WO2010029583A1

WO2010029583A1 - Improved pull-out handle for luggage

Info

Publication number: WO2010029583A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000578
Authority: WO
Inventors: Enrico 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: EP2344003A1

Abstract

The present invention concerns an item of luggage (1) such as, for example, a suitcase or a trolley, equipped with a pull-out handle (10) of the type having two rods (12), slidable in respective guides (13) secured to the back (2) of the item of luggage (1), connected to each other by a handgrip (11), wherein the guides (13) are secured to the back (2) at their end closer to the handgrip (11) by respective different and independent securing means (18, 19).

Description

IMPROVED PULL-OUT HANDLE FOR LUGGAGE

The present invention relates to an item of luggage such as, for example, a suitcase or a trolley, equipped with improved means for dragging . In the art, items of luggage, such as for example suitcases or trolleys, may be equipped with a pull-out rear handle, or with a pull-out handgrip, of larger dimensions than normal, which is fixed to the back of the suitcase and serves to make it easy to drag the suitcase without having to lift it from the ground. The pull-out handle may therefore be extracted from the suitcase to a length almost equal to that of the suitcase itself.

Normally, the known pull-out handles are either of the type comprising two rods connected to each other by the actual handle

(U-shape) or of the type comprising a handgrip secured to a central rod (T-shape) .

In both cases, the rod slides in a guide secured to the back of the suitcase both in proximity to the lower side of the suitcase and in proximity to the upper side, so as to increase its robustness . Normally, the guides for the U-shaped type of handle are secured to the back of the suitcase in proximity to the upper side by means of a cross member, which is particularly visible, bulky and, obviously, heavy.

It is therefore desirable to provide a suitcase equipped with a pull-out handle in which the handle is secured to the shell in a less visible, bulky and/or heavy manner compared with the prior art .

In view of the state of the art described, it is an aim of the present invention to solve at least partially at least one of the above-mentioned requirements. According to the present invention, this aim is achieved by means of a suitcase according to claim 1.

The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment, provided by way of non- limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view from the inside of a detail of a suitcase according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a detail of the suitcase of Figure 1 ; - Figure 3 shows the section A-A of Figure 2 ;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a suitcase according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the item of luggage 1 comprises a back 2, a lower side 3, optionally provided with castors 4, a front 5, opposed to the back 2, an upper side 6, opposed to the lower side 3, and two vertical sides 7, 8, one of which is provided with hinges for the opening and closing of the item of luggage 1 itself .

The back 2 is made of rigid material and may be associated with a pull-out handle 10.

The item of luggage may comprise two frames, articulated and comprising closure means, rigidly connected, for example glued, to a respective shell. The shell may advantageously be produced, for example thermoformed, from polymeric material, for example PE, PP, ABS, PC, PC/ABS; the frame may advantageously be produced by injection-moulding from polymeric material, for example PE, PP, ABS, PC, PC/ABS, preferably from the same material as the shell 2. The pull-out handle 10 comprises a handgrip 11, connected to a first and a second tubular rod 12. The tubular rods 12 are slidable respectively in a first and a second tubular guide 13. The tubular guides 13 are secured to the back 2 by respective securing means 18, 19, different from each other, i.e. mechanically independent.

The pull-out handle 10 can slide between a first, closed configuration, in which the rods 12 are substantially completely inserted in the respective tubular guides 13, and one or more open configurations, in which the rods 12 are withdrawn from the respective tubular guides 13 for a predetermined distance. While dragging, the pull-out handle 10 is normally in one of the open configurations, locked therein by suitable locking means of the pull-out handle 10.

The first and the second guide each have a proximal end 16, closer to said handgrip 11, and a distal end 17, further from said handgrip 11. The first and the second tubular guide 13 are secured to the back 2 in proximity to both the ends 16, 17.

According to the invention, the first and the second tubular guide 13 are secured to the back 2 at their respective proximal end 16 by means of respective first and second, mechanically independent, securing means 18, 19.

In other words, the securing means 18, 19, which do not comprise either the back 2 or the tubular guides 13, have no element in common, the first securing means 18 not being able to secure the second guide to the back 2, and the second securing means 19 not being able to secure the first guide to the back 2.

For the sake of brevity of explanation, in the continuation of the present description reference will be made, where possible, to the first securing means 18, it being understood thereby that a particularly advantageous embodiment provides for the second securing means 19 to be structurally identical.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the back 2 comprises a seat 20 for each tubular guide 13 and the securing means 18 secure the tubular guide 13 at the seat 20.

The back 2 is therefore ideally subdividable into a surface 21 which defines the seat 20, more generally a surface 21 which is in contact with the tubular guide 13, and a surrounding surface

22, which is not in contact with the guide 13, not even indirectly.

