U.S. patent application number 11/778503 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-17 for weight determining mechanism for a backpack or other luggage.
Invention is credited to Aaron Gorga, Greg Siwak.
Application Number | 20080011568 11/778503 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38948126 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080011568 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Siwak; Greg ; et
al. |
January 17, 2008 |
WEIGHT DETERMINING MECHANISM FOR A BACKPACK OR OTHER LUGGAGE
Abstract
A weight determining mechanism and a method for determining the
weight of a piece of loaded luggage, particularly a backpack. The
mechanism is generally incorporated into a carry handle of the
piece of luggage allowing for it to be integral with the luggage
and allowing for it to not take up additional space while allowing
for quick and easy weight determinations without need for an
external scale.
Inventors: |
Siwak; Greg; (St. Louis,
MO) ; Gorga; Aaron; (St. Louis, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEWIS, RICE & FINGERSH, LC;ATTN: BOX IP DEPT.
500 NORTH BROADWAY
SUITE 2000
ST LOUIS
MO
63102
US
|
Family ID: |
38948126 |
Appl. No.: |
11/778503 |
Filed: |
July 16, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10737198 |
Dec 16, 2003 |
7281615 |
|
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11778503 |
Jul 16, 2007 |
|
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|
60433693 |
Dec 16, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
190/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01G 19/58 20130101;
A45F 2003/001 20130101; A45F 3/04 20130101; A45C 13/28
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
190/115 |
International
Class: |
A45C 15/00 20060101
A45C015/00 |
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A piece of luggage comprising: a luggage container portion; a
carrying device attached to the container portion, the carrying
device designed to engage a part of a human body; at least one
resistance element responsive to an application of force whenever
the piece of luggage is lifted via the carrying device, said
resistance mechanism being coupled to the piece of luggage so that
the weight of said luggage provides the application of force; and
at least one indicator viewable from an exterior of the luggage and
associated with the resistance mechanism, the indicator providing a
visual indication of the weight of the piece of luggage.
21. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein the indicator
comprises a digital display.
22. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein the resistance
element is selected from the group of a coil spring, a rotational
dial, an elastic material, a magnetic component, an electrical
component, a chemical component reactive to lifting of the carrying
device, and an electromechanical element.
23. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein said piece of luggage
comprises one of a backpack, a suitcase, a briefcase, a computer
bag, a duffel bag, an upright bag, a garment bag, and a shoulder
bag.
24. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein the carrying device
comprises one of a carrying handle, a handle grip, a support, a
should shoulder strap, and a hip strap.
25. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein said resistance
element is attached to said piece of luggage via a mounting strip
on one end, said mounting strip slidable relative to the piece of
luggage when the piece of luggage is lifted via the carrying
device.
26. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein said indicator is
configured to display a first color corresponding to a first
predetermined weight range, and a second color for a second
predetermined weight range.
27. The piece of luggage of claim 20, further comprising a reset or
re-zero button, thereby facilitating independent determination of a
weight of the piece of luggage and a weight of items loaded into
the bag piece of luggage.
28. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein said indicator
comprises a series of markings concealed within said carrying
device until the carrying device is lifted, and said markings are
selectively revealed to indicate said the weight of said piece of
luggage.
29. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein said indicator
comprises a mounting strip coupled to the resistance element and
slidable into and out of an interior region of the lifting element,
the mounting strip provided with a plurality of color bands that
are respectively revealed when the piece of luggage is lifted under
increasing amounts of weight, each of said plurality of color bands
corresponding to a predetermined weight range and indicating a
relative weight of the bag piece of luggage according to
predetermined guidelines for a user.
30. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein the resistance
element is located within a hollow interior of the lifting
element.
31. The piece of luggage of claim 20, wherein the indicator is
attached to the carrying device.
32. A piece of luggage comprising: a luggage container portion; a
generally flexible lifting element mounted to the luggage container
portion and forming an integral part of the container portion, the
lifting element defining a primary means of carrying the container
portion; an on-board weight determining mechanism coupled to the
lifting element; wherein the weight determining mechanism comprises
at least one resistance element mechanically subjected to a load
bearing weight of the container portion whenever the luggage
container portion is lifted with the lifting element; and an
indicator operatively coupled to the resistance element and
visually indicating information regarding the load bearing weight
to a user when the container portion is lifted via the lifting
element.
