WO2021204331A1

WO2021204331A1 - Sit-on case

Info

Publication number: WO2021204331A1
Application number: PCT/DE2021/100323
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jürgen Lindstädt
Original assignee: Lindstaedt Juergen
Priority date: 2020-04-07
Filing date: 2021-04-07
Publication date: 2021-10-14
Also published as: DE102020109655A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a sit-on case, in particular a dimensionally stable rolling case which is intended as hand luggage and has an integrated seat. In order to provide enhanced comfort and convenience, the invention provides a case (10) which has an integrated seat and comprises two lid halves (16), which together form two short sides and two long sides of the case (10), a handle (14) being arranged on a first short side, and also comprises two elongate, cuboidal seat pads (61), wherein at least one seat pad (61) is fixed to one of the two lid halves (16), or can be releasably fastened thereon, along the longitudinal direction of the first short side, so that the seat pad (61) can be removed when not in use, wherein the handle (14) is designed such that it can be moved into a position beneath the upper side of the seat pad (61) located on the case. Rollers (20) are preferably arranged on the second short side of the case (10) such that, when the case (10) is subjected to loading, they can be retracted into the frame of the case.

Description

description

Seat case

The invention relates to a seat case, in particular a dimensionally stable hand luggage roll case with an associated seat pad.

In order to implement the Paris climate protection goals, increased incentives to replace private transport in favor of public passenger transport will have to be offered in the future. In this context, in particular in the area of rail-bound and public transport, the relevant mobility service providers are called upon to significantly increase the number of customers with high-frequency connections between the individual regional conurbations or metropolitan areas and, especially for people in rural areas, the regional connections and access to the long-distance transport network .

However, the resulting problems can already be estimated from the current situation. In particular, in the future:

• the trains are at least partially so busy that there will not be enough seats available for all passengers,

• The waiting areas are also overcrowded, so that there will only be an insufficient number of seats available here.

Suitcases in particular are used to store and transport the necessary luggage when traveling. These are available in different versions and sizes, with a hand luggage case (typical external dimensions maximum 55 x 40 x 20 cm ³ ) being used in most cases. Hard-shell cases in particular (made of plastic or aluminum) are preferred travel companions because of their high stability and robustness and because of their better protection against rain and moisture.

However, travelers with such suitcases are currently unable to convert them into (emergency) seats on the train or in waiting areas, or only very inconveniently. In addition, with wheeled suitcases used as seating, the problem often arises that they do not have any brakes and can therefore perform jerky movements in the approaching or braking train. In addition, when sitting on the case, the mounts of the castors are heavily loaded by the additional weight of the person sitting, which can lead to increased wear and tear and premature material fatigue. Backpacks which can be converted into trolleys are known from US Pat. No. 6,592,012 B2 and WO 03/096838 A1. These carrying systems only offer an emergency seat option, if at all, which offers little comfort for long periods of sitting and lingering, for example in the aisle of overcrowded trains.

From DE 202016004333 U1, a rolling luggage cover with a backpack function is known, which, however, is not suitable as a seat due to a flexible sheathing.

A case which includes a fold-out emergency seat can be found in EP 1 402 797 A1. However, this emergency seat is only intended for smaller children and is not suitable for larger loads from adults. The documents US 2009/0289480 A1, US 2004/0021353 A1 and EP 3 113647 B1 disclose systems that are compatible with conventional suitcases, but these are also only suitable as emergency seats for children.

The invention is now based on the object of overcoming or at least reducing the problems of the prior art and of providing a solution to the problem of a lack of seating when traveling. The object according to the invention is achieved by a seat case according to independent claim 1. Preferred developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

The invention relates to a case with an integrated seat pad, which has two lid halves, which together form two short sides and two long sides of the case, a handle being arranged on a first short side; as well as two elongated cuboid seat cushions, wherein at least one seat cushion is firmly connected to one of the two cover halves along the longitudinal direction of the first short side or can be releasably attached to this so that the seat cushions can be removed when not in use, the handle being designed in this way so that it can be brought into a position below the top of the seat cushions on the case. For sitting, a seat cushion is preferably arranged on one of the two cover halves on the first short side of the case.

The seat cushions can be used as a seat. Since the seat cushions are arranged or can be arranged on a short side, the suitcase must be placed with the long sides pointing upwards from the floor in order to sit. As a result, a maximum possible seat height is achieved, which enables particularly ergonomic sitting especially for people with restricted mobility.

The two elongated cuboid seat cushions can preferably be designed as integral components of a common upholstery frame. For this purpose, the two seat cushions can be rigidly or flexibly connected to one another via at least one connecting section located in between. With a fixed connection of the upholstery frame with one of the two cover halves, the upholstery frame is preferably designed to be open in its central area, so that the handle is accessible on the first short side. In the case of a detachable fastening of the upholstery frame, it can also be designed in the form of a cushion plate closed in the middle. The two elongated cuboid seat cushions are then determined via the corresponding sections of the cushion plate, with one of these seat cushion sections preferably being arranged on one of the two cover halves on the first short side of the case for sitting.

