CUSTOMIZABLE TRAVEL ARTICLES

Abstract

A travel article has an interior pocket that permits the insertion and/or removal of one or more items in the pocket from only the inside of the travel article. The travel article provides a window to allow any items inside of the pocket to be seen on the outside of the travel article. The travel article can be, for example, luggage, totes, toiletry kits, brief cases, duffels, backpacks, sling packs, business cases, business or craft organizers. The provision of such a pocket can allow a user to personalize the bag and can also facilitate bag identification.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates in general to travel accessories and, more particularly, to travel accessories for carrying belongings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a variety of luggage products available to consumers. Despite there being a wide selection, there is still much commonality among such products. For instance, most luggage is offered in a set of standard sizes. Further, most luggage on the market is available in standard colors, most commonly black, blue, red and green. From afar, many pieces of luggage can look alike or very similar.

In the past, luggage bags provided a holder on the outside of the bag, such as on the back or on the sides, to receive a paper identification card or a business card. The personal information on the card can be used to help identify the bag if it gets lost and to help the traveler confirm ownership of the bag when collecting it at his or her destination. The holder is typically made of leather, PVC or the same material as the luggage. The holder includes a window for the identification card to show through, but the window is enclosed by the rest of the holder, such as by being covered with a flap, so as to maintain some level of privacy of the information on the card. The holder is accessible only from the exterior of the bag. Identification holders are sometimes provided as a separate tag that is attached to a portion of the bag, such as a handle.

However, the provision of such an identification holder does not greatly speed up the luggage claim process at the destination airport. Because many bags look alike and due to the small size of the identification card, which is covered, a bag typically has to be removed from the luggage carousel so that the identification card can be inspected to confirm ownership. If it is not the correct bag, then the traveler must put the bag back on the carousel and wait for another similar looking bag. Thus, an identification tag may not provide much time savings in the process. Further, because it is exposed on the outside of the bag, the identification card can fall out of its holder or can otherwise become separated from the bag during the rigors of handling and transit. In such case, identification efforts are further complicated. Thus, there is a need for a system that can minimize such concerns.

Moreover, luggage can suffer aesthetically from being bland and uninteresting due to the degree of commonality in luggage products. The traveler has few options for expressing his or her individuality or otherwise personalizing his or her luggage, particularly in an inexpensive way. Thus, there is a need for a system that can provide such opportunities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention relate to devices, systems and associated methods that can facilitate the customization of travel articles. Aspects of the invention are directed to a travel article. The travel article can be one of a suitcase, luggage, tote, toiletry kit, brief case, duffel, backpack, sling pack, business case, business organizer or craft organizer.

The travel article has an exterior and an interior. The travel article includes a first body portion, such as a panel, with an inner side and an outer side. The outer side defines at least a portion of the exterior of the travel article. A first passage extends through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side.

A first liner is attached to the first body portion so as to form a first pocket on the interior of the travel article. The first pocket includes an opening. Thus, one or more items can be inserted into and removed from the pocket through the opening. The opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article. The opening can be selectively closeable, such as by a zipper, zip lock, snap, magnet, hooks and loops, Velcro, overlapping portions of the pocket and/or a fold over portion of the pocket.

The first liner can have an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface can be decorated. As a result, the first window can permit visual access to the decorated inner surface at least when the first pocket is empty.

The pocket can be configured to allow for expansion of an interior volume of the pocket, so as to accommodate larger, thicker, wider, longer, bulky, non-flat and/or irregular items. In one embodiment, the liner can include pleats or other expansion allowing feature. Expansion can be permitted in one or more directions.

A first window is attached to the first body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the first passage. The first window can be transparent or translucent. The first window can be made of a mesh material. The first window can be attached to the inner side of the first body portion. Thus, the first window permits visual access to the inside of the first pocket from the exterior of the travel article.

A personal item can be disposed within the first pocket. Visual access to the personal item from the exterior of the travel article can be permitted through the first window. The personal item can be photos, coins, charms, embroidered items, screen printed items, silk screen items, patches, logos, cards and/or any other personal item.

