Device for locking and / or attaching a strap of a handbag or of a backpack

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for locking and / or attaching a strap of a handbag or of a backpack, the device being capable of withstanding a mass of up to 50 kg and comprising: - two portions that are attached to one another by means of a permanent magnet: - the lower portion of the two portions comprising a first steel block, this steel block comprising at least one bore or mortise that is at least 3 mm deep; and - the upper portion of the two portions being attached to the lower portion by means of a permanent magnet, and comprising a second steel block whose shape is the inverse of that of the first steel block such that the two steel blocks fit together perfectly; - and a strap made of a material that is capable of supporting a weight of up to 50 kg, this strap being attached to one of the portions, one of the portions being intended to be attached to a bag by means of the attachments, characterized in that the steel block comprises at least one magnet comprising a neodymium-based tenon with a magnetic locking and / or magnetic attaching function, the lead-free brass concentration of which is lower than 100 ppm, and the shape, width and thickness of which corresponds to the inverse dimension of the bore or mortise of the steel block such that: - the tenon of the magnet is inserted into the bore or mortise to form a mechanical and magnetic stop; and - the two steel blocks fit together perfectly to form a mechanically securely connected assembly.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking and / or fastening device for a handbag or backpack strap capable of supporting a mass of up to 50 kg. It relates to a locking and / or fastening device for an interchangeable handbag strap.

[0002] It also relates to a handbag or backpack with a detachable and interchangeable strap that attaches magnetically. US patent 2016 / 025119 A describes a device for locking and / or securing a handbag or backpack strap, comprising two parts attached to each other by means of a permanent magnet.

[0003] In the following description, the term "strap" refers to a narrow band at least 1 cm thick and at least 5 cm wide, preferably at least 10 cm wide, made of a flexible material such as leather, fabric, thread, or plastic, intended to be attached to a bag and used as a handle for lifting or carrying the bag. Handles and / or straps are considered straps when they possess characteristics defined in accordance with this definition.

[0004] A handbag is a fashion accessory weighing less than 1 kg when empty, used to store or carry everyday essentials such as keys, phone and / or laptop, diary, wallet, makeup, etc. More than just a utilitarian object, it is also an intimate companion that reveals a person's personality.

[0005] A handbag consists of a large pocket for storing items, which may itself contain several other pockets, possibly a closure system for the main pocket and one or two straps of varying lengths and widths for carrying it either hanging from the end of the hand, tucked into the crook of the elbow or across the shoulder.

[0006] The prior art exists for handbag straps with a width (thickness) between 1.5 cm and 6 cm. These straps lack locking and / or fastening devices. They are attached to the bag using hooks, particularly on the flap, at at least two points equidistant from the bag's center of gravity or the center of its top surface. Alternatively, they can be attached with screws to allow the bag to be carried by hand, or fixed to each side of the bag equidistant from its center of gravity or the center of its surface to better distribute the bag's weight and to allow the bag to be easily held open for convenient access. Unfortunately, the locking devices associated with these straps tend to quickly damage the bag or break under the weight of the items inside.Moreover, when at least one strap is broken, it is very difficult to replace and the bag becomes virtually unusable.

[0007] Despite mechanical fastening via hooks, these strap locking or fastening devices appear to have a weakness in terms of mechanical resistance when the bag carries a load of at least 10 kg. Furthermore, the prior art devices are not interchangeable.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a locking and / or fastening device for a handbag or backpack strap, capable of supporting a mass of no more than 50 kg, interchangeable, remedying the aforementioned disadvantages and improving the locking and / or fastening devices for a handbag or backpack strap known in the prior art.

[0009] The invention relates to a locking and / or fastening device for a handbag or backpack strap, capable of supporting a mass of up to 50 kg, comprising mainly: two parts fixed together by means of a permanent magnet: a lower part comprising a steel block which includes at least one bore or mortise at least 3 mm deep, and an upper part fixed to the lower part by means of a permanent magnet, comprising a steel block having a shape inverse to the steel block of the lower part so that the two steel blocks fit together perfectly, and a strap of material capable of supporting a mass of no more than 50 kg, fixed to one of the parts, one of the parts being intended to be attached to a bag by means of fasteners, characterized in that one of the steel blocks comprises at least one magnet including a neodymium-based tenon with a magnetic locking and / or magnetic fastening function, with a lead-free brass concentration of less than 100 ppm, of shape, depth and thickness corresponding to the inverse dimensions of the bore or mortise of the other steel block such that: The magnet's tenon fits into the bore or mortise to form a mechanical and magnetic stop, and the two steel blocks fit together perfectly, forming a mechanically bonded unit.

