Container For Attachment to Luggage
20190071211 ยท 2019-03-07
Inventors
Cpc classification
B65D5/46096
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D5/22
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A45C2013/267
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45C7/0054
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B65D5/6664
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D5/4208
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B65D5/42
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A container 10 comprises a body 12 that defines a containment area; and an attachment arrangement 14 to facilitate attaching the container to an extended pull-out handle 16 of a luggage item 18; wherein the container 10 is a fold-together container, and the body 12 comprises a plurality of fold segments 34 and fold creases 36, to facilitate assembling the container.
Claims
1. A container, comprising: a body that defines a containment area; an attachment arrangement to facilitate attaching the container to an extended pull-out handle of a luggage item, wherein the attachment arrangement comprises a cut-out portion of the container, wherein the cut-out portion is displaced and extends from the container, to form the attachment arrangement; wherein the attachment arrangement, when the cut-out portion is displaced and extends from the container, provides an opening, upwardly through which the handle of the luggage item can travel, such that the attachment arrangement goes around the handle of the luggage item, to secure the container to the handle of the luggage item; and a handle; wherein the handle is located such that the handle can be held above the containment area, and the cut-out portion is located partially or wholly at a side of the containment area, and, in use, extends outwards sideways from the container.
2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body consists of only one piece of material, to define the containment area.
3. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body and the attachment arrangement together consist of only one piece of material.
4. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is made partially or wholly of cardboard.
5. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is made wholly of cardboard.
6. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the attachment arrangement is made partially or wholly of cardboard.
7. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the attachment arrangement is made wholly of cardboard.
8. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cut-out portion is located wholly at the side of the containment area.
9. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cut-out portion, when displaced, leaves an aperture that extends through to the containment area of the container.
10. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is provided an aperture arrangement to assist a user in releasing the cut-out portion.
11. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is a fold-together container, and the body comprises a plurality of fold segments and fold creases, to facilitate assembling the container.
12. An assembly, comprising: a container as claimed in claim 1; and a luggage item, the luggage item comprising an extendable pull-out handle; wherein the handle of the luggage item is extended, and the container is attached to the handle of the luggage item, via the attachment arrangement of the container.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] Examples of the present invention will now be more particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, in no way limiting a scope of the invention, in which:
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[0039]
[0040] Note: At some patent offices, when claim(s) are allowed for patent, it is required that Figures that do not show all the feature(s) of the/an invention claimed (and that are not within a scope of what is claimed) are denoted as not being claimed (or words to that effect). Even in such case, it will be obvious that such Figure(s), even if denoted as not being claimed (or words to that effect), may or do show some or many preferable and/or optional feature(s) of the/an invention claimed, which will be clear, in light of the disclosure. Thus such Figure(s) (and/or disclosure related to such Figure(s) and/or embodiment(s)), should nevertheless be considered relevant (and/or may be relevant) to the/an invention claimed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] Referring to the drawings, there is shown a container 10, comprising: a body 12 that defines a containment area; and an attachment arrangement 14 to facilitate attaching the container to an extended pull-out handle 16 of a luggage item 18; wherein the container 10 is a fold-together container, and the body 12 comprises a plurality of fold segments 34 and fold creases 36, to facilitate assembling the container. (An example(s) of this is shown in all of
[0042] Preferably the body consists of only one piece of material. (This will be shown, (particularly clearly), with reference to
[0043] Preferably the container can be stored in a flat, unassembled mode. (This is shown best in
[0044] Preferably in the flat unassembled mode, a whole of the body can be laid open and flat. (An example of this is shown in
[0045] Preferably in the flat unassembled mode, the body can be folded over itself, nevertheless stored flat. (This is shown/demonstrated in
[0046] Preferably the body is made partially or mostly or wholly of cardboard.
[0047] Preferably the body and the attachment arrangement are both made partially or mostly or wholly of cardboard.
[0048] Preferably the body is made wholly of cardboard.
[0049] Preferably the body and the attachment arrangement are made wholly of cardboard.
[0050] Preferably the attachment arrangement comprises a cut-out portion 19 of the container.
[0051] Preferably the cut-out portion, when displaced, leaves an aperture 20 through to the containment area of the container. Although the attachment arrangements of
[0052] Preferably a portion or a whole of the cut-out portion is cut out from a side of the container. Thus preferably the cut-out portion of the container is cut-out partially or wholly from a side of the container (and thus provided partially or wholly at a side of the container). (Example(s) of this are shown in all the drawings).
[0053] (In the example(s) shown in the drawings, a whole of the example cut-out portion is cut out from a side of the container. Thus, in the example(s) shown in the drawings, the example cut-out portion is cut out wholly from (and provided wholly at) the/a side of the container).
[0054] (Only the side of the container at which the attachment arrangement and/or cut-out portion is provided is numbered with the number 22 in the Figures. However, a portion or a whole of the cut-out portion and/or attachment arrangement may be provided at any side of the container, not limited to the example(s) shown. For example, a portion or a whole of the attachment arrangement and/or cut-out portion may be provided on an opposing side of the container to the side where it is provided in
[0055] (Thus there is shown an example(s) wherein the aperture 20 extends through the container, (preferably through the/a side 22 of the container), through to the containment area.
