US3432012A - Luggage cases - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1969 wm 3,432,012

' LUGGAGE CASES Filed Oct. 11, 1966 J! II lg IN VENT 0R.

Roger D. Winter VM VM A w ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A luggage case in which one or both sections comprise a concave shell attached to a generally planar frame strip, having inside and outside flanges between which are re ceived the edges of the corresponding end and side walls of a shell. An outer nib on the shell is locked behind an inside extension of the outer flange of the frame strip, while an offset in the inside flange of the shell permits the nib to be snapped past the extension, so that, after assembly, the inside flange of the frame strip restrains inward movement of the shell edge. The outer edge of the nib may be beveled or tapered, to act as a wedge during such assembly.

This invention relates to luggage cases and luggage case sections.

In the most popular present day luggage construction, a pair of opposed concave shells are separately attached to the two halves of a frame, each half consisting of a strip which extends around the peripheral edge of the corresponding shell, with the strips being hinged together at the bottom of the case and detachably connected together at the top, as by drawbolts or latches. Thus, each shell and the corresponding frame strip form a concave section of the case. Also, a carrying handle is mounted centrally on the frame at the top. Such frame strips are conveniently formed of a lightweight metal, such as an aluminum alloy, by extrusion of metal through a die, being produced in relatively long strips. These strips are cut to length, then bent to shape, to correspond to the contour of the peripheral edge of the shell to which the frame strip is to be attached and, either before or after attachment to the shells, the hinges are attached to the frame strips, while the handle and latches are usually attached later. Probably the most popular luggage case in the world is marketed as the Silhouette, being constructed in accordance with the Willard G. Axtell US. Patent 2,950,793, with the shells being formed of either a molded plastic or a metal layer, such as magnesium alloy, covered on the outside with a plastic layer. One of the frame strips is a tongue strip having a laterally and outwardly extending flange, to the underside of which the edge of the shell is secured, or a pair of spaced laterally and outwardly extending flanges between which the shell is secured, and also an inwardly extending tongue having an inner edge adapted to interfit with a groove formed in the opposite or groove strip. The laterally and outwardly extending flange or flanges of the groove strip may be similar to those of the tongue strip, while each of the tongue and groove strips may be provided with an inwardly extending wall, at the inside edge of which the tongue and groove are located, in order to provide a recess which extends around the luggage case and in which the latches or drawbolts, the handle support and also the hinges may be located, through attachment to the tongue. This recess has a distinct advantage in that the latches or dravwbolts are disposed in a protected position within the recess, while the offset in the strips produces considerable additional strength. Usually, the inner or peripheral edge of each shell is attached to a frame strip by rivets which extend through the shells and also a lateral flange of the corresponding frame strip, and in the most popular Patented Mar. 11, 1969 construction, the heads of these rivets are covered by a trim strip of plastic, which is secured, as by adhesive, in a groove on the outside of the lateral flange of the corresponding frame strip. In a variation of such a construction, the inner or peripheral edge of the shell fits beneath a narrow outside flange of the corresponding frame strip, while the shell is attached by rivets to a wider flange of the strip inside the shell. However, such rivets are usually not pleasing in appearance on the outside of a luggage case, while considerable care must be exercised in riveting, to insure that the outside of the shell is not damaged or marred by the riveting operation. Of course, the hinges may be attached by rivets on the bottom of the luggage case without detracting from the appearance.

One advantage of using frame strips having a narrow outside flange lies in the fact that, with a relatively wide outside flange, care must be taken in bending the frame strips around the corners, in order to present a smooth curve, while when a relatively wide flange is bent around a corner, but is later located inside the shell, irregularities in curvature do not detract from the exterior appearance, being hidden by the shell. As indicated above, the use of rivets to attach the edge of a shell to such an inside flange produces other problems. Thus, attachments for the edge of the shell, which will be hidden by a relatively narrow outside flange of the frame strip, includes the use of the clips of the Willard G. Axtell US. Patent No. 3,207,275, which are adapted to hold the shell in position until an adhesive is set, or the improved clips of the William A. Bedford US. Patent 3,251,438. However, such clips, while satisfactory in use, still require considerable time, with resultant expense, in mounting the same on the luggage shell, and also in accurately guiding the clips and edges of the shell into position between two flanges of the corresponding frame strip.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a novel luggage case; to provide such a luggage case in which frame strips having spaced, lateral flanges may be utilized; to provide such a luggage case in which each shell is attached to such a frame strip in a novel manner; to provide such a luggage case in which such attachment of the edge of the shell to such a frame strip requires no clips or similar parts; to provide such a luggage case in which the frame strips may be provided with a relatively narrow outside flange and a relatively wide inside flange and in which the configuration of the inside flange is such that it assists the assembly operation; to provide such a luggage case in which the shells may be assembled to the frame strips by merely pushing the edge of the shell into the corresponding frame strip; to provide such a luggage case, the shells of which may be readily produced by a simple variation of present production methods; to provide such a luggage case, in which each shell is securely attached to the corresponding frame strip; and to provide such a luggage case which will be durable and rugged in use.

