In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for providing collapsible luggage are presented. Such exemplary collapsible luggage can have two states: (i) a fully extended state in which said luggage is used by a user to hold, for example, clothing and objects, and (ii) a co
In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for providing collapsible luggage are presented. Such exemplary collapsible luggage can have two states: (i) a fully extended state in which said luggage is used by a user to hold, for example, clothing and objects, and (ii) a compressed or folded state in which the luggage has a minimum volume and can be easily and conveniently stored, especially where space is a premium. Various novel technologies are used to obtain maximal compression in the compressed state, provide rigidity and structural support in the fully extended state, and to allow for convenient transformation between the two states. One of such technologies is a self-locking hinge mechanism requiring no direct contact from a user, which also provides audible feedback to the user.
대표청구항▼
1. A collapsible article of luggage, comprising: a bottom surface, comprising: a rigid front portion,a rigid rear portion, said front and rear portions being connected by at least one hinge so that they can move from an essentially coplanar configuration to an essentially perpendicular configuration
1. A collapsible article of luggage, comprising: a bottom surface, comprising: a rigid front portion,a rigid rear portion, said front and rear portions being connected by at least one hinge so that they can move from an essentially coplanar configuration to an essentially perpendicular configuration the result of said rigid front portion being rotated about said hinge to be substantially perpendicular to said rigid rear portion, said rigid rear portion remaining fixed; anda locking mechanism arranged to lock said front and rear portions in said essentially coplanar configuration;a top surface, comprising: a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion and said rear portion arranged so as be able to move from an essentially coplanar configuration to an essentially perpendicular configuration;a rear surface, essentially perpendicular to the rear portion of the bottom surface;a left side surface;a right side surface; anda front surface, said front surface releasably connected to at least two of said bottom, top, left and right surfaces,wherein, in operation, the article of luggage can be in an expanded configuration and in a collapsed configuration, andwherein, in said expanded configuration: said front and rear portions of the bottom surface are locked in said essentially coplanar configuration, said bottom surface extends the depth of the luggage, and said front and rear portions of the top surface are positioned in said essentially coplanar configuration,and in said collapsed configuration: said front and rear portions of the bottom surface are positioned in said essentially perpendicular configuration, and said front and rear portions of the top surface are positioned in said essentially perpendicular configuration. 2. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein said at least one hinge connecting said front and rear portions of the bottom surface is manually locked by a locking mechanism. 3. The article of luggage of claim 2, wherein said at least one hinge is locked or unlocked by a user pushing on an actuator. 4. The article of luggage of claim 2, wherein said at least one hinge is locked or unlocked by a user activating a spring loaded button. 5. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein said front and rear rigid portions of said bottom surface are connected by at least one self-locking hinge, also serving as the locking mechanism. 6. The article of luggage of claim 5, wherein said at least one self-locking hinge has natural stops in a 180 degree configuration and a 90 degree configuration. 7. The article of luggage of claim 6, wherein said at least one self-locking hinge emits a sound when it is placed in each of said 90 degree and 180 degree configurations. 8. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein said front surface is releasably connected to at least two of said bottom, top, left and right surfaces by a zipper or equivalent releasable closure. 9. The article of luggage of claim 1, wherein said front surface is permanently connected to a portion of the front portion of said left surface, and releasably connected to front portions of said bottom, top and right surfaces. 10. The article of luggage of claim 1, further comprising one or more of foldable side panels, a perimeter supporting band at the rear, and a perimeter supporting cord in said front surface. 11. The article of luggage of claim 10, wherein said foldable side panels are connected to one of said rear surface and said right side and left side surfaces, and wherein in an expanded configuration said side panels are positioned essentially parallel to interior surfaces of said right and left side panels, and in a collapsed configuration are positioned essentially parallel to and adjacent to an interior of said rear surface. 12. The article of luggage of claim 11, wherein said side panels provide structural support. 13. The article of luggage of claim 11, wherein said side panels comprise a wire or carbon fiber frame covered in fabric. 14. The article of luggage of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: foldable side panels and a foldable bottom cover, said foldable bottom cover. 15. The article of luggage of claim 14 or 1, wherein said bottom cover is provided with lateral lips, arranged to hold side panels in a final expanded position. 16. The article of luggage of claim 1, further comprising either: (i) two wheels provided on the rigid rear portion of the bottom surface; or(ii) two wheels provided on the rigid rear portion of the bottom surface, and two wheels provided on the rigid front portion of the bottom surface. 