RU2654677C1 - Folding suitcase (embodiments) and workpiece for its manufacturing (embodiments) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transportation.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the design of folding suitcases and sets of parts for their manufacturing. In one of its embodiments in the assembled state the folding suitcase comprises body formed by front wall (1), rear wall (2), first side wall (3), second side wall (4), top wall (5) and bottom wall (6). Facing the bottom wall (6) front wall (1) and rear wall (2) edges are rigidly connected to the facing them edges. Front wall (1) and rear wall (2) are made with rounded corners (1a, 1b, 2a), and the body side walls (3, 4) have made with a bend surface portions (3a, 4a, 3b, 4b). Front wall (1), rear wall 2, and the side walls (3, 4) have fold lines (9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14), made so, that enable the walls folding in the suitcase folded for their placement on the bottom wall (6) so, that the top wall (5) made contact with adjacent to it part of one of the side walls (3, 4). In the variant version, the folding suitcase is made with additional folding lines (26, 27, 28, 29) on the front and rear walls (1, 2) adapted to form stiffeners in the suitcase assembled state.

EFFECT: workpiece for the suitcase manufacturing has simple design and minimum number of its constituent parts.

36 cl, 17 dwg

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to luggage suitcases, in particular, to designs of folding suitcases and sets of parts for assembling them.

State of the art

A suitcase is characterized by a rectangular silhouette design consisting of a body and a lid. Modern suitcases have a traditional three-dimensional box shape, carry handles, legs, wheels and pull-out handles for rolling. The case of the suitcase can be obtained by molding plastic or by connecting flat parts, as well as by combining these methods. The choice of the method for producing the body and materials affects not only the manufacturing technology of the product, but also the modeling and design of the product.

The range of suitcases is expanded by creating suitcases of various functional purposes - for short trips, business trips, light suitcases, suitcases on wheels, etc. The quality of a suitcase is determined by its functional (lightness, capacity, durability) and aesthetic (beautiful appearance, materials and accessories, conformity with the fashion direction, etc.) properties.

Today the market is represented by a wide range of luggage suitcases. However, most of them all have one significant drawback - they take up too much space during storage.

It is known from the publication WO2017032998 (publ. 02.03.2017) a folding case, the casing of which is arranged to have a first expanded configuration, in which the first pair of opposing walls is spaced apart to provide an internal space for storing items in the casing, and the second A folded configuration in which the first pair of opposing walls is in planes substantially adjacent to each other in order to minimize the internal volume of the housing and minimize the external size of the housing. The suitcase comprises a handle configured to allow the housing to be suspended when it is in a collapsible configuration.

When folded, the product area is the sum of the areas of two sides (front cover and base), thus, the folded product, decreasing in overall dimensions in one plane, increases in the other. The reduction in size in the folding plane is not so great, due to the fact that the product contains a supporting frame structure, which also occupies a certain volume. It is worth mentioning interesting solutions with folding wheels and a handle for hanging, but the guides of the telescopic handle as well as niches for folding wheels occupy a certain part of the internal volume. A large number of parts and the use of various materials (metals, plastics, fabrics, accessories, etc.) make the product difficult and expensive to manufacture, in addition, affect its weight (initially large for an empty product) and accordingly reduce its payload.

Known from the patent US US7175010 (publ. 13.02.2007) a folding case, including a lid and four vertical walls, each of which is pivotally attached to a flat bottom bottom. The product consists of a folding hard box-frame and a soft outer cover fastened with zippers, and when folded, it is fixed by valves with Velcro fasteners. The vertical walls have flexible angles that allow them to fold at the top of the flat bottom when the suitcase is being prepared for storage. Flexible corners are made of fabric or flexible material. The upper side is attached above the folded vertical walls. Each flexible angle includes means for dividing it into two halves, for example a zipper.

This design develops relative to the largest side and, when folded, has the dimensions of the front (top) cover (wall), changing the volume only in depth. Among the shortcomings can be noted the presence of straight (sharp) angles, making the product not very convenient in practical use and creating an unattractive appearance, as well as the absence of wheels and additional handles.

Known from the publication US2016213110 (publ. July 28, 2016) a folding case, which includes the back and front covers of the case, as well as the side walls. The side walls have sections made with the possibility of bending them so that it is possible to bend the opposite side walls towards each other and lay them on the back cover. The side walls have sections made of composite materials, such as relatively hard materials (polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride or ABS plastic), and sections made with the possibility of bending are made of softer materials ( fabric , rubber, knitwear, rubber, leather).

Like the previous design, this suitcase folds relative to its largest side. In addition, the design is complex and expensive to manufacture.

A common drawback inherent in the above devices is their large dimensions when folded, since folding is carried out on the wall having the largest size.

