AU757496B2 - Suitcase with rollers - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a vertical suitcase with no rigid frame whereof the surfaces are made of a soft material, a fabric for example. The suitcase is rigidified by two tubes (3) assembling lower (2') and upper support covers (2) made of soft material. The tube act as guides for the rods (14) of a retractable handle (4) provided at the upper cover (2). The upper and lower covers are in the form of a semirigid plastic plate or a sheet with a curved shape defining at least the upper and lower rounded edges (12, 12') of the suitcase rear surface (7). The curved shape of the lower cover (2') is imposed in particular by the bent end of the tubes (3). The curved shape of the upper cover (2) is imposed by side rods (1), preferably metal rods, arranged in the form of two side frames defining the lateral surfaces of soft material.

Description

Suitcase on wheels This invention relates to a vertical rolling suitcase.

This type of suitcase has proved to be particularly useful and has experienced an increasing success over these past years.

Nevertheless a reduction in weight is always being sought which does not detract from the solidity of the suitcase. Moreover, in manufacturing and shipment, the suitcases being essentially bulky articles, it is also important for transportation and deliveries to the retailers to be able to group several suitcases of one and the same type but of different dimensions by stacking one in the other. It is thus common practice, for a suitcase of large dimensions, to be able to contain two suitcases of lesser dimensions of the same model thus constituting a set of suitcases, the smaller being contained in the other. The difference in size must nevertheless usually be at least 9 cm in order to enable this type of stacking of vertical suitcases (instead of 5 cm for classic suitcases of the horizontal type).

This invention aims at improving these two qualities which are the lightness and the minimum bulkiness per unit during transportation.

According to the invention, a difference in weight is indeed observed with an equivalent suitcase of the former state-of-the-art of the order of 30 to 40% (depending on the dimensions). Moreover stacking-up is considerably improved.

Indeed, up to 6 different dimensions of one and the same set of suitcases can be contained one in the other for transportation, the differences in dimensions can decrease to 3 cm between 2 consecutive sizes.

In traditional suitcase, the rolling and traction system is not part of the basic structure of the suitcase. The faces rigidfied by plastic or by wood are riveted onto a frame which hoops the suitcase. The rolling system is made to form one piece with the frame by means of hard and indeformable elements. The result is a heavy and relatively indeformable suitcase.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a vertical suitcase of essentially parallelipipedal shape without rigid frame whose faces consist of supple material, wherein the rigidification of the suitcase is achieved by two tubes joining a lower surface part and an 5 upper supporting surface part of the aforesaid supple material, the tubes consisting of guides for the rods of a retractable handle in the upper supporting surface part, said tubes being adjacents to a rear face opposite the front face able to be opened or provided with •o .i S-an opening, the upper and lower parts being in the form of a molded piece or a plate or sheet of plastic of incurvated form defining at least the upper and lower rounded arrises of S 20 the rear face of the suitcase, the lateral faces being each made of a supple material and being circled by an elastic ring.

The preferred embodiment avoids a double use between the frame and the rolling system. Accordingly, the rolling system itself provides the vertical rigidity of the suitcase.

A suitcase is thus put forward whose volume is constructed around telescopic tubes incurvated on the bottom and no longer around the frame. The volume is no longer rigid as in a "box" type of conception. Indeed the flanks are supple: the two sides (lateral faces) are hooped by a metallic retaining ring and can be flattened while regaining their form as soon as the pressure ceases. The suitcase therefore has elastic lateral sides. It is very light and very strong because it can deform its width without breaking.

The plastic reinforcing parts of the upper and lower faces are rigidified by their curvature and their extension on the rear face. The back of the suitcase between the metallic retaining rings and the telescopic tubes can advantageously remain partially Swithout plastic support in order to achieve a maximum lightness.

A vertical suitcase of essentially parallelepipedal form its put forward [RALIBD]03065.docaa -3without central frame in steel girdling it inside, suitcase of which the faces consist of supple material, preferably a fabric. The rigidification of the suitcase is essentially achieved by two tubes joining a lower part or shell and an upper part or shell, extending at least partially into the planes perpendicular to the aforesaid tubes, which will be covered by the fabric on their outer faces, as well as by two metallic retaining rings, tightening the fabric of the lateral faces. The tubes are preferably guides for the rods of a retractable handle provided in the upper part or shell, the upper and lower parts or shells being in the form of a plate or sheet of plastic of incurvated form defining at least the upper and lower rounded arrises of the rear face of the suitcase.

The upper and lower parts or shells can be preformed, for example by molding. Preferably these parts or shells will be in semirigid plastic.

Advantageously indeed the upper and lower shells consist of two rectangular plates or sheets of semirigid plastic whose incurvated form is principally imposed by the, preferably metallic, lateral retaining rings.

Advantageously, the lower shell is also incurvated by the curved extremities of the above mentioned tubes. The upper shell is maintained incurvated by being fixed in the dorsal face by the above mentioned tubes and in the plane of the upper face by a preferably metallic traverse perpendicular to the retaining rings.

These parts or shells therefore comprise the upper and lower rounded arrises of the rear face without necessarily incorporating a substantial part of this latter face.

