic material.

As shown in figures 2 and 3, the heads 4 of said LED's 2 project from said supporting strip 3 and, more specifically, to the bottom of the handbag 5, the closure hinge of which is indicated by 5 A. The LED's 2 are coupled in parallel to one or more power supply batteries 6 (for example three button piles having a diameter of 1 cm and a height of 0.5 mm) through, in the shown embodiment, a main switch 7, used for safely switching off the battery 6 in long non-use periods of the handbag 5.

The switching on of the illuminating device, i.e. of said LED' s 2, is preferably performed through a pressure switch 8, arranged, for example, of the inner side of the top edge of the handbag 5, figure 3.

According to the invention, the inventive circuit also preferably comprises a timing element 9, which can be arranged at any desired point of the inventive circuit, such as near the pressure switch 8, figure 1.

The number 10 shows, by a dashed line, a casing, for example of a textile material, housing the LED's 2 supporting strip like element 3, whereas the reference 11 shows, by a dashed line, a like casing holding the battery 6 and, optionally, the main switch 7, the photo-sensor 15, such as a twilight or crepuscular switch, the pressure switch 8 and timing element 9. A respective zip-fastener 12 and 13 allows the inside of the casings 10 and 11 to be easily accessed for engaging therein respectively the LED 2 support element 3 and battery 6. A main feature of the invention is the provision, in the electric circuit 14, of a light or photo-sensor 15, adapted to prevent the illuminating sources 2 from being switched on in a daylight condition, and as far as a crepuscular condition occurs, or in a low light intensity condition still allowing a good vision of the contents of the handbag 5. Said light sensor 15, for example a crepuscular switch, is responsive only to the intensity of the light outside of the handbag and not, for example, to the day hour, thereby it allows the light sources 2 to be switched on even in a poor visibility condition day or in a darkness condition, for example in a car or train running through a tunnel.

Said light sensor can be arranged either outside or inside the handbag 5, to be properly affected by the environment light as the handbag is opened.

Thus, said light sensor 15 can also be applied on one of the casings 10 and 11 or on the outside of the handbag, for example on a front or side portion thereof, or on its handle. Figure 3 shows that, in a handbag 5 having a separating inner wall 16, such as a pocket closable by a zip-fastener 17, two illuminating devices 1, associated with the opposite inner walls 18 and 19 of the handbag 5 are advantageously provided.

As stated, the casings 10 and 11 can be connected to the handbag by seams, removable strips, for example of a Velcro type, and so on, and can be either separated from or coupled to one another to form a single casing assembly.

The in-line arranged LED's provides, as said LED's 2 are switched on, a practically even lighting of the inside of the handbag 5, with the light directed to the handbag bottom supporting the handbag contained articles. A satisfactory illumination has been obtained by using white light LED's 2. A pleasant light or illumination can be likewise obtained by green light emitting LED's 2. In particular, for the so-called "teen-ager" handbags, a pleasant effect can also be obtained by LED's 2 emitting different color light, such as the white, green and red fundamental colors.

In handbags having an average-large size, for example 25 x 40 cm, a good inner lighting has been obtained using seven LED's distributed on a supporting strips 3 of 10 cm. In this connection it should be apparent that the LED number, length of the support strip 3, and the pitch or distance of the individual LED's 2 can be selected at will, or based on the handbag size and type, and the desired light intensity,

Reference is now made to the embodiment shown in figure 4, in which, as light sources 2, two incandescent lamps supported inside the handbag 5 at opposite positions at the handbag opening edge are used. Advantageously, said lamps 2 are small incandescent lamps having a length of about 1-2 cm and preferably including a reflector 20 for directing the emitted light with a fan pattern on the handbag 5 bottom, as shown by the dash and dot line. In this exemplary embodiment, the components of the circuit 14 can be held in an inner perimetrical band 21, as schematically shown by the dashed line.