33. The piece of luggage of claim 32, wherein the resistance
element is located within a hollow interior of the lifting
element.
34. The piece of luggage of claim 32, wherein the indicator
comprises a digital display.
35. The piece of luggage of claim 32, wherein the indicator is
mounted to the lifting element.
36. The piece of luggage of claim 32, wherein the resistance
element is selected from the group of a coil spring, a rotational
dial, an elastic material, a magnetic component, an electrical
component, a chemical component reactive to lifting of the carrying
device, and an electromechanical element.
37. A piece of luggage comprising: a luggage container portion; a
generally flexible lifting element mounted to the luggage container
portion and forming an integral part of the container portion, the
lifting element defining a primary means of carrying the container
portion; an on-board weight determining mechanism permanently
engaged to the lifting element and mechanically subjected to a load
bearing weight of the container portion whenever the luggage
container portion is lifted with the lifting element; and an
indicator operatively coupled to the on-board weight determining
mechanism and visually communicating a weight of the piece of
luggage, as determined by the onboard weight determining mechanism,
to a user when the container portion is lifted via the lifting
element.
38. The piece of luggage of claim 37, wherein the indicator is
resettable.
39. The piece of luggage of claim 37, wherein the indicator is
mounted to the lifting element.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/737,198 filed Dec. 16, 2003, which claims
priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/433,693 filed
Dec. 16, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is herein
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of weight determining
mechanisms for use with luggage; in particular to weight
determining mechanisms carried on-board a piece of luggage to
determine the loaded weight of the piece of luggage.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Recently, the study of injury done to the human body through
everyday activities has become a field of increasing importance.
The sudden rise of repetitive stress injuries in the last few years
and a greater understanding of the damage that can be done to the
human body by common tasks has led many people to try to determine
safer ways to carry out their everyday lives. Potential dangers
from everyday activities are particularly troubling when they occur
during childhood, where a growing body may be less likely to
recover from an injury and where an injury can potentially alter a
person's whole life.
[0006] One area of everyday injury that has recently caught
attention is back injury from carrying or lifting overly heavy
loads. This is particularly a problem for school children where
scientists have determined that many kids carry far too much weight
in their backpacks to and from classes in order to transport school
books and school supplies. Many experts recommend that a child
carry no more than 15% of their body weight in a backpack to avoid
an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury and particularly damage
to the spine.
[0007] The above concerns are proving disturbing to many parents
and school officials. In some areas, the concern has reached such a
fevered pitch that school districts are being asked to find cost
effective means for reducing the load of school children's
backpacks. While such procedures may be necessary for preventing
school children from taking home more weight than they should be
carrying in order to complete assignments, the best way to prevent
danger from overloaded backpacks is to directly determine if a
particular load, in a particular pack, is too heavy for a
particular child to be carrying. The load can then be adjusted or
carried in multiple different bags or the child can be helped by an
adult to carry the supplies needed.
[0008] While placing the backpack on a traditional scale, or
similar weight determining device, would be suitable for
determining the weight of a backpack, these systems are generally
clunky and it can be difficult to have a scale available to weigh
the backpack for every child every day as would generally be
required to insure that the backpack is not overloaded.
[0009] Weight in backpacks is not the only place where knowledge of
the weight of luggage is valuable. When traveling, particularly via
aircraft to international destinations, many airlines impose weight
restrictions on luggage in order to protect their workers from
injury and to insure that the aircraft is not overloaded. While the
airlines can efficiently weigh the bags upon check-in, the traveler
often does not have any idea if their bag will be too heavy before
it is too late. By the time the airline weighs the bag and
determines it is overly heavy, the traveler is often not able to
transfer the contents to another piece of luggage to decrease the
weight, or to leave various items at home because they are already
at the airport and may not have any other luggage with them into
which to transfer the overweight luggage contents. Therefore, the
traveler is forced to pay overweight baggage fines and baggage
handlers are required to lift the heavy bags. Even if they are able
to repack, the traveler must go through the inconvenience of trying
to repack at the airport where they are under time constraints,
their luggage is not as easily accessible as it is at home, and
they risk theft of luggage contents.
