Patent Application
20170156462
The present invention relates to a system for customizing luggage. In particular, this invention relates to luggage having a compartment for displaying decoration.
Suitcases, trunks, boxes, bags, and similar travel cases having decorative coverings are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,558 by Carey et al. is directed to a purse having an interchangeable decorative covering. U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,837 by Marconi is directed to a carrying case with interchangeable side panels releasably attachable to the outside of the case. U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,318 by Pinti is directed to a purse with a rear panel made of a dry erasable material on which a user can draw a design that can be modified or erased or otherwise changed or altered. U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,485 by Sartena is directed to a handbag having a side wall formed of a transparent panel which can be selectively exposed to permit facilitated viewing of items contained therein. U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,302 by Godshaw et al. is directed to a luggage having an outside face made from a clear plastic material covered by a removable opaque flap. U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,778 by Duncanson et al. is directed to a luggage with modular construction permitting personalization by interchangeable appearance covers. U.S. Pat. No. 8,028,730 by Whiting et al. is directed to a purse with interchangeable decorative liners. U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,882 to Cazes is directed to a handbag with a removable purse located within a recessed side panel. United States Patent Application Pub. No. 20130306206 to Quinnan et al. is directed to a handbag with interchangeable covers, which can accept customizable outer panels that change the aesthetic appearance of the base bag and can be fastened with magnets. U.S. Design Pat. No. D639,057 by Presman et al. is directed to a trolley case with a display frame.
However, these and other similar suitcases and bags do not provide a means for their customization as disclosed and claimed by the present invention.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a suitcase that can be customized with decoration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a suitcase with a compartment for displaying decoration that can be readily changed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a suitcase with a compartment for displaying decoration that can be accessed without opening the suitcase.
It is an object of the invention to provide a suitcase with a means for displaying decoration that can be identified from a distance.
In accordance with the objectives of the invention, a system for customizing a suitcase is disclosed having a display compartment. The compartment is a case comprised of a recessed base formed on an exterior surface of the suitcase, with a transparent cover. The transparent cover is hingedly connected to the recessed base such that it is capable of opening and closing. The recessed base has at least one magnet or a magnetic material that attracts to at least one corresponding magnet or magnetic material in the cover so that the cover can be secured to the recessed base in a closed position by magnetic force.
The suitcase can be customized by inserting a decorative sheet, such as a photograph, into the display compartment. In this way the suitcase can be customized by changing the decoration in the display compartment.
As shown in
In an embodiment of the invention as shown in
The shell 10 has a compartment 28 on an exterior surface for displaying a decorative sheet. The compartment 28 can be located at any location on shell 10, but preferably on the front panel 20, or the largest, unobstructed surface of suitcase 1 for best displaying the decorative sheet.
According to the embodiment shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the compartment 28 has a gap 36 between base 30 and cover 32 as shown in
The suitcase 1 can be customized by opening cover 32 to insert a decorative sheet under the transparent cover 32. In this way the suitcase 1 can be customized by changing the decorative sheet in the compartment 28 without opening suitcase 1.
While the foregoing describes the present invention in relation to the drawings and embodiments, it is to be understood that the description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the drawings or embodiments described herein. To the contrary, the description is intended to cover all alternative modifications and equivalents that may be included in the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
