A new type of aluminum suitcase

Abstract

The application relates to a novel aluminum luggage case, belonging to the technical field of luggage cases, which comprises two hinge-connected box bodies, the box body comprising: five panels, including a main plate and two side plates and two horizontal plates arranged around the main plate, the two side plates being oppositely arranged, the two horizontal plates being oppositely arranged, and the side plates and the horizontal plates forming a circumferential frame structure around the main plate; a plurality of arc-shaped plates, each of which is connected between two adjacent panels, so that the main plate, the side plate and the horizontal plate are smoothly and transitionally connected through the arc-shaped plates; and a plurality of corner covers which are circular-arc-shaped structures and are fixedly arranged at the corner parts of the box body surrounded by the side plates, the horizontal plates and the adjacent arc-shaped plates; wherein the panels and the arc-shaped plates are fixedly connected through rivets, the corner covers are located at the outermost side of the box body, and the panels are located at the innermost side of the box body. The application has the effect of reducing the development and production costs in the early stage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to luggage, and more particularly to a novel aluminum luggage. Background Technology

[0002] As an essential tool for daily travel and business trips, the structure of a suitcase directly determines its durability, safety, and aesthetics. Currently, the mainstream rigid suitcase frames on the market are mainly divided into two categories: plastic frames represented by PC and ABS, and metal frames represented by aluminum alloy. Aluminum frame suitcases (or aluminum-magnesium alloy suitcases) are usually manufactured using a "one-piece stamping" process. This process involves pressing a whole sheet of aluminum into shape in a specially designed and manufactured high-precision mold using a large-tonnage stamping machine, resulting in a complete, seamless or minimally seam-bound frame body.

[0003] However, this "one-piece stamping" process relies on specialized molds. Each new suitcase size, shape, or curved surface design requires a completely new, perfectly matched stamping die. These molds are typically complex in structure and require extremely high precision, necessitating significant financial and time investment in their development, design, and manufacturing. This high "mold cost" constitutes the largest sunk cost in new product development, ultimately factoring into the selling price of individual products, resulting in high prices for new aluminum-framed suitcases. To reduce mold costs, manufacturers often tend to mass-produce single styles, struggling to respond to market demands for small-batch, personalized, and rapidly iterating suitcase designs, as developing new molds is both economically and temporally impractical. This leads to a conservative product strategy among suitcase brands, hindering innovation within the industry.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a new luggage structure that can retain the core advantages of aluminum frame (aluminum-magnesium alloy) luggage, such as durability, high-end appearance, and fundamentally overcome the dependence on large-scale special molds, significantly reduce the early development and production costs, and improve the flexibility of product design and market responsiveness. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a new type of aluminum suitcase to reduce the initial development and production costs of suitcases.

[0006] This application provides a novel aluminum suitcase, which adopts the following technical solution: it includes:

[0007] Two mating and connected enclosures, the enclosures comprising:

[0008] Five panels, including a main board and two side panels and a horizontal panel arranged around the main board, the two side panels are arranged opposite to each other, the two horizontal panels are arranged opposite to each other, and the side panels and horizontal panels surround the main board to form a circumferential frame structure.

[0009] Multiple curved plates, each of which is connected between two adjacent panels, so that the main board, the side plate, and the horizontal plate are smoothly connected through the curved plates;

[0010] Multiple corner protectors, which are arc-shaped structures, are respectively fixedly installed at the corners of the box body formed by the side plates, the horizontal plates and the adjacent arc-shaped plates;

[0011] The panel and the arc-shaped plate are fixedly connected by rivets, the corner is located on the outermost side of the box, and the panel is located on the innermost side of the box.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, and assembling the suitcase into independent components such as panels, curved panels, and corner protectors, the absolute dependence on large, specialized, and high-cost stamping dies is completely eliminated. This eliminates the need for huge investments in mold costs when developing new suitcase styles, greatly reducing the financial threshold and risk of new product development. At the same time, this modular design provides the product with extremely high design flexibility, allowing for the rapid creation of new suitcases by replacing components of different shapes, significantly shortening the product development cycle and making small-batch, personalized production possible. Furthermore, connecting the panels and curved panels separately with rivets to form a smooth transition, and then adding corner protectors at the outermost corners, creates a layered and structurally stable suitcase, giving the suitcase a unique modular aesthetic appearance.

[0013] Optionally, the middle part of the cross-section of the arc-shaped plate is an outwardly convex arc-shaped surface, and the two sides of the arc-shaped plate are flat parts for connection. The flat parts are provided with receiving grooves for embedding the side plate edges of the panel.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the receiving groove provides a precise and reliable assembly structure between the panel and the curved plate, so that the two form a stable structure. This effectively ensures that even without large molds to guarantee the precision of one-piece molding, the assembled box can still have excellent integrity, flatness and connection strength, overcoming the defects such as looseness and misalignment that may be caused by the split structure.

