Expandable luggage with locking expansion mechanism

Abstract

An item of expandable luggage having a main body and an expandable member. A locking expansion means connects the main body to the expandable member, and includes at least one fixed plate and corresponding slidable plate slidably coupled together. Each fixed plate is fixedly mounted to the main body and includes a plurality of locking apertures. Each slidable plate is fixedly mounted to the expandable member and includes an expansion control mechanism for controlling displacement of the slidable plate with respect to its corresponding fixed plate. Each expansion control mechanism includes an actuator for engaging a first end of a rotatable crank. A locking element includes opposing first and second ends. The second end of the locking element engages the second end of the crank. The first end of the locking element slidably engages with one of the apertures of the first fixed plate in response to the actuator engaging the corresponding crank.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 456,171, filed Jun. 5, 2003, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 092,764, filed Mar. 6, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,272, issued Jun. 10, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this application.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to expandable luggage, and particularly to expandable luggage having a zipperless expansion gusset with an easily accessible adjustable locking expansion mechanism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The needs of travelers for luggage space can vary considerably depending on the duration of a trip, types of clothing and other gear required, and the climate of the destination, to name a few. One way travelers accommodate these needs is by using expandable luggage that have heretofore been provided. Expandable luggage also offers the travel...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide an expandable item of luggage, suitcase, bag or the like having an intermediately located zipperless expandable portion or gusset with a multi-positional locking expansion mechanism. The interior storage volume of the item of luggage can be easily adjusted, and directly corresponds to the retracted, various intermediate, and completely expanded states of the zipperless gusset.

[0008] The locking expansion mechanism preferably includes a locking element, a lock release element, a first expansion plate fastened to the upper and lower support frames of the main body, and a sliding second expansion plate fastened to the support frame of the expandable body portion. The first expansion plate includes a locking lug, preferably a pair of lugs, slidably coupled to a lug receiving slot, preferably a pair of slots, located on the second expansion plate. The locking expansion plates are slidably engageable and lockable to permit expansion and retraction of the zipperless gusset by adjustments in the height of the expandable body. The locking element is capable of engaging the locking lug in order to control the sliding and locking of the second expansion plate with respect to the first expansion plate. The lock release element for unlocking the expansion plates is easily operated and conveniently located near or on the sliding plate handle situated by the top region of the expanding body to provide for easy accessibility, thereby permitting the user to adjust (e.g., manually by hand) the interior storage volume of the item of luggage without having to unpack in order to gain access to the unlocking mechanism, as is commonly the problem with expandable cases in the prior art. In a preferred embodiment, the item of luggage comprises a pair of locking expansion mechanisms located on opposing sidewalls.

[0010] The access panel is preferably attached to the expandable body portion by a zipper and hinged element. Additionally, one or more handles, straps or the like are preferably mounted on the outside of the luggage body for easy lifting and carrying, and wheels or the like are preferably mounted on the luggage for easy transport.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide an item of luggage further including a web of resilient plastic material or the like attached to the interior side of gusset between the gusset and the inner adjacent side walls of the main body and the expandable body. The web preferably extends between the respective opposing peripheral upper and extendable frame elements such that when the luggage is collapsed the gusset is drawn towards the interior region of the luggage, thereby allowing the opposing frame elements to come into contact without the user having to manually retract the gusset to the desired interior position. The web of resilient plastic material is preferably attached to the interior side of the gusset by an appropriate fastening means including, but not limited to an adhesive or the like.

[0016] In one embodiment, a gripping means is located on the second slidable expansion plate. The gripping means facilitates the movement of the at least one second slidable expansion plate between the first and second positions.

Problems solved by technology

However, these designs have some disadvantages.

The zippers can become stuck and / or damaged due to wear and tear from the environment a typical piece of luggage encounters, or simply due to use over an extended period of time.

Another disadvantage pertains to the location of the various locking mechanisms for maintaining the luggage in an expanded state.

For example, in '411, the locking mechanism is located near the lower portion of the bridge plate at the bottom of the luggage, making the locking mechanism difficult to reach and operate when the luggage is packed and the user needs to increase the volume of the luggage to accommodate the storage of additional items.

Similarly, the location of the hook and loop fastening mechanism in '078 and '874 used in adjusting the volume of the luggage disclosed therein, is located near the bottom of the luggage, making the fastening mechanism difficult to reach and operate when the luggage is packed and the user needs to increase the volume of the luggage to accommodate the storage of additional items.

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