LUGGAGE IDENTIFICATION DEVICE

Abstract

A device is provided for identifying luggage of the type having a handle. The device is made of highly visible fabric. It includes a band of material and is adapted to be received around the luggage handle to allow for easy identification of the luggage to which it is attached. A first portion of the band and a second portion of the band are situated in substantially face to face relation. Hook and loop ribbon strips are provided for fastening the band portions together such that the device encircles the handle. A second look and loop strip, with oppositely orient sections, is mounted on one of the band portions and designed to encircle the other band portion to lock the band portions together and prevent disengagement of the band portions.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for identifying luggage and more particularly to a luggage identifying device which is aesthetically pleasing in appearance, easy to recognize, requires minimal effort to attach to a luggage handle and includes a simple structure which prevents accidental dislodgement of the device from the luggage handle.

2. Description of Prior Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

Anyone who travels with luggage using public transportation, particularly by bus, train or airplane, is well aware of the difficulty in quickly and accurately identifying their luggage among many pieces of luggage of fellow travelers that are similar in shape, size and color. In order to facilitate the identification process, strips of colored tape have been applied to the exterior surface of the luggage or to the luggage handle, or color ribbons have been tied to luggage handles, such that pieces of luggage can be more readily distinguished from others in a group.

However, strips of tape are unsightly and can be accidentally removed during the handling of the luggage. Moreover, the adhesive used on the tape can make the surface of the luggage or the luggage handle sticky. Ribbons also are easily lost and may not hold up during use. Further, neither strips of tape nor ribbons tend to be pleasing in appearance, particularly after they have been used for an extended period of time.

Accordingly, there is a need for a device which is aesthetically pleasing in appearance, easy to recognize among similar looking pieces of luggage, requires minimal effort to attach to a luggage handle and includes a simple structure which prevents accidental dislodgement of the device from the luggage handle.

It is therefore a prime object to provide a luggage identification device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a luggage identification device which is aesthetically pleasing in appearance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a luggage identification device which is easy to recognize among other similarly looking pieces of luggage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a luggage identification device which requires minimal effort to attach to a luggage handle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a luggage identification device which includes a simple structure which prevents accidental dislodgement of the device from the luggage handle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention related to a device for identifying luggage of the type having a handle. The device includes a band of fabric material which is adapted to be received around the luggage handle. The band includes first and second elongated portions of the band which extend away from the handle, with the first portion of the band and the second portion of the band situated in substantially face to face relation. Means are provided for fastening the first and second portions of the band together such that the device encircles the luggage handle. Locking means are provided for preventing the disengagement of the fastening means to permit separation of the band portions.

The fastening means preferably includes first and second mating hook and loop ribbon strips affixed to the first and second band portions, respectively.

The band has a longitudinal axis. The first and second mating ribbon strips extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the band.

The locking means includes means extending from one of the band portions and adapted to encircle the other of the band portions. Preferably, the locking means includes hook and loop ribbon locking means. The hook and loop ribbon locking means extends from one of the band portions and includes oppositely oriented mating hook and loop ribbon sections which mate to encircle the other of the band portions.

In one preferred embodiment, the hook and loop ribbon locking means extends from the front band portion and encircles the rear band portion. In a second preferred embodiment, the hook and loop ribbon locking means extends from the rear band portion and encircles the front band portion.

The ribbon strips of the fastening means are spaced from each other along the band. The device also includes ornamental means affixed to the band. The ornamental means is affixed to the band at a point between the ribbon strips of the fastening means.

The ornamental means has a highly visible appearance. Preferably, the material of which the band is made also has a highly visible appearance.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a device is provided for identifying luggage of the type having a handle. The device includes a band of fabric material having a surface and being adapted to be received around the luggage handle such that a first portion of the band surface and a second portion of the band surface are situated in substantially face to face relation. First fastening means are provided for engaging the band surface portions such that the device encircles the handle. Second fastening means are provided for preventing the first fastening means from disengaging.

The band has an axis. The first fastening means extends along the axis. The second fastening means extends in a direction substantially transverse to the axis.

Ornamental means are mounted to the band. The first fastening means is divided into spaced parts. The ornamental means is mounted to the band between the parts of the first fastening means.

The ornamental means is made of fabric material. The ornamental means fabric material is the same as the band fabric material.

The band fabric material is highly visible. Preferably, the ornamental means fabric material is also highly visible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

To these and to such other objects that may hereinafter appears, the present invention relates to a luggage identification device as described in detail in the following specification and recited in the annexed claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the band portion fastening means and locking means disengaged;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the band portion fastening means and the locking means disengaged;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the band portion fastening means and the locking means engaged;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention as it would appear with the band portion fastening means and the locking means engaged;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the band portion fastening means and locking means disengaged;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the band portion fastening means and locking means disengaged;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the band portion fastening means and locking means engaged;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention as it would appear with the band portion fastening means and locking means engaged; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention as it would appear mounted on a luggage handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is a device, generally designated A, for identifying luggage of the type having a handle. Device A is formed of a band 10 of fabric material and adapted to be received around a luggage handle, as shown in FIG. 10. The fabric material preferably has a highly visible appearance, such as a pattern of dots, circles or other geometric forms of contrasting colors.

Band 10 has two elongated portions which extend from the middle portion of the band. The first portion 10a and a second portion 10b of band 10 are adapted to be folded such that portions 10a and 10b are situated in substantially face to face relation, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Means 14 are provided for fastening band portions 10a and 10b together such that the device encircles the handle. Means 16 are provided for locking fastening means 14 to prevent disengagement of the band portions.