SUMMARY
[0010] Because of these and other problems in the art, described
herein are systems and methods for providing a weight determining
mechanism in the structure of a backpack or other piece of luggage,
particularly in the carry handle, to allow for a user to quickly
and easily determine the weight of the backpack or other luggage
without the need for using an external weighing mechanism.
[0011] Described herein, in an embodiment, there is a weight
determining mechanism for a piece of luggage, the mechanism
comprising: a grip, which may be a portion of a carry handle; at
least one resistance mechanism, wherein the resistance mechanism is
altered by the application of force on the resistance mechanism,
the resistance mechanism being integrally attached to a piece of
luggage and to the grip so that the weight of the luggage comprises
the application of force on the resistance mechanism when the
luggage is lifted by the grip; and at least one indicator, wherein
the indicator provides an indication of the weight of the luggage
based on the alteration of the resistance mechanism.
[0012] In an embodiment the piece of luggage comprises a backpack,
a suitcase, or a shoulder bag.
[0013] In an embodiment, the resistance mechanism may comprises at
least one coil spring which may be attached to the luggage via at
least one mounting strip which may be attached towards the opposing
ends of the grip. The resistance mechanism may be located within a
hollow interior of the grip.
[0014] In an embodiment, the mounting strip is attached to the
luggage by having an elongated hole located toward a first end of
the mounting strip and placed around a rivet which is in turn
connected the exterior surface of the luggage. In turn, the
mounting strip may attached to the resistance mechanism, which may
be, but is not limited to, a coil spring which ollow interior of
the grip, at a second end spaced from the first end.
[0015] In an embodiment the indicator comprises a series of
markings on the mounting strip such as, but not limited to, numbers
or color bands of any colors including, without limitation, red,
green and yellow. The series of markings may be selectively
revealed from within the hollow interior of the grip such that the
last of the series of markings so revealed indicates the weight of
the piece of luggage.
[0016] In another embodiment, there is herein described, a weight
determining mechanism for a piece of luggage, the mechanism
comprising: means for lifting the piece of luggage, the means for
lifting being an integral part of the luggage; means for
determining the weight of the piece of luggage, the means for
determining being included within the means for lifting; and means
for providing an indication of the weight to a user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a backpack including a carry handle with an
embodiment of a weight determining mechanism.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a suitcase including a carry handle with an
embodiment of a weight determining mechanism.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a shoulder bag including a carry handle with an
embodiment of a weight determining mechanism.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows multiple views of an embodiment of a carry
handle including an embodiment of a weight determining mechanism
utilizing mechanical operation. FIG. 4A shows a side (FIG. 4A-1)
and a cutaway top (FIG. 4A-2) view of the embodiment with the
handle stowed and not in use. FIG. 4B shows similar views (FIG.
4B-1 and FIG. 4B-2) with the luggage lifted by the carry handle and
the weight determining mechanism indicating the weight of the empty
bag. FIG. 4C shows similar views (FIG. 4C-1 and FIG. 4C-2) with
some additional weight in the luggage and FIG. 4D shows similar
views (FIG. 4D-1 and FIG. 4D-2) with the luggage overloaded. FIG. 4
is cross-hatched for color, where appropriate.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows multiple views of an embodiment of a carry
handle including an embodiment of a weight determining mechanism
utilizing digital operation, wherein FIG. 5A is a perspective view
of the handle, FIG. 5B is a top plan view of the handle, and FIG.
5C is a side elevational view of the handle.
[0022] FIG. 6 shows multiple views of another embodiment of a carry
handle including an embodiment of a weight determining mechanism
utilizing digital operation, wherein FIG. 6A is a perspective view
of the handle, FIG. 6B is a top plan view of the handle, and FIG.
6C is a side elevational view of the handle.
[0023] FIG. 7 shows multiple views of another embodiment of a carry
handle including an embodiment of a weight determining mechanism
utilizing digital operation, wherein FIG. 7A is a perspective view
of the handle, FIG. 7B is a top plan view of the handle, and FIG.
7C is a side elevational view of the handle.