Known from patent US8365886 (publ. 02/05/2013, also published as patent RU 2458610) a folding and / or disposable suitcase comprising an upper main panel, a lower main panel, and also a plurality of side panels made by folding at least one marked flat blanks. The suitcase also contains many holes made on at least one of the panels of the flat workpiece, and at least one elongated panel and liner. The liner has wheels that are compatible with the panel openings. In this case, the liner is removably placed between the elongated panel and the panel having openings when folding a flat workpiece to form a suitcase with wheels.

Despite the fact that the well-known suitcase, when disassembled, provides for the possibility of stacking them when storing several suitcases, the disadvantage is the large area. When folding, the area of the product will be the sum of the areas of two sides (front cover and sidewall) and, despite the use of sheet (flat) materials during storage, it will occupy a fairly large area. The product contains a large number of separate, removable elements, which can create difficulties during assembly - disassembly and storage. The presence of straight (sharp) angles makes the product not very convenient in practical use and creates an unattractive appearance.

Thus, there is a need to solve existing problems when creating folding suitcases.

Disclosure of invention

The present invention is directed to eliminating the above problems and overcoming one or more of the disadvantages discussed.

The basis of the invention is the task of creating a convenient and practical to use a folding suitcase for luggage, which allows it to be folded easily and as compactly as possible with a minimum volume during storage and also easy to assemble for use.

Another objective of the invention is that its manufacture does not have to be complicated and expensive due to the simplicity of the design and the minimum number of parts included in its preparation.

Another objective of the invention is to reduce the weight of the luggage suitcase while maintaining its internal volume.

In addition, the goal is to expand the range of folding suitcases.

The problem is solved by the creation of a folding suitcase, which in one of the options for its implementation is characterized by the fact that in the assembled state it contains a housing formed by a front wall, an opposite rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to it, as well as a lower wall and an opposite wall top wall; while the edges of the front and rear walls facing the bottom wall are rigidly connected with its edges facing them; moreover, the edges of the front wall are connected with the edges of the upper and side walls facing them with the first zipper, and the edges of the rear wall are connected with the edges of the upper and side walls facing them with the second zipper; while the front and rear walls are made with rounded corners; despite the fact that the side walls of the housing have surface sections made with bending in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls; moreover, the front and rear walls, as well as the side walls, have folding lines made in such a way that the said walls can be folded in the folded state of the suitcase to be placed on the lower wall so that the upper wall contacts the adjacent part of one of the side walls.

The task is also solved by creating an embodiment of a folding suitcase, which, in contrast to the above, is characterized by the presence on the front and rear walls of additional fold lines adapted to ensure the formation of assembled ribs in the assembled state of the suitcase.

At the same time, additional bending lines adapted to ensure the formation of the assembled condition of the case of the stiffeners can be made straight or smoothly curved.

Below the text describes additional distinguishing features that characterize a folding suitcase in any version of its implementation.

It is advisable that the fold lines of the front and rear walls extend along two parallel lines extending in the direction from one side wall of the housing to the other; wherein the fold line on each side wall would extend in the direction from the front wall of the housing to its rear wall; moreover, the locations of the fold lines of the front and rear walls in height measured from the bottom wall of the body would not coincide in height with the locations of the fold lines of the side walls.

It is possible that the surface sections of the side walls made with bending in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls are formed by frequent notches or by making them from a flexible material.

It is desirable that the slider of one of the zippers is located inside the case to provide limited access from the outside in the assembled condition of the suitcase.

It is possible that at least one of the zippers is made with two sliders to ensure fastening on both sides.

It is advisable that the folding case contains at least one handle fixed to the wall, made in the form of a tape with free ends.

It is desirable that the folding suitcase contains at least one removable partition.

In addition, at least part of the walls can be made of at least two layers.

It is advisable that the material used is a material selected from a number of: cardboard, corrugated cardboard, polypropylene, cellular polypropylene.

The task is also solved by creating options for the preparation of a folding suitcase, characterized in one of them by the fact that it is made of two parts, the first of which contains the front and rear walls connected by folding lines, between which the lower wall is placed; and the second part contains the upper wall united by bending lines, located between the side walls, each of which is associated with a part of the additional lower wall, while the front and rear walls are made with rounded corners and each of them is equipped with two spaced bending lines passing along essentially parallel to the fold lines combining the front and back walls with the bottom wall; despite the fact that the side walls have surface portions made with the possibility of their bending, and each side wall is provided with a fold line extending essentially parallel to the fold lines connecting the side walls with the upper wall.

In another embodiment, the workpiece, in contrast to the above, is characterized in that its first part is provided with two additional folding lines spaced from each other, extending at least along the front and rear walls, and the second part is made with a variable width along it length.

