Background

Riflingthrough a full handbag for an item can be a notoriously challenging task. Without being able to see the layered contents within the bag, one has a difficult time locating the item they need and must blindly feel through the bag's contents. Peering into the bag through its opening only reveals the top layer of the bag's contents and requires further rummaging if the desired item is not on top. What is presented is a bag having a viewing window that gives visual access to the contents of the bag when uncovered. The window is hidden behind a flap that seals the bag and when the flap is moved to open the bag, the window is revealed. The window removes the guesswork from retrieving an item from a bag by revealing the layers of items through the side of the bag. An item may be located through the window before the bag is ever opened.

Summary

Presented herein is a bag having an internal compartment for holding items comprising an opening at the top face of the bag through which the bag's internal compartment may be accessed. A window is fixed within a side face of the bag adjacent to the opening. The window may be a flexible, transparent sheet such as vinyl, polyurethane, or acrylic and may extend to the bottom edge of the bag. A flap attached to the bag near the opening covers the opening and the window to secure the opening and hide the window. A free end of the flap may be secured to the purse through any securing means such as a clasp, button, zipper, or magnets. When the flap is lifted, the bag's opening may be accessed, and the contents of the bag may be viewed through the window. In some embodiments, the window and flap may further extend around the bottom face of the bag so that the bottom of the bag may be viewed when the flap is lifted.

In another embodiment of the bag there may be two adjacent internal compartments, each having an access opening at the top face of the bag. Each internal compartment has a window positioned on an opposite side of the bag from the other internal compartment. Each window gives visual access to the contents of its respective internal compartment. A flap having two free ends extends over each window and each opening. Each of the flap's free ends may be secured to opposite sides of the bag near the bottom edges of the windows. A free end of the flap may be unsecured and lifted to view its corresponding window and to gain access to both openings. If both free ends of the flap are unsecured, the flap may be completely removed and replaced.

Those skilled in the art will realize that this invention is capable of embodiments that are different from those shown and that details of the devices and methods can be changed in various manners without departing from the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as including such equivalent embodiments as do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Brief Description of Drawings

For a more complete understanding and appreciation of this invention, and its many advantages, reference will be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bag;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bag of FIG. 1 having a secured flap; FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the bag having two internal compartments, a window for each compartment, and a flap with two free ends that covers each window and each internal compartment opening;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the other side of the bag of FIG. 3A

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the bag having a second flap covering a second window in a side of the bag located opposite from said first window.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, some of the reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding parts through several of the embodiments and figures shown and described. Corresponding parts are denoted in different embodiments with the addition of lowercase letters. Variations of corresponding parts in form or function that are depicted in the figures are described. It will be understood that variations in the embodiments can generally be interchanged without deviating from the invention.

Disclosed herein is a bag 10 having an internal compartment 12 for holding items. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the bag 10 having an opening 14 through which the bag's contents may be accessed. The bag 10 may be any handbag, purse, backpack, etc. having an internal compartment configured to hold a variety of items. The opening 14 may optionally comprise a securing means 16 such as a zipper, clasp, button, or magnets, although the opening 14 may be without any securing means 16 and would rely on the flap 20 to secure it as discussed in more detail below. A window 18 within a side face of the bag adjacent to the opening allows visual access to the contents of the internal compartment 12. The window 18 may be a flexible, transparent sheet such as vinyl, polyurethane, acrylic, or any durable material through which the contents of the bag 10 within the internal compartment 12 may be viewed. The window 18 may be stitched into the side of the bag 10 or may be attached within the side of the bag 10 through another means such as rivets, adhesive, or plastic welding. Preferably, the window 18 extends to the bottom edge of the bag 10 to maximize the area of the internal compartment 12 that can be viewed.

A flap 20 is attached to the bag 10 near the opening 14. As best seen in FIG. 2, the flap 20 folds over the opening 14 and the window 18 to secure the opening 14 and hide the window 18 from view. A free end of the flap 20 may be secured to the bag 10 through any securing means 22 such as a clasp, button, zipper, or magnets. When the free end of the flap 20 is secured to the bag 10, the opening 14 and the window 18 hidden from view and inaccessible. If the opening 14 does not comprise a securing means 16, the flap 20 may sufficiently secure the opening 14. The free end of the flap 22 may be unsecured and lifted to access the bag's 10 opening 14 and view the contents of the bag through the window 18. In some embodiments, the window 18 and flap 20 may further extend around the bottom face of the bag 10 so that the bottom of the internal compartment 12 may be fully viewed when the flap 20 is lifted.

FIG.s 3A and 3B show an embodiment of the bag 10a having two separate internal compartments 12a. Each internal compartment 12a has an access opening 14a having a securing means 16a at the top face of the bag 10a. For each internal compartment 12a there is a window 18a that gives visual access to the contents of the internal compartment 12a. In this embodiment, the windows 18a are located on opposite side faces of the bag 10a. A flap 20a having two free ends extends over each window 18a, and each opening 14a. The free ends of the flap 20a may be secured to opposite sides of the bag 10a through any securing means 22a such as a clasp, button, zipper, or magnets along the bottom edge of the windows 18a. When the free ends of the flap 20a are secured to the bag 10a, the opening 14a and the windows 18a are both secure and hidden from view. To view the contents of one of the internal compartments 12a, the corresponding free end of the flap 20a may be unsecured and lifted. When one of the flap's 20a free ends is lifted, both openings 14a are accessible, but only the widow 18a that was covered by the lifted end of the flap 20a will be uncovered. If both of the free ends of the flap 20a is unsecured, the flap 20a may be completely removed or replaced. In this way, the bag 10a may be customized to incorporate different styles or colors of flap 20a. In other embodiments, the flap 20a may be secured to the bag 10a through the centerline of the bag 10a between each internal compartment 12a. FIG. 3B shows the other side of this embodiment, which mirrors the side shown in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of the bag 10b having a first flap 20b attached near the opening 14b that extends over opening 14b and covers a window 18b. A second flap 24b is attached to the bag 10b at the same location as the first flap 20b and extends over the opposite side of the bag 10b from the first flap 20b to cover a second window 26b in the opposite side of the bag 10b from the first window 18b. The contents of the internal compartment 12b may be viewed by lifting either the first flap 20b or the second flap 24b to uncover the first window 18b or second window 26b respectively. The free ends of the first flap 20b and the second flap 24b may be secured to the bag 10b through any securing means 22b such as a clasp, button, zipper, or magnets along the bottom edge of their respective window 18b. A second window allows the internal compartment 12b to be viewed from a different side of the bag 10b to better locate a specific item within the bag 10b. This invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments. Many modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding specification. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such alterations and modifications in so far as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents of these claims.