Luggage container accessory for detachably mounting on the exterior of a vehicle

A luggage container accessory is disclosed which includes a unitary enclosure assembly fabricated from a light weight and water repellent flexible material such as urethane treated nylon. The enclosure assembly includes top, bottom and front panels as well as a left side panel, a right side panel and a rear panel which each depend upwardly from the bottom panel. A zipper is provided near the top of the left, right and rear panels for selectively coupling and decoupling the side and rear panels to the top. A skirt depends downwardly from the top panel to conceal and provide weather protection to the zipper region. The skirt is secured in place to the side and rear panels (by snaps or the like) to maintain the weather resistant integrity of the enclosure assembly. The enclosure assembly is attached to the vehicle by a first pair of straps extending transversely across the top panel and a second pair of straps extending fore and aft across the top panel. A pair of buckles are disposed intermediate the length of each strap such that the end of each strap may be passed through a loop fixture positioned within the vehicle and then passed back to one of the buckles to complete the installation process. Preferably, protecting strips of soft rubber are provided across the outer surface of the bottom panel to raise the it off the vehicle finish to prevent marring the finish.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the vehicular accessory arts and, more 
particularly, to a luggage container which is adapted to be removably 
affixed to the exterior of a vehicle. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Vehicles, particularly automobiles and vans, are often used to undertake 
trips in which it is desired to carry more luggage than can be readily 
accommodated within the space provided within the vehicle interior such as 
the passenger compartment and the trunk. As a result, there have been 
provided in the past a number of "outboard" containers adapted to be 
removably affixed to the roof or trunk surface of the vehicle to transport 
the excess baggage. Such containers are readily available from rental 
organizations and, in addition, considerable thought and effort directed 
to the basic problem have resulted in the accessories disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. Nos.: 2,920,802; 2,937,774; 3,000,418; 3,000,419; 3,565,305; 
4,050,614; and 4,283,083. Each of these references disclose accessory 
luggage containers which achieve the objects of the respective inventions. 
However, each is subject to one or more of the following drawbacks: heavy 
and unwieldy, difficult to emplace and remove luggage, not sufficiently 
weather resistant, not sufficiently reliably closable, employs difficult 
or unreliable securement means for affixing the accessory to a vehicle, a 
tendency to mar the vehicle finish, undue wind resistance in use, 
difficult to store when not in use, requires a luggage rack and has a 
rigidly defined exterior shape. 
My invention is directed to resolving all the foregoing problems. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore a broad object of my invention to provide an improved 
accessory luggage carrier adapted to be detachably affixed to the roof or 
trunk of a vehicle. 
It is another object of my invention to provide such a luggage accessory 
which is light weight and very easy to install, remove and store. 
It is yet another object of my invention to provide such a luggage 
accessory which is reliably weather resistant and which is easy to load 
and unload. 
It is still yet another object of my invention to provide such a luggage 
accessory which is fabricated from a flexible material to accommodate 
various luggage assortments and to permit the minimization of wind drag in 
use while being storable in a small volumetric space. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
These and other objects of my invention are achieved by providing a luggage 
container accessory which includes a unitary enclosure assembly fabricated 
from a light weight and water repellent flexible material such as urethane 
treated nylon. The enclosure assembly includes top, bottom and front 
panels as well as a left side panel, a right side panel and a rear panel 
which each depend upwardly from the bottom panel. A zipper is provided 
near the top of the left, right and rear panels for selectively coupling 
and decoupling the side and rear panels to the top. A skirt depends 
downwardly from the top panel to conceal and provide weather protection to 
the zipper region. The skirt is secured in place to the side and rear 
panels (by snaps, hook and loop assemblies, or the like) to maintain the 
weather resistant integrity of the enclosure assembly. The enclosure 
assembly is attached to the vehicle by a system which includes a first 
pair of straps extending transversely across the top panel and a second 
pair of straps extending fore and aft across the top panel. A pair of 
buckles are disposed intermediate the length of each strap such that the 
end of each strap may be passed through a loop fixture positioned within 
the vehicle and then passed back to one of the buckles for buckling 
therewith to complete the installation process. Preferably, protecting 
strips of soft rubber are provided across the outer surface of the bottom 
panel to raise the bottom panel off the vehicle finish to insure its 
protection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to both FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the luggage 
container accessory of the present invention incorporates a unitary 
enclosure assembly 1 which includes a top panel 2 and a bottom panel 3 as 
well as a front panel 4 which connects (and is integral with) the top and 
bottom panels. A left side panel 5, a rear panel 6 and a right side panel 
(out of view in the FIGS., but the mirror image of the left side panel 5) 
depend upwardly from the bottom panel 3 and cooperate to define the 
periphery of the enclosure assembly 1. 
Depending downwardly from the top panel 2 are a left skirt section 7, a 
rear skirt section 8 and a right skirt section (out of view in the FIGS., 
but a mirror image of the left skirt section 7). The left, right and rear 
panels are integral with the bottom section 3 and with one another. 
