Handbag

Claim 1

a handbag comprising: a bag including a first end face, an opposite second end face, and a side wall interconnecting said first and second end faces, said first and second end faces and said side wall defining a closed chamber, said side wall having a top rectangular opening of predetermined width to access said closed chamber; a rectangular flexible cover strip having a first end connected widthwise to said side wall adjacent to said opening of said side wall of said bag, an opposite second end, and two peripheral edges extending between said first and second ends, a pair of zip-fasteners each of which connects one of said two peripheral edges to said side wall of said bag to close said opening of said side wall of said bag, each of said zip-fasteners having a sliding tab; a strip winding and unwinding unit including an inverted U-shaped handle member which has two parallel portions having two free ends respectively connected to said sliding tabs of said zip-fasteners and a handling portion interconnecting said two parallel portions, a stationary shaft extending between said parallel portions and having two ends respectively fixed to said free ends of said parallel portions, a tubular member rotatably sleeved around and extending along the length of said stationary shaft, said tubular member having an outer surface to which said second end of said cover strip is attached and which is in rolling contact with said cover strip, and a torsional spring mounted in said tubular member and sleeved around said stationary shaft, said torsional spring having a first end connected to said tubular member and an opposite second end connected to said stationary shaft, said handle member being movable between a closed position wherein said opening of said bag is closed by said cover strip and an opening position, said tubular member being rotated and said cover strip being wound around said outer surface of said tubular member when said handle member is moved from said closed position to said opening position by the returning force of said torsional spring; and said strip winding and unwinding unit further including a fastening member provided on said side wall of said bag to maintain said handle member in said closed position.