Patent Publication Number: US-8967375-B1

Title: Fold up luggage for elongate items

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/552,053 entitled “Fold Up Luggage For Elongate Items,” filed Oct. 27, 2011. The disclosure of this provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention pertains to a case for protecting elongate items during travel. More particularly, the invention pertains to a travel bag for items such as golf clubs, skis, ski boards, and the like. 
     Golf clubs, skis, ski boards, and the like, are susceptible to damage during travel. The two primary types of travel luggage or cases for protecting such item may be characterized as the soft sided case and the hard sided case. Soft sided cases are lightweight, readily carried about, and collapsible into a relatively small size when not in use. However, soft sided cases are not capable of providing significant protection for golf clubs or skis or other contents of the case while traveling because they do not protect against impact and bending forces and are too easily torn, all of which exposes the golf clubs to damage. 
     Hard sided travel cases provide significantly more protection, but the weight and size of hard sided cases are disadvantageous. Moreover, hard sided travel cases are not compressible and therefore take up a lot of storage space which is undesirable for the consumer and for retail stores, not to mention the added difficulties and cost of space and weight during shipping. 
     Although the primary embodiment is described herein in terms of a travel case for skis, it is understood that the principles of the invention apply to cases for golf clubs, ski boards and other similarly sized elongate items that require protection during transportation. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the present invention a travel case for skis, golf clubs or the like comprises an elongate bag or case having a pair of hard sided end sections longitudinally spaced from a hard sided center section. Between each end section and the center section is a respective soft sided intermediate section. The hard sided end and center sections provide protections for the case contents, particularly at the more vulnerable locations of those contents in the case. The soft sided intermediate sections, made of collapsible and supple material, provide the advantage of reducing the weight of the overall case as compared to the weight of a fully hard sided case of the same length. In addition, the suppleness of the soft sided sections permit the end sections to be folded in on the center section when the case is open along its length to thereby reduce the length and the required storage space for the case when not in use. 
     The above and still further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following definitions, descriptions and descriptive figures of specific embodiments thereof wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components. While these descriptions go into specific details of the invention, it should be understood that variations may and do exist and would be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the descriptions herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view in perspective of a travel case according to one embodiment of the present invention shown unfolded and closed as it appears in use. 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view in elevation of the case shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view in elevation of the case shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front view in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top end view in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom end view of the case shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a top end view in plan of the case of  FIG. 1  shown unfolded and open as it appears in use when its contents are being loaded or unloaded. 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view in elevation of the case shown in  FIG. 8  diagrammatically illustrating contents being loaded in the case. 
         FIG. 10  is a front view in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 8  with contents loaded therein. 
         FIG. 11  is a front view in plan of the case of  FIGS. 1 and 8  showing the case folded and secured for storage or display. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a view in perspective of the case shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 14  is a left side view in elevation of the case shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a right side view in elevation of the case shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 16  is a top end view in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 17  is a bottom end vies in plan of the case shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 18  is a detailed longitudinal view in partial section of a portion of the case the case shown in  FIG. 1  showing interior lining and padding. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed explanations of the drawings and the preferred embodiments reveal the methods and apparatus of the present invention. 
