Patent Application
20240225222
The embodiments relate generally to a luggage cover configured to fit around a luggage container, wherein the luggage cover is useable as a travel case when absent the luggage container.
There has always been a need to protect one's luggage from exposure to natural elements and general wear-and-tear. This need increases with the rising cost of quality-crafted luggage and is compounded by the fact that some luggage items are manufactured with perishable materials such as leather that are subject to a higher rate of deterioration.
The prior art has shown the use of protective covers for various items including luggage to increase the useful life of the items. However, such covers for luggage are often bulky and awkward and are generally not tailored to the dimensions of the luggage item. Accordingly, a cover may prove to be too small (in the case of a large suitcase) or too large (in the case of smaller “carry-on” luggage) for the luggage container it is attempting to protect. Further problems arise when considering luggage containers capable of adjusting their volume capacity. Typically, these containers comprise an expandable main compartment kept in an unexpanded state by a fastening apparatus such as zipper mechanism. When a user does not require much luggage room, the user may utilize the luggage container in the unexpanded state. However, if the user wishes to carry additional items in the luggage container, the user may unfasten the fastening apparatus to expand the expandable compartment. In the expanded state, more items may be accommodated in the luggage container because of the increased volume.
The prior art has attempted to address the concern of better fitting covers for luggage containers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,699 illustrates the use of an expandable luggage cover formed by a plurality of panels that may be zippered to close about the luggage. Japanese Pat. No. 6571584, Korean Pat. No. 20-0443671, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,562 each disclose luggage containers that may expand to enclose a piece of luggage in the expanded state. Each also include openings that allow passage of handles and wheels of the covered luggage. This latter advantage is also found in the luggage covers disclosed in Chinese Pat. No. 204351278U, Australian Pat. Application No. 20210100137B4, U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,452, German Pat. Application No. 202005012815, International Pat. Application Publication No. WO2014004633, and US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0015140. Each provide a bag-like cover that fits over the luggage and include openings that allow passage of handles and wheels of the covered luggage. Finally, Korean Pat. No. 20-0485401 discloses a luggage cover that includes straps for suspending the luggage as a backpack.
However, each of these prior art references fail to provide additional storage space beyond the luggage they are covering. A typical traveler returns from a trip with additional items that often take up much more space than anticipated. Thus, even an expanded luggage container may not be sufficient to hold all of their items on a return trip.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved luggage covers that may provide additional storage space for the traveler.
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
It is acknowledged that the term ‘comprise’ may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term ‘comprise’ shall have an inclusive meaning, i.e., that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term ‘comprised’ or ‘comprising’ is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.
The presently disclosed invention relates to a cover for a luggage container. The cover generally comprises a body formed of a flexible, durable material, and configured to fully enclose the luggage container. Further, unlike prior art covers, the disclosed cover provides closable openings for handles and wheels of the luggage container such that when not in use to cover a luggage container, the cover may act as a piece of luggage, i.e., provide a container having a fully enclosed compartment and one or more handles or straps.
According to aspects of the disclosure, the body generally comprises a main opening that is openable to allow access to an interior of the body, the main opening comprising a fastening apparatus; a first set of closeable openings on a bottom side configured to allow passage of wheels of the luggage container when positioned within the body; a second set of closeable openings on a first side, second side, top side, or combination thereof configured to allow passage of handles of the luggage container when positioned within the body; and one or more handles on an exterior of the body positioned on the first side, the second side, the top side, or combination thereof. The cover provides a secure interior configured as a travel case when each of the main opening, the first set of closeable openings, and the second set of closeable openings are closed.
The main opening may be positioned on a front panel. Alternatively, or additionally, the main opening may be positioned along the side panels. The fastening apparatus may be an expandable zipper positioned along a perimeter of the front panel.
The first set of closeable openings generally comprise two to four zippered openings on the bottom side of the body. Each of the two to four zippered openings may comprise a fastener on an inner surface thereof configured for attachment to a matching fastener on an inner surface of the body. Such fasteners provide secure attachment for each of the first set of openings within the interior of the body during use as a cover for a luggage container having wheels positioned therethrough.
