Patent Application
20130140120
Luggage and baggage systems have long been known and widely used by travelers. Historically, heavy trunks or chests composed of heavy materials have been used. Since the mid-twentieth century, lighter and more portable luggage has been used due to an increase in travelling, and especially, travelling by air. For air travel, passengers must adhere to airline standards when selecting luggage (i.e. size and weight limitations) which has resulted in the creation of many types and designs of luggage. Due to these restrictions, travelers must strategically select luggage that provides the space and organization necessary to their packing needs, but is also convenient to carry and use. This need has led to the creation of compartmental luggage and detachable components which assists in organization and provides convenience during transport. Though these designs have achieved considerable popularity and commercial success, there has been a continuing need for improvement. In particular, there remains a need for luggage that is compartmentalized to allow separation and organization of packed materials, such as separating clothing for each day of a trip, and/or has a plurality of interchangeable and/or cooperating pieces which allow for variations in size and/or alternative carrying options.
A luggage system according to the present invention provides a single system of luggage that accommodates a variety of packing, travelling, and organizing needs of the traveler. First, it provides compartmentalization which helps a traveler to organize packed items. In addition, a luggage piece may be made as large or as small as desired for a particular trip, or for a particular day. For example, the traveler may not want to pack a separate backpack in the suitcase for a day trip, because the same components used to make the suitcase may be made into a backpack for the day trip. The luggage system also provides for a variety of carrying and transporting configurations, making the luggage piece easy to carry and/or to attach to a movable item such as a luggage cart, a bicycle, a motor vehicle, etc.
The luggage system according to the present invention provides a plurality of interchangeable components that can be attached to one another in a variety of configurations and preferably completely removable from one another when a certain component is not desired. Each of the components may be similarly sized and each may have at least one perimeter attachment means that is dimensioned according to a size and configuration of a counterpart perimeter attachment means on a second component of the luggage system, thereby allowing for attaching and detaching the various components to one another. The possible components of a luggage system according to the present invention may be a luggage case, an enclosure piece, a spacing member, and/or carrying means. A luggage system according to the present invention further preferably provides for attachment elements that may be coupled to components which are configured for receiving carrying means, such as straps, or for connecting other items to the piece of luggage. A luggage system according to the present invention may also provide a variable size connector which has a perimeter attachment means consistent with the size and shape of one component and a second perimeter attachment means of a different configuration to releasably attach together two components of different sizes and/or shapes. The invention further includes a method of using the luggage system for building various pieces of luggage.
Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.
A luggage system of the present invention may be used to build various pieces of luggage. The luggage system comprises a plurality of interchangeable and cooperating segments used to build a piece of luggage suitable to a traveler's particular packing and carrying needs. The same plurality of segments can be used to create multiple configurations of luggage.
The various components of the luggage system are interconnectable and completely detachable via perimeter attachment means 80. The attachment means may comprise a zipper, a hook and loop fastener material around the perimeter, snaps, hooks, or any other attachment means by which one component is connectable to an adjacent component. In a preferred embodiment, the attachment means is a zipper 82. Generally, but with a few exceptions that will be discussed below, each component preferably has a first side zipper 82a and a second side zipper 82b, preferably of different polarities; one of either the first side zipper 82a or the second side zipper 82b being a male zipper portion and the other of either the first side zipper 82a or the second side zipper 82b a female zipper portion, as can be seen in
The components of the luggage system may be any size and shape that is appropriate for carrying and travel. In a preferred embodiment, the components are rectangular shaped with the rectangular base being sized in accordance with typical carry-on dimensions, 15″×9″.
Preferably, the components may have approximately the same dimensions, or have perimeter attachment means 80 of approximately the same dimensions, such that the perimeter attachment means 80 on adjacent components can be easily adjoined.
There may also be a need to attach together compartments of different sizes, that may be provided by the luggage system according to the present invention. There may be provided a smaller or differently shaped compartment that serves a different purpose, such as a wallet holder, a laptop case 60, a make-up case, or other smaller compartment. Therefore, the system may provide a variable size connector 90, shown in
Alternatively, a variable size connector 90 may have a single first side perimeter zipper 82a to attach to its counterpart on a component of a first size, and one or more second side perimeter zippers 82b forming one or more different sized perimeters to connect with one or more components of a different size or shape.
A variable size connector 90 may also have more than one perimeter zippers 82a on a first side and more than one perimeter zippers 82b on a second side, thereby allowing at least two components to be attached to each side of the variable size connector 90.
Looking to
A luggage case 20 may be the same size as the other components of the piece of luggage, or may be a different size or shape, and therefore may be connected to the other luggage components by the variable size connector 90 discussed above.
In an alternative embodiment, the luggage case 20 may be constructed of two separate components that are connectable and detachable via the perimeter attachment means 80. For example, the luggage system may provide a separate base panel 22 having at least one perimeter zipper 82 that is attachable to an extension belt 40 (shown in
A luggage system according to the present invention may further include an enclosure piece which at least partially covers the case opening 28. One type of enclosure piece is a luggage lid 50, shown in
The lid 50 is not limited to an enclosure piece for the piece of luggage. Alternatively, the lid may be a lid connector that also has a first side perimeter zipper 82a so that it is connectable to a second component, thereby forming an enclosure of one component and being connectable to a second component.