In any embodiment, the preform is characterized by the following distinguishing features.

It is advisable that the lower wall and the additional lower wall of the workpiece were provided with openings, and the fold lines connecting the front and rear walls with the lower wall of the first part were doubled.

It is desirable that at least one part of the preform be made of one piece of material.

Other distinctive features of a folding case and blanks for its manufacture will be described in more detail in examples of specific performance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described as examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a suitcase in an assembled state, where Fig. 1a illustrates for an observer a suitcase from the front wall and the first side wall of the housing in a state where the upper wall is at the top; and Fig. 1b illustrates for the observer a suitcase from the side of the rear wall and the second side wall of the housing in a position where the lower wall is at the top.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the suitcase shown in FIG. 1 with the front and rear walls unfastened.

Figure 3 illustrates the blank for the manufacture of the suitcase shown in Figure 1.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a suitcase in an assembled state, where Fig. 4a illustrates for an observer a suitcase from the side of the front wall of the housing in a state where the upper wall is at the top; and Fig. 4b illustrates for the observer a suitcase from the side of the rear wall of the housing in a position where the lower wall is at the top.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the suitcase shown in FIG. 4 with the front and rear walls unfastened.

6 shows a blank for manufacturing the suitcase shown in FIGS. 4 to 5.

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the second embodiment of the suitcase in the assembled state, where Fig. 7a illustrates for the observer a suitcase from the side of the front wall of the housing in a state where the upper wall is at the top; and Fig. 7b illustrates for the observer a suitcase from the side of the rear wall of the housing in a position where the lower wall is at the top.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the suitcase shown in Fig. 7 with the front and rear walls unfastened.

Fig.9 shows the blank for the manufacture of the suitcase shown in Fig.7-Fig.8.

Fig.10- Fig.12 illustrate the process of folding the suitcase in its compact assembled condition.

13 illustrates a suitcase with a removable inner partition.

Fig. 14 illustrates a suitcase with two handles, where Fig. 14a illustrates for the observer a suitcase from the side of the side wall on which the second handle is located; and Fig. 14b illustrates for the observer a suitcase from the side of the side wall, the opposite side wall, on which the second handle is located.

15 illustrates a suitcase with a handle adapted to move a suitcase on wheels.

Fig.16 illustrates a suitcase when folded, stored in suspension.

Fig.17 illustrates a suitcase with a removable cart - platform and telescopic handle, where Fig.17a shows for the observer a suitcase from the rear wall with the telescopic handle folded, and Fig.17b shows the suitcase from the front wall with the telescopic handle extended.

The best embodiment of the invention.

Existing embodiments represent the best currently known to the applicant methods for implementing the invention in practice. But they are not the only ways in which this can be achieved. They are illustrated and will be described below by way of example only.

The same structural elements in the drawings are denoted by the same position in all embodiments.

Shown in figure 1 and figure 2 folding suitcase (hereinafter referred to as the suitcase) contains a housing formed by the function of the cover of the front wall 1 opposite the rear wall 2, the first side wall 3 and the opposite second side wall 4, as well as the upper wall 5 and the opposite her bottom wall 6.

As shown in Fig.1 - Fig.2, the edge of the front wall 1, facing the bottom wall 6, is rigidly connected with it along the fold line 7, and the edge of the rear wall 2, facing the bottom wall 6, is rigidly connected with it along the fold line 8.

The edges of the front wall 1 are made with rounded corners indicated by one position 1a for the corners located on the side of the upper wall 5 and by one position 1b for the corners from the side of the lower wall 6. The edges of the rear wall 2 are also made with rounded corners indicated by one position 2a for the corners from the side of the upper wall 5 and one position 2b for angles from the side of the lower wall 6.

Moreover, the surface of the first side wall 3 of the housing has a bend portion 3a located on the side of the upper wall 5, the lateral edges of which on the side of the front wall 1 are adjacent to its rounded corner 1a, and from the side of the back wall 2 are adjacent to its rounded corner 2a, and the bend portion 3b located on the side of the lower wall 6, the lateral edges of which on the side of the front wall 1 are adjacent to the rounded corner 1a, and from the side of the rear wall 2 are adjacent to the rounded corner 2a.

Similar bending sections are made on the second side wall 4. The surface of the second side wall 4 has a bending section 4a located on the side of the upper wall 5, the lateral edges of which from the side of the front wall 1 of the suitcase body in the assembled state are adjacent to the rounded corner 1a, and from the back wall 2 adjoin the rounded corner 2a, as well as the portion of the bend 4b located on the side of the lower wall 6, the lateral edges of which from the side of the front wall 1 in the assembled state of the suitcase adjoin the rounded corner 1a, and from the back the walls 2 adjoin the rounded corner 2a.

