Carry-on bag with pull-out coat hangers in handle top

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a piece of luggage is provided. The luggage includes a case body having a front portion, a rear portion, and four walls coupled with the front portion and the rear portion to form an interior region within which items may be placed. The luggage also includes a handle coupled with the case body and extendible therefrom. The handle includes rods that are slidably coupled with the case body to allow the handle to be extended from the case body. The handle also includes a grip member that is coupled at a distal end of the rods and that extends laterally therebetween. A pair of arms are pivotably coupled with the handle on opposing sides thereof. Each arm is movable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration to form an extended handle having a relatively flat middle portion and arcuate opposing end portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A piece of luggage comprising:
 a case body comprising:
 a front portion; 
 a rear portion, and 
 four walls coupled with the front portion and the rear portion so as to form an interior region within which clothing and other items may be placed, the four walls including a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls, the rear portion being fixedly coupled with the four walls and the front portion being hingedly coupled with one of the side walls such that the front portion is foldable relative to the rear portion to provide access to the interior region; 
   a plurality of wheels coupled with the bottom wall to allow the luggage to be transported; and   a handle coupled with the case body and extendible therefrom between a first position wherein the handle is adjacent the top wall of the case body to at least a second position wherein the handle extends beyond the top wall, wherein the handle comprises:
 a pair of longitudinally extending members that are retractable relative to the case body to allow the handle to be extended between the first position and the second position; 
 a laterally extending member coupled at a distal end of each of the longitudinally extending members and extending therebetween; and 
 a pair of arm members coupled with the longitudinally extending members on opposing sides and deployable form a stowed configuration in which the arm members are substantially parallel to the longitudinally extending members to a deployed configuration in which the arm members are substantially parallel to the laterally extending member by actuating a release mechanism, wherein when deployed, the arm members and the laterally extending member form an extended handle having a relatively flat middle portion and arcuate opposing end portions. 
   Wherein each longitudinally extending member includes a recess positioned near the distal end, each recess extending longitudinally along a portion of the longitudinally extending members and each recess being shaped and sized to receive one of the pair of arms and releasably lock the respective arm in the stowed configuration such that the outer surface of each arm forms an outer surface of the respective longitudinally extending member.   
     
     
         2 . The piece of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein each longitudinally extending member includes a spring mechanism that engages a respective arm member to deploy the arm member from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration by actuating the release mechanism. 
     
     
         3 . The piece of luggage of  claim 2 , wherein the spring mechanism of each longitudinally extending member does not engage with the respective arm member until the longitudinally extending members are positioned in the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The piece of luggage of  claim 2 , wherein the spring mechanism is housed within the recess of the longitudinally extending member. 
     
     
         5 . The piece of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein each of the longitudinally extending members comprises a plurality of telescoping rods. 
     
     
         6 . The piece of luggage of  claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism comprises a button that is positioned on a central portion of a bottom surface of the laterally extending member. 
     
     
         7 . The piece of luggage of  claim 6 , wherein the button is configured to actuate a spring mechanism that deploys the pair of arm members from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The piece of luggage of  claim 7 , wherein the button is not capable of actuating the spring mechanism until the longitudinally extending members are positioned in the second position. 
     
     
         9 . A piece of luggage comprising:
 a case body comprising:
 a front portion; 
 a rear portion, and 
 four walls coupled with the front portion and the rear portion so as to form an interior region within which clothing and other items may be placed, the four walls including a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls, the rear portion being fixedly coupled with the four walls and the front portion being coupled with at least one of the walls such that the front portion may be moved relative to the rear portion to provide access to the interior region; 
   a handle coupled with the case body and extendible therefrom between a first position wherein the handle is near the top wall of the case body to at least a second position wherein the handle is positioned distally of the top wall, wherein the handle comprises:
 a pair of rods that are slidably coupled with the case body to allow the handle to be moved between the first position and the second position; and 
 a grip member coupled at a distal end of each of the rods and extending laterally therebetween; and 
   a pair of arms pivotably coupled with the handle on opposing sides thereof, wherein each arm is movable between a stowed configuration in which the arm is substantially parallel with the rods and a deployed configuration in which the arm is substantially parallel with the grip member so as to form an extended handle having a relatively flat middle portion and arcuate opposing end portions.   
     
     
         10 . The piece of luggage of  claim 9 , wherein each arm is coupled with one of the rods, and wherein each arm extends relatively laterally from the respective rod when in the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The piece of luggage of  claim 9 , wherein each arm is coupled with the grip member. 
     
     
         12 . The piece of luggage of  claim 9 , wherein the arms are deployable from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration by actuating a release mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The piece of luggage of  claim 9 , wherein each rod includes a recess shaped and sized to receive one of the arms. 
     
     
         14 . The piece of luggage of  claim 10 , wherein each rod includes a spring mechanism that engages a respective arm to deploy the arm from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The piece of luggage of  claim 10 , wherein the spring mechanism engages the respective arm upon actuation of a release mechanism. 
     
     
         16 . The piece of luggage of  claim 10 , wherein the spring mechanism engages the respective arm as the handle is moved from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         17 . The piece of luggage of  claim 9 , wherein each arm comprises telescoping rods so as to allow a length of the arms to be extended. 
     
     
         18 . A method for extending the length of a handle of a piece of luggage, the method comprising:
 providing a piece of luggage comprising:
 a front portion; a rear portion, and four walls coupled with the front portion and the rear portion so as to form an interior region within which clothing and other items may be placed, the four walls including a top wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls, the rear portion being fixedly coupled with the four walls and the front portion being coupled with at least one of the walls such that the front portion may be moved relative to the rear portion to provide access to the interior region; 
 a handle coupled with the case body, wherein the handle comprises: a pair of rods that are slidably coupled with the case body to allow the handle to be moved relative to the case body; a grip member coupled at a distal end of each of the rods and extending laterally therebetween; and a pair of arms, wherein each arm is pivotably coupled with one of the rods; 
   extending the handle from a first position wherein the handle is near the top wall of the case body to a second position wherein the handle is positioned distally of the top wall; and   actuating a release mechanism of the handle to pivot each arm from a stowed configuration wherein the arm is substantially parallel with the respective rod to a deployed configuration wherein the arm extends laterally from the respective rod so as to form an extended handle having a relatively flat middle portion and arcuate opposing end portions.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein actuating the release mechanism comprises pressing a button. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein actuating the release mechanism comprises extending the handle from the first position to the second position, whereupon that release mechanism is automatically triggered.