Improved Luggage Apparatus

Abstract

A luggage apparatus is described. The luggage apparatus comprises a body portion and a stabilising mechanism, the stabilising mechanism being movable with respect to the body portion from a stowed position to a deployed position. With the stabilising mechanism in the deployed position, the body portion can be tilted from an upright position to an inclined position, in the inclined position the stabilising mechanism at least partially supporting the body portion.

Claims

1. A luggage apparatus, the luggage apparatus comprising: a body portion; and a stabilising mechanism, the stabilising mechanism being movable with respect to the body portion from a stowed position to a deployed position; wherein with the stabilising mechanism in the deployed position, the body portion can be tilted from an upright position to an inclined position, in the inclined position the stabilising mechanism at least partially supporting the body portion.

2. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion defines a body portion exterior.

3. The luggage apparatus of claim 2, wherein in the body portion upright position, the centre of gravity of the luggage apparatus is inside the body portion exterior.

4. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the body portion inclined position, the centre of gravity of the luggage apparatus is outwith the body portion exterior.

5. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the body portion inclined position, the centre of gravity of the luggage apparatus is lower than in the body portion upright position.

6. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion defines at least one storage compartment for storing luggage.

7. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion comprises a frame.

8. The luggage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the frame is moulded.

9. The luggage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the frame is moulded from a polymeric material.

10. The luggage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the frame is injection moulded.

11. The luggage apparatus of claim 9, wherein the polymeric material comprises expanded polypropylene.

12. The luggage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the frame defines one or more storage compartments.

13. The luggage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the body portion comprises one or more frame coverings.

14. The luggage apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more frame coverings define a body portion external surface.

15. The luggage apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more frame coverings is at least partially removable from the frame.

16. The luggage apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more frame coverings is movable with respect to the frame.

17. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the luggage apparatus is configurable between a compact configuration and a stabilised configuration.

18. The luggage apparatus of claim 17, wherein moving the luggage apparatus to the stabilised configuration moves the stabilising mechanism to the deployed position.

19. The luggage apparatus of claim 17, wherein the luggage apparatus is further configurable to an interim configuration between the compact configuration and the stabilised configuration.

20. The luggage apparatus of claim 17, wherein in the compact configuration, the stabilising mechanism is stowed.

21. The luggage apparatus of claim 19, wherein in the interim configuration, stabilising mechanism is stowed.

22. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body portion defines a stabilising mechanism storage portion.

23. The luggage apparatus of claim 22, wherein the stabilising mechanism storage portion is a recess defined by the body portion.

24. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stabilising mechanism is movably attached to the body portion.

25. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stabilising mechanism is pivotally attached to the body portion such that in moving from the stowed position to the deployed position the stabilising mechanism pivots with respect to the body portion.

26. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the luggage apparatus further comprises a handle.

27. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the handle comprises a gripping portion and a connecting portion.

28. The luggage apparatus of claim 27, wherein the connecting portion connects the gripping portion to the luggage apparatus body portion.

29. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the handle is movable with respect to the body portion between a stowed position and a deployed position.

30. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the luggage apparatus is configurable between a compact configuration and a stabilised configuration and in the compact configuration, the handle is in the stowed position.

31. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the luggage apparatus is configurable between a compact configuration and a stabilised configuration and in the stabilised configuration, the handle is in a deployed position.

32. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the luggage apparatus is configurable between a compact configuration and a stabilised configuration apparatus, configurable to an interim configuration between the compact configuration and the stabilised configuration, and in the interim configuration, the handle is in the handle deployed position or is in an interim position between the handle stowed position and the handle deployed position.

33. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the body portion defines a handle storage portion.

34. The luggage apparatus of claim 33, wherein the handle storage portion is a recess defined by the body portion.

35. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the handle is releaseably attached to the body portion.

36. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the handle is telescopically attached to the body portion.

37. The luggage apparatus of claim 27, wherein the handle connecting portion is telescopic.

38. The luggage apparatus of claim 37, wherein the handle connecting portion comprises a plurality of telescopic sections.

