CN116326900A

CN116326900A - Hard shell luggage article with pivotable housing portion

Info

Publication number: CN116326900A
Application number: CN202211630342.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安德烈亚·德拉·韦基亚; 徐伟健; 赖因哈德·梅尔斯查尔特
Original assignee: Samsonite IP Holdings SARL
Current assignee: Samsonite IP Holdings SARL
Priority date: 2015-11-23
Filing date: 2016-11-23
Publication date: 2023-06-27
Also published as: CN107028311A; EP3170423A1; EP3170423B1; CN206603367U

Abstract

A hard shell luggage article (100) having a pivotable housing portion (164) is provided. The luggage article may include: a luggage case (102) defining an interior compartment (104) and including a first split line (110) defining first and second shells (106, 108), each shell having a major face (126) and opposing sidewalls (140); a closing mechanism (148) releasably securing the first housing and the second housing along the first split line; a second split line (162) formed across the major face and the opposite side walls of the first housing and defining first and second housing portions (164, 166) of the first housing, the second split line extending from a portion of the first split line at one side wall to another portion of the first split line at the opposite side wall; and a hinge strap (174) secured to the first and second housing portions along at least a portion of the length of the second split line. The first housing portion is pivotable about the hinge strap when the closure mechanism is separated along a first split line extending along the first housing portion.

Description

Hard shell luggage article with pivotable housing portion

This patent application is a divisional application of patent application with application number 201611051423.1, entitled "New elegant IP control Strand Limited liability company", entitled "hard-shelled luggage article with pivotable housing portion".

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to an article of luggage, and in particular to an article of luggage comprising two shells hingedly connected together, and according to the present invention one of the shells comprises a pivotable shell portion.

Background

Luggage items, particularly hard shell luggage, traditionally include two housing portions that are pivotally attached and define an interior compartment designed to hold a volume of items for transport or storage. Access to the interior compartment is obtained either through the primary opening or through a cover pivotably covering the secondary opening, with a separate closing mechanism associated with each opening.

The design of such luggage presents unique challenges. In detail, the luggage item must have a sufficient size to ensure two separate openings, but sometimes still allow a user to quickly and easily access the interior compartment in a limited space where the luggage item cannot be fully opened for access to the interior compartment. Previous attempts to address the above problems have generally involved adding a secondary cover that covers a secondary opening through the housing portion, which requires a secondary closing mechanism. Such a construction may be relatively complex to use, and requires an additional closing mechanism, and increases assembly costs. Alternatively, a bag may be added to the front housing portion, which also increases the cost, and has limited access to the main compartment and provides limited space.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved article of luggage, and in more detail, an improved pivotable housing portion that solves the above-described problems and/or more generally provides an improvement or alternative to existing arrangements.

Documents that may relate to the present disclosure because of the inclusion of various foldable housing parts include CA 2785061C, US 2011/0186396 A1, EP 1626639 B1, US 5875876A, OHIM 001919721-0001 and CN 301896739S.

Disclosure of Invention

Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided an article of luggage as described below and defined in the appended claims.

The present disclosure advantageously provides a pivotable housing portion that is openable by use of a primary closure mechanism, which allows for convenient access to the interior compartment of the luggage item. Because only a portion of the closure mechanism needs to be separated, the interior compartment can be easily accessed. In addition, since there is only one opening, the luggage item can be easily protected with only one lock.

In one example, an article of luggage having a pivotable housing portion is provided. In some embodiments, the luggage article may include: a luggage case defining an interior compartment and including a first split line defining a first shell and a second shell, each shell having a major face and opposing sidewalls; a closure mechanism releasably securing the first housing and the second housing along the first split line; a second split line formed across the major face and the opposing side walls of the first housing and defining first and second housing portions of the first housing, the second split line extending from a portion of the first split line at one side wall to another portion of the first split line at the opposing side wall; and a hinge strap secured to the first and second housing portions along at least a portion of the length of the second split line. The first housing portion is pivotable about the hinge strap when the closure mechanism is separated along a first split line extending along the first housing portion.

In some embodiments, the hinge strap may be a wide strip of elastic material, preferably corrugated with corrugations extending substantially parallel to the hinge strap.

In some embodiments, the hinge strap may collapse or deform along the height of the hinge strap to pivot the first housing portion about the hinge strap.

In some embodiments, a gap may be defined between the first and second housing portions of the first housing, the gap extending along at least a portion of the length of the second split line. In some embodiments, the hinge strap may at least partially bridge the gap.

In some embodiments, the hinge strap may have a height sufficient to allow the hinge strap extending along the major face of the first housing to collapse with a portion of the hinge strap adjacent the first split line remaining fixed.

In some embodiments, the luggage article may further include a hinge structure pivotally securing the first housing and the second housing along the first split line. In some embodiments, the hinge structure may be attached to the second housing portion of the first housing and to the second housing. In some embodiments, the hinge structure may be located below the hinge strap.

In some embodiments, the closure mechanism may be a zipper closure that selectively secures the first housing and the second housing together. The zipper closure may allow the first housing portion of the first housing to open while leaving the second housing portion of the first housing closed and secured to the second housing. In some embodiments, the zipper closure may extend at least entirely along the first split line between the second housing and the first housing portion of the front housing. In some embodiments, the article of luggage may include a zipper slider lock located adjacent to the hinge strap. In some embodiments, the zipper closure may be redirected along at least one of the opposing sides. In some embodiments, the zipper closure may extend at least partially at an angle relative to a major face of at least one of the first housing and the second housing.

In some embodiments, the closure mechanism may be a plurality of closure mechanisms releasably securing the first housing to the second housing.

