Patent ID: 7195109

Claim:
An automatic, zipperless, as-needed expansion system for a luggage case and the like comprising: a container; at least one expandable section, said expandable section comprising at least one expansion panel; a pair of outer edges of said expandable section, said outer edges existing parallel to one another with said expandable section affixed therebetween; and means for applying a force to said pair of outer edges of said expandable section wherein said force vertically biases the outer edges towards one another wherein said biasing force is created by elastomers, said elastomers comprise strips of elastics that are attached at one distal end to one said outer edge of said expandable section and at another distal end to an opposite outer edge of said expandable section, said elastics crisscross secondary elastics that are attached at one distal end to one said outer edge of said expandable section and at another distal end to said opposite outer edge of said expandable section to utilize primarily horizontal tensions to create a vertical pulling force.