Abstract:
The article of luggage includes a luggage main body having a bottom surface and a cavity formed to receive articles for packing; an expansion body having a perimeter defining a cavity; a foldable gusset joining the luggage main body to the expansion body; and an expansion and locking device disposed internally at opposite ends of the article of luggage. The expansion and locking device is configured to allow free movement of the expansion body in a compression direction towards the luggage main body and configured to allow locking movement of the expansion body in an expanding direction away from the luggage main body. One expansion and locking device is preferably attached to two or more walls of the luggage. After finishing packing, the luggage is closed and the user pushes the expanding member towards the base member, ratcheting the pawl past the ratchet teeth to collapse the luggage.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 61/628,725 filed Nov. 4, 2011, the entire content and disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to luggage expansion systems which readily accommodate the needs of travelers to selectively increase or decrease the luggage capacity as needed, and as well, facilitates packing the article of luggage in the most compact fashion. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     Due to limitations in space when traveling, especially on airlines, travelers are limited to a single checked piece of luggage which must conform to particular size restrictions. Similarly, a traveler is limited to a single carry-on luggage that must conform to even stricter size limitations since the carry-on must fit within overhead storage compartments. 
     Travelers are also in need of enough volume within the luggage to carry all necessary clothing and other items. Many conventional luggage have expandable sections that can be expanded by unzipping the section. With the expandable section unzipped, the traveler realizes additional storage space within the luggage. Once fully packed, the expandable section can be rezipped to compress the clothing and other articles packed in the luggage. 
     However, the conventional expandable luggage is often quite difficult to rezip when the luggage is fully packed, because the articles inside the luggage resist being compressed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to improvements in luggage expansion systems of the type shown and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,575,272 and 7,426,985, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein and made a part of this application. Present day expandable luggage provides two alternative configurations, one in the collapsed condition, and the other in the extended condition. The present invention provides a ratchet-type expansion system for luggage, wherein upon completion of packing by the user, the user can compress the upper end portion of the luggage and lock it in place to take up any unused space therewithin, resulting in a fully and tightly packed article of luggage which is uniquely compact. 
     The ratchet device which forms part of the present invention allows free movement in one direction, i.e., the collapsing direction, while permitting movement in the opposite direction, i.e., the expanding direction, by a manual release mechanism which forms part of the device. 
     The invention relates to a ratchet-type expansion system including a ratchet expansion and locking device for luggage, and luggage incorporating such ratchet expansion device. The device includes a base section having a plurality of ratchet teeth, i.e., preferably nine such teeth, and an opposed pawl section preferably having three such pawls, which are respectively dimensioned and shaped to slide over the ratchet teeth in the luggage collapsing direction, and to prevent movement in the opposite—or expanding—direction, except when a latch is lifted to release the pawls from the ratchet teeth. Any number of ratchet teeth and pawls can be used. Alternative embodiments are also disclosed. 
     In one alternative embodiment a pivotal lever rocker arm is provided for the pawl section having a single pawl tooth at the free end of the arm. 
     In another embodiment, each device includes dual spaced apart toothed sections, each such section associated with its own pawl section. The device spans over a relatively larger distance. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the article of luggage includes a luggage main body having a bottom surface and a cavity formed to receive articles for packing; an expansion body having a perimeter defining a cavity; a foldable gusset joining the luggage main body to the expansion body, the foldable gusset allowing the expansion body to move away and towards the luggage main body to vary a size of a volume formed by the cavity of the luggage main body and the cavity of the expansion body; and an expansion and locking device disposed internally at opposite ends of the article of luggage, the expansion and locking device being configured to allow free movement of the expansion body in a compression direction towards the luggage main body and configured to allow locking movement of the expansion body in an expanding direction away from the luggage main body. 
     The expansion and locking device is a ratcheting assembly having a set of parallel teeth affixed to one of the luggage main body or the expansion body; a pawl configured to engage and disengage from the set of parallel teeth by actuation of a lever, the pawl being affixed to the other of the luggage main body or the expansion body; and a biasing member configured to maintain the pawl in an engaged state with the parallel teeth in the absence of an actuating force applied to the lever. 
