Inflatable air frame for soft-sided luggage and article of luggage incorporating same

Abstract

An article of luggage having a semi-rigid frame made from an inflatable member is disclosed. The article of luggage is readily inflated from a deflated state in which it is conveniently stored when not in use. The article of luggage is provided with a set of wheels and a telescoping handle that are attachable to the article of luggage when in the inflated state, for easily rolling and pulling or pushing the inflated article of luggage about over the ground.

1 . An article of luggage comprising: 
 a.) a case including a fluid-tight bladder, made from a flexible, fluid-impervious, and puncture-resistant material, the bladder having a first, outer wall and a second, inner wall, the outer and inner walls forming an enclosed volume, for containing a volume of an inflation fluid, the space having a maximum inflated thickness predetermined by the nature of the inner and outer wall material and the size of a space left between the inner and outer walls, and such that when inflated, the bladder forms a closed, continuous, semi-rigid element of predetermined maximum inflated thickness, that defines a sidewall of the case, the bladder being alternatively inflatable with a fluid and deflatable by the removal of the fluid therefrom, and being so constructed that it is capable of supporting a weight of objects placed in the object-carrying volume of the case without substantial deformation of the outer wall of the sidewall, and such that the inner wall of the bladder faces toward an interior of the case and the outer wall of the bladder faces toward an exterior of the case, the bladder further having means for alternatively inflating and deflating the bladder;    b.) a top wall and a bottom wall, which together with the sidewall, define an object-carrying enclosure of the case, the top and bottom walls being formed of a flexible material, each having an inner surface facing the interior of the case and an outer surface facing the exterior of the case, the top wall being at least partially detachably attached to the sidewall about at least a portion of a periphery thereof, when the sidewall is inflated and the case is assembled in an object-carrying mode;    c.) an outer fabric covering that covers the inner and outer walls of the sidewall and the inner and outer surfaces of the top and bottom walls, and protects the bladder from being punctured, the outer fabric covering being made from a flexible, fluid-impervious and puncture-resistant material;    d.) at least one closure means, alternatively openable and closeable, for respectively opening and closing the at least partially detachably attached top wall so as to allow access to the object-carrying volume of the case when in the inflated state;    e.) carrying means attached to the outside of the case over the outer fabric covering and to the outer wall of the sidewall, for carrying the case when it is inflated in the object-carrying mode; and    f.) case transport means, detachably attachable to the case when the case is in an inflated condition, for pulling or pushing the case along the ground when it is inflated.    
   
   
       2 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the bladder is formed alternatively from two separate flat sheets of material that are sealed to one another in a fluid-tight manner along corresponding opposite sides of the sheets, or from a single sheet of material with opposite sides that are sealed to one another in a fluid-tight manner, to form a sleeve, and with opposite ends of the side-sealed sleeve formed from the one or two sheets of material further being sealed to one another in a fluid-tight manner to contain a volume of inflation fluid when the article of luggage is inflated.  
   
   
       3 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer and inner walls of the bladder are formed so as to provide a plurality of fluid-tight chambers in fluid communication with one another, by the provision of a plurality of ribs in the material of at least one of the outer and inner walls, which form a plurality of tubular chambers.  
   
   
       4 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the bladder is shaped, and an object-carrying volume of the case in an inflated state is thereby defined, such that the sidewall has an inflated configuration selected from the group consisting of: a configuration that includes a plurality of angles and a corresponding plurality of linear side segments between the angles; a configuration that includes at least one arcuate side segment; and a configuration that includes at least one linear side segment and at least one arcuate side segment.  
   
   
       5 . The article of luggage according to  claim 3 , wherein the sidewall has a configuration with a single continuous arcuate section.  
   
   
       6 . The article of luggage according to  claim 3 , wherein the sidewall has an inflated configuration that includes at least one linear side segment and at least one arcuate side segment.  
   
   
       7 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflation means is a fluid inlet and outlet valve.  
   
   
       8 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one closure means in (d) is positioned in a location selected from the group consisting of: the top wall of the case, the bottom wall of the case, the sidewall of the case, and at a junction of at least one segment of the sidewall of the case with at least one segment of the top or bottom wall of the case.  
   
   
       9 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure means in  1 ( d ) is attached to a juncture of the top wall and the sidewall of the case and extends around substantially the entire circumference of the juncture.  
   
   
       10 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the bladder is made from a soft and pliable plastic or rubber material.  
   
   
       11 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflation fluid is a gas.  
   
   
       12 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the bladder is surrounded by a girdle of a material that maintains the shape of the case when inflated and helps to prevent ballooning or the formation of a bulge or an aneurysm in the bladder, if the bladder becomes over- inflated.  
   
   
       13 . The article of luggage according to  claim 3 , wherein the overall case shape-imparting angles in the bladder are formed so that they have a thickness that is less than the thickness of the bladder at a sidewall portion so that an angular bend can be made therein without causing a bulge or high pressure stress point in the bladder at an angular bend in the bladder.  
   
   
       14 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for pulling or pushing the case along the ground when it is inflated in the object-carrying mode, in (f), includes a wheeled member with wheels, to which the case is attachable, and a pulling and pushing handle that is attachable to at least one of the case and the wheeled member, by which the case is pullable or pushable.  
   
   
       15 . The article of luggage according to  claim 14 , wherein the wheeled member includes a pair of wheels attached to an axle that is rotatably mounted on a support frame upon which a wall of the case is positionable.  
   
   
       16 . The article of luggage according to  claim 14  further including attachment means for detachably attaching the case to the support frame of the wheeled member.  
   
   
       17 . The article of luggage according to  claim 14 , wherein the pulling and pushing handle includes a longitudinal element, having a length, a distal end for attachment to the wheeled member, and a proximal end for grasping, such that the pulling and pushing handle extends from a place of attachment to the wheeled member at its distal end, at least beyond a largest dimensions of the case when attached to the wheeled member, regardless of the orientation of the case thereon, so that the pulling and pushing handle is graspable about its proximal end, and such that the longitudinal element of the pulling and pushing handle has sufficient rigidity to enable a case in the inflated state and in a loaded object-carrying mode to be pulled or pushed without buckling in resistance to a weight of the case and its contents.  
   
   
       18 . The article of luggage according to  claim 14 , wherein the pulling and pushing handle is attachable to the case by attachment means, when the case is in the inflated state.  
   
   
       19 . The article of luggage according to  claim 18 , wherein the attachment means includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of: a sheath fixed to the outside of the outer fabric covering of the case, along a length of one of the walls of the case, through which the handle is insertable, and at least one detachable fastener for detachably fastening the handle to the outer fabric covering of the case.  
   
   
       20 . An article of luggage comprising: 
 a.) an inflatable air-tight bladder, made from a flexible material forming an inner set of sidewalls and frame of the piece of luggage, when inflated, capable of supporting a weight of objects placed in the luggage, without deforming;    b.) an outer fabric covering that covers the inflatable frame and additionally forms a soft top and bottom of the piece of luggage;    c.) closure means surrounding at least a portion of an outer periphery of the piece of luggage when in an inflated condition, alternatively positionable in a closed position to close the object-carrying space of the piece of luggage and in a open position to enable access to the object-carrying space of the piece of luggage;    d.) rolling means, attachable to the piece of luggage when in an inflated condition, for enabling rolling movement of the piece of luggage over the ground; and    e.) handle means attachable to the piece of luggage when in an inflated condition, for enabling the piece of luggage to be pulled or pushed over the ground in conjunction with the rolling means.