Suitcase comprising a lid that overlaps a side wall

Abstract

In a suitcase including a suitcase body that is delimited by a back wall and by side walls that adjoin the back wall and are arranged on two opposing narrow and long sides of the suitcase body in each case, a folding lid is formed on at least one side of the suitcase body. The lid can be connected to the suitcase body by a zip fastener. One side wall of the suitcase body includes a recess in which an overlapping segment of the lid engages such that the overlapping segment forms the side wall of the suitcase body at least in part. The suitcase body (2) may include a limiting element in the recess, by which element luggage contents are prevented from falling out of the suitcase.

Claims

1. A suitcase comprising a suitcase body that is delimited by a back wall and by side walls that adjoin said back wall and are arranged on two opposing narrow and long sides of the suitcase body in each case, and said suitcase comprising a folding lid that is formed on at least one side of the suitcase body and can be connected to the suitcase body by means of a zip fastener, wherein one side wall comprises a recess on a narrow side in which an overlapping segment of the lid engages such that the overlapping segment forms the side wall of the suitcase body at least in part, wherein the zip fastener comprises two band halves, one band half of the zip fastener extending along an upper edge of the suitcase body that is formed by the side walls and the recess, and a further band half of the zip fastener extending along a lower edge of the lid that is formed by a lid base surface or by the lid base surface and the overlapping segment, wherein at least partially along the band half of the zip fastener in the lid an edge reinforcement made of plastic or metal extends for dimensionally stabilizing the lid, and wherein a carrying handle is formed on the overlapping segment.

2. The suitcase according to claim 1, wherein a limiting element is arranged in the recess.

3. The suitcase according to claim 1, further comprising rounded edges that extend from the narrow or long sides towards the lid and that are curved outwardly.

4. The suitcase according to claim 3, wherein the overlapping segment is curved outwardly so as to correspond geometrically to the rounded edges.

5. The suitcase according to claim 1, wherein a plastics or metal reinforcement that leads onto the carrying handle and surrounds the lid at least in part is provided in the lid.

6. The suitcase according to claim 1, wherein a side wall of the suitcase body is provided as a base structure that is formed by a stabilizing shell and on which casters are provided.

7. The suitcase according to claim 1, wherein the lid is formed on the suitcase body by means of the overlapping segment.

8. The suitcase according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcement element is provided in the overlapping segment.

9. The suitcase according to claim 8, wherein the side wall of the suitcase body that comprises the recess comprises a reinforcement element which forms, together with the reinforcement element provided in the overlapping segment, a reinforcement that substantially completely covers the relevant side of the suitcase body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to embodiments of the invention that are shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open suitcase comprising a lid formed on the long side,

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of a suitcase comprising a lid formed on the narrow side,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an open suitcase comprising a lid formed on the narrow side,

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an open suitcase comprising an overlapping segment formed on the long side,

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a closed suitcase,

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of a suitcase comprising reinforcements in the lid,

(8) FIG. 7 is a side view of a suitcase comprising a carrying handle arranged on the narrow side,

(9) FIG. 8 is a side view of a suitcase comprising a handle provided in the rear wall, and

(10) FIG. 9 is a further perspective view of a closed suitcase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) A suitcase 1 is formed by a suitcase body 2 and a lid 3. The suitcase body 2 comprises a rear wall 4 that is adjoined by four side walls 5 that are oriented so as to be substantially perpendicular to the rear wall 4 and thus define a luggage space 6 in the suitcase body 2. The side walls 5 are arranged on narrow sides 7 and long sides 8 of the suitcase body that are mutually opposing in each case. The long sides 8 comprise rounded corners 9 in the direction of the lid 3 or the rear wall 4. The edges 10 of the narrow sides 7 are convex at least in part and comprise at least one outward bulge, as indicated in FIGS. 5 and 7 for example.

(12) The side wall 5 on the upper face 11 of the suitcase body 2 comprises a recess 12, with the result that the side wall 5 comprising the recess 12 is shorter, like the opposing side wall 5, at least in the region of the recess 12. In order to prevent luggage accommodated in the luggage space 6 from falling out, a limiting element 13 in the form of a net or a structure consisting of a flexible material may be clamped in the recess 12. The limiting element 13 may also be formed as a partition which, if necessary, can be pushed into the suitcase body 2, in particular the side wall 5 comprising the recess 12.

(13) The lid 3 is formed on a long side 8 of the suitcase body 2 and can be connected to the suitcase body 2 by means of a zip fastener 14, the lid 3 being opened via the long side 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 3 may also be movably formed on the narrow side 7 and consequently opened via the narrow side 7. FIG. 3 shows a suitcase 1 when open, the lid 3 being formed on the narrow side 7. The zip fastener 14 is interrupted in the region where the lid 3 is formed on the suitcase body 2. The lid 3 may be hingedly fastened to the suitcase body 2 by means of a fabric band for example.