In one embodiment, the travel article can include a second passage. In such case, the first passage and the second passage can be different in at least one of size or shape. The second passage can extend through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side.

Another travel article according to aspects of the invention has an exterior and an interior. The travel article includes a first body portion with an inner side and an outer side. The outer side defines at least a portion of the exterior of the travel article.

A first passage extends through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side. A first liner is attached to the first body portion so as to form a first pocket on the interior of the travel article. The first pocket includes a selectively closeable opening. The opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article. The selectively closeable opening opens toward at least one of an upper end of the travel article and a side end of the travel article.

The travel article further includes a first window attached to the first body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the first passage. A first personal item is disposed within the pocket. Visual access to the first personal item from the exterior of the travel article is permitted through the first window.

The travel article can further include a second passage that extends through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side. In such case, a second liner can be attached to the first body portion so as to form a second pocket on the interior of the travel article. The second pocket can include a selectively closeable opening. The opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article. A second window can be attached to the first body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the second passage. A second personal item can be disposed within the second pocket. Visual access to the second personal item from the exterior of the travel article is permitted through the second window.

In one embodiment, the travel article can include a second body portion that has an inner side and an outer side. The outer side can define at least a portion of the exterior of the travel article. A second passage can extend through the second body portion from the outer side to the inner side. A second liner can be attached to the inner side of the second body portion so as to form a second pocket on the interior of the travel article. The second pocket can include a selectively closeable opening. The opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a suitcase in accordance with aspects of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation cross-sectional view of an outer panel of a suitcase in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing an interior pocket with a window attached to an inner side of the outer panel.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation cross-sectional view of an outer panel of a suitcase in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing an interior pocket with a window located inside a passage in the outer panel and attached to the outer panel.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of an outer panel of a suitcase in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing a plurality of windowed pockets in the same outer panel.

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of an inner side of an outer panel in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing a pocket having a substantially horizontally extending closeable opening in an upper end region of the pocket.

FIG. 6 is an elevation view of an inner side of an outer panel in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing a pocket having a substantially vertically extending closeable opening in a side end region of the pocket.

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of an inner side of an outer panel in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing a pocket having a substantially diagonally extending closeable opening in a central region of the pocket.

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of an inner side of an outer panel in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing a pocket as being pleated along its substantially vertical sides.

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of an inner side of an outer panel in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing a pocket as being pleated in each of its four corners.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a backpack in accordance with aspects of the invention, showing at least one windowed pocket in different outer panels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention relate to devices, systems and associated methods that can facilitate the customization of travel articles. Embodiments according to aspects of the invention are shown in FIGS. 1-10, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated structure or application. Further, the following detailed description is intended only as exemplary.

The term “travel article” as used herein is intended to generally refer to any of a number of items that can carry one or more items inside, including, for example, luggage, totes, toiletry kits, brief cases, duffels, backpacks, sling packs, business cases, business or craft organizers. The term “travel article” is intended to expressly exclude hand bags. It should be noted that the travel article can be used in connection with any kind of travel activity, such as going on a vacation, a business trip, going to school or going to a gym, just to name a few possibilities.

In one embodiment, the travel article can be a suitcase 10. While the following description will be directed to a suitcase and, in one instance, a backpack, it will be understood that the discussion applies equally to other travel articles, including any of those listed above. The suitcase 10 can have a body portion, such as an outer panel 12. The outer panel 12 can have an inner side 14 and an outer side 16.

The outer panel 12 can define at least a portion of the exterior 18 of the suitcase 10. In one embodiment, there can be a plurality of body portions, such as outer panels 12. For example, in the context of a suitcase 10, there can be a plurality of outer panels 12: one panel can define the front face 20 of the suitcase 10, another panel can define the back face 22 of the suitcase 10, and one or more panels can define the side faces 24 of the suitcase 10.