[0024] FIG. 8 shows multiple views of another embodiment of a carry
handle including an embodiment of a weight determining mechanism
utilizing digital operation, wherein FIG. 8A is a perspective view
of the handle, FIG. 8B is a top plan view of the handle, and FIG.
8C is a side elevational view of the handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Discussed herein are systems and methods for determining the
weight and/or mass of a piece of luggage, such as, but not limited
to a backpack, through the use of a scale which is built into the
luggage as a part of a carry handle. While this luggage will
generally be a backpack, one of ordinary skill in the art would
understand that the principles, methods, and systems disclosed
herein can be readily adapted to other types of luggage whose
weight is desired to be known such as, but not limited to,
suitcases, briefcases, computer bags, duffel bags, upright bags,
garment bags, shoulder bags or any other type of luggage. Further,
while the weight determining mechanism is built into a carry handle
in the depicted embodiments, one of ordinary skill in the art would
also understand how the principles, methods and systems could be
adapted to include the weight determining mechanism in any type of
handle, or as a device separate from a handle.
[0026] As seen in FIGS. 1-3, most luggage such as backpack (1),
suitcase (3), or shoulder bag (5) has some type of carry handle
(101) which allows the user of the luggage to carry the luggage in
their hands. These carry handles (101) are generally designed to be
gripped by the user in their hand for lifting the luggage up over
obstacles or for transporting the luggage for a short distance. A
carry handle (101) supports the weight of the luggage at its point
of connection to the luggage and distributes the weight across the
user's hand through a grip.
[0027] The carry handle (101) is often supplemented by another type
of carrying device to allow for the luggage to be transported in a
different and generally more comfortable manner. For instance,
backpack (1) includes carry handle (101) which allows the user to
pick up the backpack (1) with a hand as the carry handle (101) is
generally arranged to be at the top of the backpack (1) when the
backpack (1) is resting in a steady position on the floor. The
backpack (1) also includes two shoulder straps (203) which are
designed to go over a user's shoulders to allow the container
portion (403) of the backpack (1) to be carried against the user's
back with the weight of the backpack (1) supported by the user's
shoulders. The backpack (1) may also include a hip strap (not
shown) to go around the user's waist to allow for some of the
weight to be carried on the user's hips to lighten the force on the
shoulders.
[0028] The suitcase (3), on the other hand, includes two carry
handles (101) which may be used for carrying the suitcase (3) over
bumps or up stairs. The suitcase (3) may also include an expandable
tow handle (303) allowing the suitcase (3) to be dragged on the
attached wheels (305) without having to lift the weight of the
entire suitcase. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand
that some pieces of luggage actually combine the features of the
wheeled suitcase with other carry mechanisms such as the product
shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/604,995 the entire
disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
[0029] The shoulder bag (5) is similar to the backpack (1) in that
the weight of the bag, in its primary transport mode, is designed
to be supported by the shoulders of the user. The shoulder bag (5),
however, instead of holding the load against the back, allows the
shoulder bag (5) to hang between the arm and the torso, generally
at about waist height. Therefore, the shoulder bag (5) includes a
single shoulder strap (503) for carrying the shoulder bag (5) over
one shoulder with the strap (503) either hanging downward
approximately parallel to the arm and over the same shoulder under
which the bag hangs, or may lay across the chest and back
supporting the shoulder bag (5) on the shoulder opposite the one it
is carried under.
[0030] As should be apparent from FIGS. 1-3, the carry handles
(101) may be used as the primary method of transport for the
luggage, or may be secondary and used only to pick up the luggage
or to carry the luggage under limited circumstances which is the
way they would generally be used. In must luggage, handles such as
carry handles (101) are generally intended for limited use and in
particular situations although sometimes are the principle carry
mechanism.
