Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
~ W096l02424 21 718 4 g PCT~S95/09741
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L~GGAG~ CAS~
The present invention relates to luggage cases and
is particularly concerned with luggage cases moulded
from plastics material.
A conventional luggage case of plastics material
comprises two shells, each having a peripheral side
wall, the side walls forming the front, back and end
walls of the case. The two shells are hinged together
at the back walls and have latches for releasably
fastening the edges of the cases together when the ca~e
is closed.
Usually, such cases have a protruding lip rllnn; ng
around the edge of each shell at the place where the
shells meet to provide stiffne~s to the otherwise
flexible ~hell. A metal frame may be included around
part or all of the frame to provide additional
stiffness.
In many designs of case, the projecting lip also
provides the means for gripping the lid of the case to
open the case when the shells are released. The need to
provide a lip for this purpose places a constraint on
the designer of luggage cases.
According to the present invention in a first
aspect, a luggage case comprising a base shell and a lid
shell, each shell having a peripheral side wall, the
side walls forming the front, back and end walls of the
case, the two shells being hinged together at the back
wall and having at least one latch for releasably
fastening the shells together when the case is closed,
at least a portion the latch being mounted on the lid
shell and being arranged to project away from the
peripheral side wall when the latch is released 80 as to
W096/0221 ~ 9 PC~595/n9741
provide means for gripping and raising the lid shell to
open the case.
With this arrangement, it is no longer necessary to
provide the lid shell with a projecting lip for gripping
when opening the case. In a preferred construction of
the case, the edge of the lid shell fits into a ch~nnel
in the edge of the base shell. This enables a case with
a rounded contour to be constructed.
Preferably the latches are of a toggle construction
designed to pull the two shells together as they are
closed. Preferably the latches fit into a recess in the
peripheral wall of the shell 80 as not to pro;ect
substantially when fastened.
Two latches may be mounted on the end walls of the
case near the front of the case. Two such latches may
be provided, one at each end. With this arrangement the
latches are easy to grip for opening the case.
The present invention is also concerned with the
problem of handling heavy cases. It is know to provide
cases with wheels or ca~tors for transporting the case
when heavily filled. In one construction a pair of
wheels are located at the corner of the case between the
back wall and one of the end walls. Such cases are
intended to be tilted at an angle to run on the wheels
and a steering handle may be provided near the front of
the opposite end wall. Another type of case has four
castors on the back wall of the case. The case rests on
the castors with the front wall uppermost and is pulled
along on the ground by a strap or handle.
According to the present invention, a luggage case
comprising a base shell and a lid shell, each shell
having a peripheral side wall, the side walls forming
the front, back and end wall~ of the ca~e, a carrying
W096/02424 21 7i 8 4 ~ PcT~sg5/ng74l
handle on the front wall of the case, the case having
two coaxial wheels mounted at the corner of the case
between the back wall and one of the end walls and two
ca~tors mounted on the back wall, and including at
least one additional handle for pulling the case on the
wheels and the castors, or for steering the case when
tilted onto the two wheels. With this arrangement of
case the traveller can wheel the case either on two
wheels or four according to preference and to suit the
circumstance.
The case may include a steering handle at or near
the corner of the case diagonally opposite the wheels.
In addition or alternatively, it may include a pulling
handle in the same region.
Cases of known construction are usually joined
together at their back walls by a single hinge pin which
passes through holes in hinge knuckles. Thieves have
found it possible to gain access to such cases even when
locked by pushing out the hinge pin.
According to the present invention in a third
aspect there is provided a luggage case comprising a
base shell and a lid shell, each shell having a
peripheral side wall, the side walls forming the front,
back and end walls of the case, the two shells being
connected together at the back wall by a hinge means and
having at least one latch for releasably fastening the
shells together when closed, the hinge means comprising
interengaging hinge knuckles on the edges of the back
walls of the respective shells, and two coaxial hinge
pins inserted from opposed ends though aligned holes in
the knuckles, an obstruction being provided on one side
of the shells between the aligned holes to prevent each
hinge pin being pushed out of the holes through the end
through which it is inserted.