The outer panel 12 can be made of any suitable material. For example, at least a portion of the outer panel 12 can be made of a natural fabric (such as wool, cotton, linen, or silk), synthetic fabric (such as Nylon or Polyester), canvas and/or plastic. The outer panel 12 can be made of a relatively rigid material or of a relatively flexible material.

A passage 26 can extend through the outer panel 12, generally from the outer side 16 to the inner side 14. In a suitcase 10, the outer panel 12 can be the one that defines the front face 20 of the suitcase 10. The passage 26 can be located in any suitable position on the outer panel 12. The passage 26 can have any suitable size. The passage 26 be any shape, including, for example, a triangle, star, oval, square, rectangle, circle, parallelogram, trapezoid or a polygon. The passage 26 can be formed in the outer panel 12 by any suitable process.

In some embodiments, there can be more than one passage 26 in the outer panel 12. FIG. 4 shows an example in which there is a plurality of passages 26 in the same outer panel 12. In such case, the passages 26 can have any suitable arrangement and positioning. For instance, the passages 26 can be aligned generally horizontally or generally vertically, or the passages 26 may not be aligned at all. The passages 26 can be arranged according to a pattern or to no particular pattern. The passages 26 can be identical in size and shape, or at least one of the passages 26 can be different in at least one of these or other respects. In one embodiment, the suitcase 10 can have one or more passages 26 only in an outer panel 12 that defines the front face 20 of the suitcase 10, as is generally shown in FIG. 4.

In some embodiments, one or more passages 26 can be provided in two or more different body portions or outer panels 12. This arrangement will be described in connection with a backpack 11, such as shown in FIG. 10. The backpack 11 can have a plurality of outer panels, including first outer panel 12a and second outer panel 12b. One or more passages 26 (one being shown) can be provided in the first outer panel 12a, and one or more passages 26 (two being shown) can be provided in the second outer panel 12b. When a plurality of passages 26 is provided, each passage 26 can be substantially identical, or at least one of the passages 26 can be different in one or more respects.

A window 28 can be provided. The window 28 can be substantially flat. The window 28 can be made of plastic. The window 28 can be made of a flexible and/or a stretchable material. In one embodiment, the window 28 can be made of a mesh material. The window 28 can be relatively thin. The window 28 can be substantially transparent, which includes transparent and slight deviations therefrom. Alternatively, the window 28 can also be translucent. The window 28 can be clear, or the window can be any of a number of other colors.

The window 28 can be attached to the outer panel 12 so as to at least partially close the passage 26. In one embodiment, the window 28 can be attached to the inner side 14 of the outer panel 12, as shown in FIG. 2. In such case, the window 28 will not extend beyond the outer side 16 of the outer panel 12. As a result, exposure of the window 28 to the external environment and attendant potential for wear can be minimized.

In another embodiment, the window 28 can reside inside the passage 26 and can be attached to the outer panel 12 within the passage 26 itself, as shown in FIG. 3. The window 28 can be attached to the outer panel 12 in any suitable manner. In one embodiment, the window 28 can be attached to the outer panel 12 by stitching 30. Alternatively or in addition, the window 28 can be attached to the outer panel 12 by adhesives and/or fasteners.

According to aspects to the invention, a pocket 32 can be formed on the interior 42 of the suitcase 10. The pocket 32 can be defined in part by a portion of the outer panel 12 including the window 28. As a result, the window 28 can permit visual access to the inside 34 of the pocket 32. The pocket 32 can be further defined by a liner 36 attached to the inner side 14 of the outer panel 12 in a region that completely includes at least a portion of the window 28. The liner 36 can be attached to the outer panel 12 in any suitable manner, including, for instance, by stitching 38, adhesives and/or fasteners. In one embodiment, the liner 36 can be securely attached so that it cannot be readily removed or detached from the outer panel 12.

