Portable holder assembly for objects

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a portable holder assembly for objects, such as a handbag, in which a person can carry valuable objects and/or utility articles such as money, cards, a mobile telephone or an iPod.

Such valuable objects can be stolen by pickpockets when they are carried by a person in or on clothing or in a bag. It has been found that usual portable holders, such as bags and cases, with externally accessible closures can easily be opened unnoticed by pickpockets. Recently developed portable holders with closures operating on the basis of personal characteristics, such as closures operated through voice or fingerprints, are expensive or susceptible to malfunction or undesirable influences .

An object of the invention is to provide a portable holder assembly of the type stated in the preamble, the holder of which cannot easily be taken out of the closed position unnoticed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Said object is achieved by a portable holder assembly for objects, comprising:

- a closable holder for holding the objects, wherein the holder comprises at least one closing member which is arranged to substantially close off access to the inside of the holder in a closed position of the holder;

- a locking member for locking the closing member in the closed position of the holder;

- a carrying member for carrying of the holder by a user, which carrying member is coupled to the holder for displacement relative to the holder;

- activating means arranged to activate the locking member by displacing at least a part of the carrying member relative to the holder.

The invention provides a portable holder assembly which can be taken out of a closed position in unusual manner. A physical manipulation of the holder and/or the carrying member must thus take place in order to take the holder out of the closed position. When this is carried out by someone other than the user, the user will soon notice and thus be able to prevent theft.

In an embodiment the carrying member is arranged in a closed loop and slidably in the holder, wherein the locking member is activated or deactivated by sliding the carrying member through the holder in a running direction of the carrier member. It is noted that the carrying member can also be coupled slidably on the outside of the holder, and does not have to run through the inside of the holder.

In an embodiment the carrying member comprises a carrying cord or carrying strap. The holder assembly comprises for instance a handbag, backpack or suitcase. In an embodiment the carrying member runs at least from the one side to an opposite side of the holder, and the activating means are arranged for activation by sliding of at least a part of the carrying member in a direction with a directional component transversely of the running direction.

In an embodiment the holder comprises a sliding member which is arranged in the inside of the holder, wherein the carrying member is arranged through the sliding member in a manner slidable therethrough. It is

noted that the tube can also be arranged outside the holder.

In an embodiment the holder comprises one or more slots, wherein the sliding member itself is arranged slidably in the slots such that through tilting of the holder by the user the sliding member slides as a result of gravitational force from a first side of the holder, in which the locking member cannot be activated, to a second side of the holder, in which the locking member can be activated.

In an embodiment the sliding member comprises a hollow tube. The tube can be made of a plastic or of a metal or other suitable material.

In an embodiment the activating means are arranged to activate the closing means through tilting of the holder relative to the carrying member.

In an embodiment the holder in the closed position is in reverse orientation to an access position, wherein the activating means are arranged to activate the locking member by reversing the holder.

In an embodiment the activating means comprise a mechanical blocking system.

The activating means can operate in different ways. In an embodiment which is particularly suitable for application when the holder is turned over, the activating means comprise an electrical circuit comprising a switch operating on gravitational force. With direct or indirect (external weight) action of gravitational force the switch changes position, whereby the locking member is activated in desired manner. A pressure switch can be used here.

In an embodiment which is particularly suitable for use with sliding of the carrying member, the activating means comprise an electrical circuit

comprising a proximity switch, for instance a so-called Reed switch. The carrying member can here comprise a magnet which activates the Reed switch.

The aspects and measures described in this description and claims of the application and/or shown in the drawings of this application can, where possible, also be applied separately of each other. These separate aspects can be the subject of divisional patent applications relating thereto. This is particularly the case for the measures and aspects described per se in the dependent claims.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings .

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a holder assembly according to the invention in the form of a carrier bag; Figures 2A and 2B show two situations of a first embodiment of an electrical circuit which can be applied in a holder assembly according to the invention, such as that of figure 1;

Figures 3A and 3B show two situations of a second embodiment of the electrical circuit which can be applied in the holder assembly according to the invention, such as that of figure 1;

Figures 4A, 4B and 4C show three situations of a third combined embodiment of the electrical circuit which can be applied in the holder assembly according to the invention, such as that of figure 1;

Figures 5A and 5B show respectively a schematic top view and a schematic partial cross-section of an operating mechanism for a closure of the embodiment of

figure 1, applying the electrical circuit of figures 2A and 2B;

Figure 6 shows a schematic top view of an activating mechanism for a closure of the embodiment of figure 1, applying the electrical circuit of figures 3A and 3B; and

Figure 7 shows a schematic top view of an activating mechanism for a closure of the embodiment of figure 1, applying the electrical circuit of figures 4A, 4B and 4C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The carrier bag 1 shown in figure 1 comprises a holder or bag 2 and a carrying cord or strap 6 as main components. Bag 2 comprises a rear or first wall part 2b and a front or second wall part 2a, which also serves as flap with which the inside of the bag can be made accessible. Because of the function of front wall part 2a, wall part 2a is also referred to as a closing member.

At position 4 the front wall part 2a is mounted hingedly on rear wall part 2b, being pivotable between a closing position which closes the bag and an access position. Shown schematically is a locking member (i.e. closure) to be further discussed, wherein a pin 9 forming part of rear wall part 2b co-acts with an eye plate 8 mounted on front wall part 2a.

Bag 2 further comprises two side walls 5 in which slots 3 are made, which slots have ends 3a and 3b. Extending through the inside of bag 2 is a tube 10 which extends with beaded edges 11 over the edges of slots 3 and is guided therethrough during a movement in direction B, and vice versa. Cord 6, to which a magnet 7

is attached, extends with clearance through tube 10 in a manner slidable therethrough.

