Patent Application
20150173475
An embodiment of the present invention relates generally to a storage assembly and, more particularly, to a combination of a suitcase and garment bag assembly for storage and transport of garments.
Various types of rolling suitcases are well known and are often used by travelers for storage and transport of their garments during travel. Garment bags are also utilized by travelers for this same purpose. Various types of garment bags, configured to be carried by travelers, are also well known in the art.
Many travelers require both types of garment storage apparatuses for trips. However, there has not yet been developed a simple and efficient assembly that allows for a suitcase and a garment bag to be assembled together into a unitary and compact storage assembly for easy transport.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a storage assembly, and more particularly a combined suitcase and garment bag storage assembly, which allows for easy and quick assembly and disassembly of the suitcase and garment bag. It is also desirable to provide a combined suitcase and garment bag storage assembly which does not require any folding or other manipulation of the garment bag, thereby keeping the garments contained therein undisturbed.
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a storage assembly including a suitcase, a garment bag, a first attachment device provided on at least one wall of the suitcase, and a second attachment device provided on at least one wall of the garment bag and configured to removably engage the first attachment device. The suitcase has opposing top and bottom walls, opposing front and rear walls and opposing left and right walls, the collective walls being secured together to form a first interior storage area. The garment bag has opposing front and rear walls secured together to form a second interior storage area. In an assembled position of the storage assembly, the first and second attachment devices engage each other to secure the garment bag to the suitcase in an unfolded position.
In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a storage assembly including a suitcase, a garment bag, a first attachment device provided on at least one wall of the suitcase, and a second attachment device provided on at least one wall of the garment bag. The first and second attachment are configured to removably engage each other. The suitcase has opposing top and bottom walls, opposing front and rear walls, opposing left and right walls, and a handle extending upwardly away from the top wall. The collective walls of the suitcase are secured together to form a first interior storage area. The garment bag has opposing top and bottom walls, opposing front and rear walls, and a hanger extending upwardly away from the top wall. The hanger has an aperture extending therethrough. The collective walls of the garment bag are secured together to form a second interior storage area. In an assembled position of the storage assembly, the first and second attachment devices engage each other and a portion of the handle of the suitcase engages the aperture of the hanger of the garment bag, such that the garment bag is secured to the suitcase in an unfolded position.
The following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings an embodiment which is presently preferred. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right”, “left”, “lower”, and “upper” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the storage assembly and designated parts thereof. The terminology includes the above-listed words, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Additionally, the words “a” and “an”, as used in the claims and in the corresponding portions of the specification, mean “at least one.”
Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals and characters indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in
With particular reference to
Referring to
The front wall 24 is preferably connected to at least one of the bottom wall 18, the top wall 16, the left sidewall 20 and the right sidewall 22 along a hinged seam 28 and by a zipper assembly 30, such that the front wall 24 may be pivotally moved about the hinge 28. In a first, closed position of the suitcase 12, as shown in
While a particular wall structure of the suitcase 12 is described herein, it will be understood that the suitcase 12 of the storage assembly 10 may have a wall structure the same as or similar to any conventionally known rolling suitcase.
Referring to
In one embodiment, the connector 36 preferably includes a projection 38 extending upwardly and/or outwardly therefrom, as shown in
Referring to
The first attachment device 40 may be provided on any portion of the front wall 24 of the suitcase 12 (i.e., an upper portion, a lower portion, and intermediate portion and the like). Preferably, as shown in
In another embodiment (not shown), the first attachment device 40 is provided on an upper portion of the front wall 24 proximate the top wall 16 of the suitcase 12 and aligned with the longitudinal centerline CL12 of the front wall 24, such that the first attachment device 40 extends on the exterior surface 24a of the front wall 24 from the top wall 16 toward the bottom wall 18 along and parallel to the longitudinal axis L12. In another embodiment (not shown), the first attachment device 40 is provided on an intermediate portion of the front wall 24 between the top and bottom walls 16, 18 and aligned with the longitudinal centerline CL12 of the front wall 24, such that the first attachment device 40 extends along and parallel to the longitudinal axis Lu and each end of the first attachment device 40 is spaced apart from the top and bottom walls 16, 18, respectively. In another embodiment (not shown), the first attachment device 40 extends along an entire length of the front wall 24 between the top and bottom walls 16, 18 along and parallel to the longitudinal axis L12. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the first attachment device 40 need not be centrally located along the longitudinal centerline CL12, but instead may be located proximate the left sidewall 20 and distal from the right sidewall 22 or proximate the right sidewall 22 and distal from the left sidewall 20. If desired, the first attachment device 40 may be located proximate to both sidewalls 20, 22.
The first attachment device 40 also need not extend along the longitudinal axis L12 of the suitcase 12 and front wall 24, and may instead extend along a lateral axis X12 of the suitcase 12 and the front wall 24 at any portion of the front wall 24. The lateral axis X12 preferably extends generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L12, from the left sidewall 20 toward the right sidewall 22 (and vice versa).
The first attachment device 40 may take many forms, including, but not limited to, an adhesive, one or more male or female snap button members, one or more male or female pinch or clamp devices, one or more hooks or loops of a hook and loop fastener, and the like. Preferably, the first attachment device 40 includes a plurality of hooks or loops of Velcro®, mating surface. As such, the first attachment device 40 is preferably in the form of a Velcro® strip extending on the front side 24 of the suitcase 12 from the bottom side 18 toward the top side 16 along the longitudinal axis L12. The suitcase 12 may further include a foldable, pivotable or removable cover 42 configured to selectively cover (such as when the first attachment device 40 is not in use) and expose the first Velcro® mating strip 40.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-4, the garment bag 14 includes a top surface or wall 44 and an opposing bottom surface or wall 46, a first lateral left side surface or wall 48 and an opposing a second lateral right side surface or wall 50, and a front surface or wall 52 and an opposing rear surface or wall 54. Each of the walls 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 may be made of any conventionally known material for garment bags, such as a generally flexible and soft fabric. The collective walls 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 form a generally rectangular, enclosed and foldable garment bag 14 to establish an interior storage area. Also, when the garment bag 14 is empty (i.e., devoid of any clothes contained therein), the garment bag 14 is generally flat.
