Abstract: Luggage cases of the softside construction which are capable of being collapsed when not in use are known. However, these past constructions are cumbersome, heavy, or comprise a number of parts which must be assembled by the retailer in order to display the case in its erected condition or must be erected by the consumer before the case can be used for travel, packing, etc. The disclosed luggage case comprises a 6-sided case of the duffel type which includes a bottom board, a front batten stiffening the front panel, and a back batten stiffening the back panel, and including at least perimeter stiffening means, preferably a stiffening wire or coil wire around each end panel. The bottom board is releasable to permit it to be placed in parallel with the stiffened front panel. The packing door carries the stiffening batten for the back panel, and this permits the batten to be moved parallel to the bottom board and front batten.

Abstract: A trolley for suspending and retaining the hooked ends of clothes hangers in a piece of luggage such as a garment bag includes gripping structures which contact the hooked ends of the hangers. The gripping structures incorporate an arrangement for creating a greater resistance against withdrawing the hanger ends from between the opposed gripping structures than for moving the hanger ends into the trolley. The effect is preferably established by a rib configuration integral with the gripping structures that creates a pawl-like resistance. The pawl-like resistance retains the hanger ends in the trolley and inhibits them from unintentional withdrawal from the trolley.

Abstract: Luggage case have included devices for holding garments on hangers. These devices usually consisted of a clamp-like device for holding the hook portion of special hangers together with a ladder-like rack which was laid over the garments in the case. Then the garments were folded over this ladder-like device. Such systems tended to the cumbersome and did not easily permit the use of ordinary closet hangers. The disclosed system includes a buckle and strap arrangement that holds the hook portions of a number of closet type hangers, regardless of style or construction, snugly and compactly near a wall of the luggage case. A simple packing bar comprises a laterally extending rod held by flexible rod supports. The rod supports are detachably pivotably mounted to opposite side walls of the case and have a length which permits adjustable positioning of the rod relative to the bottom wall of the case depending on the number and thickness of the clothing being packed.

Abstract: A garment bag hook containing parallel support legs adapted to grip opposite sides of a door to support the bag from the door. The legs are connected together by support surfaces which allow the bag to be suspended from a horizontal rod. A ring or loop swivelly attached to the hook adjacent one of the support legs facilitates the rotation of the garment bag from front to back as it is supported on a door.

Abstract: A double zipper lock for a luggage case comprises a base with a housing containing a combination lock, and a U-shaped loop adapted to embrace the housing. Arms of the loop are pivotally mounted on opposite ends of the housing and a bight portion of the loop cooperates with portions of the base to form chambers that, when closed, trap zipper sliders. When the combination lock is set on-combination, the user may lift the loop, to free the sliders, by engaging the bight portion with the fingers of a hand and using the thumb to press a manual actuator inwardly of the housing. The actuator is part of a bolt that is supported for pivotal and translational movement. The translational movement, which is permitted only when the lock is on-combination, causes pivotal movement of a latch member from a latching position to an unlatching position. In the latching position, the latch member prevents lifting of the loop.

Abstract: The straps connecting the lid of a brief case and the outer panel of an expansible portfolio are adjustably connected to the outer panel through a track and buckle arrangement. The buckle is ordinarily locked in place on the track by a locking element spring urged into engagement with a complementary locking element on the track. A button connected to the buckle locking element allows the user to overcome the force of the spring and slide the buckle along the track to adjust the associated strap. The locking element and the spring are integrally formed components from a unitary molded plastic part which is carried by the buckle casing.

Abstract: Various systems have been proposed for providing personal identification information in conjunction with luggage pieces. Recently there has been concern that such personal identifying information should not be broadly or notoriously displayed. Thus, I.D. tags having a flap covering this personal identification information have been offered to the public. Information on such tags still can be relatively easily viewed, and the tags can become lost or pulled off of the luggage through ordinary baggage handling. The disclosed system includes an identification panel which is flush with a panel of the luggage and is normally protected by the luggage construction itself, specifically a web tangent to and affixed permanently to the outer covering of that luggage panel. The identification panel includes an elastic member which holds the identification panel against all but determined intentional effort to withdraw the panel from underneath the web.