17. The article of luggage of either of claim 1 or 16, further comprising a telescoping handle that can be used with the article standing on the ground. 18. A method of providing collapsible luggage, comprising: providing a rigid bottom plate comprising two rigid portions, a rear portion and a front portion, the front portion capable of being rotated relative to the rear portion about a first axis, said first axis being at a defined distance forward of the rear edge of said rear portion;providing a rigid top plate comprising two rigid portions, a rear portion and a front portion, the front portion capable of being rotated relative to the rear portion about a second axis;providing a flexible rear surface, right side surface and left side surface, said rear surface essentially perpendicular to the rear portion of the bottom surface;providing a right side support that can be rotated along a third axis; andproviding a left side support that can be rotated along a fourth axis, the third and fourth axes being essentially parallel, and allowing said right side support and said left side support to be folded substantially into a plane, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel, and substantially perpendicular to the third axis and the fourth axis, the rigid bottom portion arranged to be locked in essentially coplanar configuration, wherein said bottom surface extends the depth of the luggage. 19. A method of providing collapsible luggage, comprising: providing a rigid bottom plate comprising two rigid portions, a rear portion and a front portion, the front portion capable of being rotated relative to the rear portion about a first axis;providing a rigid top plate comprising two rigid portions, a rear portion and a front portion, the front portion capable of being rotated relative to the rear portion about a second axis;providing a flexible rear surface, right side surface and left side surface;providing a right side support that can be rotated along a third axis; andproviding a left side support that can be rotated along a fourth axis, the third and fourth axes being essentially parallel, and allowing said right side support and said left side support to be folded substantially into a plane, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel, and substantially perpendicular to the third axis and the fourth axis, the rigid bottom portion arranged to be locked in essentially coplanar configuration, wherein said bottom surface extends substantially the full depth of the luggage. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the collapsible luggage can assume either an expanded state and a collapsed state, the expanded state having: the two portions of the bottom plate substantially coplanar; the two portions of the top plate substantially coplanar; and the right side support and the left side support being each substantially perpendicular to the top plate and the bottom plate. 21. The method of claim 20, the collapsed state having: the two portions of the bottom plate substantially perpendicular; the two portions of the top plate substantially perpendicular; and the right side support and the left side support being each substantially parallel to the flexible rear surface. 22. The method of any of claims 19-21, wherein the ratio of the volume of the luggage in the collapsed state to that of the volume in the expanded state is equal to the ratio of the length of the shorter of the portions of the bottom plate plus any protrusion from the longer of the portions of the bottom plate to the sum of the lengths of the two portions of the bottom plate. 23. A method of providing collapsible luggage, comprising: providing a rigid rear panel;providing a rigid bottom plate comprising two rigid portions, a rear portion and a front portion, the front portion capable of being rotated relative to the rear portion about a first axis so as to allow the two portions to be in either a planar and a perpendicular configuration, said first axis being at a defined distance forward of the rear edge of said rear portion of said bottom plate, and said rear portion of the bottom plate essentially perpendicular to the rigid rear panel;providing a flexible top surface, front surface, right side surface and left side surface; andproviding a bottom support flap that can be rotated along a second axis substantially parallel to said first axis, allowing said support flap to either lie on top of said rigid bottom plate in its planar configuration or be folded substantially into a plane adjacent to the rear panel when said rigid bottom plate is in its perpendicular configuration,wherein the two portions of the rigid bottom plane are connected in each of its planar and perpendicular configurations by one or more self-locking hinges, andwherein, when said two portions of the bottom plate are in said planar configuration said front and rear portions of the bottom surface are locked in said planar configuration by said one or more self-locking hinges, and said bottom surface extends the depth of the luggage. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more self-locking hinges comprise a self-locking hinge, including: a first arm and a second arm, the first arm provided with a cylinder containing a spring and a ball, the first arm and the second arm each rotatably connected to an axis;anda flange co-axial with the axis, the flange fixed with respect to the second arm, the flange having a first radius over most of its arc length, and smaller radii at selected positions along its surface, the selected positions corresponding to preset stops,wherein the flange is placed along the axis so as to abut the ball at the end of the cylinder.
Berman Joseph J. (55 Mountain View Ter. Hillsdale NJ 07642) Chang S. J. (13-3 Samjung-Dong Joon-Ku Buchun City Kyunggi-Do KRX), Collapsible structured luggage.
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