GB2301089A

GB2301089A - Wheeled suitcase capable of carrying luggage thereon

Info

Publication number: GB2301089A
Application number: GB9510259A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dick Ming Hsieh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-05-22
Filing date: 1995-05-22
Publication date: 1996-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-22
Also published as: GB2301089B; GB9510259D0

Abstract

A wheeled suitcase (10) includes a flat side plate (14) formed with an inner peripheral wall portion (15) that defines a recess (151) in the outward surface, and a carrier unit mounted in the recess (151). The carrier unit includes a positioning frame (20) which defines an accommodating space (203) provided with a door (30), and an outer wall surface (202) which cooperates with the peripheral wall portion (15) to define a space for receiving a carrying frame (50) which has two parallel portions (501) that are pivoted to the positioning frame (20).

Description

TITLE: WHEELED SUITCASE CAPABLE OF CARRYING A LUGGAGE THEREON The invention relates to a wheeled suitcase, more particularly to a wheeled suitcase which has a foldable carrying frame for carrying a luggage thereon.

A conventional large-size suitcase normally includes a shell body, a handle disposed securely on an upper end portion of the shell body, and two wheels mounted rotatably on a lower end portion of the shell body. A traveler sometimes needs to carry a hand bag or an attache case to hold personal items, such as medicines, pa C.

medicines, pasS drt and name cards. It is difficult for the traveler to carry the suitcase and the attache case at the same time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wheeled suitcase which has a foldable carrying frame for carrying another luggage thereon.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heeled suitcase which has an additional small container attached thereto so that some personal items can be placed therein.

Accordingly, a wheeled suitcase of the present invention includes a generally flat side plate having an outward surface which is formed with an inner peripheral wall portion that defines a rectangular recess in the side plate, and a carrier unit mounted in the recess for carrying a luggage thereon. The carrier unit includes a generally rectangular positioning frame which is secured in the recess of the side plate and which has an inner wall surface defining an accommodating space, and an outer wall surface which is located opposite to the inner wall surface and which cooperates with the inner peripheral wall portion to define a U-shaped frame receiving space between the positioning frame and the inner peripheral wall portion. The positioning frame further has a snap catch portion projecting from the inner wall surface and into the accommodating space.A door unit is hinged to one side of the positioning frame and has a resilient fastener attached thereto which engages the catch portion of the positioning frame. A U-shaped carrying frame is disposed in the frame receiving space and has two parallel portions, and an intermediate portion that interconnects the parallel portions. The parallel portions of the carrying frame are pivoted to the positioning frame and are rotatable relative thereto so as to contact a side surface of the carrying frame with the inner peripheral wall portion, thereby positioning the carrying frame at an unfolded position on the side plate.A spring unit biases the carrying frame into the frame receiving space In use, the carrying frame can be pulled against the biasing action of the spring unit so as to locate the carrying frame at the unfolded position, where the carrying frame is located in a plane perpendicular to the side plate of the suitcase. Thus, an additional luggage can be placed conveniently on the carrier frame.

Some personal items can be kept in the accommodating space. Since the accommodating space is located on the outward surface of the side plate, the need for frequent opening the wheeled suitcase can be minimized.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a wheeled suitcase of the present invention, illustrating a carrying frame attached to and unfolded from the wheeled suitcase; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the carrier unit of the wheeled suitcase of the present invention; and Figure 3 illustrates how the carrying frame is mounted in the shell body of the wheeled suitcase of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a preferred embodiment of a wheeled suitcase (10) according to the present invention is shown to include a shell body (11) which has two wheels (12) mounted rotatably at a lower end portion thereof, and a handle (13) attached securely to an upper end portion of the shell body (11). The shell body (11) has a large side plate (14) which generally faces upward when the handle (13) is held to position the wheels (12) on the ground. The outward surface of side plate (14) is formed with an inner peripheral wall portion (15) that defines a rectangular recess (151) in the side plate (14). A carrier unit is disposed in the recess (151) of the side plate (14) and includes a generally rectangular positioning frame (20), a door unit (30) and a U-shaped carrying frame (50).

