Composite Fiber Saddlebag, Saddle Bag Liner, and Method

• US 20150158539A1
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milsco, LLC (Jason Industries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Janesville Acoustics, A Unit Of Jason Incorporated, Milsco Manufacturing Company (Jason Industries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jensen, Robert P., Camella, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,932,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 9/20 attached to the cycle as accessories

Abstract

A saddlebag container has a tub made of a plurality of composite fiber panels three dimensionally thermally molded or thermoformed in a chill forming process to form at least a plurality of structurally supporting tub walls and can have a lid of such construction. A preferred tub is formed of a plurality of panels with one panel three dimensionally shaped to form one sidewall and at least one of an endwall and bottom wall and another panel three dimensionally shaped to form the other sidewall that serves as a base to which the one panel is attached which can also provide a vehicle attachment mount. A preferred lid is formed of a panel that can have an outwardly extending mounting flap used to attach the lid to the base which can also serve as a hinge of the lid. A preferred tub and lid construction has at least two layers with one layer of a fibrous material and another layer of a different material that can provide a cover.

Claims

1. A motorcycle saddlebag comprised of a tub having at least a portion of a body of the tub formed of a three dimensionally shaped tub panel comprised of fibrous material.

2. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, further comprising an outer layer of a material different than the fibrous material that is attached to the three dimensionally shaped tub panel.

3. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 2, wherein the different material layer forms an outer cover of the tub.

4. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 3, wherein the different material layer comprises a cut-and-sew outer cover.

5. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel structurally supports the tub by substantially maintaining the three dimensional shape of the tub.

6. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 5, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel is formed of a thermoplastically moldable fiber-containing material.

7. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 5, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel is comprised of carpet.

8. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 5, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel is comprised of thermoplastic polymer fibers.

9. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel comprises a pair of end walls of the tub and a sidewall of the tub that spaces apart the pair of end walls of the tub.

10. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel comprises a pair of end walls of the tub, a sidewall of the tub, and a bottom of the tub.

11. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, wherein the tub is comprised of (a) a first three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel comprising a pair of spaced apart end walls and one sidewall of the tub, and (b) a second three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel comprising an opposite sidewall of the tub spaced apart from the one sidewall of the tub.

12. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 11, wherein the second three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel comprises a base to which the first three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel is attached.

13. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 12, wherein the base comprises a vehicle attachment mount used to attach the tub to a vehicle.

14. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 13, wherein the base is further comprised of a substantially rigid material different than the fibrous material.

15. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, wherein the tub is comprised of (a) a first three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel forming a pair of spaced apart end walls, one sidewall, and a bottom of the tub, and (b) a second three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel forming an opposite sidewall of the tub spaced apart from the one sidewall of the tub, the second three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel comprising a base to which the first three dimensionally shaped tub panel is attached forming the tub.

16. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel forms one of a side and sidewall of the tub having an elongate flange extending about a portion of the outer periphery thereof.

17. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 16, further comprising another three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panel having an elongate flange extending about a portion of the outer periphery thereof, and wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panels nesting with one another with the respective flanges of the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material tub panels disposed alongside one another.

18. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 1, further comprising a lid formed of a three dimensionally shaped lid panel comprised of fibrous material, the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material lid panel attached to the tub by a hinge.

19. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 18, wherein the three dimensionally shaped fibrous material lid panel further comprises a mounting flap attached to the tub.

20. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 19, wherein the mounting flap comprises a hinge.

21. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 20, wherein the mounting flap defines a living hinge.

22. A motorcycle saddlebag comprised of a tub formed of at least one three dimensionally shaped panel comprised of fibrous material defining a container having a plurality of spaced apart sidewalls, a bottom wall, and an opening through which an object can be placed therein, and wherein the at least one three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panel structurally supports the tub by substantially maintaining the three dimensional shape of the tub.

23. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 22, wherein one of the plurality of sidewalls comprises a vehicle attachment mount.

24. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 22, wherein the at least one three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panel is comprised of a plurality of three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panels with one of the plurality of three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panels forming one of the plurality of sidewalls that comprises a base to which another one of the plurality of three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panels is attached in defining the container of the tub.

25. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 24, wherein the one of the plurality of three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panels forming the one of the plurality of sidewalls comprises a vehicle attachment mount.

26. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 22, further comprising a lid formed of at least one three dimensionally shaped panel comprised of fibrous material and wherein the at least one three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panel structurally supports the lid by substantially maintaining the three dimensional shape of the lid.

27. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 26, wherein the at least one three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panel of the lid has a portion attached to the at least one three dimensionally shaped fibrous material panel of the tub.

28. A motorcycle saddlebag comprised of a tub formed of a plurality of three dimensionally shaped panels each comprised of fibrous material with one of the three dimensionally shaped panels forming at least a plurality of walls of the tub and another one of the three dimensionally shaped panels forming at least one of the walls of the tub and comprises a base to which the one of the three dimensionally shaped panels is attached.

29. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 28, wherein the another one of the three dimensionally shaped panels comprises a vehicle attachment mount.

30. The motorcycle saddlebag of claim 28, further comprising a tub formed of a three dimensionally shaped panel having a mounting flap attached to the base attaching the lid thereto.