The second set of closeable openings generally comprise a zippered opening on one or more of the first side, the second side, and the top side. Each of the zippered openings may comprise a fastener on an inner surface thereof configured for attachment to a matching fastener on an inner surface of the body. Such fasteners provide secure attachment for each of the second set of openings within the interior of the body during use as a cover for a luggage container having handles positioned therethrough.
According to aspects of the disclosure, the body generally comprises front and back panels, top and bottom panels, and first and second side panels, wherein the front panel is openable via a fastening apparatus to allow access to an interior of the body; a first set of closeable openings on the bottom panel configured to allow passage of wheels of the luggage container when positioned within the body; a second set of closeable openings on the first side panel, the second side panel, the top panel, or any combination thereof configured to allow passage of handles of the luggage container when positioned within the body; and one or more handles on an exterior of the body positioned on the first side panel, the second side panel, the top panel, or combination thereof. The cover provides a secure interior configured as a travel case when each of the main opening, the first set of closeable openings, and the second set of closeable openings are closed.
Each of the first and second side panels and the top and bottom panels may be securely connected to the back panel along a perimeter thereof forming a rectangular container. The top panel may be securely connected to at least a portion of a top perimeter of one of the first side panel or the second side panel and may be releasably connected to the top perimeter of the other of the first side panel or the second side panel, and a top perimeter of the top and bottom panels via the fastening apparatus.
The fastening apparatus may be an expandable zipper positioned along a perimeter of the front panel, or along each of the top and bottom panels and one of the first or second side panels. For example, the fastening apparatus may be an expandable zipper positioned along a perimeter of the front panel. The fastening apparatus may be an expandable zipper positioned along the top and bottom panels and one of the first or second side panels, such as a midpoint on each of these panels between the top and bottom panels.
The first set of closeable openings may comprise two to four zippered openings on the bottom panel of the body. Each of the four zippered openings may comprise a fastener on an inner surface thereof configured for attachment to a matching fastener on an inner surface of the body. Such fasteners provide secure attachment for each of the first set of openings within the interior of the body during use as a cover for a luggage container having wheels positioned therethrough.
The second set of closeable openings generally comprise a zippered opening on one or more of the first side panel, the second side panel, the top panel. Each of the zippered openings may comprise a fastener on an inner surface thereof configured for attachment to a matching fastener on an inner surface of the body. Such fasteners provide secure attachment for each of the second set of openings within the interior of the body during use as a cover for a luggage container having handles positioned therethrough.
Each of the panels may be connected together by stitching, or may comprise a continuous sheet of material, e.g., the top, bottom, and back panel may be a continuous sheet of material, or the top, bottom, back, and side panels may be formed of a continuous sheet of material that may be stitched along perimeters thereof to form the rectangular cover.
Aspects, features, benefits and advantages of the embodiments herein will be apparent with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. In the following figures, like numerals represent like features in the various views. It is to be noted that features and components in these drawings, illustrating the views of embodiments of the present invention, unless stated to be otherwise, are not necessarily drawn to scale.
In the following description, the present invention is set forth in the context of various alternative embodiments and implementations involving luggage covers or cases for luggage. The embodiments disclosed herein will provide durable covers for luggage of various sizes and configurations that may be useable as luggage when absent the luggage container.
Various aspects of the luggage covers may be illustrated by describing components that are coupled, attached, and/or joined together. As used herein, the terms “coupled”, “attached”, and/or “joined” are interchangeably used to indicate either a direct connection between two components or, where appropriate, an indirect connection to one another through intervening or intermediate components. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being “directly coupled”, “directly attached”, and/or “directly joined” to another component, there are no intervening elements shown in said examples.
Various aspects of the systems, methods, and luggage covers disclosed herein may be illustrated with reference to one or more exemplary implementations. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other variations of the systems or methods disclosed herein. “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not.
Furthermore, throughout the specification, reference to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “some embodiments” means that a particular described feature, structure, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” or “in some embodiments” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or not described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments.
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “lower,” “upper,” “bottom,” “top,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right” and “sides” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made but are not limiting with respect to the orientation in which the various parts of the needle or any assembly of them may be used.
