Article of luggage with exterior pockets in a moulded portion
An article of luggage with exterior pockets in a moulded portion An article of luggage comprising: a body having an interior defining a body containment volume accessible through a body opening; a lid comprising a moulded concave shell having an interior defining a lid containment volume accessible through a lid opening extending in a lid opening plane; and a hinge between the body and the lid to enable movement of the lid relative to the body between: an open position in which the body and lid containment volumes are accessible through the body and lid openings; and a closed position in which the body and the lid openings cooperate such that the body and lid containment portions are enclosed. The moulded concave shell comprises: a lower protruded portion which protrudes from the lid opening plane via a lower stepped portion; an upper protruded portion which protrudes from the lid opening plane via an upper stepped portion that faces the lower stepped portion. The moulded concave shell further comprises a first aperture that provides access to a lower pocket within the lid containment volume behind the lower protruded portion; and a second aperture that provides access to an upper pocket within the lid containment volume behind the upper protruded portion, wherein the upper pocket is in part bounded by an interior surface of the upper stepped portion.
1 . An article of luggage comprising:
a body having an interior defining a body containment volume accessible through a body opening;
a lid comprising a single-piece moulded concave shell having an interior defining an entirety of a lid containment volume accessible through a lid opening extending in a lid opening plane; and
the body and the lid being coupled together to enable movement of the lid relative to the body between: an open position in which the body and lid containment volumes are accessible through the body and lid openings; and a closed position in which the body and the lid openings cooperate such that the body and lid containment portions are enclosed; wherein:
the single-piece moulded concave shell comprises:
a lower protruded portion which protrudes from the lid opening plane via a lower stepped portion;
an upper protruded portion which protrudes from the lid opening plane via an upper stepped portion that faces the lower stepped portion;
a first aperture formed by a first incision in the single-piece moulded concave shell, wherein the first aperture provides access to a lower pocket portion forming a first pocket space that is part of the entirety of the lid containment volume behind the lower protruded portion and contiguous with all other portions of the lid containment volume, wherein a lower pocket comprises a first fabric receptacle having a first opening with sides that are permanently affixed to the single-piece moulded concave shell on opposite sides of the first incision forming the first aperture so that the first fabric receptacle is contained at least in part within the lower protruded portion of the single-piece moulded concave shell; and
a second aperture formed by a second incision in the single-piece moulded concave shell, wherein the second aperture provides access to an upper pocket portion forming a second pocket space that is part of the entirety of the lid containment volume behind the upper protruded portion and contiguous with all other portions of the lid containment volume, wherein the upper pocket portion is in part bounded by an interior surface of the upper stepped portion of the single-piece moulded concave shell and an upper pocket comprises a second fabric receptacle having a second opening with sides that are permanently affixed to the single-piece moulded lid on opposite sides of the second incision forming the second aperture so that the second fabric receptacle is contained at least in part within the upper protruded portion of the single-piece moulded concave shell.
2 . The article of luggage of claim 1 wherein the lower stepped portion comprises the first aperture.
3 . The article of luggage of claim 1 wherein the upper and lower stepped portions are substantially perpendicular to the lid opening plane.
4 . The article of luggage claim 1 wherein the moulded concave shell further comprises a first recessed portion between the upper and lower stepped portions and set back from the upper and lower protruded portions.
5 . The article of luggage of claim 4 wherein the concave moulded shell further comprises a second recessed portion that is set back from the upper protruded portion and substantially perpendicular to the lid opening plane, and a top stepped portion on an opposite side of the upper protruded portion from the upper stepped portion, wherein the second aperture is located in the top stepped portion.
6 . The article of luggage of claim 1 wherein the first fabric receptacle hangs downwardly beneath the first incision.
7 . The article of luggage of claim 6 wherein the first receptacle opening is closable by a first pocket zipper having a first zipper tape on the first side of the first receptacle opening and a second zipper tape on the second side of the first receptacle opening, such that both the first aperture and the fabric receptacle are openable and closable by the first pocket zipper.
8 . The article of luggage of claim 6 wherein a first zipper tape is fastened to the moulded shell by stitching and a second zipper tape is fastened to the moulded shell by stitching.