W096/0~4 ~ 4 PCT~sgclo97Jl ~
With this arrangement, the hinge pins can only be
extracted from the ends in which they are inserted. It
is not possible to push the hinge pins out through the
opposite end because o~ the obstruction.
It is known to provide luggage case with a pulling
handle for pulling the case along the ground when
resting on four wheels or castors. In one known
arrangement, the pulling handle is attached to a
retractable strap. The strap is attached to a linear
spring which extends down the inside of an end wall of
the case. The strap passes over a pulley near the back
wall of the case. The length of strap required for
conveniently pulling a case is greater the smaller the
case is because the front wall of the ca~e is closer to
the ground. However with the linear gpring arrangement,
the length of strap that can be accommodated is
restricted in small cases.
According to the present invention in a fourth
aspect there is provided a luggage case having top,
bottom, front back and end walls, four wheels or castors
being mounted on the back wall and a pulling handle
assembly near the corner between the front wall and one
of the end walls, the pulling handle assembly comprising
a pulling strap attached at one end to a spool mounted
inside the case, the ~pool being spring loaded 80 as to
wind in the strap when not in use, the strap passing to
the outside of the case through a slot in the wall of
the case and a handle grip being attached to the outer
end of the strap, a recess being provided in the outside
of the case at the said corner and the handle grip being
shaped to fit into the recess when not in use.
With this arrangement, the length of strap that can
be accommodated is restricted by the size of the case
and, if desired, the same unit can be used in a range of
cases of different sizes.
W096/02424 21 718~9 PCT~S95/09741
It is desirable to be able to open cases fully in
order to have access for packing the lid of the case as
well as the base. When a case is provided with castors
the castors may limit the extent to which the case may
be opened.
According to the present invention in a fifth
aspect, there is provided a luggage case comprising a
base shell and a lid shell, each shell having a
peripheral side wall, the side walls forming the front,
back and end walls of the case, the two shells being
hinged together at the back wall and having at least one
latch for securing the case together when closed, at
least two castors, one of the said castors being mounted
on the back wall of each of the shells, the castors
being spaced at different distances from the hinge axis,
a rece~s being provided between the castor furthest from
the axis and the hinge axis to accommodate the castor on
the other shell when the case is fully opened.
When a luggage case is being carried on the roof of
a car it may be exposed to rain. In order to provide
rigidity and for other reasons, it may be desirable to
form the edge of the base shell with inner and outer
lips with a chAnnel between them which receives the edge
of the lid shell. With such a construction however
there is a possibility that rain falling on the case may
collect in the ch~nnel and enter the suitcase damaging
its contents.
According to the present invention in a sixth
aspect there is provided a luggage case comprising a
base shell and a lid ghell, the two shells being joined
together by a hinge, the edge of the base shell being
formed with an inner lip and an outer lip with a channel
between the inner and outer lips, the inner lip
ext~n~;ng around the entire case, the outer lip
exten~ing around the entire case except in the region of
W096/02424 ~ 9 PCT~S95/09741
-- 6
the hinge, the edge of the lid shell being received in
the channel between the inner and outer lips when the
case is closed, the inner lip being higher than the
outer lip around the entire periphery of the case. With
this arrangement, if water collects in the channel it
will overflow to the outside of the case before it can
overflow the inner lip and damage the contents of the
case.
In many constructions of case, the carrying handle
is pivoted to the base shell 80 that it can accommodate
the swaying --v~.cnt of the case as the case is carried
pivoting handle also may prevent the handle being
damaged in use. There are however situations where it
i8 desired that the handle should not be able to pivot
about a longitudinal axis. Such cases can be
uncomfortable to carry because the swaying ,-vl ^nt of
the case makes the handle turn in the hand of the user.
According to the present invention in a seventh
aspect, there is provided a luggage case comprising a
base shell and a lid shell, the two shells being hinged
together, and at least one latch for holding the case
together when closed, and a carrying handle, the
carrying handle being fixed to the wall of the case at
its ends 80 as not to pivot relatlve to the case, at
least a portion of the handle being made of a material
that allows torsional twisting when the case is firmly
held by the handle and the case sways from side to side.
With this arrangement, the swaying -v~- ~nt of the case
is accommodated by the torsional twisting of the handle.