Figures 2A and 2B and figures 5A and 5B show an electrical circuit 12 for a possible operation of the closure. Circuit 12 comprises a low-voltage supply 13, for instance 12 V, a pressure switch 14 and a solenoid 15 with which pin 9 can be retracted linearly counter to the action of a compression spring (not shown) . In the closed position shown in figure 2A the pin 9 lies under spring force and extends through eye plate 8 with the outer end into a closing recess 16 fixed to rear wall part 2b. Eye plate 8 is then fixed with front wall part 2a to rear wall part 2b: bag 2 is closed.

When pressure switch 14 is pressed (D) the circuit 12 closes and solenoid 15 will be energized in order to retract pin 9 (E) counter to the spring force. Eye plate 8 is hereby released (F) and front wall part 2a can be swung away (H) from rear wall part 2b.

In order to operate pressure switch 14 the bag is in this example gripped by the user and turned through 180 degrees in direction A to an upside down position. Tube 10 will herein also displace in slots 3 relative to bag 2 from end 3a to end 3b. Figures 5A and 5B show that pressure switch 14 is disposed at the end 3b of one of the slots 3 and, when tube 10 arrives, is pressed in under the influence of the weight of bag 2, with the result that circuit 12 closes and bag 2 becomes accessible.

Figure 5B shows that arranged against rear wall part 2b is an interior 18, which forms receiving spaces 19 which open toward the side of closure 8/9. In the reversed position of the bag, when it must be opened, interior 18 will hereby be accessible from above. Should a reverse orientation of interior 18 in the carrying

position of figure 1 be undesirable, extra provisions can then be arranged in order to close the receiving spaces such that objects cannot fall out of them.

After front wall part 2a has been reclosed, the user can hold bag 2 in the same position and allow tube 10 to move downward toward slot end 3a. Pressure switch 14 is then released again and the circuit is interrupted once again, whereby pin 9 passes through eye plate 8 into closing recess 16 under spring force. Bag 2 is then locked again and the user can allow bag 2, rotating about tube 10, to pivot back to the position of figure 1.

In an alternative handling method the user can leave bag 2 in the position of figure 1 and manually move tube 10 downward toward slot ends 3b (or shift bag 2 upward with the same result) . The interior is then not reversed. Bag 2 must however then be held during the removal or insertion of objects. A weighting must also then be provided in or on tube 10 in order to hold the pressure switch pressed in. In the first example bag 2 can hang from cord 6. In both cases there is also a transverse movement of cord 6 (relative to itself) in relation to bag 2.

Figures 3A and 3B show an electrical circuit 22 for another possible (de) activation of the closure.

Circuit 22 once again comprises a low-voltage supply 13, for instance 12 V, and a solenoid 15 with which pin 9 can be retracted linearly counter to the action of a compression spring (not shown) . Instead of a pressure switch a proximity switch 17 is now incorporated in the circuit, in this example a Reed switch 17, which closes when magnet 7 on cord 6 has come sufficiently close. Magnet 7 remains in tube 10, hidden from sight and shielded from damaging forces. In the closed position

shown in figure 2A the pin 9 once again lies under spring force and extends through eye plate 8 with the outer end into a closing recess 16 fixed to rear wall part 2b. Eye plate 8 is then fixed with front wall part 2a to rear wall part 2b: bag 2 is closed.

As shown in figure 6, Reed switch 17 can be arranged inside bag 2, on the pivoting side. Solenoid 14 and power supply 13 can be located on the other side of the bag where closure 8/9 is situated. If an alternative choice is made to place the hinge on the underside as seen in the drawing of figure 6, solenoid 14 and power supply 13 can then be displaced with closure 8/9 to a position close to Reed switch 17. Tube 11 can here remain in place relative to side walls 5a, b so that, at least in this example, a slot 3 will not be necessary either.

When the user wishes to open bag 2, he or she grasps cord 6 and pulls it by hand through tube 10, whereby magnet 7 is displaced from the location in tube 10 shown with broken lines in figure 6 to a position opposite Reed switch 17, which then closes so that circuit 12 closes and bag 2 becomes accessible. The interior is here not reversed.

When bag 2 is closed again, the reverse sequence can be applied.

If a very high degree of security is desired, both the above discussed approaches can be combined, for instance as shown in figures 4A-C and figure 7. Circuit 32 comprises both a pressure switch 14 and a proximity switch 17, here a Reed switch. Only when both switches are closed will solenoid 15 retract pin 9. In this example (see figure 7) Reed switch 17 will be disposed close to slot end 3b. After the user has manually turned bag 2 over and tube 10 contacts the pressure switch,

this latter will close under the influence of the weight, just as in the embodiment of figures 5A,B, and the user can manually slide cord 6 through tube 10 in order to carry magnet 7 in front of Reed switch 17, whereby the circuit closes and closure 8/9 is released.

The above description is included for the purpose of illustrating the operation of preferred embodiments of the invention and not in order to limit the scope of the invention. On the basis of the above elucidation many variations which fall within the spirit and the scope of the present invention will be evident to a skilled person. It is thus also possible in the first embodiment to opt for a discontinuous cord 6, the ends of which are connected to bag 2 for sliding along side walls 5a, b. There is then no tube which moves through the interior.

A solenoid with a closing pin operated by a pushing force can thus also be applied instead of the described solenoid with closing pin operated by a pulling force. It is also possible to envisage a mercury switch instead of a pressure switch. It is further possible to envisage applying a so-called active latch (Servocell) with a piezo-electrically operating movable pin, for which only little power is required. These are however only a few examples, which do not preclude the application of other types of switch within the scope of the invention.