Piece of luggage and method for producing same

Abstract

The invention relates to a piece of luggage (1), in particular a piece of hand luggage, further preferably a piece of check-in luggage, having an in particular cuboidal housing body (2), wherein a top cover (6) is formed on which vertically spaced compartments (7, 8, 9) are suspended in the housing body, wherein the compartments are designed to be flexibly expandable and compressable in terms of their height, and the cover is arranged on a cover linear-guide module (23) which is designed with a cover linear-guide (11) with a locking mechanism (12) so as to be lockable in the vertical direction in at least two positions such that the height of the compartments is compressed in a first position and expanded in a second position, wherein the first position is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin) of the compartments and the second position is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax) of the compartments, wherein the piece of luggage is designed with a trolley handle (31) and with a lockable trolley handle linear-guide (68), wherein the trolley handle linear-guide (68) is concentric to an entire cover linear-guide (11), or parts thereof, of the height-adjustable and lockable cover (6).

Description

[0001] Piece of luggage and method of manufacturing the same

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The invention relates to a piece of luggage, in particular a piece of hand luggage, more preferably a piece of checked luggage, and a method for producing the same.

[0004] Luggage is known as checked baggage, in the form of suitcases, which, especially as free baggage, must meet certain maximum dimensions or weights in order to be carried on airline aircraft.

[0005] These suitcases usually have two half-shells that open at the front. The luggage to be transported within them must be loaded and unloaded into these half-shells when the two shell halves are fully opened. To push the suitcase upright on two or four wheels, the suitcase is rotated at right angles one or more times. This can cause the individual items to be transported in the suitcase to be mixed and jumbled together. The suitcase is also rotated several times during transport from the check-in area to the aircraft and back to the collection belt at the destination.

[0006] A trolley case is known with a trolley handle and a lid that can be extended vertically in height and locked, with compartments that can be compressed in height being arranged hanging on the lid in the trolley case housing.

[0007] Carry-on luggage is also known as carry-on luggage in the form of carry-on suitcases and backpacks. Carry-on suitcases are generally opened and closed in the same way as large carry-on suitcases.

[0008] Backpacks are usually loaded from the top or have a lid. Items to be transported are stacked on top of each other, so they have to be removed again at the destination in the hotel room to access the item of clothing or other items. If too few items are transported, the result is a mess. Carry-on luggage is permitted in the passenger cabin of an aircraft if it adheres to certain maximum dimensions and weights. Such carry-on luggage is designed for a maximum total weight of approximately 10 kg.

[0009] It is an object of the invention to provide a piece of luggage and a method for producing the same, so that order of objects is created when stored in the piece of luggage and is also maintained during a journey, the objects are easily accessible and the piece of luggage is as light as possible.

[0010] The problem is solved by the independent claims. Further embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

[0011] One solution to the problem therefore comprises a piece of luggage with a housing body, in particular a cuboid-shaped one, wherein an upper lid is formed, on which vertically spaced compartments are suspended in the housing body, wherein the compartments are designed to be flexible and compressible in height, and the lid is arranged on a lid linear guide module which is designed to be lockable in at least two positions in the vertical direction by means of a lid linear guide with a locking mechanism, so that the compartments are compressed in height in a first position and expanded in a second position, wherein the first position is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin) of the compartments and the second position is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax) of the compartments.

[0012] This creates a compressible and expandable, mobile shelf unit, similar to a mobile wall cabinet.

[0013] This creates an order that is maintained for the objects during transport by the compartments. The compression and expansion of the compartments means that the objects can be easily reached and used directly when the compartments are expanded. The compression means the objects are stored securely and the space required by the luggage is minimized. To ensure that the objects are kept even better and secure, a drawer is inserted into at least one compartment. In the closed, first position of the lid, the drawer can be clamped to the floor above the compartment by its weight and the variable height of the compartment, and in the open, second position of the lid, the drawer can be loosely and freely removed.

[0014] In order to make the luggage lightweight and cost-effective, the locking mechanism comprises two parallel telescopic rod systems and the lid is arranged on an inner telescopic rod of the telescopic rod system.

[0015] In order to provide easy, quick access to the luggage and the compartments, a front cover is designed to pivot backwards around an upper axis towards the back of the housing body.

[0016] To ensure that the luggage can also accommodate easily accessible items with pockets on the inside, the front cover is designed to pivot forward around a lower, front edge on the bottom of the case. Pockets for storing items are provided, particularly on the inside.

[0017] According to an alternative embodiment, in order to achieve easy access to the front of the checked baggage, the front cover is designed to be pivotable backwards about a lateral axis, to the right or preferably to the left, to the corresponding front side of the housing body.

[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment, in order to save material resources and weight, the lid is an outer lid that closes the piece of luggage.

[0019] In order to ensure that the piece of luggage can be closed compactly and uniformly, in particular by means of a zipper, the lid is an inner lid in the housing space, which is covered by the front lid when closed.

[0020] Preferably, the piece of luggage, in particular as hand luggage, particularly preferably as checked luggage, is provided, wherein the piece of luggage is designed with a trolley handle and with a lockable trolley handle linear guide, wherein the trolley handle linear guide is designed concentrically to all or part of the lid linear guide of the height-adjustable and lockable lid.