In some constructions of case it is desired to
provide a central latch in the front wall of the case.
If the handle is a fixed handle, access to the latch may
be restricted and therefore the latch may be difficult
to operate.
W096/02424 ~ 8 ~ 9 PCT~S95/0974l
According to the present invention in a eighth
aspect, there is provided a luggage case compri~ing a
base shell and a lid shell, the two shells being hinged
together, a carrying handle and a latch for holding the
~hells together when the case is fastened, the latch
being located between a gripping portion of the carrying
handle and the wall of the case and being o$ the type
that draws the edges of the shells together as it i8
fastened, the latch being mounted on one of the shells
and having a claw hook for engagement with a portion of
the other shell, the latch including an operating lever
being coupled to the claw portion by a linkage, which
when the lever is operated to fasten the case, causes
the claw portion first to move towards the wall of the
other shell and then to be drawn towards the said one
shell. With this arrangement, operation of the latch is
facilitated.
In some cases it is desired to be able to divide
the space between the lid shell and the base shell with
a panel. Such panels are usually hinged to the back
wall of the case and have clips for securing the front
edge of the case to the lid shell. One conventional
form of clip consists of a turnbuckle. Such
arrangements can however be difficult to operate,
particularly where single-h~e~ operation is required.
According to the present invention in a ninth
aspect, there is provided a luggage case comprising a
base shell and a lid shell, the two shells being hinged
together along a back wall of the case, and a panel
within the case for dividing the space within the lid
~hell from the space within the base shell, the panel
being attached at its back edge to the interior of the
back wall and having means for detachably securing its
front edge to the lid of the case, the said means
comprising loop attached to the pad and a hook attached
to the inside of the lid shell, a resilient detent being
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W096/02124 PCT~S9StO9741
po~ition to prevent the loop from accidentally
disengaging from the hook.
An embodiment of the in~ention will now be
described, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying drawings of which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a case in
accordance with the invention;
Flgure 2 shows a top plan view of the case;
Figure 3 shows an end elevation of the case;
Figure 4 shows a rear ele~ation of the case;
Figure 5 shows a per~pective sketch of the case in
the open condition;
Figure 6 shows a side elevation, partly in section,
of a side latch of the case;
Figure 7 shows a rear elevation of the latch of
Figure 6;
Figure 8 shows a detail of the wall construction;
Figure 9 shows a detail of the hinge construction:
Figure 10 shows a sketch of the case being used in
two wheel operation;
Figure 11 shows a detail of the case being used in
four wheel operation;
Figure 12 shows a perspective sketch of the pulling
handle construction;
Figure 13 8how8 a detail view of the ca8e in the
open condition;
Figure 14 ~hows a further detail of the case in the
open condition;
~igure 15 shows a sketch of the castors in the open
condition;
Figure 16 shows a cross-section through the rim of
the case;
Figure 17 shows a cross-section through the rim of
the case in the region of the hinge;
Figure 18 shows a detail of the handle
construction;
W096/02~24 18~ PCT~S95/09741
Figure 19 shows a side elevational view of the central
latch with the case wall in cross section.
Figure 20 shows a perspective view of a central
latch;
Figure 21 shows a perspective detail of an
arrangement for holding a dlviding panel;
Figure 22 is a cut-away view of the catch of Figure
21; and
Figure 23 shows elevational views of the catch of
Figures 21 and 22.
Referring to the drawings, these show a luggage
case 10 comprising two shells, a lid shell 11 and a base
shell 12, each formed as a single moulding from plastics
material. Each shell has a peripheral wall 13 and 14
respectively, and the two shells together form the front 14, back 15,
top 16, underneath 17 and end walls 18 and 19 of the
case. The edge of the base shell is of thicker section
than the rest of the base shell so as to form an integral fr~me running
entirely around the base shell. A carrying handle 21 is
mounted on the frame 20 on the front wall of the case.
The two shells 11 and 12 are connected together at the
back wall 15 by a hinge 22.