9 . The article of luggage of claim 6 wherein the second fabric receptacle hangs downwardly beneath the second incision.
10 . The article of luggage of claim 9 wherein the first fabric receptacle and the second receptacle are spaced apart from each other and separated by a recessed portion of the moulded shell.
11 . The article of luggage of claim 9 wherein the second receptacle opening is closable by an upper pocket zipper having a primary zipper tape on the first side of the second receptacle opening and a secondary zipper tape on the second side of the second receptacle opening, such that both the second aperture and the second fabric receptacle are openable and closable by the upper pocket zipper.
12 . The article of luggage of claim 1 wherein, in the closed position in which the body and the lid openings cooperate such that the body and lid containment portions are enclosed, cooperation is provided by a primary zipper comprising a first tape fastened to the body proximate the body opening and a second tape fastened to the lid proximate the lid opening.
13 . The article of luggage of claim 1 comprising a plurality of protruding wheel systems, each comprising at least one wheel, wherein each protruding wheel system is fastened to an exterior of the body.
14 . The article of luggage of claim 13 wherein each wheel system comprises a connection element and a wheel unit, wherein the wheel unit is rotatable relative to the connection element about a generally vertical axis that sits outside a footprint of a base of the article of luggage.
15 . The article of luggage of claim 1 wherein the article of luggage is in the form of a suitcase.
16 . The article of luggage of claim 1 , wherein the lower protruded portion and the upper protruded portion are each moulded to include at least one indentation that is spaced from and substantially parallel with the first and second incisions to provide each of the lower and upper protruded portions with a strengthening rib.
17 . A method of manufacturing an article of luggage, the article of luggage comprising:
a body having an interior defining a body containment volume accessible through a body opening;
a lid comprising a single-piece moulded concave shell having an interior defining an entirety of a lid containment volume accessible through a lid opening extending in a lid opening plane;
the method comprises:
moulding the lid comprising the single-piece moulded concave shell to include:
a lower protruded portion which protrudes from the lid opening plane via a lower stepped portion;
an upper protruded portion which protrudes from the lid opening plane via an upper stepped portion that faces the lower stepped portion;
making a first incision in the moulded concave shell to provide a first aperture in the single-piece moulded concave shell that provides access to a lower pocket portion forming a first pocket space that is part of the entirety of the lid containment volume behind the lower protruded portion and contiguous with all other portions of the lid containment volume;
providing a lower pocket that comprises a first fabric receptacle having a first opening with sides that are permanently affixed to the single-piece moulded concave shell on opposite sides of the first incision forming the first aperture so that the first fabric receptacle is contained at least in part within the lower protruded portion of the single-piece moulded concave shell;
making a second incision to provide a second aperture in the single-piece moulded concave shell that provides access to an upper pocket portion forming a second pocket space that is part of the entirety of the lid containment volume behind the upper protruded portion and contiguous with all other portions of the lid containment volume, wherein the upper pocket portion is in part bounded by an interior surface of the upper stepped portion of the single-piece moulded concave shell;
providing an upper pocket that comprises a second fabric receptacle having a second opening with sides that are permanently affixed to the single-piece moulded concave shell on opposite sides of the second incision forming the second aperture so that the second fabric receptacle is contained at least in part within the upper protruded portion of the single-piece moulded concave shell;
coupling the body and the lid together to enable movement of the lid relative to the body between: an open position in which the body and lid containment volumes are accessible through the body and lid openings; and a closed position in which the body and the lid openings cooperate such that the body and lid containment portions are enclosed.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising: fastening a first pocket zipper having a first zipper tape and a second zipper tape to the lid, wherein the first zipper tape is fastened on the first side of the first receptacle opening and the second zipper tape is fastened on the second side of the first receptacle opening, such that both the first aperture and the fabric receptacle are openable and closable by the first pocket zipper.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein any one or more of the fastening steps of the method comprises stitching.
20 . The method of claim 17 wherein moulding the lid further comprises moulding the lower protruded portion and the upper protruded portion to include at least one indentation that is spaced from and substantially parallel with the first and second incisions to provide each of the lower and upper protruded portions with a strengthening rib.