In some embodiments, the first and second housing portions of the first housing may be top and bottom housing portions of the first housing. In some embodiments, the hinge strap may extend at least partially parallel to the underside of the luggage item. In some embodiments, the hinge strap may be positioned closer to the top side of the luggage item such that the first portion of the front shell is smaller than the second portion of the front shell. In some embodiments, the hinge strap may extend at least partially perpendicular to the first split line at least when the article of luggage is in the closed position.

In some embodiments, the first split line may extend vertically or longitudinally along the item of luggage. The hinge strap may extend laterally across the major face and the opposing side walls of the first housing.

In some embodiments, the hinge strap may include a central portion disposed along a major face of the first housing. The opposite ends may extend from the central portion to the first split line on either side of the item of luggage. The opposite ends may be angled with respect to the central portion.

In some embodiments, the hinge strap may be linear or curved across the major face and opposing side walls of the first housing.

In some embodiments, the first housing may be a front housing.

In some embodiments, each of the first and second housings may include a plurality of wheel assemblies.

In some embodiments, the article of luggage may include an attachment mechanism securing the hinge strap to at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. The attachment structure may include a trim piece located between the hinge strap and the at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. The trim piece may secure an edge of the hinge strap within an interior of the at least one of the first and second housing portions to reduce a profile variation between the luggage case and the hinge strap. Preferably, the outer surface of the trim piece is approximately flush with the outermost extent of the hinge strap.

Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description which follows and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification or may be learned by practice of the disclosed subject matter. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized by reference to the figures and the remaining portions of the specification which form a part of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that each of the various aspects and features of the disclosure can be advantageously used in some cases alone or in other cases in combination with other aspects and features of the disclosure.

Drawings

The description will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which elements are not drawn to scale, and which are provided as various embodiments of the disclosure, and should not be construed as a complete elucidation of the scope of the disclosure, characterized in that:

fig. 1 is a front, upper isometric view of an article of luggage in a closed position according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the article of luggage of fig. 1, according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a front, upper isometric view of an article of luggage in a partially open position, according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a hinge strap according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the article of luggage of fig. 3, taken along line 5-5 of fig. 3, and illustrating attachment structures according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of an additional attachment structure according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of an additional attachment structure according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of an additional attachment structure according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of an additional attachment structure according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a front, upper isometric view of an article of luggage in an open position, according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation view of an additional embodiment of an article of luggage according to some examples of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, an article of luggage 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a luggage case 102 formed of a plurality of walls defining an interior compartment 104 (see fig. 3) in which user belongings are carried. The article of luggage 100 includes a first shell 106 and a second shell 108 defined by a first split line or separation line 110 as described below, and is convertible between a closed position as shown in fig. 1, a partially open position as shown in fig. 3, and a fully open position as shown in fig. 10 by means of an opening mechanism 112. The luggage article 100 includes opposing front and rear walls 114, 116, opposing left and right side walls 118, 120, and opposing top and

bottom end walls

122, 124 that collectively define an outer structure or bin 102 of the luggage article 100 having a height H, a width W, and a depth D. The opposing front and rear walls 114, 116 may define a major face 126 of the article of luggage 100, while the opposing left and right side walls 118, 120 and the opposing top and

bottom end walls

122, 124 form opposing minor faces 128 of the article of luggage 100. The intersection of major face 126 and minor face 128 of article of luggage 100 defines the respective edges of article of luggage 100. For example, referring to fig. 1, the intersection between the front wall 114 and the top end wall 122 defines a front upper edge 130, the intersection between the front wall 114 and the bottom end wall 124 defines a front lower edge 132, the intersection between the front wall 114 and the left side wall 118 defines a left front edge 134, the intersection between the front wall 114 and the right side wall 120 defines a right front edge 136, and the intersection between the rear wall 116 and the bottom end wall 124 defines a rear lower edge 138 (see fig. 2). The luggage article 100 is preferably a hard shell suitcase or other hard shell case. As explained below, the article of luggage 100 may be formed from a variety of materials and include a variety of devices that allow the article of luggage 100 to be selectively configured to be in a closed position, a fully open position, and a partially open position. Each of the

walls

114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124 may be referred to as a panel, face, or side.

With continued reference to fig. 1 and 2, and as noted above, the first split line 110 defines the first housing 106 and the second housing 108 such that each

housing

106, 108 has a major face 126 and opposing side walls 140 defining a portion of the opposing minor face 128 and extending from the major face 126 of each

housing

106, 108. Together, the opposing side walls 140 define respective

peripheral edges

142, 144 of the first and

second housings

106, 108 formed by the first split line 110 between the first and

second housings

106, 108. The first housing 106 (which first housing 106 may be a front housing) may be pivotally connected to the second housing 108 along a portion of the first split line 110 by a hinge structure 146. The second housing 108 (which second housing 108 may be a rear housing) may be the same size as the first housing 106 or may have a larger or smaller internal volume in size.

A closure mechanism 148 is secured along the respective

peripheral edges

142 and 144 of the first and

second shells

106, 108 to allow selective actuation by a user to open and close the luggage case 102 to configure the luggage case 102 between a closed position (fig. 1) and a fully open position (fig. 10). In the fully open position, the closing mechanism 148 is separated along substantially the entire length of the first split line 110, allowing the first and

second housings

106, 108 to pivot about the hinge structure 146 to any amount from fully closed to fully open. The closure mechanism 148 is disclosed herein primarily as a zipper closure, although other types of closure mechanisms are contemplated, including but not limited to a plurality of closure mechanisms (e.g., latches 160) discretely spaced along the first split line 110 (see fig. 10). The hinge structure 146 is disclosed primarily herein as a fabric strip, although other types of hinge mechanisms are contemplated including, but not limited to, piano hinges, spaced apart discrete hinges, zipper structures, or hinge joints made of elastomeric material, and the like. In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1, the first split line 110 extends substantially vertically or longitudinally along the article of luggage 100, although as described below, in some embodiments, the first split line 110 may run (jog) or extend at an angle relative to at least one major face 126 of the article of luggage 100 (see fig. 10).