[0021] This makes the luggage lighter and allows it to be manufactured with fewer components, thus conserving resources and requiring fewer manufacturing steps. The overall design allows for a more compact design.

[0022] This creates a piece of luggage with a trolley function with as few components as possible, making it as light as possible and requiring less luggage space.

[0023] A piece of luggage with trolley function is created with as few components as possible and thus as light as possible and with reduced luggage space requirements.

[0024] To ensure handling as simple, understandable, and safe as possible, the lid linear guide with the locking mechanism for the lid has a separate actuating element that is distinct from a trolley actuating button of the trolley handle's locking mechanism. Preferably, therefore, at least one actuating element is provided for determining the position of the lid, and a trolley actuating button is designed to lock the trolley handle.

[0025] Preferably, the lid linear guide and the trolley handle linear guide together form a system of mutually concentric telescopic rails with three parts, wherein the lid linear guide comprises the lowest and middle telescopic rails and the trolley handle linear guide comprises the upper, innermost telescopic rails, wherein the lid is arranged or can be arranged at the upper end of the middle telescopic rails and the trolley handle is arranged at the upper, innermost telescopic rails. Thus, the lid linear guide and the trolley linear guide can be manufactured separately or as a system cost-effectively using as many standard components as possible.

[0026] Further preferably, the piece of luggage is designed as a suitcase, and by means of the actuating element, which is designed in particular as a lid actuating button, the middle, linear-dynamic telescopic rail can be locked in the static, lower telescopic rail, and the uppermost, dynamic telescopic rail of the trolley handle linear guide can be released and locked in the middle dynamic telescopic rail by means of a trolley handle actuating element, independently of the actuating element, so that the locking mechanism of the lid linear guide can be locked independently of the trolley handle linear guide. Thus, at least two pairs of lid linear guides form a base and concentric guide for the trolley handle linear guide. This makes it more compact and can be installed with fewer components.

[0027] More preferably, the lid linear guide comprises four pairs, each with a static lower telescopic rail and a dynamic middle telescopic rail, with each pair assigned to a corner. These four pairs provide stable support for the lid of larger suitcases.

[0028] According to a further preferred embodiment of the checked baggage, the lid on the surrounding edge toward the open sides of the checked baggage, and the surrounding open edge of the checked baggage toward the lid, form a tongue-and-groove seal, which is designed to be locked by means of interlocking locks engaging in external grooves. Thus, the lid can be removed from the lower housing body in just a few quick steps, while the contents of the checked baggage remain securely stored.

[0029] Another preferred option is a carry-on bag with two shoulder straps, designed as a backpack. This makes the backpack-style bag easy to transport. Furthermore, you can reach for the right item at any time during your trip without having to empty the contents onto it, as is the case with conventional backpacks.

[0030] In order to relieve the shoulders during longer journeys and with greater weight and to shift the weight onto the back and pelvis, the piece of luggage is designed with a lap belt, in particular with a height-adjustable chest strap and, more preferably, an ergonomic back cushion is formed on the outer rear wall of the housing body.

[0031] Advantageously, the compressed baggage is designed to the maximum size of a permissible piece of carry-on luggage for transport in the passenger cabin of aircraft according to airline guidelines, specifically with dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 25cm. This allows for quick and cost-effective transport on longer journeys. If there is no heavy luggage at the baggage drop-off counter, boarding and disembarking from the aircraft is faster, as drop-off and pick-up times at the baggage claim are eliminated.

[0032] According to a further preferred embodiment, the compressed piece of luggage is designed to the maximum size of a permissible small piece of hand luggage for the passenger compartment of aircraft according to airline guidelines, i.e., in particular, with dimensions of 40cm x 30cm x 25cm. Thus, the piece of luggage can also be carried in the passenger compartment of aircraft in accordance with the even stricter and usually even tolerated free of charge airline regulations.

[0033] The luggage can be provided with or without a trolley handle and also with or without wheels.

[0034] In order to be able to push or pull the luggage comfortably on the floor, at least two wheels are preferably attached to the floor, more preferably four wheels that can pivot 360° around a vertical axis to the floor.

[0035] The above-described piece of luggage, which is more preferably designed as hand luggage, is arranged so as to be lockable by means of the actuating element, which is more particularly designed as a rotary switch, more preferably as a push button, with the middle, linear-dynamic telescopic rail for determining the position (I, II) of the lid, and the middle dynamic telescopic rail of the lid linear guide and the uppermost dynamic telescopic rail of the trolley handle linear guide are designed so as to be coupled and lockable by means of a trolley handle actuating element, so that the locking mechanism of the lid linear guide can be locked coupled to the trolley handle linear guide, in that the middle and uppermost dynamic telescopic rails can be unlocked and locked, as well as extended and retracted, by means of pulling or pushing force on the trolley handle and upon actuation of the, in particular spring-loaded, trolley handle actuating element.