[0010] According to various features of the invention, the steel blocks are treated by polishing and coated by electrodeposition with a thin layer of nickel-free metal of at least 0.2 micron.

[0011] According to other features of the invention, the locking and / or fastening device according to the invention comprises at least one sliding rail allowing the alignment of the two steel blocks. According to other features of the invention, one of the steel blocks further comprises a bore including a spring partially supporting the magnet's tenon such that: when said tenon of the magnet is not opposite the bore or mortise, the latter is inside the steel block, and when said tenon of the magnet is opposite the bore or mortise, the latter is inside the bore or mortise.

[0012] Advantageously one of the steel blocks includes at least one magnetic and mechanical decoupling pusher means for the two steel blocks capable of moving the tenon of the magnet outside the bore or mortise.

[0013] The invention also relates to a handbag characterized in that it includes the locking and / or fastening device mentioned above, said device being fixed to the center of the upper surface of said bag via fastening means (strong glue, screws, etc.).

[0014] The present invention will be better understood upon examination of a particular embodiment taken by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which: there figure 1 is an embodiment of the locking and / or fastening device for a handbag or backpack strap according to the invention; the figure 2 is a perspective view of the locking and / or fastening device for a handbag or backpack strap according to the invention; the figure 3A and the figure 3B is a partial cross-sectional view of a part of the figure 2 ; there figure 4 is an embodiment of a handbag according to the invention.

[0015] There figure 1 relates to a device (1) for locking and / or securing a handbag or backpack strap (12) according to the invention. This device is capable of supporting a mass of up to 50 kg, preferably a mass of up to 25 kg, and more particularly a mass of up to 16 kg. The device (1) is designed to receive a single strap (12).

[0016] Advantageously, the device is designed to receive at least 2 straps (12).

[0017] With reference to the figure 1 The device (1) according to the invention mainly comprises two parts (2, 3), a lower part (2) and an upper part (3). One of the parts (2, 3) is intended to be attached to a bag (13) via a base (15) and mechanical fasteners (rail slide, screws, strong adhesives, base, etc.), and the other part (2, 3) is intended to receive a single strap (12). A fastening means (14) reinforces the attachment of the strap (12) to at least one of the parts (2, 3) so that it does not detach.

[0018] The strap (12) is made of a material capable of supporting a mass of up to 50 kg and is attached to at least one of the parts (2, 3) of the locking device (1). Preferably, the strap (12) is made of leather or nylon. These two materials are chosen for their good mechanical properties.

[0019] Preferably, the means of fastening between the lower part (2), the base (15), and the bag (13) are screws or nuts, or other fasteners known to the state of the art. Since the strap (12) is attached to one of the parts (2, 3), it becomes interchangeable because the parts (2, 3) are separable and not a single piece. This allows a user to adapt the strap (12) to their liking and preference.

[0020] The two parts (2, 3) are fixed to each other by means of a permanent magnet, and the assembly is attached to the bag (13) using fasteners such as nuts, strong adhesives, or other known state-of-the-art fastening methods, resting on the base (15). The base (15) prevents damage to the fabric or material of the bag (13). It also prevents the lower part (2) from slipping on the surface of the bag (13).

[0021] With reference to the figure 2 , the locking and / or fastening device (1) according to the invention mainly comprises two separate parts (2, 3) connected to each other by a permanent magnet and one of the parts is fixed to the bag (13) via the fastening means through the base (15).

[0022] The lower part (2) comprises a steel block (4) which includes at least one bore or mortise (5) having a notch at least 3 mm deep. This steel block has an L-shape with at least one shoulder (16). The bore or mortise (5) is adapted to receive a tenon of the upper part (3) serving as a mechanical and magnetic hook.

