US20080142323A1

US20080142323A1 - Trunk

Info

Publication number: US20080142323A1
Application number: US11/610,723
Authority: US
Inventors: Kuo-En Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Solite International Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-14
Filing date: 2006-12-14
Publication date: 2008-06-19

Abstract

A trunk includes a first shell, a second shell, a major soft strip and two minor soft strips. The first shell is made of a hard material and formed with a rear panel, an upper panel, a lower panel, two lateral panels and a space defined by the panels. The second shell is connected to the first shell. The major soft strip is made of a soft material and formed with a central portion attached to an external face of the rear panel, an upper portion attached to an external face of the upper panel and a lower portion attached to an external face of the lower panel. The minor soft strips are made of a soft material and each attached to an external face of a related one of the lateral panels.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trunk and, more particularly, to a trunk including two different materials for aesthetic purposes.
2. Related Prior Art
Disclosed in Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 579736 is a trunk that includes a first shell 10 and a second shell 20. The first shell 10 includes a top panel 12, a bottom panel 13 and two lateral panels 14. The second shell 20 includes a top panel 22, a bottom panel 23 and two lateral panels 24. The first shell 10 and the second shell 20 are made of a same material. Therefore, the appearance of the trunk is dull.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a trunk includes a first shell, a second shell, a major soft strip and two minor soft strips. The first shell is made of a hard material and formed with a rear panel, an upper panel, a lower panel, two lateral panels and a space defined by the panels. The second shell is connected to the first shell. The major soft strip is made of a soft material and formed with a central portion attached to an external face of the rear panel, an upper portion attached to an external face of the upper panel and a lower portion attached to an external face of the lower panel. The minor soft strips are made of a soft material and each attached to an external face of a related one of the lateral panels.
The primary advantage of the trunk according to the present invention is an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trunk according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the trunk shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the trunk taken along a line 3-3 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the trunk taken along a line 4-4 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded partial view of the trunk shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a trunk according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The trunk includes a first shell 10, a second shell 20 and a set 30 of soft strips. The first shell 10 is made of a rigid material. The soft strips of the set 30 are made of a soft material such as woven cloth or nylon cloth. The second shell 20 may be made of a rigid material like the first shell 10 or a soft material like the soft strips of the set 30. The appearance of the trunk is colorful and aesthetically pleasing.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 5, the first shell 10 includes a lower panel 112, an upper panel 114, two lateral panels 116 and a rear panel 113 so that a space 111 is defined by the panels. All of the panels of the first shell 10 are formed as one piece. An opening 115 is defined in the first shell 10 between the rear panel 113 and the upper panel 114. A shallow cavity 117 is defined in an external face of each of the lateral panels 116.
For protection against wearing, a piece of armor 12 is attached to an external face of the first shell 10 between the lower panel 112 and the rear panel 113. To this end, the piece of armor 12 includes an arched shape. A mount 13 is attached to an internal face of the first shell 10 between the lower panel 112 and the rear panel 113. To this end, the mount 13 includes an arched shape. The lower panel 112, the piece of armor 12 and the mount 13 are joined together by a plurality of fasteners such as rivets and bolt-and-nut pairs. The mount 13 includes two sockets 131 formed on an internal face of the mount 13.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a holder 142 includes two tubular portions fit in the sockets 131. Two telescopic elements 14 are inserted into the space 111 through the opening 115. Each of the telescopic elements 14 includes a lower end 141 fit in each of the tubular portions of the holder 142 and an upper end connected to a handle.
Two casters 15 are attached to the external face of the first shell 10. Each of the casters 15 is attached to the external face of a corner formed among the rear panel 13, the lower panel 112 and a related one of the lateral panels 116. A reinforcement strip 16 is attached to an internal face of each of the corners. Each of the casters 15, a related one of the corners is joined to a related one of the reinforcement strips 16 by a plurality of fasteners such as rivets and bolt-and-nut pairs.
The second shell 20 is connected to a lower cover 17 made of a rigid material. The second shell 20 and the lower cover 17 are connected to the first shell 10 by a zipper 18 so that the trunk can easily be opened and closed by operating the zipper 18.
The set 30 includes a major soft strip 31 and two minor soft strips 32. The major soft strip 31 includes a central portion attached to the external face of the rear panel 113, an upper portion 311 attached to the external face of the upper panel 114 and a lower portion 312 attached to the external face of the lower panel 112. The major soft strip 31 defines an opening through which the telescopic elements 141 are inserted. Each of the minor soft strips 32 is attached to the external face of a related one of the lateral panels 116 within the cavity 117. Thus, external faces of the minor soft strips 32 are flush with the external faces of the lateral panels 116 outside the cavities 117. The attachment of the soft strips 31 and 32 may be made by sewing, an adhesive or any other means.
A handle 19 is attached to the upper panel 114 and the upper portion 311 of the major soft strip 31 by a plurality of fasteners such as rivets and bolt-and-nut pairs.
The trunk according to the present invention exhibits at least one advantage that it includes a unique aesthetically pleasing appearance because of the use of two materials.
The present invention has been described through the illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A trunk comprising:

a first shell made of a hard material and formed with a rear panel, an upper panel, a lower panel, two lateral panels and a space defined by the panels;

a second shell connected to the first shell; and

a major soft strip made of a soft material and formed with a central portion attached to an external face of the rear panel, an upper portion attached to an external face of the upper panel and a lower portion attached to an external face of the lower panel; and

two minor soft strips made of a soft material and each attached to an external face of a related one of the lateral panels.

2. The trunk according to claim 1 wherein the major and minor soft strips are attached to the first shell by sewing.

3. The trunk according to claim 1 wherein the major and minor soft strips are attached to the first shell by an adhesive.

4. The trunk according to claim 1 wherein the major and minor soft strips are made of woven cloth.

5. The trunk according to claim 1 wherein the major and minor soft strips are made of nylon cloth.

6. The trunk according to claim 1 wherein each of the lateral panels defines a cavity for receiving a related one of the minor soft strips so that the minor soft strips are flush with the lateral panels outside the cavities.

7. The trunk according to claim 1 comprising a piece of armor attached to the lower panel.

8. The trunk according to claim 1 comprising a lower cover made of a hard material and connected to the second soft strip.

9. The trunk according to claim 1 comprising a zipper between the first and second shells so that trunk can be opened and closed by operating the zipper.

10. The trunk according to claim 1 comprising two casters attached to the lower panel.

11. The trunk according to claim 10 wherein each of the casters is attached to a corner of the trunk formed amid the rear panel, the lower panel and a related one of the lateral panels.

12. The trunk according to claim 1 comprising at least one telescopic element connected to the first shell.

13. The trunk according to claim 12 wherein the upper panel of the first shell defines an opening through which the telescopic element is inserted into the space.