US20050016810A1

US20050016810A1 - Bag or suitcase having bottom bracing device

Info

Publication number: US20050016810A1
Application number: US10/626,201
Authority: US
Inventors: Chi Feng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-21
Filing date: 2003-07-21
Publication date: 2005-01-27

Abstract

A suitcase includes a bracing device having a plate secured to the rear and bottom portion of the suitcase, the plate includes one or more slots to form or define one or more flaps. The bracing device further includes a board having a rear portion to be engaged into the slots of the plate, and having a front portion to be engaged onto the front and bottom portion of the suitcase. The flaps of the plate may be engaged onto the rear portion of the board, to maintain the board in an engagement with the bottom portion of the suitcase, and to prevent the board from being disengaged from the bottom portion of the suitcase. A sheet member may couple the board to the suitcase.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bag or a suitcase, and more particularly to a bag or a suitcase having a foldable bracing device for bracing the bottom portion thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical bags or suitcases or luggage members comprise a chamber formed therein for receiving various objects, and normally comprise a board member solidly secured to the bottom portion thereof, to brace the bottom portion thereof, and to retain or maintain the bottom portion thereof in a straight or planar structure, and to allow the objects to be easily engaged into the chamber of the bags or suitcases or luggage members.
However, the board member is solidly secured to the bottom portion of the bags or suitcases or luggage members, and may not be folded relative to the bags or suitcases or luggage members, such that the bags or suitcases or luggage members also may not be folded to compact folding or storing configurations.
The other typical bags or suitcases or luggage members may comprise a board member loosely received in the chamber thereof, and selectively engageable into the bottom portion thereof, to brace the bottom portion thereof, and to retain or maintain the bottom portion thereof in a straight or planar structure.
However, the board member loosely received in the chamber of the bags or suitcases or luggage members, and may not be solidly secured to the bottom portion thereof; i.e., the bags or suitcases or luggage members have no suitable fixing or fastening devices or forces for solidly securing the board member in the bottom portion of the chamber thereof, such that the board member may be easily disengaged from the bottom portion of the bags or suitcases or luggage members.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional bags or suitcases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a bag or a suitcase including a foldable bracing device for bracing the bottom portion thereof, and for allowing the bag or the suitcase to be suitably folded to compact folding or storing configurations.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a suitcase comprising a suitcase body including a bottom portion, a front portion, and a rear portion, and a bracing device including a plate secured to the rear portion and the bottom portion of the suitcase body, and the plate including at least one slot formed therein, to define at least one flap therein. The bracing device further includes a board having a rear portion to be engaged into the slot of the plate, and having a front portion to be engaged onto the front portion and the bottom portion of the suitcase body, and the flap of the plate is engageable onto the rear portion of the board, to maintain the board in an engagement with the bottom portion of the suitcase body, and to prevent the board from being disengaged from the bottom portion of the suitcase body.
A retaining device may further be provided for retaining the board in the suitcase body, and includes a sheet member having a first edge secured to the suitcase body, and a second edge secured to the board. The second edge of the sheet member is preferably secured to the front portion and the board.
The plate includes at least one second flap extended therefrom and having a length smaller than that of the flap of the plate.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bag or a suitcase in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the folding operation of a foldable bracing device for the bag or suitcase;
FIG. 3 is a side schematic view of the bag or suitcase;
FIG. 4 is a side schematic view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the folding operation of the foldable bracing device for the bag or suitcase; and
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the foldable bracing device for the bag or the suitcase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a bag or a suitcase 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a suitcase body 10 including a bottom portion 11 having a bracket 12 attached or secured to the rear portion 18 thereof, to support one or more wheel devices 14 to the front portion 19 of the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10.
The suitcase body 10 includes one or more foot rests 15 attached to the front portion of the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10, to support the suitcase body 10 in a horizontal or working position, and includes a chamber 17 formed therein for receiving various objects (not shown) therein.