[0023] Steel was chosen as the material for this steel block (4) because it can be galvanized to become a corrosion-resistant material requiring very little maintenance. Furthermore, it is non-combustible, thus preventing the risk of fire.

[0024] At a time when a particular focus on environmental protection is essential, the ecological properties of steel are highly valued. Steel, possessing magnetic properties, can be recovered from all types of waste and separated from other materials. Furthermore, steel is infinitely recyclable without affecting its properties, which remain unchanged. This recycling process therefore reduces the amount of household waste and helps conserve natural iron ore resources.

[0025] The use of steel also offers economic and aesthetic advantages. Indeed, with its exceptional lifespan, steel is a durable material and therefore represents a sound long-term investment. Composed of iron and a small percentage of carbon, steel is highly resistant to weight, impact, and heat. Its anti-corrosive properties and longevity make it a cost-effective and easy-to-maintain material.

[0026] With reference to figures 3A et 3B The upper part (3) comprises a steel block (6) with the same physicochemical characteristics and of the same type as the steel in the block (4). It has an inverted shape with at least one notch and at least one shoulder (17), that is, an inverse shape of the steel block (4), so that the profiles of the two steel blocks (4, 6) fit together perfectly. The shoulder includes an imprint of the profile of the lower part (2).

[0027] The steel block (6) includes at least one magnet (7) comprising a dual-function neodymium-based pin, a magnetic locking and / or magnetic fastening function, and a mechanical locking function. The lead-free brass concentration of the magnet is less than 100 ppm.

[0028] The shape, depth, and thickness of the magnet's tenon (7) correspond to the inverse dimensions of the bore or mortise (5) in the steel block (4), so that the magnet's tenon fits into the bore or mortise (5) to form a mechanical and magnetic stop, ensuring that the steel blocks (4, 6) fit together perfectly, forming a mechanically rigid unit. Naturally, two surfaces fit together perfectly when their contact surfaces touch, leaving no gaps or areas of non-contact.

[0029] The dimensions of the magnet's tenon (7) and the bore or mortise (5) are adapted to support a mass of up to 50 kg. To achieve this, the magnet has the same thickness and depth as the mortise in the bore or mortise (5). According to the invention, the depth is at least 3 mm. Preferably, the mortise and tenon of the magnet (7) are parallelepiped-shaped with a square or rectangular base and a depth of at least 3 mm. With this depth, it is possible to safely support and transport a mass of 50 kg.

[0030] According to another particular embodiment, the steel block (6) includes a magnet (7) comprising a central tenon. The steel block (6) further includes two non-magnetic steel tenons at / towards its peripheries. These non-magnetic and magnetic tenons, at least 3 mm deep, allow for the orientation of the steel blocks (4, 6) to be fixed. The shape, depth, and thickness of these non-magnetic tenons correspond to the inverse dimensions of the bore or mortise (5) of the steel block (4), such that the tenons are inserted into at least the corresponding bores or mortises (5) to form a mechanical stop, and to ensure that the steel blocks (4, 6) fit together perfectly, forming a mechanically rigid assembly.

[0031] According to another particular embodiment, the steel block (6) includes a magnet (7) comprising at least 3 tenons, a central tenon and two peripheral tenons (see figure 2 ), with a depth of at least 3 mm, allowing the fixing of the steel blocks (4, 6) to be oriented. The shape, depth and thickness of these tenons correspond to the inverse dimensions of the bore or mortise (5) of the steel block (4) so ​​that said tenons are inserted at least into the corresponding bores or mortises (5) to form a mechanical stop, and to ensure that the steel blocks (4, 6) fit together perfectly, forming a mechanically unified assembly.

[0032] The steel blocks (4; 6) are polished and coated by electrodeposition with a thin layer of nickel-free metal of at least 0.2 microns. This gives these steel blocks good physicochemical properties in terms of corrosion resistance.

[0033] According to another feature of the invention, the joint between the two parts (2, 3) is a mortise and tenon joint because the tenon of the magnet (7) has only a flush surface. Preferably, the joint between the two parts (2, 3) is a shoulder joint. More particularly, the joint between parts (2, 3) is a reinforced shoulder joint.