[0056] Preferably a portion or a whole of the attachment arrangement 14 can extend from the container. (This is shown particularly clearly in
[0057] Preferably a portion or a whole of the attachment arrangement 14 can extend, rotatably, from the container. (This is best shown with reference to
[0058] Preferably the attachment arrangement comprises an aperture 24 to slip an extended pull-out handle of a luggage item through. (This is best shown in
[0059] Preferably there is provided an aperture arrangement 26 to assist a user in releasing the, or a part of the, attachment arrangement. (This is shown or suggested in all of
[0060] Preferably the aperture arrangement is provided above the attachment arrangement. (This is best shown in
[0061] The/an aperture arrangement 26 to assist a user in releasing the, or a part of the, attachment arrangement may be provided within a border of the cut-out portion of the attachment arrangement. (This is shown/suggested in
[0062] The/an aperture arrangement 26 to assist a user in releasing the, or a part of the, attachment arrangement may be provided below the attachment arrangement.
[0063] Preferably the container comprises a handle 28.
[0064] Preferably the handle is at a top of the container. This is shown in all the Figures/example(s). In the Figures, the handle is shown on a top side 30 of the container. In
[0065] Preferably the container is a duty-free box. An example of the container being a duty-free box is shown in all the Figures. Such a box may contain, for example, duty-free liquor, (alcohol), chocolates, jewellery, etc, in use.
[0066] Preferably a portion or a whole of the attachment arrangement 14 is provided at a top half of the container and/or a top half of a/the side of the container. This is most clearly shown in
[0067] The container may be provided as part of an assembly 32, comprising the container; and a luggage item 18, the luggage item comprising an extendable pull-out handle 16. An example of this is shown in
[0068] In embodiments wherein the attachment arrangement comprises a cut-out portion of the container, the cut-out portion may, for example, be fully cut out. An example of this is shown in
[0069] (It should be noted that the term partially cut out is used in a broad sense in the present application. For example, a portion that is partially cut out may, for example, have parts of its border that are fully cut through, and parts that are not. However, it is also possible that a partially cut-out portion may be partially cut out without any of its border being fully cut through, such that it is partially cut through in the sense that no part of the body (cardboard, in the example) is fully cut through, but the border is cut and/or weakened in such a way that makes it easy for the portion to be released. Either embodiment/method falls within a scope of being partially cut through for the present application. Thus what is being defined is that the portion may be weakened so that it is easily releasable, and the term partially cut out is used, in the present application, to define that. In the embodiment of
[0070] This (partial or fully being cut out) may also be the case for any other aperture. Thus aperture arrangement 26 may be partially cut out (as denoted by the dashed lines in
[0071] There is shown in
[0072] The example luggage item 18 of
[0073] In the examples of
[0074] In
[0075] Thus, in
[0076] (It should be noted that it is possible not all the segments 34 are used to define the containment area. For example, in the example, there are seen two fold segments 34, towards a top of what is shown in
[0077] (In the example, there is not provided a fold crease above the aforementioned segment, centrally at a bottom of what is shown in
[0078] (Note: In the example, sides 37 of segments 39 are not fold creases. In the example, they are cuts. (ie The segments 39 are cut here, not connected to adjacent segment(s) at this side, in the example). This is made clear by the fact they are not shown in thicker black lines, thus not denoting that they are fold creases. Again, it should be stated that what is shown is shown by way of example only).
[0079] The fold creases 36 may be created, for example, at manufacture. The fold creases may, for example, be creating via pressing. A narrow element (and/or any appropriate machine, element, or thing), may, for example, be pressed down onto the body (in the example, cardboard), to create a fold crease or creases. The fold creases make it much easier to assemble the container. (Eg by a user and/or attendant at a shop).
[0080] (The or each fold crease may be indented on one or both sides of the fold crease. Preferably the or each fold crease is indented on an inner side. Thus preferably the or each fold crease is indented on a side toward which the fold segments and/or container fold inward, to assemble the container. Thus preferably the or each fold crease are indented on the side shown/viewable in
[0081] There are also shown apertures 38, which, in the example, facilitate creation of the handle 28.
[0082] There is also shown the example attachment arrangement 14. In the example, one of the fold segments shown forms/is a side 22 of the container, (as shown in
[0083] In the example of
[0084] The fold creases 36, in the example of
[0085] (The container/segments can be folded generally in the direction generally denoted by the dashed arrows in
[0086] In
[0087] (The fold segments 34 are not numbered in
[0088] As shown, in the example, the body preferably consists of only one piece of material. (In the example, this is a single piece of carboard). In the example, the whole container consists of only one piece of material. In the example, the body and the attachment arrangement together consist of only one piece of material. (In the example, the piece of material is cardboard). (As already stated, the container and/or body (and thus the one piece of material, if the body consists of only one piece of material) may be made partially, or mostly, or wholly of cardboard).