Referring to fig. 1-3 and 5, the open structure 112 of the article of luggage 100 includes a second split line 162 formed across the major face 126 of the first shell 106 and the opposing side walls 140, the second split line 162 extending from a portion of the first split line 110 on one side wall 140 to another portion of the first split line 110 on the opposing side wall 140. The second split line 162 defines first and

second housing portions

164, 166 of the first housing 106, each

housing portion

164, 166 having a

peripheral edge

168, 170, respectively, along the second split line 162 (see fig. 5). As best shown in fig. 4, the intersection of the

peripheral edges

168, 170 with the

peripheral edges

142, 144 defines a peripheral corner 172 of the first and

second housing portions

164, 166. As shown in fig. 1, the hinge strap 174 is secured to the peripheral edge 168 of the first housing portion 164 and the peripheral edge 170 of the second housing portion 166 along at least a portion of the length of the second split line 162 and functions to operatively attach and maintain structural integrity and alignment between the first housing portion 164 and the second housing portion 166. The first housing portion 164 is pivotable about the hinge strap 174 between a closed position and an open position (fig. 2 and 3, respectively) when the closure mechanism 148 is separated along at least a portion of the first split line 110 that is coextensive with the first housing portion 164. In some embodiments, the closure mechanism 148 (e.g., a zipper closure) may extend at least entirely along the first split line 110 between the second housing 108 and the first housing portion 164 to release and allow the first housing portion 164 to pivot about the hinge strap 174.

The cooperation of the hinge strap 174 with the position of the closure mechanism 148 allows the first housing portion 164 to be selectively opened along the second split line 162 by pivoting about the hinge strap 174 while the second housing 166 remains closed. This configuration allows access to the interior compartment 104 of the luggage case 102 or a portion of the interior of the luggage case 104 (e.g., a bag) using only the closing mechanism 148 rather than a separate open/zipper.

As best seen in fig. 1 and 3-5, the hinge strap 174 includes a main body 176, the main body 176 having opposed first and second

elongated edges

178, 180 and opposed ends 182 forming terminal edges 184. In some embodiments, the body 176 is resilient and deformable, and may be generally rectangular, and have a relatively long length L _HB (see FIG. 3), relatively thin thickness T _HB (see FIG. 5) and greater than its thickness T _HB But smaller than its length L _HB Height H of (2) _HB (see FIG. 1). Height H of hinge strap 174 _HB May be configured to allow the first housing portion 164 to pivot relative to the second housing portion 166. For example, height H _HB The dimensions may be determined relative to portions of the luggage item (e.g., the first housing portion 164) to achieve desired aesthetic or/functional characteristics. In some embodiments, height H _HB May be sized relative to a first depth D of the first housing portion 164 ₁ Is determined such that the height H _HB A first depth D of the first housing portion 164 ₁ Between about 0% and about 75% (e.g., about 38%) (see fig. 2).

As best shown in fig. 5, first and second

elongated edges

178, 180 of hinge strap 174 engage

peripheral edges

168, 170 of first and

second housing portions

164, 166, respectively, as described in more detail below. Hinge strap 174 includes a central portion 186 disposed along major face 126, with opposite ends 182 extending from either end (both ends) of central portion 186 to respective split lines 110 located on either side (both sides) of article of luggage 100. As shown in fig. 4, the hinge strap 174 extends toward the closure mechanism 148 on either side of the article of luggage 100 such that the terminal edge 184 of the hinge strap 174 extends to a position adjacent to or co-extending with the first split line 110. In some embodiments, a small portion (e.g., the peripheral corner 172) of the

peripheral edges

168, 170 along the second split line 162 at either end 184 of the hinge strap 174 may be uncovered by the hinge strap 174 due to the securing of the closure mechanism 148 to the

peripheral edges

142, 144 formed by the first split line 110.

Referring to FIG. 1, the hinge strap 174 is a strip of elastic material, such as but not limited to rubber, leather, and/or fabric designed to elastically deform, having a length L extending from the first split line 110 on one minor face 128 to the first split line 110 on the opposite minor face 128 _HB And has a transverse height H sufficient to identify the hinge strap 174 as long and wide _HB . For example, height H _HB May be between about 40mm and about 70mm (e.g., about 55 mm) depending on the particular embodiment of article of luggage 100. Preferably, the hinge strap 174 is corrugated into alternating ridges and grooves (e.g., corrugations 188), the corrugations 188 being substantially parallel to the length L of the hinge strap 174 _HB Extension (see fig. 4). As described more fully below, the hinge strap 174 is deformed to act as a hinge to allow the first housing portion 164 to pivot relative to the second housing portion 166 (see fig. 4). In some embodiments, the height H of the hinge strap 174 _HB May be sufficient to collapse along the central portion 186 with the portion of the opposite end 182 adjacent the first split line 110. The portion of the opposite end 182 that is attached to or adjacent to the first split line 110 (e.g., the terminal edge 184) may remain fixed (i.e., not collapse) during relative movement between the first housing portion 164 and the second housing portion 166, as described below (see fig. 3 and 4).