39. The luggage apparatus of claim 19, wherein in the luggage apparatus interim configuration, the luggage apparatus is adapted to be pulled by a user.

40. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the luggage apparatus comprises at least one movement means adapted to permit the luggage apparatus to be manoeuvred by pushing or pulling.

41. The luggage apparatus of claim 40, wherein the at least one movement means is at least one wheel.

42. The luggage apparatus of claim 40, wherein the at least one movement means is associated with a body portion base.

43. The luggage apparatus of claim 42, wherein the body portion base is the body portion surface closest to the ground when the body portion is in the upright position.

44. The luggage apparatus of claim 42, wherein the at least one movement mechanism is a pair of wheels, each wheel associated with a corner of the body portion base.

45. The luggage apparatus of claim 17, wherein in the luggage apparatus stabilised configuration the luggage apparatus is adapted to be pushed and/or pulled by the user.

46. The luggage apparatus of claim 19, wherein the luggage apparatus further comprises a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion and a connecting portion, and in the luggage apparatus interim configuration, the handle gripping portion is displaced from the body portion by a first distance and in the luggage apparatus stabilised configuration, the handle gripping portion is displaced from the body portion by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

47. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stabilising mechanism further comprises at least one stabilising mechanism movement means.

48. The luggage apparatus of claim 47, wherein the at least one stabilising mechanism movement means is at least one wheel.

49. The luggage apparatus of claim 47, wherein the at least one stabilising mechanism movement means is a pair of wheels.

50. The luggage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the luggage apparatus defines a load-bearing section.

51. The luggage apparatus of claim 50, wherein the luggage apparatus load-bearing section is defined at least partially by the body portion.

52. The luggage apparatus of claim 51, wherein the body portion comprises a frame and the frame defines part of the load-bearing section.

53. The luggage apparatus of claim 50, wherein the body portion load-bearing section is an upper part of the body portion when the body portion is in the upright position.

54. The luggage apparatus of claim 50, wherein the luggage apparatus further comprises a handle and the luggage apparatus load-bearing section is at least partially defined by the handle.

55. The luggage apparatus of claim 50, wherein the luggage apparatus further comprises a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion and a connecting portion, and the load-bearing section is at least partially defined by the handle connecting portion.

56. The luggage apparatus of claim 55, wherein the body portion and the handle connecting portion combine to define a load-bearing configured to receive a load.

57. The luggage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the handle is linked to the stabilising mechanism such that moving the handle to the deployed position moves the stabilising mechanism to the deployed position.

58. The luggage apparatus of claim 50, wherein the luggage apparatus load-bearing section defines a seat for an infant or a child.

59. The luggage apparatus of claim 58, wherein the seat comprises a bottom support and a back support.

60. The luggage apparatus of claim 59, wherein the bottom support is substantially defined by a body portion load-bearing section and the back support is substantially defined by a handle connecting portion load-bearing section.

61. The luggage apparatus of claim 59, wherein the body portion comprises one or more frame coverings and at least a portion of the one or more frame coverings is movable to reveal the bottom support defined by the body portion frame.

62. The luggage apparatus of claim 61, wherein the luggage apparatus further comprises a handle, the handle comprising a gripping portion and a connecting portion, and the portion of the one or more frame coverings is attachable to the handle connecting portion to define a back support surface.

63. The luggage apparatus of claim 62, wherein the back support is a backrest.

64. The luggage apparatus of claim 63, wherein the luggage apparatus is configurable between a compact configuration and a stabilised configuration and in the compact configuration, the bottom support and the back support surface are concealed within the body portion.

65. The luggage apparatus of claim 64, wherein in the compact configuration the bottom support and the back support surface are adjacent one another.

66. The luggage apparatus of claim 17, wherein moving the luggage apparatus to the stabilised configuration increases the footprint of the luggage apparatus compared to the footprint of the luggage apparatus in the compact configuration.

