US20060196901A1

US20060196901A1 - Luggage transportation system and method

Info

Publication number: US20060196901A1
Application number: US11/067,726
Authority: US
Inventors: Joshua Benk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-03-01
Filing date: 2005-03-01
Publication date: 2006-09-07

Abstract

Disclosed herein are exemplary techniques for carrying luggage and an apparatus for carrying luggage. The system and method include a luggage carrying device including a back support member with two slits and a plurality of flaps extending from a front and a back surface of the back support member, a hook support member wherein the hook support member is fixed to the back support member at an angle and a hook, wherein the hook is fixed to the hook support member. The method includes attaching a luggage carrying device to a wearers belt wherein the luggage carrying device is attached to the belt though two slits and several flaps whereby the luggage carrying device can be adjusted vertically using the flaps; hooking a rolling luggage to a hook member; pulling a rolling luggage using the luggage carrying device

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices designed to assist in towing luggage, specifically to devices that are adapted to allow the user to pull rolling luggage without the use of the users hands.
2. Description of Related Art
Luggage devices of various designs are currently available for the purpose of carrying luggage or hooking on piece of luggage to another. Heretofore such devices have been designed with a shoulder strap or a luggage type grip. Most of these devices are designed to allow a user to carry or drag or roll luggage by hand. Other backpack type devices are designed to carry luggage on ones back by strapping the luggage over ones shoulder. However these devices do not address the problem of keeping a persons hands free while pulling wheeled luggage.
Thus the prior devices have the disadvantage of burdening the user with carrying the weight of the luggage on ones shoulder or in ones hand. Additionally, other prior devices have the disadvantage of forcing the user to occupy on or both of their hands in order to carry the luggage. It is therefore an object of the current invention to eliminate the aforementioned shortcomings of prior devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general the invention comprises a luggage carrying device including a back support member with two slits and a plurality of flaps extending from a front and a back surface of the back support member, a hook support member wherein the hook support member is fixed to the back support member at an angle and a hook, wherein the hook is fixed to the hook support member. The plurality of flaps include a plurality of front flaps and a plurality of back flaps. The plurality of front flaps are arranged vertically along the back support member between the slits. The plurality of back flaps are arranged in pairs horizontally and each pair is arranged vertically along the back support member and wherein each pair is located on an outer side of the two slits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings where like reference numerals have been used in the several views to identify like parts and elements of my invention
FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the device;
FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the device;
FIG. 3 illustrates a back view of the device;
FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the device;
FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, certain details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well known structures associated with networks, web servers, web clients, web pages have not been shown, or described in detail, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments of the invention.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are considered to be open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.”
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a side view of a luggage carrying device 2 constructed and made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The luggage carrying device 2 is made of metal and consists of two main elements, a belt support member 4 and a hook member 6. The luggage carrying device 2 may alternatively be made of a hard plastic or any substance hard enough to support a piece of luggage on the hook member 6. The luggage carrying device 2 is preferably 5 mm in thickness uniformly from top to bottom, 1.75 inches in width uniformly from top to bottom, and 14 inches in height. One of skill in the art will recognize that these dimensions can be adjusted and remain within the invention.
The belt support member 4 includes back facing belt adjusting flaps 8 which are preferably placed in horizontal pairs evenly spaced vertically along the back surface of the belt support member 4 and fitted to hook over the top portion of a belt in order to raise or lower the luggage carrying device for the wearers comfort. Belt adjusting flaps 8 are preferably 0.25 inches wide, curved to allow the flaps to hook over a standard sized belt and made of metal or plastic or any suitable material. In a particular embodiment, 6 pairs back facing belt adjusting flaps 8 are located on belt support member 4. Those skilled in the art would recognize that more or less back facing belt adjusting flaps 8 may be used.
To further secure and correctly locate belt support member 4 includes front facing belt adjusting flaps 10 which are also preferably evenly spaced vertically along the back surface of the belt support member 4 and fitted to hook over the top portion of the belt. Belt adjusting flaps 8 are shown as having a larger width than belt adjusting flaps 10, however, the flaps may be identical in size and shape in keeping with the present invention. The flaps 8 and 10 may be curved as flaps 8 or set at an angle as flaps 10 or any other configuration that hooks over a standard belt and is comfortable to a wearer. Belt adjusting flaps 10 are preferably 0.375 inches wide, curved to allow the flaps to hook over a standard sized belt and made of metal or plastic or any suitable material. To improve the comfort of the wearer, the back facing portion of belt support member 4 can be lined with a gel or with felt or similar material (not shown) which is permanently secured thereto; for example, by being glued or stapled thereto.
The luggage carrying device 2, further consists of a hook support member 12 and a hook 14. Hook support member 12 is fixed to belt support member 6 by a crease 16. The crease 16 is preferably 8.5 inches from the top of luggage carrying device 2. Belt support member 4 and hook support member 12 should preferably form an angle of about 30 to 40 degrees away for the wearer's body where they come together at crease 16. Belt support member 4, hook member 6, hook support member 12 and a hook 14 are preferably 2 mm thick. The hook may form an open circle as shown in FIG. 1. The curve of the hook 14 should preferably be the angle of a basketball curve [what is this exactly?]. The hook 14 should begin its curve approximately The diameter of the hook 14 may preferably be 2.25 inches with a 1.5 inch gap between the point of the hook 14 and the crease 16. The hook member 6 is preferably covered in plastic to prevent injury on sharp edges starting bout 1 inch below the crease 16.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 2 shows a front view of luggage carrying device 2. As shown in FIG. 2, belt support member 4 further comprises belt support slits 18. There are preferably two belt support slits 18 evenly spaced apart. On the front side of belt support member 4, belt adjusting flaps 10 are preferably placed between the belt support slits 18. Preferably the slits 18 should be 0.375 inches from the edge of each side of the belt support member 6 and a width of 0.25 inches. This should leave 0.5 inches in the middle of the belt support member 6 for the belt to wrap around. One of skill in the art will recognize that the slits 18 should be spaced in a way to provide adequate support for the belt. The slits 18 preferably are begin 0.375 inches from the top of the luggage carrying device 2 and end 8.375 inches from the top of the luggage carrying device 2 making the slits 18.8 inches in length.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 3 shows a back view of luggage carrying device 2. As shown in FIG. 3, on the back side of belt support member 4, belt adjusting flaps 8 are preferably placed outside of between the belt support slits 18, thereby providing support for the belt that is balanced with the support provided by belt adjusting flaps 8.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 4 shows a top view of belt support member 4. In an embodiment of the present invention the edges 20 of the belt support member 4 are curved to prevent injury due to sharp edges. The end of the hook member 6 is preferably similarly be rounded.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of luggage carrying device 2 as it would be worn by a user in an exemplary embodiment of the invention. A person using the device 30 is shown. The person is wearing a belt 32 which is attached to the luggage carrying device 2 which is hooked to a piece of luggage 36. The belt 32 is attached to the luggage carrying device 2 by front and back belt adjusting flaps 8, 10. The belt is further looped through belt support slits 18. The belt support member 4 is horizontally aligned along the person 30's back. The hook support member 12 is connected to hook 14 which hooks over a luggage pull handle 48. Thus, the luggage 36 is rolled along behind person 30 due to the support of the belt and the angle of the hook support member 12.
Although specific embodiments of, and examples for, the article, apparatus, and method of the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art. The teachings provided herein of the invention can be applied to other computing systems and other channels of communication. The teaching can also be applied to other products, other than loan applications. The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all automated systems that operate in accordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.