As shown in fig. 1, the hinge strap 174 may extend laterally across the major face 126 and the opposing side walls 140 of the first housing 106. In such an embodiment, hinge strap 174 may extend at least partially parallel to bottom end wall 124 and/or front lower edge 132 of article of luggage 100. Alternatively or additionally, the opposite ends 182 may be angled relative to the central portion 186 of the hinge strap 174 to limit the degree of relative movement between the first and

second housing portions

164, 166. In the embodiments described herein, the hinge structure 146 may be attached to the second housing portion 166 such that the first housing 106 may pivot relative to the second housing 108 independent of the pivoting movement of the first housing portion 164 relative to the second housing portion 166 (see fig. 3 and 10). In such an embodiment, the hinge structure 146 may be attached to the second housing portion 166 adjacent the hinge strap 174 (e.g., below the hinge strap 174) between the hinge strap 174 and one of the opposing minor faces 128 (e.g., the bottom end wall 124). For example, the hinge structure 146 may be attached to the second housing portion 166 and the second housing 108.

Referring to fig. 5, the hinge strap 174 may include attachment structures 190 along opposite first and second

elongate edges

178, 180 thereof for attaching the hinge strap 174 to the respective

peripheral edges

168, 170 of the first and

second housing portions

164, 166. In one example, as shown in fig. 5, the first elongate edge 178 (e.g., a top edge) defines an attachment wall 192 and an abutment wall 194 extending perpendicular to the attachment wall 192 to form a seating alignment engagement of the first elongate edge 178 with the peripheral edge 168 of the first housing portion 164. This example works with a trim piece 196 (in one example, the trim piece 196 is S-shaped) to connect the first elongate edge 178 of the hinge strap 178 to the first housing portion 164. As shown, decorative pieces 196 (which decorative pieces 196 may be arcuate and convexly shaped) are used primarily for aesthetic reasons to conceal the suture. The trim 196 has a body 198 defining adjacent grooves (e.g., a first groove 210 and a second groove 212) having openings 214 in opposite directions, the first groove 210 and the second groove 212 being defined in part by an intermediate wall 216 between the first groove 210 and the second groove 212. In some embodiments, the trim piece 196 includes three generally

coextensive layers

250, 252, 254 defining the first and

second grooves

210, 212. For example, layers 250 and 252 may define first recess 210, while

layers

252 and 254 may define second recess 212. As shown, when the peripheral edge 168 is received in the first recess 210, two of the layers (e.g., layers 252 and 254) may be located on the exterior (right side in fig. 5) of the luggage case 102, and one of the layers (e.g., layer 250) may be located on the interior of the luggage case 102.

In the embodiment of fig. 5, the first recess 210 receives the peripheral edge 168 of the first housing portion 164, while the second recess 212 receives the attachment wall 192 of the first elongate edge 178 of the hinge strap 174. As shown, the abutment wall 194 engages the intermediate wall 216 of the trim 196 to limit the extent to which the attachment wall 192 is received within the second recess 212. Once assembled, the intermediate wall 216 extends parallel to the peripheral edge 168 of the first housing portion 164. As shown in fig. 5, a suture 218 secures the attachment wall 192 and trim 196 to the first housing portion 164. In some embodiments, the suture 218 may be recessed within a groove 220 defined in an outer surface 222 of the attachment wall 192 to shield and/or conceal the suture 218 (see fig. 8). Additionally or alternatively, the first elongate edge 178 of the hinge strap 174 can be sewn or glued directly to the peripheral edge 18 of the first housing portion 164 on an outer or inner surface without the use of the trim 196. Although described above with reference to the first elongated edge 178, the second elongated edge 180 of the hinge strap 174 may be similarly configured to attach the second elongated edge 180 to the peripheral edge 170 of the second housing portion 166.

Fig. 6 shows an additional embodiment of an attachment structure 190' that secures the hinge strap 174' to the first housing portion 164' without the trim 196. As shown in fig. 6, the first elongated edge 178' is identical to the first elongated edge of fig. 5, except for the following differences: the arcuate cover portion 224 is attached to the hinge strap 174' substantially opposite the abutment wall 194', thereby defining a cavity 226 between the cover portion 224 and the attachment wall 192 '. The cover portion 224 is substantially C-shaped in cross-section to substantially conceal the stitch line 218 'and the attachment wall 192' from at least a front view of the article of luggage 100. As shown, the cover portion 224 and the attachment wall 192 'may be positioned outside of the first housing portion 164' (right side in fig. 6), with the abutment wall 194 'extending toward the interior of the first housing portion 164' (left side in fig. 6). In some embodiments, the cover portion 224 may be elastically deformable such that the cavity 226 may collapse laterally upon impact and/or during bending of the hinge strap 174' to pivot the first housing portion 164' relative to the second housing portion 166 '. The second elongated edge 180' of the hinge strap 174' may be similarly configured to attach the second elongated edge 180' to the peripheral edge 170' of the second housing portion 166 '.

Fig. 7 shows an additional embodiment of an attachment mechanism 190 "that secures the hinge strap 174" to the first housing portion 164 ". The attachment structure 190 "of fig. 7 is identical to the attachment structure of fig. 6, except that the cover portion 224" is a separate member. As shown in fig. 7, the cover portion 224 "is located outside (to the right in fig. 7) the first housing portion 164" and includes a planar portion 228 extending inwardly within the C-shaped cross-section of the cover portion 224 ". To position the cover portion 224 "relative to the hinge strap 174", the first elongate edge 178 "of the hinge strap 174" includes a second abutment wall 230 opposite the abutment wall 194 ". As shown in fig. 7, once assembled, the planar portion 228 of the cover portion 224 "abuts the second abutment wall 230 of the hinge strap 174" to position the cover portion 224 "and the hinge strap 174" relative to one another. In the embodiment of fig. 7, stitching 218 "connects planar portion 228, attachment wall 192" and peripheral edge 168 "of first housing portion 164" together, wherein cover portion 224 "conceals stitching 218" from at least a front view of article of luggage 100. The second elongated edge 180 "of the hinge strap 174" may be similarly configured to attach the second elongated edge 180 "to the peripheral edge 170" of the second housing portion 66 ".