The front wall 1 is made with the possibility of bending along two spaced parallel bending lines extending in the direction from one side wall of the housing to the other. The fold line located on the side of the upper wall 5 is indicated by 9, and the fold line located on the side of the lower wall 6 is indicated by 10.

The rear wall 2 is also configured to be bent along two spaced parallel bend lines extending in the direction from one side wall of the housing to the other. The fold line located on the side of the upper wall 5 is indicated by 11, and the fold line located on the side of the lower wall 6 is indicated by 12.

The fold lines of the front and rear walls provide the ability to fold to the bottom wall 6 in a ratio of 3 to 1.

Each side wall is made with the possibility of bending it along a fold line extending in the direction from the front wall 1 of the housing to its rear wall 2. The fold line of the first side wall 3 is indicated by 13, and the fold line of the second side wall 4 by 14 (Figure 2) .

The fold lines on the side walls 3 and 4 are made so that along the height measured from the bottom wall 6 to the top wall 5, they are between the fold lines 9 and 10 of the front wall 1, as well as the fold lines 11 and 12 of the rear wall 2. Providing folding the walls of the fold line of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 do not coincide with the folding places of the side walls 3 and 4, due to which the product in its assembled state retains its shape.

The edges of the front wall 1 (Fig. 1a) of the housing are connected to the edges of the side walls 3 and 4 facing them, as well as the edges of the upper wall 5 by a detachable connection — the first zipper 15, and the edges of the rear wall 2 are connected to the edges of the side walls facing them 3 and 4, as well as the edge of the upper wall 5 facing it, with a second zipper 16.

The slider of the second zipper 16 in the assembled state of the suitcase can be located inside the case, restricting access from the outside.

The first zipper 15 can be made with one slider or preferably with two sliders to ensure fastening on both sides from the bottom wall 6 to the upper wall 5. Alternatively, both zippers can be made with two sliders.

The zippers 15 and 16 can be of any suitable type, for example, in the form of a spring / spiral zipper, a nylon zipper, molded plastic zippers, molded zippers. Type of fastener - zippers is selected depending on the size of the suitcase and the material from which it is made.

Small legs 17 (indicated by one position) are attached to the bottom wall 6 to make the suitcase more stable when it is standing and to protect the case of the suitcase from abrasion. Through the legs, two main parts of the suitcase blank are also fastened together, forming a single body. Alternatively, instead of legs, there may be wheels (stationary, folding or removable) or attachments for a removable trolley

A handle 18 is attached to the upper wall 5. Handle 18 is a strip of material fixed by a seam or rivets in two places, that is, a belt or sling tape made with free ends 18a. At the free ends 18a of the tape 18, fixing elements are located — fasteners in the form of Velcro or buttons to secure the free ends to the upper part of the side walls, where there are mating parts of the fixing elements.

The implementation of the flexible handle 18 in the form of a strip of material or tape ensures its compactness and plays an important role in reducing weight.

The bending sections are such a surface that allows you to form radially curved sections of the side walls in the assembled state of the suitcase, as well as in the places of bending when folding. Such a surface may be, for example, a surface made with frequent transverse folds or notches.

The folding lines can be made in the form of grooves, perforations, creases, etc., along which folding or bending can be performed.

Scoring notches in the bending areas of the side walls are made with such a frequency that allows the bending to form the most smooth bend. On a sample case made of cellular polypropylene 3 mm thick, the scoring step was 9 mm - 10 mm with a bending radius of 65 mm-70 mm.

When folding the suitcase, the unfolding portion of the bend lengthens the lower and upper walls so that the folded front and rear walls fit inside the folded product.

The radius of curvature in the bending sections of the side walls is selected based on the conditions for ensuring the normal operation of the zipper, and should be of a minimum size to maintain the internal volume of the product in the assembled state.

The radius of curvature also depends on the thickness of the front and rear walls (the thickness of the material from which the front and rear walls are made and the thickness of the coating and / or lining material if used.

A folding case is made of a blank made of two interconnected parts shown in FIG. 3. The first part 19 of the workpiece contains, combined with the bottom wall 6 and mating with it from two sides along the fold lines 7 and 8, respectively, the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2. Moreover, the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 are made of the same width, which exceeds the width of the lower wall 6 measured in the same direction.

The width of the front 1 and rear 2 walls exceeds the width of the lower wall 6 by an amount equal to the two radii of rounding of their corners.

The width of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2, as well as the depth of the lower wall 6 are selected from the standard requirements of airlines for the dimensions of hand luggage and increase proportionally when the product is enlarged to the dimensions of a luggage case.

