Luggage system employing a telescopically-extendable handle and rechargeable power supply assembly

• US 10,034,527 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JRSK, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JRSK, Inc.
• Inventors: Korey, Stephanie, Rubio, Jennifer, Recor, Bret, Murray, Seth, Weber, Charles, Park, Ahyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/333,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320129, 320137, 320152
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/03 Means for holding garments
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/103 Arrangement of zip-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/18 Devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/262 for wheeled luggage
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/00 Purses, bags, luggage or other receptacles covered by groups A45C1/00 - A45C11/00, combined with other objects or articles A45C1/08, A45C3/14, A45C11/321, A45C13/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2005/037 with a hard shell, i.e. rigid shell as volume creating element
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2013/025 for holding portable computers or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2013/267 the handle being slidable, extractable and lockable in one or more positions
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/03 Suitcases
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/06 with outside compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/14 with built-in rolling means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A luggage system employing a telescopically-extendable handle and rechargeable power supply assembly. The assembly includes a pair of spaced apart telescopic guide tubes for supporting a pair of telescopically-extendable rods joined to a handle structure. A base housing component is mounted in an aperture formed in the rear housing portion, and has a top surface. A battery module casing is mounted to and beneath the base housing component, and disposed substantially in the same plane as and between the pair of spaced apart telescopic guide tubes. A rechargeable DC battery power module is contained in the battery module casing, and provides a DC battery recharging port and a set of DC power supplying ports. Each such port is directly accessible through the top surface of the base housing component. A power port cover panel is hinged to the base housing component and has a closed configuration and an open configuration.

Claims

1. A luggage system comprising:

front and rear housing portions hinged together to provide a housing assembly provided with a set of spinner wheels, the front housing portion defining an edge surface that is recessed inwardly from a front surface of the front housing portion, the edge surface defining a storage region recessed within the front housing portion;

a front panel hinged along a bottom region of the front housing portion and being configured to move between;

i) an open configuration in which the storage region is accessible, and ii) a closed configuration in which the front panel is at least partially disposed within the storage region;

a zipper structure configured to hold the front panel to the front housing portion in the closed configuration; and

a handle and rechargeable power supply assembly mounted within the rear housing portion,

wherein the handle and rechargeable power supply assembly includes;

(i) a base housing component mounted in an aperture formed in the rear housing portion, and having a top surface, the base housing component;

i) supporting one or more electrical power supply ports and a power recharging port operably connected to a rechargeable battery storage module, and ii) defining a recess exposing the one or more electrical power supply ports and the power recharging port;

(ii) a battery module casing mounted to and beneath the base housing component, the battery module casing;

being substantially hollow and defining an internal volume;

i) to receive the rechargeable battery storage module, and ii) that is open to the recess; and

having an opening through which the rechargeable battery storage module can be installed and removed;

and

(iii) a power port cover panel connected to the base housing component configured to move between;

i) a closed configuration to cover the one or more electrical power supply ports and the power recharging port, in which the power port cover panel is disposed within the recess defined by the base housing component, and ii) an open configuration in which the one or more electrical power supply ports and the power recharging port are accessible through the recess defined by the base housing component;

a compression pad subsystem disposed within the rear housing portion and including a compression-pad structure strapped to an interior surface of the rear housing portion using a set of compression straps, wherein the set of compression straps are configured to generate compression forces between the compression-pad structure and an internal surface of the rear housing portion; and

a laundry bag subsystem connected at a bottom surface of the rear housing portion, and including;

(i) an expandable pouch-like laundry bag defining an expandable volume for storing garments; and

(ii) a laundry bag storage pouch for containing and storing the laundry bag when the laundry bag is in a collapsed configuration,

wherein, in an expanded configuration, the laundry bag substantially occupies a volume in the rear housing portion on top of the compression pad subsystem.

2. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein the power recharging port comprises a mini-USB-type port, and wherein the electrical power supply ports comprise USB-type ports.

3. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein said rechargeable battery storage module is removable from said battery module casing.

4. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein said power port cover panel comprises a seal along its underside to protect the power recharging port and power supply ports when the power port cover panel is arranged in the closed configuration.

5. The luggage system of claim 3, wherein the power port cover panel is biased toward the closed configuration.

6. The luggage system of claim 1, which is a hard-shell luggage system,

wherein the front housing portion comprises a front hard-shell housing portion,

wherein the rear housing portion comprises a rear hard-shell housing portion,

wherein the front and rear hard-shell housing portions are hinged together to provide a hard-shell housing assembly, and

wherein the handle and rechargeable power supply assembly is mounted in the rear hard-shell housing portion.

7. The luggage system of claim 6 wherein the front and rear housing portions are sealed using a zipper subsystem.

8. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein the set of spinner wheels comprises first and second pairs of spinner wheels, wherein the first pair of spinner wheels are mounted on a bottom of the rear housing portion, and wherein the second pair of spinner wheels are mounted on a bottom of the front housing portion.

9. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein the battery module casing is releasably fastened to the base housing component to permit the rechargeable battery storage module to be replaced as required.

10. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein the front panel comprises a mesh pouch along an inner surface.

11. The luggage system of claim 1, further comprising a set of top and side handles for carrying the luggage system in one of two possible configurations, including in an upright carrying configuration or in a side carrying configuration.

12. The luggage system of claim 1, further comprising one or more retention elements to limit a distance from which the front panel can pivot from the front housing portion.

13. The luggage system of claim 12, wherein the retention element comprises a strap.

14. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein the front housing portion defines a front access opening to provide access to a front interior storage volume within the front housing portion.

15. The luggage system of claim 1, wherein the set of compression straps comprises two spaced-apart sets of male-female snap-together-type releasable buckle straps that pass through loops formed in the compression-pad structure and anchored to the rear housing portion.

16. The luggage system of claim 15, wherein the set of compression straps are anchored to the rear housing portion along side regions of the rear housing.

17. The luggage system of claim 16, wherein, in the expanded configuration, the laundry bag has an outer perimeter than corresponds to the rear housing portion.

18. The luggage system of claim 17, wherein the laundry bag is detachable from and reattachable to the laundry bag storage pouch.

19. A luggage system comprising:

first and second housing portions hinged together to provide a housing assembly provided with a set of spinner wheels;

a handle and rechargeable power supply assembly including;

a base housing component mounted in an aperture formed in the second housing portion, and having a top surface, the base housing component;

i) supporting one or more electrical power supply ports and a power recharging port operably connected to a rechargeable battery storage module, and ii) defining a recess exposing the one or more electrical power supply ports and the power recharging port;

a battery module casing mounted to and beneath the base housing component, the battery module casing;

being substantially hollow and defining an internal volume;

i) to receive the rechargeable battery storage module, and ii) that is open to the recess defined by the first and second housing portions;

and having an opening through which the rechargeable battery storage module can be installed and removed;

a power port cover panel connected to the base housing component configured to move between;

i) a closed configuration to cover the one or more electrical power supply ports and the power recharging port, in which the power port cover panel is disposed within a recess defined by the base housing component and an upper surface of the power port cover panel is substantially flush with an upper surface of the base housing component, and ii) an open configuration in which the one or more electrical power supply ports and the power recharging port are accessible through the recess defined by the base housing component;

a compression pad subsystem disposed within the second housing portion and including a compression-pad structure strapped to an interior surface of the second housing portion using a set of compression straps, wherein said set of compression straps are configured to generate compression forces between the compression-pad structure and an internal surface of the second housing portion; and

a laundry bag subsystem connected at a bottom surface of the second housing portion, and including;

(i) an expandable pouch-like laundry bag defining an expandable volume for storing garments; and

(ii) a laundry bag storage pouch for containing and storing the laundry bag when the laundry bag is in a collapsed configuration,

wherein, in an expanded configuration, the laundry bag substantially occupies a volume in the second housing portion on top of the compression pad subsystem.

20. The luggage system of claim 19, wherein the power recharging port comprises a mini-USB-type port, and wherein the electrical power supply ports comprise USB-type ports.

21. The luggage system of claim 19, wherein said power port cover panel comprises a seal along its underside to protect the power recharging port and power supply ports when the power port cover panel is arranged in the closed configuration.

22. The luggage system of claim 19, wherein the power port cover panel is biased toward the closed configuration.

23. The luggage system of claim 19,

wherein the first housing portion comprises a first housing portion,

wherein the second housing portion comprises a second housing portion,

wherein the first and second hard-shell housing portions are hinged together to provide a hard-shell housing assembly, and

wherein the handle and rechargeable power supply assembly is mounted in the second hard-shell housing portion.

24. The luggage system of claim 23 wherein the first and second hard-shell housing portions are sealed using a zipper subsystem;

wherein the set of spinner wheels comprises first and second pairs of spinner wheels;

wherein the first pair of spinner wheels are mounted on a bottom of the first housing portion; and

wherein the second pair of spinner wheels are mounted on a bottom of the second housing portion.

25. The luggage system of claim 19, wherein the battery module casing is releasably fastened to the base housing component to permit the rechargeable battery storage module to be replaced as required.

26. The luggage system of claim 19, further comprising:

an edge surface defined by the first housing portion and recessed inwardly from a front surface of the first housing portion, the edge surface defining a storage region recessed within the first housing portion;

a front panel hinged along a bottom region of the first housing portion and being configured to move between;

i) an open configuration in which the storage region is accessible, and ii) a closed configuration in which the front panel is at least partially disposed within the storage region; and

a zipper structure configured to hold the front panel to the first housing portion in the closed configuration.