The foregoing and additional objects of this invention, aswell as the novel features thereof, will become apparent from the description which follows, taken in connection' with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of a luggage case constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section comprising a portion of FIG. 2, on a further enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a drawn blank from which a shell of the luggage case of FIG. 1 may be produced, partly broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the shell blank of FIG. 4, after a trimming operation performed in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section, similar to FIG. 5, but showing the results of an alternative trimming operation.

The luggage case illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of opposed concave shells S and S, the inner or peripheral edges of which are attached to a groove strip G and a tongue strip T, respectively, the strips G and T forming a frame for the luggage case. A conventional handle 10 is mounted on a suitable handle support attached to the tongue strip T in a recess which extends longitudinally around the case and is formed between the groove strip G and tongue strip T, with the case closed. Suitable hinges, being conventional and therefore not shown, are attached to the strips G and T at the bottom of the case, such hinges suitably being the type of Axtell 2,950,793, which also discloses a suitable handle and handle support. A pair of latches or drawbolts are mounted on each side of handle 10, but in spaced relation thereto, in the longitudinal recess formed by the frame, such latches or drawbolts being conventional and therefore not shown. Suitable latches are shown in Garmon et al. US. Patent 3,034,327 and the commonly assigned application of John Rosing et al., Ser. No. 546,304, filed Apr. 29, 1966. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the groove strip G may be provided with an inwardly extending wall 11 and the tongue strip T with an inwardly extending wall 12, with a tongue 13 extending laterally from the inside end of wall 12 and provided at its opposite edge with a point 14 adapted to engage the groove formed by an angle flange 15 at the inside edge of Wall 11. As will be evident, the walls 11 and 12 of tongue strip T and groove strip G, along with tongue 13, form a recess which extends longitudinally around the case, in the manner of Axtell US. Patent 2,950,793. However, the frame strips may be modified,

so that the inner edges interfit directly, as in the manner of the frame strips of Heitler U.S. Patent 2,829,745, in which event the drawbolts or latches may be mounted in a position above and transverse to the frame strips. For this purpose, drawbolts constructed as in Axtell US. Patent 2,792,248, or certain of the drawbolts or latches of the aforesaid application of John Rosing et al., Ser. No. 546,- 304, may be utilized.

The groove strip G is provided with an outside flange 16 having an inward extension 17 at its outer edge, while the tongue strip T is provided with a similar outside flange 18 having an inward extension 19 at its outer edge. The groove strip G may also be provided with a relatively wide, lateral flange 20, just inside shell S and having an inward offset 21, while the tongue strip T may be provided with a similar relatively wide, lateral flange 22, just inside shell S, and having a similar inward offset 23, each for a purpose described below.

In accordance with this invention, as in FIG. 3, the

inner or peripheral edge of shell S is provided with an outwardly extending flange or nib 25, which may be limited in height, such as 0.015 or 0.030 inch, and which prevents the shell from being pulled out of the groove strip, by engagement with the inward extension 17 of flange 16. As in FIG. 2, the inner or peripheral edge of shell S is provided with a similar outside flange or nib 25, which is similarly adapted to engage the inward extension 19 of flange 18, to prevent the shell from being pulled away from the tongue strip T. As will be evident, the frame strips extend completely around the peripheral edge of each shell, so that the limited height of the nib of each shell, such as the height referred to above, is sufficient to securely lock the shell and frame strip together.

For assembly of the shell S and S to the corresponding frame strip, it is merely necessary to force the nib 25 inside the inward extension 17 or 19, so that, as soon as the nib 25 passes the inward extension, it will snap into position. This may be accomplished in a suitable press, which forces the nib 25 inside the inward extension 17 of the groove strip G all the way around the shell.

