Suitcase

Abstract

[Problem] To achieve a suitcase capable of providing a storage part above the suitcase in a vertical position. [Solution] To solve the problem, the suitcase 1 is configured by comprising: an opening part 21 cut out by a cutout line passing through the front surface, both side surfaces, and the top surface of a shell; and a lid part 23 provided so as to be openable and closeable with respect to the opening part via a hinge part 25 provided on the top surface of the shell, wherein the inside of the lid part 23 placed on the top surface of the shell by flipping up and opening the lid part 23 through the hinge part 25 can be used as a place for placing baggage.

Description

suitcase

[0001] The present invention relates to a suitcase.

[0002] Conventionally, suitcases have two shells that are symmetrically arranged on either side of a central dividing section and are connected via a hinge section, and the suitcase opens and closes via the hinge section, with luggage stored inside the shells.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a suitcase comprising a half shell body and a half shell lid that can be opened and closed relative to the shell body, with the open edge of the shell body and the open edge of the shell lid connected by a first slide fastener. The suitcase also discloses a back lid that has a gusset on the side and is attached to the shell body so that it can be opened and closed, with the shell body having a first opening formed by cutting out three sides of the shell body except for the bottom edge with a gusset width on the side, and the shell lid has a second opening above it that is smaller than the first opening, and an upper lid that can be opened and closed relative to the second opening. The back lid and upper lid each have hinges on their bottom edges, are connected to the shell body and the shell lid, and are open at the top.

[0004] Application No. 2023-3156

[0005] However, although the suitcase in Patent Document 1 has opening rear and upper lids that allow luggage to be loaded and unloaded in a vertical position, there is no idea of ​​providing a storage compartment on top of the suitcase in a vertical position.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a suitcase that can have a storage compartment on top when in the upright position.

[0007] To solve the above problem, the suitcase of the present invention has an opening cut out in the front shell by a notch line passing through the front, both sides, and the top, and a lid provided in correspondence with the opening and openable and closable via a hinge provided on the top of the front shell. With this suitcase, the lid can be flipped up via the hinge, and the inside of the lid located above the top of the suitcase can be used as a luggage compartment.

[0008] Furthermore, by providing the lid with a holding mechanism for holding the lid in a position on the top surface, it is possible to prevent the lid from being unintentionally released from its flipped-up state.

[0009] Furthermore, if there is a shelf portion that can be placed above the lid portion in the raised state, luggage can be placed on this shelf portion.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the suitcase of the first embodiment in a closed state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the suitcase of FIG. 1 with the lid open. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the suitcase of FIG. 2 with a shelf installed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the suitcase of the second embodiment in a closed state. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the suitcase of FIG. 4 with the lid open. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view seen from the side showing the state in which a modified upper storage shelf has been installed in the state of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a view seen from the side showing a method of installing a modified lower storage shelf in the state of FIG. 2.

[0011] An embodiment of the suitcase of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a suitcase of a first embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the suitcase with the lid open.

[0012] The suitcase 1 of the first embodiment comprises a front shell 2 and a rear shell 3 arranged symmetrically on either side of a central dividing line C, and these are connected by an expansion fastener 4. When the runner 4r of the expansion fastener 4 is opened all the way around, an expansion fabric (not shown) appears between the front shell 2 and the rear shell 3, and the suitcase 1 expands by the width of the expansion fabric. Conventional suitcases are opened and closed by a hinge provided on part of the central dividing line C, but in the suitcase 1, the dividing line C is provided for expansion rather than for opening and closing.

[0013] The suitcase 1 has an opening 21 cut out in the front shell 2 by a cutout line passing through the front, both side surfaces, and the top surface, and a first lid 23 provided corresponding to the opening 21 and openable via a hinge 22 provided on the top surface of the front shell 2. A zipper 21f is provided along the cutout line except for the hinge 22, and a pair of runners 21r of the zipper 21f are held by the TSA lock T when the zipper 21f is closed. When the runners 21r are opened to open the zipper 21f, the first lid 23 can be opened by flipping it upward via the hinge 22, and the opening 21 opens forward and upward. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first lid 23 is then placed on the top surface of the back shell 3 with the inside facing upward. With this suitcase 1, the inside 23b of the first lid 23 located above the top surface of the suitcase 1 can be used as a luggage compartment.

