Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Hand luggage – With means to fasten the hand luggage in closed condition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2001-12-04
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Hand luggage
With means to fasten the hand luggage in closed condition
C190S01800A, C190S01800A, C190S126000, C190S903000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325189
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to luggage, particularly wheeled luggage, and specifically a stable, easily pushed or pulled, two-wheeled luggage case. More particularly, the present invention relates to luggage cases formed of substantially two parts, the first part of a generally one-piece molded plastic construction, the other of a composite construction primarily of textile fabric panels assembled to form a covering that includes an access lid to the interior of the first molded part.
2. Background Art
Generally, luggage cases fall into two basic categories of construction. The first, generally called “hardside”, comprises luggage cases made of thermoplastic or composite materials forming a generally box shape, the sides of the box having a generally rigid, resilient construction. Such hardside cases are now generally made of thermoplastic materials, having large portions of the luggage case formed of one piece in an injection molding or vacuum forming process. Other hardside cases have been formed of paperboard or metal sheet materials held together with edge trim and corner hardware to form a box. These boxes, whether formed of parts or integrally, are generally comprised of a lid shell hinged to a base shell.
Another form of luggage construction incorporates large portions of the hardside construction together with almost equal shares of softside construction. This type of luggage is generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,261 which published patent is hereby incorporated by reference. The ′261 patent could be generally characterized as an upright style case having a handle 36 at one end of its elongated dimension and a pair of wheels 28 at the other end. This luggage case has a one-piece base box 12 integrally formed of plastics material. The other portion of the case is a bag or cover 16 which closes the opening 14 to the inside of the base box 12. The cover 16 is stapled or stitched to the upper edge of the box 12. A slide fastener runs around the perimeter of the joint between the overlapping portion of the cover 16 to permit access to the space defined by the lid 16 and the box 12.
However, Applicants have found that properly fitting a generally textile constructed lid to the integrally molded sides of a base shell is difficult. This is especially true with a large case, and most especially where the lid shell is constructed at a location remote from where the lid and base shell are joined to integrate the two and form the overall luggage case.
For example, sewing a textile lid or cover around the periphery of the walls of a molded base shell can create gaps and mismatches between the adjacent textile and molded portions. The foot of a typical sewing machine can cause the textile material to creep or walk ahead of the sewing operation, resulting in a large amount of textile material in the lid to accumulate or gather ahead of the stitch line. Also, even if the textile portion and the molded portions exactly dimensionally matched one another initially, this could change with humidity, especially if the textile portion was constructed of a polyamide or nylon textile materials. It is well know that nylon can take on moisture, causing the overall dimensions of the textile panels to grow a substantial amount.
The luggage case constructed in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,261 is known to include slots arranged at right angles in the edge of the box 12 at each comer radius. These slots are suspected to permit the outside circumference of this edge portion of the box to compress slightly to accommodate the dimensional variations or differences between the box edge and the corresponding edge of the cover 16.
Also, the joint between the lid and base shell is quite critical to the overall strength of such a hybrid between textile construction and an integrally molded base construction. A luggage case can suffer from extremes of heat and cold, and is often severely abused during its useful life. The cavity defined inside the luggage case can be filled with the traveler's things will likely weigh many times the empty weight of the luggage case. This weight puts great stresses on the luggage case, called “burst” forces, which tend to split the case apart. It is well recognized that the joints or seams in a typical textile constructed luggage case can be the weak points with regard to resisting such burst forces. However, the joint between the generally rigid base shell in the hybrid case and the textile lid or cover may be even more vulnerable to bursting, since the differences in rigidities between the two case portions will cause a stress concentration at the joint.
Also, the peripheral joint between the rigid base shell and a textile lid shell presents an opportune location for carrying straps and fasteners. A construction which permits locating and attaching these auxiliary straps and handles would present an ideal integration of the lid and base shell and these points of attachment, while distributing the stress inherent in the use of these handles and straps into the joint construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION)
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a luggage case, preferably a wheeled luggage case, having a integrally formed base molded shell and a lid shell affixed thereto, the lid shell comprising a construction substantially of a textile material, and to provide a precise, versatile and strong joint between the base shell and lid shell.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a luggage case with carrying straps which use penetrating fasteners to attach the carrying straps to the joint formed between the lid and base shells.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a luggage case which includes additional cinch straps attached to the sides of the base shell, these straps continue across the lid shell at substantially a right angle to the joint between the lid and base shells.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of affixing a textile lid shell to a molded base shell such that, if necessary, the lid and base shell can be subsequently separated, for example, with one or the other portions of the luggage should ever have to be replaced or repaired.
Accordingly, provided is a luggage case having a body portion for containing a user's things, at least a pair of wheels and a handle for towing the case on the wheels. The body portion comprises a base shell primarily formed of a one-piece molded plastic outer unit having a bottom, peripheral walls extending up from the bottom to define an interior volume to contain the user's things, and a peripheral edge portion along the terminal edge of the peripheral walls. A lid shell is affixed to the base shell, the lid shell being mostly formed of relatively flexible fabric materials, and having a peripheral edge portion and means formed therethrough for permitting access to the interior volume. Means are provided for permanently affixing the peripheral edge portion of the lid shell to the peripheral edge of the base shell, the means for permanently affixing including a first elongated extrusion sewn along a peripheral edge portion of the lid shell, an outwardly facing groove molded into the base shell adjacent and parallel to the peripheral edge of the base shell, and fasteners passing through the edge portion of the base shell and through the first elongated extrusion.
Also provided is a luggage case having a body portion for containing a user's things, at least a pair of wheels and a handle for towing the case on the wheels, the body portion comprising a base shell primarily formed of a relatively rigid, one-piece molded plastic outer unit having a bottom, peripheral walls extending up from the bottom to define an interior volume to contain the user's things, and a peripheral edge portion along the terminal edge of the peripheral walls. A lid shell is affixed to the base shell, the lid shell being mostly formed of relatively flexible fabri
Alexander, Jr. Wendell Christopher
Erickson Diane Mary
King William L.
O'Connor Gregory W.
Samsonite Corporation
Weaver Sue A.
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