Tony Benn - suitcase that comes with a seat
9th June 2010
Tony Benn, at the age of 85 could win legions of new fans with his new invention – the ‘Seatcase’, a suitcase that comes with a seat attached.
This week his contraption has been given the ultimate seal of approval by the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA), after undergoing a month of tests that have concluded it can be officially recognised as a seat.
A robust bracket, weighing less than a kilo is attached to the suitcase (most ordinary suitcases will accommodate it) and when the case is placed on the ground the seat can be slid down two metal tubes and flipped out with the body of the case supporting it.
Mr Benn puts the inspiration behind his design down to years of travelling, something that has become more difficult with age.
‘As I have got older, I have found all that standing up extremely tiring, I found I was always looking for somewhere to sit. So, in the end I started to carry a stool with me. It was quiet a handful so about ten years ago I managed to lash a stool to a rucksack – I called it my backbencher.’
Drawing admiration from fellow travellers the ‘backbencher’ finally became the ‘Seatcase’ after Mr Benn was put in contact with architect Grahame Herbert, who had designed the airframe folding bicycle in the seventies.
A prototype was put together at a cost of £3,000 and much time was spent perfecting the product.
The due are now looking for a backer to move the project forwards.
Sourced from Mailonline, to read the article in full please click here