Fig. 8 shows an accessory embodiment of an attachment mechanism 190 ' "that secures the hinge strap 174 '" to the first housing portion 164 ' ". As shown in fig. 8, the first elongated edge 178' "is the same as the first elongated edge of fig. 5. However, in the embodiment of fig. 8, the attachment wall 192 ' "is directly attached to the peripheral edge 168 '" of the first housing portion 164 ' "without the use of the decorative piece 196. In such an embodiment, the abutment wall 194 ' "abuts the free end 232 of the peripheral edge 168 '" of the first housing portion 164 ' ". As shown, the attachment wall 192 '"may be located outside of the first housing portion 164'" (to the right in fig. 8) and the abutment wall 194 '"may extend toward the interior of the first housing portion 164'" (to the left in fig. 8). The second elongated edge 180 ' "of the hinge strap 174 '" can be similarly configured to attach the second elongated edge 180 ' "to the peripheral edge 170 '" of the second housing portion 166 ' ".

Fig. 9 shows an additional embodiment of an attachment structure 190"" securing the hinge strap 174"" to the first housing portion 164 "". As shown in fig. 9, the attachment structure 190"" is similar to the attachment structure of fig. 5, except that the abutment wall 192"" of the hinge strap 174"" is located inside (left side in fig. 9) the first housing portion 164"", as opposed to the abutment wall 192 of fig. 5 being located outside or outside (right side in fig. 5) the first housing portion 164. The attachment structure 190"" has a general S-shape defining three generally coextensive layers 250"", 252"", and 254"", defining two adjacent but opposite receiving grooves 210"", and 212"". For example, layers 250"" and 252"" define first grooves 210"", and layers 252"" and 254 define second grooves 212"". In fig. 5, the attachment structure 190 positions two of the

layers

252, 254 outside of the luggage case 102 to form a second recess 212 for receiving the abutment wall 192, and one layer 250 inside of the luggage case 102 (when the peripheral edge 168 is received in the first recess 210). Thus, the attachment structure 190 of FIG. 5 extends three layer widths (

layers

252 and 254 and the attachment wall 192 of the hinge strap 174) over the luggage case 102. In fig. 5, hinge strap 174 extends linearly away from attachment structure 190 before the formation of bellows 188, which bellows 188 extends significantly over attachment structure 190, thus creating a height or profile change that may resist or be subject to additional wear.

In contrast, the attachment structure 190"" of fig. 9 positions the two layers 252"" and 254"" inside the luggage case 102 to receive the attachment wall 192"" within the second recess 212 "". Only one layer 250"" is located outside of the luggage case 102"" to receive the peripheral edge 168"" within the first recess 210"" therein. Ribs 256 may be formed on the bottom surface of layer 250"", near the base of first groove 210"", and protrusions (tabs) 260 may extend from free edges 262 of layer 250"", to engage outer surfaces 264 of luggage case 102"", to create a space between luggage case 102"", and layer 250"", to accommodate stitching or other attachment means, without removing layer 250"", from luggage case 102 "".

As shown in fig. 9, the hinge strap 174"" may include a transition portion 235 between the corrugation 188"" and the abutment wall 194"" of the hinge strap 174 "". In some embodiments, the abutment wall 194"" extends further toward an outer surface 237 defined on the layer 250"" of the attachment structure 190"", from which outer surface 237, the transition portion 235 is bent to extend directly away from the outer surface 237 parallel to the outer surface 237 of the trim piece 196"", and in some embodiments is substantially flush with the outer surface 237. As such, the attachment structure 190"" may be relatively flat relative to the first housing portion 164"" and may be flush with an outermost extent or location of at least the first portion of the hinge strap 174 (such as the transition portion 235 and/or the peak 266 of the bellows 188"" as compared to the attachment structure 190 in fig. 5) to reduce severe localized topography of the transition between the luggage case 102"" and the hinge strap 174"" to reduce excessive wear and damage at that location.

Only the attachment of one edge of the hinge strap 174"" (i.e., the first elongated edge 178 "") is shown in fig. 9, but as with fig. 5, a second elongated edge (similar to 180 in fig. 5) may also be attached to the hinge strap 174"", of the second housing portion 166"", with an attachment structure 190 "". It is contemplated that the attachment structure 190"" may be used to secure other structural features to the luggage case, such as a zipper strip (e.g., zipper strip 236), in order to reduce profile variations relative to the outer surface 264 of the luggage case 102 for the benefits noted above. Although fig. 5-9 illustrate an alternative attachment mechanism 190 that secures the hinge strap 174 to the first housing portion 164, the hinge strap 174 may be attached to the first housing portion 164 in any suitable manner. For example, the attachment structure 190 may be configured such that the

peripheral edges

168, 170 abut each other, overlap, or lie in a tongue and groove configuration. As noted above, although the attachment structure 190 is described with reference to the first housing portion 164, the hinge strap 174 may be attached to the second housing portion 166 in a similar configuration as shown in fig. 5-8. In some embodiments, the hinge strap 174 may be connected to the first housing portion 164 as shown in one of the embodiments in fig. 5-8, and may be connected to the second housing portion 166 as shown in another of the embodiments in fig. 5-8.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first housing portion 164 includes a first height H ₁ And a first depth D ₁ The second housing portion 166 includes a second height H ₂ Wherein the overall height H of the luggage case 102 (except for any wheels if employed) is equal to H ₁ Adding H ₂ However, H ₁ Adding H ₂ May be greater or less than the total height H. In which H is ₁ Adding H ₂ In embodiments less than the overall height H of the luggage piece 102, the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 define a gap 234 therebetween, the gap 234 extending along at least a portion of the length of the second split line 162 and having substantially any size depending on the desired aesthetic and bending characteristics of the luggage article 100. For example, the gap 234, which allows for relative movement between the first and

