Wheeled luggage with telescoping handle framing opposite-side opening faces

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to substantially cuboid-shaped wheeled luggage having a U-shaped handle telescoping from two parallel secondary faces, the U-shaped handle framing two parallel primary faces each providing substantially full-face opening to one of two complementary dynamically-separated volumes of a central cavity. In an illustrative embodiment, an interior partitioning member may adaptively partition the central cavity in response to forces present to each of two sides of the interior portioning member. In some embodiments, two wheels may have axes parallel to a rolling edge defined by an intersection of a tertiary face and one of the primary faces, the wheels providing low rolling resistance when the luggage is tilted so as to rest upon the wheels. In some embodiments, a face of each of the two wheels may be substantially flush with the secondary faces. The luggage may advantageously provide separated dynamic complementary volumes for both clean clothes and dirty clothes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of luggage comprising:
 a luggage compartment enclosing a luggage cavity, the luggage compartment having a first luggage face and a second luggage face on opposite ends of the luggage cavity;   a dynamic volume-allocation member coupled to the luggage compartment, the dynamic volume-allocation member being movable between the first luggage face and the second luggage face of the luggage compartment thereby dividing the luggage cavity into a first chamber volume and a second chamber volume, wherein the first chamber volume and the second chamber volume are non-intersecting complementary volumes;   a U-shaped handle having telescoping stems, each connecting at an end to a cross-bar handle, the U-shaped handle having a retracted position and an extended position, wherein when in the retracted position, the U-shaped handle substantially frames the luggage cavity with each of the telescoping stems opposite the luggage cavity from one another and the cross-bar handle substantially proximate a handle end of the luggage compartment, wherein when in the extended position, the cross-bar handle is substantially separated from the handle end of the luggage compartment to permit a user to grasp the handle; and,   a first wheel and a second wheel attached to a wheeled end of the luggage compartment, the wheeled end being opposite the handle end of the luggage compartment;   wherein the first luggage face has a substantially full-faced door that provides access to the first chamber volume, wherein the second luggage face has a substantially full-faced door that provides access to the second chamber volume, the first full-faced door and the second full-face door defining cross-sections of a prism shaped path projecting through the U-shaped telescoping handle.   
     
     
         2 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second luggage faces are substantially planar and substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         3 . The article of luggage of  claim 2 , wherein the telescoping stems reside in a plane that is substantially parallel to the first and second luggage faces. 
     
     
         4 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein when opened, the substantially full-faced door of the first luggage face provides a first access opening to the first chamber volume, the first access opening having an area of greater than eighty percent of an area of the first luggage face. 
     
     
         5 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic volume-allocation member comprises a fabric material. 
     
     
         6 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the dynamic volume-allocation member comprises a flexible polymer. 
     
     
         7 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein, the first luggage face has a window that, when open, provides a second access opening to the first chamber volume, the second access opening having a smaller area than an area of a first access opening when opened. 
     
     
         8 . The article of luggage of  claim 7 , further comprising a barrier curtain, the barrier curtain configured to retain contents of the first chamber volume when the substantially full-faced door of the first luggage face is opened, the barrier curtain located below the window so as to provide unimpeded access to the first chamber volume via the second access opening. 
     
     
         9 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , further comprising a barrier curtain, the barrier curtain configured to retain contents of the first chamber volume when the substantially full-faced door of the first luggage face is opened. 
     
     
         10 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the telescoping stems of the U-shaped handle are each pivotably coupled to opposite ends of the luggage compartment. 
     
     
         11 . An article of luggage comprising:
 a luggage compartment enclosing a luggage cavity, the luggage compartment having a first luggage face and a second luggage face on opposite ends of the luggage cavity;   a dynamic volume-allocation member coupled to the luggage compartment,   the dynamic volume-allocation member being movable between the first luggage face and the second luggage face of the luggage compartment thereby dividing the luggage cavity into a first chamber volume and a second chamber volume, wherein the first chamber volume and the second chamber volume are non-intersecting complementary volumes; and,   a U-shaped handle having telescoping stems, each connecting at an end to a cross-bar handle, the U-shaped handle having a retracted position and an extended position, wherein when in the retracted position, the U-shaped handle substantially frames the luggage cavity with each of the telescoping stems opposite the luggage cavity from one another and the cross-bar handle substantially proximate a handle end of the luggage compartment, wherein when in the extended position, the cross-bar handle is substantially separated from the handle end of the luggage compartment to permit a user to grasp the handle,   wherein the first luggage face has a substantially full-faced door that provides access to the first chamber volume, wherein the second luggage face has a substantially full-faced door that provides access to the second chamber volume, the first full-faced door and the second full-face door defining cross-sections of a prism shaped path projecting through the U-shaped telescoping handle.   
     
     
         12 . The article of luggage of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second luggage faces are substantially planar and substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         13 . The article of luggage of  claim 12 , wherein the telescoping stems reside in a plane that is substantially parallel to the first and second luggage faces. 
     
     
         14 . The article of luggage of  claim 11 , wherein when opened, the substantially full-faced door of the first luggage face provides a first access opening to the first chamber volume, the first access opening having an area of greater than eighty percent of an area of the first luggage face. 
     
     
         15 . The article of luggage of  claim 11 , wherein the dynamic volume-allocation member comprises a fabric material. 
     
     
         16 . An article of luggage comprising:
 a luggage compartment enclosing a luggage cavity, the luggage compartment having a first luggage face and a second luggage face on opposite ends of the luggage cavity;   a dynamic volume-allocation member coupled to the luggage compartment, the dynamic volume-allocation member being movable between the first luggage face and the second luggage face of the luggage compartment thereby dividing the luggage cavity into a first chamber volume and a second chamber volume, wherein the first chamber volume and the second chamber volume are non-intersecting complementary volumes; and,   a handle means for presenting a handle to a user while framing a luggage space,   wherein the first luggage face has a substantially full-faced door that provides access to the first chamber volume, wherein the second luggage face has a substantially full-faced door that provides access to the second chamber volume, the first full-faced door and the second full-face door defining cross-sections of a prism shaped path projecting through the U-shaped telescoping handle.   
     
     
         17 . The wheeled suitcase of  claim 16 , wherein the handle means comprises means for telescoping a handle from two opposing faces. 
     
     
         18 . The wheeled suitcase of  claim 16 , wherein the handle means comprises a U-shaped handle. 
     
     
         19 . The wheeled suitcase of  claim 16 , wherein the handle means comprises a lateral member substantially parallel to a surface of a handle end of the suitcase. 
     
     
         20 . The wheeled suitcase of  claim 16 , wherein the handle means comprises two longitudinal stems, each of the two longitudinal stems coupled to opposite sidewalls of the suitcase.