Retractable auxiliary luggage attachment mechanism and method

A foldable hook in a movable position along the length of a strap and which is pivotable to an extended position in which to receive a luggage case and to a retracted position, said strap having a thickness between opposite sides and said hook comprising:

• a main portion having a first end and a second end;
• an extendable portion, engageable with a handle of the luggage case, and having a first end and a second end;
• a hinge structure for pivotably connecting the first ends of the main portion and the extendable portion to pivot the main and extendable portions with respect to one another between the extended and retracted positions;
• contact surfaces located on the first ends of the main portion and extendable portion, the contact surfaces operatively contacting one another to prevent further pivoting about the hinge structure when the main and extendable portions are in the extended position, and the contact surfaces being separated by a slot defined at least in part by the hinge structure when the main and extendable portions are folded to the retracted position;
• wherein the main portion and the extendable portion define an acute angle when in the extended position and are substantially mutually parallel when in the retracted position, and wherein the contact surfaces are separated by a distance greater than the thickness of the strap when the main and extendable portions are folded to the retracted position, and are separated by a distance less than the thickness of the strap when the main and extendable portions are unfolded to the extended position, whereby the strap passes loosely between the contact surfaces when the main and extendable portions are folded to the retracted position, and the contact surfaces contact the opposite sides of the strap when the main and extendable portions are unfolded to the extended position.

An attachment mechanism connected to a main luggage case having a top surface and at least one adjoining exterior surface, said attachment mechanism adapted to support an auxiliary luggage case against the exterior surface to allow the auxiliary luggage case to be conveyed together with the main luggage case, said attachment mechanism comprising:

• a flexible elongated strap having opposite sides separated by a thickness and an inner end fixed to the top surface of the main luggage case;
• a hook member movably positioned upon the strap and adapted to receive a handle of the auxiliary luggage case, said hook member comprising:
• a first portion comprising a first contact surface;
• a second portion comprising a second contact surface;
• means pivotably connecting the first and second portions to permit the contact surfaces to be pivoted toward each other to selectively fold the first and second portions together prior to retracting the hook member within the pocket, and to permit the contact surfaces to be pivoted away from each other to selectively unfold the first and second portions prior to the hook member receiving the handle of the auxiliary luggage case;
• and
• a slot between the first and second portions, defined at least in part by the means pivotably connecting the first and second portions;
• a housing on the top surface of the main luggage case and defining a pocket dimensioned to at least partially contain the strap and the hook member, said strap and hook member being selectively extendable and retractable between an extended position outside the pocket and a retracted position within the pocket, the housing positioned on the main luggage case to locate said strap in the extended position to suspend the auxiliary luggage case from the hook member below the top surface and against the exterior surface of the main luggage case;
• a cover member attached to the housing;
• and
• means for selectively closing the cover member over the pocket to maintain the retracted strap and hook member within the pocket and for selectively opening the cover member to allow the strap and hook member to be extended outside the pocket;
• wherein the contact surfaces are separated by a distance less than the thickness of the strap when the first and second portions are unfolded, whereby the strap passes through the slot to allow the hook member to move along the strap when the first and second portions are selectively folded together, and the contact surfaces substantially pinch the strap from opposite sides of the strap to secure the hook member to the strap only when the first and second portions are unfolded to fix the hook member at a predetermined position along the strap.