[0014] First lid 23 has second opening 24 cut out by a second cutout line passing through the front, both side surfaces, and top surface of first lid 23, and second lid 26 provided corresponding to second opening 24 and openable / closable via second hinge 25 provided on the front surface of first lid 23. A zipper 24f is provided along the second cutout line except for hinge 25, and a pair of runners 24r of zipper 24f are held by TSA lock T when zipper 24f is closed. Although not shown, when runner 24r is opened to open zipper 24f, second lid 23 can be opened toward the front via hinge 25, and second opening 24 opens upward. By opening second opening 24 when opening 21 is closed, contents can be easily taken in and out when suitcase 1 is placed upright.

[0015] Suitcase 1 has four casters 27 on the bottom, a handle 28 near the center of the top, and a telescopic handle 29 on the rear side of the top that can be extended and retracted upward. The suitcase also has a pair of raised lines L on the front and rear to prevent scratches on the surface. To move suitcase 1, like a conventional suitcase, telescopic handle 29 is extended and casters 27 are used to move it. However, when opening first lid 23 of suitcase 1 as shown in FIG. 2 to take in or out contents or display the suitcase, it is preferable to prevent first lid 23 from sliding forward and closing. In FIG. 2, a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners 30 on the inside of the front side of first lid 23 wrap around a pair of telescopic rods 29a of telescopic handle 29 to secure first lid 23. The first cover 23 is secured by undoing a buckle (not shown) for the band 31 provided to run along the inside of the left and right sides of the first cover 23, and then engaging the buckle while the band 31 is looped around the outside of the pair of telescopic rods 29a of the telescopic handle 29. Furthermore, although not shown, the first cover 23 is secured to the rear shell 3 by an engagement mechanism using hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, engaging projections, magnets, or the like provided between the top surface of the first cover 23 and the top surface of the rear shell 3, or between the front surface of the first cover 23 and the telescopic rods 29a. Furthermore, although not shown, the first cover 23 may be secured to the rear shell 3 by a hook-and-loop fastener or the like provided inside the front side of the first cover 23 that wraps around and engages with the grip portion of the telescopic handle 29. One or more such securing mechanisms may be used. In order to prevent interference between the convex line L and the telescopic rods 29a and to prevent lateral swing of the first cover 23 in this state, the distance between the convex line L and the telescopic rods 29a is set so that the convex line L follows the outside of the telescopic rods 29a when the first cover 23 is in the open state. Alternatively, another pair of convex lines may be provided along the inside of the extension rod 29a, and the extension rod 29a may be sandwiched between the inner and outer convex lines to hold the first lid portion 23 in an open state.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3 , an upper storage shelf 32 and a lower storage shelf 33 are housed in the interior 23b of the first lid 23, which opens upward and constitutes the upper storage section, and in the interiors of the front shell 2 and rear shell 3, which constitute the lower storage section. These shelves are composed of horizontally arranged shelves made of a hard material and other fabric-like parts, and when placed on the floor, they are compressed vertically by their own weight. A hook-and-loop fastener 32a is provided on the top of the upper storage shelf 32, which wraps around and engages with the handle of the extendable handle 29, allowing the shelf to be suspended and extended to place items on the shelf. A hook-and-loop fastener similar to the hook-and-loop fastener 32a, not shown, is also provided on the top of the lower storage shelf 33, which wraps around and engages with a handle, not shown, provided on the inside top surface of the rear shell 3, allowing the shelf to be suspended and extended to place items on the shelf. A similar effect can be achieved by engaging an upward-facing hook-and-loop fastener, not shown, provided on the top of the lower storage shelf 33 with a downward-facing hook-and-loop fastener, not shown, facing the inside top surface of the rear shell 3. In this state, even when not using the suitcase 1 for travel, it can be used as a shelf in the room. Also, even while traveling, the suitcase 1 can be used as a shelf in the room at the destination, allowing for less floor space to be used, even in small rooms such as business hotels. Furthermore, by removing the casters 27, the suitcase 1 can be prevented from accidentally moving, the floor will not get dirty, and the usability as a shelf is improved. Of course, the casters 27 may be equipped with a locking mechanism.