[0036] This creates a lightweight, compact piece of hand luggage that allows easy access to various items when expanded and keeps items organized when compressed. The number of components is minimized thanks to the dual function of linear guide telescopic rails with corresponding locking mechanisms. To further develop the piece of hand luggage cost-effectively with a simple, cost-effective mechanism, a lid locking module is arranged at the lower and upper ends of the middle telescopic rails, with a plate element at the lower end of the middle telescopic rails and a connecting bracket at the upper end of the middle telescopic rails. The lid can be coupled to the connecting bracket using the actuating element, and the trolley handle is arranged on the upper, innermost telescopic rails.

[0037] To produce a piece of luggage that is as light and durable as possible, at least one side is made of a film laminate made of woven polypropylene material. Particularly preferably, all sides with a raised edge of the luggage are made of woven polypropylene material. Even more preferably, the base and lid are made of woven polypropylene film material, particularly by a deep-drawing process. Woven polypropylene film material is complex to manufacture and requires special manufacturing techniques. Deep-drawing, in particular, requires specialized expertise, as deep-drawing processes are only successful within a narrow thermal process window with defined pressures.

[0038] This also describes a method for producing a piece of luggage with a, in particular, cuboid-shaped, housing body, wherein an upper lid with vertically spaced compartments suspended therefrom is arranged in the housing body on a lid linear guide module, wherein the compartments are inserted into the housing body in a flexible height manner by means of a lid linear guide with a locking mechanism of the lid linear guide module, which can be locked in at least two positions in the vertical direction, expandable and compressible, wherein a trolley handle linear guide is mounted concentrically to all or part of the lid linear guide and a trolley handle is mounted to the lockable trolley handle linear guide. Thus, a lightweight, compact piece of luggage can be produced with which objects can be stored and transported in an orderly manner.

[0039] If the piece of luggage is provided without a trolley handle, in particular as hand luggage, more preferably as checked luggage, it comprises a housing body, in particular a cuboid-shaped one, wherein an upper lid is formed, on which vertically spaced compartments are suspended in the housing body, wherein the compartments are designed to be flexibly expandable and compressible in height, and the lid is arranged on a linear guide module which is designed to be lockable in at least two positions I, II in the vertical direction by a linear guide with a locking mechanism, so that the compartments are compressed in height in a first position I and expanded in a second position II, wherein the first position I is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin) of the compartments and the second position II is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax) of the compartments, wherein the piece of luggage has at least one, preferably two,further preferably three, carrying straps included.,

[0040] This creates a compact piece of luggage that allows items to be transported in a compressed manner, while the items can be inserted and removed more easily by expanding the height of the compartments in the luggage.

[0041] Further special embodiments and advantages are described in more detail in the corresponding description below.

[0042] Short description of the drawings

[0043] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. They show:

[0044] Fig. 1 to 4 four different side views of a piece of checked baggage as a checked baggage suitcase in a vertically expanded state with the trolley handle extended,

[0045] Fig. 5 and 6 a top view and a bottom view of the checked baggage,

[0046] Fig. 7 and 8 the checked baggage from Fig. 1 ff with retracted trolley handle,

[0047] Fig. 9 to 12 the checked baggage from Fig. 1 ff in the closed state,

[0048] Fig. 13 to 16 the checked baggage from Fig. 1 ff with closed housing body and extended trolley handle, Fig. 17 a perspective view of an opened expanded baggage as hand luggage,

[0049] Fig. 18 is a perspective view of an opened expanded piece of luggage with filled drawers in compartments,

[0050] Fig. 19, 21 a left and right side view of the luggage,

[0051] Fig. 20 a front view of the luggage,

[0052] Fig. 22 a section of the front view with raised shoulder straps,

[0053] Fig. 23 is a perspective view in transparent form of a closed compressed piece of luggage,

[0054] Fig. 24, 25 perspective views according to Fig.1 and 2 with extended trolley handle,

[0055] Fig.26, 27 and 29 a linear guide module in three different modes,

[0056] Fig. 28 and 30 a cross section of a locking mechanism of the linear guide module and

[0057] Fig. 31 to 35 an alternative locking mechanism for the lid and

[0058] Fig. 36, 37 and 38 a piece of hand luggage with carrying strap in expanded, compressed and closed perspective view.

[0059] Figure 1 shows the piece of luggage 1 as a piece of checked luggage, with a particularly cuboid-shaped housing body 2 and with a front cover 3 which is designed to be pivotable about an axis 4 to a side 5, here the rear 5, wherein an upper cover 6 is formed, from which vertically spaced compartments 7, 8, 9 are suspended in the housing body. The compartments 7-9 are preferably made of a textile fabric, although the bases 27, 28, 29 can be made of a harder material. The cover 6 is also preferably made of a lightweight hard plastic. The compartments are designed to be flexible and compressible in height.The lid is designed with a linear guide 11 with a locking mechanism 12 in the vertical direction with respect to a base 10 of the housing body 2 in at least two positions I, II, so that the compartments are compressed in height in a first position I and expanded in a second position II, wherein the first position I is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin), see Fig. 13, of the compartments and the second position is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax), see of the compartments.

[0060] Fig. 1 shows the piece of luggage 1 with the compartments 7, 8, 9, into each of which a drawer 17, 18, 19 is inserted, wherein in the closed, first position I of the lid 6 the drawer can be clamped by the floor 26, 27, 28 of the compartment formed above it by its weight and the variable height of the compartment and the drawer can be loosely removed from the respective compartment in the open, second position II of the lid 6.

