Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
EXPANDABLE PIECE OF LUGGAGE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to expandable luggage, and more particularly, to
an expandable
piece of luggage having an extendable support frame structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Present-day air travellers are faced with restrictions regarding the size of
their accompanying
luggage. Typically, airlines distinguish between two types of luggage; 'carry-
on' luggage, which
is stored in overhead compartments in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, and
'check-in' luggage,
which is stored in the cargo hold of the aircraft. Most airlines restrict the
size of the carry-on
luggage to a maximum of: 9" x 15" x 21", and the size of the check-in luggage
to a maximum
of: length + width + height = 62".
For short trips many air travelers use only carry-on luggage to avoid line-ups
at the check-in
counter and the baggage claim. However, longer travel usually requires
carrying more items such
as more clothing, necessitating the use of check-in luggage. Therefore, air
travelers usually own
two pieces of luggage to meet the requirements for short trips and longer
travel, which frequently
causes storage problems when living in smaller spaces such as a bachelor
apartment or one-
bedroom apartment.
Typically, there are two types of luggage available. Framed luggage has a
frame structure for
protecting the items contained therein, for example, when stored together with
other pieces of
luggage in the cargo hold or handled during loading and unloading. Un-framed
luggage such as,
for example, duffle bags, provide substantially less protection of the items
contained therein.
Unfortunately, present-day expandable framed luggage is very limited in the
amount it can be
expanded. On the other hand, expandable un-framed luggage can be expanded
substantially
more, but provides substantially less protection and is difficult to handle.
Page 1
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
It is desirable to provide a substantially expandable piece of luggage having
an extendable
support frame structure.
It is also desirable to provide an expandable framed piece of luggage that is
expandable from
carry-on luggage size to substantially full check-in luggage size.
It is also desirable to provide an expandable framed piece of luggage that is
expandable to an
intermediate size in a first step and to a fully expanded size in a second
step.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a substantially
expandable piece of
luggage having an extendable support frame structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an expandable framed
piece of luggage that
is expandable from carry-on luggage size to substantially full check-in
luggage size.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an expandable framed
piece of luggage that
is expandable to an intermediate size in a first step and to a fully expanded
size in a second step.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
expandable piece of
luggage. The expandable piece of luggage comprises a main luggage shell. At
least one
expansion luggage shell having flexible walls is connected to the main luggage
shell. The main
luggage shell and the at least one expansion luggage shell form an enclosure
having a
substantially rectangular cross section. A support post is disposed in each
corner of the main
luggage shell and the at least one expansion luggage shell. A first end of
each support post is
mounted to the main luggage shell. Each support post is telescopically
extendable between a
collapsed position and at least one extended position. Support rods are
mounted to a second end
of each support post such that the support rods outline the rectangular cross
section. The support
rods are disposed inside an end portion of the at least one expansion luggage
shell and mounted
Page 2
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
thereto.
According to the aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
expandable piece of
luggage. The expandable piece of luggage comprises a main luggage shell. An
intermediate
expansion luggage shell and a top expansion luggage shell having flexible
walls are connected to
the main luggage shell. The main luggage shell, the intermediate expansion
luggage shell and the
top expansion luggage shell form an enclosure having a substantially
rectangular cross section. A
support post is disposed in each corner of the main luggage shell, the
intermediate expansion
luggage shell, and the top expansion luggage shell and oriented substantially
perpendicular to a
bottom wall of the main luggage shell. A first end of each support post is
mounted to the main
luggage shell. Each support post is telescopically extendable between a
collapsed position, an
intermediate position, and a fully extended position. Support rods are mounted
to a second end of
each support post such that the support rods outline the rectangular cross
section. The support
rods are disposed inside an end portion of the top expansion luggage shell and
mounted thereto.