Similarly, the left, rear and right skirt sections are integral with the 
top panel 2 and with one another. All components of the unitary enclosure 
assembly so far described are preferably fabricated from a light weight, 
weather resistant flexible material, and a presently preferred material 
for these components is urethane treated nylon which has both excellent 
wear characteristics and has proven to be especially suitable in 
protecting enclosed luggage from the elements. 
Referring particularly to FIG. 4, strips 10 may optionally be provided 
across the bottom panel 3 to afford a greater degree of protection to the 
finish of the vehicle with which the luggage accessory is employed. A 
relatively soft rubber has been found to be a good choice for the material 
from which the finished protecting strips 10 may be fabricated, and they 
may be affixed to the bottom panel 3 by adhesives or may be sewn on as may 
be preferred. 
A very reliable enclosure securement system is provided to removably affix 
the unitary enclosure assembly to a vehicle, and (referring particularly 
to FIG. 1) the securement system generally includes a first pair of straps 
12, 13 extending transversely across the top panel 2 and a second pair of 
straps 14, 15 extending fore and aft across the top panel 2. A pair of 
buckles are disposed at separated positions intermediate the length of 
each strap. Thus, the strap 12 carries the buckles 18, 19; the strap 13 
carries the buckles 20, 21; the strap 14 carries the buckles 22, 23; and 
the strap 15 carries the buckles 24, 25. 
When the luggage container is utilized with a vehicle having a luggage rack 
installed, it may be affixed to the vehicle by simply passing the strap 
ends around appropriate support elements integral with the luggage rack 
(not shown) with each strap end brought back and inserted through its 
respective buckle in the conventional fashion. Similarly, a conventional 
rain gutter attachment element incorporating a loop may be used in 
conjunction with the straps and buckles to affix the luggage container 
accessory to the roof of a vehicle by passing the respective strap ends 
through the adapter loops (not shown) in the well-known fashion and 
securing them to their respective buckles. 
However, particular attention is directedto the especially secure and 
convenient system for removably affixing the unitary enclosure assembly to 
a vehicle (preferably to the trunk lid) in such a manner that the vehicle 
finish is not marred by either the securement apparatus or the enclosure 
itself. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a plurality of loop fixtures, 
represented by the loop fixture 30, are installed within the vehicle in 
positions appropriate to receive one end of one of the straps 12, 13, 14, 
15. Thus, loop fixture 30 is aligned to receive one end of strap 14. 
Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, loop fixture 30 includes an eye 
31 through which the end of the strap 14 may be inserted and brought back 
along its length for insertion and buckling into and buckling with the 
buckle 23. Preferably, loop fixture 30 is permanently emplaced (as by 
screws 32) within the vehicle, and the most convenient area for an 
automobile is within the trunk. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 2, each strap 
end may be brought into the vehicle interior, passed through its 
individually provided loop fixture, and back up past the resilient seal 33 
for the deck lid 34 to engage its buckle (see FIG. 6). By individually 
appropriately tightening the straps 12, 13, 14, 15 after the strap ends 
have been passed through their respective loop fixtures and into their 
respective buckles, the profile of the exterior of the unitary enclosure 
assembly 1 may be made to more or less conform with the contained load to 
minimize its bulk and hence its wind resistance. 
A particular problem well known with respect to the prior art accessory 
luggage containers is the difficulty of reliably weather sealing the 
contents against the elements. FIG. 5 illustrates the reliable 
weather-protected enclosure features of the present invention. As 
previously mentioned, left, right and rear panels depend upwardly from the 
bottom panel 3. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear panel 6 is integral 
with and depends upwardly from the bottom panel 3. The rear skirt section 
8, as also previously noted, extends outwardly from and depends downwardly 
from the top panel 2. A zipper 40 extends continuously around the left, 
rear and right sides of the enclosure assembly 1. More particularly, the 
zipper 40 includes a first side 41 extending continuously along the upper 
edges of the left, right and rear panels and a second side 42 extending 
continuously along the left, right and rear edges of the top panel 2. A 
closure member 43 is conventionally provided for selectively coupling and 
decoupling the first and second zipper sides by pulling it along the 
zipper length. 
Effective weather resistance is obtained by the action of the skirt 
sections (such as the skirt section 8 shown in FIG. 5) which not only 
normally drape over the zipper region, but are also detachably positively 
fixed in place by a securement assembly such as a plurality of mating snap 
fastener sub-assemblies 45, 44 distributed along the length of the left, 
right and rear panels and the left, right and rear skirts. Alternatively, 
any adaptable skirt securement feature can be incorporated, one example 
being the well-known hook and loop elements which mate under pressure and 
may be simply pulled apart. 
In order to accommodate items which are not contained in conventional 
luggage, optional inserts (not shown) may be provided to hold the sides of 
the accessory rigid. 
When the subject luggage accessory is not in use, it may be removed from 
the vehicle and rolled into a compact bundle for storage. 
Thus, while the principles of the invention have now been made clear in an 
illustrative embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to those 
skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangements, 
proportions, the elements, materials, and components, used in the practice 
of the invention which are particularly adapted for specific environments 
and operating requirements without departing from those principles.