WO2006097960A1

WO2006097960A1 - Suitcase with reinforced wheels on the back shell and castors on the front shell

Info

Publication number: WO2006097960A1
Application number: PCT/IT2006/000147
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maria Luisa Bano
Original assignee: Roncato S.R.L.
Priority date: 2005-03-18
Filing date: 2006-03-13
Publication date: 2006-09-21
Also published as: CN101141895A; ITPD20050082A1; EP1858363A1

Abstract

The invention is a new suitcase in the shape of a parallelepiped with the longer axis in vertical position, comprising a back shell (Gp) equipped with two wheels (Rl) and (R2), a front shell (Ga) equipped with one or more castors (Pl) and (P2), one or more external pockets (E) and a trolley frame (T) of the pull out type comprising a handle (Ml) fixed across two parallel rods (Al) and (A2) spaced with a wide distance. Said rods (Al) and (A2) slide vertically in two seats (Sl) and (S2) obtained in the back shell (Gp) at the level of the vertical edges thereof. The wheels (Rl) and (R2) are reinforced by suitable reinforcing elements or plates (Bl) and (B2) provided with elastic elements suited to absorb and dampen stresses.

Description

TITLE

SUITCASE WITH REINFORCED WHEELS ON THE BACK SHELL AND CASTORS ON THE FRONT SHELL

DESCRIPTION The present invention concerns suitcases and in particular it concerns a suitcase with wheels.

At present countless types of suitcases are available on the market, with varying shapes and dimensions and made of different materials, suited to meet the most diversified needs of the customers. Nowadays the traditional suitcases equipped with a single handle for gripping and carrying purposes are completely out of date.

To make them easier to transport, most suitcases currently available on the market are equipped with wheels, so that the effort required of the user to carry them is reduced, since they slide on said wheels. The suitcases with wheels and gripping and carrying handle have undergone several improvements, both in technical and aesthetical terms.

In particular, the technical improvements have made said suitcases increasingly comfortable to use, handier and more practical, resistant and capacious. Suitcases are also known that are suited to slide with their longer axis in vertical position and are equipped with at least two wheels applied to the base and with trolley frame.

Usually said trolley frame is at least partially of the pull out type and is constituted by a handle fixed across one or two parallel vertical rods. The rods of the trolley frame are telescopic, inserted as they are in apposite spaces obtained in the central part of the back shell, which means that they are positioned on the same side of the suitcase to which the wheels are applied. The rods of the trolley frame are free to slide vertically inside said spaces, so that the handle can be lifted or lowered according to the need. In this way, once the trolley frame has been extracted, the user can grip the handle and carry the suitcase, inclining it towards himself/herself, that is, on the wheels side, with the back shell facing the ground.

On the top or sides of the suitcase there are further handles that can be used to transport the suitcase when it cannot slide on its wheels or when it is necessary to hold the suitcase, for example to position it horizontally or to load it on a raised supporting surface. Extensive research on the functionality of said wheels and on the structure of the handles has made suitcases more comfortable to carry. In fact, particularly effective sliding systems are available on the market, as well as handles whose shape makes them easier to grip. Pulling a suitcase, however, is still rather tiring, especially when it is necessary to tow heavy and/or bulky suitcases for long distances, as it often happens in airports, where, furthermore, it is not always easy for passengers to find trolleys on which to load their luggage.

While pulling the suitcase, furthermore, the user is in an uncomfortable and unsafe position, since he/she walks before the suitcase. It is also important to point out that the pull out trolley frame occupies some space inside the suitcase for housing the rods and allowing them to slide therein, thus reducing the space at the disposal of the user. On the other hand, while the suitcase is being transported the unevenness of the floor, due for example to holes, steps and the like, and possible impacts against other objects cause stresses that affect the operation of the wheels.

Said stresses often cause breakages in the body of the suitcase, in the connection points of the wheel rotation pins and/or of the pins themselves, and can cause the misalignment of said pins, thus affecting the correct and smooth sliding of said wheels.

In this situation it is much more difficult for the user to carry the suitcase and he/she may be forced to have it repaired or to buy a new suitcase. To overcome all the drawbacks mentioned above, a new type of suitcase has been designed and implemented, equipped with reinforced wheels on the back shell, pull out carriage frame, external pockets, and allowing the installation of castors on the front shell.

The main aim of the present invention is to make the suitcase easier to handle and to carry.