     Additionally, the ratcheting assembly includes a holding assembly having a housing on which the lever is provided, the housing having an elongated opening formed on a surface orthogonal to the lever; and a double column of parallel teeth disposed on a sliding member dimensioned for slideable insertion into the elongated opening, the parallel teeth engaging the pawl inside the housing of the holding assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an internal area of a luggage in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an external area of a luggage in an expanded configuration in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of an external area of a luggage in a compressed configuration in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 4 a   - 9  illustrate embodiments of a ratchet assembly the luggage in accordance with the present invention; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  provides an internal view of an article of luggage  100 , and incorporating an expansion and locking device  102 , also referred to herein as a ratcheting assembly, according to the present invention, respectively mounted at opposing inner walls of the luggage  100 . The luggage  100  is formed of a luggage main body  106  coupled to an expansion body  104  by a foldable gusset  110 , shown in  FIG. 2 . An openable cover  112  is attached to the expansion body  104  and is sealable by way of engagement of two halves of a zipper  114  provided on at least a majority of the perimeter of the cover  112  and expansion body  104 . 
     Additionally, guide panels  108  are provide on the inside of the luggage  100  at orthogonal sides with respect to the expansion and locking device  102 . The guide panels  108  are affixed to one of the luggage main body  106  or the expansion body  104 , and slideably contacts the other one of the luggage main body  106  or the expansion body  104 . The guide panels  108  provide lateral rigidity to the luggage when in an expanded configuration. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the luggage  100  is shown in an expanded state as shown by the extended aspect of the foldable gusset  110 .  FIG. 3  shows the luggage  100  in a compressed state in which the foldable gusset  110  is contracted bringing the luggage main body  106  and the expansion body into closer proximity. 
       FIGS. 4 a , 4 b , 5 a  and 5 b    show an embodiment of the expansion and locking device  102  in detail. The expansion and locking device  102  is formed of a holding assembly  402  (shown in  FIGS. 4 a  and 5 a   ) and a sliding assembly  404  (shown in  FIGS. 4 b  and 5 b   ) that is insertable into a receiving opening  406  formed on a surface of the holding assembly main body  420 . The sliding assembly  404  includes a set of parallel teeth  408  configured to lockingly interfere with a pawl  502  (shown in  FIG. 5 a   ) of the holding assembly  402 . For example, the parallel teeth  408  are configured to have a surface with a mild angle in the compression direction and a nearly 90° angle formed in the expansion direction. 
     Additionally, travel limiting slots  410  are provided on the sliding member  406 , which limit the extent of travel by the sliding assembly  404  when the travel limiting slots  410  are engage with tabs  504  (shown in  FIG. 5 a   ) of the holding assembly  402 . 
     It is noted that the pawl  502  and the tabs  504  are disposed on an underside of the holding assembly  402 , and more specifically, on the underside of a latch structure  412  of the holding assembly  402 . The latch structure  412  is coupled to the holding assembly main body  420  of the holding assembly  402  by a biasing member  422  integrally formed therebetween. The biasing member  422  may be formed of a live spring, coil spring or other deformable structure that provides a rest state in which the latch  412  maintains a holding force between the pawl  502  and the parallel teeth  408 . The biasing member  422  allows the latch to maintain engaging force between the pawl  502  and one of the parallel teeth  408  of the sliding member  406 . Additionally, when a force normal to the surface of the latch is applied to the latch as indicated by arrow F, the biasing member allows the latch structure  412  to disengage the locking member  502  from the parallel teeth  408 . 
     The sliding member  406  is attached, by means of screws, bolts, or other fixing means, to a portion of the expansion body  104 , and the holding assembly  402  is similarly affixed on a portion of the luggage main body  106  in line with the sliding member  406 . In an embodiment of the present invention, two expansion and locking device  102  are provided at opposite sides of the luggage  100 . However, in an alternative embodiment, one expansion and locking device  102  may be provided at each of the four sides of the luggage  100 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the sliding member  406  is attached by means of screws bolts or other fixing means to a portion of the luggage main body  106 , and the holding assembly  402  is similarly affixed on a portion of the expansion body  104  in line with the sliding member  406 . 
       FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b    show a side view of an embodiment of the expansion and locking device  102  of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a lever  604  is provided at a first end, which facilitates engagement and disengagement of a pawl  602  disposed at an opposite end of the holding assembly with a set of parallel teeth  608 . A biasing member formed as a coil spring  606  is provided at a pivot point of the holding assembly. 