The edges of the two shells are held together when
the case is closed by three latches. Two side latches
23 and 24 are mounted on the lid shell 11 and posltioned
on the end walls. In the embodiment they are shown near
the front of the case between the mid-point of the end
walls and the front wall. A third latch 25 is mounted
on the base shell on the front wall 14 underneath the
gripping portion of the handle 21. All three latches
are of the type that draw the edges of the case together
with a toggle action as they are fastened.
Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, the construction
of the side latches will be described in detail.
W096/02~24 ' ''l ' ` PCT~S95/09741 -
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The side latch 23 comprises a mounting portion 30,
a body portion 31, and a latch portion 33. The mounting
portion 30 is secured to the wall of the lid shell 11 by
screws 34 which pass through the wall into the mounting
portion. The base portion 31 is pivotally connected to
the mounting portion 30 by a hinge pin 35 which pasQes
through aligned holes in lugs 36 and 37 on the mounting
portion and the base portion respectively. A spring 38
acts between the mounting portion and the base portion
to bias the base portion so that its lower end is urged
away from the end wall of the base shell. Part of the
body portion projects above the hinge pin 35 to form an
abutment 39 which engages part of the mounting portion
to limit the mov~ ^nt of the lower end of the body
portion away from the case in the open position shown in
Figure 6. The hinge pin 35 extends generally parallel
to the end wall of the case and to the edge of the
shell.
The latch portion 33 i8 connected to the body
portion 31 near its lower end by a hinge pin 40 which
passes through aligned holes in lugs or flanges 41 and
42 on the body portion and latching portion
respectively. The pivot pin 40 is parallel to the pivot
pin 35.
The main part of the latching portion projects
upwardly from the hinge pin 40 and is formed at its
upper end with an abutment portion 44 which cooperates
with a recess 45 formed by a lip on the outside of the
end wall of the base shell 12.
The latch portion is pivotal about the pivot pin 40
between an open position in which it is inclined
upwardly away from the body portion 31 and towards the
wall of the case and a closed position in which it
projects upwardly and lies close to the body portion.
The lugs or flanges 41 and 42 on the latch portion and
W096/02424 18~ f; pcT~ss~/ns7~l
- 11 --
the body portion bear resiliently against one another to
provide a frictional resistance to rotation of the latch
portion relative to the body portion. A catch mechanism
50 is located in the lower end of the latch to hold the
latch in the closed position. The catch 50 is mounted
for sliding movement in the latching portion and is
biased downwardly by a spring 51. Tabs 52 carried by
the sliding portion engage in slots 53 on the body
portion to hold the latch portion in the closed
position. To release the latch a gripping portion 54 on
the lower end of the catch 50 is pushed upwardly against
the spring 51 to move the lugs 52 out of the slots 53
and permit the latch to be rotated from the closed
position to the open position.
The lower portion 55 of the latch portion form~ the
part that is gripped by the user when opening the case.
The pivot pin 40 is located closer to the wall of the
case than the gripping portion 55 80 that when the catch
50 is released, upwards pressure on the gripping portion
55 tends to rotate the latch portion from the closed
position to the open position. This rotation is further
facilitated by the biasing action of the spring 38
moving the body portion into the opened position whilst
the abutment 44 is engaged in the recess 45 under the
lip at the edge of the case. Once the latch is in the
fully open position as shown in Figure 6, the abutment
44 is clear of the lip 80 that the lid can be raised and
the case opened.
It will be noted that the body portion forms an
angle of le~s than 40, approximately 20, in the open
position 80 that the latches point downwardly and
outwardly when released. The lower end of the latches
23 ~nd 24 can be ~rippea by tne user and provide a convenient
means for opening the case. This is particularly
important with a case such as is shown in the drawings
where the edge of the lid shell fits within the edge of
W096/02424 ~`~g~ ~ " ' PCT~S9~/09741
- 12 -
the base shell and there is no ~lange or other
projection which can conveniently be gripped to hold the
shell. It is also to be noted that the weight of the
lid shell is transmitted through the body portion to the
gripping portion of the latch portion and that the
delicate parts of the catch do not transmit the~e
forces.