If desired, a jig or guide 26, indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 3, may be placed against the outer edge of flange 16, to force the inner or peripheral edge of the shell inwardly, as it is being assembled to the groove strip G, while the shell S may be similarly assembled to the tongue trip T. In fact, the frame strips may be held together in the relationship shown in FIG. 2 and the two shells assembled thereto simultaneously. It will be noted that the offset 21 in inside flange 20 provides a space 27 of FIG. 3 which permits the inner edge of the shell to be forced inwardly, during assembly, but as soon as the nib 25 snaps past the inward offset 17 and the shell moves further inwardly, the inside of the shell will engage flange 20 at point 28, thereby retaining the inner edge of the shell in locked position. The space corresponding to space 27 of FIG. 3, formed by offset 23 of flange 22, will similarly assist in the assembly of shell S to tongue strip T. As will be evident, the flange 16 of groove strip G will prevent forces exerted against the flange, from outside the luggage case, from pushing the inner edge of the shell inwardly to unlock the shell, while any force exerted against the shell just outwardly from flange 16 will tend to push the shell into space 27, but contact at point 28 will force nib 25 outwardly, so any forces exerted against the shell in that area will not cause the shell to loosen. Also, forces directed inwardly against the shell but further outwardly will be resisted by flange 20. As will also be evident, a load on the shell tending to pull the shell from the frame strip will merely tighten nib 25 against inward extension 17. The ni b 25 of shell S will similarly lock that shell to tongue strip T.

The shells S and S will normally be similar in dimension and shape, although shells of diflerent depth may be utilized for the two halves of the luggage case, if desired. However, such shells will normally be made in a similar manner, as by molding, through heat and pressure, a sheet of plastic, either an integral strip of the same plastic, or a multiple strip comprising a thicker inside layer, usually selected for strength and resistance to bending, and a thinner outside layer, selected for resistance to scufling and abrasion. The outside layer may, of course, be provided with a pattern, such as simulating the grain of leather. Such sheet or multiply sheet may be heated and then clamped around the edges in a press and over a female mold, correponding to the outside contour of the shell, so that a male mold, corresponding to the inside contour of the shell, may be moved into the female mold, to force the unclamped portions of the sheet into the desired contour, such as that of blank B of FIG. 4. As will be evident, flange 30 of FIG. 4 corresponds to the portion of the sheet which is clamped for the molding operation. During molding, the area of the sheet within the flange 30 is drawn within a corner 31 to produce end walls 32, side walls 33 and a bottom wall 34 of the blank B. In the press, the molded sheet is held until cooled sufliciently to retain its shape, after removal from the press. Normally, flange 30 is trimmed off by a die along the indicated trim line 35, which is as close as practical to the side and end walls, to produce a shell having end walls 32, side walls 33 and a bottom wall 34, with corner 31 attached to each. Thus, trimming along line 35 may leave from 0.005 to 0.025 inch of material outside the end and side walls, but this excess material is usually removed by a trimming burr or the like to produce a substantially smooth outside edge of the end and side walls. It will be noted that the flange 30 of the blank B is not wasted but may be remilled or reground to provide plastic for making additional shells.

In accordance with this invention, instead of trimming along trim line 35, the blank B is trimmed, as in a die, along a trim line 36, at a position spaced from the corner 31, i.e. to produce the nib 25, as in FIG. 5, extending outwardly around the inner edge of the shell. The inside radius of corner 31, as shown in FIG. 4, usually varies from 0.015 to 0.125 inch, depending on the mold used, and also depending somewhat on the size of the shell. However, the corner 31 of FIG. 5 is preferably a sharp corner, as shown, having a maximum radius of 0.030 inch and preferably as close to zero as practical, at 37, which contributes to the effectiveness of the nib or flange around the peripheral edge of the shell, for attaching the shell to the corresponding frame strip. As will be evident, the permissible variation in the height of nib 25 is sufficient to accommodate normal manufacturing tolerances in the use of molding presses and trimming dies.

