DESCRIPTION

[0001]The present invention relates to a device for attaching a handbag to a pannier rack, particularly a rear or front pannier rack of a bicycle. The fixing device is of a type suitable for supporting the handbag by means of a releasable connection to a horizontal and lateral bar of the frame of the pannier rack.

[0002]The use of bicycles not only for sport or recreation, but also to replace cars or public transport, for example between home and work, is increasingly encouraged and widespread. Underlying this trend are reasons related to improving health, reducing pollution and, nowadays, also the need to reduce excessive crowds of people that occur on public transportation.

[0003]Therefore, the need to facilitate the transport of objects during cycling trips is increasingly felt, including not only personal belongings but, for example, objects for work (laptops, documents) or shopping. [0004]Handbags equipped with means for hooking to a pannier rack are already known. However, these handbags are designed to be compatible only with certain models or brands of bikes.

[0005]In other cases, the hooking and unhooking mechanisms are rather complex, not only to produce and assemble, but more importantly to use, especially for certain users. [0006]If the hooking and unhooking mechanisms are not simple and convenient to use, it has been found that users tend to leave the handbag attached to the pannier rack even after the trip is complete and prefer to transfer items to another handbag to take with them.

[0007]It is the object of the present invention to propose a device for fixing a handbag to a pannier rack which allows the limitations of known fixing systems to be overcome, and in particular to propose a device which is truly usable on all types of pannier racks and which at the same time is effectively simple, convenient, and quick to maneuver for hooking and unhooking the handbag to and from the pannier rack. [0008]Said object is achieved with a fixing device according to claim 1 and a handbag according to claim 8. The dependent claims describe preferred or advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0009]The features and the advantages of the fixing device according to the invention shall be made apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0010]- Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the fixing device according to the invention; [0011]- Fig. 2 and 2a are two exploded perspective views, front and rear respectively, of a bar hooking device of the fixing device of claim 1;

[0012]- Fig. 3 and 3a are two side views of the hooking device, in the closed and open positions, respectively; [0013]- Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the two bar hooking devices assembled and connected to an actuation handle;

[0014]- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fixing device in a preferred embodiment, which also comprises a lower stabilizing device;

[0015]- Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the stabilizing device only;

[0016]- Fig. 7 and 7a are a front view and a rear view of the fixing device in Fig. 5;

[0017]- Fig. 8 and 8a are a rear perspective view and a upper perspective view of a handbag equipped with the fixing device in Fig. 5; and

[0018]- Fig. 9 shows the handbag hooked laterally to a pannier rack of a bicycle.

[0019]In said drawings, 1 has been used to denote, in its entirety, a device for fixing a handbag 2 to a pannier rack 3, in particular a pannier rack of a bicycle 4.

[0020]In the remainder of this description, when referring to the fixing device 1, the term "front" means facing the frame of the pannier rack to which it is intended to be hooked, and the term "rear" means facing the handbag 2. [0021]On the other hand, when referring to the handbag 2, the term "rear" means facing the pannier rack 3. [0022]As illustrated in Fig. 9, the pannier rack 3 comprises at least one upper horizontal bar 302. In the illustrated example, the pannier rack 3 further comprises a lower horizontal bar 304. Both horizontal bars 302, 304 form a side portion of the frame of the pannier rack 3. [0023]In an embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the fixing device 1 comprises a support plate 10, at least two bar hooking devices 12, and an actuation handle 14.

[0024]The support plate 10 is suitable to be fixed to a rear side 202 of the handbag 2. [0025]The support plate 10 has a main extension along a horizontal support plate axis X.

[0026]The bar hooking devices 12 are supported by the support plate 10. Each bar hooking device 12 comprises a hook 16 facing away from the handbag 2 and is adapted to hook the top horizontal bar 302 from above.

[0027]Each hook 16 comprises a lower portion 162 for coupling to the support plate 10 and an upper portion 164 with a hooked, i.e., "C" shape, ending in a free end 16'. The distance between the free end 16' of the upper portion 164 and the lower portion 162 results in an opening of the hook 166, through which the hook 16 hooks and unhooks to and from the upper horizontal bar 302.