[0015] Optionally, the receiving groove is formed by an integrally formed protrusion on the inner wall of the arc-shaped plate and the flat portion.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the protruding rib serves as an assembly positioning reference, further simplifying the assembly process and improving assembly accuracy and efficiency, thus meeting the needs of low-cost and rapid manufacturing. Secondly, the protruding rib itself acts as a reinforcing rib, significantly enhancing the local strength and rigidity of the curved plate at key connection points, ensuring the durability of the enclosure.

[0017] Optionally, the inner surface of the arc-shaped plate is provided with reinforcing ribs, which are parallel to the length direction of the arc-shaped plate.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solutions, the box's resistance to bending and deformation is increased.

[0019] Optionally, the wrapping corner includes a central spherical surface and arcuate surfaces extending from the central spherical surface in three directions. The curvature of the arcuate surfaces is adapted to the curvature of the arcuate plate, so that the arcuate surfaces can cover and fix the outer side of the corresponding arcuate plate.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the rounded surface of the corner protector, which matches the curvature of the curved plate, allows the corner protector to cover and protect the most vulnerable corner seams of the enclosure. This not only improves the impact resistance of the enclosure, but more importantly, it cleverly wraps around the joints of multiple independent components, forming a complete and smooth appearance and eliminating the seam defects that may result from the assembly structure.

[0021] Optionally, two adjacent arc surfaces are connected by an extended surface, which is in contact with the outer surface of the side plate or the cross plate.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the mechanical properties and assembly effect of the corner protector are further optimized. It increases the contact and connection area between the corner protector and the main body of the enclosure, effectively distributing the impact force received at the corner to a larger area of ​​the enclosure structure, such as the side panels / horizontal panels, thus avoiding stress concentration. At the same time, this also makes the installation of the corner protector more stable and the appearance transition smoother and more natural.

[0023] Optionally, the housing further includes a middle frame, which surrounds the periphery of the panel and is fixedly connected to the panel and / or the curved plate by rivets.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the stability and structural strength of the box are further increased by utilizing the middle frame.

[0025] Optionally, the outer surface of the panel is covered with a decorative layer.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solutions, the decorative layer can significantly expand design flexibility. The panel is a separately manufactured flat plate, and its surface treatment is far less difficult and costly than processing a unibody molded box with complex three-dimensional curved surfaces. This allows companies to achieve a wide variety of surface effects and personalized patterns at a lower cost and faster speed, greatly satisfying the market's differentiated demands.

[0027] Optionally, the panel, the curved plate, and the corner protector are all made of aluminum or its alloy.

[0028] Optionally, the bottom of the box is provided with two roller assemblies instead of two corner protectors; the roller assembly includes a base fixed to the box, a support frame inserted into the base, and a wheel rotatably connected to the support frame;

[0029] The base has a recessed relief groove on the side facing the inside of the box. The relief groove has an arc surface with a 1 / 4 circle outline. The rotation axis of the support frame is located at the center of the arc surface, and the center of the arc surface coincides with the axis of the arc plate.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, when the roller assembly is subjected to force, the load-bearing force is concentrated on the arc plate with stronger load-bearing capacity, and the arc plate is evenly subjected to force.

[0031] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0032] 1. All components can be manufactured using molds with relatively simple structures and significantly reduced costs. This greatly reduces the initial cost of new product development, enabling companies to launch a wider variety of products at a lower cost.

[0033] 2. In traditional integrated enclosures, partial damage often renders the entire enclosure unusable. However, the modular structure of this application allows for individual replacement of damaged components, significantly improving product maintainability and reducing long-term operating costs for users.

[0034] 3. The overall strength, rigidity, and durability of the enclosure are ensured through the use of curved plate receiving grooves, reinforcing ribs, and riveting structures. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal structure of the box according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the curved surface section used in this application embodiment;

[0038] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the roller assembly in an embodiment of this application.

[0040] In the diagram, 100 is the housing; 1 is the front panel; 11 is the main board; 12 is the side panel; 13 is the horizontal panel; 2 is the curved panel; 21 is the curved surface; 22 is the flat surface; 23 is the receiving groove; 24 is the protruding ridge; 25 is the reinforcing rib; 3 is the corner protector; 31 is the central spherical surface; 32 is the arc surface; 33 is the extension surface; 4 is the middle frame; 5 is the roller assembly; 51 is the base; 52 is the support frame; 53 is the wheel; and 54 is the clearance groove. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 5 This application will be described in further detail below.

