U.S. patent application number 14/219820 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-25 for travel case.
The applicant listed for this patent is William Reid. Invention is credited to William Reid.
Application Number | 20140284158 14/219820 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51568301 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140284158 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reid; William |
September 25, 2014 |
Travel Case
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to features of a
travel case that facilitate quick, secure, and/or easy access to
clothing, accessories, and/or other items, as well as viewing and
storage of the same. One embodiment of such a travel case includes
a set of walls defining an interior compartment; a lid providing
access to the interior compartment when the lid is in an open
position; and a set of storage bins, wherein the set of storage
bins is removable from the interior compartment of the travel case.
The set of walls and the set of storage bins are comprised of a
flexible plastic material such that the travel case is
compressible.
Inventors: |
Reid; William; (Anniston,
AL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Reid; William |
Anniston |
AL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51568301 |
Appl. No.: |
14/219820 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61803561 |
Mar 20, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
190/108 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 5/065 20130101;
A45C 5/00 20130101; A45C 2013/026 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
190/108 |
International
Class: |
A45C 5/00 20060101
A45C005/00 |
Claims
1. A travel case comprising: a set of walls defining an interior
compartment; a lid providing access to the interior compartment
when the lid is in an open position, wherein the lid prevents
access to the interior compartment when the lid is in a closed
position; a set of storage bins, wherein the interior compartment
is adapted to receive the set of storage bins; the set of storage
bins is removable from the interior compartment of the travel case;
and the set of walls is adapted to hold the set of storage bins in
place during transit; a storage tray, wherein the interior
compartment is adapted to receive the storage tray in a position
above the set of storage bins within the interior compartment; and
wherein the set of walls, the set of storage bins, and the storage
tray are comprised of a flexible plastic material such that the set
of walls, the set of storage bins, and the storage tray are
compressible.
2. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the flexible plastic
material is transparent.
3. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the set of storage bins is
arranged along a longitudinal axis of the travel case, with each
storage bin having a generally vertical orientation with the
interior compartment.
4. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the interior compartment
comprises generally rectangular shape.
5. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the interior compartment
comprises an interior wall that further subdivides the interior
compartment into a main interior compartment that houses the set of
storage bins and an additional interior compartment that provides
an additional storage area.
6. The travel case of claim 1, further comprising: a series of
recesses formed in a sidewall of the set of walls and an opposing
sidewall of the set of walls; and a series of projections formed on
opposing sides of a storage bin of the set of storage bins, wherein
the projections are configured to slide into the recesses to hold
the storage bin within the interior compartment.
7. The travel case of claim 6, wherein a top portion of the storage
bin is extended on its sides to form top projections and a bottom
portion of the storage bin is extended on its sides to form bottom
projections.
8. The travel case of claim 1, wherein a storage bin of the set of
storage bins comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein
the top portion connects with the bottom portion via mating
connectors that snap together.
9. The travel case of claim 8, wherein the top portion and the
bottom portion comprises ventilation holes.
10. The travel case of claim 8, wherein the top portion overlays
the bottom portion of the storage bin and the storage bin is
adjustable in size based on positioning of the top portion with
respect to the bottom portion when snapped together.
11. The travel case of claim 8, wherein the storage bin further
comprises a release that enables the top portion to be detached
from the bottom portion.
12. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the storage tray is
configured to be mounted on a side of the travel case.
13. The travel case of claim 12, further comprising a hook or a lip
structure attached to the storage tray and configured to secure the
storage tray to a side of the travel case.
14. The travel case of claim 1, wherein the storage tray comprises
multiple tray compartments that are configured to separately hold
different articles.
15. The travel case of claim 12, wherein the storage tray comprises
multiple tray compartments that are configured to separately hold
different articles, wherein the multiple tray compartments are
accessible when the storage tray is mounted on the side of the
travel case.
16. The travel case of claim 12, wherein the storage tray is
configured to pivot 180 degrees from its positioning in the
interior compartment to its positioning mounted on the side of the
travel case, wherein a bottom surface of the storage tray within
the interior compartment becomes a top surface of the storage tray
when mounted on the side of the travel case.
17. A travel case comprising: a set of walls defining an interior
compartment; a lid providing access to the interior compartment
when the lid is in an open position, wherein the lid prevents
access to the interior compartment when the lid is in a closed
position; a set of storage bins, wherein the interior compartment
is adapted to receive the set of storage bins; the set of storage
bins is removable from the interior compartment of the travel case;
and the set of walls is adapted to hold the set of storage bins in
place during transit; and wherein the set of walls and the set of
storage bins are comprised of a flexible plastic material such that
the set of walls and the set of storage bins are compressible.
