DECORATIVE ELEMENT AND USE THEREOF

Abstract

A decorative element for a piece of luggage including a plate, which has a visible side and a rear side and has fasteners, and at least one base layer and one covering layer that covers the at least one base layer are applied to the visible side, which layers are non-transparent, and at least the covering layer is of a non-abrasion-proof material and can be abraded by mechanical processing.

Claims

1. A decorative element (2) for a piece of luggage (1) comprising a plate having a visible side (20) and a rear side (25) and embodied with fasteners, the decorative element comprising at least one base layer (21) and one covering layer (22) covering the at least one base layer (21) being applied to the visible side (20), which layers are non-transparent, and at least the covering layer (22) has a non-abrasion-proof material and can be abraded by a mechanical processing.

2. The decorative element (2) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one base layer (21) and/or the covering layer (22) are of a paint layer.

3. The decorative element (2) according to claim 2, wherein a graphic element (24) is positioned beneath a base layer (21) and/or beneath the covering layer (22).

4. The decorative element (2) according to claim 3, wherein the fasteners include a pin (26) that protrudes from a rear side (25), with a clamping piece (27) that can be affixed to the pin (26).

5. The decorative element according to claim 4, wherein the decorative element is used on a piece of luggage (1) with textile strips (10) mounted to a surface of the piece of luggage (1) that has stitched-down loops (11) or strips delimited by regularly arranged slots to form a carrying system, with at least one decorative element (2) being fastened to the loops (11) or strips of the carrying system.

6. The decorative element according to claim 5, wherein the loops (11) are embodied with an eyelet (12) for insertion of a fastener of the decorative element (2).

7. The decorative element according to claim 6, wherein the eyelet (12) is cross-shaped or slot-shaped.

8. The decorative element (2) according to claim 1, wherein a graphic element (24) is positioned beneath a base layer (21) and/or beneath the covering layer (22).

9. The decorative element (2) according to claim 1, wherein the fasteners include a pin (26) that protrudes from a rear side (25), with a clamping piece (27) that can be affixed to the pin (26).

10. The decorative element according to claim 1, wherein the decorative element is used on a piece of luggage (1) with textile strips (10) mounted to a surface of the piece of luggage (1) that has stitched-down loops (11) or strips delimited by regularly arranged slots to form a carrying system, with at least one decorative element (2) being fastened to the loops (11) or strips of the carrying system.

11. The decorative element according to claim 1, wherein the loops (11) are embodied with an eyelet (12) for insertion of a fastener of the decorative element (2).

12. The decorative element according to claim 1, wherein the eyelet (12) is cross-shaped or slot-shaped.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] This invention is explained in greater detail below in view of drawings of an exemplary embodiment, wherein:

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a piece of luggage that is provided with a decorative element according to this invention;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the decorative element viewed from the visible side;

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the decorative element according to FIG. 2;

[0020] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a decorative element viewed from the visible side;

[0021] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged partial section view taken along the axis A in FIG. 4; and

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a partial section view analogous to FIG. 5 through another embodiment of a decorative element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a piece of luggage according to this invention, in the form of a backpack 1 here, which is made in an intrinsically known fashion of a textile webbing material such as Cordura. In some regions on its surface, this backpack has attached, preferably stitched-on textile strips 10, which are stitched-down at regular intervals in the vertical direction so as to form loops 11 of equal size of the kind that are used to form a carrying system, for example in accordance with what is commonly referred to as modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,709 A.

[0024] Representative of this, a decorative element 2, which is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, is detachably fastened to one of these loops 11.

[0025] The decorative element 2 includes a plate, which is square in this case, with a visible side 20 and a rear side 25.

[0026] Onto the visible side 20, first a base layer 21 is applied, for example, in the form of a paint layer or enamel layer, onto some regions of which a graphic element is applied, in this case the letter A, for example.

[0027] Onto this at least one base layer 21 including the graphic element 24, a covering layer 22 comprising a non-abrasion-proof material such as a corresponding paint layer is applied, which is non-transparent and in this respect, at first completely covers the base layer 21 and the graphic element 24 so that they are not visible. But because the covering layer 22 is embodied to have only a low abrasion-proofness, it can be abraded in some regions, as shown in FIG. 2, through usage-induced scratches or mechanical impact, thus uncovering the underlying base layer 21 and/or the graphic element 24.

[0028] It is also possible for a plurality of base layers 21 on top of one another to be provided, which are covered by a covering layer 22 on the surface oriented away from the visible side. These can be successively uncovered by mechanical abrasion. The optionally provided graphic element between two layers can also be uncovered or removed along with the adjacent overlying layer.

[0029] For fastening, the decorative element 2 has a pin 26 protruding centrally from the rear side 25, with a purchased tip, which is pushed through the webbing material of the textile strip 10 in the region of a loop 11 and is then affixed in a loss-preventing way by sliding a clamping piece 27 onto the tip of the pin. For this purpose, the individual loops 11 of the textile strip 10 can also be provided with eyelets 12 or similar openings, which make it easier to push the pin 26 through and make it possible to establish a defined position.

[0030] It is understood that the piece of luggage 1 can also have a number of additional textile strips 10 of this kind to which a number of other such decorative elements 2 can be fastened. Naturally, individual decorative elements 2 can also be attached directly to the actual outer cover of the piece of luggage 1, such as other than to the textile strips 10, or to the belt, shoulder straps, and the like. Corresponding eyelets 12 can also be provided there.

[0031] Another embodiment of a decorative element 2 is shown in FIG. 4. A base layer 21 and a covering layer 22 are successively applied to the visible side 20 and a plurality of graphic elements 24 in the form of small dots or discs arranged equidistantly in a pattern are initially covered on the visible side 20 by the base layer 21 and/or covering layer 22.

[0032] According to the view shown in FIG. 5, the graphic elements 24 can be applied directly to the visible side 20 and then covered by both the base layer 21 and the overlying covering layer 22.

[0033] Alternatively, according to FIG. 6, the graphic elements 24 can also be positioned between the base layer 21, which is applied directly to the visible side 20, and the covering layer 22 and are thus covered only by the covering layer 22.

[0034] Not shown in the drawings, but likewise conceivable is the placement of graphic elements 24 between a plurality of base layers 21.

[0035] In any case, the graphic elements 24 are positioned between adjacent layers and represent a region between the adjacent layers, such as between the base layer 21 and the visible side 20 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5 and between the base layer 21 and the covering layer 22 in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, in which there is less adhesion between the adjacent layers than in the regions in which no graphic element 24 is present. For this reason, the layer or layers on top of the graphic element 24 can be easily mechanically abraded, such as scratched off. This is also promoted by the raised form of the graphic element 24 in the side view according to FIGS. 5 and 6. As a result, either the graphic element 24 itself and the underlying layer can be easily uncovered by mechanical processing.

[0036] The graphic element 24 can, for example, be made of plastic and be embodied in a color scheme that contrasts with the adjacent layers.

[0037] The decorative elements 2 used for the decoration can be easily swapped and their visual appearance changes constantly due to the only low abrasion-proofness of the covering layer 22 and possibly also of the at least one base layer 21. The underlying and advantageously contrastingly colored base layers 21 and/or graphic elements 24 and finally the visible side 20 of the plate gradually become visible.

[0038] Through an appropriate selection and arrangement of different decorative elements 2 with different graphic elements 24, it is possible to form sayings, lettering, names, and the like on the piece of luggage 1 in order to decorate the latter.