Abstract:
A luggage container with a detachable pocket includes a compartment having at least front, rear, top, bottom and side surfaces and at least one pocket receiving portion configured to receive the detachable pocket and formed on an outer surface of the compartment, the outer surface including at least the front surface, rear surface, top surface, bottom surface or side surface. The detachable pocket is attached to the compartment via the at least one pocket receiving portion to form an opening of the pocket configured to receive an object via the opening.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to luggage containers of all types, and more particularly, a luggage container with a detachable pocket that can be attached to or detached from the luggage container. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Recently, many airlines have begun charging fees for checked-in baggage, and thus, whenever possible, travelers avoid checking in baggage while reducing the size of carry-on baggage to fit under a passenger seat or in an overhead compartment. In many airports, travelers are not allowed to carry bottles filled with water or liquid through security check points, and thus, travelers may buy bottles after passing the security check points. Oftentimes, in addition to their baggage, travelers also carry other items such as magazines, snacks, and extra clothes. Some of these items need to be reached easily by the travelers without opening the baggage. Therefore, baggage having pockets or extra external compartments formed on the outer surface of the baggage would allow passengers to store the above-mentioned items in the pockets conveniently without opening the baggage. Such baggage with pockets or extra external compartments are available. 
         [0005]    However, certain types of luggage, for example hardside or hard shell luggage, lack such pockets or external compartments on the outer surface of the luggage because there is no mechanism available allowing the pockets or external compartments to be installed on the outer surface. Further, depending on the types of pockets, the pockets may make soft shell baggage bulky or aesthetically undesirable. Sometimes, such pockets are not used by the traveler, and thus, their presence on the baggage at all the times is not necessary. Therefore, a pocket that can be attached to or detached from the baggage as necessary would be desirable to address the above identified concerns. 
         [0006]    Prior art has attempted to add external pockets to luggage containers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,636 issued to Godshaw on Jun. 1, 2004 illustrates incorporating expansion or collapsible pockets in a side panel of luggage for carrying items which require ease of access. The pockets of Godshaw includes a mesh panel which connects first and/or second spaced side panels that may be joined by a zipper to each other or the case. However, such pocket of Godshaw is not detachable from the luggage although it may be concealed when the zipper is zipped up. Further, in Godshaw, extra cloth or material is required to form the pockets in addition to the mesh panel. 
         [0007]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0184014 of Lee published on Jul. 23, 2009 illustrates a storage device configured to receive an electronic device. A porous material, such as mesh, is connected to a wall of the storage device of Lee, the storage device having a plurality of voids on the wall to permit air passage between the interior and exterior of the storage device. However, in Lee, the porous material is not attached to the storage device as a pocket for storage, but is attached to permit airflow through the plurality of voids and to prevent objects from entering the interior of the storage device. Further, the porous material of Lee is not detachable from the storage device. 
         [0008]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0077135 of Drew et al. published on Apr. 14, 2005 illustrates a concealable stretch panel, such as mesh-net, incorporated into articles of baggage. The panel of Drew et al. is attached along one edge to the inside of a pocket on the carry case and it includes releasable devices such as resilient clasps to attach the opposed end to the out wall of the carry case. When not in use, the panel of Drew et al. may be folded upon itself and stored in the pocket which includes a zipper closure device. Drew et al. also discloses that the stretch panel may be completely detachable from the connecting panel by a two-part separable zipper. However, in Drew et al., the detachable panel is attached to a fabric panel by a connector panel and a separable zipper having separable halves. As such, several components, in addition to the two-part zipper, are required for the panel of Drew et al. to be detachable from the baggage, thus making attachment/detachment of the panel cumbersome and increasing the cost for manufacture. 
         [0009]    As discussed above, although various attempts have been made to add a pocket-like structure or external compartment to luggage containers, it involves several components to make the pocket detachable, thus, increasing the cost of manufacturing such luggage with a detachable pocket. In particular, none of the above discussed prior art disclose or suggest a hard sided or hardside luggage having a detachable pocket. The present invention is designed to provide a luggage system whose utility and user convenience are effectively improved without increasing the cost of manufacture. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an improved luggage that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
         [0011]    An object of the present invention is to ensure that the luggage user has convenient and efficient access to the detachable pocket for that luggage, easily removing the pocket from or attaching the pocket to the luggage. 
         [0012]    To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a luggage container with a detachable pocket includes a compartment having at least front, rear, top, bottom and side surfaces and at least one pocket receiving portion configured to receive the detachable pocket and formed on an outer surface of the compartment, the outer surface including at least the front surface, rear surface, top surface, bottom surface or side surface. The detachable pocket is attached to the compartment via the at least one pocket receiving portion to form an opening of the pocket configured to receive an object via the opening. 
         [0013]    According to one aspect of the preferred embodiment, the at least one pocket receiving portion comprises a plurality of receiving elements, each of the plurality of receiving elements being the same element located at different areas on the outer surface of the compartment. 
