Modular Luggage Frame With Interlocking Ribs For Size Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing luggage structures lack the ability to dynamically adjust size and adapt to varying spaces, limiting their versatility and flexibility in fitting into different compartments or spaces.
Innovation Solution
A modular luggage frame composed of interlocking portions with ribs that align and lock together, allowing for adjustable sizing by selecting different pairs of ribs, combined with a durable composite material and injection molding process, and further secured with screws or bolts, along with a handle and wheel assembly for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size luggage frame is used, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the adaptability to different spaces and sizes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The luggage frame is divided into multiple modular portions (first portion, second portion, third portion) that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together. Each portion includes standardized rib structures that can interlock with other portions, enabling the frame to be configured in different sizes while maintaining structural integrity through consistent connection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure incorporates movable and adjustable components, including ribs that can be positioned at different locations and secured at various heights. This dynamic configuration allows the same frame components to adapt to different size requirements and space constraints, transforming a static structure into a flexible, reconfigurable system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed-size frames are manufactured to provide size variety, then the adaptability increases, but the manufacturing complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The modular frame portions are designed with universal connection features (standardized ribs, alignment structures, and attachment points) that allow the same components to serve multiple functions across different luggage size configurations. A single set of frame portions can be assembled to create multiple size variations, eliminating the need to manufacture and maintain separate inventories of different fixed-size frames.
3Strength
If the frame is made from a single piece of material, then the structural strength is maximized, but the flexibility to adjust size is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into multiple portions connected through standardized rib structures and attachment mechanisms. Each portion maintains sufficient structural strength through its rigid construction, while the connection system (including screws, bolts, or snap-fit mechanisms) ensures that the assembled frame achieves comparable overall strength to a single-piece construction, thereby balancing strength requirements with size adjustability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture for a modular luggage frame are disclosed and described. An example luggage includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes: a first side including a first rib and a second rib; and a second side including a third rib and a fourth rib, the first rib and the third rib forming a first pair of ribs and the second rib and the fourth rib forming a second pair of ribs. The second portion includes: a third side including a fifth rib; a fourth side including a sixth rib, the fifth rib and the sixth rib forming a third pair of ribs. The third pair of ribs aligns with a selected one of the first pair of ribs or the second pair of ribs to removably affix the first portion to the second portion to form the modular luggage frame.