     Referring more specifically to  FIGS. 1-7  the drawings, an elongate travel bag or case  10  for transporting skis, golf clubs, or the like, is shown in closed condition. Case  10  includes a hard sided top end section  11 , a hard sided bottom end section  12 , each longitudinally spaced from a hard sided center section  13 . Between top end section  10  and center section  13  is a soft sided upper intermediate section  14 ; likewise, a soft lower intermediate section  15  is disposed between center section  13  and bottom section  12 . Hard sided sections  11 ,  12  and  13  are made from a material that is sufficiently rigid and hard to resist breakage and deformation in response to the type of impact experienced when the case is dropped or otherwise mishandled during travel and transport of the case with or without internal contents. This material is preferably a hard lightweight molded polymer such as ABS or polycarbonate and may be additionally reinforced with a lattice or strands of an impregnated metal such as platinum. In the preferred embodiment the material has a hardness (Durometer) value of approximately 75 D on the Shore D scale and would typically have a hardness in the range of 65 D to 85 D. Soft sided intermediate sections  14  and  15  are made of a strong supple material that is resistant to penetration and water but collapsible; such material may be, for example, ballistic nylon but it may alternatively be other supple materials having similar abrasion and tear resistant properties. In the preferred embodiment the soft sided material has a hardness (Durometer) value of 30 A on the Shore A scale and would typically have a hardness in the range of 20 A to 40 A. As noted, the soft sided intermediate sections provide the advantage of reducing the weight of the overall case as compared to the weight of a fully hard sided case of the same length. In addition, as described herein, the soft sided sections  14 ,  15  permit the end sections  11 ,  12  to be folded in on the center section  13  when the case is open along its length to thereby reduce the length and the required storage space for the case when not in use. 
     The interior of the case  10  is lined with a soft lining, preferably a nylon fabric, secured in a conventional manner on the interior surfaces of the outer walls of the casing sections. The lining and the interior surfaces enclose foam panels by stitching, or the like, in a sandwich construction, the foam panels preferably being made of any suitable padding material such as cross-linked polyethylene foam. 
     The case  10  is formed as two mirror image components or halves that are joined along the back of the case by a strip  17  of rugged pliable fabric serving as a pivot hinge between the two halves. By way of example, strip  17  may be made, of a durable abrasion resistant vinyl fabric. Strip  17  extends longitudinally between a lower portion of the top section  11  and an upper portion of the bottom section  12  and, is so doing, pivotally joins the halves of each of those sections, the center section  13  and the intermediate sections  14 ,  15 . A conventional zipper assembly  16  extends longitudinally between the ends of strip  17 , passing over the top section  10 , the bottom section  11  and along the entire front of the case. The zipper permits selective opening and closing of the case. Strip  17  and zipper assembly  16  are typically secured by stitching or the like to interior lining in the case  10 . 
     Strap handles  30 ,  31  are secured to respective halves of center section  13  adjacent the zipper assembly and may be held in adjacency by a grip  32  in a conventional manner. 
     When the case is not in use it can be opened by actuating the zipper assembly  16  to expose, face up, the two case halves. The top section of each half can be folded over onto a portion of the center section of that half using the upper intermediate section as an loosely defined hinge. Likewise, bottom section of each half can be folded over onto a portion of the center section of that half using the lower intermediate section as a loosely defined hinge. When so folded the upper ends of the top section halves reside in close adjacency to the lower ends of the bottom section halves. In this condition, as best illustrated in  FIG. 13 , handle straps  30 ,  31  may be joined by grip  32  to maintain the folded sections in place and to provide and an appropriate handgrip for lifting and moving the unit as necessary. This configuration of the unit, wherein the sections are folded in thirds, permits the case to be stored in a minimum amount of space and stacked with other like units in a warehouse or retail store. 
     When the case  10  contains skis, golf clubs, ski boards, or other elongated rigid items, these items themselves contact the upper and lower sections inside the case to extend and support the case longitudinally and prevent the soft intermediate sections from collapsing. The hard and rigid material of top section  11 , bottom section  12  and center section  13  protect the contained items from damage. When the contained items are removed the case can be folded for storage as described above. Alternatively, since the unit collapses longitudinally at the intermediate sections when empty, the case can be stood up in a closet or the like and occupy less vertical space than would be required by a conventional hard sided case. 
     Wheels are provided at the lower end of the bottom section  12  to facilitate carrying of the case. 
     Having described preferred embodiments of new and improved Fold Up Luggage For Elongate Items, it is believed that other modifications, variations and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein. It is therefore to be understood that all such variations, modifications and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the present invention. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.