Background Art Various technical means have been devised to prevent the loss or theft of portable bags or traveler's bags, which often may contain cash or other valuables therein. For example, Korean Registered Patent No. 3,277 (Publication No. 93-4,500) and Korean Laid-open Utility Model No. 1,027 (Publication No. 96-243), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, disclose technical means wherein an alarm/shock generation apparatus is installed on a bag in such a manner that the apparatus is actuated with a wireless remote control means in an emergency, e. g. , when taken by an unauthorized person, or the apparatus is automatically actuated when the bag is spaced a predetermined distance or more from a transmitter of the remote control means, for recovery of the stolen bag.

Korean Registered Patent No. 155,254, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, discloses improved technical means for generating an alarm and a <BR> <BR> shock according to various situations, e. g. , when a bag is placed upright, laid down, or stolen.

More specifically, above Patent No. 155,254

provides a theft-prevention bag comprising a push switch positioned between a system power and an alarm/shock generation unit and adapted to be actuated when the bag is placed upright; a mercury switch adapted to be actuated when the bag is laid down; a key switch adapted to switch between system actuation and stand-by according to user's choice; and a jack switch adapted to be actuated when the bag is stolen by an unauthorized person while it is carried by the user, all of the switches being connected in series.

According to the prior art, a charging mode is adopted for improved convenience, instead of using separate batteries. However, users are not accustomed to and have difficulty in using two separate jacks <BR> <BR> installed on a bag, i. e. , a jack for charging the main system and another jack for preventing the loss of the bag. As shown in FIGs. 2a and 2b, conventional electronic safety bags have a charging jack and a loss- prevention jack, which are separate from each other.

This configuration results in a problem in that users often make a mistake of erroneously connecting a charging adaptor with the loss-prevention jack or connecting a jack plug with the charging jack. In addition, the internal circuit of the bag is complex and the efficiency of the product structure is limited, because each jack has its own circuit.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have researched various means to overcome the problems of the prior art and have completed the present invention based on the findings that, by combining the charging jack with the loss-prevention jack into a combined jack plug/charging adaptor unit in such a manner that the jack plug can be fastened/unfastened for loss prevention and, the charging adaptor can be

connected for charging, above-mentioned problems occurring when conventional electronic safety bags are used can be avoided and it is possible to easily manufacture products having an aesthetic structure.

Disclosure of the Invention Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic safety bag wherein a single jack of a theft-prevention main system performs both the function of a charging jack and that of a loss- prevention jack for more convenient use of the bag and for improved structure of the product.

In particular, the object of the present invention is to change the construction of conventional electronic safety bags, as shown in FIG. 1, into that shown in FIG.

3.

In order to accomplish the above object, there is provided an electronic safety bag comprising: a power; an alarm/shock generation unit; a charging unit; a switch unit having a jack switch; a system control unit; a jack plug adapted to be coupled to or separated from the jack switch; a charging adaptor for charging the power from an external source; and a combined jack plug/charging adaptor unit which combines a charging jack with a loss-prevention jack in such a manner that the jack plug can be fastened/unfastened for loss prevention and the charging adaptor can be connected for charging.

Brief Description of the Drawings The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in

which: FIG. 1 shows the construction of a conventional electronic safety bag; FIG. 2a shows a charging jack of a conventional electronic safety bag; FIG. 2b shows a loss-prevention jack of a conventional electronic safety bag; FIG. 3 shows the construction according to the present invention; FIG. 4 shows a conventional circuit diagram wherein a charging adaptor is coupled; FIG. 5a shows a conventional circuit diagram wherein a jack plug is coupled; FIG. 5b shows a conventional circuit diagram wherein a jack plug is separated; and FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention An electronic safety bag according to the present invention comprises a power, an alarm/shock generation unit, a charging unit, and a system control unit. These components, per se, are well known in the art and will be described in brief in the following.

If the bag is stolen, e. g. , taken by an unauthorized person while being carried or stored by a user, or if it is stolen when put down for a moment, the user presses a transmitter of a remote control unit carried by him or a signal is automatically generated when the bag is spaced a predetermined distance or more from the user. The system control unit, after reading the signal, causes the alarm generation unit to generate an alarm and the shock generation unit to generate a shock of a high voltage to the thief. The bag can be

recovered through use of such a theft-prevention system.

If the bag uses separate disposable batteries, they must be replaced with new ones every time they are used up. This costs much and also is inefficient. The charging unit makes it possible to recharge the theft- prevention system by means of an external source, instead of using separate batteries, and to run the system effectively while it is charged.

Such technical means are well known in the art and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

A switch unit, which is one of the components of the electronic safety bag according to prevent invention, makes it possible to effectively react against various theft situations. Preferably, the switch unit comprises a push switch adapted to be actuated when the bag is placed upright; a mercury switch adapted to be actuated when the bag is laid down; a key switch adapted to switch between system actuation and stand-by according to the user's choice; and a jack switch adapted to be actuated when the bag is stolen by an unauthorized person while it is carried by the user, all of the switches being connected in series.

The correlation between the status of the jack switch and the actuation of the theft-prevention system is as follows: if the jack plug is fitted in the loss- prevention jack, the jack switch is turned off and the theft-prevention main system is deactivated; if the bag is separated from the user (e. g. , if it is stolen by an unauthorized person) and the jack plug is released from the loss-prevention jack, the jack switch is turned on and the main system is activated. The system control unit then causes an alarm or a shock of a high voltage to be generated.

The present invention will now be described in

more detail with reference to the embodiments thereof shown in the attached drawings. However, the embodiments are given as an example only and do not restrict the protection scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows the construction of a conventional electronic safety bag having a charging jack and a loss- prevention jack, which are separate from each other.

FIGs. 2a and 2b magnify the charging jack and the loss- prevention jack, respectively, of the electronic safety bag shown in FIG. 1.

If a charging adaptor is fitted in a charging jack as illustrated in FIG. 4, which shows a conventional circuit diagram wherein a charging adaptor is coupled, jack terminal A is connected to the (+) terminal of a battery and jack terminal B to the (-) terminal thereof via a charging circuit in order to charge the battery.

Terminal C is not used for charging.

If a loss-prevention jack plug is coupled to a loss-prevention jack as illustrated in FIG. 5a, which shows a conventional circuit diagram wherein a jack plug is coupled, jack terminals B and C are turned off. The theft-prevention main system of the electronic safety bag is then supplied with no power and is deactivated.

The reason no power should be supplied to the theft- prevention main system in this state is that a user carries the bag with the jack plug fitted in the loss- prevention jack and neither an alarm nor a shock is supposed to be generated.

-If the loss-prevention jack plug is released as illustrated in FIG. 5b, which shows a conventional circuit diagram wherein a jack plug is separated, jack terminals B and C are turned on. The theft-prevention main system of the electronic safety bag is then supplied with power and is activated. An alarm or a

shock of a high voltage is supposed to be generated.

However, the present invention combines the charging jack with the loss-prevention jack into a combined jack plug/charging adaptor unit, as shown in FIG. 3, in such a manner that the charging adaptor and the loss-prevention jack can be combined at a location in the electronic safety bag.

More specifically, as illustrated in Fig. 6 which shows a circuit diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention, the charging adaptor is fitted in the combined jack plug/charging adaptor unit during charging. In this charging state, jack terminal A is connected to the (+) terminal of a battery and jack terminal 2 to the (-) terminal thereof. Terminals B and C are turned off. Meanwhile, if the loss-prevention plug is fitted in the combined jack plug/charging adaptor unit, terminals B and C are turned off and the theft- prevention main system of the electronic safety bag is deactivated. If the loss-prevention plug is separated from the combined jack plug/charging adaptor unit, terminals B and C are turned on and the theft-prevention main system is supplied with power. The system is then activated and causes an alarm or a shock to be generated.

Industrial Applicability As can be seen from the foregoing, the present invention provides an electronic safety bag wherein a single jack of a theft-prevention main system performs both the function of a charging jack and that of a loss- prevention jack for more convenient use of the bag and for improved structure of the product. It is possible to prevent a user from erroneously connecting the charging adaptor to the loss-prevention jack or connecting the

jack plug to the charging jack. The technical means also may be given aesthetic appearance.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment and the drawings, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.