Abstract: A trolley for suspending and retaining the hooked ends of clothes hangers in a piece of luggage such as a garment bag includes gripping structures which contact the hooked ends of the hangers. The gripping structures incorporate an arrangement for creating a greater resistance against withdrawing the hanger ends from between the opposed gripping structures than for moving the hanger ends into the trolley. The effect is preferably established by a rib configuration integral with the gripping structures that creates a pawl-like resistance. The pawl-like resistance retains the hanger ends in the trolley and inhibits them from unintentional withdrawal from the trolley.

Abstract: Flexible extruded piping for use between adjacent panels of luggage or the like. Shoulders extending outwardly from the sides of the tubular portion are of a different color than that of the exposed tubular portion to provide a color trim. The shoulders stabilize the piping to prevent twisting of the piping around corners, thereby maintaining the neat appearance of the trim. The different colored parts of the piping are formed by coextruding different colored plastic material.

Abstract: A connection device for releasably interconnecting two members (16, 18) preferably a receptacle and its lid, comprising an upper component (1, 101) which is provided with a hook (21, 102) and a lower component (2, 103) and a one- or two-armed lever (3, 104) which is articulated on said lower component and which is provided with a counterhook (15, 105). In order to avoid that the connection device springs open or disengages unintentionally, a snapper (5, 109) is pivotably attached to the end of the lever (3, 104) facing away from the counterhook (15, 105), said snapper being provided with a locking projection (13, 113) which is associated with a complementary, projecting locking member (14, 114) of the lower component (2, 103) and which is equipped with a spring (12, 115) holding the snapper (5, 109) in its locking position.

Abstract: Luggage of the type adapted to maintain articles of clothing, business materials and the like is disclosed having roller means along a lower edge thereof and a modular handle unit adapted to be extended away from the luggage to provide a pull handle therefor and further including an elongated strap adapted to be extended around an auxiliary piece of luggage to piggyback the auxiliary piece of luggage on the main piece of luggage.

Abstract: A garment bag adapted to fold into a suitcase-like configuration for traveling includes corner compartments located within the interior bag in the space above the shoulders of garments supported on hangers within the bag. Cross straps extend over the shoulders of garments supported on hangers in the bag, and criss-cross over the upper portion of the garment. The cross straps support the upper portion of the garments on the hangers and restrain them against sliding downward when the bag is in the folded configuration. A stay bar is removably connected across the middle portion of the bag to support the garments when the bag is folded into the suitcase-like configuration. The ends of the straps are connected to the stay bar. A lower portion of an interior panel of the garment bag includes means for supporting the lower portions of long garments in a U-shaped configuration above a bottom gussett of the bag instead of occupying the bottom of the bag in a wrinkled bunch.

Abstract: A flexible garment bag of the type which can be hung or held vertically or which can be folded transversely midway between the ends and carried by a handle like a suitcase. The front of the bag has an access panel attached at the bottom by a fold to allow it to be moved to open position. Detachable connections allow the access panel to be closed. When closed, a handle on the outside of the access panel allows the bag to be carried like a suitcase. Unlike other designs which put the handle on the back panel, this arrangement permits suits to be loaded in the usual way, but when the bag is folded the suits are folded with the lapels up instead of down, thus limiting wrinkling. A rigid folding bar in the back panel of the bag facilitates folding of the bag and the hanging garments in the bag.

Abstract: A hanger support trolley assembly which allows conventional clothes hangers to be loaded onto a support even though corner pockets in the garment bag are closely spaced on either side of the assembly. In one embodiment the hangers are supported on a sleeve slidably mounted on a support rod. When the sleeve is extended, hangers can be placed on the sleeve, and when closed a flange on the outer end of the sleeve retains the hangers in place. In another embodiment, the hangers are supported directly on a support rod, and the space surrounding the free end of the rod is guarded by one or more biased jaws of a spring clip. In both embodiments a concave overhead surface closely spaced from the arcuate rod prevents the hangers from being permanently transversely dislodged from the support.