A further aim of the present invention is to improve the way the user can grip the handle.

Another aim of the present invention is to optimise the space inside the suitcase, thus increasing its capacity. Another aim of the invention is to provide a suitcase where the stresses to which the wheels are subjected are dampened, thus ensuring a more effective operation and longer life of the suitcase.

A further aim of the present invention is to make the suitcase more practical to use. These and other direct and complementary aims are achieved through the implementation of a new suitcase, suited to slide with its longer axis in vertical position, with reinforced wheels on the back shell, pull out trolley frame, external pockets, and allowing the installation of castors on the front shell. The innovative aspect of the present invention lies in that it combines in a single object all the characteristics needed to obtain a comfortable, practical and handy suitcase. The new suitcase, suitable for sliding with its longer axis in vertical position, has substantially the shape of a parallelepiped and is constituted - as to its main components - by a back and a front shell.

Said shells are joined on one side by means of hinges, so that the user can conveniently open and close the suitcase.

In order to be able to open the suitcase and place inside it the items to be transported, like objects, garments, documents or other things, the user must position the suitcase horizontally, with the back shell lying on the supporting surface. The suitcase can be closed thanks to the presence of means suited to couple the two back and front shells, like rigid lever systems, hinges, straps or other devices.

The new suitcase comprises two wheels applied to the back shell, near the base, so that when said suitcase has its longer axis in vertical position said rear wheels are in contact with the ground.

Each one of said rear wheels is fixed to the back shell of the new suitcase by means of an innovative system comprising a main rotation pin, fastened to the shell, and a reinforcing plate, also called simply plate, suited to reinforce the entire rotation system, preventing the shell and the pin from breaking and maintaining the pin itself aligned.

Said plate is fixed to said rotation pin of the rear wheel and to a second point on the back shell.

In this point, between said plate and the back shell there is a tubular element, or a ring, made of an elastic and resistant material such as rubber or a similar material, and said plate is fixed thereto by means of a screw, after interposing a plastic protection ring between said screw and the back shell. The rubber tubular element serves the main function of dampening and absorbing the stresses to which said rear wheels are subjected. The new suitcase may also be equipped with one or more wheels on the front shell, said wheels being positioned near the base, too, so that when the suitcase has its longer axis in vertical position also said front wheels rest on the floor, on the side opposite the wheels of the back shell.

The front wheels, differently from the rear wheels, are preferably castors. In this way the suitcase will comprise a sliding system with wheels, so that it can also be pushed, as well as pulled, that is, it can be used as a trolley, with the advantage that said suitcase becomes less tiring to carry and easier to handle.

The new suitcase comprises a pull out trolley frame, preferably comprising, in its turn, a gripping handle fixed across two parallel vertical rods. Said rods of the trolley frame are housed in apposite seats obtained in the back shell, positioned on the side ends of its bottom, that is, near the sides of said back shell, and are therefore more spaced from each other than the rods of the known trolley frames.

The lateral, instead of central position of the seats for the trolley frame rods limits the drawback represented by the space occupied by said seats inside the suitcase, so that the user has more space at his/her disposal, said space being also distributed more practically.

The trolley frame with spaced rods will also have a handle that is larger than the known handles, thus ensuring a better, safer and more comfortable grip, especially when the user has to push the suitcase. The new suitcase also comprises one or more external pockets that allow the user to place inside it the objects, documents and personal items that he/she needs to have at hand. Said pockets, therefore, mean additional space at the disposal of the user and make the suitcase more practical and comfortable to use.

In practice, the new suitcase is extremely handy, thanks to the castors on the front shell and to the trolley frame with spaced rods, and also practical, thanks to the optimised inside space and to the application of one or more external pockets.

The characteristics of the invention will be highlighted in greater detail in the following description, with reference to the drawings attached as non- limiting examples. Figure 1 shows a side view of the suitcase with its longer axis in vertical position and the section A-A orthogonal to the longer axis.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the suitcase, where in particular it is possible to see the back shell with wheels and the pull out trolley frame in lifted position.

Figure 3 shows a further view of the suitcase base. Figure 4 is a detailed view of a section of the connection point of the reinforcing plate to the back shell.

The new suitcase, suited to slide with its longer axis in vertical position, has substantially the shape of a parallelepiped and comprises a back shell (Gp) and a front shell (Ga). Said shells (Ga) and (Gp) are joined on one side, as shown in Figure 3, by means of a hinge or hinges (C), and suitable fastening elements such as hooks, straps or the like are coupled to one another in order to allow said suitcase to be closed.