[0034] According to other features of the invention, the shoulder (16, 17) of the parts (2, 3) includes at least one sliding rail not shown allowing perfect alignment of the two steel blocks (4, 6), strengthening the mechano-magnetic fixing and ensuring that the two parts (2, 3) are easily separated by simply pulling apart the two steel blocks (4, 6) with a force of at least 500 N.

[0035] According to other features of the invention, the steel block (6) further comprises another bore, not shown in the figures, including at least one spring, also not shown in the figures, which partially supports the tenon of the magnet (7) such that when the tenon of the magnet (7) is not opposite the bore or mortise (5), the latter is inside the steel block (6), and when the tenon of the magnet (7) is opposite the bore (5), the latter is inside the bore or mortise (5). This is to improve the safety of the device according to the invention and facilitate interchangeability. Thus, it is easier to remove and replace the blocks (4, 6), particularly parts (2, 3), at any time.

[0036] According to other features of the invention, at least one of the steel blocks (4, 6) comprises at least one logo-shaped pusher (11) enabling magnetic and mechanical decoupling of the two blocks. This pusher is adapted to cooperate with the spring of the steel block (6) and is capable of moving the tenon of the magnet (7) outside the bore or mortise (5). This facilitates interchangeability. Thus, it is easier to remove and replace the blocks (4, 6) at any time.

[0037] With reference to the figure 4 The bag (13) includes the locking and / or fastening device (1) according to the invention. This locking and / or fastening device (1) is fixed to the center of the upper surface of the bag through the base (15) by means of the fasteners (strong adhesive, screws, etc.). Preferably, it is fixed at the center of gravity of the upper surface of the bag or at the middle of the median surface of the bag.

Claims

1. Device (1) for locking and / or fixing a handbag or backpack strap, capable of supporting a mass of at most 50 kg, comprising two parts (2, 3) fixed together by means of a permanent magnet - a lower part (2) comprising a steel block (4) which comprises at least one bore or mortise (5) of at least 3 mm depth, and ; - one of the upper parts (3) fixed to the lower part (2) by means of a permanent magnet, comprising a steel block (6) having an inverse shape to the steel block (4) so that the two steel blocks (4, 6) fit together perfectly, and a strap (12) made of material capable of supporting a mass of at most 50 kg, fixed to one of the parts (2, 3), one of the parts being intended to be fixed to a bag (13) by means of the fixings, Characterized in that, the steel block (6) comprises at least one magnet (7) comprising a neodymium-based tenon with magnetic locking and / or magnetic fixing function, with a lead-free brass concentration of less than 100 ppm, of shape, depth and thickness corresponding to the inverse dimension of the bore or mortise (5) of the steel block (4) so that the tenon of the magnet is inserted into the bore or mortise (5) to form a mechanical and magnetic stop, and the two steel blocks (4, 6) fit together perfectly, by forming a mechanically united assembly.

2. Device (1) for locking and / or fixing a handbag or backpack strap according to claim characterized in that, the steel blocks (4, 6) are treated by polishing and covered by electrodeposition with a thin layer of nickel-free metal of at least 0.2 microns.

3. Device (1) for locking and / or fixing a handbag or backpack strap according to claim 1 or 2 comprising at least one sliding rail allowing the alignment of the two steel blocks (4, 6).

4. Device (1) for locking and / or fixing a handbag or backpack strap according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that, the steel block (6) further comprises a bore comprising, a spring partly supporting the tenon of the magnet (7) so that when said tenon of the magnet (7) is not facing the bore or mortise (5), the latter is inside the steel block (6), and when said tenon of the magnet (7) is facing of the bore or mortise (5), the latter is inside the bore or mortise (5).

5. Device for locking and / or fixing a handle according to claim 4 characterized in that, the steel block (6) comprises at least one pusher means (11) for magnetic and mechanical decoupling of the two steel blocks (2, 3) capable of moving the tenon of the magnet (7) outside the bore or mortise (5).

6. Handbag (13) characterized in that, it comprises the locking and / or fixing device according to any one of the preceding claims, said device being fixed to the center of the upper plane of said bag via fixing means (strong glue, screws, etc.).

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