[0061] Fig. 1, 2 shows the piece of luggage 1, wherein the front cover 3 is designed to be pivotable sideways about a side axis 4 towards the back side 5 of the housing body 2.

[0062] According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the front cover is designed to be pivotable forwards about a lower, front axis 20 on the bottom 10 of the housing body, wherein pockets for accommodating objects are provided in particular on the inside.

[0063] Fig. 1 ff shows the piece of luggage 1, in which the lid linear guide 11 and the locking mechanism 12 are two parallel telescopic rod systems 21, 22. The lid 6 is arranged on an inner telescopic rod of the telescopic rod system 21, 22.

[0064] The luggage item 1 is equipped with a trolley handle 31 and a lockable trolley handle linear guide 68. The trolley handle linear guide 68 is designed concentrically with all or part of the lid linear guide 11 of the height-adjustable and lockable lid 6. This saves components and makes the luggage item lighter. The lid linear guide 11 thus has a dual function, serving both the trolley handle 31 with the trolley handle linear guide 68 and the vertical adjustment of the lid 6.

[0065] For a trolley case, at least two wheels are attached to the base, preferably four wheels 41, 42, 43, 44, which are designed to pivot 360° around a vertical axis relative to the base 10. With four wheels, no weight is exerted on the trolley handle when moving the trolley case; instead, only tensile and compressive forces are required to move the trolley.

[0066] To ensure simple, stable, and repeatable handling, at least one actuating element 69, designed as a lid actuating button 33, 34, is provided for determining the position I, II of the lid 6, and a trolley actuating button 32 is designed to lock the trolley handle. The trolley actuating button 32 is different from the actuating element 69, designed as a lid actuating button 33, 34.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 1 ff, the lid linear guide module 23, together with the trolley handle linear guide 68, is designed as a three-part telescopic rail system 35, 36, 37. The lid 6 is fixedly arranged at the upper end of the middle telescopic rails 36, as shown in Fig. 1 ff. The trolley handle 31 is arranged at the end of the upper, innermost telescopic rails 37. The lid linear guide module 23 is designed with two parallel telescopic rail systems 21, 22. Fig. 1 ff show a piece of luggage 1 with several, in total four parallel, multi-part lid telescopic rail systems. The lid 6 is moved via four lid telescopic rail systems, two of which are formed in three parts with the telescopic rails 35, 36, 37 with the trolley handle linear guide 68 and two of which are formed in two parts with the telescopic rails 35, 36 without a trolley handle linear guide 68.

[0068] Fig. 1 ff show the linear guide module 23 for the piece of luggage with a linear guide 11, which is designed as a three-part telescopic rail system, wherein a trolley handle 31 is arranged at the end of the third, smallest, inner telescopic rail 37, with a trolley actuating button 32 for actuating a locking mechanism of the third, inner one. Two lid actuating buttons 33, 34 are formed in grip recesses 35, 36 for determining the position of the lid 6 on the lid by means of the second, middle part 36 within the first, lower part 35 of the telescopic rail system. It is understood that the actuating elements 69 could also be formed at the top of the lid 6, preferably flush with the surface. The two third parts 37 of the telescopic rail system are each mounted in the second part 36 of the telescopic rail system. Thus, the third parts 37 move with all horizontal movements of the second parts 36 of the telescopic rail system.

[0069] The grip recesses 35, 36 are preferably formed centrally on the end faces of the lid 6 across the depth 40. The lid operating buttons 33, 34 can be formed in the lid 6 so as to be flush with the surface of the lid. These are preferably designed to protrude from top to bottom in each grip recess 35, 36 on the upper inner surface, so as to be pressed in.

[0070] Fig. 1 ff. show the checked baggage item 1 in the maximum size of a permissible piece of luggage for baggage check-in at the baggage counter for the baggage compartment of airlines, i.e., in particular, with the dimensions of a maximum of 158 cm in the sum of height 41, width 42, and depth 40. The checked baggage item 1 is characterized and designed in such a way that it can transport ordinary suitcase items with a total suitcase weight of approximately 15 kg to approximately 30 kg.

[0071] This reduces the number of components and makes handling quite easy. The case is therefore lighter than if a separate linear guide module in the form of a telescopic rail system were designed for the trolley handle in addition to the linear guide module of the lid.

[0072] Under the lid 6, a mechanism is operatively connected to the lid operating button 33, with which the locking mechanism of the second part 36 of the telescopic rail system can be released and locked. Thus, no additional separate linear guide with a locking mechanism is required for the trolley handle 32, since it is concentrically integrated with the third part 37 in part 36 of the telescopic rail system on at least two parallel telescopic rail system pairs. As shown in Fig. 1 ff, in this piece of luggage 1, the lid 6 is an outer lid that closes the piece of luggage. This also saves weight and material.

[0073] According to a further preferred embodiment, in order to construct the piece of luggage in a stable yet extremely lightweight manner, at least one side is made of a film laminate made of woven polypropylene material. Particularly preferably, all sides with a vertical edge of the piece of luggage are made of woven polypropylene material. The base 10 and the lid 6 are more preferably made of woven polypropylene film material, in particular by a deep-drawing process. Alternatively, the housing body is formed entirely or partially from polycarbonate. Woven polypropylene in laminated form is a very lightweight and durable, recyclable material, allowing the checked luggage to be constructed with a very low overall weight.

