EP0572297B1 - Support device for rollers and luggage with such a device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a support device with wheels and luggage incorporating at least one such device.

Such support devices are used to transport relatively heavy individual loads, such as luggage, trunks, suitcases or the like.

Luggage is known provided with rollers incorporated to facilitate transport as well as a handle, or a handle or a wrist strap suitable for facilitating traction and gripping.

In document WO 85/00329 filed on July 12, 1983 in the name of Franklin BAKER, a support device on casters has been described which can be adapted to a piece of luggage provided on its underside with a pair of variable orientation casters and a pair casters with fixed orientation, the latter being arranged in a protruding housing relative to the support.

Known baggage has the drawback that, in the presence of obstacles, the rollers lock or are torn off by the traction of the user: this is particularly the case when the obstacles in question are constituted by numerous stair treads .

The invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks, by creating a new support, permanently adaptable or removable to a piece of luggage, capable of crossing obstacles without damage by sliding on said obstacles.

The subject of the invention is a support device on casters, adaptable to luggage, a suitcase, a trunk or the like, provided with at least one elongated body, this body comprising at its rear part a housing in which is placed a fixed orientation wheel, characterized in that said body is constituted by a sliding shoe in which are housed on the one hand the housing of the fixed orientation wheel and on the other hand, at its front part, another housing for a swivel castor.

• le corps présente une partie frontale inclinée par rapport au plan de roulement;
• la partie frontale comporte une surface, dont le plan tangent à l'extrémité rencontre la roue de la roulette orientable sensiblement en dessous du tiers inférieur, lorsque celle-ci est orientée dans le sens d'utilisation normal;
• le corps comporte une partie centrale avec un bord inférieur incliné vers le bas d'avant en arrière;
• la partie centrale présente une section s'élargissant d'avant en arrière;
• les roulettes orientables et fixes sont encastrées dans des logements qui sont protégés par les plans inclinés avant et arrière et la partie centrale qui les sépare, de sorte que le dispositif présente une forme permettant l'avancement par combinaison de glissement et/ou de roulement en dépit des obstacles.
• le dispositif s'inscrit dans un contour de forme général de U évasé, dont l'évasement est opposé au plan de déplacement;
• le corps présente une section en forme de V s'inscrivant à l'intérieur du contour général en forme de U évasé.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

• the body has a front part inclined relative to the rolling plane;
• the front part has a surface, the plane of which tangent to the end meets the wheel of the steerable caster substantially below the lower third, when the latter is oriented in the direction of normal use;
• the body has a central part with a lower edge inclined downwards from front to back;
• the central part has a section widening from front to back;
• the swivel and fixed castors are embedded in housings which are protected by the front and rear inclined planes and the central part which separates them, so that the device has a shape allowing advancement by combination of sliding and / or rolling in despite obstacles.
• the device is part of a generally U-shaped contour flared, whose flare is opposite the plane of movement;
• the body has a V-shaped section inside the general shape of a flared U-shape.

The invention also relates to luggage comprising at least one device according to the invention.

• le fond est raidi par une plaque rigide en tout matériau approprié à laquelle est fixé au moins un dispositif;
• la plaque est fixée sur le(s) dispositif(s), par exemple par vissage, encliquetage ou un procédé analogue;
• la plaque vient de matière d'une seule pièce avec le(s) dispositif(s).

Advantageously, in the case of flexible luggage:

• the bottom is stiffened by a rigid plate of any suitable material to which is attached at least one device;
• the plate is fixed to the device (s), for example by screwing, snap-fastening or a similar method;
• the plate comes in one piece with the device (s).

• La figure 1 représente une vue schématique de côté d'un dispositif selon l'invention,
• La figure 2 représente une vue schématique de dessus d'un dispositif selon l'invention;
• La figure 3 représente une vue schématique partielle en coupe selon la ligne III-III de la figure 2;
• La figure 4 représente une vue schématique partielle en section selon la ligne IV-IV de la figure 2;
• La figure 5 représente une vue schématique partielle en section selon la ligne V-V de la figure 2;
• La figure 6 représente une vue schématique en perspective d'un bagage assemblé avec deux supports selon l'invention.
• La figure 7 représente une vue schématique en perspective d'un bagage assemblé avec un support à plaque selon l'invention.

The invention will be better understood thanks to the description which follows given by way of nonlimiting example with regard to the appended drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a schematic side view of a device according to the invention,
• Figure 2 shows a schematic top view of a device according to the invention;
• Figure 3 shows a partial schematic sectional view along line III-III of Figure 2;
• 4 shows a partial schematic view in section along the line IV-IV of Figure 2;
• 5 shows a partial schematic view in section along the line VV of Figure 2;
• FIG. 6 represents a schematic perspective view of a bag assembled with two supports according to the invention.
• FIG. 7 represents a schematic perspective view of a bag assembled with a plate support according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a device according to the invention comprises a body 1 of elongated shape shaped as a sliding shoe in the longitudinal direction.

The body 1 has at its front part (with reference to the direction of use) a housing 2 forming an orientation bowl for an orientable caster 3. The body 1 has at its rear part a housing 4 suitable for receiving a caster 5 of fixed orientation, and oriented so that the rolling takes place in the longitudinal direction of the body 1.

The orientable caster 3 is mounted on the body 1 using a base plate 3a, for example of rectangular shape, on which is pivotally mounted an axle holder assembly 3b. In this example, the axle holder assembly 3b comprises a circular plate and two integral lateral arms and substantially perpendicular to this base plate: the two lateral arms support the wheel 3c.

The caster 5 of longitudinal orientation relative to the body 1 is mounted for rotation directly on the body 1 by means of its axis 5a.