[0031] In an embodiment, the carry handle (101), is designed to
incorporate a weight determining mechanism (901), particularly a
scale, so that when the luggage is picked up and supported by the
carry handle (101), the weight of the piece of luggage can be
readily determined or estimated by the user. In another embodiment,
the weight determining mechanism (901) may be incorporated into the
shoulder straps (203), tow handle (303), shoulder strap (503) or
any other carrying device whether or not designed to be gripped by
the hand during standard transport, gripped by the hand to get a
weight determination even if not regularly carried that way, or
engaging another part of the body (for example the shoulder) when
the weight is being determined. In still another embodiment, the
handle incorporating the weight determining mechanism (901) may be
designed purposefully for use only in weighing the piece of luggage
and may not be suitable for transport of the piece of luggage. The
integration of the weight determining mechanism (901) in the carry
handle (101) is, however, preferable for two reasons. One, it
allows integration in an inconspicuous manner and in an already
existing structure, and second it allows for easy use of the weight
determining mechanism (901) by picking up the luggage with the
carry handle (101) in the standard manner, while also not requiring
the weight determining mechanism (901) to measure on a relatively
constant basis when the luggage is in use. This limits the
possibility of damage to the weight determining mechanism
(901).
[0032] FIG. 4A-1 shows an embodiment of a carry handle (101),
including functional elements, for determining the weight of a
piece of luggage such as those shown in FIGS. 1-3. The carry handle
(101) includes components which allow it to function as a scale
when the luggage is lifted by the carry handle (101). In the
depicted embodiment, the weight determining mechanism (901) is
designed to be purely mechanical.
[0033] The handle (101) generally includes a grip (401) which may
be comprised of fabric, leather or other animal skins, rubber, or
any other materials as is known to one of ordinary skill in the
art. The grip (401) is generally designed to be grasped by the
human hand for lifting the luggage from a surface that it rests on
and may be sized and shaped to distribute force over the portion of
the hand gripping it. The grip (401) may be externally formed or
molded to conform to the hand when gripped. The grip (401) will
generally replace the handle grip used in a traditional piece of
luggage as the carry handle (101). The grip (401) generally will be
elongated in shape and have a hollow interior which extends to
openings in both the ends through which the mounting strips (417)
can pass. This embodiment presumes that the principal components of
the weight determining mechanism (901) are in the grip, which is
preferred, but by no means required.
[0034] The grip (401) is attached to the luggage by a pair of
mounts (409) which are attached to the piece of luggage. In the
depicted embodiment, the mounts (409) are secured to the luggage by
means of rivets (411) or screws which serve to hold each mount
(409) rigidly to the exterior surface of the luggage. The grip
(401) is attached to the mounts (409) through the weight
determining mechanism (901). The weight determining mechanism (901)
comprises at least one resistance mechanism (405) and at least one
indicator (407).
[0035] In the depicted embodiment, two indicators (407) are used
each of which is mounted on a mounting strip (417). The resistance
mechanism (405) comprises one or more coil springs (in the depicted
embodiment two are used) attached at each end to one of the
mounting strips (417) and encased within the hollow interior of the
grip (401). The resistance mechanism (405) may comprise, however,
any type of device which can provide a returning force positioned
so that the returning force attempts to return the grip (401) and
mounts (411) to the position shown in FIG. 4B (or FIG. 4A). In a
still further embodiment, the resistance mechanism (405) may simply
solidly resist movement, but can detect the amount of force being
applied to it (such as through electrochemical changes or similar
processes).
[0036] Each mounting strip (417) comprises a main body (471) with
the indicator (407) printed thereon and an elongated loop (473).
The loop (473) is held around the rivet (411) allowing for the
mounting strip (417) to slide relative to, and generally inside a
hollow interior of, the mount (409) by having the rivet (411)
transverse the inside area of the loop (473). In an alternative
embodiment, only one mounting strip (417) need be used with the
other side of the grip (401) being rigidly attached to the mount
(409) through any mechanism known to one of ordinary skill in the
art. The indicators (407) provide the user with an indication of
weight of the luggage when holding the luggage by the grip (401).
In the depicted embodiment, the indicators (407) comprise a series
of markings. In the depicted embodiment, color bands of green,
yellow and red moving from that closest to mount (409) to that
farthest away are used. The indicator (407) is selectively revealed
as the mounting strip (417) slides into and out of the hollow
interior of the grip (401) through the opening on the appropriate
end.
[0037] It should be apparent from FIG. 4A-1 and the above
description that how much of the indicator is visible to the user
of the luggage depends on the extension of the coil springs which
comprise the resistance mechanism (405) in this embodiment. In
particular, because the structures are of fixed dimensions with the
exception of the coil springs, as the length of the coil springs
increases, more of the mounting strip (417) is "pulled" from within
the hollow interior of the grip (401) making more indicator (407)
visible. Further, the extension of the coil springs is dependent on
the force applied on them and that force in turn depends on the
weight of the luggage imparted on mountings (409) and imparted to
the mounting strips (417) when the grip (401) is held solidly in
the hand and the luggage supported thereby.
