Luggage Bag

Abstract

An elongated luggage bag adapted to be transported and stored depending from support means at its upper end, the bag having an outer bag portion which, in horizontal section, is of narrow rectangular form, there being an inner bag portion dividing the outer bag portion into front and rear hanger compartments accessible through the front and rear broad sides of the outer bag portion, the inner bag portion being accessible through one of the narrow sides of the outer bag portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1, Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the art of flexible luggage bags used in traveling for the purpose of transporting articles of clothing, clothing accessories and toilet articles.

2. Description of the prior Art

Flexible garment and storage bags are well known for protecting clothing from dust and moths. Such bags may be made of thin plastic sheet or other suitable flexible material and are usually provided with one or more access openings regulated by a sliding fastener. In the use of such bags the garments are usually supported on hangers completely embraced by the bag when closed. Such bags may be completely flexible so as to conform in general to the shape of the garments being protected or they may have a lightweight frame to provide the bag with a predetermined shape. It is a common practice in the use of such bags for traveling to either hand carry the same or to dispose the bag flat in a vehicle trunk or depending from a suitable rod or hook located back of the front seat of a vehicle. However, such bags have not been designed for traveling and are a poor compromise for a conventional form of travel luggage.

In a effort to improve the capacity and to reduce the cost of hand luggage of the type having two sections connected with a hinge the sections being disposable into the same plane for packing and unpacking, flexible baglike forms have been proposed having a handle at both ends or in the middle and capable of being doubled up for hand carrying, such as shown in U.S. Pats. Nos. 2,003,100 and 2,702,105.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a flexible luggage bag which possesses all the wearing qualities of conventional travel luggage. It will take full length garments for suspension in full length condition. When being hand carried, the bag is preferably slung over the shoulder to clear the ground and is supported by the finger tips engaging a handle located at the top and to one side of the centerline.

At the top of the bag a rigid elongated framework is provided from which the garments are supported on hangers, the framework being preferably padded for the sake of comfort in hand carrying the bag slung over one shoulder. An outer bag portion is draped over the top framework and depends from the ends and sides thereof to provide a form which is rectangular in horizontal section. An inner bag portion is supported from the framework and divides the outer bag portion into front and rear hanger compartments. Access to the interior of the inner bag portion is provided through one of the narrow sides of the outer bag portion with access to the hanger compartments being through the wider sides of the outer bag portion. Both bag portions may be provided with pocket structure. As the inner bag portion is intended to be used for soiled clothes it may be removably supported from the top framework.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved luggage bag,

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the bag of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a side view as viewed the left of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a side view as viewed from the right of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line VI-VI of FIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line VII-VII of FIG. 3,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of FIG. 5 with a part of the outer bag portion who shown broken away,

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line IX-IX of FIG. 7,

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken on line X-X of FIG. 9, and

FIG. 11 is a layout of a sheet metal blank from which the hanger bracket is formed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the illustration of of the invention the flexible luggage bag 10 comprises an outer bag portion 12 of suitable flexible material such as leather, both natural and artificial, canvas, plastic sheeting and other similar flexible fabrics and combinations thereof. The portion 12 is draped over suitable, relatively rigid framework 14 which in plan view appears of rectangular outline as seen in FIG. 3.

The framework 14 is shown as a formed or extruded metal channel 16 having an apex portion 18 and rounded ends 20. A swivel post 22 extends upwardly through a hole in the web 24 of the channel 16. A flexible chain 26 is attached at one end to the post 22 and to a hook 28 at the other end to suspend the bag 10 from an elevated support. To enable the bag 10 to freely swivel about the vertical axis of the post 22 the latter is provided with a ball bearing thrust structure 30, upon which the channel 16 rests when the post 22 is suspended by the chain 26 and hook 28. Disposed between the channel 16 and that portion of the outer bag portion 12 superimposed thereon is a suitable layer of cushioning material 32, such as sponge rubber, urethane foam, or the like, which preferably overhangs the sides 34 of the channel 16 as shown in FIG. 8. The purpose of the cushioning material 32 is to protect the flexible fabric from which the outer bag portion 12 is made. It also serves to protect the person carrying the bag 10 slung over his shoulder from the harshness of the metal channel 16.