[0074] A method for opening and closing a piece of luggage 1 shown above is also described here, wherein the locking mechanism within a linear guide 21 of at least a second part 36 of the telescopic rail system is opened and locked by means of a trolley operating button 32 in or on a trolley handle 32 at one end of a third part 37 of a telescopic rail system, and an open or closed position II, I of the lid at the upper end of the first or second part 35,

[0075] 36 of the telescopic rail system, and the linear guide is designed such that the third part 37 of the telescopic rail system is guided concentrically in the second part 36 of the telescopic rail system, which in turn is guided concentrically in the first part 35 of the telescopic rail system. Thus, the piece of luggage 1 is lightweight, and objects can be easily reached through a vertical opening in the lid.

[0076] A method for producing a linear guide module 23 for a piece of luggage 1 is described, comprising a linear guide which is designed as multi-part telescopic rails, wherein a three-part telescopic rail system with concentrically arranged telescopic rails is provided, wherein a cover 6 is arranged at the end of the second part 36 of the telescopic rails, and at the end of the third part

[0077] 37 telescopic rail system, a trolley handle 31 with a trolley operating button 32 and locking mechanism is mounted in the second part 36 of the telescopic rail system. This creates a lightweight linear guide module 23 for a piece of luggage, which in turn is lighter than conventional pieces of luggage of a similar design.

[0078] According to a further development, a push button 33 with a locking system is mounted on the cover 6. This keeps the weight of the linear guide system low.

[0079] Figs. 2-4 and 7-12, as well as 14-16 show the checked baggage 1 schematically, wherein the side walls except for the lid and base as well as the compartments attached to the lid 6, possibly with drawers, have been omitted.

[0080] Figure 17 shows the piece of luggage 1 as hand luggage, with a particularly cuboid-shaped housing body 2 and with a front lid 3 which is designed to be pivotable about an axis 4 to one side, here the rear side 5, wherein an upper lid 6 is formed, from which vertically spaced compartments 7, 8, 9 are suspended in the housing body. The compartments 7-9 are preferably made of a textile fabric, although the bases 27, 28, 29 can be made of a harder material. The lid 6 is also preferably made of a lightweight hard plastic. The compartments are designed to be flexible and compressible in height.The lid is designed with a linear guide 11 with a locking mechanism 12 in the vertical direction with respect to the base 10 of the housing body 2 in at least two positions, so that the compartments are compressed in height in a first position and expanded in a second position, wherein the first position is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin) of the compartments and the second position is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax) of the compartments.

[0081] Fig. 18 shows the piece of luggage 1, wherein a drawer 17, 18, 19 is inserted into the compartments 7, 8, 9, wherein the drawer can be clamped in the closed, first position of the lid by the overlying floor 26, 27, 28 of the compartment by its weight and the variable height of the compartment and the drawer can be loosely removed in the open, second position of the lid.

[0082] Figs. 17 and 18 show the piece of luggage 1, wherein the front cover 3 is designed to pivot rearward about an upper axis 4 toward the back 5 of the housing body 2. According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the front cover is designed to pivot forward about a lower, front axis on the bottom 20 of the housing body, wherein pockets for accommodating objects are provided, in particular, on the inside.

[0083] The piece of hand luggage can be designed either as a backpack, as explicitly shown in Fig. 19, 21 and 22, or as a hand luggage trolley case, as shown in Fig. 24 and 25, or as a combination of hand luggage backpack and hand luggage trolley, i.e. as a hand luggage trolley case with backpack function.

[0084] Fig. 24 shows the luggage item 1 in which the lid linear guide 11 and the locking mechanism 12 are two parallel telescopic rod systems 21, 22. The lid 6 is arranged on an inner telescopic rod of the telescopic rod system 21, 22.

[0085] Figures 17-19 do not show shoulder straps; these are omitted for simplicity or are not necessary in alternative embodiments.

[0086] Figs. 19, 21, and 22 show the luggage item 1 configured as a backpack with two shoulder straps 13, 14. The backpack luggage item 1 has a holding loop 30 formed centrally on the upper edge of the back 5.

[0087] Figs. 19 and 21 show the backpack luggage 1 with a lap belt 15. Fig. 23 shows the luggage 1 with a height-adjustable chest strap 16. Furthermore, Figs. 19 and 21 show an ergonomic back cushion 26 formed on the outer rear wall, side 5, of the housing body 2.

[0088] The baggage is designed to the maximum size of a permissible piece of hand baggage for carriage in the passenger compartment of aircraft in accordance with airline guidelines, i.e. in particular with the dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 25cm.

[0089] Alternatively, the piece of luggage is designed to the maximum size of a small piece of hand luggage permitted in the passenger compartment of aircraft according to airline guidelines, i.e., in particular, with dimensions of 40cm x 30cm x 25cm. According to an alternative embodiment, the lid is an inner lid within the housing, which is covered by the front lid when closed.

