Luggage

Abstract

An article of luggage comprising a front panel that extends around a portion of a top, bottom and sides, a back panel that extends around a portion of the top, bottom and sides, one or more wheels at the bottom and a handle on one or more of the sides, top and/or back panel, where the front panel is made up of two or more sections including a first front panel section with a hinge on a first side of the luggage and a second front panel section with a hinge on a second side of the luggage. The café-style front panel allows a user to open one of the front panel sections independently of the other, with the interior of the front panel section preferably having one or more compartments to hold personal articles.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An article of luggage comprising a front panel that extends around a portion of a top, bottom and sides of the luggage, a back panel that extends around a portion of the top, bottom and sides of the luggage, one or more wheels at the bottom of the luggage and a handle on one or more of the sides, top and/or back panel of the luggage, wherein the front panel comprises two or more sections including a first front panel section with a hinge on a first side of the luggage and a second front panel section with a hinge on a second side of the luggage. 
     
     
         2 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein the ration of the first front panel section to the second front panel section is taken from the group consisting of about 50:50, about 60:40, about 66.6:33.3, and about 75:25. 
     
     
         3 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the first front panel section is releasably attached to the back panel by a zipper and at least a portion of the second front panel section is releasably attached to the back by a zipper. 
     
     
         4 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein the first and second front panel sections are releasably attached to one another by a closure. 
     
     
         5 . The article of luggage according to  claim 4  wherein the closure is taken from the group consisting of one or more zippers, clasps, snaps, toggles and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein the wheels include two or more wheels on the back panel and at least one wheel on each of the first and second front panel sections. 
     
     
         7 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein the back panel comprises an open interior and a hangar support at or near a top of the open interior configured for holding hangars. 
     
     
         8 . The article of luggage according to  claim 7  wherein the back panel comprises one or more triangular compartments above the area of the sides of hangars held on the hangar support. 
     
     
         9 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the first and second front panel sections include two or more compartments on an interior of the section. 
     
     
         10 . The article of luggage according to  claim 9  wherein the compartments are separated by a wall extending across an interior width of the sections. 
     
     
         11 . The article of luggage according to  claim 9  wherein at least one of the compartments comprises a compartment front wall. 
     
     
         12 . The article of luggage according to  claim 11  wherein the compartment front wall is a full front wall with an openable closure configured to allow access to the compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The article of luggage according to  claim 11  wherein the compartment front wall is a partial front wall covering a portion of the compartment. 
     
     
         14 . The article of luggage according to  claim 13  wherein the compartment partial front wall comprises an open edge comprising an elastic material. 
     
     
         15 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  wherein the handle is a retractable, extending handle. 
     
     
         16 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  further comprising one or more locks for preventing access to an interior of the luggage. 
     
     
         17 . The article of luggage according to  claim 7  wherein the open interior of the back panel comprises a front wall. 
     
     
         18 . The article of luggage according to  claim 17  wherein the front wall comprises one of a full front wall with an openable closure configured to allow access to the compartment and a partial front wall comprising an open edge comprising an elastic material. 
     
     
         19 . The article of luggage according to  claim 1  further comprising a removable case fitted across a portion of a bottom of an open interior of the back panel.