In one embodiment, the front wall 52 is directly secured or attached to the rear wall 54, such that the garment bag 14 does not include left and right sidewalls 48, 50 and/or top and bottom walls 44, 46.
Referring to
While a particular wall structure of the garment bag 14 is described herein, it will be understood that garment bag 14 of the storage assembly 10 may have a wall structure the same as or similar to any conventionally known garment bag. For example, the front wall 52 of the garment bag 14 may be fixedly secured to the remaining walls and the zipper assembly 58 may be provided within the front wall 52 to split the front wall 52 into two separate and selectively engageable and disengageable portions.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-4, the garment bag 14 preferably includes at least one hanger, hook or handle 60. More particularly, the hanger 60 is preferably provided proximate to the top wall 44 of the garment bag 14 and extends upwardly away from the top wall 44. A body of the hanger 60 includes an aperture 66 extending therethrough, such that the garment bag 14 may be removably positioned on a projection by inserting the projection within or through the aperture 66 of the hanger 60. The hanger 62 is preferably directly attached to a portion of at least one of the top wall 44, the front wall 52 and the rear wall 54. More preferably, the hanger 62 is directly attached to a portion of the top wall 44, the front wall 52 and/or the rear wall 54 proximate a longitudinal centerline CL14 of the garment bag 14 between the left and right sidewalls 48, 50. It will be understood that the garment bag 14 may include one or more additional hangers 61 on any portion of any wall of the garment bag 14
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-4, the garment bag 14 also includes at least a second attachment device or mechanism 62. The second attachment device 62 may be provided on any portion of the garment bag 14, and more particularly on any of the walls 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54 of the garment bag 14. Preferably, the second attachment device 62 is provided on either the front wall 52 or the rear wall 54. The second attachment device 62 may be provided on any portion of the front or rear wall 52, 54 of the garment bag 14 (i.e., an upper portion, a lower portion, and intermediate portion and the like), similar to the various potential positions described above for the first attachment device 40 of the suitcase 12. Thus, the second attachment device 62 is preferably provided on a portion (i.e., proximate the bottom wall 46, proximate the top wall 44 or at an intermediate portion therebetween) of the garment bag 14 and preferably extends along and parallel to a longitudinal axis L14 of the garment bag 14, but may also extend along a lateral axis X14 of the garment bag 14. The longitudinal axis L14 preferably extends from the bottom wall 46 toward the top wall 44 (and vice versa) and the lateral axis X preferably extends generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L14, from the left sidewall 48 toward the right sidewall 50 (and vice versa). Preferably, the second attachment device 62 is aligned with the longitudinal centerline CL14 of the garment bag 14.
The second attachment device 62 is a counterpart to the first attachment device 40. Thus, the second attachment device 62 is preferably provided on the garment bag 14 at a position which is aligned with, complements, corresponds to or conforms with the position of the first attachment device 40 of the suitcase 12. This does not mean that the second attachment device 62 must be located in the same position on the garment bag 14 as the position of the first attachment device 40 on the suitcase 12. Instead, the second attachment device 62 need only be provided at a position on the garment bag 14 such that it can mate with the first attachment device 40 on the suitcase 12. Preferably, however, if the first attachment device 40 is positioned on a lower portion of the front wall 24 of the suitcase 12 and extends from the bottom wall 18 toward the top wall 16 along the longitudinal centerline CL12 thereof, then the second attachment device 62 is provided on a lower portion of the rear wall 54 (as shown in
While the second attachment device 62 may take many forms (for example, an adhesive, one or more male or female snap button members, one or more male or female pinch or clamp devices, one or more hooks or loops of a hook and loop fastener, and the like), the second attachment device 62 is preferably formed as a counterpart of the first attachment device 40. More particularly, the second attachment device 62 is configured to selectively mate or engage with and disengage from the first attachment device 40. Thus, in one embodiment, where the first attachment device 40 includes a plurality of hooks of a Velcro® strip, the second attachment device 62 includes a plurality of loops of a Velcro® strip configured to selectively mate with the first Velcro® strip, or vice versa. The garment bag 14 may further include a foldable, pivotable or removable cover 64 configured to selectively cover (such as when the second attachment device 62 is not in use) and expose the second Velcro® mating strip 62.
The storage assembly 10 may include more than two attachment devices 40, 62. For example, the suitcase 12 may include two or more attachment devices 40 and the garment bag 14 may include two or more attachment devices 62 configured to engage with and disengage from the counterpart attachment devices 40 of the suitcase 12.
In an assembled position of the storage assembly 10, as shown in
Thus, when the storage assembly 10 is in the assembled position, the user can move, and more particularly pull, roll or push, the storage assembly 10 as a single unitary unit, without having to fold or otherwise manipulate the garment bag 14. As such, the garments contains in the garment bag 14 remain undisturbed and pristine.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above steps to place the storage assembly 10 in the assembled position may be carried out in any order. For example, the user need not align and engage the first and second attachment devices 40, 62 and then place the hanger 60 around the projection 38. Rather, the user may first place the hanger 60 around the projection 38, and then align and engage the first and second attachment devices 40, 62.
It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. Also, based on this disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art would further recognize that the relative proportions of the components illustrated could be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