The advantage of the present invention is that it provides a substantially
expandable piece of
luggage having an extendable support frame structure.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides an expandable
framed piece of
luggage that is expandable from carry-on luggage size to substantially full
check-in luggage size.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides an expandable
framed piece of
luggage that is expandable to an intermediate size in a first step and to a
fully expanded size in a
second step.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figures la to lc are simplified block diagrams illustrating in perspective
views various
Page 3
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
stages of expansion of an expandable piece of luggage according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention;
Figure id is a simplified block diagram illustrating in a top view the
enclosure of the
expandable piece of luggage according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention;
Figures le to lg are simplified block diagrams illustrating in perspective
views various
stages of expansion of the frame structure of the expandable piece of luggage
according
to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating in a perspective view an
alternative
embodiment of the frame structure of the expandable piece of luggage according
to a
preferred embodiment of the invention; and,
Figure 3 is a simplified block diagram illustrating in a perspective view an
alternative
embodiment of the main luggage shell of the expandable piece of luggage
according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have
the same meaning as
commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention
belongs.
Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described
herein can be used
in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and
materials are now
described.
While the description of the preferred embodiments hereinbelow is with
reference to an
expandable framed piece of luggage that is vertically expandable from carry-on
luggage size to
substantially full check-in luggage size, it will become evident to those
skilled in the art that the
embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto, but that the embodiments
of the invention
may also be employed for expanding luggage between different sizes as well as
for expanding the
Page 4
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
luggage in a different direction such as, for example, to the left hand side
and the right hand side
thereof.
Referring to Figures la to lg, an expandable piece of luggage 100 according to
a preferred
embodiment of the invention is provided. Preferably, the expandable piece of
luggage 100
comprises main shell 102 having telescopic adjustable handle assembly 116 and
casters 110 ¨ or
wheels - mounted to a bottom wall 108 thereof in a conventional manner. The
bottom wall 108 is
made in a conventional manner, for example, made of a flexible fabric
material, which is
reinforced using a substantially rigid sheet - made of a suitable material
such as Polypropylene -
mounted thereto using, for example, an adhesive. Optionally, the bottom wall
108 is further
reinforced employing a rigid frame structure mounted thereto using, for
example, rivets or screw
fasteners.
The expandable piece of luggage 100 is expandable from a collapsed size,
illustrated in Figure
la, to an intermediate size - in a first step, illustrated in Figure lb, and
to a fully expanded size -
in a second step, illustrated in Figure lc. Intermediate expansion luggage
shell 118 is connected
to the main luggage shell 102, while top luggage shell 122 is connected to the
intermediate
expansion luggage shell 118. The main luggage shell 102, the intermediate
expansion luggage
shell 118, and the top luggage shell 122 form an enclosure 128 having a
substantially rectangular
cross section, as illustrated in Figure ld.
The intermediate expansion luggage shell 118 and the top luggage shell 122
have flexible walls
made of a foldable material such as, for example, 1800D Polyester fabric or
synthetic leather,
which are widely used for manufacturing luggage. Preferably, the walls of the
main luggage shell
102 are made of the same material enabling manufacture of the walls of the
three luggage shells
102, 118, and 122 as a single piece.
The main luggage shell 102 has a frame structure comprising bottom support
rods 136 mounted
to the bottom wall 108 in a conventional manner using, for example, rivets or
screw fasteners.
The bottom support rods 136 outline the rectangular cross section of the
enclosure 128. Support
post bottom sections 134A are mounted to the bottom support rods 136 and
oriented substantially
Page 5
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
perpendicular to a plane formed by the bottom support rods 136, as illustrated
in Figure le. The
support post bottom sections 134A are disposed in each corner of the enclosure
128. Support
post intermediate sections 134B are telescopically movable mounted to the
support post bottom
sections 134A in a conventional manner for supporting the intermediate
expansion luggage shell
118 when extended, as illustrated in Figure if. Support post top sections 134C
are telescopically
movable mounted to the support post intermediate sections 134B in a
conventional manner for
supporting the top expansion luggage shell 122 when extended, as illustrated
in Figure lg. Top
support rods 126 are mounted to a top end of each support post top section
134C such that the
support rods 126 outline the rectangular cross section. The top support rods
126 are disposed
inside a top end portion of the top expansion luggage shell 122 and mounted
thereto in a
conventional manner, for example, disposed inside fabric loops 132 sewn to the
fabric walls of
the top expansion luggage shell 122, as illustrated in Figure id.
The support rods and support post sections are made of, for example, steel,
aluminum, or a
composite material and connected in a conventional manner.