According to the invention, the body 1 is shaped as a sliding shoe and has a front part 6 inclined relative to the running plane.

The front part 6 has a first surface 6a which is substantially planar and inclined, for example at an angle between 30 ° and 60 ° relative to the rolling plane.

The surface 6a is tangentially connected to a surface 6b of generally convex shape. The tangent plane 6c at the end of the surface 6b (symbolized by dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3) meets the wheel 3c substantially below the lower third of the wheel 3, when the latter is oriented in the direction of normal use, that is to say that the surface of intersection of the plane 6c with the wheel 3c is seen from the axis of rotation at an angle of the order of or substantially less than 120 °.

The central part 7 of the body 1 has a general V shape and without sharp angles capable of catching a ledge or any obstacle.

The rear part 8 of the body 1 has a substantially planar surface inclined with respect to the rolling plane at an angle included, for example between 30 ° and 60 °; the extension of this surface (in dotted lines) meets the fixed orientation roller 5.

One thus obtains an embedding on the one hand of the orientable caster 3 in a housing 2 so as to be protected against impacts by the surfaces 6a, 6b and 11a and on the other hand of the fixed caster 5 in a housing 4 so to be protected by surfaces 11b and 8. This embedding allows easy crossing of obstacles such as steps for example.

With reference to FIG. 2, in which the identical reference numerals designate elements identical to those of FIG. 1, the device according to the invention is part of a generally U-shaped outline, the sides 9, 10 of which have a flare opposite to the running surface.

With reference to FIG. 3, the front housing 2 has a recess 2a or a similar cooperating shape for fixing the base plate 3a of the front caster 3.

The rear housing 4 has at least one orifice or the like 4a for housing a rotation axis 5a of a caster 5. Preferably, the axis 5a is through and passes through two orifices 4a arranged on either side housing 4.

The central part 7 has a lower edge 11 inclined downwards from front to rear, so that the front 11a of the lower edge 11 is situated substantially below the level of the axis of the wheel 3c and that the the rear 11b of the lower edge 11 is situated slightly above the running surface of the caster 5.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the central part 7 is part of the general outline shown in dotted lines in the form of U of the device.

The central part 7 has a section which widens from front to back and which has a V-shaped section, the point of which is formed by the lower edge 11.

According to the invention, the support device on casters has a shape always in contact with the ground and able to allow advancement by combination of sliding and / or rolling despite obstacles of various shape encountered.

The general flared U shape avoids embedding in a narrowing; the widening of the V-shaped section ensures the stability of the supported load; the pivoting of the front caster allows effortless change of direction.

Referring to Figure 6, a suitcase according to the invention is provided with two devices according to the invention substantially parallel to each other and to the side faces of the suitcase.

The front rollers 3 of the devices according to the invention are located on the same side in the normal rolling direction.

Of course, the invention also applies to any form of container: trunk, box, etc. provided with any number of devices according to the invention, permanently fixed (by heat sealing, gluing, riveting or a similar process) or removable (screwing, snap-fastening or a similar process).

The invention applies to all types of luggage, whether these are rigid or not.

In particular, in the case of fully flexible luggage (leather, canvas or the like), it suffices to stiffen the bottom of the luggage by a plate made of any suitable rigid material on which the pad (s) will be fixed.

According to the invention, the device can be manufactured as shown in Figure 7, that is to say that it consists of two pads integral with a rigid plate so as to constitute a kind of skateboard which can be fixed to the bottom of any flexible luggage so as to, on the one hand, to stiffen the bottom, and on the other hand, to provide it with wheels.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the device can be mounted automatically directly at the end of the chain for manufacturing suitcases: it will then consist at least of the side intended to be assembled to suitcases with the same material or a material compatible with that of the suitcases (in particular a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene).

Advantageously, the device can also come in one piece material (by molding, thermoforming or a similar process) with the luggage, or with the rigid plate in the case of a flexible luggage.

Claims (12)

1. A support device with rollers, adaptable to an item of luggage, a suitcase, a trunk or the like, provided with at least one elongate body (1), said body (1) comprising on its rear part a housing (4) into which is placed a roller (5) of fixed orientation, characterised by the fact that said body (1) is formed as a sliding block in which are embedded firstly said housing (4) for said roller (5) and secondly, on its front part, another housing (2) for a steerable roller (3).
2. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the body (1) has a front part (6) which is inclined relative to the plane of rolling.
3. A device according to Claim 2, characterised in that the front part (6) comprises a surface (6b), the plane (6c) of which which is tangent to the end meets the wheel (3c) of the steerable roller (3) substantially below the bottom third, when said roller is directed in the normal direction of use.
4. A device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the body (1) has a central part (7) with a lower edge (11) inclined towards the bottom from front to back.
5. A device according to Claim 4, characterised in that the central part (7) has a section which widens from front to back.
6. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the housings (2, 4) for the rollers (3, 5) are protected by the front and rear inclined planes (6, 8) and the central part (11) which separates them, such that the device has a shape permitting advance despite obstacles by a combination of sliding and/or rolling.
7. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the device lies within a contour in the general shape of a widened U, the widening of which is opposed to the plane of travel.
8. A device according to Claim 7, characterised in that the body (1) has a V-shaped section lying within the general contour in the shape of a widened U.
9. An item of luggage, trunk or the like, comprising at least one device according to any one of Claims 1 to 8.
10. An item of luggage according to Claim 9, characterised in that it is a flexible item of luggage, the base of which is stiffened by a rigid plate of any suitable material, to which is attached at least one device according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.
11. A flexible item of luggage according to Claim 10, characterised in that the plate is fixed to the device(s), for example by Screwing, locking or a similar method.
12. A flexible item of luggage according to Claim 10, characterised in that the plate is made of a material integral with the device(s).

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