         [0014]    According to another aspect of the preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of receiving elements comprises a shaft portion having a head portion at one end thereof and the detachable pocket comprises an elastic material that can be stretched, the elastic material having a plurality of predetermined holes that correspond to the plurality of receiving elements. 
         [0015]    In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a hardside luggage container with a detachable pocket includes a compartment having at least front, rear, top, bottom and side surfaces and a plurality of pocket receiving elements configured to receive the detachable pocket and formed on at least one of the at least front, rear, top, bottom and side surfaces that are outer surfaces. Each of the plurality of pocket receiving elements is the same element and the detachable pocket is attached to the compartment via the plurality of pocket receiving elements to form an opening of the pocket. 
         [0016]    Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide a further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a frontal view of a luggage container with a detachable pocket attached to the front surface of the luggage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1B  illustrates a perspective view of the luggage container shown in  FIG. 1A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 2A  illustrates a frontal view of the luggage container with the detachable pocket detached from the front surface of the luggage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2B  illustrates a magnified view of an area on the luggage container where the detachable pocket is attached, showing the pocket and a pocket receiving portion. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a bottom perspective view of a luggage container with a detachable pocket attached to the bottom and side surfaces to form a pocket on the back surface of the luggage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3B  illustrates a bottom perspective view of the luggage container shown in  FIG. 3A , wherein the detachable pocket is completely removed from the luggage container, showing only the pocket receiving portions formed on the bottom surface of the luggage container. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a side view of a luggage container with a detachable pocket attached to the luggage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, showing the pocket attached to the luggage container via pocket receiving portions.  FIG. 4B  illustrates a side view of the luggage container shown in  FIG. 4A , wherein the detachable pocket is completely removed from the luggage container, showing only the pocket receiving portions formed on the side surface of the luggage container. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  illustrates a detachable pocket detached from a luggage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a pocket receiving portion formed on an outer surface of a luggage container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6B  illustrates the pocket receiving portion connected to the luggage container via a through hole formed on a wall of the luggage container and fixed to an inside surface of the luggage container. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with respect to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the annexed drawings. 
         [0025]    According to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the luggage  10  has a pocket  20  and pocket receiving portions  30  on an outer surface of the luggage, wherein the pocket  20  is used to receive the user&#39;s belongings and the pocket receiving portions  30  are formed to hold the pocket on the outer surface of the luggage. The pocket  20  may be formed on any area on the outer surface of the luggage  10  by forming the pocket receiving portions  30  on desired areas of the outer surface of the luggage. The pocket  20  may be connected to the luggage  10  by zipper, hook-and-loop fastener, buttons, hooks, snap buttons, Velcro®, coupling fasteners, latches, or other similar connection type apparatuses or any other suitable mechanism known by one of ordinary skill in the art for attaching or detaching the pocket to or from the luggage. 
         [0026]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pocket  20  is detachable from the pocket receiving portions  30  as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . According to another embodiment of the present invention, the pocket receiving portions  30  comprise a plurality of elements, as shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  4 A, and  4 B, each of the plurality of elements being the same element located at different areas on the outer surface of the luggage  10 . When the detachable pocket  20  is attached to the pocket receiving portions  30 , as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 4A , a pocket opening is formed on one side of the pocket to receive objects. Three sides of the pocket are substantially closed by being connected to the pocket receiving portions  30  as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . 
         [0027]    In one embodiment of the present invention, there may be at least two openings of the pocket  20  may be formed on the same side of the pocket by forming at least one pocket receiving portion near the opening, thus dividing the opening into a plurality of openings. In another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of pockets  20  may be formed, for example, one pocket on the front surface of the luggage  10  and another pocket on the back surface of the luggage  10 . 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3A , one side of the pocket  20  that is located opposite to the opening of the pocket is connected to three receiving pocket receiving portions  30  located on the bottom surface of the luggage  10  when the detachable pocket  20  is attached to the luggage to form the pocket. On the other hand, when the detachable pocket  20  is completely removed from the luggage  10 , the pocket receiving portions  30  are exposed as shown in  FIGS. 3B and 4B . 
         [0029]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pocket receiving portions  30  are also detachable from the luggage  10  when the pocket  20  is not attached to the luggage. For example, each pocket receiving portion  30  may have a bolt portion at one end, the bolt portion located inside the luggage  10  when the pocket receiving portion is inserted into the wall of the luggage via a through hole, and a nut (not shown) may be threaded onto the bolt potion inside the luggage to hold the pocket receiving portion in place. Alternatively, a screw (not shown) may be inserted into a hole formed on the pocket receiving portion  30  that is inserted into the wall of the luggage  10  to hold the pocket receiving portion in place. 
