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DE-102024132894-A1 - "Handle with shell for a suitcase"

DE102024132894A1DE 102024132894 A1DE102024132894 A1DE 102024132894A1DE-102024132894-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handle (1) for a suitcase, comprising a base body (2) made of a first material, wherein the base body (2) has at least one bearing section (10) for connection with a support structure of the suitcase and a holding section (14) extending perpendicular to the bearing section (10) for gripping the suitcase. At least the holding section (14) of the base body (2) is surrounded by an externally visible shell (4) made of at least a second material. The shell (4) is formed in at least two parts, consisting of a first shell element (6) and a second shell element (8), and the first material of the base body (2) has a higher strength than the second material of the shell (4). Furthermore, the invention relates to a suitcase, in particular a suitcase with wheels, comprising a compartment for holding objects, wherein the compartment is connected to a support structure and a handle (1) for gripping the suitcase is formed on the support structure.

Inventors

  • Peter Schulte
  • Guillaume Vannier
  • Patrick Magiera

Assignees

  • RIMOWA GMBH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241111

Claims (19)

  1. Handle (1) for a suitcase, comprising a base body (2) formed from a first material, wherein the base body (2) has at least one bearing section (10) for connection with a support device of the suitcase and a holding section (14) extending perpendicular to the bearing section (10) for gripping the suitcase, characterized in that at least the holding section (14) of the base body (2) is surrounded by an externally visible shell (4) formed from at least a second material, and the shell (4) is formed in at least two parts from a first shell element (6) and a second shell element (8), and the first material of the base body (2) has a higher strength than the second material of the shell (4).
  2. Handle (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the first material of the base body (2) is a first plastic and in particular the second material of the shell (4) is a second plastic.
  3. Handle (1) after Claim 2 , characterized in that the first material of the base body (2) is a plastic reinforced with a filler, in particular a fiber-reinforced plastic.
  4. Handle (1) after Claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the base body (2) and/or the shell (4) are injection molded.
  5. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 4 , characterized in that the base body (2) is T-shaped or L-shaped with a bearing section (10) and a holding section (14) extending perpendicular to the bearing section (10) or the base body (2) is U-shaped or π-shaped with two mutually parallel bearing sections (10) and a holding section (14) extending perpendicular to the bearing sections (10) and connecting the bearing sections (10).
  6. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the first shell element (6) of the shell (4) and the second shell element (8) of the shell (4) are each independently connected to the base body (2).
  7. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that the first shell element (6) of the shell (4) is an upper shell element (6) facing away from the support device and the second shell element (8) of the shell (4) is a lower shell element (8) facing towards the support device shell element (8) is formed, wherein the upper shell element (6) of the shell (4) abuts at least one contact surface (22) on at least one corresponding contact surface (22) of the lower shell element (8) of the shell (4), wherein the contact surfaces extend in a plane perpendicular to the bearing section (10).
  8. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 7 , characterized in that the upper shell element (6) of the shell (4) is mechanically connected to the base body (2).
  9. Handle (1) after Claim 8 , characterized in that the upper shell element (6) has at least two, in particular four, mounting tabs (26) pointing towards the base body (2) and the base body (2) has at least two, in particular four, correspondingly designed support tabs (28) pointing towards the upper shell element (6), wherein the mounting tabs (26) and the support tabs (28) have bores (30) arranged coaxially to each other on a common mounting axis for passing at least one screw perpendicular to the bearing section (10).
  10. Handle (1) after Claim 9 , characterized in that at least two mounting tabs (26) of the upper shell element (6) bear axially to the mounting axis against each of a support tabs of the base body (2) in such a way that a displacement of the upper shell element (6) axially to the mounting axis is positively blocked.
  11. Handle (1) after Claim 9 or 10 , characterized in that the base body (2) has two support tabs (28) and two threaded bores (33) formed coaxially to the mounting axis, which are arranged between the support tabs (28) and are formed in mutually repelling directions, each pointing towards one of the support tabs.
  12. Handle (1) after Claim 9 , 10 or 11 , characterized in that the upper shell element (6) has at least two, preferably four, mounting tabs (26) pointing towards the base body (2) and the base body (2) has at least two, in particular four, correspondingly designed support tabs (28) pointing towards the upper shell element (6), wherein the mounting tabs (26) and the support tabs (28) have bores (30) arranged coaxially to each other on a common mounting axis for passing at least one screw perpendicular to the bearing section (10).
  13. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 7 until 12 , characterized in that the lower shell element (8) of the shell (4) is materially bonded to the base body (2), in particular by gluing.
  14. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 7 until 13 , characterized in that the base body (2) has a receiving pocket (34) open to the upper shell element (6) for arranging an adjustment mechanism for releasing and locking a telescopically length-adjustable carrier device of the case, and the upper shell element (6) has an opening (38) corresponding to the receiving pocket (34), so that the adjustment mechanism arranged in the receiving pocket (34) can be acted upon from the outside.
  15. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 14 , characterized in that the base body has a receiving pocket (34) with an internally molded fastening geometry in which a wire construction (40) is pivotably mounted, and a push button (41) is attached to the wire construction (40), and the push button (41) is subjected to a restoring force via at least one spring (42).
  16. Handle (1) after Claim 15 , characterized in that the fastening geometry has at least two spaced-apart bearing webs (43) and a bearing tab (46) arranged between them.
  17. Handle (1) after Claim 15 or 16 , characterized in that the wire construction (40) is U-shaped and made from a single piece of metal wire extending over the longitudinal side of the receiving pocket (34), the base of the U-shaped wire construction (40) forming a bearing section (54) by means of which the wire construction (40) is pivotably mounted in the receiving pocket (34), and a fastening web (56) for fastening the push button (41) is arranged at each of the free ends of the U-shaped wire construction (40).
  18. Handle (1) after one of the Claims 1 until 17 , characterized in that at least the first shell element (6) of the cover (4) and/or the second shell element (8) of the cover (4) have an additional covering layer, in particular made of a natural material, preferably leather, preferably that at least the first shell element of the cover (4) and the second shell element (8) of the cover (4) have a common covering layer.
  19. Suitcase, in particular a rolling suitcase, comprising a compartment for holding objects, wherein the compartment is equipped with a is connected to the carrier device and has a handle (1) on the carrier device for gripping the case according to at least one of the Claims 1 until 18 is trained.

