Abstract:
A carry strap for simultaneously supporting three luggage items includes a strap member attachable to a first wheeled luggage item, a second flexible strap which supports a second luggage item and a third flexible strap which connects from the second strap to a third luggage item.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     In a principal aspect, the present invention comprises a carry strap for baggage or luggage which is capable of simultaneous cooperation and thus use with three items of luggage so that those three items may be carried and transported easily together as a unit.  
         [0002]     Movement of luggage when traveling, especially airline travel, is often challenging because of multiple pieces of cumbersome luggage which must be transported. That is, very often, multiple pieces of luggage must be simultaneously transported by a single person. Carrying two or more pieces of luggage is, for many, a difficult undertaking.  
         [0003]     Currently, there are available luggage items such as carry-ons and larger luggage items which include wheels and a telescoping handle to facilitate luggage movement. Further, it is generally common to have a short strap which will attach to the handle or a post of a first luggage item to a second luggage item so that the luggage items may be bundled together.  
         [0004]     Nonetheless, there remains the difficult problem of how to handle or move more than two luggage items. For example, pulling two luggage items which are bundled together in the manner described above plus carrying a further suitcase, valise, or the like, remains a difficult problem. Thus, an improved method or means to move multiple pieces of luggage by a single individual in a compact, easily accessible, easily usable manner is desired. These objectives, among others, have inspired the development of the luggage carry strap of the invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Briefly, the present invention comprises a carry strap which can be used to carry at least three items of luggage in a unitary or bundled manner with those items of luggage, in effect, stacked or juxtaposed one against the other and wherein one of the luggage items, which includes a telescoping handle and wheels, may be relied upon to support and transport the other luggage items. The carry strap includes a clamshell type attachment, clasp or clip for attachment to the luggage item which includes the telescoping handle and wheels. The clasp is attached by means of a first, adjustable strap to a second luggage item stacked against the wheeled luggage item. A ring member is provided for the first flexible strap. A second flexible strap is attached by means of an adjustable buckle to the ring member. The second adjustable strap may then be engaged with the handle of a further or third luggage item stacked against the other two luggage items in the array. Additional strap members may be incorporated in a similar fashion so that more than three luggage items may be stacked one upon the other and wherein all of the luggage items are arrayed in a manner which promotes their stability, yet enables a single, wheeled, telescoping handle luggage item to serve as the platform and carrying vehicle for the assembled items of luggage.  
         [0006]     Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved carry strap for the simultaneous carriage of multiple items of luggage.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the invention to provide a luggage carry strap which includes a series of flexible straps associated with adjustable buckles to enable adjustment of the length of the various connected straps and thereby accommodate luggage items of various sizes.  
         [0008]     Another object of the invention is to provide a carry strap device which includes a clamp or clasp that can be used to releasably attach the carry strap construction to a wheeled luggage item.  
         [0009]     Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight, yet structurally strong and highly flexible carry strap for use in association with three luggage items simultaneously so as to enable the simultaneous carriage of those three items in a packed array by a single person in an efficient manner wherein the balanced or stacked luggage items are maintained in a stable condition for movement or transport.  
         [0010]     Another object of the invention is to provide a carry strap which is inexpensive, rugged, easy to use and which can accommodate luggage items of numerous sizes and configurations.  
         [0011]     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0012]     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the carry strap of the invention as it is utilized to support three separate and uniquely shaped and constructed items of luggage;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the carry strap construction utilized in the embodiment and in the manner depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is an alternate construction of the carry strap of the invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of a version of the strap of the invention; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view of an alternative version of the strap of the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , typical luggage items which benefit from the use of the present invention are illustrated in combination with the luggage strap of the invention. A wardrobe sized luggage item  10  having a telescoping handle  12  and wheels, such as wheels  14 , is provided with a carry handle  16  at its upper end. A second luggage item  18 , which does not necessarily include a telescoping handle or wheels but does include a carry handle  20 , may be positioned and maintained in position or stacked against the first luggage item  10  by utilization of the present invention. A third luggage item  22  of another size, for example, the size of a valise, may or may not include a telescoping handle. The third item  22  does include a carry handle  24  or an equivalent structure to a carry handle  24 . The third item of luggage  22  is stacked and held in position against the second item  20 . Although there are luggage items of various sizes in  FIG. 1 , the invention accommodates luggage items which may be similarly sized as well as luggage items having different shapes, configurations, thicknesses and the like. Preferably, however, at least one of the luggage items includes a telescoping handle such as the first luggage item  10 , and further includes wheels, such as wheels  14 , to enable the more efficient use of the separate carry strap of the invention.  
         [0019]     A function of the carry strap of the invention is to couple the various luggage items  10 ,  18  and  22  in a manner which enables them to be appropriately balanced and arrayed so that they can be easily moved and carried merely by extending the telescoping handle  12  and moving the assembly on the rollers or wheels  14 . Thus, the carry strap is comprised of flexible strap members and adjustable buckle elements or buckles which coact with the handles  16 ,  20  and  24  (or equivalent) so as to facilitate the functional objectives.  
         [0020]     The carry strap of the invention includes a clamp member or handle clasp  30  which, in a preferred embodiment, is comprised of a first shell-shaped or rigid arcuate member  32  such as manufactured from a molded plastic material joined by a pivot pin or hinge  34  to a second clasp member  36  which in a preferred embodiment is generally arcuate. However, the clasp members  32 ,  36  may be made from metal, metal wire, and may or may not include a pivot connection. Thus, numerous types of clasp members or handle clasps may be utilized in the practice of the invention.  