67. The luggage apparatus of claim 17, wherein in the luggage apparatus compact configuration, the luggage apparatus is sized to fit in an aircraft overhead locker.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0075] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a luggage apparatus in a compact configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0076] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the luggage apparatus of FIG. 1 in an interim configuration;

[0077] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the luggage apparatus of FIG. 1 in a stabilised configuration in which the luggage apparatus defines a seat for an infant; and

[0078] FIG. 4 shows a different perspective view of part of the luggage apparatus of FIG. 1 in a stabilised configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0079] Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a luggage apparatus, generally indicated by reference numeral 10 in a compact configuration, according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2, a perspective view of the luggage apparatus of FIG. 1 in an interim configuration, and FIG. 3, a perspective view of the luggage apparatus of FIG. 1 in a stabilised configuration, the luggage apparatus 10 comprises a body portion 12, a handle 14 and a stabilising mechanism 16. As can be best seen in FIG. 3, both the body portion 12 and the stabilising mechanism 16 have wheels 18,20 respectively, which permit the luggage apparatus 10 to be manoeuvred.

[0080] The luggage apparatus 10 is usable in three configurations. The first configuration, the compact configuration, is shown in FIG. 1. In this configuration, a handle gripping portion 24 is adjacent an upper surface 26 of the body portion 12.

[0081] The second configuration, the interim configuration, is shown in FIG. 2. In this configuration, the handle 14 is telescopically extended from a handle support 75 such that the apparatus 10 can be dragged behind a person, with the weight of the luggage apparatus being supported on the wheels 18,20. The handle 14 is secured in the compact configuration by a locking mechanism (not visible) and the luggage apparatus 10 is provided with a first button 22 to release the locking mechanism and allow the handle 14 to telescope to the interim position from the handle support 75.

[0082] The handle 14 can be further elevated to the position shown in FIG. 3 which facilitates pushing of the luggage apparatus 10. This configuration is called the stabilised configuration because elevation of the handle 14 to the stabilised configuration deploys the stabilising mechanism 16. The provision of stabilising mechanism 16 moves the centre of gravity of the luggage apparatus 10 to a more stable position.

[0083] To elevate the handle 14 to the highest position and to stabilise the luggage apparatus 10, the user firstly releases a clip 52 which permits relative movement of the handle support 75 with respect to the body portion 12.

[0084] The handle 14 can then be raised to the highest position, the handle 14 and handle support 75 moving together.

[0085] The stabilising mechanism 16 is stored in a recess 54 defined by the body portion 12 and is connected to the handle support 75 by a pair of hinged bars 77, 79. As the handle support 75 moves up the body portion 12 with the handle 14, the hinged bars 77, 79, deploy the stabilising mechanism 16 by pivoting stabilising mechanism 16 about a pair of spring loaded hinges 56.

[0086] It will be noted that the body portion wheels 18 are swivel mounted to the body portion 12 which assists when pushing the luggage apparatus 10 in the stabilised configuration. However in the other configurations, particularly the interim configuration where the apparatus is to be dragged, swivelling wheels are not necessary and may actually be a hindrance. For this reason, in the compact and interim positions the body portion wheels 18 are prevented from swivelling by the stabilising portion wheels 20.

[0087] FIG. 3 shows a side panel 32 with an access zip 58, the zip 58 is to access an interior of luggage apparatus 10, which can be seen on FIG. 4, a further perspective view of the luggage apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 in the stabilised configuration. As can be seen from FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the body portion 12 comprises a frame 30, the frame 30 being covered with a series of removable coverings 34 of which the side panel 32 is one.

[0088] The frame 30 is moulded entirely out of expanded polypropylene and defines storage compartments 44,46 and part of a child's seat 34. Particularly the frame defines a footrest 60 and the child's bottom support 42.

[0089] The rest of the child seat, that is the backrest 62 and the associated safety features, can be formed once the luggage apparatus 10 is in the stabilised configuration. A plate 70, stored in a slot 72 (FIG. 3) is pulled up to form a backrest 62. An upper surface covering 36 and part of the front surface covering 38 can be unclipped from the frame 30 and plate 70 to reveal the bottom support 42 and to provide padding for the backrest. Attached to the coverings 36, 38 are straps 64 and side webs 66 to assist in securing the child within the seat 34.

[0090] Various modifications and improvements may be made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the coverings 36, 38 could be stiff and form a back support in their own right.