US2604961A - Luggage sealing device - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1952 M. P. KOCH 2,604,961

LUGGAGE SEALING DEVICE Filed April 17, 1950 INVENTOR. MAURICE B may 4 TT'ORNEK Patented July 29, 1952 I. .-J LUGGAGE sEAL nc DEVICE Maurice P Koch, San Francisco, Calif.

1 Application April-:17, 1951i,- sri No. 156,357 j @e c iaims. (01.190-28) inventicnrelates to asealedluggage. :The primary object of this invention is to pro- .vide coactin'gsealing edges on aluggage which interlock in such amanner as to positively prevent the passage ofmoisture of any kind therethrough-into'or outof the luggage. A v Particularly it is an objectof this invention to provide an edge strip for thelower portionof the luggage, and acomplementaledge strip on the cover edges of; the luggage so that, the edge strips telescope intoone another when. the luggage is closed, and a resiliently compressible 'seal within the-joint betweensaid strips; said strips being adapted to straddle the respective edges and to form a moisture proof unionwith walls of the luggage at said respective edges. I

I am'aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as Well as in the details of the construction thereof without .departing from the scope of the present invention as-set forth in the following specificatiomand as defined-in the following claims; hence' I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said device and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for the illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental perspective view of a corner of the luggage showing the top or cover partly raised, and h Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a side of the luggage the cover being in closed position.

In the herein illustration my invention is shown in use on a luggage made of waterproof and moistureproof materials, which are light but strong, for instance molded from so called fiber glass sheets.

The body I of the luggage has integral sides 2. The cover 3 has complemental integral sides 4 arranged at angles to fit over the sides 2 of the luggage body I. The cover is swingably attachable to the body in any suitable manner (not shown).

On the top edges 6 of each side 2 of the body I is secured a continuous female sealing strip 1. This female sealing strip 1 is made of a suitable light and waterproof material. The strip 1 has a slot 8 extending from its bottom 9 to a suitable height. The width of the slot 8 slidably fits over 2 j the top of the side 2-0: the luggage body |,-"so as to leave'aslight space' for a suitable cement forfixing'the strip in place. i :1 The strip I thus straddles the top of the side 2. The slot 8 is offset with respect to the width'of the strip 1 so that it is nearer to the inner surface 9- than to the outer or'exposed surface H .of the stripl. "In otherwords',itheexposed leg of the strip lis thicker than the insideleg l3, as 'thelegs [straddle the top of the. 'sidef2 and the respective surfaces'ofsaid'side 2. V

'fl-In the. top of'the female strip] is formed-a extend over longitudinal substantially: generally. V-shaped groove |4 which extends: along the full length of the female strip I; -,At the apexof .the.:V-shaped groove I4 is a channel it of generally circular cross section connected tothe V=-'shaped groove J4 .by a mouth slit 17.: Aresilientlycompressible generally cylindrical. packing strip 8 is packed into said channel, :1 6 .sqethatthepacking strip I 8 projectsthrough th emouth slit 11 into theapexo f .theN-shaped; slot {4. 1

5-;The top o cov r seal s a m l p which has a straddling slot -2;} fitting over the edges of the cover; sides k -similarly to the. fitting .ofqthe female strip TfOVBlf fihG bottom sides 2.

1The:slot,2l is offset toone side symmetrically to the relative lateral offset of the slot 8 in the 'female strip 1, so that the exposed leg 22 is thicker than the inside leg 23, and each preferably being of the same thickness as the respective legs l2 and I3 of the female sealing strip 1.

vF'rom the edge of the male strip l9 farthest from the slot 2| extends a sealing rib 24, which has sides converging from the strip i9 toward the free tip or edge of the rib 24 at about the same relative angle as the angles of inclines of the respective sides of the V-shaped groove [4 of the female strip 1.

The V-shaped groove M has its base or wider end spaced from the opposite side surfaces 9 and II of the female strip 1 so as to form ledges 2B of equal width on each side of the base of the V- shaped groove l4.

On each side of the base of the male rib 24 is formed a ledge 21 which are also of equal width. The total width of the male strip I9 is the same as that of the female strip 1 so that the exposed surfaces and inside surfaces of the strips are in registry when the luggage is closed. The distance from the base of the rib 24 to its rounded'tip or apex 28 is slightly larger than the distance from the base Of the groove M to the mouth slit I1, so that the rounded tip 28 of the rib 24 projects through said slit l7 and into the channel It for compressing the packing strip [8 tightly against ale sealingstrip L9,

3 the sides of the channel It. This relative depth of the rib 24 and the groove l4 also leaves a slight space between the respective opposite ledges 26 and 21.

The sealing edges herein described are furnished in strips which can be cut or formed into suitable lengths and shapes to follow the contour of the exposed edges of the respective parts of a luggage, and: to form a continuous sealing strip around the opposite-edges of the luggage. As the cover is closed tight the male rib 25 penetrates through the mouth slit H and 1 channel being substantially of the same diis pressed against the packing strip it. By.

providing a luggage the walls of which are made of moisture proof material, the hereinrdescribed coacting sealing strips can render.luggage completely moistureproof, waterproof and practical-' 1y hermetically sealed. l

I claim:

1. In a sealing device. forv the. meeting edges of:v separable parts of a luggage, a female strip adapted to be secured overvthe edges of .one of said separableparts, a malestrip adapted to be secured over the edgeslof the other separable part, saidrfemale-strip having a longitudinal groove in .its edge facing said male strip, said groove being substantially'ofx-V-shape cross section; a longitudinal rib on the edge ofithe male strip facing said female strip and: fitting; into said groove, a continuous: generally channel" formed along 'aboutthe apex of said groove, said. rib being higherthan the distance from the base of the groove: to said channel, and

a' resi-li'ently compressible packing strip in'said channel, said packing strip being of substantiallythe same; diameter as the diameter of the channel-so that it'projects above said channel and-ihto said "groove in its expan'dedstate; each of 'said strips having alongitudinal'slot' therein r adapted to straddletlie edges of a luggage, said slot being offset in each strip toward theinside of' said strip to leave a thiclrer leg for the" outside of the luggage;

2.'In "a sealing device for the'meeting edges of separable parts of a-luggage, a -fernale strip adaptedto-be secured' over the edges" of one of cylindrical 4, said separable parts, a male strip adapted to be secured over the edges of the other separable part, said female strip having a longitudinal groove in its edge facing said male strip, said groove being substantially of V-shape cross section, a longitudinal rib on the edge of the male strip facing said female strip and fitting into said groove, a continuous generally cylindrical channel formed alongabout the apex; of said groove, saidribi'being higher than. the distance from the base of the groove to said channel, and a resiliently compressible packing strip in said ameter as said channel so that said packing groove.

3,.A sealingv device for luggage comprising a female strip adapted to be secured over the edges of one part of the luggage, and a male strip adapted to be secured over the edges of the complemental' part of the lug age} said female strip having-a longitudinal=groove-in= its edge opposite said male strip, arib on' the edge of the male strip fitting into said groove, anda resiliently compressible packing strip in the bottom of said grooveengageable by's'aid; rib, each of said strips having a'slot in its edge farthest from the other strip, said slot being adapted to straddle the respective edges of I said luggage, said slot being offset in each strip toward the in"- side face of the strip to leave a thicker leg-on the outside of the luggage.

MAURICE P. KOCH.-

REFERENCES CITED 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 986,439 Camp Mar. 14, 1911 1 ,811,718 Hofbauer June 23;-'-1931 2,200,912; Stein May 14,-1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date

Images