To close the case when the lid is lowered, the
lower end of the latch is pushed inwardly again~t the
action of the spring 38 80 that the abutment 44 engages
in the recess 45. As the lower end of the latch 18
pushed inwardly, the two shells are drawn together. It
is to be noted that the point of contact between the
abutment 44 and the recess 45 moves from a position
inside theplane joining the pivot pins 35 and 40 to a
position ~ust outside thig pl ane 80 that the latch is
closed with a toggle action.
20Figure 9 of the drawingg shows the detail of the
hinge construction.
The hinge is formed by ~n~ckles 60 and 61 moulded
on the edges of the lid and base shells 11 and 12
respectively. The kn~lc~l~8 are interengaged and hi nqe pi ns 63 and
64 are inserted from opposite ends into aligned holes
65A and 658 passing through the hinge knuckles. The
aligned holes do not pass through all the hinge
knuckles. One of the knuckles 66 has no hole passing
through it 80 as to form an obstruction. The pins
therefore cannot be pushed from the outer ends beyond
the obstruction 66.
A problem with a conventional case having a single
hinge pin rnnn;ng the length of the back wall of the
case is that a thief can sometimes gain access to the
case even when locked by pushing the hinge pin out
through the holes in the hinge knnckles. By including
W096/02424 ~9 PCT~S9~/09741
the obstruction 66, the hinge pins cannot be removed in
this way since they can only be removed by pulling them
out of the ends through which they have been inserted.
The pins 63 and 64 are of such a length that when fully
inserted the amount projecting beyond the end of the
hinge knuckles is insufficient to grip to extract the
hinge pins.
The luggage case 10 is provided with two wheels
mounted on stub axles at the corner of the case between
the end wall 19 and the back wall 15. The rotational
axis of the wheels 71 and 72 are coaxial. On the back
wall of the case near the end wall 18 are mounted two
castors 72 and 73. The castors are mounted for
swivelling movement about axes which are vertical when
the case is st~n~ing with its back wall lowermost.
On the end wall 18 of the case is mounted a folding
pulling handle 74. As shown in Figure 1, the pulling
handle can be folded into a retracted position in which
it is located in a recess 75 in the end wall of the
case. The pulling handle 74 can be pivoted outwardly
into an extended position as indicated dia~ tically
in Figure 10 to form a pulling or ~teering handle
enabling the case to be tilted 80 as to run on the two
wheels 70 and 71.
At the corner between the front wall 14 and the end
wall 18 is a retractable pulling handle 76. The
retractable pulling handle can be extended as shown
diagrammatically in Figure ll to allow the case to be
pulled along the ground st~n~;ng on the two wheels 70
and 71 and the two castors 72 and 73. Thus, the case
can be manoeuvred either on two wheels or on four wheels
dep~n~ing on the user's preference and the
circumstances.
As can be seen in Figure 3, the top wall 14 of the
W096/02424 2 ~ 7 18 ~ 9 ~ PCT~S95/09741 -
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case diverges from the bottom wall 17 from the front
towards the back 80 as to give the case a generally
wedged shaped appearance when viewed from the end~. As
can be seen from Figure 1 and Figure 4, the walls of the
base and lid shells are flared outwardly in the region
80 around the castors 70 and 73. These features enable
the wheels 70 and 71 and the castors 72 and 73 to be
spaced as clo~e to the top and bottom walls of the case
as possible giving the case greater stability than
otherwise would be the case.
Figure 12 shows in diagrammatic form the
construction of the pulling handle 76. A strap 90 is
attached at one end to a spool 91 located in an
enclosure 92 on the inside of the case at the corner
between the end wall 18 and the front wall 16 The
strap 90 passes through a slot 93 in the wall of the
case and is attached to a handle grip 94 on the outside
of the case. A spring 96 operates between the drum 91
and the enclosure 92 80 as to urge the drum to rotate ln
one direction w~n~ing in the ~trap 90 when not in use.
A recess 97 is formed in the frame 20 on the
outside of the case at the corner between the front wall
14 and the end wall 18. The recess is elongate along
the direction of the frame and curves around the corner.
The handle grip 94 is similarly elongate and curved 80
as to fit in the recess 97. When the pulling handle is
not in use, the spring 96 causes the strap to be wound
in on the spool 91 and the handle grip 94 fits into the
recess 97 80 as to not to project from the overall
outline of the case.