A suitcase can in particular be a typical foldable travel or hand luggage suitcase in the form of a cuboid. It is preferably a case in which rollers (also referred to as wheels) are attached to at least one side (wheeled case). A case can preferably be a dimensionally stable hard-shell case or a so-called half-shell case. A case shell can in particular be made of a resistant plastic material or a light metal, e.g. aluminum. Such cases are typically characterized by the fact that these two lid halves (an upper and a lower lid half), a short handle side with a first handle (usually opposite to the side with the rollers), and a long handle side with a second handle (usually opposite to the side along which it is opened), with suitcase locks possibly located on the long handle side on both sides of the second handle.

In the case of higher loads on the case from heavier people or cases that are not designed to be resistant as described above, a telescopic support can preferably be arranged inside the case in order to distribute the weight on the seat surface to the top and bottom of the case. In order to optimally adapt to different case sizes, the telescopic support can be adjusted in length and locked.

Furthermore, the telescopic support preferably has a pressure plate at both ends in order to better distribute the weight of a user. The pressure plate is preferably connected to the respective end of the telescopic support via a joint, so that it can be folded up to save space when not in use.

In addition to the pressure plate or as an alternative to this, two or four support arms can preferably be provided at both ends of the telescopic support, which are articulated on the pressure plate and / or the telescopic support and can be locked at right angles to the telescopic support, so that essentially the complete Top and bottom are supported. The articulated arrangement of the pressure plates is preferably carried out by means of a swivel joint and a hinge, so that on the one hand Any orientation of the pressure plate in the plane of the respective case side is made possible and the pressure plate can be folded by 90 °.

In addition, the telescopic support can advantageously also be arranged between the two long sides, so that a user can also use this for sitting. If necessary, the seat cushion can be positioned accordingly.

On a first long side of the case, rotatable joints (hinges) for opening the case are mostly arranged. The opening can, however, also be implemented without joints via an area adjoining the opening edge which is otherwise designed for folding the case halves, for example a flexible connection of the case halves in this area. The opening edge is the area where the two halves of the cover of the case meet when closing. The case can be closed, for example, by means of a zipper that extends at least in sections along the opening edge or by means of case locks, preferably arranged on the second long side of the case.

The seat cushions are preferably made of a compressible soft material which is suitable as a comfortable seat pad. This can in particular be a foam, for example made of polyurethane (PU), polyethylene (PE) or silicone.

In a further preferred embodiment of the seat cushions, these are designed as self-inflating seat cushions, as is the case with self-inflating air mattresses or the like. is known. The two elongated cuboid seat cushions can preferably be rigidly or flexibly connected to one another via at least one connecting section in between, the volume of the at least one connecting section preferably being connected to the volume of at least one of the two seat cushions in order to also make the at least one connecting section self-inflating.

In the case of seat cushions that are detachably attached to the case, these can be removed when not in use and stowed away elsewhere. For this purpose, the case can preferably have corresponding pockets or compartments in which the seat cushions can be accommodated in an easily accessible manner.

Seat cushions that are detachably attached to the case are to be attached using a suitable means of attachment. This can be, for example, a Velcro connection, fastening by means of belts or zippers or corresponding pockets for pushing in or inserting the seat cushions.

The seat cushions can preferably have a lower area or an inner core made of a rigid material, for example a hard fiber material, at least in sections or a composite. As a result, the stability, the adaptation to the actual case and the robustness of the seat cushions can be increased. To protect the seat cushions, they can include a (preferably washable or replaceable) cover.

A handle can in particular be a hard or soft handle. While a hard handle, for example made of a plastic material, is generally designed as a folding handle with a rigid attachment or as a pull handle in a two-sided holder, a soft handle is usually a rubber, fabric or leather element which is connected to the corresponding side of the case . While a soft grip can generally always be arranged in a position below the top of the seat cushions located on the case by simply pressing it, in the case of hard grips, according to the invention, the corresponding fastening must allow a corresponding reconfiguration of the grip element. In particular, the handle element must not be felt by the user while the case is being used as a seat. The handle of an extendable handle element, e.g. on a trolley, is usually a hard handle. These handles are also usually arranged on a short side of the corresponding case, the associated linkage being arranged within one of the two lid halves.

Two handles, which are each arranged on one lid half, have the advantage that there is no one-sided stresses on the lid halves when the case is carried. In particular, the first handle can be a simple carrying handle and the second handle can be the handle of an extendable handle element. The arrangement of at least one handle on a first short side of the case allows easier transport. This means that you do not have to bend down as far to lift the suitcase as would be required when lifting a suitcase with a handle only on one long side.

One idea of the invention is therefore that, taking into account the maximum permitted load weight, a corresponding travel or hand luggage case can be converted into a comfortable seat.

Preferably, the case further comprises rollers (or wheels) on the second short side of the case, which are arranged in such a way that they can be retracted into the case frame when the case is loaded above a specified maximum load, so that the case with the castor side on the Rests on the floor. This retraction can take place, for example, in that the rollers are attached to the case via suitable spring elements, the spring force of which is coordinated in such a way that they yield above a maximum permissible weight load to such an extent that the associated side of the case on the Is on the floor and the rollers are not overloaded. As an alternative to springs, magnetic or pneumatic methods can also be used. A typical maximum weight for the load on the rollers is around 40 kilograms, but these can also be designed for a higher load if necessary. The rollers can also be retracted manually, for example. In this case, before the case is used as a seat, the position of the castors can be locked.