The liner 36 can be made of the same material as the outer panel 12. Alternatively, the liner 36 can be made of a different material than the outer panel 12. A different material can help to make the window 28 stand out, or it can accent the suitcase 10. The liner material can be screen printed, embroidered or otherwise decorated so that an pleasing appearance is given when the pocket 32 is viewed through the window 28, particularly when the pocket 32 is empty.

Access to the inside 34 of the pocket 32 can be by way of an opening 40. The opening 40 is located such that it can only be accessed from the interior 42 of the suitcase 10. The opening 40 can be a selectively closeable opening. The opening 40 can be made selectively closeable in any of a number of manners, including by zipper 44 (FIG. 7), zip lock 46 (FIG. 5), snaps, magnets, hooks and loops, Velcro 48 (FIG. 6) or other suitable closing structure. Alternatively or in addition, the liner 36 can be configured so that the material can be arranged in an overlapping, flap-over 50 (FIG. 6) or fold over manner. Of course, any combination of these manners of closure is possible.

The closable opening 40 can be provided in any suitable location on the pocket 32. The closeable opening 40 can be oriented in any suitable direction. In one embodiment, the closeable opening 40 can extend generally horizontally across an upper end region 52 of the pocket 32, as shown in FIG. 5. In such case, the opening 40 can open toward the upper end of the suitcase 10. In another embodiment, the closeable opening 40 can extend generally vertically across one of the side end regions 56 of the pocket 32, as shown in FIG. 6. In such case, the opening 40 can open toward one of the sides of the suitcase 10. In yet another embodiment, the closeable opening 40 can extend generally horizontally, generally vertically or generally diagonally across a central region 58 of the pocket 32. It should be noted that the terms horizontally, vertically, upper and lower are intended to refer to directions when the suitcase 10 is in its normal usage position.

Of course, a closeable opening 40 that is a combination of two or more of the above features is entirely possible. For instance, the closeable opening 40 can extend in two regions of the pocket 32. For instance, the opening 40 can extend along the upper end region 52 and one of the connecting side regions 56. Providing the closeable opening 40 in the side end region 56 of the pocket 32 can provide an added measure of security and theft deterrent due to it being potentially for being more challenging to access compared to when the opening 40 in the provided in the upper rend region 52.

The opening 40 can provide direct, quick and relatively easy access to the pocket 32. The pocket 32 can be covered by an additional lining (not shown) associated with the outer panel 12 of the suitcase 10. However, in some instances, the pocket 32 may not be covered by an additional liner on the outer panel 12 of the suitcase 10. As a result, no additional lining needs to be removed or opened in order to access the pocket 32, thereby facilitating the quick and easy access to the pocket 32.

The pocket 32 can be configured to allow for expansion of its interior volume to accommodate large, thicker, width, longer, bulky, non-flat or irregular items. In one embodiment, the liner 36 can include pleats 60 or other expansion allowing feature, as is generally shown in FIG. 5. The pleats 60 can be any suitable type of pleat.

Expansion can be permitted in one or more directions. For instance, the pocket 32 can expand inwardly, that is, toward the interior 42 of the suitcase 10 and away from the window 28. Alternatively or in addition, the pocket 32 can be expanded in the direction of one or more of its sides and/or in the direction of one or more of its corners 61. FIG. 8 shows an example in which at least one of the side regions 56 of the pocket 32 includes a pleat 60. FIG. 9 shows an example in which each corner 61 of the pocket 32 includes a pleat 60. In addition to accommodating items, the pleats 60 can allow for easier insertion and removal of items in the pocket 32.

It will be appreciated that the provision of a travel article with an interior pocket 32 can enable a user to personalize their travel articles by inserting one or more items 62 into the pocket 32, as generally shown in FIG. 10. The items 62 can be any personal items, including, for example, photos 62a, coins 62b, charms 62c, embroidered items, screen printed items, silk screen items, patches, logos, cards and/or any other personal items. These items 62 will show through the window 28. Thus, the user will be able to enjoy the uniqueness of his or her travel article.