The handle grip 94 is shorter in length than the
recess 97 8e as to provide a space 98 into which the
user can insert a finger to lift the handle grip out of
the recess when he wishes to use the pulling handle.
W096/02424 71~9 i ` ~ ~ PCT~S95/Q9741
- 15 -
As illustrated in Figure 12, the pulling handle
assembly is located in the enclosure 92 on the inside of
the base shell near the edge of the shell. This forms a
space between the enclosure 92 and the bottom wall 17 of
the case into which a security box 98 is inserted for
holding valuables, keys or the like. The box 98 iB
moulded from plastics material and has a lid 99 which is
connected to the main portion of the box by an integral
hinge. Locating the security box in this position
renders it less visible when the case is opened and
makes use of what otherwise would be re~n~nt space.
By providing an arrangement in which the pulling
strap is wound on a drum rather than the known
arrangement in which it is passed down the inside of the
end wall of the case and over a pulley to a linear
spring, the pulling handle assembly is more compact and
the same unit can be used for different sizes of ca~e.
The length of strap required is greater the smaller the
size of the case because the front wall is closer to the
ground when being pulled. With the linear arrangement
the space available in a small case may not be
sufficient from a convenient length of pulling strap to
be accommodated. The construction described avoids this
difficulty.
The castor and wheel construction now will be
described in greater detail.
As can be seen in Figure 4, the base shell 12 is
deeper than the lid shell 11 80 that the wheel 71 on the
base shell is spaced further from the hinge access 100
than the wheel 70 on the lid shell and the castor 73 on
the base shell is spaced further from the hinge access
than the castor 72 on the lid shell. A recess 101 is
formed in the outside of the back wall of the base shell
adjacent the wheel 71 between the wheel 71 and the hinge
axi s 100 . Similarly, a recess 102 is formed in the
W0 96/02424 217 18 4 9 ~ - PCT/US9~lQ9741
-- 16 -
outside of the back wall o~ the base shell ad~acent the
castor 73 between the castor 73 and the hinge axi s
100. The recesses 101 and 102 accommodate the wheel 70
and the castor 72 respectively when the case is fully
5 opened as shown in Figures 13 and 14.
Each castor 72 and 73 is constructed wlth a portion
110 which swivels about the swivel axis 111 and carries
the castor wheel 112 on a wheel axis 113. The
swivelling portion 110 includes a shroud portion 114
which extends down around the castor wheel to protect it
from damage by ob~ects lying on the ground.
The wheel axi~3 113 of the castor is offset from the
swivel axis in the conventional manner 80 that the
weight of the castor wheel tends to cause the castor to
adopt a particular orientation with the castor wheel
below the swivel axis when the case is placed with its
bottom wall on the ground. As can be seen from the
drawings, the swivel portion of the castor is cut away
by a recess 115 on the side which is opposite the castor
wheels. A8 a consequence, the swivelling portion has
asymmetry about the swivelling axi~ and the centre of
gravity of the swivelling portion is offset from the
swivelling axis in the same direction as the offset of
the castor wheel axis. This offsetting of the centre of
gravity of the swivelling portion e~h~nces the t~n~lency
of the castors to orientate themselves with the castor
wheel axis below the swivel axis when the case is
horizontal.
It is to be noted that the recess 102 would not be
large enough to accommodate the castor 72 when the case
i8 open if the swivel portion did not include the recess
3S 115. By providing the recess 115 on the castor wheel 73
on the base shell, the swivelling portion provides
clearance for the castor wheel 112 of the castor 72 on
the lid shell when the case is fully opened. The recess
WO 96/02424 21 7 ~ PCT/US95/09741
-- 17 -
115 extends from the side that iB uppermost when the
case is opened around the swivelling portion to the
sides that face horizontally. With this arrangement,
clearance is provided even if the castors do not swivel
5 fully into the position where the castor wheel lies
immediateiy below the swivel axis, for example if there
is some sticking in the swivelling action or if the case
is not on a truly horizontal surface.
