COMBINATION GARMENT BAGS AND DUFFLES
An article of luggage includes a trolley system and a garment bag. The garment bag includes a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface, and is provided on top of the trolley system. The semi-rigid base panel is provided one of under or over the rear surface, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system. The article further includes side flaps, the side flaps configured to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that an inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag define an interior cavity of the article in a closed state.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/004,993, filed Apr. 3, 2020, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELDEmbodiments of the present invention generally relate to luggage, and more particularly to articles of luggage that combine a garment bag with a duffle.
BACKGROUNDIt is often useful to travel with a duffle in which personal items are stored, as well as a garment bag in which suits, slacks, shirts, dresses, skirts blouses and other garments or clothing are stored. As used herein, a “duffle” refers to a bag made of soft material, often a natural or synthetic fabric. The bag is generally squat or modified cylindrical, where the sides are smaller in height than the length of the bag, and the sides have handles sewn into, or attached to them, which a user uses to carry the duffle. A duffle is also known as a “gym bag.”
A garment bag, or “travel garment bag” gives a user the ability to keep nice or “dress” clothes wrinkle-free and neat. They are generally long and flat, and many allow clothes to be hung on an inner hanging rack at the top. In order not to wrinkle the clothes in a garment bag, other articles that may be smaller, denser, have protruding edges, or the like, are generally not placed in contact with garments provided in a garment bag.
Because it is often difficult to carry two bags on-board an airplane, some people attempt to fold their garments carefully, and put them in a duffle with all of their other carry-on items. However, this often does result in wrinkling. As a result, the clothes may be marginally wearable at the user's destination, but they may not wearable at all, depending on the formality of the event at which the garments were desired to be worn.
It is noted that conventional duffles used for packing garments are known. However, when clothes are placed inside the duffle portion of the bag, the bag becomes very heavy, and is not ideal for travel. Common examples of this are the green canvas duffles used by military personnel. Such duffles cannot be used as an airplane carry-on bag.
What is needed is a bag that solves the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARYThis Summary is provided to introduce in a simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one embodiment, a combination garment bag and duffle includes a garment bag with protruding flaps on either side of, or near to, its center. In one embodiment, the protruding flaps may be zippered to top and bottom portions of the garment bag to create a duffle, and additional items may be placed inside the cavity created thereby. The garment bag is mounted on a trolley system, provided under the rear surface of the garment bag. In one example, the trolley system has wheels on one end, and an expandable handle on the other. The expandable handle expands in a direction perpendicular to the garment bag's length.
In another embodiment, an article of luggage includes a trolley system, and a garment bag including a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface, the garment bag provided on top of the trolley system such that the rear surface abuts the trolley system. The article of luggage further includes a semi-rigid panel provided one of under or over the rear surface, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system, a left side flap affixed to the left side boundary, and a right side flap affixed to the right side boundary, the side flaps configured to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that an inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag define an interior cavity of the article in a closed state.
In yet another embodiment, an article of luggage includes a rectangular shaped portion configured to hold clothes on hangers within it, the rectangular shaped portion having a length and a width, and including a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces attached to each other on at least three sides of their respective peripheries, the top surface having a closable opening accessible to a user. The article further includes a trolley mechanism provided underneath the bottom surface and along its width, the trolley mechanism including wheels on one end and a handle on the other end. The article of luggage still further includes a right side flap and a left side flap, each having a periphery including a curved upper region and a straight lower region, the straight lower region of the right side flap is attached to a middle portion of the right side of the rectangular portion, and the upper curved region of the right side flap is configured to releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the right side of the rectangular portion. Further, the straight lower region of the left side flap is attached to a middle portion of the left side of the rectangular portion, and the upper curved region of the left side flap is configured to releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left side of the rectangular portion.
In yet another embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes providing a garment bag, including a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface, and configuring the top boundary and bottom boundary to releasably attach to each other. The method further includes providing the garment bag on top of a trolley system, the trolley system oriented such that a first end of the trolley system is adjacent to the left side boundary and a second, opposite end, is adjacent to the right side boundary, and providing a semi-rigid panel one of under or over the rear surface of the garment bag, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system. The method still further includes affixing a left side flap to the left side boundary, and a right side flap to the right side boundary, and configuring the side flaps to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries, such that, when each side flap is releasably attached to the corresponding portions of the garment bag boundaries, and when the top and bottom boundaries of the garment bag are releasably attached to each other, the inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag together define an interior cavity.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONIn embodiments, an article of luggage includes a combination garment bag and duffle. In one embodiment, the garment bag has protruding flaps that are attached to each of its sides. A boundary of each of these flaps that is not attached to a side of the garment bag may be zippered to top and bottom portions of the garment bag, where the side flaps are not attached, to create a duffle. Additional items may be placed inside the cavity. The garment bag has a back or rear surface, and a top surface with a zipper down its center. The garment bag may be mounted on a trolley system that is provided under the back side of the garment bag. In one embodiment, the trolley system has wheels on one end, and an expandable handle on the other. In one embodiment, the expandable handle expands in a direction perpendicular to the garment bag's length. In one embodiment, a rigid or semi-rigid layer is provided between the trolley system and a back surface of the garment bag, or, alternatively, the rigid or semi-rigid layer is integrated into, sewn on, or otherwise attached to the back surface of the garment bag, so as to protect any clothing placed in the garment bag from being wrinkled or otherwise affected by the trolley system.