The enclosure piece may also be a cinch top 70, as shown in
As shown in
The lid compartment 120 is not limited to an enclosure piece, alternatively, it may also have a first side perimeter zipper 82a so that the compartment 120 is connectable to a second adjacent component, rather than being only usable as an enclosure to a piece of luggage.
The enclosure piece may be unitarily formed with any component by including a lid panel 51 or lid compartment 120 as part of the component, such as a luggage case 20 further comprising a lid panel 51 that is at least partially coupled to the side walls 26 of the case 20, as shown in
The luggage system may further include a spacing member which may comprise a pair of perimeter zippers 82a, 82b spaced apart at a spacing height 130, and no base panel 22. As such, the spacing member does not create any compartmental separation between components, merely adds space 130 between them.
The attachment belt may be configured at any spacing height 130, but in a preferred embodiment has a spacing height 130 that is substantially consistent with the height of two stacked zippers 82, such that the attachment belt 30 has minimal or no additional luggage material creating any space between the two zippers 82a, 82b.
Another embodiment of an attachment belt 30 may be a closed-loop belt wherein luggage material or other material spans the area defined by the starting end and the finishing end of each of the perimeter attachment means, or wherein the starting and finishing ends of the perimeter attachment means 82a, 82b are releasably or permanently attached by, for example, stitching, hook and loop fastener, or other mateable attachment mechanisms.
The extension belt 40 may also comprise attachment elements 32 such as D-rings 56.
Another embodiment of an extension belt 40 may be a closed-loop belt wherein luggage material or other material spans the area defined by the starting end and the finishing end of each of the perimeter attachment means, or wherein the starting and finishing ends of the perimeter attachment means 82a, 82b and the luggage material spanning between the perimeter attachment means 82a, 82b are releasably or permanently attached by, for example, stitching, hook and loop fastener, or other mateable attachment mechanisms.
A luggage system according to the present invention may accommodate a number of carrying variations. Various types of attachment elements 32 may be used with the components discussed above, not limited to the preferred D-rings 56. These attachment elements 32 may be configured to connect with a variety of carrying members or straps 140, or to connect to another item, such as, by way of example, another piece of luggage, a luggage cart, a bicycle frame, bicycle panniers, a canoe or kayak, a motor vehicle, etc. As shown in the Figures, the straps 140 that may be connectable to said attachment elements 32 may be backpack straps, shoulder straps, hand straps, or other connector straps, such as straps configured to connect to an external item, such as a bicycle or a luggage cart.
A variety of carrying options can be achieved by constructing a piece of luggage having the desired attachment elements 32 and selecting the desired carrying means or straps 140. A single piece of luggage may be carried in a plurality of ways by simply changing the configuration of a strap 140 or the type of carrying means used. As such, by way of example, a person may carry the same piece of luggage on his or her back for a period of time, and then may switch to carrying the luggage over his or her shoulder, merely by changing the configuration and/or type of straps 140 connected to the luggage.
The orientation of the straps 140 is also variable. For example,
The luggage system may further include a cart apparatus, as shown in
As shown in the figures, one or more wheels 151 may be coupled to either the base panel 22 or on the inside of a side wall 26 near the perimeter 24 of the base 22. While the embodiments shown comprise two wheels 151, any number of wheels 151 may be used to form a cart case 150. Preferably, the number of wheels 151 is between two and four. The side wall 26 may also have an extendable handle 152 apparatus coupled thereto, such as a telescoping handle that may be extended up from the cart case 150 for pulling by the traveler.
Alternatively, a cart apparatus may be coupled to a separate base panel 22, having no attached side walls 26, that is attachable to an adjacent component, such as an attachment belt 30, extension belt 40, or luggage case 20, via perimeter attachment means 80.
Any of the components of the luggage system may further comprise carrying means, such as those discussed above in relation to the lid 50 and shown in
Any of the components of the luggage system may further comprise storage elements, such as a luggage case 20 further incorporating compression straps configured for securing items within the luggage case 20 in place. Other possible storage elements may be closeable compartments, pockets, straps, barriers forming compartments, or any other means of storing items that may be incorporated into any of the components of a luggage system according to the present invention.
In addition, the attachment elements are not limited to being positioned on an attachment belt 30 or extension belt 40 as discussed above. The attachment elements 32 may be positioned on any of the components of the luggage system, such as on an extension belt 40, around the perimeter of a luggage case 20, a lid 50 or lid connector, or on any variations of the components of the luggage system according to the present invention.
The components of the luggage system according to the present invention may be constructed of any suitable material having sufficient strength and durability for carrying packed items and for withstanding the general wear and tear associated with travel. Several luggage materials are contemplated for use with the luggage system, such as canvas, polyester, leather, and nylon, such as ballistic nylon, but any appropriate material may be used.
In addition, any of the components of the luggage system may be made of a rigid material or may have reinforcement material incorporated therein, such as plastic, metal, polypropylene or other rigid material to provide rigidity and strength to the components of the luggage system as well as to allow the component to retain its shape if subject to weight from packed items or other external forces that may be experienced during travel.
The present invention also includes a method of using a luggage system comprising the steps of selecting a desired plurality of components provided by the luggage system and attaching said perimeter attachment means of a first of the components to its counterpart perimeter attachment means on a second component, and continuing the attachment of adjacent components via the perimeter attachment means to construct the desirable piece of luggage. The method may also include attaching carrying means to the piece of luggage for ease transport.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.