Figures 16 and 17 show the edge construction of the
case. As can be seen in Figure 16, the base shell is
for3med at its edge with an inner lip 120 and an outer
lip 121, a ch,annel 122 being formed between the inner
and outer lips. The channel 122 accommodates the edge
15 123 of the lid shell when the case is closed and gives
the closed case rigidity and security from objects
falling out. The edge construction of the case is
substantially as shown in Figure 16 around the entire
periphery of the case except in the region of the hinge.
20 Figure 17 shows the construction in this region. The
outer lip 121 is replaced by the knuckles 60 of the base
shell. Around the entire periphery of the case, the
inner lip 120 is higher than the outer lip 121.
In use, if the case is exposed to rain, for example
by being mounted on the roof rack of a car, water may run
down the outside of the lid 3hell and collect in the
channel 122. By ensuring that the inner lip 120 is, at
all points, higher than the outer lip 121, the
30 construction ensures that water collecting in the
ch~nnel overflows to the out8ide before it reaches a
level where it can overflow into the interior of the
case. Thus, the case can be constructed without an
elastomeric seal in the channel to prevent ingress of
35 water.
Figure 18 shows details of the carrying handle
construction. The carrying handle 21 comprises a
WO 96/02.124 PCT/US9S/0~7~
49
- 18 -
gripping portion 140 made from a material that is
suf~iciently tough and rigid to be self supporting and
to bear the weight of the case but which allow torsional
twisting. A suitable material is thermoplastic rubber.
5 The moulded handle is secured to the frame port~on 20 of
the base wall of the case by means of U-shaped brackets
141 mounted on the front wall of the case. Pins 143
pass through L-shaped slots 142 in the limbs 144 of the U-
shaped brackets and through the ends of the handle 140
10 to secure the handle to the frame. The pln and 810t
arrangement allows limited ,v.- ~nt of the ends of the
handle relative to the frame in the longit~ nAl
direction of the handle. The handle is fixed to the
case 80 as to allow no pivoting v~ -nt about an axia
15 parallel to the longit~ n:~l direction of the handle.
However, by using thermoplastic rubber or similar
material for the handle which allows limited torsional
twisting ,v- -nt, the handle can accommodate swaying
-v~ ~nt of the case as the case is carried without the
20 gripping portion turning in the hand of the user. The
construction of the handle therefore makes the case more
comfortable to carry than it would be if the handle was
made of rigid inflexible material.
As stated previously, the central latch 25 is
located underneath the handle between the gripping
portion and the wall of the case. As the handle is
fixed and does not pivot about a longitllrl1n~l axis at
the points where it is fixed to the case, the access to
the central latch is restricted. The central latch is
constructed to facilitate operation in this re~tricted
envi~o- -nt. Figures l9 and 20 show the central latch
construction in detail.
The central latch comprises a base portion 160
which is secured in a recess 161 in the outside of the
base shell of the ca~e on the front wall below the
handle. A claw portion 162 is pivotally connected to
W096/02~24 71 8 ~9 PCT~S95/09741
the base portion by pins 163 which fit into elongated slots 164
on side flanges 165 of the base portion. The claw
portion 162 is also linked to the base portion by pins
166 which have a common axis parallel to the pins 163 and are
mounted in lugs 167 on the claw portion. The pins 166
project into L-shaped slots 168 in the side flanges 165.
The main portion of the slot 168 extends parallel to the
slot 164. At the end of the slot 168 closest to the
edge of the case is a sideways extension 169. The
extension extends away from the case wall approximately
at right angles to the main portion of the slot. The
pins 166 and 163 cooperate with the slots 164 and 168 to
guide the claw portion between the closed position and
the open position of the latch. When the latch is
opened, the pin 163 i8 at the upper end of the slot 164
nearest the edge of the case. The pin 166 is in the
portion of the slot 169. Thus, the hook portion 170 of
the claw is tilted away from the edge of the case. As
the claw portion is moved downwardly, the pin 166 moves
into the main portion of the slot 168 causing the claw
portion to pivot about the pins 163 and the hook portion
170 to move towards the wall of the lid shell and engage
in a recess 171. Further -~ t of the claw portion
downwardly causes the pin 166 to move down the slot 168
and the pin 163 to move the slot 164 80 that
translational 5v~ A~t of the claw portion towards the
base shell is achieved without substantial rotation of
the claw portion about the pivot pin 163. The lid shell
is thus drawn towards the base shell as the case is
closed.