[0028]Thus, in use, it is the gravitational force itself of the handbag 2 provided with the fixing device 1 that keeps the handbag hooked to the upper horizontal bar 302. [0029]Each bar hooking device 12 further comprises a safety lever 18 hinged to the hook 16 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal hook axis Y between a hooking position, wherein the lever closes the hook 16 to prevent the accidental unhooking from the upper horizontal bar 302, and a release position, wherein the lever is rotated to the interior of the hook to allow the unhooking from the bar (Fig. 3 and 3a).

[0030]More specifically, the safety lever 18 has a proximal, or lower, end 18' hinged to the lower portion 162 of the hook 16 and a distal tooth 18" that rotates to the interior of the hook 16 between a forward hooking position, wherein it abuts against the free end 16' of the upper portion 164 of the hook 16, thus closing the opening the hook 166, and a rearward release position, wherein it opens the hook opening 166.

[0031]In other words, the hook 16-safety lever 18 assembly operates as a carabiner.

[0032]Each hooking device 12 further comprises elastic means 20 adapted to elastically bias the safety lever 18 to remain and to return to the hooking position.

[0033]The actuation handle 14 has opposite ends 14' (equal to each other) connected, via a return element 22, to the respective safety levers 18 in such a way that an upward pull on the actuation handle 14 causes each safety lever 18 to rotate from the hooking position to the unhooking position.

[0034]Thus, a simple upward pull of the actuation handle by the user causes the two bar hooking devices 12 to open simultaneously, and the handbag 2 may be released from the upper horizontal bar 302. Note that the actuation handle 14 may also be used as a grab and carry handle for the handbag 2.

[0035]In one embodiment, the support plate 10 is configured to form a guide rail 102 along the support plate axis X. At least one bar hooking device 12, preferably both, is slidable along the guide rail 102 and is provided with locking means 24 suitable to lock the bar hooking device 12 at a desired position along the guide rail 102.

[0036]For example, the lower portion 162 of the hook 16 has a "C" shape that surrounds, with shape coupling, a front portion of the support plate 10 that forms the guide rail 102. [0037]In one embodiment, the support plate 10 is traversed by a longitudinal through groove 104 that allows the coupling between the locking means 24, acting on the rear side 106 of the support plate 10, and the respective hooking devices 12, as described below.

[0038]In one embodiment, the locking means 24 comprise a clamp 242 coupled to the rear side 106, i.e., facing the handbag 2, of the support plate 10. For example, each clamp 242 and the rear side 106 have notched contact surfaces 242', 106'.

[0039]Each clamp 242 supports a screw 244, for example with a hexagonal head 246 rotationally locked by the clamp 242. The screw 244 passes through the longitudinal through groove 104 and through a hole 170 formed in the lower portion 162 of the hook 16. The locking means 24 comprise a tightening wheel 248 that may be manually screwed onto the screw 244 so as to tighten the hook 16 against the support plate 10.

[0040]In one embodiment, the actuation handle 14 is made, at least at its end portions 14a connected to the bar hooking devices 12, of a flexible or yielding material, such as fabric. For example, each end portion 14a is in the form of a strap or webbing.

[0041]Each end 14' of the actuation handle 14 is restrained, for example by a fixing rivet or grub screw, to the rear side 18a of the safety lever 18, facing the interior of the hook.

[0042]In one embodiment, the return element 22 is obtained from a return ring 22' through which the end portion 14a of the actuation handle 14 passes. Said return ring 22' is obtained in the hook 16 in a lower position with respect to the fixing point of the end 14' of the actuation handle 14 at the safety lever 18. For example, the return ring 22' is obtained in a flat intermediate portion 172 of the hook 16, between the lower portion 162 and the upper portion 163, facing rearwardly, i.e., toward the handbag 2.

[0043]Due to the return ring 22' obtained below the fixing point of the actuation handle 14 to the safety lever 18, the upward traction of the actuation handle 14 causes a traction of the safety lever 18 downward and rearward. [0044]In one embodiment, the elastic means 20 comprise at least one torsional spring 20'. For example, one end of a torsional spring 22', wound about the hook axis Y, is fixed on each side of the safety lever 18, the other end being engaged by the hook 16.

[0045]In an embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 and the subsequent figures, the fixing device 1 further comprises a stabilizing device 40 suitable to engage the lower horizontal bar 304 of the pannier rack 3. [0046]The stabilizing device 40 comprises a stabilizing plate 42 suitable to be fixed to the rear side 202 of the handbag 2, below the support plate 10.