The front wall 1, the rear wall 2 and the lower wall 6 of the first part 19 of the workpiece are rigidly connected to each other along the completed double fold lines 7 and 8, combining them with each other.

The second part 20 of the workpiece contains the first side wall 3 united by the upper wall 5 and the second side wall 4, with each of which segments (valves) of the additional lower wall 21 are connected. The first side wall 3 along its edge 22 (fold line 22) is conjugated and rigidly the first segment 21a of the additional lower wall 21 is connected to it, and the second segment 21b of the additional lower wall 21 is connected and rigidly connected to the second side wall 4 along its edge 23 (the bend line 23). The upper wall 5 along the bend line 24 is conjugated and rigidly connected to bend 3a fetter wall 3, and by fold line 25 and the conjugate is rigidly connected to the bending portion 4a side wall 4.

Segments 21a and 21b can be made identical along the length measured from their edges to the bend lines, respectively 22 and 23 so that the length of each of them will correspond to half the length of the lower wall measured in the same direction 6. In other particular versions, they may differ in length apart from each other. Alternatively, the total length of segments 21a and 21b may be less than the length of the bottom wall 6.

An additional lower wall 21 in this particular embodiment is already along the length of the lower wall 6 by the width of the zipper on both sides.

The second part 20 of the blank for the execution of the suitcase shown in Fig.1 - Fig. 3 has a rectangular shape, i.e. the width of the upper wall 5, the first side wall 3 with its bending sections 3a and 3b, the second side wall 4 with its bending sections 4a and 4b and the segments of the additional lower wall 21 along the entire length of the second part 20 of the workpiece has the same size.

The elements of the second part 20 of the workpiece: the upper wall 5, the first side wall 3, the second side wall 4, the first segment 21a of the additional lower wall 21, as well as the second segment 21 b of the additional lower wall 21 are rigidly interconnected along the fold lines separating them from each other friend.

The lower wall 6 of the first part 19 of the workpiece, the first segment 21a of the additional lower wall 21 and the second segment 21b of the additional lower wall 21 are provided with holes designated by one position 17a, adapted to fix the compatible parts 19 and 20 of the workpiece with legs, rivets, wheels or platforms for mounting the removable trolley

In the manufacture of the suitcase, first, each part of the workpiece is bent along fold lines separating the walls from each other, the first part 19 and the second part 20 of the workpiece are turned in the perpendicular direction relative to each other, then the second part 20 is inserted into the first part 19 by segments 21a and 21b of the additional lower wall 21 of the second part 20 of the workpiece is superimposed on the bottom wall 6 of the first part 19 and rigidly connected to each other, for example, by means of legs, wheels or slats with grooves adapted for fastening a removable trolley and performing x function of the legs of the product.

The double fold lines 7 and 8 of the first part 19 are designed to compensate for the thickness of the embedded material of the second part 20 for the normal operation of the zipper and allow the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 to fold inward without tension.

The interconnected lower wall 6 and the additional lower wall 21, if they are consistent in length, form a hardened two-layer lower base.

The first part 19 and the second part 20 of the workpiece when forming a suitcase are connected by zippers 15 and 16.

In the second embodiment of the suitcase, shown in Fig.4 - Fig.6, in contrast to the first embodiment, on the front wall 1 there are two spaced apart parallel additional fold lines 26 and 27, extending along its entire length in the direction from its located from the side of the lower edge wall 6 to the edge facing the upper wall 5. On the rear wall 2, there are also two spaced parallel parallel additional fold lines 28 and 29 extending along its entire length in the direction from its edge located on the side of the lower wall 6 to the edge facing the upper wall 5. Additional fold lines 26-29 are made rectilinear.

Additional bending lines 26-29 form stiffeners of the front and rear walls, and in the assembled state they increase the overall stiffness of the product and, smoothing the right angles with the formation of side bevels, make the product more convenient and aesthetically attractive.

In this embodiment, the width of each side wall of the second part 20 of the preform (FIG. 6) has a variable width. The width of the side wall 3 in the region between the sections of the bends 3a and 3b is less than the width of the upper wall 5 and the segment 21a of the lower additional wall 21. The outward-facing edges of the sections of the bends 3a and 3b are smoothly curved, and the outward-facing edges of the portion of the side wall 3 in the region between sections of bends 3A and 3B are made rectilinear. Similarly, the width of the side wall 4 in the region between the sections of the bends 4a and 4b is less than the width of the upper wall 5 and the segment 21 of the lower additional wall 21. The outward-facing edges of the sections of the bends 4a and 4b are smoothly curved, and the outward-facing edges of the portion of the side wall 4 in the region between the sections of bends 4A and 4B are made rectilinear

This shape of the second part 20 of the workpiece, having a variable width, provides the formation of sections of the suitcase with side bevels 30 towards the side walls, which gives greater rigidity to the product as a whole in the assembled state.

