Abstract:
An article of luggage suitable for use as a seat has a resilient frame that defines top, bottom and side portions of the article, and a brace coupled to the frame and configured to resist displacement of the top portion of the article towards the bottom portion when the article rests on its bottom portion and a user sits on the top portion. Also a method of manufacturing such an article of luggage.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to an article of luggage suitable for use as a seat and to a method of manufacturing such an article. 
       BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Articles of luggage such as suitcases are typically designed to be as lightweight as possible, in order to maximize the weight of the contents of the articles of luggage that can be carried without exceeding weight limits imposed by airlines. 
         [0003]    It has been observed that users of articles of luggage such as suitcases often use them as seats, which can cause premature failure of such articles of luggage. 
         [0004]    There is thus a need for an article of luggage suitable for use as a seat, but which is not significantly heavier than existing articles of luggage. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an article of luggage suitable for use as a seat and comprising a resilient frame that defines top, bottom and side portions of the article, and at least one brace coupled to the frame and configured to resist displacement of the top portion of the article towards the bottom portion when the article rests on its bottom portion and a user sits on the top portion. 
         [0006]    The resilient frame is preferably rectangular and defines top, bottom and side surfaces of the article. 
         [0007]    The resilient frame also defines front and rear openings bounded by the top, bottom and side portions of the article. 
         [0008]    The at least one brace is preferably arranged across an opening defined by the frame. In this way, the maximum size of object that can be accommodated in the article for a given volume of the article is increased relative to that which could be accommodated if the at least one brace were arranged inside the frame. 
         [0009]    The at least one brace may advantageously define a channel or be tubular, so as to provide rigidity of the at least one brace without significantly increasing the mass of the article. 
         [0010]    Where the at least one brace defines a channel or is tubular, it may advantageously form a guide for a retractable towing handle assembly. 
         [0011]    In preferred embodiments, the article comprises first and second braces arranged parallel to one another across an opening defined by the frame. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment the resilient frame is moulded, preferably from plastics materials and preferably as an endless band. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment the resilient frame is formed from a strip of material that is bent into shape and the ends of the strip joined to one another to form an endless band. 
         [0014]    The strip of material may advantageously be provided by a row of tubes that are joined to one another along their sidewalls and run parallel to one another along the length of the strip of material. In this way the strip of material provides resilience but has a relatively low density. 
         [0015]    The article may advantageously further comprise a reinforcing loop coupled to the resilient frame. 
         [0016]    While it is envisaged that the reinforcing loop could run around an exterior or interior surface of the resilient frame, in one embodiment of the invention the reinforcing loop is arranged adjacent to an edge of the resilient frame and surrounds an opening defined by the resilient frame. 
         [0017]    Where the at least one brace is arranged across an opening defined by the frame, the reinforcing loop preferably surrounds the other of front and rear openings defined by the frame. 
         [0018]    The reinforcing loop may advantageously be moulded, preferably from plastics materials and preferably as an endless band. 
         [0019]    Alternatively, or in addition, the reinforcing loop may be formed from metal. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment the reinforcing loop is formed of a metal tube that is bent into shape and the ends of the tube joined to one another to form a closed figure. 
         [0021]    In preferred embodiments the article further comprises a fabric cover that encloses the frame and the at least one brace and covers front and rear openings defined by the frame. 
         [0022]    The reinforcing loop may advantageously be coupled to the resilient frame by attachment to a component to which the resilient frame is attached. 
         [0023]    In preferred embodiments, the reinforcing loop is attached by a first fastener to a foot of the article, and the foot is attached by a second fastener to the resilient frame. 
         [0024]    Where the article comprises the fabric cover, the reinforcing loop may alternatively or additionally be coupled to the resilient frame by means of fabric loops attached to portions of the fabric cover adjacent to the resilient frame, and/or by means of fabric loops attached to the resilient frame. 
         [0025]    The article may advantageously further comprise a reinforcement board located adjacent to the resilient frame such that when the article rests on its bottom portion the reinforcement board underlies the resilient frame. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, the at least one brace is received in a flanged socket and the flanged socket is fastened to the reinforcement board. 
         [0027]    According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an article of luggage suitable for use as a seat, the method comprising providing a resilient frame that that defines top, bottom and side portions of the article, and coupling at least one brace to the frame in a configuration that resists displacement of the top portion of the article towards the bottom portion when the article rests on its bottom portion and a user sits on the top portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the attached drawing figures, in which: 
           [0029]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of some parts of a first embodiment of an article of luggage in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is an assembled view of the parts of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the article of luggage of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is an assembled view of some parts of a second embodiment of an article of luggage in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    The article of luggage of  FIG. 1  is a so-called underseat suitcase  10  comprising a resilient frame in the form of an extruded polypropylene (PP) board  12  bent into a square closed figure, a brace in the form of a retractable towing handle assembly  14  and a reinforcing loop in the form of an aluminium tube  16  bent into a square closed figure. The suitcase  10  also comprises an extruded PP reinforcement board  18  that stiffens the underside of the suitcase. 