[0017] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing a suitcase 101 of a second embodiment. The suitcase 101 is composed of a front shell 102 and a rear shell 103, and is divided into the front shell 102 and the rear shell 103 by a division line that runs from the top surface near the rear of the suitcase 101 diagonally through both sides to the bottom surface near the front, and these are connected by a hinge part 122 provided on the top surface at division line C and a fastener 121 provided in another part of the division line C. In addition, there is no part equivalent to an expansion fastener or a second lid part. The casters 127 are omniwheels that can move in all directions without a vertical rotation axis, minimizing the reduction in the suitcase's carrying capacity.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, the front shell 102 can be opened upward by flipping it up, functioning similarly to the first lid 23 of the suitcase 1. Legs 103a provided at the front bottom surface of the rear shell 103 keep the suitcase 1 horizontal. In the suitcase 101, the storage shelves are not made of compressible fabric; instead, a lower shelf 133 is fixed to an appropriate position on the rear shell 103, and the upper shelf 132 is movably attached to the front shell 102. Specifically, the upper shelf 132 functions as a shelf in the state shown in FIG. 5, but in the state shown in FIG. 4, it swings upward in FIG. 5 and downward in FIG. 4 along the front shell 102 via hinge portion 132a, and is stored so as not to interfere with the lower shelf 133. The lower shelf 133 may also be designed to be movable, e.g., with a hook-and-loop fastener that can be fastened at any position to a hook-and-loop fastener provided on the inside of the side of the rear shell 103. In addition, to prevent luggage on the lower shelf 133 from falling forward during transport, the rear shell 103 has a cover 134 that can be extended from the upper end to the lower end, and the front shell 102 has a hook 135 at the upper end in Figure 5 for hanging small luggage.

[0019] As shown in Figure 6, the modified upper storage shelf 321 is installed as a shelf on the interior 23b of the first cover 23 by hanging a downward-facing pocket 321a on the back surface of the upper storage shelf 321 from the extendable handle 29. The upper storage shelf 321 is open at the top, and a shelf board 321c is held by the side fabric 321b. In this case, since the first cover 23 is held between the extendable handle 29 and the upper storage shelf 321, no separate holding mechanism is required. In other words, the upper storage shelf 321 also serves as the holding mechanism.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 7, the modified lower storage shelf 331 is secured by engaging belts 331a extending upward near the center of the front-to-rear direction on both sides of the shelf with buckles 331b attached to the ends of the belts 331a at the rear of the extendable handle 29, thereby allowing the lower storage shelf 331 to be placed inside the front shell 2 and rear shell 3 that make up the lower storage section.

[0021] With suitcase 1 and suitcase 2, it is possible to realize a suitcase in which the front shell can be flipped open and the inside of the flipped shell can be used as a storage area on the top of the suitcase. The suitcase opening and closing mechanism may have a frame-type buckle structure rather than a zipper structure. Suitcase 1 may also be configured without dividing line C or a second lid, i.e., the suitcase may consist of only a lid and the remaining shell.

[0022] 1 101 suitcase 2 102 front shell 3 103 back shell 21 opening 23 first lid 25 hinge

Claims

1. A suitcase having an opening cut out by a notch line passing through the front, both sides, and top of the shell, and a lid that can be opened and closed relative to the opening via a hinge provided on the top of the shell, and which can be opened by flipping the lid upward via the hinge, allowing the inside of the lid placed on the top of the shell to be used as a place to put luggage.

2. The suitcase according to claim 1, further comprising a retaining mechanism for retaining the lid portion in a position on the top surface of the shell.

3. The suitcase of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a shelf portion that can be positioned above the lid portion when the suitcase is in the flip-open position.

4. A suitcase that is divided into a front shell and a rear shell by a dividing line that runs diagonally from the top surface near the back, through both sides, and to the bottom surface near the front, and the front shell and the rear shell are connected via a hinge portion provided on the top surface, and by opening the front shell by flipping it upward via the hinge portion, the inside of the front shell resting on the top surface of the rear shell can be used as a place to put luggage.

5. The suitcase of claim 2, wherein the shelf portion has a downward-facing pocket on its back surface, and by hanging the downward-facing pocket on the upper end of an extendable handle provided on the back surface of the shell, the lid portion is sandwiched between the extendable handle and the shelf, and the shelf is installed as a shelf on the lid portion.

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