In an alternative embodiment of the second embodiment of the suitcase shown in Figs. 7 to Fig. 8, additional stiff lines 26 and 27 (indicated by the same positions) forming the stiffening ribs of the front wall 1 are curved curved towards each other and extend along part of its length from the edge of the rounded corner 1a to the edge of the rounded corner 1b opposite it along the length of the wall 1. Similarly, additional fold lines 28 and 29 are made on the rear wall 2 of this design.

Shown in Fig. 9a, the first part 19 of the blank of an alternative embodiment of the second embodiment of the suitcase is made in the area of the location of the additional fold lines of the front and rear walls with curved curved edges facing outward.

In this embodiment, the width of each side wall of the second part 20 of the workpiece shown in Fig. 9b has such a variable width that the outward-facing edges of the bending sections are made straight and the outward-facing edges of the section in the region between the bending sections are smoothly curved with a bulge towards each other. In this case, the radius of curvature of the additional bending lines and the curvilinearly curved edges of the front, rear and sections of the side walls are essentially the same value.

In other alternative embodiments of the second embodiment (not shown), additional fold lines may have a different shape and the corresponding geometric changes will be made to the workpiece.

The front wall 1, the rear wall 2 and the lower wall 6 of the first part 19 of the workpiece in any embodiment can be integral with one another.

The upper wall 5, the first side wall 3, the second side wall 4, the first segment 21a of the additional lower wall 21, as well as the second segment 21b of the additional lower wall 21 can be integral with any embodiment.

Each part of the workpiece can be obtained by cutting sheet material (cardboard, corrugated cardboard, monolithic or cellular polypropylene, etc.) with notches along the fold lines. It is also possible to manufacture parts of the workpiece by injection molding or thermoforming of plastics.

Both parts of the workpiece and / or their constituent elements (walls or their sections) can be made of the same or different materials. It is possible, for example, instead of frequent notching, the use of elastic materials (rubbers, polyurethanes) in the bending areas of the side walls to form radius bends at the corners of the suitcase.

Zippers are sewn in with a machine seam. In alternative designs, zippers can be soldered or glued, depending on the material.

The width of the product is selected from generally accepted requirements (for example, for a suitcase intended for hand luggage - about 18-22 cm). The proportions of the length (height) of the front wall to the width of the product should be less than 3: 1 (case for hand luggage 50-55 cm.), So that when folding three times not exceed the total width of the product. When manufacturing a larger product (for example, a luggage suitcase), the proportions are maintained.

In any embodiment, folding the suitcase is as follows.

The zippers 15 and 16 are fully unfastened, folding the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 to the position shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 8. Then fold three times along the fold lines 9 and 10 of the front wall 1, placing it on the bottom wall 6 (Fig. 10). After that, they fold three times along the fold lines 11 and 12 of the back wall 2, placing it on the folded front wall 1 (Figure 11). By the next step, the side walls 3 and 4 are bent along the fold lines 13 and 14 towards each other, respectively, placing them on top of the stacked bent front wall 1 and rear wall 2 so that the upper wall 5 is in contact with the sections of the side walls 3 or 4 mating with it ( Fig. 12).

To fix the suitcase in the folded state, the free ends 18a of the tape 18 are fixed with fixing elements on the bending sections of the bottom wall 6 of the suitcase.

Unfolding the suitcase to bring it into the assembled state is carried out in the reverse order.

In any embodiment, the suitcase may comprise one (as shown in FIG. 13) or several removable internal partitions 31.

The removable partitions 31 enable functional separation of the internal volume of the suitcase and add rigidity to it, which is especially important in the case of increasing the size to the dimensions of a luggage suitcase of any size. Removable partitions 31 are attached by valves to the inner surface of the side walls with Velcro or button fasteners. When folding the suitcase, partitions 31 are inserted between parts of walls 3 and 4 by wall 5 and do not protrude beyond the overall dimensions of the product when folded.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 14, the suitcase may further comprise a second handle 32 located on the first side wall 3. In this case, the second side wall 4 opposite to it is provided with additional legs 33. In the case where the size of the suitcase fits the definition of manual luggage (40 * 50 * 20 cm) one handle on top is enough. The second flexible handle is desirable in the design of the suitcase while increasing its overall dimensions to the size of a luggage suitcase.

In another alternative embodiment (Fig. 15), the handle 18 located on the upper wall 5 is passed through the brackets 34 fixed to the upper wall 5, which allows it to be pulled to the required length by unfastening its ends from the latches 35 on the side walls. This embodiment of the handle 18 provides its multifunctionality and is convenient in the case when the lower wall of the suitcase is equipped with wheels 36 for rolling it when moving.