[0038] In operation, when a user picks up the luggage by the grip
(401) the downward force generated by the weight of the luggage on
the mounts (409) will cause the mounting strips (417) to be pulled
out of the grip (401). This force will in turn cause the resistance
mechanism (405) to alter its structure to resist the weight. In
this case it causes the coil springs to extend in length until the
returning force of the springs is sufficient to cancel the weight
of the luggage at which point a steady state is reached. As is well
known in physics, the force generated by a stretched spring
attempting to restore itself is proportional to the extended
length.
[0039] As the downforce generated by the luggage increases (because
the weight of the piece of luggage increases) the alteration of the
resistance mechanism (405) increases and the greater extension of
the resistance mechanism (405) to equalize the forces. In the
depicted embodiment, as the weight increases, the coil springs will
extend and increase in length. As they increase in length, the main
body (471) of the indicator strips (407) will slowly be revealed
from within the hollow interior of the grip (401). At equilibrium,
which occurs when the luggage is not bouncing on the springs, the
weight of the luggage and its contents can be determined by knowing
the distance of the coil springs' extension and the values of
various known constants related to the springs' construction.
[0040] The indicators (407) placed on the main body (473) of the
mounting strips (417) are therefore arranged so that the color of
strip which is the last revealed from the hollow interior of the
grip (401) indicates the approximate weight of the bag. This is
shown in the progression of FIGS from FIG. 4B-1, 4C-1. 4D-1 and
4B-2, 4C-2 and 4D-2. In FIGS. 4B-1 and 4B-2, the positioning of the
grip (401) relative to the indicator (407) is such that no color is
yet visible. This is the positioning which may be associated with
lifting of the empty luggage. This indicates that no weight has
been placed in the luggage. Only the weight of the luggage is
included and the load weight is not yet in question. In FIGS. 4C-1
and 4C-2, the luggage has had a certain amount of weight placed in
it and the weight is sufficient that the entire green strip is
visible, as is a portion of the yellow strip. This would indicate
that the luggage may have gone from a clearly safe loaded value
(where only green was visible), to the point where there is a
question about the weight, or that the luggage is approaching a
target weight because the portion of indicator (407) that is yellow
is visible.
[0041] In FIGS. 4D-1 and 4D-2, all three of the color strips are
visible leading to red being the last color revealed. At this
point, the luggage is generally indicated to be overloaded. In
particular, the bag may be too heavy to safely carry, or may be
over standard airline weight restrictions depending on the
embodiment of indicator used. This would indicate to the user,
simply from picking up their bag, that they should consider
reducing the weight of its contents before traveling, before
carrying the luggage, or before allowing a child to carry the
backpack.
[0042] The indicators (407) used in the depicted embodiment are
merely exemplary of what could be used and can represent particular
weight ranges. For instance, the green range may indicate that the
luggage weighs less than 30 pounds while the yellow indicates that
the bag is between 30 and 50 pounds (heavy), and the red (and
above) range indicates the bag is over 50 pounds (overly heavy). In
another embodiment, the color strips may be replaced with numerical
indicators, such as, but not limited to, weights in pounds or
kilograms, or other indicators to provide information about the
weight to the user.
[0043] In a still further embodiment, the indicator (407) need not
be used directly on the mounting strip (417) using how much of the
mounting strip (417) is visible from under the grip (401) to
indicate weight. For example, the mounting strip (417) may be
rigidly attached to the grip (401) but be attached to a rotational
dial in the mount (409) which dial resists rotation by an amount
proportional to its distance of rotation. In this way, supporting
the luggage by the grip (401) results in the mounting strip (417)
rotating the dial to a level indicative of the weight of the
luggage.