On the other hand the shells form the totality or a substantial part of the upper and lower faces.

According to one embodiment, the central part of the rear face can also comprise a plastic plate or sheet which nevertheless does not substantially contribute to the rigidity of the whole but provides an aesthetic effect.

Indeed, according to this variant, the objects contained in the baggage will not deform the fabric face as much. This plate can be less thick than the above mentioned shells.

According to another embodiment, the two shells are integrated into one single piece with the aforementioned central part.

SThe metallic retaining rings are provided in the form *of two lateral frames of rectangular form with rounded corners hooping the lateral fabric faces.

The plastic sheets can advantageously consist of polyethylene, of a few millimeters thickness (approximately 3 mm, preferably between 2.5 to 3.5 mm). These sheets, or in any case the upper sheets are sufficiently supple in order to be able to incurvate under the effect of the S• lateral frames in metallic retaining rings. They are therefore not necessarily previously thermo-formed.

The utilization of semirigid sheets instead of molded pieces enables an economy of weight and a more economical manufacturing.

Preferably 3 wheels are provided in line placed in the incurvation of the lower shell between and on either side of the telescopic tubes. This advantageously enables the lack of rigidity of the lower shell to be compensated and greatly contributes to the stability of the whole. The wheels partially fit into the openings provided in the incurvation I' L l of the lower shell to which they are attached. The central wheel enables a better stability and a more efficient rolling to be achieved by avoiding the "waddling" effect notwithstanding the lightness of the lower shell. The lateral wheels can advantageously be attached close to the corners, in wheel recesses covering the corners and protecting them from shocks. Moreover the greater width of the track improves the stability.

Conventionally, in addition to the telescoping handle, one or more handles can be provided sewn or riveted onto the S"upper face (for the vertical position) or a lateral face (for transportation and horizontal position).

go The handle on the upper g* face will be attached to the reinforcement bar extending over the entire width of the baggage. The part will be a piece of metal, e.g. slotted, or in plastic, for example with a honeycomb structure. On the lateral face the handle will preferably be attached to a simple reinforcement of reduced size in the form of an area of raised stitching in the central part.

The stackability is especially improved by the fact that the upper shell is advantageously cut out in such a manner that it does not entirely cover the upper face. Because of this the front portion of the upper face, which can correspond to almost preferably 30 to 40%, of the surface of this, is more supple as only consisting of fabric held by the lateral metallic retaining rings.

Moreover, the lateral faces hooped by a perimeter in metal (retaining ring) are supple and can adapt with more play in order to receive the lateral faces of suitcases of -6lesser dimensions. Indeed, there is no central frame in steel holding these lateral faces and provided between the two large faces, equidistance from these.

The suitcases are stackable head to foot. The wheels of a smaller suitcase nest into the supple part of the upper face of the larger suitcase. The number of smaller suitcases contained in a suitcase of given dimension can thus be doubled. Up to 6 suitcases can thus be "stacked" whose 10 dimensions only vary by pitches of 3 to 6 cm according to the type of handle (instead of 9 cm to 10 cm with the •closest known systems for vertical suitcases) Brief Description of the Drawings The invention wi±± te better understood by examining the drawings submitted in appendix, only by way of example of preferred embodiments, in which figure 1 represents a diagram of the structure of a suitcase according to the invention, the covering fabric not being represented figure 2 is an exploded view of the various principal 20 elements, figures 3a to 3c represent in perspective suitcases according to the invention in vertical position with a retractable handle capable of being totally integrated into the suitcase or not, figure 4 illustrates in perspective the internal stacking of one suitcase in the other, figure 5 is a sectional drawing of a stacking according to figure 4.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In fig. 1 the structure can be distinguished partially exploded, in perspective, of a suitcase of essentially parallelepipedal form disposed horizontally on its rear face -7- 7. A lower shell 2' and an upper shell 2 are connected by rigid telescopic tubes 3 which serve as guides for the rods 14, in this example rectangular section rods, of a U-shaped retractable handle 4. Two lateral frames 1 of supple metallic retaining rings also contribute to the rigidity of the whole. The lower shell is incurvated under the influence of incurvation, here with flattening, of the extremity of the tubes 3 in order to form the rounded arris 12'. The openings 5' can also be distinguished in the shell 2' for receiving and attaching the external lateral wheel spindle support arches 5 emerging in the incurvated part of the lower shell. Lower 6 and rear feet 6' of the face 7 are also provided. The upper shell 2 does not extend over the totality of the upper face of the suitcase covered with supple material, but only over approximately characteristic of the invention which facilitates the headto-foot stacking. Under the extremity of the shell 2, a rigid reinforcing traverse can also be distinguished in 18 in the form of a metallic slotted slat whose presence is important for maintaining the rigidity of the upper shell.

Fig. 2 is an exploded schematic view which further clarifies the structure of a suitcase according to the invention. The suitcase is represented vertically. The two frames of metallic retaining rings 1, the respective upper and lower shells 2 and 2' form the arrises 12 and 12', the 3 wheels 5 and the telescopic tubes 3 can be distinguished.

