Folding wardrobe kit for clamshell-type luggage case

Abstract

Many luggage cases have included mechanisms for helping fold garments for the traveler to help minimize wrinkling and to aid packing. Such mechanisms have included straps, bars and devices for holding hangers on which the garments are to be folded and hung. This invention includes a kit ( 4 ) for holding the bar ( 22 ) for receiving the hook portions (H) of hangers well above a vertically oriented lid portion ( 2 ) of the luggage case ( 1 ) and attachment devices ( 27, 38, 37 ) that permit the user to remove and replace this support mechanism within the lid shell of the luggage case. Also provided is a hanger bar which is moved into the lid of the case to permit the clothing on hangers to be easily placed in the luggage case, but is easily removed for more conventional packing.

1 . A luggage case of the type having a lid and base shell, the lid shell having structural characteristics such as to be capable of supporting itself in a vertical position, the improvement comprising stay means attached to the lid shell to support the lid shell in a vertical position relative to a horizontal base shell, a pivotally supported hanger bar support holding a hanger bar sized to receive the hook portions of the hangers and the position above an uppermost portion of the lid shell in its vertical position, at least one pivotally mounted arm for holding the hanger bar above the upper portion of the lid shell and permitting the hanger bar to rotate downwardly and into the lid of the luggage case, the hanger bar being removably attached to the case by the arms means.  
     
     
         2 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the means for supporting the lid shell in the vertical position is a pair of stays, each stay of said pair extending between the lid shell and the base shell of the luggage case.  
     
     
         3 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 2  wherein each stay comprises a flexible strap which is releasably attached to one of the lid shell and the base shell, whereby, when both stays can be released to permit the lid shell to open to a horizontal position.  
     
     
         4 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said hanger bar support comprises a wire harp generally in the form of an inverted U with two downward arms when erect, one harp arm attached to said at least one pivotally mounted arm.  
     
     
         5 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 4  further including a base fixed to an upper portion of the lid shell, the base having one of a keyhole-shaped opening shaped to receive a lobed shaft and a lobed shaft, and the arm includes the other one of a keyhole-shaped opening shaped to receive a lobed shaft and the lobed shaft, the hole and the shaft being positioned to permit removing the hanger bar support when the wire harp is in a generally horizontal position while the lid shell is in a generally vertical position.  
     
     
         6 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 5  further including a second base fixed to an upper portion of the lid shell having one of a keyhole-shaped opening shaped to receive a lobed shaft and a lobed shaft, and a second arm including the other one of a keyhole-shaped opening shaped to receive a lobed shaft and the lobed shaft, the hole and the shaft of the second base and the second arm being positioned to permit removing the hanger bar support when the wire harp is in a generally horizontal position while the lid shell is in a generally vertical position.  
     
     
         7 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 1  further including a folding bar extending across the lid shell, the folding bar positioned so that clothing on hangers supported by the hanger bar fold over the folding bar when the hanger bar rotates downwardly into the lid shell of the luggage case.  
     
     
         8 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 7  wherein the folding bar is removable from the lid shell of the luggage case.  
     
     
         9 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the folding bar is removably mounted to the at least one pivotally mounted arm.  
     
     
         10 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the base includes means for selectively engaging the folding bar to prevent the folding bar from being removed from the pivotally mounted arm.  
     
     
         11 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the means for selectively engaging the folding bar includes a semicircular cam surface, and an end of the folding bar includes a slot for receiving a portion of the semicircular cam surface.  
     
     
         12 . A luggage case as set forth in  claim 11  whereby the semicircular cam surface and the slot are positioned relative to one another such that they interengage with one another in most positions of the hanger bar support except when the hanger bar support is holding the hanger bar above the uppermost portion of the vertically oriented lid shell.