The case preferably has a plurality of feet, for example made of rubber, as a floor support on the side with the rollers. These enable the case to stand firmly even on problematic surfaces (e.g. gravel, paving stones, sensitive parquet or laminate), and they also prevent the case from slipping unintentionally, especially on smooth surfaces. Such a support foot can preferably also be designed as an integral part of a roller housing. For this purpose, the roller housing, which is preferably made of a resistant plastic material, can have an extension designed as a support surface on its outside. The support surface can preferably be formed directly from the material of the roller housing or comprise a shoulder, e.g. made of rubber.

The case preferably further comprises an attachable light. This can in particular be a red rear light, which can increase its rear visibility in the dark when the suitcase is being transported. It can be attached, for example, using Velcro strips, hooks located on the light, or on bags attached to the case, as well as using another conventional type of attachment.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the features mentioned in the subclaims.

The various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless stated otherwise in the individual case.

The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments with reference to drawings. Show it

Fig. 1 in a schematic representation of a seat case according to the invention and

2 shows a schematic representation of an open half of the case according to the invention with a telescopic support arranged in the interior of the case.

The case 10 according to the invention according to FIG. 1 comprises two lid halves 16 which together form two short sides and two long sides of the case 10, a handle 14a, 14b being arranged on a first short side; as well as two elongated cuboid seat cushions 61a, 61b; at least one seat cushion 61a, 61b along the In the longitudinal direction of the first short side is firmly connected to one of the two cover halves 16 or can be releasably attached to it so that the seat cushions 61a, 61b can be removed when not in use, the handle 14a, 14b being designed such that it can be in one position can be brought below the top of the seat cushions 61a, 61b located on the case. The areas shown in dotted lines indicate optional connecting sections between the two elongated cuboid seat cushions 61. With the aid of these connections, the seat cushions 61 can also be designed as integral components of an upholstery frame. A common cushion frame can also be a cushion plate closed in the middle.

The case 10 preferably comprises two or more rollers 20 on the second short side of the case 10, which are arranged such that they can be retracted into the case frame when the case 10 is loaded above a specified maximum load, so that the case 10 with the roller side rests on the floor. In the illustration shown, spring elements within the roller housing are indicated by way of example. To protect the side of the case then lying directly on the floor, the case 10 can preferably have a plurality of feet 92 as floor supports on the side with the rollers 20. Such a support foot 92 can also be designed as an integral part of a roller housing. For this purpose, the roller housing, which is preferably made of a resistant plastic material, can have an extension designed as a support surface on its outside. The case can preferably further comprise a light 80 which can be attached thereto.

2 shows a particular embodiment of the case 10 according to the invention, only one case half being shown for the sake of simplicity.

A telescopic support 22 is arranged in the interior 18 of the case 10 and extends from the top and bottom or between the two short sides of the case 10. Because it is designed as a telescopic support 22, it can be easily adapted to suit different case sizes. The telescopic support 22 has a pressure plate 24 at both ends, the pressure plate 24 not being visible in the area of the upper side in this illustration. The pressure plates 24 are pivotably fixed on the telescopic support, preferably reversibly, so that the telescopic support 22 can be folded up to save space when not in use. By means of the telescopic support 22 and the associated pressure plate 24, the suitcase according to the invention can be used as a seat even with less stable suitcases or by heavier people. LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS Suitcase Handle Lid halves Interior Rolls Telescopic support Pressure plate Seat cushion Light feet

Claims

A case with an integrated seat pad, comprising: two lid halves (16) which together form two short sides and two long sides of the case (10), a handle (14) being arranged on a first short side; and two elongated cuboid seat cushions (61); characterized in that at least one seat cushion (61) along the longitudinal direction of the first short side is firmly connected to one of the two cover halves (16) or can be releasably attached to this so that the seat cushions (61) can be removed when not in use; wherein the handle (14) is designed such that it can be brought into a position below the top of the seat cushions (61) located on the case.

2. Case according to claim 1, wherein the two elongated cuboid seat cushions (61) are designed as integral components of a common cushion frame.

3. Case according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two elongated cuboid seat cushions (61) are designed as self-inflating seat cushions,

4. Case according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the two elongated cuboid seat cushions (61) are rigidly or flexibly connected to one another via at least one connecting section located between them.

5. Case according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a telescopic support (22) is arranged in the interior of the case (10), which is supported between two parallel sides, preferably the short sides of the case (10).

6. Case according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising rollers (20) on the second short side of the case (10), which are arranged such that they can be retracted into the case frame when the case (10) is loaded above a specified maximum load so that the case (10) rests with the roller side on the floor.

7. Case according to claim 6, wherein the case (10) on the side with the rollers (20) has a plurality of feet (92) as a floor support.

8. Case according to claim 7, wherein a foot (92) is designed as an integral part of a roller housing.

9. Case according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a light (80) which can be fastened to the case (10).