In further accordance with this invention, in lieu of trimming along line 36, which is generally perpendicular to flange 30, the blank B may be trimmed along line 39, as in FIG. 6, which extends at a slight angle to the perpendicular, so that a nib 40 having an angular outer edge is produced. Preferably, the inner edge 41 of nib 40 is in approximately the same plane or slightly inwardly from the outside of end walls 32 and also side walls 33, so that when the shell S is forced against the groove strip G, or the shell S against tongue strip T, the surface of nib 40 will act as a wedge to force the nib and inner edge of the shell inwardly, as into space 27 of FIG. 3, or the corresponding space provided by offset 23 of flange 22 of FIG. 2. Thus, with nib 40 of FIG. 6, the use of a guide or inward pressure on the nib, as by guide 26 of FIG. 3, is unnecessary. As will be evident, as soon as the outer edge 42 of nib 40 moves past the inward extension 17 of groove strip G, or the corresponding inward extension 19 of tongue strip T, the nib will snap into position behind the inward extension 17 or 19. The edge 42 of nib 40 is, of course, spaced outwardly from the adjacent side wall 32 or end wall 33, preferably the same distance as the outer edge of nib 25. As will be evident, when a shell having an angular edged nib 40 is pressed into a frame strip, it will similarly snap into position and be held there, to prevent the shell from separating from the corresponding frame strip.

Shells having similar nibs and similar strips may be used in a train or beauty case, of the general type of Axtell US. Patent 3,029,915, although one shell will be the top shell and the opposite shell the bottom shell, with the botom shell usually being deeper than the top shell. Also, the hinges will be at the rear and the latches or drawbolts at the front, while the handle will normally be attached to the top of the top shell. Thus, reference to sections of a luggage case pivotally attached at the bottom and detachably connected at the top shall be deemed to include also sections pivotally attached at the rear and detachably connected at the front.

Although a preferred form of this invention and certain variations thereof have been illustrated or described, it will be understood that other embodiments may exist, as well as other variations, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A luggage case section including a concave shell attached to a generally planar frame strip, wherein:

said frame strip has an outwardly extending, outside flange provided with an inward extension adjacent its outer edge and an outwardly extending, inside flange spaced from said outside flange a distance corresponding to the thickness of the inner edge of said shell and provided with an inward offset generally opposite said inward extension and a generally flat border outwardly from said offset;

said shell has side and end walls whose peripheral edges correspond in contour to said frame strip, said inner edge of said shell being disposed between said flanges and having an outer nib disposed inwardly of said inward extension and engaging the same to lock said shell to said frame strip while said inside flange restrains the inner edge of said shell from inward movement; and said offset provides a space for inward movement of the inner edge of said shell during assembly to said frame strip but said offset is spaced from said shell after assembly.

2. A luggage case section as defined in claim 1, where- 1111 the outside edge of said nib is disposed generally parallel to the adjacent wall of said shell.

3. A luggage case section as defined in claim 1, where in:

the outside edge of said nib is disposed angularly to the adjacent wall of said shell and at a slope so as to wedge said nib past said inward extension of said outside flange during assembly of said shell to said frame strip.

4. A luggage case comprising a pair of opposed sections, each constructed as defined in claim 1 and pivotally attached together at the bottom and detachably connected together at the top, said frame strips being interfitting along theconfronting edges of said sections.

5. A luggage case section including a concave shell attached to a generally planar frame strip, wherein:

said frame strip has an outwardly extending, outside flange provided with an inward extension adjacent its outer edge;

said shell has side and end walls: whose peripheral edges correspond in contour to said frame strip, the inner edge of said shell having an outer nib disposed inwardly of said inward extension and engaging the same to lock said shell to said frame strip;

said section has means for restraining the inner edge of said shell from inward movement; and

the outside edge of said nib is disposed angularly to the adjacent wall of said shell and at a slope so as to wedge said nib past said inward extension of said outside flange during assembly of said shell to said frame strip and the inner edge of said nib is disposed outwardly no further than the outer surface, adjacent said nib, of the adjacent wall of said shell.

6. A luggage case section inclduing a concave shell attached to a generally planar frame strip, wherein:

said frame strip has an outwardly extending, outside flange provided with an inward extension adjacent its outer edge;

said shell has side and end walls whose peripheral edges correspond in contour to said frame strip, the inner edge of said shell having an outer nib disposed inwardly of said inward extension and engaging the same to lock said shell to said frame strip;

said frame strip has means for restraining the inner edge of said shell from inward movement;

the inner edge of said shell is provided with a corner having a radius on the order of less than thirty thousandths of an inch; and

said nib has a height, at its inner edge, on the order of fifteen to thirty thousandths of an inch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,758,682 8/1956 Shwayder -28 2,768,720 10/1956 Nelson 190-49 X 3,194,365 7/1965 Herring 190-49 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,432,384 2/ 1966 France.

JOSEPH R. LEGLAIR, Primary Examiner.

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