Though reference has been specifically made to handbags, the subject illuminating devices 1 can also be used in other bags and casings, for example of the briefcase type of bags, document holder bags, computer holder bags, small casings and so on.

The inventive illuminating device 1 operates as follows: In semi-darkness or darkness conditions, to switch on the handbag inner lighting, upon opening said handbag, it is sufficient to slightly press by a finger, as in a gripper, the pressure switch 8, which can be preferably localized by touch, as a ridge or defined by a frame, and so on. The actuated LED's or lamps 2, will emit their light to the bottom of the handbag 5, to allow the user to easily localize a desired article. After a set time, for example 5 sec, the timing element 9 will switch the current through the circuit of the LED's or lamps 2 off, to cause their light to disappear, with the handbag either in a reclosed condition, or in a still open condition. If the user has not been able of locating the desired article, then he/she must press again the pressure switch 8 to provide light for other 5 sees.

In a daylight good or sufficient visibility condition, the light sensor 15, such as a crepuscular switch, will switch off the electric circuit 14, to prevent said LED's or incandescent lamps 2 from providing further illumination.

From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the handbag illuminating device, and handbags or other casings including said device, according to the invention, efficiently achieve the above aim and advantages.

In practicing the invention, the individual electric components can be replaced with or integrated by other technically and functionally equivalent elements, or additional functions, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. An illuminating device for handbags and other hand¬ held casings, comprising a plurality of light sources included in an electric circuit including at least a battery and a switch associated therewith, characterized in that said electric circuit further comprises a photosensor, adapted to prevent said light sources from being switched on in light conditions.

2. An illuminating device according to claim 1, characterized in that said electric circuit further comprises an illuminating device switching on pressure switch adapted to be operated either before or after opening said handbag and, preferably, a timer element, adapted to switch off said light sources after a preset time, such as 5 sees, from the switching on of said illuminating device. »

3. An illuminating device according to claim 1, characterized in that said light sources comprises incandescent lamps and/or light emitting diodes or LED's.

4. An illuminating device according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said light sources comprise one or more incandescent lamps arranged opposite to one another on an open side of said handbag, wherein with said incandescent lamps reflector elements for directionally guiding, for example with a fan pattern, the light toward a bottom of the handbag, or in each compartment of said handbag are preferably associated.

5. Aniilluminating device according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said LED's are preferably arranged with an in-line relationship on a LED supporting strip element, said LED's being preferably arranged at even spacings.

6. An illuminating device according to claim 5, characterized in that, with the exception of head portions of said LED's, the LED supporting strip element is housed in a casing made of a film or a fabric material to be coupled to an inner surface of said handbag.

7. An illuminating device according to claims 1 and/or 6, characterized in that said battery, and optionally said timing element and switch associated with said battery, are also housed in a casing made of a film or a fabric material to be coupled to an inner surface of said handbag to allow an inside of said handbags to be accessed, for example, through a zip-fastener.

8. An illuminating device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said LED's, battery and circuit components are housed in a single casing, the inside of which can be accessed, for example, through a zip-fastener.

9. An illuminating device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said casing or casings is/are adapted to be clamped to an inner wall of said handbag either fixedly, for example by seaming or glueing them, or removably, for example by Velcro strips or the like.

10. An illuminating device according to claim 5, characterized in that, as said LED's, said white, green, or different color light LED's are used.

11. An illuminating device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, said light sources being incandescent lamps, said circuit components are arranged in one or more casings according to one or more of claims 6 to 9, said photo- sensor being so arranged as to receive thereon environment light either before and/or after opening said handbag.

12. A handbag or other hand-held casing such as a bag, document holder case, briefcase, computer-holder case and the like, characterized in that they comprises at least an illuminating device according to one or more of claims 1 to 11.

13. A handbag or the like, according to claim 12, characterized in that said illuminating device is clamped, at any desired positions, to an inner wall/surface of said handbag, or the like, preferably at a position substantially parallel to a bottom, such as at a top zone, thereof.