WO2000016655A1

WO2000016655A1 - Wheel housing assembly for an upright luggage case

Info

Publication number: WO2000016655A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/021951
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dirk Santy; Bart Proot; Clemens Van Himbeeck; Dirk Janssens
Original assignee: Samsonite Corporation
Priority date: 1998-09-24
Filing date: 1999-09-21
Publication date: 2000-03-30

Abstract

A wheel housing assembly (16) which is an integrally molded housing (18) which includes a skid plate portion (18), the wheel well (44) to contain the wheel, and an elongated glide member (22) extending at right angles to the skid portion. This integrally molded wheel housing is attached to a lower edge portion of the C-shaped frame member (44) in a hoop constructed carry on case (10). The integrally formed housing acts as a structural member, especially when attached to the relatively flexible C-shaped frame member and grips the edge bead 'B' of the textile body portion of such case.

Description

WHEEL HOUSING ASSEMBLY FOR AN UPRIGHT LUGGAGE CASE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Upright luggage cases are very popular since they are easy for the traveler to transport

using the usual wheel and tow handle constructions provided on such upright luggage cases.

However, the softside styles of such cases require substantial structural integrity to stabilize the

shape of the otherwise flaccid textile body or jacket portion, and yet permit the wheels and

handle to tow the luggage along a horizontal surface or to stand the case erect on its wheels.

Relatively smaller cases in the upright style tend to be proportionately heavier than the larger

cases because of these structural demands. One type of luggage construction, called a "wrap

construction," permits the use of relatively light and inexpensive sheet thermoplastic materials to

form a stabilizing structure on the inside of the case. Unfortunately, these same light structural

portions tend to bend easily when the case is loaded with the traveler's goods or when the wheel

and tow handle structure is subjected to the rigors of travel. Other softside luggage

constructions, such as the classic "drum construction," permit the use of a continuous hoop of

structural material (steel or a profiled thermoplastic extrusion) which, because it is a closed loop

passing around the top and sides and bottom, tends to be more stabilizing. However, such

"drum" style constructions are aesthetically undesirable in certain luggage markets and the

structural frame materials used in the hoop can interfere with the packing volume of the case.

The hoop may also restrict the size of the zippered door into that packing volume.

The wheels of these cases are usually mounted in a molded construction called a wheel

housing. These are used in conjunction with separately mounted downwardly projecting glides to support the case vertically upright when the case is standing on the horizontal surface. Such

wheel housings, although they have structural integrity of themselves, have not been well

integrated with the structural features of the rest of the case. Thus, problems of providing

structural stability to the rest of the case, while minimizing the materials used, remains a

problem.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a wheel housing assembly which forms a

lamination or composite structure with the internal structural features of an upright case to

structurally stabilize the shape of the case.

It is another object of the invention to provide a wheel housing assembly which includes

a housing that comprises a structurally integrated skid, wheel well, and elongated glide member.

It is another object of the invention to provide a wheel housing assembly with an

integrally molded wheel housing having a separate skid plate cover which, in combination with

conventional penetrating fasteners, can be attached to an edge portion of a wrap-type case

structure to form a relatively strong, stable, yet light, wrap-style luggage case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the wheel housing assembly with the body portion on a

luggage case shown in dash lines.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the case shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view showing the frame of the case body and wheel housing assembly combination.

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the lower right portion of the structure shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the wheel housing assembly.

Figure 6 is a detailed view of the wheel housing.

Figure 7 shows another exploded view of the wheel housing assembly.

Figures 8 and 9 show a side and bottom view of an alternate embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the figures where like numerals refer to like structures from view to view,

the case 10 is in general appearance and operation (except for the improvements as will be

detailed below) the same as a conventional "upright" type case. Such cases usually have a pair

of fixed axis rotatable wheels 14 mounted on the lower front corners along the relatively broad

dimension of an overall rectangular shaped case body 12. The wheels 14 are of generally

conventional construction consisting of a hub and tire mounted on an axle (not shown). At the

upper end of the case is an extendable towing handle 15 which normally projects well above the

top of the case when being wheeled on the wheels 14. Each wheel housing assembly 16 extends

a substantial distance up the front vertical face of the case towards the wheel handle. This

vertically extending portion of the wheel housing 17 is called the skid plate portion 18, which is

preferably integrally molded with the housing 17, except for cover plate 20, to the rest of the

wheel housing. Elongated glide member 22 is also preferably integrally molded as part of the

wheel housing. The glide member 22 has a height or thickness dimension 24 which substantially

corresponds to the distance the wheels 14 project below the lower most surface of the case so that the case can stand upright on the wheels and the bottom surface of the glide member 22. Along

the lateral edge (the edge facing the side faces of the luggage case 10) is edge bead engaging

flange 26. This acts to trap the edge beading which is conventionally sewn into the juncture of

the side, front, back, top and bottom panels of the textile case body as is commonly done in the

"wrap" style softside case configuration. The flange 26 also operates as a stiffening member to

help the wheel housing to stabilize the shape of the case, which will be detailed below.