[0090] As shown in Figures 27 and 29, the lid linear guide module 23 with the trolley handle linear guide 68 is designed as a three-part telescopic rail system 35, 36, 37. The lid 6 can be removably arranged at the upper end of the middle telescopic rails 36, as shown in Figures 26-30. The trolley handle 31 is arranged on the upper, innermost telescopic rails 37. The lid linear guide 11 is designed with two parallel telescopic rail systems 21, 22, as shown in Figures 24 to 29.

[0091] Figs. 26 to 29 show the linear guide module 23, wherein the cover at the upper end of the middle part 36 of the telescopic rail system is designed to be detachable by means of the actuating element 33.

[0092] 26 to 29 show the linear guide module 23 for a piece of luggage with a lid linear guide 11 and trolley handle linear guide 68, which is designed as a three-part telescopic rail system, wherein a trolley handle 31 is arranged at the end of the third, smallest, inner telescopic rail 37, with a trolley actuating button 32 for actuating a locking mechanism of the third, inner and in particular the second, middle, part 36 of the telescopic rail system, wherein a lid actuating button is designed as an actuating element 33 for fixing the position of the lid 6 on the lid.

[0093] If the piece of luggage is designed as hand luggage, the trolley operating button 32 is designed to lock and release the locking mechanism from the middle and upper parts 36, 37 of the telescopic rail system. The lid has at least one lid operating button as an actuating element 69 with a locking mechanism 12, by means of which the lid is designed to be detachable from or at the end of the second middle part 36 of the telescopic rail system from a connecting support 39 attached to the end.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 26-30, a plate element 38 is arranged at the upper end of the first pair of telescopic rails 35, on which the cover 6 rests when the linear guide module 23 is closed. A base strut 48 is arranged at the lower end of the first pair of telescopic rails. The plate element 38, together with the base strut 48, holds the two telescopic rails of the telescopic rail system parallel and in position. When the cover 6 is secured to the connecting support 39 via a locking bolt 41, the cover 6 can be moved upwards away from the plate element 38 by means of the central part 36 of the telescopic rail system, as shown in Fig. 29.

[0095] Fig. 27 shows the locking mechanism 12 in cross section in the position of the cover 6 as shown in Fig. 26, wherein the locking bolt 41 is rusted such that the plate element 38 is connected to the cover 6.

[0096] Fig. 29 shows the lid 6 resting on the plate element 38 and the telescopic rail system fully extended, as the piece of luggage is pulled as a trolley case when being moved.

[0097] Fig. 30 shows the locking mechanism in cross-section of the lid, similar to Fig. 26. However, here, the locking mechanism is unlocked by pressing the actuating element 33, so that the lid 6 can be moved into an expanded position II, as shown in Fig. 27.

[0098] The hand luggage item 1 is designed and characterized so that it can carry ordinary suitcase items with a total weight of up to approximately 8 to 10 kg.

[0099] No further separate linear guide with locking mechanism is required for the trolley handle, since it is integrated concentrically with the third part 37 in part 36 of the telescopic rail system on at least two parallel telescopic rail system pairs.

[0100] 26 to 30 show a first variant of a locking mechanism 12 which forms a locking mechanism. Here the actuating element 33 is designed as a push button with a special locking mechanism. Upon simple pressure actuation of the actuating element 33, the cover 6 together with the connecting support 39 is released from the plate element 38, so that from position I in FIG. 26, position II in FIG. 27 is reached when tensile stress is applied to the trolley handle 31. If, on the other hand, in position I in FIG. 26, the actuating element 33 is subjected to two or more pressure actuations, the connecting support 39 is released from the cover 6 by a corresponding retraction of the locking bolt 41, so that when tensile stress is applied to the trolley handle 31, the telescopic rail system is released. Fig. 29 is fully extended and the lid 6 therefore remains in position I with compressed compartments in the luggage.

[0101] Figs. 31 to 35 show a second preferred variant of the locking mechanism 12. In this variant, the locking mechanism is simpler with fewer components without the use of a pre-tensioned spring, as required in the variant described above.

[0102] Fig. 31 shows an exploded view of the locking mechanism 12. The locking mechanism comprises the actuating element 39 in the form of a rotary switch 55, which is positively mounted on a shaft 43 with a collar 53. The collar 53 supports the cover 6 when the rotary switch 55 rests firmly on the connecting support 39, as shown in Fig. 34 in plan view, and holds the cover 6 in position II according to Fig. 27.

[0103] In position I of the cover 6, the collar 53 with the shaft 43 and the rotary switch rests on a positive-locking base 54 of a bore 45 with a clearance fit in the plate element 38.

[0104] Fig. 33 shows a double lever 42 arranged on the shaft 43, positively connected to the lower end, opposite the rotary switch. The function of the double lever is illustrated more clearly in Fig. 35.

[0105] Figure 33 shows an exploded view of the locking mechanism, which includes the rotary switch as the actuating element 33, a shaft 43, and the double lever 42. The double lever 42 comprises two levers 46 spaced apart by 180° from a shaft bushing 47 and aligned in a line.

