Patent attributes
A luggage identifier for air and rail travelers uniquely identifies a luggage piece on a airport carousel or train station conveyer belt. A battery powered remote radio wave transmitter carried by the passenger sends a radio wave to a battery powered receiving and activating mechanism associated with the luggage piece. The transmitted signal triggers a latch release mechanism connected to a flexible flagpole that is held under spring tension in the collapsed state. Upon being triggered, the latch release mechanism releases the flagpole, which is driven to an extended state under spring power. Identifiers carried by the flagpole are thereby moved into a conspicuously visible position, which facilitates identification of the luggage piece. The identifiers can comprise LED lights mounted on the flexible flagpole, a colored puffball, a name flag, and a sound generation mechanism. Additional identifiers can comprise a strip of light bulbs or LED lights disposed within cording of the luggage, a sewn-in housing light panel, and a privacy panel removably affixed to a sewn-in panel by hook and loop fasteners or the like. Flagpole extension proceeds to the extent permitted by the space available amongst contiguous luggage pieces. The component parts of the flagpole have sufficient flexibility to tolerate impact with adjacent objects, such as nearby baggage pieces or the edge of an airport carousel. Unique colors exhibited by the flag, and/or name identifiers on the pole operate to provide highly visible indicia that identify luggage or a backpack even in dimly lit areas.