18. The travel case of claim 17, wherein the flexible plastic
material is transparent.
19. The travel case of claim 17, wherein the set of storage bins is
arranged along a longitudinal axis of the travel case with each
storage bin having a generally vertical orientation with the
interior compartment.
20. The travel case of claim 18, further comprising: a series of
recesses formed in a sidewall of the set of walls and an opposing
sidewall of the set of walls; and a series of projections formed on
opposing sides of a storage bin of the set of storage bins, wherein
the projections are configured to slide into the recesses to hold
the storage bin within the interior compartment.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to copending U.S.
provisional application entitled, "Travel Case," having Ser. No.
61/803,561, filed Mar. 20, 2013, which is entirely incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Travelers often use luggage such as, for example, suitcases,
carry-ons, duffel bags and/or other bags in order to transport
clothing and other items, such as, toiletries and souvenirs between
locations. The available storage space within a luggage bag is
normally constrained by its design limitations and the construction
of the bag. Therefore, travelers seek to find ways to maximize the
amount of space in their luggage to allow for the packing of as
many items as possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better
understood with reference to the following drawings. The components
in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead
being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the
disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals
designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel case according to
various embodiments described herein.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the interior
compartment from FIG. 1, according to various embodiments described
herein.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the storage bins from
FIG. 1, according to various embodiments described herein.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a broken perspective view of one of the storage
bins from FIG. 1, according to various embodiments described
herein.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the storage bins from
FIG. 1 in an open position, according to various embodiments
described herein.
[0009] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the travel case from FIG. 1
in which the lid is in an open position, according to various
embodiments described herein.
[0010] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the travel case from FIG. 1
showing the top tray attached to the side of the travel case,
according to various embodiments described herein.
[0011] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the travel
case adapted for use as carry-on luggage on a commercial
airplane.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to features of
a travel case 100 that facilitate quick, secure, and/or easy access
to clothing, accessories, and/or other items, as well as viewing
and storage of the same.
[0013] With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an
example of a travel case 100. The travel case 100 is made up of a
set of walls 103 defining an interior compartment 106, and a lid
109. When the lid 109 is in an open position, access to the
interior compartment 106 is provided, while in a closed position
the lid 109 prevents access to the interior compartment 106. The
interior compartment 106 is adapted to receive a set of storage
bins 112 which can be used for storing clothing, accessories,
and/or other items during travel. The storage bins 112 are not
visible in this view, and so are shown with dashed lines. The
storage bins 112 are removable from the travel case 100, either
individually or as a group, so that items may be added to and
removed from a storage bin 112. The storage bins 112 are stacked or
arranged along the longitudinal axis 115 of the travel case 100,
with each storage bin 112 having a generally vertical orientation
within the interior compartment 106.
[0014] In this embodiment, the walls 103 join to form an interior
compartment 106 that is generally rectangular. In this perspective
view, a front wall 103F and one sidewall 103S are shown. Not shown
in this perspective view are a second sidewall, a bottom wall, and
a rear wall. Shapes other than rectangular are contemplated. As
will be described in more detail below, the walls of the travel
case 100 are adapted to hold the storage bins 112 in place during
transport.
[0015] Moving on to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment
of the interior compartment 106, showing additional detail of the
storage bins 112. The orientation of this top view is rotated 90
degrees such that the storage bins 112 appear to be stacked
vertically on the page, but the arrangement is still longitudinal
with respect to the travel case 100, as shown by longitudinal axis
115. In this embodiment, an interior wall 203 further subdivides
the interior compartment 106, defining an additional storage area
206 between the stack of storage bins 112 and the rear wall
103R.
[0016] As noted earlier, the walls of the travel case 100 are
adapted to hold the storage bins 112 in place during transport. To
this end, a series of recesses 209 are formed in the sidewall 103S
and the opposing wall, which in this embodiment is the interior
wall 203. Projections on opposing sides of a storage bin 112 slide
into these recesses 209. The interaction of these cooperating
components extensions 309 will be described in more detail in
connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. A storage bin 112 may include a
handle 212 for opening and closing.
[0017] Turning now to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one
of the storage bins 112 in an example embodiment of the travel case
100. The storage bin 112 includes a top portion 303 and a bottom
portion 306. A pair of opposing extensions 309 or flanges extend
from the top portion 303 and/or the bottom portion 306 of the
storage bin 112 and are adapted to fit into the ribbed recesses 209
(FIG. 1) of the travel case 100 (FIG. 1) to permit insertion into,
and removal from, the interior compartment 106 of the travel case
100. In one embodiment, the top and bottom portions 303, 306
include a connector system 312 that securely connects the top
portion 303 and bottom portion 306. In some embodiments, the
connector system is made of a series of corresponding stops on one
portion and notches on the other portion that snap into place.
