Samsonite Corporation

Samsonite IP Holdings S.a.r.l.

O'connor; Gregory W.

Water Pik, Inc.

Samsonite Cororation

William L King

David A Crumrine

Daniel G Elles

Gregory W O'Connor

Terry Oltrogge

Charles K Weisbart

Roger Pedlar

James S Gregg

Glenn Schmierer

Andrew Lewis Zionts

Lawrence J Deliman

David E Workman

Rik Hillaert

Charles E Waddell

Amy E Wolf

Carlo F Zezza, Jr

David W Fiddes

Jon C Nordmark

Robert M Tesman

Paul Kinzer

Mark T Salander

Dirk Santy

Ryan A Sullivan

Peter L Ward

George A Teixeira

Roger D Winter

Kenzo Yoneno

Elliot J Younessian

Bonnie M Earl

Philip J Karl

Roland E Mongeau

Diane Mary Erickson

Ethan Mitchell

Edward F Wholley

David A Koontz

Wendell Christopher Alexander, Jr

Pete Twarog

Luc Huyghe

Peter Ward

John H Sullivan, Jr

Peter Twarog

Kyle F Gendreau

Charles Weisbart

Ryan Sullivan

Robert Thomas Zielinski

Berkley B Thornton, Jr

A luggage case may include opposing front and back walls, opposing sidewalls, opposing end walls, and multiple wheels. The front, back, side, top and end walls together thereby define an outer structure and enclosed space of the case. The wheels may include a pair of axially spaced apart fixed axis wheels with a common fixed rotational axis substantially perpendicular to the front and back walls and located towards a bottom corner of the case and at least one spinner wheel assembly mounted to the case to rotate at least one wheel about at least two orthogonal axes and located on the bottom end of the case spaced a distance along the width (W) of the case from the common fixed rotational axis of fixed wheels. Such a case can be wheeled over and cope better with rough terrain than a more conventional luggage article, while still being relatively manoeuvrable.

Wheeled luggage case arrangement

A luggage case may include front, back, side, top, and bottom walls. At least one recess may be defined by at least one of the walls near the luggage case's bottom end. Two or more spinner wheel assemblies may be joined to at least one of the walls proximate the luggage case's bottom end. Each spinner wheel assembly may be configured to pivot its at least one wheel from a first position where the at least one wheel engages a support surface to allow the luggage case to be wheeled on the support surface to a second position where the least one wheel is positioned within one of the at least one recess and does not project beyond the bottom wall. An actuation mechanism that includes a user engagement component and at least one actuation assembly may be used to move the wheels between their first and second positions.

Retractable spinner wheels for a luggage case

A suitcase may include at least two panels defining a pocket, a substantially planar object sized for receipt within a pocket, at least one guide joined to at least one of the at least two panels, and at least one connection assembly joining the substantially planar object to the at least one guide. The substantially planar object may be a table. The at least one connection assembly and the at least one guide may be configured to allow the at least one connection assembly to move along the guide. The at least one connection assembly may further be configured to allow the table to pivot relative to an outer surface of the suitcase. The table may be supported by an upper outer surface of the suitcase. The table may provide a working surface for a user.

Retractable table for luggage

A wheeled luggage case may include first and second shells connected together at their perimeter edges to define a generally parallelepiped packing volume. A wheel device may be attached to each of the first and second shells. Each of these wheel devices may include a hub rotatably attached to a respective shell. A tire may be attached to the hub for rolling on the supporting surface when the tire portion and hub are rotated about this axis of rotation. The tire portion may include a series of tire segments. At least some of the segments may be attached to the hub portion by a hinge. The hinge may include a hinging axis of rotation at a substantially right angle to the axis of rotation of the hub itself.

Luggage case with large folding wheels

A zipper for luggage or a travel bag may include a slider and a releasable security device to provide access to the bag by authorized persons. The releasable security device may be configured to receive a portion of a locking apparatus, such as a padlock. A portion of the releasable security device may be received within the slider.

Zippers for bags and luggage

A remote cinching devicecomprising a resiliency mechanismand, a force-transferring device, and a cinching deviceenhances luggage, totes, briefs, and other transport and/or storage devices. The resiliency mechanism biases the luggage in an open condition, while the cinching device, located remotely from the areas undergoing the highest levels of expansion force (the top and bottom ends of an upright luggage case, for example), allows effective, easy, and visually pleasing compression of the case once it has been closed. The cinch is carried by force-transferring structures, by which the act of cinching is made even more efficient.

System for cinching a resilient luggage case

A carry-on case () comprising a packing compartment () defined by a lower textile panel () and a zipper track () that extends along a bottom edge of the packing compartment (). Packing compartment is accessible from the top of the case () via a three sided zipper track () extending along the top edge, right, and left sides of the packing compartment () to permit all-sided access therein.