[0042] This embodiment provides a novel aluminum suitcase, referring to... Figure 1 It includes two housings 100 connected by hinges and locks.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 The suitcase body 100 mainly includes five panels 1 (the entire suitcase has ten panels 1), multiple curved panels 2, multiple corner protectors 3, a middle frame 4, and a wheel assembly 5.

[0044] Panel 1 forms the main outline of the enclosure, which includes a main board 11, two oppositely arranged side panels 12, and two oppositely arranged horizontal panels 13. The side panels 12 and horizontal panels 13 surround the main board to form a circumferential frame structure, with the side panels 12 being the long side of the enclosure 100 and the horizontal panels 13 being the short side of the enclosure 100.

[0045] The main panel 11, side panel 12, and horizontal panel 13 are made of stamped aluminum alloy sheet. For aesthetic purposes, a decorative layer is applied to the outer surface of panel 1. This decorative layer is either bonded to a film with adhesive, or fixedly attached by spraying, anodizing, or lamination. The decorative layer greatly expands design flexibility. Manufacturers can achieve a wide variety of surface effects and personalized patterns at lower costs and faster speeds, greatly satisfying the differentiated needs of the market and the customization requirements of buyers. Panel 1 can also be made of materials such as PC, ABS, and PE, catering to customized production for high, medium, and low-end groups.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 The curved plate 2 is used to connect two adjacent panels 1. The curved plate 2 is preferably manufactured using an extruded aluminum profile process, and its length direction is parallel to the edge line of the box.

[0047] Specifically, see Figure 2 and Figure 3The cross-section of the arc-shaped plate 2 has an outwardly protruding arc-shaped portion 21 in the middle, and flat portions 22 on both sides for connection. The radius of the arc-shaped portion 21 of the arc-shaped plate 2 is preferably 15~18mm, and is 15mm in this embodiment. The flat portion 22 is provided with a receiving groove 23 for embedding the edge of the panel 1. More preferably, the receiving groove 23 is formed by the integral extrusion of a protruding rib 24 on the inner wall of the arc-shaped plate 2 and the flat portion 22 together. The protruding rib 24 not only participates in the formation of the receiving groove 23, but also acts as a reinforcing rib. To further improve the strength, several parallel reinforcing ribs 25 are also extruded along the length direction on the inner surface of the arc-shaped plate 2.

[0048] The assembly process of panel 1 and curved plate 2 is as follows: Align the edges of panel 1 and insert them into the corresponding receiving grooves 23, and then use rivets to pass through the pre-drilled holes to firmly rivet and fix the two together. This connection method allows the main board 11, side panel 12, and horizontal plate 13 to be smoothly connected through the curved plate 2, forming a sturdy and aesthetically pleasing main frame of the box.

[0049] See Figure 1 and Figure 4 The corner protector 3 has an arc-shaped structure and is fixedly installed at the corner of the box body, which is surrounded by the side plate 12, the horizontal plate 13, and the adjacent arc-shaped plate 2. The corner protector 3 is located on the outermost layer of the box body and is used to protect the corner of the box.

[0050] Specifically, the corner protector 3 includes a central spherical surface 31 and arcuate surfaces 32 extending from the central spherical surface 31 in three directions. The curvature of the arcuate surface 32 matches the curvature of the outer surface of the arcuate plate 2, so that when the corner protector 3 is installed, the arcuate surface 32 can precisely cover and fit the outer side of the corresponding arcuate plate 2. An extension surface 33 connects adjacent arcuate surfaces 32, and this extension surface 33 fits into the outer surface of the side plate 12 or the horizontal plate 13. During installation, the corner protector 3 is fixed by riveting multiple rivets through the corner of the panel 1. The extension surface 33 can be set as a rectangle, sector, triangle, etc., as needed; in this embodiment, 3 / 4 of a circle is selected.

[0051] See Figure 2 The middle frame 4 is a rectangular frame that surrounds the perimeter of the panel 1. The middle frame 4 is fixedly connected to the side panels 12 and the cross panels 13 by multiple sets of rivets. The introduction of the middle frame 4 greatly enhances the overall rigidity and stability of the entire housing 100 and provides a solid base for the subsequent installation of hinges, locks, etc.

[0052] See Figure 5There are two roller assemblies 5, installed on the lower part of one of the horizontal plates 13 of the suitcase body 100. Each roller assembly 5 includes a base 51 fixed to the outer surface of the side plate 12 of the suitcase body by riveting, a support frame 52 inserted into the base 51, and a wheel 53 rotatably connected to the support frame 52 by a pivot pin. The pivot pin is an internal hex bolt, which facilitates the removal and replacement of the wheel 53. The wheel 53 is made of polyurethane material through a casting process, making the suitcase move more smoothly and fluidly, reducing the weight of the suitcase and luggage; in addition, it also significantly improves the quietness and durability.