The attachment parts 8 on the shell 2 at the upper extremity of the telescopic tubes as well as the parts 17 which work together with the parts 8 for the attachment of the guides 3 in the attachment areas 10, 10' of the shells to these tubes 3, in this example by means of a rectangular reinforcement element 11, possibly riveted, are also represented. It will nevertheless also be noted that the R reinforcing parts 11 and 11' are not indispensable. On the other hand, the reinforcing part 18 in slotted metal which extends over the entire width, and located below a possibly provided classic handle, significantly contributes to the structure of the baggage. Fig. 2 constitutes a variant in relation to fig. 1 to the extent that the tubes each consist of an at least partially telescopic straight part and an incurvated part made to form one piece in 9 by a means know in itself.

Figs. 3a to 3c represent in perspective the final aspect of some suitcases according to the invention. Each time the rear face 7, the feet 6' and the wheels 5 can be distinguished. An opening zipper 20 of the front face 27 of the suitcase extends up to at least the aforesaid front part 16, which enables a partial opening of the upper face. Fig.

3a illustrates a suitcase for which the handle of rectangular section can be retracted into a rigid housing and in a way be made flush with the shell 2. In figure 3b, the handle remains slightly protruding. In fig. 3c, the handle and its circular section rods can be entirely inserted into a pocket 15 inside the suitcase, which can be reclosed with a flap 15' and a zipper. In this latter case, as with the suitcase from fig. 3a, the upper plate is cut out for this purpose. The solution from 3c enables the most reduced dimension pitch for the head-to-foot stacking of the suitcases.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a head-to-foot stacking-up of two suitcases a and b, of slightly different dimensions, the front face 27a of the larger suitcase being folded back toward the outside by opening a zip fastener 20a. Inside the suitcase a the back 7b of the suitcase b can be distinguished, with the three wheels 5b and the retracted handle 4b. The part 16 extending the front face 27 is destined to cover the wheels 5b after closing the -9suitcase a.

Fig. 5 is a schematic sectional drawing of a stacking according to fig. 4. The wheels 5a do not prevent the positioning of the suitcase b inside the suitcase a, because the semirigid shell 2b does not extend over the entirety of the upper face thus leaving a supple part 16' suitable for conforming to receive an inside part of the wheels

Claims (13)

1. Vertical suitcase of essentially parallelipipedal shape without rigid frame whose faces consist of supple material, wherein the rigidification of the suitcase is achieved by two tubes joining a lower surface part and an upper supporting surface part of the aforesaid supple material, the tubes consisting of guides for the rods of a retractable handle in the upper supporting surface part, said tubes being adjacents to a rear face opposite the front face able to be opened or provided with an opening, the upper and lower parts being in the form of a molded piece or a plate or sheet of plastic of incurvated form defining at least the upper and lower rounded arrises of the rear face of the suitcase, the lateral faces being each made of a supple material and being circled by an elastic ring. Suitcase according to claim 1 in which the plastic is a semirigid plastic. Suitcase according to claim 1 in which the upper and lower surface parts constitute the separate elements forming upper shell and lower shell.

4. Suitcase according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the incurvated f 15 form of the lower part or shell is imposed by the curved extremity of the two tubes, the incurvated form of the upper part or shell being imposed by lateral retaining rings, provided in the form of two lateral frames defining the lateral faces in flexible material.

5. Suitcase according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the upper supporting surface part and lower surface parts are in the form of a polyethylene sheet or S 20 plate.

6. Suitcase according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the upper S.supporting surface part is in rigid plastic. 6 S

7. Suitcase according to any one of the preceding claims comprising wheels in the lower rounded arris of the lower part or shell.

8. Suitcase according to claim 7 in which there are three wheels in line.

9. Suitcase according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheet constituting the upper part or shell does not support at least a front part of the upper face of the suitcase. Suitcase according to claim 9 wherein a zip fastener opening, provided on the front face of the suitcase, extends up to between 10% and 50%, of the surface of said front part, enabling a partial opening of the upper face.

11. Suitcase according to claim 9 wherein a zip fastener opening, provided on the front face of the suitcase, extends between 15% or 40% of the surface of said front nabling a partial opening of the upper face. (R:\LIBD]03046.doc:caa 11

12. Suitcase according to claim 3 in which the shell or lower surface part is attached, to the exterior of the incurvated extremities of the tubes.

13. Suitcase according to claim 12, wherein said shell or lower surface part is attached by riveting.

14. Suitcase according to claim 13 wherein the extremity of the tubes is incurvated with flattening, the riveting to the plate being effected at the aforesaid flattenings. Assembly of suitcases according to any one of claims 1 to 9 provided with wheels, of different dimensions constituting a set of suitcases, being able to be 10 disposed heat to foot one in the other.

16. Assembly according to claim 15 in which there are more than 5 vertical suitcases being able to be stacked head to foot one in the other.

17. A vertical suitcase of essentially parallelipipedal shape without rigid frame whose faces consist of supple material, said suitcase being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 18 November, 2002 Roger De Lathouwer S* Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person 20 SPRUSON FERGUSON (R:\LIBD]03046.doc:caa