Additionally, the top portion 303 and the bottom portion 306 of the
storage bin 112 may include one or more ventilation holes 315 to
facilitate easy compression. In one embodiment, a storage bin 112
may be formed from a flexible plastic material and may be
transparent to permit direct viewing of the clothing, accessories,
and/or other items stored in the interior compartment 106.
[0018] Moving on to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a broken perspective view of
the storage bin 112 in an example embodiment of the travel case
100. The top portion 303 of the storage bin 112 is sized to overlay
the bottom portion 306 of the storage bin 112. The distance between
the top portion 303 and the bottom portion 306 can be adjusted in
size to store clothing of various sizes, shapes, and
dimensions.
[0019] To this end, the top portion 303 of the storage bin 112
includes an end wall 403 and the bottom portion 306 of the storage
bin 112 includes an end wall 406. One of end walls 403, 406
includes a series of male connectors 409 at different heights, and
the other of end walls 403, 406 includes a series of female
connectors 412. A male connector 409 at a particular height mates
with the corresponding female connector 412 at the same height,
thus securing the top portion 303 and the bottom portion 306 at a
specific distance from each other. In this manner, the size of an
individual storage bin 112 is adjustable to fit items of particular
sizes.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the
storage bin 112 in an open position in an example embodiment of the
travel case 100. The top portion 303 of the storage bin 112
includes one or more releases 503 that enable the top portion 303
to be detached from the bottom portion 306 of the storage bin
112.
[0021] Moving on to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the
travel case 100 in which lid 109 is in an open position, revealing
a tray 603 for storing accessories, toiletries, and/or other items.
The tray 603 may be made from a flexible plastic material. In some
embodiments, the surface 606 of tray 603 is transparent to permit
direct viewing of the accessories, and/or other items stored in the
compartment 110. The top tray 603 includes a pair of lifting
handles 609 adapted to lift, remove, and/or otherwise move the top
tray 603. Also shown in FIG. 6 (with dashed lines) are the storage
bins 112 stacked within the interior compartment 106, below the top
tray 603.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the travel case 100 in a
configuration in which the top tray 603 is attached or mounted to
the side of the travel case 100. The mounting may be accomplished,
for example, by hooks (not shown) that hang the top tray 603 off
the front wall 103F of the travel case 100. In this embodiment, the
top tray 603 includes tray compartments 703 that are suitable for
separately holding articles such as cosmetics, accessories, and/or
toiletries, and which are accessible when the travel case 100 is in
the configuration of FIG. 7.
[0023] In some embodiments, the top tray 603 pivots 180.degree., so
that surface 606 which is the upper surface in FIG. 6 becomes the
lower surface with respect to the user. In other embodiments, a
user instead lifts the top tray 603 and attaches the top tray 603
to the front wall 103F of the travel case 100 such that surface 606
remains the upper surface. In such embodiments, surface 606
functions as a lid to the top tray 603, and the user removes the
lid to access the tray compartments 703.
[0024] Other embodiments and/or advantages of this disclosure will
be or may become apparent to one with skill in the art upon
examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It
is intended that all such additional units, methods, features, and
advantages be included within this description and be within the
scope of the present disclosure. In one example, as demonstrated by
FIG. 8, an embodiment of the travel case may be configured to be
used as carry-on luggage on a commercial airline in accordance with
airline rules and regulations. In accordance with the present
disclosure, different embodiments may allow for various size travel
cases, storage trays, and also allow for various arrangements of
the storage bins and/or storage trays in the interior compartment,
such as the insertion of trays in perpendicular or parallel axis to
a longitudinal axis of the travel case. In such embodiments, a
storage tray may be lifted from the interior compartment and
rotated 90 degrees to be positioned on the lip of the front edge of
the travel case, where the storage tray includes hooks or a lip
that can slide onto the front edge of the travel case.
[0025] One should also note that conditional language, such as,
among others, "can," "could," "might," or "may," unless
specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the
context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain
embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include,
certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional
language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements
and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular
embodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarily
include logic for deciding, with or without user input or
prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are
included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.
[0026] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments
are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth
for a clear understanding of the principles of this disclosure.
Many variations and modifications may be made to the
above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantially from
the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications
and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope
of this disclosure.
* * * * *