The surface 21 itself may comprise a bottom wall 23, substantially parallel to the remaining surface 22 of said back 2.

The securing means 18 act, preferably exclusively, between the bottom surface 23 and the tubular guide 13.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the rod 12 is inserted, with clearance, into the tubular guide 13. The securing means 18 may comprise a first element 24 having a first flange 25, inserted between the rod 12 and the tubular guide 13, and optionally a second element 26 having a second^' flange 27, disposed within the item of luggage 1, or inside the back 2.

The first and the second element 24, 26 are connected to each other in such a way as to be able to exert an approaching force between said first and said second flange 25, 27, for example by means of a screw- threaded connection.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the tubular guide 13 and the back 2 comprise respective concentric through-holes, which are themselves concentric with a first tubular portion 28 of the first element 24.

Between at least one of the concentric holes present in the tubular guide 13 and in the back 2, preferably in the hole present in the tubular guide 13, and the first tubular portion 28 a form- locking coupling may be provided; alternatively, or in addition, a form- locking coupling may be provided between the first flange 25 and suitable means of the pull-out handle 10.

The hole present in the tubular guide 13 for the passage of the securing means 18 is advantageously disposed on the side of the tubular guide 13 in contact with the back 2, i.e. with its surface 21. Similarly, the hole present in the back 2 for the passage of the securing means 18 is advantageously disposed on the surface 21, in contact with the tubular guide 13.

As shown in Figure 3, the first element 25 may be a flanged nut, while the second element 27 may be a normal screw, optionally provided with a washer.

Advantageously, the first securing means 18 comprise a plurality of first elements 24 and/or of second elements 26 and/or of concentric holes, substantially aligned along an axis parallel to the axis of the tubular guide 13.

The securing means 18 may further comprise an elongate plate

29, disposed in contact with the inner side of the back 2, which preferably extends along an axis parallel to that of the tubular

- guide 13 in proximity to the plurality of first and/or of second elements 24, 26 and/or to the respective concentric holes.

Since the back 2 is a thermoformed product produced in one piece, the ribs created by the seats 20 for the guides 13 are already sufficient to reduce the torsional movements thereof to an acceptable minimum and there is therefore no need for a common fixing element for both the tubular guides 13.

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, all however included within the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Item of luggage (1) comprising a back (2), a first and a second guide (13) secured to said back (2) and a pull-out handle (10) ; said pull-out handle comprising a handgrip (11) and a first and a second rod (12) , said first and said second rod (12) being respectively slidable in said first and said second guide (13), so as to allow said pull-out handle (10) to slide between a first, closed configuration and at least a second, open configuration; said first and said second guide (13) each having a proximal end (16) , closer to said handgrip (11) , and a distal end (17) , further from said handgrip (11) , said first and said second guide (13) being secured to said back (2) both in proximity to said proximal and distal ends (16, 17) characterized in that the proximal ends (16) of said first and said second guide (13) are each secured to said back (2) by means of respective mechanically independent first and second securing means (18, 19) .

2. Item of luggage (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said back (2) comprises a first surface (21 substantially in contact with said first guide (13) and said first securing means (18) secure said first guide (13) at said first surface (21) .

3. Item of luggage (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said first surface (21) comprises a first bottom wall (23), substantially parallel to the remaining surface (22) of said back (2), said first securing means (18) acting, preferably exclusively, between said first bottom wall (23) and said first guide (13) .

4. Item of luggage (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first securing means (18) comprise a first element (24) having a first flange (25) disposed between said first guide (13) and said first rod (12) .

5. Item of luggage (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said first securing means (18) comprise a second element (26), comprising a second flange (27) disposed within said back (2), said first element (24) being connected to said second element in such a way as to exert an approaching force between said first and said second flange (25, 27) .

6. Item of luggage (1) according to either claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said first guide (13) and said back (2) comprise respective first concentric through-holes, said first element (24) comprising a first tubular portion (28) disposed in said respective first holes, said first tubular portion (28) providing a form- locking with at least one of said respective first holes.

7. Item of luggage (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein said first guide (13) and said back (2) comprise respective first concentric through-holes, said pull-out handle (10) comprising means for providing a form- locking between said pull-out handle (10) and said first flange (25) .

8. Item of luggage (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein said first securing means (18) comprise a plurality of said first element (24) and/or of said second element (26) and/or of said respective first concentric holes, substantially aligned along an axis parallel to the axis of said first guide (13) .

9. Item of luggage (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said first securing means (18) comprise a first elongate plate (29) extending in proximity to said plurality of said first element (24) and/or of said second element (26) and/or of said respective first concentric holes, said first elongate plate (29) being disposed in contact with said back (2) on the inner side of said item of luggage (1) .

10. Item of luggage (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and said second securing means (18, 19) are identical.