A foldable bracing device 20 is received in the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10, for bracing the bottom portion of the suitcase body 10, and for maintaining the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10 in a straight or planar structure, and for allowing the objects (not shown) to be easily engaged into the chamber 17 of the suitcase body 10.
The foldable bracing device 20 includes a plate 21 secured in the rear portion 18 of the suitcase body 10 with such as fasteners 22, latches (not shown), adhesive materials, or by welding processes, or the like. The plate 21 includes one or more, such as two slots 23 formed in the front portion 24 thereof, to form or define one or more spring or resilient flaps 25 in the front portion 24 thereof.
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the slots 23 of the plate 21 are preferably opened toward the front portion 19 of the suitcase body 10. The foldable bracing device 20 further includes a board 27 having a rear edge or portion 28 to be engaged into the slots 23 of the plate 21, and having front edge or portion 29 to be engaged onto the front portion 19 of the suitcase body 10.
In operation, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, when the rear portion 28 of the board 27 is engaged into the slots 23 of the plate 21, the one or more flaps 25 of the plate 21 may be engaged onto the upper portion of the board 27, and the other flaps 25 of the plate 21 may be engaged onto the lower portion of the board 27, in order to clamp or force the board 27 in the planar or horizontal status.
It is to be noted that the one or more flaps 25 of the plate 21 which are engaged onto the upper portion of the board 27 may force or depress the board 27 downwardly toward and to engage with the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10 in the planar or horizontal status, and may prevent the board 27 from moving upwardly away from the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10.
As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, it is preferable that the plate 21 includes one or more intermediate flaps 25 having a length greater than one or more side flaps 25 of the plate 21, to allow the rear portion 28 of the board 27 to be easily engaged into the slots 23 of the plate 21.
As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a cloth or flexible sheet member 30 may further be provided and having one end or edge portion 31 attached or secured to the suitcase body 10, such as secured to the upper portion 16 of the suitcase body 10, and the other end or edge portion 33 attached or secured to the front portion 29 of the board 27, for loosely retaining the board 27 within the chamber 17 of the suitcase body 10.
It is to be noted that the cloth or flexible sheet member 30 may thus be used as a retaining device for retaining the board 27 within the chamber 17 of the suitcase body 10, and for preventing the board 27 from being disengaged from the suitcase body 10.
When the front portion 29 of the board 27 is moved or forced upwardly, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear portion 28 of the board 27 may be disengaged from the slots 23 of the plate 21, and the board 27 may thus be disengaged from the plate 21 and thus be moved upwardly away from the bottom portion 11 of the suitcase body 10, and thus for allowing the suitcase body 10 to be suitably folded to compact folding or storing configurations.
Accordingly, the bag or the suitcase in accordance with the present invention includes a foldable bracing device for bracing the bottom portion thereof, and for allowing the bag or the suitcase to be suitably folded to compact folding or storing configurations.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A suitcase comprising:

a suitcase body including a bottom portion, a front portion, and a rear portion, and

a bracing device including a plate secured to said rear portion and said bottom portion of said suitcase body, and said plate including at least one slot formed therein, to define at least one flap therein, and

said bracing device further including a board having a rear portion to be engaged into said at least one slot of said plate, and having a front portion to be engaged onto said front portion and said bottom portion of said suitcase body, and

said at least one flap of said plate being engageable onto said board, to maintain said board in an engagement with said bottom portion of said suitcase body, and to prevent said board from being disengaged from said bottom portion of said suitcase body.

2. The suitcase as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for retaining said board in said suitcase body.

3. The suitcase as claimed in claim 2, wherein said retaining means includes a sheet member having a first edge secured to said suitcase body, and a second edge secured to said board.

4. The suitcase as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second edge of said sheet member is secured to said front portion and said board.

5. The suitcase as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plate includes at least one second flap extended therefrom and having a length smaller than that of said at least one flap of said plate.