[0053] Specifically, see Figure 5 The base 51 has a recessed relief groove 54 on the side facing the interior of the housing. The relief groove 54 has a 1 / 4 arc surface in outline, and the rotation axis of the support frame 52 is located at the center of the arc surface. In a preferred embodiment, the center of the arc surface coincides with the center of the arc profile of the adjacent arc plate 2, which not only ensures that the roller rotates smoothly 360 degrees without any interference.

[0054] Reference Figure 1 The suitcase body 100 is equipped with a handle for easy lifting, and a protective cover is fitted on the handle. To make the cover easy to replace, the cover is made of rectangular material, and its ends are fixed with Velcro to form a sleeve shape.

[0055] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: the decorative layer is adhered to panel 1, then panel 1 and curved panel 2 are fixed together with rivets, and then corner protectors 3 are fixed together with rivets. Finally, the middle frame is installed and fixed together with rivets. Hinges, handles, and locks are then installed. By deconstructing the suitcase 100 into independent components such as panel 1, curved panel 2, and corner protectors 3 and assembling them, the absolute dependence on large, specialized, and high-cost stamping dies is completely eliminated. This eliminates the need for huge mold costs when developing new suitcase styles, greatly reducing the financial threshold and risk of new product development. At the same time, this modular design gives the product extremely high design flexibility, allowing for the rapid creation of new suitcases by replacing components of different shapes, significantly shortening the product development cycle and making small-batch, personalized production possible. Furthermore, by connecting the panel and curved panel separately with rivets to form a smooth transition, and then setting corner protectors at the outermost corners, a layered and structurally stable suitcase is constructed, giving the suitcase a unique modular aesthetic appearance.

[0056] The embodiments described in this specific implementation are preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Identical components are represented by the same reference numerals. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A novel aluminum suitcase, characterized in that, include: Two mating enclosures (100), each enclosure (100) comprising: Five panels (1), including a main board (11) and two side panels (12) and a horizontal panel (13) arranged around the main board (11), the two side panels (12) are arranged opposite to each other, the two horizontal panels (13) are arranged opposite to each other, and the side panels (12) and the horizontal panels (13) form a circumferential frame structure around the main board (11); Multiple curved plates (2), each of the curved plates (2) is connected between two adjacent panels (1) so that the main plate (11), the side plate (12) and the horizontal plate (13) are smoothly connected through the curved plates (2); Multiple corner protectors (3), which are arc-shaped structures, are fixedly installed at the corners of the box (100) formed by the side plate (12), the horizontal plate (13) and the adjacent arc plate (2); The panel (1) and the arc plate (2) are fixedly connected by rivets, the corner (3) is located on the outermost side of the box (100), and the panel (1) is located on the innermost side of the box (100).

2. The novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that, The middle part of the cross section of the arc plate (2) is an outwardly protruding arc surface (21), and the two sides of the arc plate (2) are flat parts (22) for connection. The flat parts (22) are provided with receiving grooves (23) for embedding the edge of the side plate (12) of the panel (1).

3. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 2, characterized in that, The receiving groove (23) is formed by the integrally formed protrusion (24) on the inner wall of the arc plate (2) and the flat part (22).

4. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner surface of the arc plate (2) is provided with reinforcing ribs (25), which are parallel to the length direction of the arc plate (2).

5. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wrapping angle (3) includes a central spherical surface (31) and arc surfaces (32) extending from the central spherical surface (31) in three directions. The curvature of the arc surface (32) is adapted to the curvature of the arc plate (2), so that the arc surface (32) can cover and fix the corresponding arc plate (2) to the outside.

6. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 5, characterized in that, The two adjacent arc surfaces (32) are connected by an extension surface (33), which is in contact with the outer surface of the side plate (12) or the cross plate (13).

7. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (100) also includes a middle frame (4), which is arranged around the periphery of the panel (1) and is fixedly connected to the panel (1) and / or the arc plate (2) by rivets.

8. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the panel (1) is covered with a decorative layer.

9. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 1, characterized in that, The panel (1), the arc plate (2), and the corner protector (3) are all made of aluminum or its alloy.

10. A novel aluminum suitcase according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the housing (100) is provided with two roller assemblies (5) instead of two corner protectors (3); the roller assembly (5) includes a base (51) fixed to the housing (100), a support frame (52) inserted into the base (51) and a wheel (53) rotatably connected to the support frame (52). The base (51) has a recessed relief groove (54) on the side facing the inside of the box (100). The relief groove (54) has an arc surface with a 1 / 4 circle outline. The rotation axis of the support frame (52) is located at the center of the arc surface, and the center of the arc surface coincides with the axis of the arc plate (2).

Images