U.S. patent application number 11/388518 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-27 for combined securing and identifying luggage binder strip.
Invention is credited to Michael B. Carmona.
Application Number | 20070221461 11/388518 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38532174 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070221461 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Carmona; Michael B. |
September 27, 2007 |
Combined securing and identifying luggage binder strip
Abstract
An elongated binder strip of tough stretchy material which is
colored or patterned or imprinted with figures in a highly visible
unique way for instant identification. It is bound tightly and
adjustably around the luggage and secured by spaced mating hook and
loop fastener strips attached to overlapping ends of the binder
strip. One or more binder strips secure the luggage closed in case
the latch should pop open in transit. A binder strip over each
latch prevents tampering and latch opening.
Inventors: |
Carmona; Michael B.; (Agoura
Hills, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Donald W. Meeker;Patent Agent
924 East Ocean Front #E
Newport Beach
CA
92661
US
|
Family ID: |
38532174 |
Appl. No.: |
11/388518 |
Filed: |
March 24, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
190/101 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 13/20 20130101;
A45C 13/42 20130101; A45C 13/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
190/101 |
International
Class: |
A45C 13/18 20060101
A45C013/18 |
Claims
1. A luggage identifier and safety binder strip device comprises:
at least one elongated binder strip fabricated of a stretchy
binding material in an elongated rectangular configuration with the
two ends each having an end edge orthogonal to the elongated
parallel sides, the at least one elongated binder strip configured
of a length and width structured to be bound tightly around a piece
of luggage with the ends overlapping to bind a luggage top to a
luggage bottom in a closed position and to cover a latch of the
piece of luggage, the at least one elongated binder strip
comprising an exterior waterproof surface having a unique visual
identification indicator imprinted thereon so that a traveler will
be able to identify his or her luggage, the overlapping ends
secured together by an adjustable attaching means comprising spaced
mating hook and loop fastener strips with a first series of strips
of a first mating portion of the mating hook and loop fasteners
positioned in a spaced array transversely across a first end on a
first side of the at least one elongated binder strip with all of
the ends of the first series of strips coincident with the
elongated sides and an outer most strip of the first series of
strips coincident with the first end edge, and a second series of
strips of a second mating portion of the mating hook and loop
fasteners positioned in a spaced array longitudinally along the
length of a second end of the binder strip on a second side of the
at least one elongated binder strip with all of the outer ends of
the second series of strips coincident with the second end edge and
two outer strips coincident with the two elongated sides so that
the ends of the at least one elongated binder strip are secured to
each other with no edges loose to avoid accidental lifting of the
ends, the ends overlapped a desired amount to adjust the tension of
the binder strip around the piece of luggage to bind the top to the
bottom of the piece of luggage to secure the luggage in a closed
position and to cover a luggage latch to prevent tampering with the
luggage latch and to prevent opening of the luggage latch, and to
provide a unique visual identification indicator for a user of the
luggage; the at least one elongated binder strip having a
transverse opening therethrough to allow a handle of the piece of
luggage to protrude out through the transverse opening for carrying
the piece of luggage.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the piece of luggage comprises two
latches each adjacent to one of two opposing ends of the piece of
luggage and comprising two elongated binder strips each having the
same unique visual identification indicator imprinted on an
exterior surface, each of the two elongated binder strips covering
one of the two latches.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the unique visual identification
indicator comprises at least one of the following list of unique
visual identification indicators including a unique color, a unique
pattern, a unique design, a unique image, a unique indicia, a
unique letter, a unique combination of letters, a unique word, and
a unique combination of words.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0003] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to luggage and particularly to
a rugged elasticized binder strip which is wrapped about a piece of
luggage and fastened securely and adjustably by mating hoop and
loop fasteners on the overlapping ends of the strip, the body of
the strap being specially colored or patterned or an image
imprinted thereon which is highly visible for the purpose of rapid
identification.