The back shell (Gp) comprises at least two wheels (Rl) and (R2), positioned near the base of the suitcase, so that said wheels (Rl) and (R2) are in contact with the floor when said suitcase has its longer axis in vertical position, as shown in Figure 1. Each wheel (Rl) and (R2) is fixed to the back shell (Gp) by means of a rotation pin and a plate (Bl) and (B2) suited to reinforce the entire rotation system, thus preventing the rotation pin and the back shell (Gp) from breaking and keeping said rotation pin aligned.

Each one of said plates (Bl) and (B 2) is fixed to the corresponding rotation pin of the wheel (Rl) or (R2) of the back shell (Gp) and to a second point

(B') and (B") of the back shell (Gp) itself.

The connection point (B') between said plate (Bl) and the back shell (Gp) is shown in cross section, by way of example, in Figure 4.

At the level of each point (B') and (B") of the back shell (Gp) there is a hole (Fg) in which a tubular element (Ag) is inserted, said tubular element being made of an elastic and resistant material, preferably rubber, that serves the function of absorbing and dampening the stresses to which the wheels are subjected.

The plate (Bl) is applied at the level of said hole (Fg) in the back shell (Gp), to which it is fastened via suitable fastening means, for example a screw (V), after insertion of an apposite protection ring (Pp) preferably made of a plastic material between said screw (V) and the back shell (Gp).

Near said connection points (B') and (B") of the plates (Bl) and (B2), the back shell (Gp) is shaped in such a way as to allow said plates (Bl) and (B2) to be moved slightly with respect to said connection points (B') and

(B").

In this way said plates (Bl) and (B2) can react elastically to the stresses to which the wheels (Rl) and (R2) of the back shall (Gp) are subjected and that are transmitted to the plates (Bl) and (B2). The back shell (Gp) also comprises a trolley frame (T) that is equipped with a handle (Ml) fixed across two parallel rods (Al) and (A2).

Said trolley frame (T) is completely telescopic, which means that when it is completely retracted the rods (Al) and (A2) as well as the handle (Ml) are housed in apposite spaces obtained inside the back shell (Gp), so that the external shape of the suitcase is even more compact and uniform, owing to the fact that the trolley frame (T) practically occupies no space. Said rods (Al) and (A2) slide in two seats (Sl) and (S2), respectively, obtained in the side ends of the back shell (Gp), in a direction parallel to the longer axis of the suitcase. The user can therefore grip the handle (Ml) and pull it upwards or push it downwards to make the rods (Al) and (A2) slide vertically, that is, parallel to the longer axis of the suitcase, thus extracting or retracting the trolley frame (T).

The seats (Sl) and (S2) as well as the rods (Al) and (A2) are profiled so that the trolley frame (T) slides as smoothly as possible and that said rods (Al) and (A2) cannot move out of their seats (Sl) and (S2) when said trolley frame (T) is extracted completely. The rods (Al) and (A2) and the seats (Sl) and (S2) are worked in such a way as to allow the user to lock the trolley frame (T) at the desired height, preventing said rods (Al) and (A2) from sliding vertically in an uncontrolled manner. The space occupied by the trolley frame (T) is therefore limited to the area near the sides of the back shell (Gp), that is, near the corners, and the space inside the suitcase is distributed more uniformly (see Figure IA-A) The new suitcase also comprises one or more handles (M2) and (M3) applied to the back shell (Gp) and/or to the front shell (Ga), which allow the user to hold the suitcase when he/she needs to carry it without using the wheels or to place it in horizontal position.

The handle (M2) may, for example, be positioned on one of the sides of the shells (Ga) and (Gp), so that the user can hold it when the suitcase is in horizontal position. The side opposite the one to which the handle (M2) is applied comprises one or more supports, or feet (Dl) and (D2) that allow the suitcase to be positioned in a stable manner even when its longer axis is horizontal. The handle (M3), on the other hand, can be positioned, for example, on the upper side of the suitcase, so that the user can hold it and lift it with no need to use the handle (Ml) of the trolley frame (T).