In one or more embodiments, in order to prevent the hanging clothes, or other clothing, provided in the garment bag from lying directly on top of trolley rods that run along the back surface of the garment bag, a curved flap/panel is provided to cover the two trolley rods, thereby insulating the clothes from creasing, wrinkling or otherwise being affected by close proximity to the hard materials used to form the trolley rods. Without such a covering panel, an integrated garment bag used as the bottom portion of a duffle would not be functional. The clothes in the garment bag would crease just as much as if one simply folded them and packed them in a suitcase. As noted below, with reference to
In some embodiments, a thickness dimension of the trolley rods is reduced, so that the trolley rods occupy less space, thereby protruding less into the garment bag. In some embodiments, the curved flap may be provided within the garment bag itself, and be attached to the rear inner surface of the garment bag. In such embodiments, the curved flap may be made of plastic, such as, for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, HDPE, LDPE, PET, PETE, polycarbonate, ABS (combination of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene), PVC, or the like. In some embodiments, the curved flap may be covered in cloth or material, prior to being provided into the garment bag.
In some embodiments, Velcro™, or equivalent attachment mechanism, may be used to keep the flap secure within the garment bag. For example, the curved flap may be attached on one or both sides to the inner rear surface of the garment bag. However, in alternate embodiments, a lining may be sewn into the base of the garment bag, between the portions of the left and right boundaries of the garment bag where two side flaps attach to the garment bag's left and right sides, respectively (the side flaps shown in, for example,
The following description may use perspective-based descriptions such as top/bottom, in/out, over/under, and the like. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of embodiments described herein to any particular orientation.
The following description may use the phrases “in one embodiment,” or “in one or more embodiments,” or “in some embodiments”, which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.
The terms “coupled with,” along with its derivatives, and “connected to” along with its derivatives, may be used herein, including in the claims. “Coupled” or “connected” may mean one or more of the following. “Coupled” or “connected” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” or “connected” may also mean that two or more elements indirectly contact each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other, and may mean that one or more other elements are coupled or connected between the elements that are said to be coupled with or connected to each other. The term “directly coupled” or “directly connected” may mean that two or elements are in direct contact.
The term “trolley system,” as used herein, may refer to an assembly provided at a bottom portion of an example article of luggage that includes a rigid or semi-rigid panel to which wheels are attached, and to which is also attached a handle or telescoping handle system. The trolley system is used to make an attached article of luggage rollable, such that it can be pulled by a user as it rolls on a set of wheels. In some embodiments there are two square cylinders running form one end of the rigid or semi-rigid panel, and these contain two telescoping nested square cylinders to which is connected a handle.
As shown by the lower white arrow in
Continuing with reference to
Thus,
In one or more embodiments, the rigid or semi-rigid panel base panel that is provided under the trolley arms may be made of plastic, or a processed wood product, as is shown in the example of
It is here noted that in one or more embodiments, the curved portion of the rigid or semi-rigid base panel extends up one side of the bag only a minimal distance. This is one of the challenges the inventors faced, and is why, they believe, no other combination garment bag and duffle that is provided with a trolley system has successfully been created. The technical problem is how to provide the base panel for the trolley system where the wheels are, which curves upwards in a vertical direction, in a manner so that the wheels may be attached to it, but it still does not prevent the side panel of the garment bag on its same side (left side in
As described below, there may be an insert to each side panel. In some embodiments, the left side panel insert (as shown in
Inasmuch as the trolley arms are rigid, if they are allowed to contact the clothes in the garment bag's interior, the clothes may become wrinkled. Thus,
Thus,
With reference to
Continuing with reference to
In one or more embodiments, as noted above, the side panel inserts may be made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or an equivalent material, so that they have rigidity. Without the use of rigid side flaps, a user, when rolling the bag and wanting to stop or rest, would have to lay the bag down flat on the ground, because the bag cannot stand up on its side, as shown in
Thus, the embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best explain the embodiments in accordance with the present technology and its particular application and to thereby enable those skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed.