[0006] 2. Description of Related Art Including Information
Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
[0007] Straps for securing various articles are well known and very
useful. For example, travelers use straps to reinforce luggage, to
tie two or more pieces of luggage (or their handles) together so
that they do not become separated. When luggage arrives safely at
its intended destination, such as an airport, bus station, train
depot, or cruise ship terminal, a passenger must be able to quickly
identify his or her own luggage from the vast number of look-alike
suitcases or luggage that are being simultaneously processed. None
of the prior art devices provides a secure adjustable binder and
identification strip for binding luggage closed for transport.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,818, issued Oct. 20, 1987 to Orwin, is
for a strap device for reinforcing luggage and the like to prevent
the luggage from opening when subjected to rough handling. The
strap device includes a pair of straps which encircle the luggage
and pass on either side of a handle on the luggage. A pair of cross
straps are secured between the encircling straps and confine and
surround the handle such that the device cannot be slid off or
pulled off the luggage. No additional connection or attachment
between the strap device and luggage is required. Various
mechanical and hook and loop fasteners can be used to secure and
tighten the encircling straps.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,002, issued Sep. 28, 2004 to Beckwith,
provides a universally fitting, removable padded wraparound luggage
handle cover includes a substantially square and planar interior
sheet of a cushioning, preferably foam-like material. About the
cushioning material is peripherally secured a top and a bottom
sheet of a flexible high woven fabric. To the top sheet of the
fabric is secured an elongate strip of hook-and-loop material
having a width in a range of about 1 to about 3.5 centimeters and
secured to the top sheet along one entire edge thereof. A second or
bottom strip of hook-and-loop material, generally complemental in
width to the top strip, is secured to the bottom sheet of fabric
along an edge opposite to the edge at which the top strip, is
secured and in which the respective fabric edges define a distance
therebetween in a range of about 12 to about 17 centimeters. The
bottom sheet of fabric is preferably provided with a transparent
envelope having one free edge into which may be inserted owner
identification or other information. The thickness of the inventive
removable wraparound handle cover is at its maximum when the
hook-and-loop strips are secured to each other so that the entire
handle cover assumes the geometry of an annular solid ellipsoid. In
such condition, the strip defines a maximum thickness of the
structure of about one centimeter. The strips and cushioning define
an elongate zone of maximum thickness of the inventive handle cover
that may be readily positioned by the user to protect a part of the
hand or fingers that is most susceptible to pain or fatigue. The
handle cover may also be adorned with graphic materials of interest
to the user or the public, thereby service as a luggage identifier
at airports and the like.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,033, issued Apr. 29, 2003 to Hydon,
shows a luggage handle cover having a body portion with a first
end, a second end, an inner side, and an outer side. The body
portion has a length and width sufficient to substantially cover a
luggage handle. The luggage handle cover also has a fastening
mechanism coupled to the body portion to fasten the first end and
the second end and an identification display disposed on the inner
side of the body portion when the body portion is arranged to
substantially cover a luggage handle. The fastening mechanism could
comprise a hook-and-loop fastener, a button fastener, a snap
fastener, or a zipper fastener. The device is beneficial to groups
as well as to individual travelers. For instance, an entire group
may use the same color or style of luggage handle cover for easy
collection of the group's luggage from a common collection area.
The group's luggage may then be sorted in a more secure
environment.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,183, issued Oct. 16, 2001 to Causey,
claims a suitcase locating device for quickly finding luggage in an
airport luggage pick-up area. The suitcase locating device includes
a housing. The housing has a top surface, a bottom surface, a front
side, a back side, a first side wall and a second side wall. The
housing is generally hollow. The top surface has a plurality of bar
code indicia thereon. The bar code indicia is unique to the
housing. A microprocessor actuates a plurality of lights and
decodes a received signal. The microprocessor is securably mounted
in the housing. A power supply for powering the microprocessor is
operationally coupled to the microprocessor. Each of a plurality of
lights is mounted in and is generally flush with the top surface of
the housing. Each of the lights is electrically coupled to the
microprocessor. A receiving means for receiving a signal is
securely positioned in the housing and operationally coupled to the
microprocessor. Each of a pair of straps for removably placing
around a suitcase has a first end and a second end. Each of the
first ends is securely attached to the first side wall, and each of