The items 62 can only be inserted or removed from the inside 42 of the suitcase 10. The items 62 cannot be removed from the exterior of the suitcase 10. The pocket 32 will securely hold the items 62 in place and the potential for loss can be minimized. The items 62 can serve as a bag identifier so as to enable travelers to quickly identify their bags.

Aspects of the invention can also be beneficial in the premium marketplace. Currently, a purchaser of a premium product (for example, a company who wishes to purchase a luggage bearing the company's logo) is typically required to custom order their products at a premium price. Aspects of the invention can allow a company to purchase stock travel articles, and the company can customize the travel article in its own way by inserting whatever they want into the pocket, such as logos, symbols, tag lines, events, etc. Travel articles can be identified very easily without the need for custom manufacturing, thereby allowing for appreciable cost savings.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A travel article having an exterior and an interior comprising: a first body portion having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side defining at least a portion of the exterior of the travel article;a first passage extending through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side;a first liner attached to the first body portion so as to form a first pocket on the interior of the travel article, the first pocket including an opening, whereby one or more items can be inserted into and removed from the pocket through the opening, wherein the opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article; anda first window attached to the first body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the first passage, whereby the first window permits visual access to the inside of the first pocket from the exterior of the travel article.

2. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the travel article is one of a suitcase, luggage, tote, toiletry kit, brief case, duffel, backpack, sling pack, business case, business organizer or craft organizer.

3. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the first window is transparent.

4. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the first window is translucent.

5. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the first window is a mesh material.

6. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the first window is attached to the inner side of the first body portion.

7. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the first body portion is a panel.

8. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the liner includes an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface is decorated, whereby the first window permits visual access to the decorated inner surface when the first pocket is empty.

9. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the liner is configured to allow for expansion of an interior volume of the pocket.

10. The travel article of claim 9 wherein the liner is pleated.

11. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the opening is selectively closeable by at least one of a zipper, zip lock, snap, magnet, hooks and loops or Velcro.

12. The travel article of claim 1 wherein the opening is selectively closeable by at least one of overlapping portions of the pocket and a fold over portion of the pocket.

13. The travel article of claim 1 further including a personal item disposed within the first pocket, whereby visual access to the personal item from the exterior of the travel article is permitted through the first window.

14. The travel article of claim 13 wherein the personal item is one of photos, coins, charms, embroidered items, screen printed items, silk screen items, patches, logos and cards.

15. The travel article of claim 1 further including a second passage.

16. The travel article of claim 15 wherein the first passage and the second passage are different in at least one of size or shape.

17. The travel article of claim 15 wherein the second passage extends through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side.

18. A travel article having an exterior and an interior comprising: a first body portion having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side defining at least a portion of the exterior of the travel article;a first passage extending through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side;a first liner attached to the first body portion so as to form a first pocket on the interior of the travel article, the first pocket including a selectively closeable opening, wherein the opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article, wherein the selectively closeable opening opens toward at least one of an upper end of the travel article and a side end of the travel article;a first window attached to the first body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the first passage; anda first personal item disposed within the pocket, whereby visual access to the first personal item from the exterior of the travel article is permitted through the first window.

19. The travel article of claim 18 further including: a second passage extending through the first body portion from the outer side to the inner side;a second liner attached to the first body portion so as to form a second pocket on the interior of the travel article, the second pocket including a selectively closeable opening, wherein the opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article;a second window attached to the first body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the second passage; anda second personal item disposed within the second pocket, whereby visual access to the second personal item from the exterior of the travel article is permitted through the second window.

20. The travel article of claim 18 further including: a second body portion having an inner side and an outer side, the outer side defining at least a portion of the exterior of the travel article;a second passage extending through the second body portion from the outer side to the inner side;a second liner attached to the inner side of the second body portion so as to form a second pocket on the interior of the travel article, the second pocket including a selectively closeable opening, wherein the opening is only accessible from the interior of the travel article;a second window attached to the second body portion so as to cover at least a portion of the second passage; anda second personal item disposed within the second pocket, whereby visual access to the second personal item from the exterior of the travel article is permitted through the second window.