In view of the foregoing, the scope of the present disclosure is determined by the claims that follow.
Claims
1. An article of luggage, comprising:
- a trolley system;
- a garment bag including a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface, the garment bag provided on top of the trolley system such that the rear surface abuts the trolley system;
- a semi-rigid base panel provided one of under or over the rear surface, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system; and
- a left side flap affixed to the left side boundary, and a right side flap affixed to the right side boundary, the side flaps configured to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that an inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag define an interior cavity of the article in a closed state.
2. The article of luggage of claim 1, further comprising at least one semi-rigid side flap insert inserted into a slot provided in one of the side flaps.
3. The article of luggage of claim 2, wherein a semi-rigid side flap insert is inserted into a slot provided in each of the side flaps.
4. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid panel has a convex upper surface, and is provided such that the trolley system fits within a three-dimensional volume underneath the concave underside of the semi-rigid panel.
5. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein the trolley system comprises wheels on a first end, and an extendible handle at an opposite second end.
6. The article of luggage of claim 5, further comprising a resting bar affixed to an outer surface of a side flap that is provided on the side of the article of luggage that has the wheels of the trolley system.
7. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein the trolley system has a width, the width substantially equal to a width of a portion of each of the right and left side flaps that is affixed to the respective right and left side boundaries of the garment bag.
8. The article of luggage of claim 1, further comprising a resting bar affixed to an outer surface of one of the side flaps.
9. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein when the article is in the closed state, clothing that is stored in the garment bag is not wrinkled by contents of the interior cavity.
10. An article of luggage, comprising:
- a rectangular shaped portion configured to hold clothes on hangers within it, the rectangular shaped portion having a length and a width, and including a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces attached to each other on at least three sides of their respective peripheries, the top surface having a closable opening accessible to a user;
- a trolley mechanism provided underneath the bottom surface and along its width, the trolley mechanism including wheels on one end and a handle on the other end; and
- a right side flap and a left side flap, each having a periphery including a curved upper region and a straight lower region,
- wherein the straight lower region of the right side flap is attached to a middle portion of the right side of the rectangular portion, and the upper curved region of the right side flap is configured to releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the right side of the rectangular portion;
- and wherein the straight lower region of the left side flap is attached to a middle portion of the left side of the rectangular portion, and the upper curved region of the left side flap is configured to releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left side of the rectangular portion.
11. A method of providing an article of luggage, comprising:
- providing a garment bag, including:
- a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface;
- configuring the top boundary and bottom boundary to releasably attach to each other;
- providing the garment bag on top of a trolley system oriented such that a first end of the trolley system is adjacent to the left side boundary and a second, opposite end, is adjacent to the right side boundary;
- providing a semi-rigid base panel one of under or over the rear surface of the garment bag, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system; and
- affixing a left side flap to the left side boundary, and a right side flap to the right side boundary, and configuring the side flaps to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that when each side flap is releasably attached to the correpsonding portions of the garment bag boundaries, and when the top boundary and bottom boundary of the garment bag are releasably attached to each other, the inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag together define an interior cavity.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the top boundary and the bottom boundary of the garment bag are releasably attached to each other, the article is in a closed state.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
- providing a slot in at least one of the side flaps;
- providing at least one semi-rigid side flap insert to be inserted into the slot; and
- inserting the at least one semi-rigid side flap insert into the at least one slot.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein a semi-rigid side flap insert is inserted into a slot provided in each of the side flaps.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the semi-rigid panel has a convex upper surface, and further comprising provided the semi-rigid panel such that the trolley system fits within a three-dimensional volume underneath the concave underside of the semi-rigid panel.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the trolley system comprises wheels on a first end, and an extendible handle at an opposite second end.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising affixing a resting bar to an outer surface of a side flap that is provided on the side of the article of luggage that has the wheels of the trolley system.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the trolley system has a width, the width substantially equal to a width of a portion of each of the right and left flaps that is affixed to the respective right and left side boundaries of the garment bag.
19. The method of claim 13, further comprising affixing a resting bar to an outer surface of a side flap that has a semi-rigid flap insert inserted into it.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein when the article is in the closed state, clothing that is stored in the garment bag is not wrinkled by contents of the interior cavity.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 31, 2021
Publication Date: Oct 7, 2021
Inventors: Stephen HERSH (Woodmere, NY), Earl JACOBS (Woodmere, NY), Rachel GRANT (Woodmere, NY)
Application Number: 17/218,812