It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a” zipper, “an” opening, or “the” cover, is a reference to one or more of each and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The term “luggage” is used broadly herein to refer to any travel case, suitcase, baggage, or other container useable to transport personal goods or items when traveling. For ease of understanding, throughout the remainder of this detailed description, the luggage cover disclosed herein may be referred to simply as the cover, and the luggage container which the cover is configured to cover may be referred to simply as the luggage.
With reference to
Each of the panels may be separate sections attached via stitching to adjacent panels to form the cover. Alternatively, the cover may be created from a continuous portion of material that may be attached along respective edges to form the cover. For example, the front 12, first side 16, back 14, and second side 18 panel portions may be continuous and the region of the first or second side panel may include extensions that form the top and bottom panels (e.g., 20 and 22, respectively) when connected to the back 14 and side panel (16 or 18, depending on the configuration), such as via stitching.
When the openable side of the cover 10 is on the front panel 12, such as shown in the figures, the font panel 12 may include a fastening apparatus 24 positioned along a perimeter, such as along edges of three of the four sides of the front panel 12 shown in the figures. The fastening apparatus 24 may extend along a portion of a fourth side 13 of the front panel 12 to allow full opening and easy access to an interior of the cover. A remainder of the fourth side may be non-releasably attached to the main body, e.g., along all or a portion of a side panel 16. The fastening means may be any known in the art, but most preferable is a durable zipper.
According to aspects, the cover 10 can be configured to have one or more expandable portions 26 (e.g., fabric expansion gusset), which can be utilized to expand at least the main body of the cover. For example, the fastening apparatus 24 may be an expandable zipper (24′), as shown in
As shown in
While the expandable region is shown as positioned along a perimeter of the front panel 12, it could also be positioned along the top 20, side 18, and bottom 22 panels, such as midway between the front 12 and back 14 panels. Moreover, more than one expandable region may be included in the cover, such as (i) along a perimeter of the front panel 12, (ii) along perimeters of the top 20, bottom 22, and side panels (16, 18), (iii) along the top 20, side 18, and bottom 22 panels, and/or (vi) along a perimeter of an external pouch or pocket (e.g., pocket 42 of
With reference to
When opened, the first set of openings will leave two to four flaps of fabric that may be pushed toward the inner cavity of the cover so that they do not obstruct movement of wheels of the luggage positioned within the cover 10. According to certain aspects, the first set of openings may each include an attachment means (32a in
With reference to
Alternatively, or additionally, the second set of openings will leave flap(s) of fabric that may be folded outward toward the outer surface of the body so that they do not obstruct access to the handle(s) (36) of the luggage. According to certain aspects, the second set of openings may include an attachment means on an outer surface thereof that may provide for connection to a mated attachment means on an outer side surface of the cover (e.g., outer portion of the front or back panel, 12 or 14, respectively, or outer portion of one of the side or top panels). These mated attachment means may allow the second set of openings, when opened, to remain securely attached to the outer surface. Exemplary attachment means include snaps, hook and loop closures, VELCRO, and the like.
As shown in each of
The cover may further include pockets 42 on an outer surface, such as the zipper pocket shown on the back panel 14 of the cover in
When not used to cover a piece of luggage, the cover may be used as a piece of luggage in its own right. In this case, each of the first and second sets of openings (e.g., 30a-d, 34) would be zippered closed to provide a secure inner compartment having a closeable front panel. The zipper slides for each of the first and second sets of openings may be positioned on an inner surface of the cover 10 so they are not exposed to wear and tear and/or so they are more secure (i.e., offer a more secure closure that is not easily opened when the cover is left unattended). Additional security means may be included for each of the first and second sets of openings, such as attachment points for the zippers (i.e., closeable hooks on which the zipper slides may attach when in the closed state, and the like).
Accordingly, the presently disclosed invention provides a cover for a piece of luggage that may be used as a piece of luggage when absent the luggage. Should a traveler need additional storage space during a trip, each of the first and second set of openings may be closed to provide a secured interior space closeable by a zippered cover. The interior space of the cover may be expanded to provide additional space within the cover when used as a piece of luggage, or to accommodate a piece of luggage in the expanded state.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternations and applications could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements, systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention.
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of prior U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/437,422, filed on Jan. 6, 2023, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63437422 | Jan 2023 | US |
