WO2010029580A1

WO2010029580A1 - Suitcasecomprising a shell adhesively secured to a frame

Info

Publication number: WO2010029580A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000575
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cristiano Roncato
Original assignee: Valigeria Roncato S.P.A.
Priority date: 2008-09-09
Filing date: 2008-09-09
Publication date: 2010-03-18
Also published as: WO2010029580A8

Abstract

The present invention concerns a suitcase comprising a shell (2) adhesively secured to a frame (3) wherein the frame (3) comprises a seat (5) capable of receiving the end portion (4) of the shell (2); the seat (5) further comprises guide means (7) for the insertion of the end portion (4) and spacer means (9) for maintaining a substantially continuous volume of adhesive material between the shell (2) and the frame (3).

Description

SUITCASE COMPRISING A SHELL ADHESIVELY SECURED TO A FRAME

The present invention relates to a suitcase and more particularly to a suitcase comprising rigid shells rigidly connected to articulated frames. Such suitcases are typically equipped with two shells which substantially define their useful volume. The perimeter of the shells is rigidly connected to respective stiffening frames, hinged at one side to allow the opening and closing of the suitcases themselves . In order to reduce the weight of the finished suitcase as far as possible, application EP 1 867 246 in the name of the Applicant teaches how to produce thin shells glued to respective stiffening frames .

Since the shells are particularly thin, they shake easily and the operation of inserting such a shell into the frame is particularly difficult; EP '246 teaches how to remedy this problem by producing a seat comprising webs provided with a rounded upper portion, which acts as a guide for the insertion of the shell.

However, such webs in fact create interruptions in the continuity of the seat of the frame, preventing the adhesive from forming a homogeneous layer around the shell, and consequently weakening the joint between shell and frame.

There is therefore a need to provide a suitcase in which the operations of assembling the shell and frame are at least as easy and which is also provided with greater adhesion between shell and frame . It is an aim of the present invention to provide a suitcase which fulfils the aforesaid requirements; this aim is achieved by a suitcase according to claim 1.

Further characteristics and advantages of the suitcase according to the present invention will become clear from the following description of some preferred exemplary embodiments thereof, provided by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a detail of a suitcase according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of a suitcase according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a suitcase according to the present invention.

With reference to the appended drawings, the suitcase 1 comprises two shells 2 glued to respective frames 3, articulated with one another, for example by means of hinges.

The suitcase 1 may also comprise castors, optionally swivelling, a pull-out handle arranged in the back and/or one or more handgrip units (for example one for each side, disposed advantageously at the middle of each side) , each comprising a handgrip which advantageously surrounds a closure device.

For the purposes of the present description, reference will be made to only one of said shells 2 and frames 3, it being understood thereby that a preferred embodiment provides for both the frames 3 of the suitcase 1 to comprise the features described hereinafter.

The shell 2 comprises an end portion 4, adjacent to the end surface 6 of the shell 2 itself, which end portion 4 is inserted into a suitable seat 5 provided in the frame 3 with which the shell 2 is associated. The shell 2 may be obtained from a single sheet of polymeric material and, as a whole, comprises an outer surface, an inner surface and an end surface 6, generally flat and substantially defining the thickness of the shell 2.

The end portion 4 is that which engages in the seat 5 of the frame 3.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the shell 2 into the seat 5 during production, the frame 3 comprises guide means, for example provided as one or more inclined surfaces 81, 83 so as to create a lead-in for the end portion 4 of the shell 2. Advantageously, the inclined surfaces 81, 83 will have an angle of between 15° and 60°, calculated with respect to the two substantially parallel surfaces of the seat 5; in more detail,

-the angle of the inclined surface 83 inside the shell 2 will be between 25° and 35°, preferably around 30°, while the angle of the inclined surface 81 outside the shell 2 will be between 40° and

50°, preferably around 45°.

Advantageously, the seat 5 comprises spacer means 9 for spacing the shell 2 from the surfaces 51, 52, 53 which define the seat 5, such as to create a substantially continuous volume between the frame 3 and the shell 2. In this way, the adhesive material (not shown in the drawings) which joins the shell 2 and the frame 3 to each other has almost no interruption. Since there is a single glued joint, it is more uniform and the structure is more robust.

The spacer means may comprise at least one lower spacer member 92 for separating the shell 2 from the bottom 52 of the seat 5 and at least one outer spacer member 91 and/or at least one inner spacer member 93.

The outer spacer members 91 are disposed on the outer side 51 of the seat 5 and hold the shell 2 away from the outer side 51; the inner spacer members 93 are disposed on the inner side 53 of the seat 5 and hold the shell 2 away from the inner side 53.