Claims

1. A luggage carrying device comprising:

a back support member comprising two slits and a plurality of flaps extending from a front and a back surface of the back support member;

a hook support member wherein the hook support member is fixed to the back support member at an angle;

a hook, wherein the hook is fixed to the hook support member.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of flaps comprises a plurality of front flaps and a plurality of back flaps;

wherein the plurality of front flaps are arranged vertically along the back support member between the slits; and

wherein the plurality of back flaps are arranged in pairs horizontally and each pair is arranged vertically along the back support member and wherein each pair is located on an outer side of the two slits.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein the back support member further comprises a soft member fixed to a back surface of the back support member.

4. A device as in claim 1, wherein the hook support member forms and angle of 30-40 degrees with the back support member.

5. A luggage carrying device comprising:

a back support means comprising two slits and a plurality of flaps extending from a front and a back surface of the back support member;

a hook support means wherein the hook support member is fixed to the back support member at an angle;

a hooking means, wherein the hook is fixed to the hook support member.

6. A method of carrying luggage comprising the steps of:

attaching a luggage carrying device to a wearers belt wherein the luggage carrying device is attached to the belt though two slits and several flaps whereby the luggage carrying device can be adjusted vertically using the flaps;

hooking a rolling luggage to a hook member;

pulling a rolling luggage using the luggage carrying device.