Description of Invention:-

THIS I VEMTION relates to a suitcase. It has been proposed to attach to a suitcase one or more pairs of wheels on which the weight, or a major part of the weighi-, of the suitcase can be borne whilst the suitcase is moved across a floor surface. This enables travellers to move their luggage more easily than carrying a suitcase. The attachment of wheels to a suitcase is not a satisfactory answer to the problem of moving luggage from one form of transport to another because of the risk of failure of the means attaching the wheels to the suitcase and because no size of wheel is entirely satis actory. Large wheels are inconvenient, particularly when luggage has to be carried or stacked; where as small wheels are not capable of mounting steps, roadside curbs and even irregularities in floor surfaces.

According to the invention, there is provided a suitcase comprising a body and a handle, the body being in the form of a hollow roller having an axis of rotation, being rotatable about the axis relative to the handle and having a width, measured along the axis, which does not exceed its diameter.

The body will roll along a floor surface if pushed or pulled by means of. the handle. Without being inconvenient, the body can have a relatively large diameter, for example 0.5 to 1 metre and so is capable

of rolling up steps and roadside curbs. Irregularities in floor surfaces, for example, carpet-edging strips and soft floor surfaces, for example carpets, do not impede rolling of the body.

Preferably, the handle is detachable from the body.

The body may comprise two bearings adapted to receive respective portions of the handle.

he body may be adapted to contain clothes. Altern¬ atively, there may be disposed within the body a containe for clothes. The body may be rotatable relative to the container, in which case the handle may be non- rotatable relative to the container.

.. The body may define an opening at one side of the body and the suitcase may further include a closure which is movable relative to the body for closing the opening. By a side of the body, I mean a bounding plane of the body which is intersected by the axis of rotation.

The axis may extend through the opening. The closure may be removable from the body or hinged thereto.

In an alternative arrangement, the body may be formed in two parts, each of which is of hollow substantially cylindrical form and each of which has at one of its sides an opening, the suitcase including means for releasably securing the body parts together with each body part closing the opening in the other body part _β

Preferably, the width of the body does not exceed its radius.

The suitcase may comprise two bodies releasably

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secured together and to a common handle.

Five examples of suitcases embodying the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompany¬ ing drawings wherei :-

FIGURE 1 shows a suitcase in side elevation,

FIGURE 2 shows a cross section on the line II— I of Figure 1,

FIGURE 3 is a cross section similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a second example of suitcase,

FIGURE 4 shows an end elevation of a pair of suitcases having a common handle

FIGURE 5 shows a side elevation of a two-part body of a further example of a suitcase in accordance with the invention, the parts being shown in a partly open position, and

FIGURE 6 shows a diametral cross section of a further example of suitcase.

The suitcase illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a body 10 and a handle 11. The body is in the form of a hollow, cylindrical roller having a peripheral wall 12 and a side wall 13 which is fixed with respect to, and is preferably integral with, the peripheral wall. At the side of the body remote from the wall 13, there is a bar 14 which extends diametrally of the peripheral wall and is fixed with respect thereto. In the side wall 13 and bar 1 , there are mounted respective bearings 15 and l6 for releasably receiving opposite end portions of the handle 11. The bearings

connect the handle to the body and permit rotation of the body about an axis 17 relative to the handle. Between the bearings 15 and 16 there extends a strut 18.

Between the peripheral wall 12 and the bar 14, there are defined two substantially semi-circular openings which are closed by respective closure elements 19 and 20. The closure elements- are hingedly connected with the bar 14 and releasable fasteners- (not shown) are provided on the peripheral wall 12 for securing the closure elements in the closed positions illustrated. The closure elements can swing away from the interior of the body to allow access thereto.

The handle 11 comprises a cross bar 21 and two limbs 22 and 23 which extend from opposite ends of the cross bar to the bearings 15 and 16 respectively. The handle can be withdrawn from the bearings and then arranged so that the limb 22 lies along the surface of the bar 14. Alternatively, there may be provided in the bar 14 a recess for receiving the limb 22. In this way the cross bar 21 can be moved up to the peripheral wall 12 when the suitcase is required to have a compact configuration.. With the handle engaged in the bearings 15 and 16, the body 10 can be rolled along a floor surface by pushing or pulling on the cross bar 21.

The suitcase illustrated in Figure 3 h s a body 24 of annular form within which there is disposed a container 25 for clothes. The container is of cylindrical form, having a peripheral wall 26 and a side wall 27 integral with the peripheral wall. At the side of the container remote from the wall 27, the peripheral wall defines an opening which is closed by a closure element 28. The closure element may be detachable from the peripheral wall or hinged thereto. Alternatively, the

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container 25 may be provided with a pair of semi-circular closure elements arranged in a manner similar to that of the closure elements 19 and 20.