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the positioning frame (20) includes a mounting plate (26) secured to the inner peripheral wall portion (15) of the side plate (14) by means of screws in such a manner that an outer wall surface (202) of the frame (20) cooperates with the inner peripheral wall portion (15) to define a U-shaped frame receiving space (204) between the positioning frame (20) and the inner peripheral wall portion (15). The frame (20) has an intermediate plate (27) which is parallel with the mounting plate (26), a pair of pivot notches (24) formed in two side walls of the frame (20), and two sets of shaft-holding units (22) formed between the intermediate plate (27) and the mounting plate (26) and between the notches (24).An intermediate section of each of the shaft-holding units (22) defines a channel (23) that is aligned and communicated with the corresponding pivot notch (24) thereof. An inner wall surface (201) of the positioning frame (20) and the intermediate plate (27) cooperatively define an accommodating space (203). The positioning frame (20) further has a snap catch portion (21) projecting from the inner wall surface (201) and into the accommodating space (203).

The door unit (30) has a mounting seat (32) secured on an inner surface thereof, a resilient fastener (33) that is integral with a lock member with two legs (351) engaged within two mounting holes (321) of the mounting seat (32), and a bent hooked portion (34) integrally formed with the lock member. A distal end (341) of the fastener (33) protrudes outwardly from a peripheral notch (31) of the door unit (30). Note that the resilient fastener (33) is formed with two slits (353) which permit the legs (351) to bend inward so as to facilitate the insertion of the enlarged end (354) into the holes (321) the mounting seat (32). The door unit (30) is hinged to the intermediate plate (27) of the positioning frame (20) by means of a locking pin (40) such that the resilient fastener (33) engages the catch portion (21) of the positioning frame (20).

The U-shaped carrying frame (50) is disposed within the frame receiving space (204) and has two parallel portions (501), and an intermediate portion (502) which interconnects the parallel portions (501). Two pivot shafts (51) extend inwardly from the parallel portions (501) of the carrying frame (50). Each of the shafts (51) has three constricted sections (52, 53, 54) that extend respectively through the channels (23) and the peripheral notches (24) of the positioning frame (20) after the parallel portions (501) of the carrying frame (50) have been pivoted to the positioning frame (20) by the use of two positioning blocks (55) (see Fig. 2) which are screwed to the frame (20) so as to retain the pivot shafts (51) on the frame (20).A pair of spring units (56) are sleeved around the pivot shafts (51) of the carrying frame (50) and bias the carrying frame (50) into the frame receiving space (204).

In use, the carrying frame (50) can be pulled against the biasing action of the spring units (56) so as to contact a side surface of the carrying frame (50) with the inner peripheral wall portion (15), thereby positioning the carrying frame (50) at an unfolded position on the side plate (14). At the unfolded position, the carrying frame (50) is located in a plane generally perpendicular to the side plate (14) of the suitcase (10) such that an attache case (not shown) can be placed conveniently on the carrying frame (50).

The positioning frame (20) and the door unit (30) cooperatively form a small container so that some items, such as medicine or name cards, can be kept in the accommodating space (203) . Since the small container is located on the outward surface of the shell body (11), the need for frequent opening the wheeled suitcase (10) can be minimized.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A wheeled suitcase capable of carrying a luggage thereon, including a generally flat side plate having an outward surface with an inner peripheral wall portion that defines a rectangular recess in the side plate, and a carrier unit mounted in the recess for carrying the luggage thereon, the carrier unit comprising:: a generally rectangular positioning frame secured in the recess of the side plate and having an inner wall surface which defines an accommodating space therein, and an outer wall surface which is located opposite to the inner wall surface and which cooperates with the peripheral wall portion to define a U-shaped frame receiving space between the positioning frame and the inner peripheral wall portion, the positioning frame further having a snap catch portion projecting from the inner wall surface and into the receiving space; a door unit hinged to one side of the positioning frame and having a resilient fastener which is attached thereto and which is adapted to engage the catch portion of the positioning frame, said fastener being capable of being forced to disengage said snap catch;; a U-shaped carrying frame disposed in the frame receiving space and having two parallel portions, and an intermediate portion which interconnects the parallel portions, the parallel portions being connected pivotally to the positioning frame and being rotatable relative thereto so as to contact a side surface of the carrying frame with the inner peripheral wall portion, thereby positioning the carrying frame at an unfolded position on the side plate, in which the carrying frame is located in a plane perpendicular to the side plate; and a spring unit biasing the carrying frame into the frame receiving space; whereby, the carrying frame can be pulled against the biasing action of the spring unit so as to locate the carrying frame at the unfolded position such that the luggage can be carried on the carrier frame.

2. A wheeled suitcase substantially as defined hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.