DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The drawing is incorporated into and forms part of the specification to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. Throughout the drawing like reference numerals designate corresponding elements. It will be recognized that the principles of the invention may be utilized and embodied in many and various forms. In order to demonstrate these principles, the invention is described herein by reference to specific preferred embodiments. The invention, however, is not limited to the specific forms illustrated and described. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to use in connection with soft-sided bags or trolley bags but may find utility in other similar applications.

[0013] For purposes of this disclosure, the term “travel bag” is used to mean any portable container with a reversible closure such as a zipper or the like. Similarly, “zipper” is used to mean any mechanism in which interlocking members arranged on opposite sides of an opening are reversibly joined or separated to close or open the opening. The term “coincident frame members” is used to mean two or more rigid frames or frame members of substantially matching interior dimensions, each formed into a shape which defines the length and width of the interior dimensions of a travel bag. Such frame members thus have facing edge surfaces and the depth of the bag is determined by the combined depths of the coincident frame members.

[0014] An expandable wheeled travel bag, referred to generally by the reference numeral 10 , is illustrated in the drawing. The shape and size of the interior of bag 10 is determined by the shape and size of the interior surfaces of rectangular coincident frame members 11 , 12 .

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the travel bag 10 includes wheels 20 mounted at the junction of the bottom face 21 and back face 28 of bag 10 . Atop handle 24 and side handle 25 are secured to frame member 11 to provide means for carrying the bag 10 . A pull handle 26 is also secured to frame member 11 and retractably extendable from top face 27 . With pull handle 26 extended, the bag may be tipped toward back face 28 and dragged on wheels 20 . One or more supports 23 are also mounted on the bottom face 21 , either on the lower frame member 11 or upper frame member 12 . The supports 23 , in cooperation with wheels 20 , support the bag 10 in the upright position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 . Similar supports 33 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ) are provided on the side face opposite handle 25 to support the bag 10 when resting on its side.

[0016] The top 30 is hingedly attached to one top edge of upper frame member 12 and reversibly secured to the remaining top edges of upper frame member 12 by a zipper 31 . Opening and closing zipper 31 provides access to the interior of bag 10 . As in conventional travel bags, the outer surface of top 30 includes a zippered pouch 32 accessible when the zipper 31 is closed.

[0017] As more clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the coincident rectangular frame members 11 , 12 have facing edges 11 a , 12 a which are positioned substantially adjacent each other when the bag is in the collapsed condition and spaced apart when the bag is in the expanded condition. A zipper 14 comprised of joinable zipper halves 14 a , 14 b secured to lower frame member 11 and upper frame member 12 , respectively, may be closed to secure the frame members closely adjacent (in the collapsed position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 ) or opened to permit the frame members 11 , 12 to move apart (to the expanded condition as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ). A collapsible expansion ring 13 bridges the space between facing edges 11 a , 12 a to provide the exterior boundary of the enclosure when the bag 10 is expanded. When the bag 10 is collapsed, the expansion ring 13 is folded into the bag enclosure or trapped between edges 11 a and 12 a.

[0018] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a stabilizer in the form of a rigid tongue 40 is secured to the inner face of upper frame member 12 and extends into the cavity defined by the lower frame member 11 . A cooperating receiver 41 is attached to the lower frame member 11 . As shown in the drawing the stabilizer comprises two tongues 40 , one attached to the left-hand side and the other attached to the right-hand side. If desired, similar tongues could be attached to the top and bottom sides of the rectangular frames 11 , 12 . It should also be recognized that although the drawing illustrates the tongues 40 attached to the upper frame member 12 and the receiver 41 attached to the lower frame member 11 , the respective locations of the tongue 40 and receiver 41 may be reversed if desired.

[0019] In the embodiment illustrated tongue 40 comprises a panel of rigid plastic or the like secured to the inner face of the upper frame member 12 by glue, screws, bolts (not illustrated) or the like. Similarly, receiver 41 is secured to the inner face of lower frame member 11 by any suitable means such as screws, glue, bolts 42 or the like. It should be noted that tongue 40 may extend along a length of the frame members 11 , 12 and secured to two or more receivers 41 .

[0020] In the embodiment illustrated receiver 41 has a lip 43 which extends parallel with the inner face of lower frame member 11 . When the expansion ring 13 is fully expanded the end of tongue 40 may be inserted into receiver 41 and held in place by the pocket defined by lip 43 . In this condition, bag 10 is fully expanded (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ) and rigidly held in the expanded condition by the stabilizer mechanism consisting of tongue 40 and receiver 41 . When desired, the bag 10 may be returned to the collapsed condition (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 ) by simply withdrawing the tongue 40 from receiver 41 and aligning the tongue 40 to extend over receiver 41 as shown in FIG. 4 . To secure the bag 10 in the collapsed condition zipper 14 is closed, drawing edge surfaces 11 a and 12 a together and fully collapsing expansion ring 13 .

[0021] In the embodiment illustrated tongue 40 and receiver 41 are attached to the inner faces of upper frame member 12 and lower frame member 11 , respectively. It should be recognized, however, that the stabilizer mechanism (tongue 40 and receiver 41 ) could be secured to the outer surfaces of frame members 11 and 12 and operate in exactly the same manner. Furthermore, the interconnecting mechanism for securing tongue 40 to receiver 41 need not be limited to the structure illustrated. For example, tongue 40 may include a groove, notch, slot, hole or the like which mates with interlocking structure of or pocket defined by the receiver 41 . Similarly, receiver 41 may be any suitable structure attached to or integrally formed in the supporting frame member which mates with a groove, notch, slot, hole or the like in the tongue 40 . Other means for securing a rigid tongue 40 to a receiver 41 on the other frame member may include mating Velcro® strips on the tongue and receiver or one half of the Velcro® fastener device actually forming the receiver.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment the frame members 11 , 12 are constructed from lightweight high strength plastic panels formed by extruding plastic material such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) or polyvinylchloride (PVC) to form multi-cellular panels which are joined end-to-end to form individual rectangular frame members. Obviously, other materials and construction arrangements may be used.

[0023] The overall dimensions of travel bag 10 are typically about fourteen (14) inches by twenty-one (21) inches by nine (9) inches (in the unexpanded condition), making the bag sufficiently small to fit within the overhead bins of commercial airliners. The bag 10 ordinarily includes padding and covering (not illustrated) of conventional heavy fabric such as DuPont 1050D ballistic nylon or the like commonly used for soft-sided luggage.

[0024] Although the foregoing description refers to detailed construction of a wheeled carry-on travel bag, the invention is not so limited. The stabilizing principles described may be readily applied to larger or smaller travel cases which do not employ wheels or pull handles or which employ wheels, skids or the like positioned at other locations on the frame of the bag. For example, the bag may be made with smaller or larger dimensions and/or utilize four (4) or more wheels.

[0025] In the embodiment described in detail, the coincident frame members 11 , 12 are formed of continuous panels joined end-to-end to form a continuous rectangular frame. It will be readily recognized, however, that such construction is illustrated as the preferred embodiment and may be modified as desired. The structure described, however, permits formation of a travel bag which is much lighter and more sturdy than travel bags or cases of similar volume using frame members of other construction. It is to be understood, therefore, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments, this disclosure is to be considered illustrative only. Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments constructed with certain preferred materials, various changes, substitutions and modifications may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, arrangement and combination of parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.