[0047]The stabilizing plate 42 supports a stabilizing lever 44. The stabilizing lever 44 is suitable to rotate with respect to the stabilizing plate 42 in a vertical plane parallel to the horizontal plate axis X to engage the lower horizontal bar 304.

[0048]Note that although in the illustrated example the stabilizing lever 44 engages a lower horizontal bar 304, due to the ability to rotate the stabilizing lever 44 by a 360° angle, other elements of the frame pannier rack 3 that are not necessarily horizontal could also be engaged by this lever, for example one of the two oblique tubular elements 306 that connect the upper horizontal bar 302 to the hub of the rear wheel of the bicycle.

[0049]The stabilizing device 40 further comprises lever locking means 46 operable to lock the stabilizing lever 44 in a desired angular position. [0050]In one embodiment, the stabilizing plate 42 also has a main extension along a horizontal stabilizing plate axis Z. The stabilizing plate 42 is in this case configured to form a lever guide rail 422 along the stabilizing plate axis Z. The stabilizing lever 44 is slidable along this lever guide rail 422 and may be locked in a desired position along the rail.

[0051]In one embodiment, the same lever locking means 46 that lock the lever at a desired angular position are also suitable to lock the stabilizing lever 44 in a desired position along the lever guide rail 422.

[0052]In one embodiment, the stabilizing lever 44 has a lever hub 48 having a notched inner surface that couples with a notched crown 50 obtained in a counterplate 52 sliding along the lever guide rail 422. For example, the counterplate 52 has a "C" shape to surround, with form coupling, a front portion of the stabilizing plate 42 forming the guide rail 422.

[0053]In one embodiment, the stabilizing plate 42 is traversed by a longitudinal through groove 424 that allows coupling between the lever locking means 46 acting on the rear side 426, i.e., facing the handbag 2, of the stabilizing plate 42 and the stabilizing lever 44, as described below.

[0054]In one embodiment, the lever locking means 46 comprise a lever clamp 462 coupled to the rear side 426 of the stabilizing plate 42. For example, the lever clamp 462 and said rear side 426 have notched contact surfaces 462', 426'.

[0055]The lever clamp 462 supports a screw 464, for example with a hexagonal head locked in rotation by the lever clamp 462. The screw 464 passes through the longitudinal through groove 424, the counterplate 52, and the lever hub 48. The lever locking means 46 comprise a clamping knob 466 that may be manually screwed onto the screw 464 so as to tighten both the counterplate 52 to the stabilizing plate 42 and the stabilizing lever 44 to the counterplate 52.

[0056]The subject of the present invention is also a handbag, bag, sack, or similar container 2, having a rear side 202 to which a fixing device 1 is fixed as described above in the possible embodiments thereof.

[0057]For example, the support bar 10 and/or the stabilizing bar 42 may be attached to the rear side 202 of the handbag 2 by means of screws that screw into aesthetic counterparts 204 accessible from within the handbag 2.

[0058]It is evident that the fixing device and the handbag described above allow for the intended object to be achieved. [0059]In particular, the hooking devices 12 are configured and are movable to couple with any lateral horizontal element of the frame of the pannier rack. The stabilizing lever 42 is rotatable and also horizontally translatable to hook onto any lower side element of the frame of the pannier rack. [0060]Therefore, the proposed fixing device is applicable to all or almost all types of pannier racks.

[0061]Once the stabilizing lever 42 has been rotated, in a very simple and quick operation, to a position disengaged from the respective element of the frame of the pannier rack, the handbag 2 may be removed from the pannier rack by simply pulling up on the actuation handle 14. The same actuation handle 14 may also be used as a grab and carry handle of the handbag 2. [0062]Attaching the handbag to the pannier rack is just as quick and easy, as the hooking devices open and close automatically about the horizontal bar and the stability of the hooking is ensured by the weight of the handbag itself. [0063]The stabilizing lever allows the handbag to always remain adherent to the side of the pannier rack even in the presence of sudden movements of the bike, for example caused by potholes or bumps.

[0064] [0064] A person skilled in the art may, in order to meet incidental needs, make changes, adaptations, and replacements of elements with others that are functionally equivalent to the embodiments of the fixing device according to the invention without departing from the scope of the following claims. Each of the features described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be obtained independently of the other described embodiments.