[0106] The double lever 42 shown in Fig. 33 is arranged on an underside of the plate element 38, centrally relative to a centrally arranged bore 45. The double lever 42 is concealed by the plate element 38 in Fig. 31. The shaft 43 is placed in the bore 45. The cover 6 is placed on the plate element 38. The connecting bracket 39 is placed on the cover 6 in a form-fitting manner. The connecting bracket 39 is elongated. In the center, the connecting bracket 39 has an elongated hole 49 through which, with a clearance fit, the rotary switch as the actuating element 33 can pass in a parallel orientation. The connecting bracket 39 has two bores 52 on both sides, mirror images of the elongated hole 49, so that the third parts 37 of the telescopic rail system can be displaced above them in a form-fitting manner. The connecting bracket 39 sits in a form-fitting manner on the ends of the second parts 36 of the telescopic rail system.The plate element 38 is elongated, similar to the connecting support 39, and rests on the first parts 35 of the telescopic rail system. Two bores 50, 51 are formed for this purpose, which rest positively on the first parts 35 of the telescopic rail system and have a clearance fit for the second parts 36 of the telescopic rail system.

[0107] Fig. 32 shows a section of the locking mechanism 12 with the lid 6, wherein the rotary switch is rotated parallel to the longitudinal hole 49, so that when pulling is applied to the trolley handle 31, the position shown in Fig. 29 is reached and the lid remains in position I.

[0108] Fig. 34 shows a section of the locking mechanism 12 with the cover 6, with the rotary switch rotated by approximately 15° to 30°, thus achieving a positive fit on the connecting support 39, which results in position II with the cover 6 (see Fig. 27) being reached when tension is applied to the trolley handle 31. Fig. 34 shows a special embodiment of the rotary switch. The rotary switch 55 has elongated cylinders formed on its wing ends on the longitudinal element of the rotary switch for reasons of improved ergonomics. Accordingly, the elongated hole 49 is formed with two offset circles 59 at each end.

[0109] Fig. 35 shows how the double lever 42, on the one hand, limits the angle of rotation for the rotary switch 55 in a form-fitting manner between two formed flanks 57, 58 and, on the other hand, serves to securely fasten the cover 6 to the plate element 38. In order to release the cover 6 from the plate element 38, the double lever 42 is rotated by the rotary switch 33 by approximately 20° so that the double lever can pass through the plate element 38 through a form-fitting opening 58 with a clearance fit in the plate element. The cover can then be pulled into position II. With the approx. 20° rotation of the rotary switch, it locks the elongated hole 49 in the connecting carrier 39, as shown in Fig. 18, so that the connecting carrier 39 is clamped between the cover 6, the collar 53 and the rotary switch 33.

[0110] This creates a simple locking mechanism and keeps the weight of the linear guide system low.

[0111] 36, 37 and 38 show a piece of hand luggage 1 with carrying straps 71, 72 and 73 in expanded, compressed and closed perspective views. The piece of luggage 1 comprises a lid 6 with compartments 7, 8ff attached to it and a lid linear guide 11. The lid linear guide 11 in this particular embodiment can be designed as a scissor-type locking mechanism which, when pulled up, allows a locking bolt to run in a vertical rail and, when reversed, locks at a certain height. To remove the rust, the lid must be expanded to its maximum in order to move the lid back into a compressed position vertically in a rail. A trolley handle 31 is not necessary for this, since the piece of luggage is designed exclusively as a carrying bag. Two carrying straps 71, 72 to the left and right of the cuboid-shaped housing body offer the option of carrying the piece of luggage in the hand.By means of an additional carrying strap 73 attached to the two end faces of the housing body, the piece of luggage can be carried on the shoulder.

[0112] It is understood that the same linear guide mechanism described in the previous paragraph could be incorporated into a piece of luggage according to the embodiments shown in Figs. 17 to 25, so that the piece of luggage is essentially carried by shoulder straps.

[0113] Such a piece of luggage also makes it possible to maintain order in the luggage during transport, with the objects being easily accessible for insertion into and removal from the luggage and the luggage being lightweight. The variants of the system, method and devices described above serve only to improve understanding of the structure, mode of operation and properties of the solution presented; they do not restrict the disclosure to the exemplary embodiments. The figures are schematic, with key properties and effects sometimes shown significantly enlarged in order to clarify the functions, operating principles, technical designs and features. Each mode of operation, each principle, each technical design and each feature disclosed in the figures or in the text can be used with all claims, each feature in the text and in the other figures., other modes of operation, principles, technical embodiments, and features contained in or resulting from this disclosure may be freely and arbitrarily combined, so that all conceivable combinations can be attributed to the described solution. This also includes combinations between all individual embodiments in the text, i.e., in each section of the description, in the claims, and also combinations between different variants in the text, in the claims, and in the figures.

[0114] Although the system, device, and method details explained above are presented in context, it should be noted that they are also independent of one another and can be freely combined with one another. The relationships of the individual parts and sections shown in the figures, as well as their dimensions and proportions, are not to be understood as limiting. Rather, individual dimensions and proportions may differ from those shown. The claims also do not limit the disclosure and thus the possible combinations of all the features shown with one another. All features shown are explicitly disclosed here, both individually and in combination with all other features.

[0115] All figures are merely schematic representations and are not to scale. Furthermore, particular reference is made to the drawings as essential to the invention.

