Trolley case

Abstract

A collapsible trolley which in its collapsed condition can be used as a portable case and more particularly to a trolley of the type in which the wheels and a handle framework can be folded into a position in which they are compactly contained adjacent the sides of the case or into a position in which the case and the wheeled handle framework form a trolley adapted to receive and support additional cases or luggage.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. A collapsible trolley comprising a case including an openable lid forming the foot of the trolley and a jointed framework pivotally attached externally to the case, said framework including two side bars each having inner and outer portions connected together and a cross bar joining the outer ends of the outer portions of the side bars, the inner ends of said inner portions of said side bars being pivotally mounted on the sides of said case, and a pair of axles extending transversely of and fixedly mounted on the inner portions of said side bars at a location spaced from said inner ends of said inner portions, a pair of wheels respectively pivotably mounted on said pair of axles for pivotal movement therewith, and means for selectively holding said framework in closed and opened positions, whereby the framework is pivotable into a closed position in which said side bars are collapsed and located at the sides of said case and said cross bar extends across a major face of said case and is pivotable into an opened position in which said wheels project below the case and said side bars project outwardly substantially normally from said major surface of said case in a locked condition to form a wheeled trolley with the case forming the foot of the trolley and adapted to retain luggage in place on the side bars of said framework. 
     
     
       2. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner portion of each side bar is pivotally mounted on a side of the case adjacent a bottom corner thereof and a fastener element is provided at the adjacent bottom corner of the side of the case for locking the inner portion of the side bar in the open position. 
     
     
       3. A trolley as claimed in claim 2, wherein a transverse stiffening bar is provided between the side bars at or adjacent to the hinge points of the inner and outer portions of the side bars, the transverse bar locating across the upper end of a major face of the case and the cross bar locating across the bottom end of the same major face of the case when the framework is in the closed, folded position. 
     
     
       4. A trolley as claimed in claim 3, wherein grooves are provided in the said major face of the case to accommodate the transverse bar and the cross bar. 
     
     
       5. A trolley as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cross bar is U-shaped. 
     
     
       6. A trolley as claimed in claim 5, wherein the case is provided with recesses at each side which are open on two sides to receive and house the framework and the wheels in the closed, folded position. 
     
     
       7. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case is provided with recesses at each side which are open on two sides to receive and house the framework and the wheels in the closed, folded position. .Iadd. 8. A combined portable case and collapsible trolley comprising: a case formed by a plurality of walls with at least a part of a wall defining an openable lid,   an extendable trolley framework pivotally attached to the case and having a stored position compactly adjacent the case and rotatable about a pivot to an opened position extending substantially perpendicular from one wall of the case to form with the case a trolley for carrying luggage placed between the extended trolley framework and the one wall of the case, and   an extendable wheel assembly having a stored position compactly adjacent the case and an opened position projecting below the lowest corner of the case when the case is tilted to ground to allow the trolley to be wheeled with both the extended trolley framework and the one wall forming acute angles to ground. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 8 wherein the extendable wheel assembly is mounted on the framework between the pivot and an opposite end thereof to thereby extend the wheel assembly when the framework is rotated from the stored position to the opened position. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 10. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 8 wherein the extendable trolley framework includes a first bar connected to a second bar having a handle section for transporting the trolley tilted to ground, both the first bar and the second bar extend substantially perpendicular from the one wall of the case to form with the case the trolley. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 8 wherein the extendable trolley framework includes a bar pivotally attached to the case adjacent a corner thereof, and a stop element provides an abutment between the bar and the case when the bar is extended substantially perpendicular to the one wall to maintain the bar in the substantially perpendicular opened position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. A combined portable case and collapsible trolley comprising:   a case formed by a plurality of walls with at least a part of a wall defining an openable lid,   an extendable trolley framework attached to the case including a pair of spaced trolley bars which can be folded flat against one wall of the case, and the case has a pair of spaced grooves extending across the one wall for receiving the pair of spaced bars when folded flat against the case, the pair of spaced trolley bars having an opened position extending substantially perpendicular from the one wall of the case to form with the case a trolley for carrying luggage placed between the pair of spaced trolley bars and the one wall of the case, and   an extendable wheel assembly having a stored position compactly adjacent the case and an opened position projecting below the lowest corner of the case when the case is tilted to ground to allow the trolley to be wheeled with both the pair of trolley bars and the one wall forming acute angles to ground. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 12 wherein the case is formed by a plurality of side walls joining a pair of major faces of the case, the one wall forming one major face and being opposite the wall defining the openable lid, said openable lid forming the other major face of the case, the lid facing towards the ground when the case is tilted to allow the trolley to be wheeled, and a case handle attached to one of the plurality of side walls for transporting the case when the trolley framework and wheel assembly are in the stored position. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 8 wherein the openable lid forms at least a part of a major face of the case, and a face different than the major face includes recess means open to receive and house the trolley framework and the wheel assembly in the stored positions thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 15. A combined portable case and collapsible trolley comprising:   a case formed by plurality of walls with at least a part of a wall defining an openable lid,   an extendable trolley bar pivotally attached to the case and having a stored position compactly adjacent the case and rotatable about a pivot to an opened position in which the trolley bar extends substantially perpendicular to the case to form with the case a trolley for carrying luggage placed between the extended trolley bar and the case, and   a wheel assembly mounted on the trolley bar between the pivot and an end of the trolley bar, the wheel assembly being movable with rotation of the trolley bar from a stored position compactly adjacent the case to an opened position projecting below the case when the case is tilted to ground to allow the trolley to be wheeled with both the trolley bar and the case forming acute angles to ground. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 15 wherein the trolley bar has a stop surface and is pivotally mounted adjacent at least two joining walls of the case, and a stop element is provided on the case for abutting the stop surface of the trolley bar when rotated to extend substantially perpendicular for locking the trolley bar in the opened position. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 17. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 15 including a second extendable trolley bar pivotally attached to the case and having a stored position compactly adjacent the case and rotatable about a second pivot to an opened position in which the second trolley bar extends substantially perpendicular to the case and parallel with the first named trolley bar to form therewith a trolley for carrying luggage placed between the pair of extended trolley bars and the case, a second wheel assembly mounted on the second trolley bar between the second pivot and an end of the second trolley bar, a handle extending between the first named and second trolley bars, and a transverse bar spaced from the handle and extending between the first named and second trolley bars. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 17 wherein the case has a pair of grooves located in one wall of the case to receive flat within the pair of grooves the handle and the transverse bar. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. The combined portable case and collapsible trolley of claim 15 wherein the trolley bar includes a handle section, the openable lid forms at least a part of a major face of the case, and one or more faces different than the major face contain a first recess means to receive and store therein the handle section and a contiguous second recess means to receive and store the trolley bar and the wheel assembly in the stored positions thereof, the pivot being located in the second recess means. .Iaddend.