EP0199993A1

EP0199993A1 - An article of luggage

Info

Publication number: EP0199993A1
Application number: EP86104154A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rino Italici
Original assignee: Lucas International Srl
Current assignee: Lucas International Srl
Priority date: 1985-04-03
Filing date: 1986-03-26
Publication date: 1986-11-05
Also published as: IT8515151V0

Abstract

The bag presents two head walls (4) at the inner side of which there are obtained pockets for the housing of removable stiffening panels (8). When it is desired to reduce the dimensions of the bag, for example for purposes of storage, the two stiffening panels (8) are removed from the pockets, and the head walls (4) can be folded in a bellows like manner, thus considerably reducing the overall dimensions of the bag. The two side walls (6) can be folded over the top wall (2), after having inserted the removed stiffening panels (8) inside the folded bag.

Description

The invention relates to an article of luggage, such as a bag or suitcase which can be considerably reduced in its dimensions when it is empty, so that is can be stored in a space of small dimensions, with advantages not only for the user, but also for the manufacturer and dealer of such a product, who can sensibly reduce the costs for the storage and transport.
The bag is made of flexible material, for example waterproof fabric, it is provided with opposite side members which can be both opened, and is characterized by the fact that the top wall, the bottom wall and the two head walls are provided with inner pockets inside which there are inserted stiffening panels of sufficiently rigid material, for example plastics material. When the bag is empty, at least the stiffening panels of the head walls are removed so that the said bag can be compressed like a bellows and can be stored in a very limited space.
Further characteristic features of the invention, and the advantages deriving therefrom, will appear better evident from the following description made with reference to the figures of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows the bag in perspective view and in its open condition;
Figure 2 shows the bag in vertical section, in its upright position.
Figure 3 is a horizontal trasverse section of one of the two head walls of the bag.
Figure 4 shows the bag of Figure 2 being folded for the removal of the stiffening panels from the head walls.
Figures 5 and 6 show the bag in perspective view, during as many significant steps of the reduction of the dimensions of the bag itself.
Figure 7 shows, in a view similar to Figure 2, a modified embodiment of the bag according to the invention.

In Figure 1 there is shown the bag or suitcase which is made with flexible or soft material, for example with waterproof fabric, and which comprises a tubular body 1 formed by the top wall 2, by the bottom wall 3 and by the head walls 4, said body being provided on its opposite edges all around with slide fasteners 5 in such a manner that to the said body there can be removably secured the side walls 6 which are also provided on their perimeter with slide fasteners 105 which are complementary to the above mentioned ones 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the four walls of the tubular body 1 are constructed by the superposition and longitudinal sewing of at least two layers 7 and 107 of soft material. The inner layer 107 is interrupted at the ends of the said walls, so as to obtain longitudinal hnd inner pockets , inside which there can be inserted the sufficiently rigid stiffening panels 8 for the head walls 4, 108 for the top wall 2 and 208 for the bottom wall 3, said stiffening panels 8, 108 and 208 being made for example of plastics material and suitably rounded at their corners and edges. Thanks to the presence of these stiffening panels, the body 1 of the bag or suitcase is perfectly stabilized in its parallelepiped shape when to said body there are secured the side walls 6 which avoid any oscillations of the walls 2, 3 and 4 around the zones of reciprocal connection where the said stiffening panels terminate.
The stiffening panels 108 and 208 are preferably permanently secured at the interior of the respective walls, since externally of the top wall 2 there is fixed the handle 9, and externally of bottom wall 3 there are fixed the supporting feet 10 or suitable supporting wheels. The securing of the handle 9 and of the feet 10 is effected by involving also the respective stiffening panels 108 and 208 which therefore distribute in a uniform manner the stresses to the whole body of the bag or suitcase.
When the bag is empty, the stiffening panels 8 of the head walls 4 may be easily removed by folding the body 1 of the said bag as illustrated in Figure 4,and taking out said stiffening panels through the horizontal openings 11 at the top and bottom of the head walls 4. After having removed the stiffening panels 8 from the corresponding housing pockets, it is possible to perform the operation shown in Figure 5 which consists in bringing near to each other the walls 2 and 3, by folding in a bellows like manner the flexible walls 4. The removed stiffening panels 8 can be advantageously stored at the interior of the body 1 of the bag, as shown in Figure 5. In order to avoid that these stiffening panels be lost, same can be connected with inner parts of the body 1 by means of a flexible cord (not shown). Thereafter, by folding the side walls 6 onto the body 1, as shown in Figure 6, the bag may be remarkably reduced in its dimensions and it can be stored into a very limited space, with the evident advantages which derive from this reduced condition. On the walls 6 there can be fixed self-adhesive bands or straps made of the self-adhesive material known under the commercial name of "VELCRO" (registered trademark) or other means for securing said walls in the reduced dimension condition shown in Figure 6.
It is to be understood that instead of the above mentioned housing pockets' other suitable means can be used, for example holding strips transversally secured at the interior of the bag. Instead of the above mentioned securing means, there can be used other securing means such as for example self-adhesive strips, buttons or the like means.
According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the stiffening panels can be made of flexible or elastic material, or can be made of rigid material, as above said, but provided in their intermediate portion with a transverse articulation hinge 12, as diagrammatically shown in Figure 7 (where the stiffening panels are indicated by reference numeral 80), in order to be able to perform the operation of reduction of dimension, without removing the stiffening panels 80 from their respective housing pockets.
As it appears from the drawings, the handle 9 is provided, at the zones where the handle itself is secured to the top wall, with a pair of rings 109 to which there can be connected the releasable clamp members of an auxiliary shoulder strap (not shown) for carrying the bag.

Claims

1) An article of luggage such as a bag or suitcase, made of flexible material, comprising a tubular body (1) defined by a bottom wall (3), a top wall (2) and two opposite head walls (4), said tubular body being closed by two openable opposite side walls (6), characterized by the fact that it further comprises stiffening panels (8) which can be applied in a removable manner to the said two head walls (4).

2) An article of luggage according to claim 1, in which the stiffening panels (8) are housed inside pockets provided on the inner side of the two head walls (4).

3) An article of luggage according to claim 2, in which each pocket is open (11) at least at one end of the respective wall.

4) An article of luggage according to claim 3, in which each pocket is open at two opposite ends, defining two horizontal openings (11).

5) An article of luggage according to claim 1, in which the stiffening panels (8) are applied to the inner side of the two head walls (4) by means of self-adhesive strips or by means of buttons.

6) An article of luggage according to claim 1, in which the stiffening panels (8) are applied to the inner side of the two head walls by means of transversally arranged holding strips.

7) An article of luggage such as a bag or suitcase, made of flexible material, comprising a tubular body (1) defined by a bottom wall (3), a top wall (2) and two opposite head walls (4), said tubular body (1) being closed by two openable opposite side walls (6), characterized by the fact that it further comprises stiffening panels (80) provided with a transversal median articulation (12) and applied to the said two opposite head walls (4).

8) An article of luggage according to claims 1 or 7, characterized by the fact that it comprises a handle (9) secured to the top wall (2), said handle (9) being provided, at the zones where it is secured to the top wall (2),-with a pair of rings (109) to which there can be connected the releasable clamp members of an auxiliary shoulder strap.