(14) The lid 3 comprises an overlapping segment 15 that overlaps a side 7, 8 of the suitcase body 2 and protrudes into the recess 12. The overlapping segment 15 compensates for the region of the side wall 5 that is missing on account of the recess 12, and therefore the overlapping segment 15 forms the side wall 5 of the suitcase body 2 at least in part, and the side 7, 8 of the suitcase body 2 comprising the recess 12 is formed from a part of the side wall 5 and a part of the overlapping segment 15. The overlapping segment 15 may be arranged in the movable part of the lid 3 that is moved over the luggage space 6 of the suitcase body 2 and covers said space. It is also possible, however, for the lid 3 to be formed on the suitcase body 2 on the overlapping segment 15, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4. In this case, the overlapping segment 15 is not moved together with the lid 3 when said lid is opened. Nonetheless, the overlapping segment 15 still compensates for the recess 12 in the side wall 5 in this embodiment too.

(15) The zip fastener 14 is formed as a separable zip fastener 14 comprising two band halves 16, 17, one band half 16 being provided on the suitcase body 2 and a further band half 17 being provided on the lid 3. The band half 16 on the suitcase body 2 extends along an upper edge 18 of the suitcase body 2 that is formed by the side walls 5 and the recess 12. The band half 17 on the lid 3 extends along a lower edge 20 of the lid 3 that is formed by a lid base surface 19 and the overlapping segment 15. For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, in which the overlapping segment 15 is formed on the suitcase body 2, the band half 17 of the zip fastener on the lid 3 extends along the lower edge 20 that is formed by the lid base surface 19.

(16) A carrying handle 21 is arranged on the overlapping segment 15, specifically such that the suitcase 1 remains balanced when carried and can be carried comfortably. It is advantageous, for this purpose, for the carrying handle 21 to be provided centrally on the side 7, 8, as indicated in FIG. 7. In order to stabilize the carrying handle 21, a reinforcement (not shown) is integrated in the carrying handle 21, which reinforcement consists for example of a plastics material or metal and is designed as a honeycomb slat in order to save weight. It is also possible, however, for the carrying handle 21 to be provided on the narrow side 7 of the suitcase body 2, as shown in FIG. 4.

(17) The suitcase body 2 is designed such that the corners 9 formed by the narrow and long sides 7, 8 are rounded. The suitcase body may comprise reinforcement elements (not shown) which are integrated in the side walls 5 for example and are provided in the form of U-shaped plastics or metal plates. The side wall 5 comprising the recess 12 comprises a divided plate or individual reinforcement elements that are substantially in the shape of a half U. An outwardly curved reinforcement element (not shown) may also be received in the overlapping segment 15, which element stabilizes the overlapping segment 15 and provides protection against the action of external forces. In the event of the side wall 5 comprising the recess 12 also comprising a reinforcement element which, however, provides protection only in part, owing to the recess 12, the reinforcement element in the overlapping segment 15 supplements the reinforcement element in the side wall 5, such that the side 7, 8 of the suitcase 1 is sufficiently protected against external forces. The reinforcement element in the overlapping segment consists of a plastics material, such as polyethylene, and is formed as a convex plate, so as to correspond geometrically to the rounded corners 9 of the suitcase body 2 and to fit geometrically into the recess 15 in the side wall 5.

(18) As can be seen inter alia in FIG. 5, an edge reinforcement 22 extends at least in part along the band half 17 of the zip fastener in the lid 3, which edge reinforcement stabilizes the shape and structure of the lid 3. Since the band half 17 is edge-reinforced at least in part, the zip fastener 14 also has a structuring function that may in particular stabilize, via the overlapping segment 15, the structure of the side wall 5 comprising the recess 12. Additional structure-reinforcement or frame-reinforcement elements can be omitted in the sides 7, 8, as a result of which the weight of the suitcase 1 is reduced. The edge reinforcement 22 may be produced from welting for example and be sewn into the lid 3. A further reinforcement leads onto the carrying handle 21 and surrounds the lid 3 at least in part, as shown in FIG. 6 for example. The reinforcement 23 stabilizes the carrying handle 21 and diverts the tensile forces acting thereon into the suitcase body. Both the reinforcements 22, 23 have a dimensionally stabilizing effect on the lid 3 and prevent the lid 3 from caving in when open.

(19) It can be seen in FIG. 7 that a side wall 5 is provided on a lower face 24 of the suitcase body 2 as a curved trough or shell, which trough or shell forms a base structure on which casters 25 are provided. In this case, depending on the design of the suitcase 1, two or more casters 25 may be arranged on the base structure. The base structure may be formed as a structurally rigid plastics shell. In order to move the suitcase 1 using the casters 25, a handle 26 is provided, comprising a telescopic bar (not shown) that can be extended and lowered into the rear wall 4 of the suitcase body 2, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 8 for example.

(20) FIGS. 7 and 9 show that it may be advantageous for the lid 3 not to form a plane together with the suitcase body 2 when closed, but instead to rest on said suitcase body such that a step 27 results between the suitcase body 2 and the lid 3. This can increase the luggage space of the suitcase body. The height of the step 27 reduces towards the side wall 5 comprising the recess 12, in that the band half 16 of the zip fastener 14 on the suitcase body 2 tapers towards the upper edge 18. At the corners 9 of the long sides 8, the overlapping segment 15 is substantially in a plane with the integrated reinforcement element and, together with the remaining side wall 5, forms a complete side 7, 8 that protects the suitcase contents.