Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Convertible or combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-19
2001-01-30
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3729)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Convertible or combined
C224S577000, C190S01800A, C190S01800A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to backpacks and more particularly to a wheelable backpack.
The prior art illustrates that it is known to provide wheels for luggage, such as suitcases and trunks, but there has not been found, in the prior art, a wheeled, retractable backpack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,624 discloses a wheeled piece of luggage that has on its back two spaced grooves with tubes being disposed in the groove with a handle at one end of the tubes and a wheel at the other end of each of the tubes, with the wheels being stored in cutouts in the back wall of the suitcase or trunk. The wheels can be turned into a wheelable condition from the cutouts by rotation of the tubes by the use of a helical screw thread and a nut on the end of the tubes which cause the tubes to rotate 90° and thereby rotate the wheels out of the wheel cutouts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,850 illustrates another arrangement for trunks and luggage having retractable wheels connected to a handle. The motion of each wheel is controlled by a cam slot so that the wheel moves out when the handle is extended, but returns to a storage position when the handle is retracted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,055 discloses another arrangement for towing luggage, such as a suitcase or a trunk. In this patent the wall of the luggage includes a pair of fixed tubes, a pair of push pull tubes and a U-shaped tube wherein each end of the U-shaped tubes is connected to the push pull tubes. A pair of levers, one end of each being overlapped and hinged on the middle of the U-shaped tube and a pair of reverse L-shaped lengths which are fulcrumed at their angled part and are hinged on the other ends of the levers. By pushing down and pulling up the handle, the wheel units can be extended outward or retracted inward.
Each of these prior art arrangements, are relatively complex particularly the last patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,055. There is no teaching in any of these patents, or other prior art patents uncovered in a search, that the techniques for the wheeling of trunks and suitcases can be adapted for use with a knapsack or backpack which is carried either by a pair of shoulder straps on the back of the person using the backpack or capable of being wheeled if the person so desires.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a retractable wheeled backpack.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheeled backpack having a simple arrangement to enable the wheels to be extended outwardly or retracted inwardly.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an arrangement to enable the wheeling of a backpack wherein the wheels when being used as a backpack are retracted into a compartment in the lower portion of the backpack to prevent dirt on the wheels to be transferred to the clothes of the person that may use the backpack in its conventional manner, namely, by the use of the shoulder strap supporting the backpack to the back of the user.
A feature of the present invention is the provision of a wheelable backpack comprising a backpack having a front portion to carry items therein, a rear portion to rest against a back of a person using the backpack in a back-carrying mode, a top portion and a bottom portion; a pair of channels substantially parallel to and spaced with respect to each other disposed in the rear portion extending from the top portion to the bottom portion; handle means disposed in the pair of channels; a pair of compartments disposed in the bottom portion, each of the pair of compartments being disposed in communication with a different one of the pair of channels; a pair of wheels each disposed in a different one of the pair of compartments; and mechanical means disposed in each of the pair of channels connected between the handle means and each of the pair of wheels to convert linear motion of said handle means to rotary motion to extend each of the pair of wheels out of their associated one of the pair of compartments when the handle means is pulled outwardly in the pair of channels to enable wheeling the backpack in a wheeled mode and to retract each of the pair of wheels into an associated one of the pair of compartments when the handle means is pushed downwardly in the pair of channels to enable the person to carry the backpack in their back-carrying mode without soiling the clothes of the person.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4368835 (1983-01-01), Murphy
patent: 4524482 (1985-06-01), Mueller
patent: 5447261 (1995-09-01), Mitomi et al.
patent: 5588569 (1996-12-01), Mitomi et al.
patent: 5634576 (1997-06-01), Arbel
patent: 5676286 (1997-10-01), Song
patent: 5743447 (1998-04-01), McDermott
patent: 5749503 (1998-05-01), Wulf et al.
patent: 5758752 (1998-06-01), King et al.
patent: 5819892 (1998-10-01), Deliman et al.
patent: 5893495 (1999-04-01), Godshaw et al.
patent: 5964470 (1999-10-01), Syendsen et al.
patent: 5984154 (1999-11-01), Scicluna
patent: 6056301 (2000-05-01), Berliner et al.
patent: 6095385 (2000-08-01), Utu et al.
patent: 4202135 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 2441358 (1980-07-01), None
patent: 2124589 (1984-02-01), None
patent: 406217826 (1994-08-01), None
Knapp John F.
Saggese Laura
Gerrity Stephen F.
Hill Alfred C.
Sands Rhonda E.
LandOfFree
Wheelable backpack does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wheelable backpack, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wheelable backpack will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2461547