Carry-on case for conforming to the curved shape of an overhead carry-on luggage compartment

Luggage cases that are sized and shaped to be carried on to the passenger compartment of a commercial airplane are called carry-on luggage cases. Cases small enough to fit below the passenger seatimmediately in front of the traveler must be very small and compact and generally interfere with comfortable placement of the passenger's feet during travel. The disclosed luggage caseincludes a tapering reinforced portionof the main packing dooron which a passenger may wish to place or rest his or her feet during travel. This main packing dooris constructed to bend and open to give access to a specially designed slanting shelf areawhere a bottled drinkor cosmetics can be easily accessed without removing the casefrom its stowed position beneath the front passenger seat

Carry-on luggage case

Non-textile fabric panels (FIG.) are either formed, formed and joined, or joined by using plates or elementshaving edges with connection structures of complementary shaped and spaced knucklesthat interfit with one another. The knuckles include surfaces, that interfit and engage similar structures on adjacent elements or plates. Aligned, interfitting connection structures or knuckles can hinge along major bending axes, giving the non-textile fabric made thereby the ability to flex and bend like textile fabric or leather. Buttressing surfacesbetween connected knuckles help prevent early disengagement of intermitting surfaces when the non-textile fabric is subjected to strong tensile forces. Elementshaving the overall shape of a right isoscoles triangle in the plane of the non-textile fabric formed therefrom thus provide four major bending axes for superior flexible strength. Knuckleson the free edges of non-textile fabric panels made according the invention can be interleaved in a post manufacturing operation to make strong and almost invisible seams between panels.

Connection element structure for a non-textile fabric

Disclosed is a method and system for compressing and automatically expanding an expandable luggage casecomprising a ratchet mechanismand a bungee cord, that is used to bias a locking mechanism, in the form of detentsthat mate with teeth, in a locked position, and to bias a jack mechanismfor automatic expansion. The bungee cordbiases the ratchet compressor systemin an expanded state. Thus, automatic expansion is achieved, in a very easy to use manner. In addition to being operated while the luggage caseis open, the ratchet compressoris also operable from the outside of the luggage caseonce the luggage casehas been packed and closed. A user may then compress the luggage casesimply by applying pressure to the lid. The ratchet compressor systemtherefore provides a zipper-less, automated method of expanding a luggage caseas well as compressing the luggage caseonce the luggage casehas been closed.

Ratchet compressor for expandable luggage

The present embodiment provides a neat, tailored accordion gussetwith crisscrossing elastic ribbonsattached to opposite rigid wire framesandof the expandable gusset, as well as a tensioned bungee cordattached to the innermost edge of the center seamof the expansion gusset. These elastic membersare enclosed and sealed from view by the outermost wallof the luggage caseand an inner walldefined by an elastic textile such as Spandex or the like. The resulting expansion gussetcan best be built into a main packing compartment doorof the luggage caseand will expand in response to over-packing of the main packing compartmentby expanding the expansion gussetin response to the pressure of the goods against the restoring force of the various elastic members

Expansion system for a luggage case

A luggage case () has a molded, relatively hard or rigid back portion affixed to the relatively soft fabric constructed front portion (). A connector form () constructed of an extruded, flexible shape extends around the peripheral rim () of the back portion, and has a first free end () which is attached by sewing to a gusset () that extends around the front portion (). The connector form () has an upper portion that has one and preferably two channels on an outer portion, one of which contains a stiffening wire (). The upper portion is fastened by stitching to the rim () of the back portion. The upper portion includes at least a pair of protruding pockets (), which define a gap or channel () there between. A strap () attached to opposite sides of the back portion by triangular-shaped anchors, passes through this gap or channel () and had a lifting handle () attached thereto. A shoulder harness has ends that can be attached to an end of the back portion and to the lifting handle () at a shoulder yolk can be used to carry the luggage case () on one's back.

Hybrid construction for a luggage case

A wheeled car seat sized to hold an infant or young toddler in the seat of an automobile that can also be converted to a wheeled stroller is disclosed herein. The wheeled car seat is made from materials to protect the occupant while at the same time keeping the weight of the wheeled car seat to a minimum. When removing the wheeled car seat from an automobile, the user need not remove the child passenger while the user converts the wheeled car to a stroller, but instead only need lift the car seat above the ground and allow a pivotal chassis to swing open and expose wheels to the ground. When the wheeled car seat is configured as a car seat, the wheels are enclosed to prevent dirt from getting on the upholstery of the automobile.

Wheeled car seat

Of the various carrying cases especially designed to isolate the contained laptop computer from impact forces, all are deficient in isolating the laptop computer from impacts from all directions, for example if the case containing the laptop computer were dropped on any side, edge or corner. The disclosed case provides a lightweight framed shock-absorbing insert to resist the impact and to channel much of the impact energy away from the laptop computer. This insert has two flat panels sandwiching the laptop computer. These panels flex in response to impact from any direction, while isolating the laptop computer from direct impact with the floor or the like during impact of the case with the floor. The panels are constrained from collapsing by bending out of the plane of the panel during most impacts. Constraining structures include a surounding frame between the outer edges flat panels, and surrounding textile constructions that cooperate to keep the flat panels parallel and generally flat during impacts.

Laptop computer carrying case and impact isolating insert

Combination infant car seat and stroller

Growing community of inventors

Denver, CO, United States of America

William L King