The base (Ba) of the front shell (Ga) of the suitcase is shaped so that there is enough room for the installation of one or more castors. Figure 3 shows two seats (SPl) and (SP2), each having a substantially circular shape, inside which it is possible to install the castors (Pl) and (P2), one per seat. Said castors (Pl) and (P2) are positioned so that when the suitcase has its longer axis in vertical position it has four points of contact with the floor, that is, it rests on the floor both with the wheels (Rl) and (R2) of the back shell (Gp) and with the castors (Pl) and (P2) of the front shell (Ga).

Said castors (Pl) and (P2) allow the user to carry the suitcase not only by pulling it behind him/her with the handle (M) of the trolley frame (T), but also by pushing it before him/her, leaning on said trolley frame (T). The suitcase comprises one or more external pockets (E) applied to its sides, to the back shell (Gp) and/or to the front shell (Ga).

All the elements that make up the new suitcase may be made of a textile, plastic or metallic material or any other material suitable for the function of said elements. The advantages offered by the new suitcase with reinforced wheels (Rl) and (R2) positioned on the back shell (Gp), pull out trolley frame (T)₅ external pockets (E) and castors (Pl) and (P2) on the front shell (Ga) are numerous: the castors (Pl) and (P2) and the rear wheels (Rl) and (R2) allow the user not only to tow the suitcase, but also to push it by means of the trolley frame (T), while the reinforcing plates (Bl) and (B2) protect the new suitcase from the stresses to which the wheels are subjected.

A further advantage lies in the fact that the suitcase is provided with a trolley frame (T) with spaced rods (Al) and (A2) that, besides ensuring a more comfortable grip on the handle (Ml), limits the drawback represented by the space occupied inside the case, in fact the space is distributed in a more compact and practical manner.

The presence of external pockets (E) applied, for example, to the back shell (Gp) of the suitcase makes the latter even more practical, since the user has it his/her disposal more space, easy to reach, for his/her belongings. Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are expressed.

Claims

1 _* Suitcase made up of a front and a back shell, suited to slide with its longer axis in vertical position, characterized in that it comprises:

• two or more wheels (Rl) and (R2), positioned near the base of said back shell (Gp), so that said wheels (Rl) and (R2) are simultaneously in contact with the floor, thus allowing said suitcase to slide, when said suitcase has its longer axis in vertical position, that is, perpendicular to the ground,

• a trolley frame (T) comprising a handle (Ml) fixed across two parallel rods (Al) and (A2) spaced with a wide distance, and wherein said rods (Al) and (A2) can slide vertically in two seats (Sl) and (S2) obtained in the back shell (Gp), near the vertical edges, that is, the edges parallel to the longer axis of said suitcase.

2» Suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two reinforcing plates (Bl) and (B2), each fixed to the corresponding rotation pin of the wheel (Rl) or (R2) of the back shell (Gp) and to a second point (B') and (B") of the back shell (Gp) itself, to which they are connected by means of suitable fastening (V) and protection (Pp) elements.

3; Suitcase according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that it comprises a tubular element (Ag) made of an elastic and resistant material, inserted in the back shell (Gp) in each hole (Fg) made at the level of each connection point (B') and (B") of the plates (Bl) and (B2), said tubular element serving the function of absorbing and dampening the stresses to which the wheels (Rl) and (R2) are subjected. 4, Suitcase according to claim 1, 2, 3, characterized in that said tubular element (Ag) is made of rubber.

5» Suitcase according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, characterized in that said back shell (Gp) is shaped, near said connection points (B') and (B") of the plates (Bl) and (B2), in such a way as to allow said plates (Bl) and (B2) to be moved slightly with respect to said connection points (B') and (B"), so that said plates (Bl) and (B2) can react elastically to the stresses to which the wheels (Rl) and (R2) of the back shell (Gp) are subjected and that are transmitted to the plates (Bl) and (B2).

& Suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that said front shell (Ga) may be equipped with one or more castors (Pl) and (P2)₅ installed in apposite seats (SPl) and (SP2) obtained at the level of the base (Ba) of the front shell (Ga), so that when said suitcase has its longer axis in vertical position, that is, perpendicular to the floor, said castors (Pl) and (P2) and said wheels (Rl) and (R2) of the back shell (Gp) are simultaneously in contact with the floor and allow said suitcase to slide on the floor. 7» Suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises one or more external pockets (E) applied to the back shell (Gp) and/or to the front shell (Ga).

& Suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that said trolley frame (T) is of the pull out type and when retracted it is housed inside said seats (Sl) and (S2) obtained in said back shell (Gp).