Combination garment bags and duffles

Abstract

An article of luggage includes a trolley system and a garment bag. The garment bag includes a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface, and is provided on top of the trolley system. The semi-rigid base panel is provided one of under or over the rear surface, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system. The article further includes side flaps, the side flaps configured to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that an inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag define an interior cavity of the article in a closed state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of luggage, comprising:
 a trolley system;   a garment bag including a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface, the garment bag provided on top of the trolley system such that the rear surface abuts the trolley system;   a semi-rigid base panel provided one of under or over the rear surface, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system; and   a left side flap affixed to the left side boundary, and a right side flap affixed to the right side boundary, the side flaps configured to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that an inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag define an interior cavity of the article in a closed state.   
     
     
         2 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one semi-rigid side flap insert inserted into a slot provided in one of the side flaps. 
     
     
         3 . The article of luggage of  claim 2 , wherein a semi-rigid side flap insert is inserted into a slot provided in each of the side flaps. 
     
     
         4 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the semi-rigid panel has a convex upper surface, and is provided such that the trolley system fits within a three-dimensional volume underneath the concave underside of the semi-rigid panel. 
     
     
         5 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the trolley system comprises wheels on a first end, and an extendible handle at an opposite second end. 
     
     
         6 . The article of luggage of  claim 5 , further comprising a resting bar affixed to an outer surface of a side flap that is provided on the side of the article of luggage that has the wheels of the trolley system. 
     
     
         7 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the trolley system has a width, the width substantially equal to a width of a portion of each of the right and left side flaps that is affixed to the respective right and left side boundaries of the garment bag. 
     
     
         8 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , further comprising a resting bar affixed to an outer surface of one of the side flaps. 
     
     
         9 . The article of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein when the article is in the closed state, clothing that is stored in the garment bag is not wrinkled by contents of the interior cavity. 
     
     
         10 . An article of luggage, comprising:
 a rectangular shaped portion configured to hold clothes on hangers within it, the rectangular shaped portion having a length and a width, and including a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces attached to each other on at least three sides of their respective peripheries, the top surface having a closable opening accessible to a user;   a trolley mechanism provided underneath the bottom surface and along its width, the trolley mechanism including wheels on one end and a handle on the other end; and   a right side flap and a left side flap, each having a periphery including a curved upper region and a straight lower region,   wherein the straight lower region of the right side flap is attached to a middle portion of the right side of the rectangular portion, and the upper curved region of the right side flap is configured to releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the right side of the rectangular portion;   and wherein the straight lower region of the left side flap is attached to a middle portion of the left side of the rectangular portion, and the upper curved region of the left side flap is configured to releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left side of the rectangular portion.   
     
     
         11 . A method of providing an article of luggage, comprising:
 providing a garment bag, including:   a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a left side boundary, a right side boundary, a top surface and a rear surface;   configuring the top boundary and bottom boundary to releasably attach to each other;   providing the garment bag on top of a trolley system oriented such that a first end of the trolley system is adjacent to the left side boundary and a second, opposite end, is adjacent to the right side boundary;   providing a semi-rigid base panel one of under or over the rear surface of the garment bag, to physically insulate contents of the garment bag from the trolley system; and   affixing a left side flap to the left side boundary, and a right side flap to the right side boundary, and configuring the side flaps to respectively releasably attach to corresponding upper and lower portions of the left and right side boundaries of the garment bag, such that when each side flap is releasably attached to the correpsonding portions of the garment bag boundaries, and when the top boundary and bottom boundary of the garment bag are releasably attached to each other, the inner surface of each side flap and the top surface of the garment bag together define an interior cavity.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein when the top boundary and the bottom boundary of the garment bag are releasably attached to each other, the article is in a closed state. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 providing a slot in at least one of the side flaps;   providing at least one semi-rigid side flap insert to be inserted into the slot; and   inserting the at least one semi-rigid side flap insert into the at least one slot.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a semi-rigid side flap insert is inserted into a slot provided in each of the side flaps. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the semi-rigid panel has a convex upper surface, and further comprising provided the semi-rigid panel such that the trolley system fits within a three-dimensional volume underneath the concave underside of the semi-rigid panel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the trolley system comprises wheels on a first end, and an extendible handle at an opposite second end. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising affixing a resting bar to an outer surface of a side flap that is provided on the side of the article of luggage that has the wheels of the trolley system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the trolley system has a width, the width substantially equal to a width of a portion of each of the right and left flaps that is affixed to the respective right and left side boundaries of the garment bag. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising affixing a resting bar to an outer surface of a side flap that has a semi-rigid flap insert inserted into it. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein when the article is in the closed state, clothing that is stored in the garment bag is not wrinkled by contents of the interior cavity.