A handle 29 is attached to the container 25 to enable 5 the suitcase to be pushed or pulled across a floor surface. The handle 29 does not extend to the axis of rotation but is connected with the container near to the peripheral wall 26. The handle comprises a cross bar 30 and a pair of limbs 31 and 32 which extend from opposite ends of the cross 10 bar to opposite sides of the container. The length of the limbs 31 a^-d 32 is smaller than the diameter of the container so that the handle cannot be rotated completely relative to the container. The handle may be pivotally connected with container so that the cross bar 30 can be 15. moved into engagement with the body 24.

Between the body 24 and the container 25, there is provided a bearing 33 which enables the body to rotate relative to the container and handle about an axis 34. Thus, when the suitcase is pulled or pushed across a floor 20 surface, the body 24 rolls on the floor surface but the container 25 does not rotate with the body.

In Figure 4, there is• illustrated a suitcase comprising two bodies 35 and 36 and a common handle 37 _* Each of the bodies 35 and 36 may be of the form illustrated

25 in and described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, al¬ though a single bearing only may be provided in each body. The handle 37 is adapted to engage in one bearing of each of the bodies 35 and 36 and to extend between these bodies from the bearing to a position outside the peripheries of

30 the bodies. Alternatively, the bodies 35 and 36 may be as described with reference to and as shown in Figure 3 _> in which case, the handle 37 may be connected with respective containers disposed within the bodies, the bodies being rotatable relative to the containers and

35 handle.

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In Figure 5» there is illustrated a body which may be combined with the handle 11 illustrated in and described with reference to Figure 1. The body illus¬ trated in Figure 5 comprises two parts 3-3 and 39 respectively. Each of these parts comprises a peripheral wall 40 and one side wall 41 which is integral with the peripheral wall and .closes one side of the body part. The body parts are adapted to fit together to form a single cylinder with th<*» opening defined by the peripheral wall of one body part closed by the other body part.

Means is provided for sealing the joint between the body parts against ingress of moisture and there may be provided in each both part a removable lid which can be used to close the body part whilst the body parts are separated from each other.

The. body parts 3*3 and 39 are preferably detachable from each other but may be hinged together.

In the side wall 41 of each of the body parts 38 and 39 _» there is provided a bearing for receiving a respective portion of a handle. One or more releasable fasteners is or are provided for securing the body parts together _β

In Figure 6, there is illustrated the body of a suitcase which may be used with the handle 11 illustrated in and described with reference to Figure 1. Certain parts of the body illustrated in Figure 6 correspond to parts of the body shown in Figures 1 and 2 and are indicated by like reference numerals with the prefix 1. The preceding description is deemed to apply to such corresponding parts, except for the differences herein¬ after mentioned.

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The peripheral wall 112 defines* a circular opening which is normally closed by a circular closure 42. The bearing ll6 is provided in the closure. The closure can be removed from the body and is releasably secured thereto by one or more fasteners (not shown). The diameter of the closure 42 is only slightly less than the diameter of the body 112. Typically, the external diameter of the peripheral wall 112 is 0.6 metre and the diameter of the closure 42 is 0.5 metre. The width of the body, as measured from the external surface of the closure 42 to the external surface of the side wall 113, is approximately 0.15 metre.

The dimensions of each of the suitcases illustrated in the accompanying drawings would be selected according to the volume which is required to be available for containing articles. However, the width of the body of each suitcase does not exceed its diameter. Preferably, the width of the body does not exceed its radius. Typically, the width of the body is between one-half and one-third of the radius.

The body or container may be formed as a moulding of reinforced plastics material. The interior of the body or container may be subdivided by partitions and may be provided with elasticated straps _, or nets _Sr holding articles in a fixed position relative to the body or containero

The peripheral wall of the body or bodies of each suitcase illustrated in the accompanying drawings may be modified to include a pair of axially spaced rim portions between which the peripheral wall presents an external -surface having a diameter smaller than that of the rim portions. The rim portions may be formed of

resiliently flexible material and may include an envelope containing air. Hand-holds may be provided in the rims. Alternatively, there may be provided in the side walls adjacent to the rims recesses to facilitate gripping of the rims by baggage handlers.

Whilst the peripheral wall of each of the suit¬ cases illustrated in the accompanying drawings is substantially rigid, the suitcases may be modified by the provision of a flexible or folding peripheral wall with which there are associated stays adapted normally to maintain the side walls of the case a predetermined distance apart and to permit collapsing of the suitcase by movement of the side walls towards each other and flexing or folding of the peripheral wall when the suitcase, being empty, is required to assume a compact configuration.

In each of the suitcases illustrated in the accompanying drawings, there is preferably at the bearin which provide for rotation of the body relative to the handle sufficient friction to enable the handle to act as a brake in the event of the handle being released inadvertently whilst the body is rolling on a floor surface ^or is standing on an inclined floor surface. The handle would rotate with the body until the handle engaged the floor surface and continued rotation of the body would then be braked.