second housing portions

164, 166, may be wider or thinner, arcuate, and/or vary across the opposing side walls 140, the major face 126, or both, of the first housing 106. In some embodiments, depending on the location of the hinge strap 174 and the type of closure mechanism 148 utilized, no gap 234 may be formed between the first and

second housing portions

164, 166, as described in more detail below. As shown, the hinge strap 174 at least partially bridges or fills the gap 234 between the first and

second housing portions

164, 166. For example, hinge strap 174 may be located on the exterior or interior of article of luggage 100 to cover gap 234 and provide a desired aesthetic appearance of article of luggage 100. In some embodiments, the hinge strap 174 may cover the entire length of the gap 234 between the first split line 110 on one minor face 128 to the first split line 110 on the other minor face 128. In some embodiments, the hinge strap 174 may cover only a portion of the length of the gap 234 (e.g., only a portion that spans the major face 126 of the first housing portion 106). In these embodiments, the

peripheral edges

168, 170 of the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 may abut (seal or unseal) one another ) Or overlap. As explained below, the gap 234 allows the first housing portion 164 to pivotally move relative to the second housing portion 166 without the need to join the first and

second housing portions

164, 166.

The first and

second housing portions

164, 166 may be sized such that the relative height H ₁ And H ₂ The ratio between (i.e. H ₁ Divided by H ₂ ) And may be from 10% to 90%. In such embodiments, the hinge strap 174 may be located within 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% of the height H of the luggage case 102. In some embodiments, for example, hinge strap 174 may be positioned closer to one of the opposing minor faces 128 of luggage article 100 (e.g., closer to top end wall 122) to reduce the overall depth D (see fig. 3) of luggage article 100, for example, in the partially open position, thus allowing a user to access interior compartment 104 of luggage article 100 in a more limited space. In some embodiments, a first height H ₁ May be greater than the second height H ₂ To allow adequate access to the interior compartment 104 when the first housing portion 164 is pivoted relative to the second housing portion 166 (see fig. 11). As noted above, the first housing portion 164 may open into the entire space of the interior compartment 104, or in some embodiments, the first housing portion 164 may open into a pocket separate from the main interior of the article of luggage 100.

As noted above, the luggage article 100 may be movable between the closed position and the open position to define different levels and/or different configurations of access to the interior compartment 104 of the luggage article 100. As shown in fig. 1, in the closed position, each of the first housing portion 164 and the second housing portion 166 is secured to the second housing 108 by way of the closing mechanism 148. Referring to fig. 3, in the partially open position, the closing mechanism 148 is engaged between the second housing 108 and the second housing portion 166, while being separated between the second housing 108 and the first housing portion 164. In the partially open position of fig. 3, the first housing portion 164 may be pivoted away from the second housing 108 to allow access to the interior compartment 104 of the luggage article 100. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the hinge strap 174 flexes or collapses to allow the first housing portion 164 to move relative to the second housing portion 166 without engaging the housing portions. In some embodiments, the corrugations 166 of the hinge strap 174 collapse laterally to allow the hinge strap 174 to flex. Referring to fig. 10, in the fully open position, the closing mechanism 148 is separated between the second housing 108 and both the first housing portion 164 and the second housing portion 166. Both the first housing portion 164 and the second housing portion 166 pivot away from the second housing 108 to allow a greater degree of access to the interior compartment 104 of the luggage article 100. In some embodiments, the first housing portion 164 may be further pivoted relative to the second housing portion 166 to define a fully open position.

Referring to fig. 3, hinge strap 174 may be variously curved or laterally collapsed along the length of hinge strap 174 to permit relative movement between first housing portion 164 and second housing portion 166. For example, as explained below, in embodiments in which the closure mechanism 148 is a zipper closure, the first and

second housings

106, 108 are attached to a zipper strip 236, which zipper strip 236 is generally inextensible and holds portions (e.g., peripheral corners 172) of the first and

second housings

106, 108 at a fixed distance apart. In such an embodiment, the hinge strap 174 is selectively deformed such that the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 are movable relative to one another, e.g., a portion of the hinge strap 174 extending adjacent the first split line 110 (i.e., identified as position a in fig. 3) may be bent such that the gap 234 at position a is substantially unchanged and the position of the peripheral corner 172 remains generally fixed. This example cooperates with a non-extendable closure mechanism 148 (e.g., zipper strip 236) secured along the respective

peripheral edges

142 and 144 of the first and

second housings

106, 108. To allow for pivotable movement of the first housing portion 164, portions of the hinge strap 174 that span the left and right front edges 134, 136 and the front wall 114 (i.e., identified as positions B and C in fig. 3) may be selectively collapsed such that the respective

peripheral edges

168, 170 of the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 rotate toward one another. In such an embodiment, when the

peripheral edges

168, 170 are rotated toward one another, these

peripheral edges

168, 170 may overlap or abut one another when the first housing portion 164 is opened. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, hinge strap 174 collapses laterally a greater amount at location C than at location B.

To open the article of luggage 100, the user may first disengage (e.g., unlatch) the closing mechanism 148 between the second housing 108 and the first housing portion 164. The user may then selectively open the first housing portion 164 by pivoting the first housing portion 164 relative to the second housing 108 and the second housing portion 166. Pivoting the first housing portion 164 away from the second housing 108 causes the hinge strap 174 extending across the major face 26 of the first housing 106 to collapse and/or bend as described above. The user may continue to pivot the first housing portion 164 away from the second housing 108 until, for example, the first housing portion 164 contacts the second housing portion 166 (e.g., the cover portion 224 contacts the second housing portion 166), thereby defining a partially open position of the article of luggage 100. Alternatively or additionally, the user may disengage the closing mechanism 148 between the second housing 108 and the second housing portion 166. The user may then selectively open the article of luggage 100 by pivoting the first housing 106 relative to the second housing 108.