The movement of the claw portion described above is
effected by a means of an operating lever 180 which is
pivoted to the base portion by a pivot pin 181 which
passes through lugs 182 on the operating lever and
through the side flanges 165 of the base portion. The
pivot pin i8 parallel to the pins 163 and 166. The
lever 180 includes a gripping portion 183 which is
WO 96/02~24 PCT/US95/09741 ~
8 4~
-- 20
accommodated in a cut-out 184 in the claw portion 162.
A shaft 185 passes through the lugs 182 on the
underside of the lever and carries at its outer ends two
roller8 186 which engage cam surfaces 187 on the claw
portion. A spring 189 acts between the base portion and
the lever 180 to bias its 80 as to pivot about the pin
181 away from the wall of the case. To close the latch,
the user presses the gripping portion 183 towards the
wall of the case and the lever pivots against the action
of the spring 189 towards the base portion. The
v. ^nt of the levers causes the rollers 184 in
engagement with the cam surfaces 187 to swing in an arc
towards the base and run down the cam surfaces. The cam
surfaces are shaped 80 that the ends closest to the base
portion are closer to the edge of the case than the
portions which are furthest from the case wall. In
consequence, as the rollers run down the cam surfaces
187, the claw portion is drawn downwardly causing it to
execute first a rotational --v. -nt around the pivot
pins 163 and then a translational _ v~ ^nt drawing the
two shells together. A catch 190 is provided in the
lower end of the gripping portion of the lever 180 which
functions in a similar manner to the catch 50 of the
latches 23 and 24 to hold the lever in the closed
position. To release the latch and open the case, the
catch 190 is first released and the lever 180 is pulled
outwardly, assisted by the spring 189 to allow the claw
portion to move upwardly releasing the tightening
pressure on the two shells and then to rotate outwardly
lifting the hook portion 170 outer of the recess 171.
It will be appreciated that the latch construction
allows fastening and unfastening of the latch in the
confined region of the handle 21.
Figure 5 shows a panel 200 which divides the space
within the lid shell 11 from the space within the base
W096/02424 ~ PCT~S9~/09741
1~18~
- 21 -
shell 12. The panel 200 is hinged at its back edge 201
to the inside of the back wall of the case. At both
ends of the front edge of the panel 200 is a loop 202
formed by a plastic moulding. The moulding includes a
bar portion 205 connected to the panel by two strap
portions 206 at each end.
On the inside of the lid shell near the corners
between the front wall and the end walls are clips 210
which cooperate with the loops 202.
Each clip comprises a base portion 220 which is
secured to the lid shell by screws 221. A hook or
bracket portion 222 is supported from the base portion.
The bar 205 of the loop portion can be hooked over the
hook portion 202 to secure the front edge of the panel
200 to the lid shell.
A resilient detent 223 extends into the entrance of
the bight 224 of the hook portion to prevent the bar
accidentally c~ing off the hook. The detent comprises
a tongue carried by a resilient bracket 225. The tongue
forms a constriction in the mouth to the bight. The
re~ilience of the bracket 225 causes the tongue to
engage the back of the bracket 222. A gripping portion
226 is formed on the bracket 225. To widen the
constriction in the entrance to the bight and allow the
loop to be removed from the hook 222, the user presses
on the gripping portion 226 to displace the tongue away
from the hook portion 222 against the resilient action
of the bracket 225. The base portion of the clip is
formed with projecting portions or cheeks 228 on either
~ide of the bracket 225 which projects as far as the
gripping portion 226 to prevent the contents of the case
being able to depress the gripping portion and thus
accidentally allow the loop to come off the hook.
The clip 220 may be formed as a single moulding or
W096/02424 ` '' PCT~S9S109741 -
- 22 -
as a two-piece moulding as illustrated in Figure 23.
The construction of the catch mechanism de~cribed
above enables the panel to be attached to the lid shell
or released using single h~n~e~ operation.
It will be appreciated that the luggage case
described above has various novel features which may be
used together as in the embodiment or separately.