It is also possible to produce the seat 5 with one or more substantially L- shaped outer spacer members 921 having the combined functions of the spacer members 91 and 92, and/or with one or more substantially L- shaped inner spacer members 923, having the combined functions of the spacer members 92 and 93.

Advantageously, the members 93 and 91 may be alternated along the seat 5, for example at regular intervals, for example of 1-5 cm, preferably around 2 cm; the distance which they are capable of producing between the outer side and/or inner side 51,

53 of the seat 5 and the shell 2 will advantageously be between 0.3 and 1 mm, preferably around 0.7 mm.

Advantageously, the alternation is interrupted only at the angular portion 54 of the seat 5: as shown in Figure 1, an outer spacer member 91 is disposed at the centre of the angular portion 54 and, symmetrically thereto, there are two consecutive inner spacer members 93.

Advantageously, on each side, one of the inner spacers 93 is for reinforcement, i.e. it is disposed in addition to the other spacers 91, 93, which may otherwise be disposed in regular alternation.

Preferably, the inner reinforcing spacers 93 are those closest to the outer spacer 91 disposed at the centre of the angular portion 54.

Clearly, what has been described above for the outer spacers 91 and inner spacers 93 can equally be produced by means of L- shaped outer and inner spacers 921, 923.

Furthermore, it is possible to produce the seat 5 with one or more substantially U-shaped spacer members 9321, having the combined functions of the spacer members 91, 92, 93; in this case, the seat 5 may advantageously also comprise lower spacer members 92 ^■ capable of spacing the end surface 6 further from the bottom 52 of the seat 5 with respect to the U-shaped spacer members 9321, or, equally advantageously, the frame 3 may comprise only one of said U-shaped spacer members 9321. By being spaced ideally along the median line of the seat 5, the spacer members 91, 92, 93 (or 921, 923) may be disposed in any desired order, preferably symmetrical with respect to that line, or periodically repeating, so that there is a distribution of the forces on the shell 2 which is as homogeneous as possible. Advantageously, all the spacer members 91, 92, 92', 93, 921, 923, 9321 are made in one piece with the frame 3.

The shell 2 may advantageously be made of polymeric material, for example PE, PP, ABS, PC, PC/ABS, and have a thickness of less than 2.2 mm, advantageously less than 1.9 mm, for example around 1.6 mm; the frame 3 may advantageously be made by injection-moulding polymeric material, for example PE, PP, ABS, PC, PC/ABS, preferably of the same material as the shell 2.

Naturally, in order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply to the configurations described above many modifications and variants, for example by applying them to a trolley or to another type of luggage. All these modifications and variants are however included within the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Suitcase (1) comprising:

- a shell (2) , comprising an end portion (4) ;

- a frame (3), comprising a seat (5) and guide means (7) for guiding said shell (2) into said seat (5) during the production of said suitcase (1) ;

- said end portion (4) being adhesively secured in said seat (5) by the introduction of adhesive material; characterized in that said seat (5) comprises spacer means (9) for spacing said shell (2) from the surface (51, 52, 53) of said seat (5), forming a substantially continuous volume between said frame (3) and said shell (2) for said adhesive material.

2. Suitcase according to the preceding claim, wherein said spacer means (9) comprise at least one lower spacer member (92) disposed on the bottom (52) of said seat (5) and at least one outer spacer member (91) , disposed on the outer side (51) of said seat (5) and/or at least one inner spacer member (93), disposed on the inner side (53) of said seat (5) .

3. Suitcase (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one lower spacer member (92) is spatially separated from said at least one outer and/or inner spacer member (91, 93) .

4. ' Suitcase (1) according to either claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said seat (5) comprises an angular portion (54) , said angular portion (54) comprising at least one outer spacer member (91) , disposed substantially at the centre of said angular portion (54) .

5. Suitcase (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said angular portion (54) comprises, at the sides of said outer spacer member (91) disposed substantially at the centre of said angular portion (54) , a plurality of consecutive inner spacer members (93) .

6. Suitcase (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, comprising at least a first substantially L- shaped outer spacer

'member (921) for spacing said shell (2) from the bottom (52) and from the shorter inner side (51) of said seat (5) and at least a second substantially L-shaped inner spacer member (923) for spacing said shell (2) from the bottom (52) and from the longer inner side (53) of said seat (5) .

7. Suitcase (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said spacer means (9) comprise said guide means (7) .

8. Suitcase (1) according to the preceding claim when dependent on one of claims 2-6, wherein said guide means (7) are

-produced on said inner spacer member (91) and/or said outer spacer member (93) .

9. Suitcase according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said spacer means (9) comprise a substantially U-shaped spacer member (9321) .

10. Suitcase according to the preceding claim, comprising a lower spacer member (92') for spacing said shell (2) from the bottom (52) to a greater degree than said substantially U-shaped spacer member (9321)