Closure of the luggage item 100 may be accomplished in reverse order to that described above. For example, the user may first pivot the second housing portion 166 toward the second housing 108 until the closing mechanism 148 is able to secure the second housing portion 166 to the second housing 108. The user may then engage (e.g., pull up) the closure member 148 between the second housing 108 and the second housing portion 166. The first housing portion 164 may then be pivoted toward the second housing 108, thereby expanding the hinge strap 174 as described above, and positioning the first housing portion 164 adjacent the second housing 108 and in selective engagement with the second housing 108 via the closure mechanism 148. The user may selectively engage the closing mechanism 148 between the second housing 108 and the first housing portion 164 to fully close the article of luggage 100. In some embodiments, the closing mechanism 148 may then be locked to prevent unwanted separation. For example, in embodiments in which the closure mechanism 148 is a zip closure, the article of luggage 100 may include a zip slider lock 238 to selectively lock a zip closure pull slider 240 (see fig. 10). In some embodiments, the zipper slider lock 238 may be located adjacent (e.g., above) the hinge strap 174, for example, on the second housing 108.

Referring to fig. 2-4, in embodiments in which the closure mechanism 148 is a zipper closure, a zipper strip 236 spans the gap 234 between the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 adjacent the first split line 110. In this embodiment, the zipper strip 236 is secured to the

peripheral edges

142, 144 of the first and

second housings

106, 108 such that the zipper strip bends, buckles, or otherwise allows the first housing portion 164 to pivot relative to the second housing portion 166. Because the zipper strip 236 is inextensible and the peripheral corners 172 of the first and

second housings

106, 108 are restrained from further movement, the hinge strip 174 collapses at least along the major face 126 of the first housing 106 to at least partially close or collapse the gap 234 and allow the first housing portion 164 to pivot relative to the second housing portion 166, as described above.

Referring to fig. 10 and as mentioned above, in some embodiments, the closing mechanism 148 may be a plurality of latches 160. As shown in phantom in fig. 10, the latches 160 may be discretely spaced along, for example, a first split line 110 on opposite minor faces 128 of the luggage case 102. As shown in fig. 10, latches 160 are formed on opposing sidewalls 140 of each of the first and

second housings

106, 108 such that the latches 160 are aligned when the luggage case 102 is in the closed or partially closed position. In such an embodiment, the relative folding characteristics of the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 may be different than described above. That is, rather than remaining generally stationary, the Zhou Bianjiao portions 172 of each of the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 can expand from one another as the first housing portion 164 pivots relative to the second housing portion 166. In addition, the portions of the

peripheral edges

168, 170 extending across the major face 126 of the first housing 106 may remain stationary. In such an embodiment, the luggage case 102 may not include the gap 234 between the first and

second housing portions

164 and 166 such that the

peripheral edges

168, 170 abut or overlap one another when the luggage case 102 is in the closed position.

Referring to fig. 10, for example, article of luggage 100 may include at least one handle and a plurality of wheel assemblies. For example, as shown in fig. 10, article of luggage 100 may include a stationary carrying handle 242 attached to at least one of opposing minor faces 128 (e.g., top end wall 122) of article of luggage 100. In some embodiments, article of luggage 10 may include a telescoping handle 244, which telescoping handle 244 may be aligned along an outside of second shell 108 of article of luggage 100 (see fig. 2). The telescoping handle 244 may be aligned along the second housing 108, but positioned within the article of luggage 100 and extend through one of the opposing minor faces 128 of the article of luggage 100 (e.g., through the top end wall 122). Although described in relation to second shell 108 and/or opposing minor face 128, telescoping handle 244 and stationary carrying handle 242 may be associated with any shell, wall, or side of article of luggage 100.

With continued reference to fig. 10, each of the first and

second housings

106, 108 may include a plurality of wheel assemblies to rollably pass the article of luggage 100 over a support surface (e.g., the ground). For example, as shown in fig. 10, the first housing 106 may include a first set of wheel assemblies 246 and the second housing 108 may include a second set of wheel assemblies 248. In some embodiments, first set of wheel assemblies 246 may be attached to second shell portion 166 adjacent front lower edge 132 of article of luggage 100 (see fig. 1), and second set of wheel assemblies 248 may be attached to second shell 108 adjacent rear lower edge 138 of article of luggage 100 (see fig. 2). The first and second sets of

wheel assemblies

246, 248 may be identically configured to one another and positioned adjacent the bottom end wall 124 in a mirror image configuration across the first split line 119. Although shown and described as being located adjacent to bottom end wall 124, the plurality of wheel assemblies may be located on any wall of article of luggage 100 depending on the particular application and configuration of article of luggage 100.

As shown in fig. 10, the luggage article 100 may include at least one stop limiter 260 to limit the amount of opening into the interior compartment 104. As shown in fig. 10, the stop limiter 260 may be attached between the first housing portion 164 and the second housing portion 166, or between the first housing portion 164 and the second housing 108. The stop limiter 260 is disclosed herein primarily as a fabric strip, although other types of stop mechanisms are contemplated, including but not limited to a strap, a tether, a hinge blocker, or may be integrally formed in the hinge strap 174.