The hanger bracket 36 is attached by rivets, or other suitable means to the web 24 of the channel 16. In FIG. 11 is shown a sheet metal blank 38 from which the bracket 36 is formed. In its final form the bracket 36, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, comprises portions 40 and 42 of the blank 38 which constitute the parts of the bracket 36 upon which the hanger 44 is suspended. The narrow portions 46 and 48 are bent at 90.degree. to the portions 40 and 42 to space and support the portions 40 and 42 form the web 24 of the channel 16. The ear portions 50 and 52 are bent at 90.degree. to the portions 46 and 48 to enable the portions 50 and 52 to be riveted to the underside of the web 24. For supporting the central part of the bracket 36, the blank 38 is provided with portions 54 and 56 which are angularly disposed to the portions 40 and 42 by bending while the ear portions 58 and 60 are bent in the opposite direction to be juxtaposed relative to the web 24 and riveted thereto, all as best seen in FIG. 10.

The outer bag portion 12 has a top panel 62, a front panel 64, a rear panel 66, side panels 68 and 70 and a bottom panel 72. All of these panels are preferably of suitable flexible fabric material of a durable nature. To hold the shape of the bag portion 12, a lightweight stiffening member 74 of cardboard, or the like, may be associated with the bottom panel 72.

The front and rear panels 64 and 66 are shown in the drawings as being identical although it should be understood that this is not necessary. Each panel has a longitudinal opening extending substantially the entire length of the bag 10 which is regulated by a sliding fastener 76. In each panel 64 and 66 four similar pockets 78 have been provided by sewing panels 79 of flexible fabric on the back side of the panels 64 and 66, the stitching lines being indicated at 80. Access to the pockets 78 is through transverse openings 82 regulated by sliding fasteners 84. To assist in the operation of the fastener 84, hold tabs 86 are indicated at opposite ends of each fastener 84 which are adapted to be gripped by the fingers of one hand while the fastener 84 is being manipulated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one or more small pockets 88, for receiving jewelry and the like, may be associated with one or more of the pockets 78 by sewing a fabric panel 90 on the panel 79, the lines of stitching being indicated at 92. In FIG. 1, sliding fastener 84 for the upper left-hand pocket 78 is shown in a partly open position to partly expose the double pocket 88, the flap 94 of which is shown unsnapped at one end.

An inner bag portion 96 of flexible fabric is removably supported from the framework 14 along the centerline of the channel 16 to divide the outer bag portion 12 into two substantially equal hanger compartments 98 and 100.

In the illustrated form, the bag portion 96 is made from two fabric panels 102 and 104 stitched together along their peripheral edge except for an opening 106 provided at the vertical edge 108. The bag portion 96 is then turned inside out through the opening 106. The opposite vertical edge of the back portion 96 is indicated at 110, the bottom edge at 112, and the top edge at 114 which converges toward the apex 18 of the channel 16.

The opening 106, provided at the vertical edge 108, is preferably in register with an opening 116 regulated by a sliding fastener 126 in the side 70 of the outer bag portion 12. To facilitate placing soiled clothes, or other articles, into the interior of the inner bag portion 96, the opening-providing portions thereof are equipped with suitable fastening structure such as male snap fastener elements 120 which engage with mating female snap fastener elements 122 on the side 70 along opposite sides of the opening 124 regulated by the sliding fastener 126. Thus, when the fastener 126 is adjusted to provide access to the interior of the outer bag portion 12, a common opening into the interior of the inner bag portion 96 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the inner bag portion 96 is supported from the channel 16 by flexible straps 128 attached intermediate their ends to the web 24 of the channel 16 by riveting, or other suitable means. Female snap fastener elements 130 are carried on the ends of the straps 128 to be removably coupled to male snap fastener elements located on the panels 102 and 104. With this arrangement, the inner bag portion 96 may be conveniently removed from the interior of the outer bag portion 12 for dry cleaning or washing.