When it is intended to disassemble the storage case, the implementation of the handle 18 in the form of a tape with free ends has the additional advantage that the free ends can be used as a means of holding the assembled suitcase attached to the handle, and therefore it is less likely to be lost when the suitcase is disassembled storage.

The execution of the handle in the form of slings provides the ability to store the suitcase in its folded state, as shown in Fig.16, by hanging, for example, on a hanger 37.

In another alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 17, the folding case can be made with a telescopic handle 38 and a removable trolley — a platform with at least two wheels 39. In the case of using a removable trolley, its platform is attached to the bottom wall 6 of the product. The sliding telescopic elements of the handle 38 are located at the edges in places of the lateral bevels 30 of the rear wall 2, without protruding beyond the dimensions of the product. In the lower part of the case of the suitcase sliding telescopic elements of the handle 38 are fixed on the trolley, and in the upper part of the body passing through the hinges 40 are attached to the side bevels 30 and are joined by the bracket 41 of the handle 38.

The width of the side bevels 30 is selected so that they are commensurate with the radius of rounding of the corners of the front and rear walls. At the same time, the inclination of the side bevel 30 should be optimal so that on the one hand it is not critical to reduce the internal volume of the product, and on the other hand, sufficient to form a stiffener, and so that the telescopic handle of the removable trolley placed along it does not protrude beyond the overall dimensions of the product . The rounding radius in this design can be selected from the following condition: in the expanded form, the length of the bending portion of the side walls should exceed the width of the side bevel and compensate for the increase in the width of the front (back) wall after bending the side bevels and allow them to fold three times inward, bending them outside.

To give the suitcase greater rigidity, its upper wall 5 and / or side walls 3 and 4 can be reinforced by making them two-layer. Moreover, in the case of walls made of corrugated cardboard or cellular polypropylene, they can be made with the transverse direction of the layers of material relative to each other.

To give the product durability and attractiveness, it is possible to cover its main elements partially or completely with fabric, leather or other decorative materials on the outside and lining materials inside.

It is possible to use flexible profiles for wall edging, high-quality accessories (rivets, legs, wheels, handles, staples, locks, sliders, built-in combination locks), additional pockets.

Industrial applicability

The proposed folding case in comparison with known designs provides such advantages as compactness (proportion of unfolded - folded product from 10: 1), low weight (due to the use of durable and lightweight materials, such as cellular polypropylene, etc.), low manufacturing cost ( due to the simplicity of the design and the minimum number of parts included in it), as well as the ability to use environmentally friendly materials, such as corrugated cardboard, if possible, their complete processing or disposal.

Claims (36)