Fastening means 14 includes first and second strips 14a, 14b of hook and loop ribbon material fixed the surfaces of first and second band portions 10a and 10b, respectively. Strips 14a, 14b mate to engage band portions 10a, 10b, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, and form a closed loop 18, such that the band can encircle the luggage handle.

Band 10 has an axis which extends along the length of the band. The first and second ribbon strips 14a, 14b extend in a direction substantially parallel to that axis. The ribbon strips 14a, 14b are spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis of the band, as seen in FIG. 2.

Extending from the front surface of band 10 are four elongated ornamental band strips 12. Band strips 12 are sewn to band 10 along stitch line 11. Band strips 12 provide additional surface area such that the surface pattern on the fabric of which the entire device is made can be more easily seen at a distance.

The locking means 16 extends from one of the band portions and is adapted to encircle the other of the band portions. The locking means includes a hook and loop ribbon strip 16 formed of two sections 16a and 16b. The hook and loop ribbon strip 16 extends from one of the band portions 10a or 10b and encircles the other band portion. Sections 16a and 16b are oppositely oriented hook and loop ribbon sections which mate to encircle the band portion to which the locking means is not attached.

In the first preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the locking means strip 16 is attached to band portion 10a and is positioned to encircle band portion 10b, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 2, the two oppositely oriented hook and loop sections 16a, 16b can be seen. Section 16a has the hooks facing forward whereas the loops on section 16b are facing the rear. That structure allows the hook and loop sections 16a and 16b to be connected to encircle bans portion 10b.

The second preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 6-9 is the same in all respects as the first preferred embodiment, except for the position of the locking means 16. Accordingly, the same numerals are used in the FIGS. for the second preferred embodiment as were used for the first preferred embodiment for corresponding parts, with a prime added.

Referring to FIG. 6, the second preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated A′, has locking means 16′, with its oppositely oriented hook and loop ribbon sections 16a′ and 16b′, mounted on the rear surface of band portion 10b′ instead of the rear surface of band portion 10a as in the first preferred embodiment. With locking means 16′ mounted on band portion 10b′ the locking means 16′ will encircle band portion 10a′ when it is locked, see FIGS. 7 and 8.

The advantage of the second preferred embodiment is that the locking means is not visible from the rear of the device. This can be readily appreciated by a comparison of FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 which show that locking means 16 of the first embodiment is visible from the rear of the device whereas locking means 16′ of the second preferred embodiment is not visible from the rear of the device.

It will now be appreciated that the present invention relates to a device for identifying luggage of the type having a handle. The device is made of highly visible fabric. It includes a band of material and is adapted to be received around the luggage handle to allow for easy identification of the luggage to which it is attached. A first portion of the band and a second portion of the band are situated in substantially face to face relation. Means are provided for fastening the band portions together such that the device encircles the handle. Means are also provided for locking the band portion fastening means to prevent disengagement of the band portions. In one embodiment, the locking means is not visible from the rear of the device.

While only a limited number of preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A device for identifying luggage of the type having a handle, the device comprising a band of material having a first surface, a first portion and a second portion, and first and second mating hook and loop strips, one of said hook and loop strips being affixed to said first surface of said first band portion, said other of said hook and adapted to be received around the luggage handle such that said first surface of said first portion of said band and said first surface of said second portion of said band are situated in substantially face to face relation enabling said first and said second hook and loop strips to mate with each other such that the device encircles the handle and means for locking said band portions, said locking means comprising a strip comprising first and second portions extending from one of said band portions and adapted to encircle said other of said band portions.

2. (canceled)

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said band has a longitudinal axis and wherein said first and said second hook and loop strips extend in a direction substantially parallel to said axis.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said first and second hook and loop strips are spaced from each other along said band.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said locking means strip comprises oppositely extending portions with oppositely oriented mating hook and loop means.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said locking means strip comprises hook and loop means.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said hook and loop means strip comprises oppositely oriented mating hook and loop sections.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said sections mate to encircle said other band portion.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein said first and second band portions comprise a front band portion and a rear band portion and wherein said hook and loop sections extend from said front band portion and encircle said rear band portion.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said locking, means strip comprises oppositely oriented mating hook and loop sections.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said sections mate to encircle said rear band portion.

12. The device of claim 6 wherein said first and second band portions comprises a front band portion and a rear band portion and wherein said locking means strip extends from said rear band portion and encircles said front band portion.

13. The device of claim 1 further comprising ornamental means affixed to said band.

14. The device of claim 4 further comprising ornamental means affixed to said band at a point between said hook and loop strips.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said band is formed of fabric material.

16. The device of claim 1 further comprising ornamental means affixed to said band and having a highly visible appearance.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein said fabric material has a highly visible appearance.

18. A device or identifying, luggage of the type having a handle, the device comprising a band of fabric material having first and second portions, said band being adapted to be received around the luggage handle such said first band portion and a second band portion are situated in substantially face to face relation, first fastening means for engaging said band portions such that the device encircles the handle and second fastening means extending from one of said band portions in a direction transverse to said other band portion to encircle said other band portion.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said band has an axis, wherein said first fastening means extends along said axis and wherein said second fastening means extends in a direction substantially transverse to said axis.

20. The device of claim 18 further comprising ornamental means mounted to said band.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said band comprises a third band portion between said first and second band portions and wherein said ornamental means is mounted to said third band portion.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein said ornamental means comprises fabric material.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein said ornamental means fabric material is the same as said band fabric material.

24. The device of claim 1 wherein said band material is highly visible.

25. The device of claim 20 wherein said ornamental means material is highly visible.