Description

The invention relates to a handle for a suitcase. The handle comprises a base body made of a first material. This base body has a bearing section for connection to a support device of the suitcase and a holding section extending perpendicular to the bearing section for gripping the suitcase. The invention further relates to a suitcase, in particular a rolling suitcase, with such a handle. Handles of the aforementioned type are used in particular for moving, especially pulling and lifting, suitcases, e.g., rolling suitcases. Such suitcases typically have a compartment for holding objects and a support device. To move the suitcase, a user can grasp a handle of the suitcase, which is mounted on the support device. To increase user comfort, it is known from the prior art that the support device is telescopically length-adjustable, such that, in a release state of the support device, its length can be adjusted incrementally between a minimum and a maximum length. To lock the selected length, known support devices can be moved into a locking position. It is known that the release and locking positions can be adjusted externally by means of an adjustment mechanism located in the handle. To integrate the necessary adjustment mechanism of a telescopically adjustable support device into a single handle, it is generally necessary to design it in multiple parts and screw the corresponding components together. In most cases, these screws are located in a visible or indirectly visible area, or are covered, with this cover always being perceptible within the tactile range. For necessary maintenance, components usually have to be removed destructively, as they are clamped or glued in place to access the screws that secure them. The release buttons for disengaging the adjustment mechanism of a telescopically adjustable support device are typically located in the handle and are designed to be as wide as possible, with spring-loaded mechanisms. In known release buttons, the internal arrangement of the springs, the internal arrangement of the functional elements to be released, and, not least, the tolerances of the interacting components, can cause the release button to tilt in one direction, creating a risk of jamming or jamming. Furthermore, the pressure point on the release button for successful actuation is often relatively small, leading to frequent accidental activation. Furthermore, with handles and suitcases, there is a recurring conflict between weight reduction while maintaining sufficient functionality, such as stability and strength, and an appealing, high-quality look and feel. In particular, suitcases that are lightweight, functional, and visually and tactilely pleasing are in demand. The strength requirements for the telescopically adjustable carrying system of cases can be very high, depending on the design, the application, or the usage patterns themselves. For example, the handles attached to the carrying system are used as carrying handles for the case. Therefore, materials with sufficient strength must be used, especially for the handles and the carrying system. To increase the stability and strength of handles, it is common practice to manufacture them from metal or high-performance plastics. Similarly, to improve the optical and/or tactile properties of handles, it is common practice to manufacture them from high-quality injection-moldable plastics. Visually appealing injection-molded plastic parts often suffer from the disadvantage of lacking the strength of metal or high-performance plastics. Furthermore, achieving a color match between these high-performance plastics and other plastic parts used in the case—particularly those made from a visually appealing injection-molded plastic due to lower strength requirements than the handle—is frequently difficult or even impossible. While metallic materials like steel, aluminum, or zinc offer high strength, they often fail to meet the requirements for an aesthetically pleasing color match and a low weight. This results in the overall visual appearance of the case being negatively impacted by the different colors of the handle and other plastic elements, and/or the weight being increased. To maintain a positive visual and/or tactile impression, well-known suitcases regularly use the same plastic material for all their plastic parts, regardless of their individual strength requirements. This is often an aesthetically pleasing plastic with low strength, which results in a longer lifespan for the heavily stressed components, especially... especially the handles, which have a short lifespan and need to be replaced early. The invention is based on the objective of providing a handle for a suitcase which overcomes the disadvantages known from the prior art, in particular a high-quality appearance and/or feel and at the same time a high service life and stability and improved reliability of operation. The object of the invention is achieved by the features of claim 1 i