the second ends is attached to the second side wall. An actuating
means for sending a signal to the receiving means is adapted for
selectively turning the lights on and off. The actuating means
comprises a remote control device.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,974, issued Aug. 13, 2002 to Mitchell,
describes a strap and lock assembly for luggage for preventing
luggage from breaking open. The strap and lock assembly for luggage
includes a strap assembly including an elastic strap member being
adapted to wrap about a piece of luggage; and also includes ring
assemblies including ring members being securely attached to ends
of the elastic strap member; and further includes a hook member
being securely attached to one of the ring members and being
adapted to removably engage about the other of the ring members;
and also includes a padlock member for locking the elastic strap
member about the piece of luggage.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,987, issued Jan. 6, 2004 to Fenton,
discloses a luggage identification tag that has an envelope having
a front wall member and a rear wall member, the wall members being
of a sheet material and being joined along opposite side edges and
one end edge so as to enable the envelope to receive and hold an
identification card. The front wall member has a hole through which
a color card received in the envelope between the identification
card and the front wall member is visible. The particular color
card in the envelope is selected by a user from several color cards
of different colors that are furnished with the identification tag
by the supplier of the luggage. A tether joined to the envelope
enables the envelope to be fastened to an item of luggage.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,365, issued Apr. 2, 2002 to Caplan,
indicates a personal luggage identification system that includes
luggage recognition devices including adhesive stickers, tape, firm
plastic tags, flexible plastic labels, business card carriers,
tags, envelopes and cards, each bearing its own distinctive
pattern, which can be affixed to luggage either singularly or in
combination to provide a distinctive pattern or combination of
patterns. The luggage recognition devices can be used to aid in the
rapid identification of individual pieces of luggage, groups of
luggage, contents of luggage or any combination thereof. The
distinctive patterns can include color options.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,698, issued Sep. 12, 1989 to Brame, puts
forth a quick release, flexible fabric hook and loop fastener
having a pair of strap ends which are adapted for mutually
releasable inter-engagement to form a loop when disposed in facing,
overlapping arrangement in contact with each other. According to
the improvement, the contact surface on the innermost of the strap
ends does not extend to the extremity of the strap end, but
terminates short of it, thereby defining a tip which is not
engageable with the contact surface of the outermost strap end.
When the outermost strap end is peeled away from the innermost
strap end, the tip on the innermost strap end allows the contact
surfaces to separate cleanly so that the fastener can be opened
with one hand.
[0016] What is needed is a stretchable adjustable combined
identifier and securing binder strip for luggage which helps to
keep the luggage in a closed and serves as a highly visible
identifier of the luggage for its owner.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] An object of the present invention is a stretchable
adjustable combined identifier and securing binder strip for
luggage which helps to keep the luggage in a closed and serves as a
highly visible identifier of the luggage for its owner.
[0018] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
luggage identifier and securing binder strip for luggage which,
similar to the straps inside the suitcase which are used to secure
the clothing so they don't get all bunched up and wrinkled, the
outer securer will also help to keep the contents of the suitcase
more rigidly bound, and less likely to be wrinkled.
[0019] In brief, a luggage identifier and safety binder strip
comprises an elongated strip of tough stretchy material which is
colored or patterned or imprinted with figures in a unique way so
that a traveler will instantly be able to identify his or her
luggage, even on a fast moving luggage carousel in a crowded
airport. It is bound tightly and adjustably around the luggage and
secured by spaced mating hook and loop fastener strips attached
longitudinally along the length of one end and mating spaced hook
and loop fastener strips attached transversely across an
overlapping end so that the binder strip can be attached around a
suit case or other luggage and secured in tension around the suit
case by a desired adjustable tension depending on how much the two
ends overlap. One or more binder strips secure the luggage closed
in case the latch should pop open in transit and if it is centrally
positioned, the binder strip will also cover the latch for further
security against tampering with the lock and latch and further help
to prevent the luggage from opening accidentally. The handle
protrudes through a slot in the luggage identifier and safety
binder strip.
[0020] A dual advantage of the present invention is that it
provides a highly visible means of identifying luggage and a means
to prevent the luggage from opening during travel.