Fig. 11 is a front view of an additional embodiment of an article of luggage 500. The embodiment of fig. 11 is substantially the same as the embodiment described above with reference to fig. 1 to 10, except as described below. In the embodiment of fig. 11, the closing mechanism 548 extends at least partially along the two opposing minor faces 528 relative to the major face 526 of the article of luggage 500 such that the closing mechanism 548 at the top end wall 522 is positioned closer to the major face 526 of the first housing 506 adjacent the front upper edge 530 of the article of luggage 500. For example, the closing mechanism 548 may be at a second height H defined by the second housing portion 566 ₂ The defined angle extends along the bottom 262 of the opposite minor face 528. In such an embodiment, the closing mechanism 548 may be redirected along at least one of the opposing minor faces 528 of the article of luggage 500 such that a portion of the closing mechanism 548 extends parallel to the major face 526 of the article of luggage 500. As shown in phantom in fig. 11, in some embodiments, the closing mechanism 548' may be substantially linear across the opposing minor face 528 of the article of luggage 500. In each of the embodiments described above, the closing mechanism 548, 548' located at the bottom end wall 524 may be located between the first and second sets of

wheel assemblies

646, 648 and may substantially bisect the bottom end wall 524 or be located closer to one of the major faces 526 of the luggage article 500 (e.g., the front wall 514).

As noted above, the luggage items may be formed from a variety of materials and devices. For example, the first housing 106 and the second housing 108 may be formable hard shell materials or a combination of hard shell materials and soft shell materials. The hard shell material may be a thermoplastic (self-reinforced or fiber reinforced), ABS, polycarbonate, polypropylene, polystyrene, PVC, polyamide and/or PTFE, etc. The luggage article may be formed or shaped in any suitable manner, such as by plug molding, blow molding, injection molding, and the like. In addition, the thickness of the luggage item may be constant or may vary across the luggage item depending on the desired rigidity, strength, and/or weight of the luggage item. For example, the thickness may be greater near the

wheel assemblies

246, 248, edges 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and/or the first split line 110.

Although described as extending across the first housing 106, the opening structure 112 may additionally or alternatively be associated with the second housing 108 such that the second housing 108 is configured to allow access to the interior compartment 104. In this example, the second housing 108 is divided into two housing portions by a second split line 162, and a hinge strap 174 is positioned along the second split line 162 to extend across the second housing 108 in the same manner as noted above to form the first and

second housing portions

164, 166 of the first housing 106. In such an embodiment, the telescoping handle 244 may be mounted to the second housing 108 above the hinge strap 174.

All relative and directional references (including upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, sides, above, below, front, middle, back, vertical, horizontal, etc.) are provided by way of example to aid the reader in understanding the specific embodiments described herein. They should not be construed as specifically requiring or limiting the position, orientation or use unless expressly set forth in the claims. Connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, joined, etc.) should be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other, unless explicitly stated in the claims.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the presently disclosed embodiments are taught by way of example and not limitation. Accordingly, what is included in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features described herein and all statements of the scope of the method and system of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.

Claims

1. A luggage article, the luggage article comprising:

a luggage case defining an interior compartment and including a first split line defining a first shell and a second shell, each shell having a major face and opposing sidewalls;

a closure mechanism releasably securing the first housing and the second housing along the first split line;

a second split line formed across the major face and the opposing side walls of the first housing, the second split line defining first and second housing portions of the first housing, each housing portion having a peripheral edge, the second split line extending from a portion of the first split line at one side wall to another portion of the first split line at the opposing side wall;

a hinge strap secured to the first and second housing portions at respective peripheral edges along a length of the second split line such that the hinge strap extends from a portion of the first split line located on one side wall to another portion of the first split line located on an opposite side wall, wherein the first housing portion is pivotable about the hinge strap when the closure mechanism is separated along the first split line extending along the first housing portion; wherein the hinge strap collapses or deforms along the height of the hinge strap to pivot the first housing portion about the hinge strap; wherein the hinge strap extending along the major face of the first housing is collapsible, a portion of the hinge strap adjacent the first split line remaining fixed;

The telescopic handle comprises a wheel assembly, a telescopic handle and a carrying handle; and

a hinge structure pivotally securing the first and second housings along the first split line, the hinge structure being attached to the second housing portion of the first housing and to the second housing.

2. Article of luggage according to claim 1, wherein the hinge strap is a wide strip of elastic material, preferably corrugated with corrugations extending substantially parallel to the second split line.

3. The item of luggage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

defining a gap between the first and second housing portions of the first housing, the gap extending along at least a portion of the length of the second split line; and is also provided with

The hinge strap at least partially bridges the gap.

4. The item of luggage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the closure mechanism is a zipper closure that selectively secures the first housing and the second housing together; and is also provided with

The zipper closure allows the first housing portion of the first housing to open while leaving the second housing portion of the first housing closed and secured to the second housing.

5. The article of luggage of claim 4, wherein the zipper closure extends at least entirely along the first split line between the second housing and the first housing portion of the front housing.

6. The article of luggage of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second housing portions of the first housing are top and bottom housing portions of the first housing.

7. The luggage article of claim 6, wherein the hinge strap extends at least partially parallel to a bottom side of the luggage article.

8. The luggage article of claim 6, wherein the hinge strap is positioned closer to a top side of the luggage article such that a first portion of the front shell is smaller than a second portion of the front shell.

9. The luggage item of claim 6, wherein the hinge strap extends at least partially perpendicular to the first split line at least when the luggage item is in a closed position.

10. The article of luggage of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinge strap comprises:

a central portion disposed along the major face of the first housing; and

extends from the central portion to opposite ends of the first split line on either side of the luggage item, wherein the opposite ends are angled with respect to the central portion.

11. The luggage article of claim 1 or 2, further comprising an attachment mechanism securing the hinge strap to at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion, wherein:

the attachment structure includes a trim piece located between the hinge strap and the at least one of the first housing portion and the second housing portion; and is also provided with

The trim secures an edge of the hinge strap within an interior of the at least one of the first and second housing portions to reduce profile variations between the luggage and the hinge strap; and preferably the outer surface of the trim piece is approximately flush with the outermost extent of the hinge strap.