Claims

A N S P R Ü C H E 1. A piece of luggage (1), in particular a piece of hand luggage, more preferably a piece of checked luggage, comprising a housing body (2), in particular a cuboid-shaped one, wherein an upper lid (6) is formed, on which vertically spaced compartments (7, 8, 9) are suspended in the housing body, wherein the compartments are designed to be flexibly expandable and compressible in height, and the lid is arranged on a lid linear guide module (23) which is designed to be lockable in the vertical direction in at least two positions by means of a lid linear guide (11) with a locking mechanism (12), so that the compartments are compressed in height in a first position and expanded in a second position, wherein the first position is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin) of the compartments and the second position is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax) of the compartments,wherein the piece of luggage is designed with a trolley handle (31) and with a lockable trolley handle linear guide (38), wherein the trolley handle linear guide (68) is designed concentrically to all or part of the lid linear guide (11) of the height-adjustable and lockable lid (6).

2. Luggage item according to claim 1, wherein at least one actuating element (69) is provided for determining the position of the lid, and a trolley actuating button (32) is designed for locking the trolley handle (31) on the trolley handle linear guide (68).

3. Luggage item according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lid linear guide (11) and the trolley handle linear guide (68) together form a system of mutually concentric telescopic rails with three parts, wherein the lid linear guide (11) forms the lowermost and middle telescopic rails (35, 36) and the trolley handle linear guide (68) forms the upper, innermost telescopic rails (37), wherein the lid is arranged or can be arranged at the upper end of the middle telescopic rails (36) and the trolley handle is arranged at the upper, innermost telescopic rails (37).

4. The piece of luggage according to claim 3, wherein the piece of luggage is designed as a suitcase and the middle, linear-dynamic telescopic rail (36) can be locked in the static telescopic rail (35) by means of the actuating element (69), which is designed in particular as a lid actuating button, and the uppermost dynamic telescopic rail (37) of the trolley handle linear guide (68) in the middle dynamic telescopic rail (36) is designed to be releasable and lockable by means of a trolley handle actuating element (32) independently of the actuating element (69), so that the locking mechanism (12) of the lid linear guide (11) can be locked independently of the trolley handle linear guide (68).

5. Luggage item according to claim 4, wherein the lid linear guide comprises four pairs each with a static, lower and a dynamic middle telescopic rail (35, 36), and each pair is assigned to a corner.

6. A piece of luggage according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the piece of luggage is further preferably designed as a piece of hand luggage, wherein the actuating element (69), which is particularly designed as a rotary switch 55, further preferably as a push button, is arranged to be lockable with the middle, linear-dynamic telescopic rail 36 for fixing the position (I, II) of the lid, and the middle dynamic telescopic rail (36) of the lid linear guide and the uppermost dynamic telescopic rail (36, 37) of the trolley handle linear guide (68) are designed to be coupled and lockable by means of a trolley handle actuating element (32), so that the locking mechanism (12) of the lid linear guide (11) is coupled to the trolley handle linear guide (68) and can be locked by means of a pulling orPressure force on the trolley handle and upon actuation of the, in particular spring-loaded, trolley handle actuating element (32), the middle and uppermost dynamic telescopic rails (36, 37) can be unlocked and locked, as well as extended and retracted.

7. Luggage item according to claim 6, wherein a lid locking module with a plate element (38) at the lower end of the middle telescopic rails and a connecting support (39) at the upper end of the middle telescopic rails (36) is arranged at the lower and upper end of the middle telescopic rails (36), the lid can be coupled to the connecting support (39) by means of the actuating element and the trolley handle is arranged on the upper, innermost telescopic rails (37).

8. Luggage item according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one side is made of film laminate made of woven polypropylene material, wherein particularly preferably all sides with a height edge of the luggage item are made of woven polypropylene material, wherein further preferably the base and the lid are made of woven polypropylene film material, in particular by a deep-drawing process.

9. A method for producing a piece of luggage according to one of claims 1 to 3, with a housing body (2), in particular a cuboid-shaped one, wherein an upper lid (6) with vertically spaced compartments (7, 8, 9) suspended therefrom is arranged in the housing body on a lid linear guide module (23), wherein the compartments are inserted into the housing body in a height-adjustable manner by means of a lid linear guide (11) with a locking mechanism (12) of the lid linear guide module, in at least two positions in the vertical direction, in a lockable, expandable and compressible manner, wherein a trolley handle linear guide (68) is mounted concentrically to all or part of the lid linear guide (11) and a trolley handle (31) is mounted to the lockable trolley handle linear guide (68).

10. A piece of luggage, in particular hand luggage, more preferably a piece of checked luggage, with a, in particular cuboid-shaped, housing body (2), wherein an upper lid (6) is formed, on which vertically spaced compartments (7, 8, 9) are suspended in the housing body, wherein the compartments are designed to be flexibly expandable and compressible in their height, and the lid is arranged on a linear guide module (23) which is connected to a linear guide (11) with a locking mechanism (12) in the vertical direction in at least two Positions I, II are designed to be lockable, so that the compartments are compressed in height in a first position I and expanded in a second position II, wherein the first position I is a closed compartment position with a small, minimum height (Hmin) of the compartments and the second position II is an open compartment position with a large, maximum height (Hmax) of the compartments, wherein the piece of luggage comprises at least one, preferably two, more preferably three, carrying straps.

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