         [0030]    An example of the detached pocket  20  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The pocket  20  may be constructed of a fabric material such as nylon, polyester or blends thereof, or leather, vinyl, or combinations thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the detachable pocket  20  is a stretch net material such as a mesh net having a plurality of holes. In one aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of holes of the pocket  20  has the same size. The pocket  20  having the plurality of holes may be connected to the pocket receiving portions  30  by respectively inserting the pocket receiving portions into some of the plurality of holes of the pocket. Preferably, the pocket receiving portions  30  are respectively inserted into designated holes located at edge portions of the pocket. Thus, depending on the number of the pocket receiving portions  30  that are inserted into the holes of the pocket  20 , the distance of gaps between each pocket receiving portion may vary. 
         [0031]    In another aspect of the present invention, the detachable pocket  20  is elastic such that it can easily accommodate the received items. In general, the pocket  20  has at least four sides, three sides connected to the pocket receiving portions  30  and one side becoming an opening of the pocket when the pocket is attached to the luggage  10 . Depending on the shape of the luggage  10 , the shape and size of the pocket  20  may be differently designed to form an appropriately shaped/sized pocket when the pocket is attached to the luggage. 
         [0032]    The luggage  10  can be formed of any durable material, such as canvas, fabric, nylon, cotton, polyester, leather, or plastic (e.g. vinyl). In one embodiment of the present invention, the luggage  10  is hardside luggage made of lightweight materials, such as polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer, polycarbonate, aluminum, or a mixture thereof, that are scratch proof and durable. Thus, by attaching the pocket  20  onto the outer surface of the luggage  10 , the pocket may also protect the surface of the luggage from being scratched. In other words, the pocket  20  may be used not only for receiving objects, but also as a cover for protecting the outer surface of the luggage  10 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the luggage  10  may be carry-on luggage. 
         [0033]    While it is common that luggage made of fabric or leather has additional external compartments or pockets formed on the outer surface of the luggage that are accessible without opening the luggage, such compartments or pockets are not found on the surface of hardside luggage as they usually have a hard, smooth outer surface. Further, installation of a pocket on the hard surface of the hardside luggage has not been practical because it has been considered difficult to implement a zipper or stitch to attach the pocket to the hard surface made of a metal or polycarbonate. 
         [0034]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, each pocket receiving portion  30  is a protrusion such as a pin, rivet, and the like. In one aspect of the present invention, the pocket receiving portions  30  may be pushed in to the luggage  10  when no pocket is attached to the luggage  10 , or pushed out to be protruded from the luggage  10  to receive the detachable pocket  20  when a pocket is to be formed on the outer surface of the luggage. The pocket receiving portions  30  may also be pushed in after receiving the pocket  20 . 
         [0035]    For example, as shown in  FIG. 6A , a pocket receiving portion  30  has a head portion  31  formed at one end of a cylindrical shaft  32 . Typically, the head portion  31  of the pocket receiving portion  30  has a round shape and the diameter of the head portion is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical shaft  32 . The pocket receiving portion  30  may also have a support portion  33  that contacts the outer surface of the luggage  10  as shown in  FIG. 6A . 
         [0036]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pocket receiving portion  30  is a rivet that is connected to the luggage  10  via a through hole formed on the wall of the luggage  10 , the pocket receiving portion being fixed to the wall of the luggage by a buck-tail portion of the rivet flattened or expanded on the inner surface of the luggage. The pocket receiving portion  30  may be formed anywhere on the outer surface of the luggage  10  as desired. For example, the pocket receiving portion  30  may be formed on the same side, such as a rear side or front side, of the luggage  10  or formed on different sides including left, right, and bottom sides, as shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  3 B, and  4 B. 
         [0037]    In another example, the pocket  20  formed of a mesh net may be connected to the pocket receiving portion  30 , such as a rivet, to form a pocket on the luggage  10 . The mesh net is pushed through the rivet via a selected one of the plurality of holes of the mesh net such that the selected one of the plurality of holes is fixed to the rivet, the head portion  31  of the rivet or pocket receiving portion  30  preventing the mesh net from falling off the pocket receiving portion unless a force stronger than a predetermined strength is applied to pull the mesh net out from the rivet or pocket receiving portion. Since the mesh net is elastic, the individual holes of the mesh net can be expanded when the rivet is inserted into the hole by a force and once the rivet is inserted into the hole, the size of the hole returns to its original size. Thus, the hole is tightly wrapped around the cylindrical shaft  32  and retained by the head portion  31 . Therefore, the pocket  20  formed on the luggage  10  is stably maintained as long as the pocket receiving portion  30  remains inside the selected holes of the pocket. 
         [0038]    As disclosed above, the inventive luggage with a detachable pocket can be achieved without having too many additional components. Thus, the manufacturing cost for implementing the detachable pocket system on the luggage will be kept to a minimum. 
         [0039]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing description of these embodiments of the present invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Preferred embodiments were shown in the context of standard wheeled luggage. In alternative embodiments, luggage of any size or containing a number of compartments can be substituted for the present invention.