         [0034]    The extruded PP board  12  consists of a row of parallel tubes with neighbouring tubes joined along their walls. The board  12  is around  75  mm wide and has a length of around 1320 mm. It is bent into a square shape with rounded corners, each side of the square being around 330 mm in length and the ends of the board  12  meeting at a join  34  in the middle of one side of the square and being taped together. 
         [0035]    The retractable towing handle assembly  14  is of conventional construction, comprising first and second aluminium tubes  20  and  22  held in upper and lower PP moulded brackets  24  and  26 , the first and second tubes  20  and  22  accommodating respective first and second telescopic bars  28  and  30  joined by a handle  32 . The upper and lower brackets  24  and  26  are flanged to enable them to be fastened by bolts or rivets to other components of the suitcase as described in more detail below. 
         [0036]    The aluminium tube  16  is of circular cross section with a diameter of around 10 mm. It is bent into a square shape with rounded corners and is of the same dimensions as the square shape formed by the board  12 . The ends of the tube  16  meet at a join  36  in the middle of one side of the square and are taped together. 
         [0037]    The extruded PP reinforcement board  18  is of similar construction to the extruded PP board  12 , having a row of parallel tubes with neighbouring tubes being joined along their walls. The reinforcement board  18  is around 290 mm long and around 170 mm wide, but with rectangular cutouts at the corners of one long side to accommodate the wheels (not shown) of the suitcase. 
         [0038]    The suitcase  10  is assembled by placing the reinforcing loop  16  against a front opening formed by the bent extruded PP board  12  with the joins  34  and  36  between their ends adjacent to one another. The sides of the loop  16  and the board  12  that include the joins  34  and  36  form the bottom portion of the suitcase. The board  12  and loop  16  are coupled to one another by means of four bolts (not shown, but the holes for receiving the bolts are shown, denoted by reference numerals  38 ,  40 ,  42  and  44 ), one at each end of the sides of the board  12  and loop  16  that include the joins  34  and  36 . The bolts pass through either the loop  16  or the board  12  and into one of first and second feet  45  and  47 , on which the suitcase  10  stands when it rests on its bottom portion. The reinforcement board  18  underlies the sides of the board  12  and loop  16  that include the joins  34  and  36 . While the reinforcement board  18  is not attached to the loop  16  and board  12 , it is kept in tight engagement with them by a fabric cover (not shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  but shown in  FIG. 3 , denoted by reference numeral  62 ) of the suitcase. The retractable towing handle assembly  14  is placed against a rear opening formed by the bent extruded PP board  12 . The lower moulded bracket  26  is fastened by rivets (not shown, but the holes for receiving the rivets are shown, denoted by reference numerals  46 ,  48 ,  50  and  52 ) to the reinforcement board  18 . The upper moulded bracket  24  is fastened by rivets (not shown, but the holes for receiving the rivets are shown, denoted by reference numerals  54 ,  56 ,  58  and  60 ) to the side of the board  12  opposite that side which includes the join  34 . 
         [0039]    Turning to  FIG. 3 , this shows the fabric cover  62  placed over the parts shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The fabric cover  62  is generally of conventional construction, having a hinged lid portion  64  with a zip fastener adjacent to the front opening of the board  12  to allow access to the interior of the suitcase  10 . The fabric cover  62  differs from conventional fabric covers in that it is provided with fabric loops (not shown) on its internal surface, the loops being located such that when the fabric cover  62  is placed over the parts shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  a fabric loop is available for each side of the loop  16  except that side which includes the join  36 , the fabric loops serving to hold the loop  16  adjacent to the front opening of the board  12 . 
         [0040]    Two further fabric loops (not shown) are fastened by rivets to the side of the board  12  opposite to that side which includes the join  34 . The two further fabric loops also serve to hold the loop  16  adjacent to the front opening of the board  12 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 4  also shows parts of a so-called underseat suitcase  110  but the resilient frame of this suitcase is constituted by an acrylonitrile butadiene stryrene (ABS) moulding  112  in the form of a square closed figure with rounded corners. The retractable towing handle assembly  114  and reinforcement board  128  are identical to those of  FIGS. 1 to 3  but the reinforcing loop  16  is not present, the ABS moulding  112  in conjunction with the retractable towing handle assembly  114  being sufficiently resilient to support the weight of a user sitting on the suitcase  110  without significant displacement of the top portion of the ABS moulding  112  towards the bottom portion. 
         [0042]    It will be apparent that the above description relates only to two embodiments of the invention and that the invention encompasses other embodiments as defined by the claims set out hereafter.