[0089] In
[0090] In
[0091] In the example of
[0092] In
[0093] (The body 12 that defines the containment area does not have to fully enclose the containment area absolutely. For example (and as will be clear in light of the disclosure), the body may include aperture(s), etc about it, nevertheless, still defining the containment area. Thus the term defines a containment area does not require absolute and total enclosure, without holes, etc).
[0094] (There may be provided a fold crease(s) in the general area(s) labelled with the number 41 (best shown in
[0095] According to a further aspect, example(s) are shown, in the Figure(s), of a container, comprising: a body 12 that defines a containment area, wherein the body 12 is made partially or mostly or fully of cardboard; and an attachment arrangement 14 to facilitate attaching the container to an extended pull-out handle 16 of a luggage item 18, wherein the attachment arrangement 14 is made partially or mostly or fully of cardboard. (Examples of this are shown in all the example drawings). (According to such embodiment(s)/aspect(s), the container may, or may not, be a fold-together container, and thus may, or may not, comprises a plurality of fold segments and fold creases, to facilitate assembling the container).
[0096] According to a further aspect, example(s) are shown, in the Figure(s), of a container, comprising: a body 12 that defines a containment area; and an attachment arrangement 14 to facilitate attaching the container to an extended pull-out handle 16 of a luggage item 18; wherein the attachment arrangement 14 comprises a cut-out portion 19 of the container. (Examples of this are shown in all the drawings). (According to such embodiment(s)/aspect(s), the body 12 may, or may not, be made partially or mostly or fully of cardboard. According to such embodiment(s)/aspect(s), the attachment arrangement 12 may, or may not, be made partially or mostly or fully of cardboard).
[0097] Preferably, the cut-out portion 19, when displaced, leaves an aperture 20 through to the containment area of the container (as has been discussed). (Particularly clear example(s) of this are shown, with the attachment arrangement moved/released/displaced, to show the aperture 20 in
[0098] In Use
[0099] An example(s) will now be described in use, described by way of example only, referring to a particularly preferred embodiment(s), (wherein the container is a duty-free box), in no way limiting a scope of the invention. (
[0100] Thus, referring in use (by way of example) to a particularly preferred example, duty-free stores are usually located at airports, ports, and border places. Many types of items are sold at duty-free stores. These tend to include, for example, liquor (alcohol), chocolates, jewellery, etc. These items can be heavy and challenging to carry around.
[0101] The boxes that are used to pack such purchased item(s) tend to be formed from cardboard, in a design that is easy to assemble by the attendant (or any other person), and tend to include a handle as part of the box.
[0102] After a customer makes a purchase at a duty-free store, he/she may have little time or opportunity to place the purchased item(s) inside his/her luggage. It also may be challenging to open up their luggage, to transport such purchased item(s). The purchased item(s) are generally placed in the box by the attendant. The customer would then have two choices: carry the box around hanging from his/her hand or, if he/she is traveling with a carry-on (or other relevant piece of luggage), place it on top of the luggage item. (Carry-on is a term often given to a piece of luggage that can be carried on to a flight (or any other transport, etc), (eg not as checked luggage)). With this last choice, the weight of the box is transferred to the carry-on, which usually has wheels, thus reducing the effort to carry the heavy box around (eg made heavy by liquor/alcohol (or any other purchased item(s) inside)). The box can then often lay partially on top of the luggage item, and partially on the handle of the luggage item, as it is angled, as the luggage item is wheeled and pulled by the person. However the way the box sits on the luggage item and/or handle of the luggage item/carry-on is unstable when it moves. (It should also be noted that luggage items with four wheels, (which therefore may not be angled as they're dragged/moved along the ground by users, and may instead stay in an upright position), are now gaining popularity. Therefore, on such luggage, placing the container/box on top of the luggage tends to be even more unstable).
[0103] What is disclosed in the present application gives the customer the alternative of using the attachment arrangement (preferably comprising a pre-cut portion on the side of the box). Preferably by inserting his/her finger through a cut out hole, the (preferably pre-cut portion) attachment arrangement can be pulled out, and then slid over the carry-on handle. This would make the box a lot more stable and comfortable to carry around. The attendants at the/a duty-free store may free the attachment arrangement, for example, or the traveller/buyer/user could do it themselves. The attendant(s) may show/teach the traveller/buyer/user how to do it, if required/desired.
[0104] Once in the airplane, (or other transport, for example), the box can be pulled back off the carry-on handle, and placed in an overhead bin or under a seat, for example, where it can/will travel. When it is time to disembark (or at any other time), the operation (of attaching the container/box to the carry-on handle) can be repeated again, and then as many times as, and at any time, necessary.
[0105] Once final destination has been reached, the box is usually (or may be) discarded. It may be that the container/box is not used again. Thus the container/box may be disposable.
[0106] Whilst the example of a duty-free box is described (and shown), it will be clear that the container/box may be used at/provided at any store/place, and for any reason. It will be clear that what is shown in the drawings could be used at any store and/or place, not limited to duty-free stores, etc.
[0107] Thus an example is described, in use, by way of example only, in no way limiting a scope of the invention.
[0108] The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.