[0021] Another advantage of the present invention is that it is
easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
[0022] A further advantage of the present invention is that it
helps to prevent anyone from opening or tampering with the
luggage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] These and other details of my invention will be described in
connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only
by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and
in which drawings:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination luggage
identifier and luggage security binder strip of the present
invention showing the mating hook and loop attachment configuration
on overlapping sections of the binder strip;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combination luggage
identifier and luggage security binder strip of FIG. 1 secured
around a piece of luggage;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wide combination luggage
identifier and luggage security binder strip of FIG. 1 covering two
latches each positioned near the ends of a piece of luggage;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of two of the combination
luggage identifier and luggage security binder strips of FIG. 1
each covering a latch on a piece of luggage with two latches.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] In FIGS. 1-4, a luggage identifier and safety binder strip
20 comprises an elongated strip 21 of tough stretchy material which
has a highly visual identification indicator 26 on an outer surface
such as a unique colored portion or patterned portion or figure
portion to enable a traveler to easily identify his or her luggage
at terminals and other locations. The unique visual identification
indicator 26 may comprise one or more of the unique visual
identification indicators including a unique color, a unique
pattern, a unique design, a unique image, a unique indicia, a
unique letter, a unique combination of letters, a unique word, and
a unique combination of words.
[0029] In FIG. 1, the present invention comprises at least one
elongated binder strip 21 fabricated of a stretchy binding material
in an elongated rectangular configuration with the two ends each
having an end edge 22 and 23 orthogonal to the elongated parallel
sides 28 and 29. The elongated binder strip 21 configured of a
length and width structured to be bound tightly around a piece of
luggage 30 with the ends overlapping to bind a luggage top 34 to a
luggage bottom 32 across the opening 33 in a closed position and to
cover a latch 36 of the piece of luggage. The elongated binder
strip 21 has an exterior waterproof surface having a unique visual
identification indicator 26 imprinted thereon so that a traveler
will be able to identify his or her luggage.
[0030] In FIG. 1, the overlapping ends with edges 22 and 23 are
securable together by an adjustable attaching means comprising
spaced mating hook and loop fastener strips 24A and 24B with a
first series of strips 24A of a first mating portion of the mating
hook and loop fasteners positioned in a spaced array transversely
across a first end on a first side of the at least one elongated
binder strip with all of the ends of the first series of strips
coincident with the elongated sides 28 and 29 and an outer most
strip of the first series of strips coincident with the first end
edge 22, and a second series of strips 24B of a second mating
portion of the mating hook and loop fasteners positioned in a
spaced array longitudinally along the length of a second end of the
binder strip on a second side of the at least one elongated binder
strip with all of the outer ends of the second series of strips
coincident with the second end edge 23 and two outer strips
coincident with the two elongated sides 28 and 29 so that the ends
of the at least one elongated binder strip are secured to each
other with no edges loose to avoid accidental lifting of the
ends.
[0031] In FIGS. 2-4, the ends overlap a desired amount to adjust
the tension of the binder strip 21 around the piece of luggage 30
to bind the top 34 to the bottom 32 of the piece of luggage across
the opening 33 to secure the luggage in a closed position and to
cover a luggage latch 36 (shown dashed) to prevent tampering with
the luggage latch and to prevent opening of the luggage latch and
to provide a unique visual identification indicator 26 for a user
of the luggage.
[0032] In FIGS. 1-3, the elongated binder strip 21 has a transverse
opening 25 therethrough to allow a handle 35 of the piece of
luggage to protrude out through the transverse opening for carrying
the piece of luggage.
[0033] In FIG. 3, the piece of luggage 30A comprises two latches 36
(shown dashed) each adjacent to one of two opposing ends of the
piece of luggage so that a wide binder strip 21 is used having a
unique visual identification indicator 26 imprinted on an exterior
surface and the elongated binder strip 21 covering both of the
latches 36 with the luggage handle 35 protruding through the center
transverse opening 25.
[0034] In FIG. 4, the piece of luggage 30A comprises two latches 36
(shown dashed) each adjacent to one of two opposing ends of the
piece of luggage so that two elongated binder strips 21 are used
with each having the same unique visual identification indicator 26
imprinted on an exterior surface and each of the two elongated
binder strips 21 covers one of the two latches 36.
[0035] The luggage identifier and binder strip is preferably
fabricated of a rugged elasticized synthetic material with a
waterproof exterior surface that is imprinted with the visual
identification indicator 26.
[0036] It is understood that the preceding description is given
merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the
invention and that various modifications may be made thereto
without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.
* * * * *