Suitcase system with detachable garment bag

Abstract

A suitcase system including a duffel bag and removably attachable garment bag. The duffel bag comprises a flexible yet robust basket comprising panels having at least one basket fastener disposed within a thickness of at least one of the panels. The garment bag is flexible yet robust and comprises panels having at least one garment fastener disposed with a thickness of at least one of the panels. The duffel bag and the garment bag are removably attached by virtue of automatic engagement among the basket fastener and the garment fastener, the bottom of the duffel bag being free from obstruction by the garment bag. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the aforementioned fasteners are complementarily aligned magnets. The duffel bag and the garment bag are optionally engaged to provide a creaseless and seamless unified luggage article suitable for carrying clothing and personal effects. Moreover, wherein the basket and garment bag are optionally disengaged, a duffel bag and a garment bag are provided herein that are separate from one another and configured for comprehensive use as independent luggage articles.

1 . A suitcase system comprising:
 a basket defined about its surface by a plurality of basket panels including a front panel, a top panel, a back panel, and a base panel, the basket panels further defining a basket compartment, each basket panel having a thickness, and at least one of the basket panels including at least one basket fastener disposed within the respective thickness of the basket panel;   a flexible garment bag defined about its surface by a plurality of garment panels, the garment panels further defining a garment compartment, each garment panel having a thickness, and at least one of the garment panels including at least one garment fastener disposed within the respective thickness of the garment panel;   wherein the garment bag is removably attached to the basket such that the garment bag contacts the basket at the front panel, top panel, and back panel of the basket, the base panel of the basket being substantially free from contact with the garment bag;   wherein the basket compartment and the garment compartment are mutually unique and free from pass-through access from one compartment to the other compartment; and   wherein the at least one basket fastener is provided in complementary alignment with the at least one garment fastener, such that the at least one basket fastener and the at least one garment fastener are configured to automatically engage and provide a removable attachment among the basket and the garment bag.   
     
     
         2 . The suitcase system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one basket fastener is fully concealed within the respective thickness of the basket panel and the at least one garment fastener is fully concealed within the respective thickness of the garment panel. 
     
     
         3 . The suitcase system as defined in  claim 2 , the system further comprising a plurality of basket fasteners and a plurality of garment fasteners. 
     
     
         4 . The suitcase system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one basket fastener and the at least one garment fastener are magnets. 
     
     
         5 . The suitcase system as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the magnet of the basket panel is fully concealed within the respective thickness of the basket panel and the magnet of the garment panel is fully concealed within the respective thickness of the garment panel. 
     
     
         6 . The suitcase system as defined in  claim 1 , the plurality of basket panels further comprising a top panel having a length, a base panel, a front panel, a back panel, a first end panel, and a second end panel, wherein the basket panels define an approximated cuboid shape of the basket, and wherein the top panel defines an arched profile of the basket along the length of the top panel. 
     
     
         7 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , the basket being further comprised of a robust yet flexible material such that the basket compartment maintains its shape regardless of any contents provided in the basket compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the automatic engagement of the basket fastener and the garment fastener provides an automatically seamless and creaseless configuration of the garment bag regardless of the orientation of the suitcase system. 
     
     
         9 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one basket fastener and the at least one garment fastener are non-moving components configured to automatically engage and provide a removable attachment among the basket and the garment bag. 
     
     
         10 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of basket fasteners, the basket fasteners being at least one member of the group consisting of bolts, brackets, buckles, buttons, clamps, grommets, hook and loop fasteners, loops, pins, rings, rivets, ties, and threaded inserts. 
     
     
         11 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of garment fasteners, the garment fasteners being at least one member of the group consisting of bolts, brackets, buckles, buttons, clamps, grommets, hook and loop fasteners, loops, pins, rings, rivets, ties, and threaded inserts. 
     
     
         12 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , the basket further comprising a female buckle portion and the garment bag further comprising a male buckle portion. 
     
     
         13 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , the system further comprising at least one wheel. 
     
     
         14 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , the system further comprising a pull-out bar. 
     
     
         15 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , the system further comprising a strap. 
     
     
         16 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the basket and the garment bag are optionally engaged to provide a unified luggage article and wherein the basket and garment bag are optionally disengaged to provide a duffel bag and a garment bag that are separate from one another and configured for comprehensive use as independent luggage articles. 
     
     
         17 . A suitcase system comprising:
 a basket defined about its surface by a plurality of basket panels including plurality of basket panels comprising a top panel having a length, a base panel, a front panel, a back panel, a first end panel, and a second end panel, the basket panels defining an approximated cuboid shape of the basket, the top panel defining an arched profile of the basket along the length of the top panel, the basket panels further defining a basket compartment, the basket being comprised of a robust yet flexible material such that the basket compartment maintains its shape regardless of any contents provided in the basket compartment, each basket panel having a thickness, and at least one of the basket panels including at least one basket magnet fully disposed within the respective thickness of the basket panel;   a flexible garment bag defined about its surface by a plurality of garment panels, the garment panels further defining a garment compartment, each garment panel having a thickness, and at least one of the garment panels including at least one garment magnet fully disposed within the respective thickness of the garment panel;   wherein the garment bag is removably attached to the basket such that the garment bag contacts the basket at the front panel, top panel, and back panel of the basket, the base panel of the basket being substantially free from contact with the garment bag;   wherein the basket compartment and the garment compartment are mutually unique and free from pass-through access from one compartment to the other compartment;   wherein the at least one basket magnet is provided in complementary alignment with the at least one garment magnet, such that the at least one basket fastener and the at least one garment fastener are configured to automatically engage and provide a removable attachment among the basket and the garment bag; and   wherein the automatic engagement of the basket fastener and the garment fastener provides an automatically seamless and creaseless configuration of the garment bag regardless of the orientation of the suitcase system.   
     
     
         18 . The suitcase system as defined in  claim 17 , the system further comprising a plurality of basket magnets and a plurality of garment magnets. 
     
     
         19 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 17 , the basket further comprising a female buckle portion and the garment bag further comprising a male buckle portion. 
     
     
         20 . The suitcase system defined in  claim 17 , wherein the basket and the garment bag are optionally engaged to provide a unified luggage article and wherein the basket and garment bag are optionally disengaged to provide a duffel bag and a garment bag that are separate from one another and configured for comprehensive use as independent luggage articles.