[0044] FIGS. 5-8 show another embodiment of a carry handle
including a weight determining mechanism (901). In these
embodiments, the purely mechanical structure of FIG. 4A-1 is
replaced with a structure where the applied force is reported using
electrical signals and in particular a digital numerical output. In
these embodiments, the actual weight of the luggage may be reported
on display indicator (707). Further, the system may include a reset
or re-zero button (711) which may allow the user to determine the
weight of the luggage while loaded and independently the weight of
the contents of the luggage and the weight of the luggage itself.
This may be particularly useful for determining the weight of what
is being carried (as opposed to the weight of the luggage and the
contents together) as this may be a better indicator of the
difficulty to lift the luggage. The digital display indicator (707)
may be controlled using a similar underlying resistance mechanism
(405) as used in FIG. 4 or electromechanical force detection means
or other mechanisms may be used instead.
[0045] In operation, an embodiment of the system works as follows.
A user loads the container portion (403) of a piece of luggage with
the materials that they desire to carry in the luggage. The user
then picks up the luggage by the carry handle (101), specifically
by grabbing the grip (401) in their hand, and raises the luggage
from the surface on which it is resting by exerting a force with
their arms. Once the luggage has cleared the surface which was
supporting it and is solidly supported by the user, the user waits
until the resistance mechanism (405) has reached an equilibrium
state (if it is of a type which could "bounce"). At equilibrium,
the user examines the indicator (407) or digital indicator (707)
which provides a display indicative of the weight of the luggage
based on the resistance being imposed by the resistance mechanism
(405). The user can then determine if the luggage meets the desired
weight criteria. They would then proceed to carry the luggage using
shoulder straps (203), tow handle (303) or shoulder strap (503), as
appropriate.
[0046] While the above presumes that a single piece of luggage is
being weighed, one of ordinary skill in the art would also
recognize that the weight determining mechanism (901) may also be
used to determine the total weight of multiple pieces of luggage
(for instance all bags being taken on a particular trip), simply by
connecting them together at a point attached to the mount (409) and
then lifting the system using the carry handle (101) in the same
manner but supporting all the weight on the mounts (409).
[0047] One of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that
the embodiments of FIGS. 4-8 represent only exemplary embodiments
of how the weight determining mechanism (901) can appear and can
operate. While two coil springs are used as the resistance
mechanism (405) in FIG. 4, one of ordinary skill in the art would
recognize that any number of coil springs may be included. In still
another embodiment, coil springs need not be used at all but the
weight of the luggage at the connection of the carry handle (101)
may be measured by changes in other systems. For instance, in
another embodiment any number or combination of resistance
mechanisms (405) such as, but not limited to, elastic materials,
coil springs, flat springs, magnetic or electric fields, chemical
reactions, or any other type of object, system or device which can
measure a force can be used. In still another embodiment, the
resistance mechanism (405) may be internal to mount (409) instead
of located inside the hollow interior of the grip (401) while still
allowing similar operation. The resistance mechanism (405) and
mounting strip (417) may also or alternatively be encased within a
protective or decorative cover to provide for improved aesthetic
appearance.
[0048] Further, while the above described embodiments presume that
the weight determining mechanism (901) is incorporated into a carry
handle (101), in another embodiment, the weight determining
mechanism (901) may be included in any handle, hand grip, support,
strap, or carrying device attached to the luggage whether added
purely to allow the weighing operation or which already exists on
the luggage for transport, lifting, or any other reason. In still
another embodiment, the weight determining mechanism (901) may be
designed to be decorative and/or to provide additional
functionality such as shock absorption in the carry handle (401)
while the luggage is being transported.
[0049] In still another embodiment, a single weight determining
mechanism (901) can be used to show a total weight associated with
the luggage, or multiple weight determining mechanisms may be used
in a single piece of luggage to determine the weight carried at
multiple points on the luggage. For instance, in backpack (1), a
weight determining mechanism (901) could be included in each
shoulder strap (203) to determine how much weight each shoulder is
supporting when the backpack (1) is being carried by the user. This
can allow for the user to determine if the backpack (1) is evenly
packed with weight distributed in a manner so that one shoulder is
not supporting more weight than the other when the backpack (1) is
in use.
[0050] While the invention has been disclosed in connection with
certain preferred embodiments, this should not be taken as a
limitation to all of the provided details. Modifications and
variations of the described embodiments may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and other
embodiments should be understood to be encompassed in the present
disclosure as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the
art.
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