Hard sided luggage with soft covered externally accessible pouch areas
OwnerRobert V. Plathinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hard sided clamshell suitcase with integrally formed wells in top and bottom side panels is disclosed. The wells include a well periphery having a peripheral shelf upon which a reinforced periphery of a pouch is seated, the pouch being secured to standoff regions within the interior of the well. A wall defining a raised structure with a well floor that is co-planar with the side panel has an upper surface of the wall co-planar with a wheel base plane to provide a stable plane of rest for a suitcase when laid on its bottom. The well in the top side panel is recessed and has a soft cover that is co-planar with the side panel.
Claims47
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a well in said planar side panel, said well extending toward the interior of said suitcase and having a well periphery;
- a pouch having a substantially planar pouch upper surface;
- means for securing said pouch within said well so that said pouch upper surface is substantially co-planar with said side panel and substantially coextensive with said well periphery;
- and
- means disposed on said pouch upper surface for selectively providing access to the interior of said pouch.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a well in said planar side panel, said well extending toward the interior of said suitcase and having a well periphery;
- a pouch having a substantially planar pouch upper surface;
- means for securing said pouch within said well so that said pouch upper surface is substantially parallel to said side panel and lies within an area consisting of a plane defined by said substantially planar side panel and the periphery of the well;
- and
- means disposed on said pouch upper surface for selectively providing access to the interior of said pouch.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a well in said planar side panel, said well extending toward the interior of said suitcase and having a well periphery;
- a cover that is substantially co-planar with said side panel and substantially coextensive with said well periphery, said cover at least partially defining an enclosed volume within said well;
- means for securing said cover along said well periphery;
- means defining an opening on said cover;
- and
- means for selectively providing access through said opening to said enclosed volume.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a well in said planar side panel, said well extending toward the interior of said suitcase and having a well periphery;
- a cover that is substantially parallel to said side panel and lies within an area consisting of a plane defined by said substantially planar side panel and an area substantially coextensive with said well periphery, said cover at least partially defining an enclosed volume within said well;
- means for securing said cover along said well periphery;
- means defining an opening on said cover;
- and
- means for selectively providing access through said opening to said enclosed volume.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- a well defined in said planar side panel, said well extending toward the interior of said suitcase and having a well periphery;
- a pouch having a substantially planar pouch upper surface;
- means for securing said pouch within said well so that said pouch upper surface is substantially co-planar with said side panel and substantially coextensive with said well periphery;
- means for defining an opening on said upper pouch surface;
- and
- means for selectively closing said opening.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- wall means defining a well on said planar side panel, said well extending above said planar side panel and having a well periphery;
- a pouch having a substantially planar pouch upper surface;
- means for securing said pouch within said well so that said pouch upper surface is substantially co-planar with the top of said well and substantially coextensive with said well periphery;
- and
- means disposed on said pouch upper surface for selectively providing access to the interior of said pouch.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel and a plurality of wheels disposed in said substantially planar side panel with at least a portion of the arc of each of said wheels extending above said substantially planar side panel to form a wheel base plane that is substantially parallel to said planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- wall means defining a well on said planar side panel, said well extending above said planar side panel and having a well periphery that is co-planar with said wheel base plane;
- a pouch having a substantially planar pouch upper surface;
- means for securing said pouch within said well so that said pouch upper surface is substantially co-planar with the top of said well and substantially coextensive with said well periphery;
- and
- means disposed on said pouch upper surface for selectively providing access to the interior of said pouch.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a well on said planar side panel, said well having a well periphery, and further defining a peripheral shelf along said well periphery;
- a pouch having a substantially planar pouch upper surface with a predetermined pouch periphery;
- means for securing said pouch within said well so that said upper pouch surface is substantially co-planar with the top of said well and substantially coextensive with said well periphery;
- and
- means disposed on said pouch upper surface for selectively providing access to the interior of said pouch.
In a suitcase of the type having at least one semi-rigid, substantially planar side panel, the improvement to said side panel comprising in combination:
- a semi-rigid peripheral side wall portion, said side wall portion defining a substantially planar upper wall surface and defining an interior well periphery;
- a recessed well portion surrounded by said peripheral side wall portion and peripherally bounded by said well periphery;
- a cover extending at least to said well periphery, said cover at least partially defining an enclosed volume within said well;
- means for securing said cover along the periphery of said well;
- means defining an opening on said cover;
- and
- means for selectively providing access through said opening to said enclosed volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.