Referring to the exploded view of the wheel housing assembly, the penetrating fasteners

(not shown), preferably self tapping screws, pass through the inner plate 30, through the case

frame structure 34, through the skid plate portion 18 of the wheel housing, and terminate in

protruding molded studs 21 on the inside surface of the cover plate 20. The path of the

penetrating fasteners is shown by lines "L." Rod "B" represents the edge beading of the textile

jacket (not shown) which would be trapped between the inner surface of the wheel housing 17 (at

the edge bead engaging flange 26) and the inner plate 30. In this way, the wheel housing

assembly forms a relatively rigid composite structure around the lower most forward corner of

the upright case. This is important since the rest of the frame structure consists of a relatively

simple "C"-shaped plate 34 of extruded polypropylene plastic sheet or plate which forms the

front, top and bottom stiffening member 36 for the luggage case body. The lower corner of this

"C"-shaped plate 34 is gripped between the inner plate 30 and the inner surfaces of the wheel

housing 17, also forming a sandwich or composite structure with the rest of the members as

detailed above. Similarly, penetrating fasteners sandwich the textile jacket (not shown) between

the elongated glide 22 and a corresponding edge of the "C"-shaped plate 34.

The wheel housing 17 will now be detailed. The skid plate portion 18 has an indentation 40 molded into it to receive the cover plate 20. This portion has passages 42 through which the

penetrating fasteners, as described above, pass from within the case body to attach the cover plate

20 to the skid plate portion and the rest of the assembly. At the intersection of the skid plate and

the elongated glide member is a wheel well 44 shaped to receive the wheel and axle in a

conventional manner. The housing is formed of a generally hollow, 1 -piece molding having

stiffening webs 46 extending longitudinally and laterally on the outwardly facing surface of the

skid plate portion 18 and the inwardly facing surface of the glide 22.

The use of the separate cover plate 20 not only permits the penetrating fasteners to be

hidden from view from the outside of the case, but also permits a simplified molding of the

various portions of the assembly, especially the otherwise complex wheel housing 18.

The outer surface of the elongated glide member 22 has generally sculptured contoured

shapes which complement the overall integrated configuration of the wheel housing and present

a fairly broad ground engaging surface 48 at its extreme end. The edge bead engaging flange 26

parallels and is integrally molded with the outer surface of the elongated glide member and

terminates at about the same position forward of the wheel as does the ground engaging surface

48 of the elongated glide member 22. As installed on the luggage case, the ground engaging

surface 48 of the elongated glide member 22 is positioned well back of the center of gravity

"CG" (see Figure 2) of the case when the case is standing erect on the wheels and the surface 48,

whether the case is loaded with a traveler's goods or not. Preferably, however, the ground

engaging surface 48 is approximate to the rear most vertical face of the case body when it's standing erect.

The assembly and wheel housing detailed above are especially useful in the relatively small upright cases called "cabin" luggage, where the depth dimension "D" of the case is

severely limited by airline size limitations imposed on such carry on products. For example,

typical cabin luggage has an overall depth of about 20 centimeters, a width dimension of about

40 centimeters and an overall height of about 55 centimeters. In such a size range, it is difficult

to make a dimensionally stable product (that is, one that does not bend or distort during ordinary

use) with the preferred type of "wrap" structural design. Indeed, in a conventional drum design

(where a very stiff extruded or shaped frame extends around the entire periphery of the case)

structural stability is less of a problem. But, such drum design does not make the best use of the

interior space. Also especially important in these small cases is to minimize the space occupied

by various structural members. As detailed above, the skid plate housing, due to its mechanical

interconnection with the glide member 22, provides a remarkable stiffness to resist bending of

the case where it is most needed, namely at the corners and edges where the case engages the

horizontal support surface "H." It does this without the necessity of a frame (such as that shown

in U.S. patent 5,253,739), where an extruded frame or frames project around the periphery of the

case and stabilize the shape of the case, but at a sacrifice to packing space within the case body.

The improved wheel housing assembly can also be used on larger cases as shown in

Figure 8 and Figure 9. Here the depth dimension is substantially larger than that shown in the

embodiment disclosed above. The stiffening and stabilizing benefit of the wheel housing is still

useful, and still permits the relatively simple and, compared to drum construction cases,

relatively "frameless" structure as detailed above. Here, however, an additional glide "G" of

conventional type is positioned adjacent the extended back wall of the luggage case body. Since

the internal structure of this case is substantially similar to that shown in the earlier embodiment, the wheel assembly housing 16 alone would not be adequate alone in supporting the lower

portion of that structure and keeping it from drooping on the ground. However, by merely

applying a conventional glide "G" to support this cantilevered portion of the structure, the wheel

housing assembly 16 is remarkably effective in stabilizing the shape of this larger case.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim

1. An improved upright luggage case having wheels for wheeling the case a

horizontal support surface, a handle positioned on an end opposite the position of the wheels, a

case body into which a traveler's goods may be placed, and at least one glide, the glide being

positioned along a depth dimension of the body of the case, the improvement comprising a wheel

housing assembly having an integrally formed 1 -piece wheel housing, a skid plate portion, and

an elongated glide member, the wheel housing including an edge bead engaging portion

extending along one side of the skid plate portion and elongated glide member.

2. The improved luggage case as set forth in Claim 1 wherein said skid plate portion

further includes a separate cover plate, the cover plate having integrally formed studs to receive a

penetrating fastener, the skid plate portion having holes through which the penetrating fasteners

protrude when the wheel housing is attached to the body of the case.

3. An improved upright case as set forth in Claim 2 wherein the body of the case

includes a generally C-shaped frame of a generally flat polymer plastic material, the lower

portion of the C-shaped frame being engaged by the wheel housing along an edge thereof.