         [0021]     A first flexible strap  38  is joined to the clasp  30  at a first end  40 . The flexible strap  38  is preferably an inch or two in width. In the preferred embodiment the first flexible strap  38  is sewn to or attached to a ring member  42  at the end  41  distal from the first end  40  connected to the clasp  30 . The ring member  42  may be a metal ring or a molded plastic ring, or some other type of material may be used to make the ring member  42 . In the preferred embodiment, the ring member  42  is a generally rectangular ring member with a width slightly greater than the width of the strap  38 .  
         [0022]     A second flexible strap  44  includes a first end  46  which is attached to a buckle element  48 . The attachment of the first end  46  to the buckle element  48  is adjustable inasmuch as the first end  46  may be adjusted in length through the element  48 . The second strap  44  is fitted through a second ring element  50  similar in size, shape and construction to the first ring element  42 . The second strap  44  may be fitted around a leg  52  of the ring element  50  and sewn by stitching  54  so as to be fixed to the ring element  50 . Alternatively, the second strap  44  may slidably pass through the ring  50 .  
         [0023]     The second strap  44  also is passed through the ring  42  as depicted, for example, in  FIG. 2 . Again, the second strap  44  may be sewn in the manner depicted with respect to the ring  50  or slidably passed through the ring  42 .  
         [0024]     The second end of the second strap  44 ; namely, the second end  56  is attached to a second buckle element  58 . The attachment to the second buckle element  58  may be adjustable or non-adjustable. In any event, the distance between the ring elements  42  and  50  is adjustable by means of the cooperative relationship between strap  44  and adjustable buckle elements  48  and/or  50 . In other words, numerous alternative connections may be effected between the rings  42  and  50  by means of flexible second strap  44  to accommodate the concept and functionality of adjustment of the distance between the rings  42  and  50 . For example, it is not necessary that each of the ends  46  and  56  be adjustably connected to a respective buckle member or element  48 ,  58 . Only one of those ends  46 ,  56  need be adjustable. Various other interconnections of the rings  42  and  50  via the strap  44  and the adjustable buckle element  48  may be effective to adjust the distance between the rings  42  and  50 .  
         [0025]     In a similar fashion, a third flexible strap  60  is connected to the ring member  50  as well as to an adjustable buckle  62 . The opposite ends of the third strap  60 ; namely, a first end  64  and second end  66  may be adjusted in order to adjust the effective length of the third flexible strap  60 . Thus, the third flexible strap  60  may be sewn in place by means of a seam  68  to the ring element  50 . Alternatively, the seam  68  may be omitted. Each of the first and second ends  64  and  66  may be attached to the adjustable buckle elements  64 . Again, the effective length of the third flexible strap  60  is accommodated by means of the adjustable buckle  64  working in combination with one or both first and second ends  64  and  66  as well as the ring  50 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  depicts a preferred embodiment wherein the third flexible strap  60  is fixed to the ring  50  by means of the seam  68 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an alternative arrangement is depicted wherein a first end  67  of the strap  60  feeds through a buckle element  70  and is then attached to ring  50  along a seam  68 . Thus, the second end of the third strap  60 ; namely, second end  64  may be adjustably attached to the buckle element  65 . Again, adjustment of the effective distance or length of the third flexible strap  60  is established by virtue of the coaction of the adjustable buckle  65  and its interaction with the flexible strap  60 .  
         [0028]     It should be noted that a strap may be a single continuous elongate web or may comprise elements which are joined one to the other through stitching or by other means to form a completed connection through ring members and through buckle mechanisms which are adjustably connected to the strap. Thus, the buckle mechanisms may have adjustment features associated with the separate elements comprising the buckle mechanism since a buckle mechanism typically will comprise first and second buckle member elements and each one of those separate buckle member elements will be separately attached to a belt member or strap member. Though each attachment may be adjustable, at least one of the attachments is preferred to be adjustable.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate diagrammatically various arrangements of buckle members, straps and rings. In  FIG. 4 , for example, adjustable buckle elements  70  and  72  connect with opposite ends of a strap  74 . The strap  74  passes through a ring  76  and is sewn in position along seam  71  with respect to the ring  76 . One end  77  of the strap  74  connects to the adjustable buckle element  70 . The other end  79  connects adjustably with element  72 . Thus, in this embodiment, both of the buckle elements  70  and  72  are adjustably connected to a single strap  74 . However, only one of the buckle elements needs to be so adjustable.  
         [0030]     In  FIG. 4 , ring element  76  may coact with a strap  78  which, in turn, fits through a second ring element  80  and connects to an adjustable or non-adjustable buckle element  82 . The opposite end  81  of the strap  78  connects to a second buckle element  84  which may or may not be adjustable. An attachment clasp  86  is attached by a strap  88  to ring  80 . This is one arrangement of the connection of strap and buckle elements.  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  illustrates a separate arrangement. In this second arrangement, a strap  89  is connected adjustably at one end  91  to a buckle element  90  and opposite end  93  fits through a second buckle element  92  in an adjustable fashion and further is connected by the end of the strap  89  to a ring  94 . Thus, the end  93  is attached to the ring  94 . A second strap  100  fits through ring  94  and is fixed thereto by virtue of a seam. The opposite ends  101 ,  102  of strap  100  cooperate adjustably with buckle elements  103 ,  104 . End  101  is fitted through ring  106 . Clasp  107  is attached by strap  108  to ring  106 .  
         [0032]     In use, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the clasp  30  is positioned around the handle  16 . The length of the second adjustable strap  44  is adjusted and the flexible buckle  48  is opened to permit attachment of strap  44  to the handle  20 . The third strap  60  is similarly adjusted in length and attached to handle  24 . As can be seen, therefore, the construction and adjustment of the carry strap of the invention may be effected in many distinct ways. Further, the construction of the buckle elements, the rings, the flexible straps, as well as the clasps, may all be varied and still considered within the scope of the invention. The invention is therefore limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.