Preferably, the bag portion 96 will be disposed in the same vertical plane as the portions 54 and 56 of the bracket 36. With the bag portion 96 so located, a plurality of hangers 44 may be received and supported on the portions 40 and 42 which extend in opposite directions relative to the vertical plane in which the portions 54 and 56 are disposed. Hangers 44 have opposed, slightly spaced, suspension hooks 132 so shaped as to have passage to and from the portions 40 and 42 through traverse movement relative to the narrow portions 46 and 48, the hangers 44 being slightly tilted from the vertical plane during such movement. In this manner the inner bag portion 96 will separate the hangers 44 disposed upon the portions 40 and 42 with the clothes suspended in the luggage bag 10 in full length condition.

In FIG. 6 panel 102 of the inner bag portion 96 is shown provided with pockets 134 defined by a fabric panel 136 sewed to the owner face of the panel 102 along the stitching lines indicated at 138. Pockets 140 may be provided in a similar manner below the pockets 134 on the panel 102 as well as on the panel 104.

FIG. 7 shows pocket 142 on the inside of the panel 104 and formed by a fabric panel 144 sewed to the inside of the panel 104 by rows of stitching 146. The opening 148 into the pocket 142 through the panel 104 is regulated by sliding fastener 150.

It will be appreciated that the pockets 140 in the panels 102 and 104, being substantially removed from the hangers 44, may receive therein such articles as shoes and slippers without substantially reducing he amount of clothing that may be suspended from the hangers 44. For a similar reason, soiled clothes, and the like, which are placed in the inner bag portion 96 through the common opening in the side 70, will tend to settle to the bottom of the portion 96 and will not materially reduce the amount of clothes that may be suspended from the hangers 44.

One of the many advantages of the inner bag portion 96 is that soiled clothes may be inserted through the side 70 without disturbing or contacting any of the other articles used in traveling and located elsewhere within the outer bag portion 12.

A pair of flexible ties are indicated at 152 attached to the side 68 for securing a raincoat or other article of apparel.

It will be noted that the handle 154 is attached to the framework 14 and disposed to one side of the centerline of the bag 10. With the palm of the hand upwardly disposed above the shoulder and the back of the hand disposed to the bag 10, the finger tips may be received in the handle 154 and the bag 10 can then be readily slung over the shoulder and carried, clearing the ground.

Claims

I claim:

1. A flexible luggage bag of the type described capable of suspension of the garments in a full length condition, said bag having an outer bag portion of flexible material, interior framework generally rectangular in plan view located adjacent the top of said outer bag portion over which the latter is draped, said outer bag portion having two pair of opposed sides of widths corresponding substantially to the width and length of said framework in plan view, an inner bag portion of flexible material entirely housed by said outer bag portion, said bag portions having common access structure defined in one of the narrow sides of said outer bag portion, means for suspending said inner bag along a centrally disposed longitudinal axis of said framework in plan view, garment suspension means on said framework upon opposite sides of said axis whereby garments may be hung from said framework within said outer bag and exteriorly of said inner bag on opposite sides thereof, said bags being substantially coextensive in the area in which the garments are suspended.

2. A flexible luggage bag as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner bag portion is entirely defined by wall structure none of which is common with the sides of said outer bag portion.

3. A flexible luggage bag as defined in claim 1 wherein the wall structure of said inner bag portion partially defining the common access is removably attached to the side of said outer bag portion defining the remainder of the common access.

4. A flexible luggage bag as defined in claim 1 wherein cushioning means is provided between said framework and that portion of said outer bag portion disposed on said framework.

5. A flexible luggage bag as defined in claim 1 wherein said framework is in the form of a rigid inverted channel, a transversely extending hanger bracket attached beneath the web of said channel, and suspension for the luggage bag anchored in said channel and extending upwardly through said outer bag portion.

6. A flexible luggage bag as defined in claim 5 wherein said inner bag portion is removably suspended from the underside of said channel.