1. A folding case, characterized in that the assembled state comprises a housing formed by a front wall, an opposing rear wall, a first side wall and an opposing second side wall, as well as a lower wall and an opposing upper wall; while the edges of the front and rear walls facing the bottom wall are rigidly connected with its edges facing them; moreover, the edges of the front wall are connected with the edges of the upper and side walls facing them with the first zipper, and the edges of the rear wall are connected with the edges of the upper and side walls facing them with the second zipper; while the front and rear walls are made with rounded corners; despite the fact that the side walls of the housing have surface sections made with bending in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls; moreover, the front and rear walls, as well as the side walls, have folding lines made in such a way that the said walls can be folded in the folded state of the suitcase to be placed on the lower wall so that the upper wall contacts the adjacent part of one of the side walls. 2. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that the fold lines of the front and rear walls extend along two parallel lines extending in the direction from one side wall of the housing to the other; wherein the fold line on each side wall extends in a direction from the front wall of the housing to its rear wall; moreover, the locations of the fold lines of the front and rear walls in height measured from the lower wall of the body do not coincide in height with the locations of the fold lines of the side walls. 3. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface sections of the side walls made with a bend in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls are formed by frequent notches. 4. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface sections of the side walls made with a bend in the rounded corner of the front and rear walls are formed by making them of flexible material. 5. A folding suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that the slider of one of the zippers is located inside the case to ensure access is restricted from the outside in the assembled condition of the suitcase. 6. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the zippers is made with two sliders to ensure fastening on both sides. 7. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one handle fixed to the wall, made in the form of a tape with free ends. 8. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one removable partition. 9. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that at least part of the walls is made of at least two layers. 10. A folding case according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of a material selected from the range: cardboard, corrugated cardboard, polypropylene, cellular polypropylene. 11. A folding case, characterized in that the assembled state comprises a housing formed by a front wall, an opposing rear wall, a first side wall and an opposite second side wall, as well as a lower wall and an opposite upper wall; while the edges of the front and rear walls facing the bottom wall are rigidly connected with its edges facing them; moreover, the edges of the front wall are connected with the edges of the upper and side walls facing them with the first zipper, and the edges of the rear wall are connected with the edges of the upper and side walls facing them with the second zipper; while the front and rear walls are made with rounded corners, while the side walls of the housing have surface sections made with bending in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls, the front and rear walls, as well as the side walls, have bending lines made in this way that it is possible to bend said walls in the folded state of the suitcase to place them on the lower wall so that the upper wall is in contact with the adjacent part of one of the side walls; despite the fact that additional fold lines are made on the front and rear walls, adapted to ensure the formation of stiffeners in the assembled state of the suitcase. 12. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that the additional fold lines are made straight so that they are adapted to ensure that the stiffeners are assembled in the assembled state of the case. 13. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that the additional folding lines adapted to ensure the formation of the assembled condition of the case of the stiffening ribs are smoothly curved. 14. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that the fold lines of the front and rear walls extend along two parallel lines extending in the direction from one side wall of the housing to the other; wherein the fold line on each side wall extends in a direction from the front wall of the housing to its rear wall; moreover, the locations of the fold lines of the front and rear walls in height measured from the lower wall of the body do not coincide in height with the locations of the fold lines of the side walls. 15. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that the surface portions of the side walls made with a bend in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls are formed by frequent notches. 16. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that the surface sections of the side walls made with bending in the area of the rounded corners of the front and rear walls are formed by making them of flexible material. 17. Foldable suitcase according to claim 11, characterized in that the slider of one of the zippers is located inside the case to provide limited access from the outside in the assembled condition of the suitcase. 18. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that at least one of the zippers is made with two sliders to ensure fastening on both sides. 19. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises at least one handle fixed to the wall, made in the form of a tape with free ends. 20. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises at least one removable partition. 21. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that at least part of the walls is made of at least two layers. 22. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that it is made of a material selected from the range: cardboard, corrugated cardboard, polypropylene, cellular polypropylene. 23. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises a platform trolley with at least two wheels, the platform trolley being removable and attached to the bottom wall. 24. A folding case according to claim 11, characterized in that it is further provided with a telescopic telescopic handle. 25. The preparation of a folding suitcase, characterized in that it is made of two parts, the first of which contains the front and rear walls connected by folding lines, between which the lower wall is placed; and the second part contains the upper wall connected by fold lines located between the side walls, each of which is associated with a part of the additional lower wall; while the front and rear walls are made with rounded corners and each of them is equipped with two spaced bend lines extending essentially parallel to the bend lines that combine the front and rear walls with the bottom wall; despite the fact that the side walls have surface sections made with the possibility of their bending, and each of them is equipped with a bend line that runs essentially parallel to the bend lines that combine the side walls with the upper wall. 26. The blank folding case according to p. 25, characterized in that the lower wall and the additional lower wall are provided with holes. 27. The preparation of a folding suitcase according to claim 25, characterized in that the folding lines connecting the front and rear walls with the bottom wall are double. 28. The preparation of a folding suitcase according to claim 25, characterized in that at least one part thereof is made of one piece of material. 29. The preparation of a folding suitcase according to claim 25, characterized in that it is adapted for the manufacture of a folding suitcase made according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10. 30. A blank folding case, characterized in that it is made of two parts, the first of which contains the front and rear walls connected by folding lines, between which the lower wall is placed; and the second part contains the upper wall connected by fold lines located between the side walls, each of which is associated with a part of the additional lower wall; while the front and rear walls are made with rounded corners and each of them is equipped with two spaced bend lines extending essentially parallel to the bend lines that combine the front and rear walls with the bottom wall; despite the fact that the side walls have surface sections made with the possibility of their bending; wherein each side wall is provided with a fold line extending substantially parallel to the fold lines combining the side walls with the upper wall; moreover, the first part is equipped with two additional folding lines spaced from each other, extending at least in part of the front and rear walls, while the second part is made with a variable width along its length. 31. The blank folding case according to p. 30, characterized in that the lower wall and the additional lower wall are provided with holes. 32. The blank folding case according to claim 30, characterized in that the folding lines separating the front and rear walls of the first part are double. 33. The preparation of a folding suitcase according to claim 30, characterized in that at least one part thereof is made of one piece of material. 34. The preparation of a folding suitcase according to claim 30, characterized in that the additional folding lines are straight and extend along the entire length of the front and rear walls. 35. The blank folding case according to p. 30, characterized in that the additional folding lines are smoothly curved and extend along the length of the front and rear walls. 36. The blank folding case according to p. 30, characterized in that it is adapted for the manufacture of a folding suitcase made according to any one of paragraphs. 11-24.

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