     In the present embodiment, the holding assembly is attached to the expansion body  104  and the set of parallel teeth  608  are disposed on the luggage main body  106 . When force is applied to the lever  604  in a manner to cause the rotation of the holding assembly in the direction indicated by arrow A, the pawl  602  is disengaged from the set of parallel teeth as indicated by the dashed line representation of the holding assembly. In this configuration, the holding assembly and the expansion body  104  to which it is attached are free to move along the set of parallel teeth  608  as indicated by arrow Y of  FIG. 6 b   . when the force applied at the lever  604  is removed, the holding assembly, under the force provided by the coil spring  606 , re-engages the pawl  602  with the set of parallel teeth  608  as indicated by the arrow X. 
     In the engaged configuration, the holding assembly is free to move in the direction opposite to the arrow Y. However, the holding assembly is prevented from moving in the direction indicated by the arrow Y. In this way, the expansion body  104  and the luggage main body  106  can be compressed, but cannot be expanded. The ratcheting system provided by the present invention allows the luggage to be fully expanded by actuating the lever when the luggage is being packed. Once packed and closed, the luggage can be easily compressed by applying even force on the luggage. 
       FIG. 7  shows another embodiment of the expansion and locking device  102 . Similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 a   , a lever  702  is provided at a first end, which facilitates engagement and disengagement of a pawl  704  disposed at an opposite end of the holding assembly with a set of parallel teeth  706 . However, in the present embodiment, the biasing member is formed of a live spring member  708  provided at a pivot point of the holding assembly. The live spring  708  is formed of a material that flexes when sufficient force is applied but returns to its original shape once the deforming force is removed. 
       FIG. 8  shows an embodiment that is similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 . In the present embodiment, a lever  804  is provided at a first end, which facilitates engagement and disengagement of a pawl  806  disposed at an opposite end of the holding assembly with a set of parallel teeth  808 . In addition, the present embodiment is provided with a locking mechanism  802  which is engaged by rotating the locking mechanism as indicated by the arrows. When moved to the locked position, the locking mechanism  802  prevents the lever  804  from disengaging the pawl  806  by way of an accidental application of force to the lever  804 . Conversely, when the locking mechanism is rotated to the unlocked position, a force applied to the lever  804  in a manner described above, with respect to  FIG. 6 a   , causes the pawl to disengage from the set of parallel teeth  808 . 
     In addition to the biasing members disclosed with respect to  FIGS. 4 a    through  8 , alternative biasing members can be employed. For example, a rubber member maybe disposed and molded onto a portion of a lever having a pawl disposed there on, and a base surface of the holding assembly. The underlying support structure for the expansion and locking device having rubber molded thereon is shown in  FIG. 9 . The rubber member is not shown in order to show the supporting structure of the present embodiment. The holding assembly  14  includes a tab  16  integrally formed with one or more pawls on a bottom surface (not shown). The pawl is configured to engage with the plurality of parallel teeth  18  formed on a sliding member  12 . The holding assembly is biased to provide engaging force between the pawl and the teeth  18  in a rest state, i.e., when no external force is applied to the tab  16 . The indented region  22  of the holding assembly  14  are configured to receive and bond with a rubber compound forming the rubber member. 
     Additionally, travel limiting slots  20  are provided on the sliding member  12  as described in previous embodiments. Tabs or pins (not shown) disposed on the underside of the holding assembly  14  align with the travel limiting slots  20  and extend into the travel limiting slots  20 , thus preventing the sliding member  12  from sliding beyond a predetermined range. Furthermore, the travel limiting slots  20 , so configured, prevent the sliding member  12  from disengaging from the holding assembly  14 . 
     The rubber member is of adequate thickness and resilience to require a predetermine amount of force to disengage the pawl disposed on the lever. The elastic nature of rubber allows the lever to return to an engaged rest state when the force is removed. To strengthen the bond between the surfaces of the holding assembly, through holes can be formed on the surface of the holding assembly, which allows the rubber to flow through during the molding process. In one embodiment, the rubber has a Shore A hardness value of between 60 and 65. 
     Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS Plastic) can be used to form the lever and pawl of the holding assembly and the set of parallel teeth. Alternatively, the components of the expansion and locking device  102  may be fabricated from metal or a combination of materials. 
     Although the preferred embodiments show the ratchet member attached to the fixed base of the luggage and the pawl section attached to the movable part, the sections may be structured and arranged to be attached in any order, i.e., the reverse of the order described herein, for example.