BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to luggage expansion systems which readily accommodate the needs of travelers to selectively increase or decrease the luggage capacity as needed, and as well, facilitates packing the article of luggage in the most compact fashion.

Description of the Related Art

Due to limitations in space when traveling, especially on airlines, travelers are limited to a single checked piece of luggage which must conform to particular size restrictions. Similarly, a traveler is limited to a single carry-on luggage that must conform to even stricter size limitations since the carry-on must fit within overhead storage compartments.

Travelers are also in need of enough volume within the luggage to carry all necessary clothing and other items. Many conventional luggage have expandable sections that can be expanded by unzipping the section. With the expandable section unzipped, the traveler realizes additional storage space within the luggage. Once fully packed, the expandable section can be rezipped to compress the clothing and other articles packed in the luggage.

However, the conventional expandable luggage is often quite difficult to rezip when the luggage is fully packed, because the articles inside the luggage resist being compressed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to improvements in luggage expansion systems of the type shown and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,575,272 and 7,426,985, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein and made a part of this application. Present day expandable luggage provides two alternative configurations, one in the collapsed condition, and the other in the extended condition. The present invention provides a ratchet-type expansion system for luggage, wherein upon completion of packing by the user, the user can compress the upper end portion of the luggage and lock it in place to take up any unused space therewithin, resulting in a fully and tightly packed article of luggage which is uniquely compact.

The ratchet device which forms part of the present invention allows free movement in one direction, i.e., the collapsing direction, while permitting movement in the opposite direction, i.e., the expanding direction, by a manual release mechanism which forms part of the device.

The invention relates to a ratchet-type expansion system including a ratchet expansion and locking device for luggage, and luggage incorporating such ratchet expansion device. The device includes a base section having a plurality of ratchet teeth, i.e., preferably nine such teeth, and an opposed pawl section preferably having three such pawls, which are respectively dimensioned and shaped to slide over the ratchet teeth in the luggage collapsing direction, and to prevent movement in the opposite—or expanding—direction, except when a latch is lifted to release the pawls from the ratchet teeth. Any number of ratchet teeth and pawls can be used. Alternative embodiments are also disclosed.

In one alternative embodiment a pivotal lever rocker arm is provided for the pawl section having a single pawl tooth at the free end of the arm.

In another embodiment, each device includes dual spaced apart toothed sections, each such section associated with its own pawl section. The device spans over a relatively larger distance.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the article of luggage includes a luggage main body having a bottom surface and a cavity formed to receive articles for packing; an expansion body having a perimeter defining a cavity; a foldable gusset joining the luggage main body to the expansion body, the foldable gusset allowing the expansion body to move away and towards the luggage main body to vary a size of a volume formed by the cavity of the luggage main body and the cavity of the expansion body; and an expansion and locking device disposed internally at opposite ends of the article of luggage, the expansion and locking device being configured to allow free movement of the expansion body in a compression direction towards the luggage main body and configured to allow locking movement of the expansion body in an expanding direction away from the luggage main body.

The expansion and locking device is a ratcheting assembly having a set of parallel teeth affixed to one of the luggage main body or the expansion body; a pawl configured to engage and disengage from the set of parallel teeth by actuation of a lever, the pawl being affixed to the other of the luggage main body or the expansion body; and a biasing member configured to maintain the pawl in an engaged state with the parallel teeth in the absence of an actuating force applied to the lever.

Additionally, the ratcheting assembly includes a holding assembly having a housing on which the lever is provided, the housing having an elongated opening formed on a surface orthogonal to the lever; and a double column of parallel teeth disposed on a sliding member dimensioned for slideable insertion into the elongated opening, the parallel teeth engaging the pawl inside the housing of the holding assembly.

