US 12,433,381 B2
Push button expansion system for luggage
Richard Krulik, Northport, NY (US); Adam Courter, Long Beach, NY (US); Hayley Lawson, Long Beach, NY (US); and Jon Davies, Riverhead, NY (US)
Assigned to United States Luggage, Hauppauge, NY (US)
Filed by United States Luggage, Hauppauge, NY (US)
Filed on Jul. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/221,626.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/468,901, filed on May 25, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/389,602, filed on Jul. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0016272 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. A45C 7/00 (2006.01); A45C 5/03 (2006.01)
CPC A45C 7/0022 (2013.01) [A45C 5/03 (2013.01); A45C 7/0063 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A compression-expansion device for an article of luggage which comprises:
(a) a base comprising:
a front face, a rear face, a top edge, and a bottom edge,
a pair of spaced apart, parallel passageways axially disposed from the top edge of the base to the bottom edge the base,
(b) a latch comprising an upper end, a lower end, and an inside face, the latch interposed between the pair of spaced apart passageways with the inside face of the latch disposed opposite the front face of the base, the upper end of the latch extending above the top edge of the base, the upper end comprising a tongue projecting outwardly from the inside face of the latch, and the lower end of the latch pivotably attached to the base,
(c) a biasing member connecting the latch to the base and urging the latch toward the front face of the base;
(d) an expansion body comprising:
an inner face, and outer face, an upper edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of spaced apart, parallel conduit members extending from the bottom edge of the expansion body, each of the parallel conduit members individually mated in a slidable manner with a respective passageway of the base,
a pair of bias members, each individually disposed within a respective passageway and its respective conduit member, and each individually urging the expansion body away from the base to an expanded configuration,
an opening in the expansion body extending between the inner face and outer face and configured to receive the tongue of the latch member from the direction of the inner face, the opening comprising a ridge on which the tongue rests in a first position wherein the expansion body and the base are in a compressed configuration, and
(e) a button engaged with the opening of the expansion body from the direction of the outer face, the button moveable to contact the tongue so as to sufficiently displace the tongue off the ridge to a second position whereby the expansion body and the base assume the expanded configuration urged by the pair of bias members.