Patent Publication Number: US-2019183218-A1

Title: Expandable luggage

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a luggage, and more particularly to an expandable luggage. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Typically, conventional luggage each has fixed size. A user usually has plural pieces of luggage with various sizes that he/she may pick the luggage with specified size according to the trip. 
     An improved luggage was invented which is capable of expanding its size. Such luggage has a first case member, a second case member, and a flexible member with opposite ends connected to the first and the second case members respectively. The luggage further is provided with a zipper on edges of the first and the second case members. When the zipper is zipped, the first case member is moved toward the second case member and the flexible is warped, so that the luggage has a small chamber to store goods, and when the zipper is unzipped, the first case member is moved away from the second case member and the flexible is straightened, so that the luggage has a large chamber to store goods. 
     For this kind of expandable luggage, the zipper extends around the entire luggage, so that there is a long distance to go when the zipper is zipped or unzipped, and that is troublesome to the user. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide an expandable luggage, which provides an easy way of expanding and narrowing the luggage. 
     In order to achieve the objective of the present invention, an expandable luggage includes a first case member, a second case member, and a flexible member with opposite ends connected to the first and the second case members to form a chamber between the first and the second case members. The expandable luggage further is provided with a controller, which has a first member fixed to the first case member, a second member fixed to the second case member and in association with the first member, and an unlocking device. The first member has a latch member with a hook. The second member has an entrance at an end thereof and a locking member with a stop portion inside the entrance. The first member is inserted into the second member via the entrance to be moved between a first position, at which the first member is closed to the second member and the hook of the latch member engages the stop portion of the locking member to secure the first member at the first position, and a second position, at which the first member is moved away from the second member. 
     The unlocking device is provided at the first member or the second member to be operated to disengage the hook of the latch member with the stop portion of the locking member when the first member is at the first position, whereby the first member is able to be moved to the second position. 
     When the first member is moved to the first position, the first case member is moved toward the second case member to narrow the chamber; and when first member is moved to the second position, the first case member is moved away from the second case member to expand the chamber. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the luggage being narrowed; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the luggage being expanded; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the controller of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the controller of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the first member at the first position; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the first member at the second position; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the controller inside the luggage. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an expandable luggage of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a luggage  10  and a plurality of controllers  20  (only one of the controllers  20  is shown in drawings). The luggage  10  includes a first case member  11 , a second case member  12 , and a flexible member  13  with opposite ends connected to the first and the second case members  11  and  12  to form a chamber therein to store goods. The first case member  11  is provided with a lid  15  which is able to be opened to put goods into the chamber or take goods out of the chamber. The first and the second case members  11  and  12  are provided with recesses  14 . The recesses  14  of the first case member  11  are in association with the recesses  14  of the second case member  12 . Each of the controllers  20  has a first member  30  and a second member  40 . The first members  30  are received in the recesses  14  of the first case member  11  while the second members  40  are received in the recesses  14  of the second case member  12  and in association with the first members  30  respectively. Heights of the controllers are equal to or lowered to depths of the recesses  14  to reduce the risk of the controllers  20  being operated by accident. The controllers  20  are the same, so we only describe one of which for example hereunder. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the first member  30  of the controller  20  has a main body  32  with an opening  34 . The main body  32  is fixed to the first case member  11 . The first member  30  further has a latch member  36  in the opening  34 . The locking member  36  has an end connected to the main body  32  and a distal end suspended. The latch member  36  has a hook  38  at the distal end. 
     The second member  40  of the controller  20  includes a base  42 , a cover  44 , and a pin  46 . The base  42  has a bottom plate  48  and a U-shaped sidewall  50  connected to an edge of the bottom plate  48 . The bottom plate  48  is fixed to the second case member  12 . The sidewall  50  is provided with a pair of elongated slots  52 . The cover  44  has a top plate  54  and a U-shaped sidewall  56  connected to an edge of the top plate  54 . The sidewall  56  is provided with a pair of through holes  58 . The cover  44  is connected to the base  42  by the pin  46  inserted into the elongated slots  52  of the base  42  and the through holes  58  of the cover  44 . The sidewalls  50  and  56  are at the same side of the second member  40 , and the second member  40  has an entrance at a side opposite to the sidewalls  50  and  56 . The cover  44  has an opening  60 , in which an elastic member  62  is provided. The elastic member  62  has an end connected to the cover  44  and a distal end suspended, and an operating portion  64  is formed on the elastic member  62  adjacent to the distal end. The elastic member  62  works for an unlocking device. The cover  44  further has a locking member  66  adjacent to the operating portion  64 , which has a stop portion  68  facing the operating portion  64 . 
     An end of the first member  30  enters the second member  40  via the entrance, and the first member is able to be moved between a first position and a second position. At the first position, the first member  30  is closed to the second member  40  and the hook  38  of the latch member  36  engages the stop portion  68  of the locking member  66  to secure the first member  30  at the first position. When the elastic member  62  is pressed downward, the operating portion  64  moves the latch member  36  away to disengage the hook  38  of the latch member  36  with the stop portion  68  of the locking member  66 . It makes the first member  30  able to be moved away from the second member  40  and arrive at the second position. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , while the first member  30  is being moved toward the first position, the first case member  11  is drawn to the second case member  12  and the flexible member  13  is warped. At the first position, the first case member  11  is closed to the second case member  12  and the hook  38  of the latch member  36  engages the stop portion  68  of the locking member  66  to secure the first member  30  at the first position. At this time, the luggage  10  has a small chamber to store goods. 
     If the user wants to have a large chamber, he/she only has to press the elastic member  62  to move the latch member  36  downward. As a result, the hook  38  of the latch member  36  disengages the stop portion  68  of the locking member  66 , and the first and the second case member  11  and  12  are able to be moved away from each other. As shown in  FIG. 6 , when the first member  30  is moved to the second position, the flexible member  13  is straightened, and the luggage  10  has a large chamber to store goods. 
     In operation of narrowing the expandable luggage of the present embodiment, a user only need to press the first case member  11  toward the second case member  12 , and the hook  38  of the latch member  36  engages the stop portion  68  of the locking member  66  when the first member  30  arrives at the first position to secure the luggage  10  at a small size. In operation of expanding the expandable luggage of the present embodiment, a user only need to press the elastic member  62  to disengage the hook  38  of the latch member  36  with the stop portion  68  of the locking member  66 , and the first and the second case member  11  and  12  are free to move away from each other to expand the luggage  10 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an expandable of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which are almost the same as the first preferred embodiment, except that the controllers are provided at interior sides of the first and the second case members  11  and  12 . 
     It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention.