Patent Application
20120241270
The invention relates to apparatus and methods for determining the weight of luggage.
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Increasingly, airlines are imposing restrictions on carry-on luggage both relating to the number of pieces and the weight which the traveler is allowed to bring on a trip without incurring extra fees. Last minute purchases, shifting weight between carry-on and checked luggage, and the like complicate the task of meeting airline restrictions. In addition, scales commonly available in homes, such as scales for measuring body weight do not easily lend themselves to weight determinations. While specialized small scales are available, the same are difficult to use due to the weight of heavier items of luggage.
In accordance with the invention, the problem of determining the weight of luggage is solved by providing a bag which weighs itself and its contents.
More particularly, in accordance with the invention, a bag comprises a bottom support member and a pair of wheels secured to the bottom or side support member. A scale disposed on the bottom or side support member has an electrical output. A compartment is configured and dimensioned to hold the contents of the bag. The scale is disposed between the bottom support member and the compartment. The compartment is movably mounted with respect to the bottom support member. This causes items contained within the compartment tend to apply their weight to the scale. A readout is electrically coupled to the electrical output of the scale.
In accordance with the invention, the compartment may comprise a compartment bottom and a compartment back, with the compartment back secured to the compartment bottom, and the compartment bottom being made of a relatively stiff material. A side support member may be secured to the bottom support member. The compartment back is slidingly mounted with respect to the side support member.
The bag may further comprise a telescoping member secured to the side support member, and a handle secured to the telescoping member.
The compartment bottom may be made of steel or a fiber-reinforced plastic.
The compartment may comprise a fabric member, a compartment bottom and a compartment back. The compartment back may be secured to the compartment bottom. The compartment bottom may be relatively stiff. The fabric member may be secured to the compartment back and the compartment bottom.
The operation of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
Turning to
Of course, any suitable material for a bag may be used, such as leather, vinyl, rigid plastic, nylon, cardboard and so forth. Likewise, the luggage of the present invention may include additional materials, such as an insulating layer, shock absorbing layer, a waterproofing material such as Gortex, and so forth.
Main body portion 14 and a lid portion 16 are secured to each other by a zipper 18 which is secured to fabric compartment 12 by stitches 20. Fabric compartment 12 is secured to a rigid plastic support 22, as illustrated most clearly in
Bag 10 further comprises a handle 28. Handle 28 may be sewn in position or secured in any conventional matter.
Bag 10 further comprises a rolling support 30 which is made of a base 32 and a back 34. Housing 27 is slidingly mounted with respect to rolling support 30. More particularly, backing portion 26 of support 22 slides with respect to back 34 of rolling support 30. Movement is limited by a pair of pins 36 which move in elongated holes or slots 38. Pins 36 may be secured to back 34 and loosely slide in slots 38, allowing housing 24 to move up and down in response to the weight of its contents.
A scale 38 is positioned within a compartment 40 in base 32 of support 30. In proportion to the weight contained within housing 27, forces applied to scale 38 cause scale 38 to generate the measurement of the weight of housing 27 and its contents. Scale 38, whose construction is described below, is programmed to add the weight of the remainder of bag 10 to provide the total weight of the luggage.
More particularly, the output of scale 38 is sent to a digital display 42, as illustrated most clearly in
In a manner well-known in the art, bag 10 is provided with a pair of wheels 46 and a foot 48. Bag 10 also includes a pair of telescopic members 50 attached to a handle 52. Telescopic members 50 may be extended as illustrated in
It is intended that in accordance with the present invention that the dimensions of the bag may be changed, so that the largest area side is the bottom of the bag. In this case, the scale may be placed on the small area side of the bag and the display placed on the opposite side of the bag.
An alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
As can be seen most clearly in
This action is facilitated by a pair of facing Teflon strips 180 and 182 which are secured to inclined surfaces 184 and 186 on housing 127 and base 132.
In accordance with the present invention it is contemplated that any prior art scale mechanism may be used, for example a scale of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,422 to Hoffmann dated Aug. 23, 1988.
Generally, the most common type of strain gauge consists of an insulating flexible backing which supports a metallic foil pattern. The weight of the contents of the bag of the present invention is applied to the metallic foil pattern to deform it, by applying weight to the substrate supporting the foil pattern. As the substrate is deformed, the foil is deformed, causing its electrical resistance to change. This resistance change, usually measured using a Wheatstone bridge, is related to the strain by the quantity known as the gauge factor.
The carrier 215 rests on two spaced-apart supports 216 which are provided therefor on the base 210 beneath the bearings 214. The distance between the supports 216 exceeds the distance between the bearings 214, and the bearings are disposed between the supports so that the carrier 215 is flexed between the supports 216 in response to the application of a load by way of the bearings 214, i.e., in response to the application of a load to the platform 211 so that the latter descends slightly and deforms the carrier 215, whereby the latter assumes a substantially concave-convex shape with the concave side facing upwardly toward the underside of the platform 212.
When a load is applied to the platform 211, the carrier 215 undergoes a deformation which is proportional to the applied load (such load is transmitted by the knife edge bearings 214), whereby the length of the conductor 222 (
Referring to
Referring to
Still yet another embodiment of a bag 510 constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in
While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described, it is noted that various modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the above description and drawings. Such modifications are within the scope of the invention which is limited and defined only by the following claims.