Each support post comprises a locking mechanism disposed therein adapted for
locking:
the intermediate telescope section 134B with respect to the bottom section
134A when extended;
and the top telescope section 134C with respect to the intermediate telescope
section 134B when
extended. The locking mechanisms are connected to one or two push buttons 130
disposed in the
top support rods 126. Push button operated locking mechanisms are known in the
art, for
example, telescopically adjustable handle assemblies of commercially available
luggage typically
comprise push button operated locking mechanisms. Such locking mechanisms are
disclosed, for
example, in US Patents 6,081967 and 6,405,407. Optionally, the locking
mechanisms are adapted
for also locking the respective telescope sections when collapsed.
Top cover 104 is pivotally movable about axis 114 connected to the top luggage
shell 122 at back
'D' thereof. For example, the top cover 104 is made of the same material as
the top luggage shell
122 and sewn thereto or is a continuation thereof. Preferably, the top cover
104 is reinforced
using, for example, a substantially rigid sheet made of a suitable material
such as Polypropylene
and mounted to the fabric material using an adhesive. In the closed position
the top cover 104 is
Page 6
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
secured to the top luggage shell 122 using, for example, two way closed-ended
zip fastener 112
sewn to the top cover 104 and the top luggage shell 122 at front 'A', left
hand side '13', and right
hand side 'C'. The intermediate expansion luggage shell 118 and the top
luggage shell 122 are
secured and protected when collapsed using, for example, two way open-ended
zip fasteners 120
and 124, respectively, sewn thereto at front 'A', left hand side 'B', and
right hand side 'C'.
Alternatively, other fasteners such as, for example, snap fasteners or hook-
and-loop fasteners,
may be employed.
The expandable piece of luggage 100 is easily:
expanded by simply opening the top cover 104, opening one or both of the zip
fasteners 120 and
124, pushing the push buttons 130, and pulling up the top support rods 126;
and,
collapsed by opening the top cover 104, pushing the push buttons 130, and
pushing down the top
support rods 126, and closing the one or both of the zip fasteners 120 and
124.
In an example implementation the expandable piece of luggage 100 has the
following dimensions
in the collapsed position: length L of 20"; width W of 9"; and, height H1 of
14", to meet the
maximum size limitations for carry-on luggage of most airlines. When expanded,
the height of
the expandable piece of luggage 100 is extended to height H2 of 28" resulting
in a piece of
luggage having double the volume while - with the dimensions L+W+H2=57" -
still meeting the
limitations for check-in luggage of most airlines. In the intermediate
position, the expandable
piece of luggage 100 has, for example, a height H3 of 21", i.e. the
intermediate expansion
luggage shell 118 and the top luggage shell 122 have a same height, but is not
limited thereto.
As is evident to one skilled in the art, using the two stage extension
described hereinabove it is
possible to increase the volume of the expandable piece of luggage 100 by
substantially more
than 100%.
Optionally, the intermediate expansion luggage shell 118 is omitted, providing
a single stage
extension. While simplifying the structure of the expandable piece of luggage,
using only single
stage extension limits the expansion of the volume of the expandable piece of
luggage to less
than 100%.
Page 7
CA 02936342 2016-07-15
In an embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the frame structure is reinforced by
providing
intermediate support rods 140 mounted to a top end of each intermediate
telescope section 134B
such that the intermediate support rods 140 outline the rectangular cross
section. The
intermediate support rods 140 are disposed inside a top end portion of the
intermediate expansion
luggage shell 118 and, optionally, mounted thereto. Second bottom support rods
138 are mounted
to a top end of each bottom telescope section 134A such that the second bottom
support rods 138
outline the rectangular cross section. The second bottom support rods 138 are
disposed inside a
top end portion of the main luggage shell 102 and, optionally, mounted
thereto.
In another embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the main luggage shell 102 is
provided as a
substantially rigid shell made of, for example, Polycarbonate, in a
conventional manner and
having the bottom telescope sections 134A mounted thereto or integrated
therein. The flexible
walls of the intermediate expansion luggage shell 118 are mounted thereto in a
conventional
manner using, for example, an adhesive.
The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferred
embodiments. However,
it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations
and modifications can
be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.
Page 8
