Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Supporting devices – Wheeled
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-03-06
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Supporting devices
Wheeled
C190S039000, C190S103000, C190S115000, C016S114100, C280S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196366
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luggage article or a suitcase, and more particularly to a luggage article or a suitcase having a retractable and/or foldable handle device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical foldable bags or suitcases or luggage articles comprise a middle portion that may be folded to a compact size for storing purposes, and a handle device provided for carrying the foldable luggage article. One of the typical foldable luggage articles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,652 to Shamah and comprises a vertically expandable luggage article, and a vertically expandable handle device having at least three vertically stacked supports or tubular members secured to the luggage article. Only a rigid plate is secured to the upper portion of the top shell. When the intermediate and foldable shells of the luggage article are opened, only the right plate may be provided for supporting the top shell and the intermediate foldable shells are expanded to the working position, such that the luggage article may not be stably supported in place when the luggage article is expanded.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional foldable bags or luggage articles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable suitcase having a retractable handle device for stably supporting the suitcase at the expanded or open position.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a foldable suitcase comprising a suitcase body including a base and an upper shell and including a foldable middle portion provided between the base and the upper shell for forming a foldable structure to the suitcase body and for allowing the suitcase body to be expanded to a working position and to be folded to a folded position, the upper shell of the suitcase body including an upper portion and a lower portion, a wheel device secured to the base of the suitcase body, and a retractable support secured to the upper shell of the suitcase body for supporting the suitcase body at the working position and at the folded position respectively, the retractable support including a pair of posts having a lower portion secured to the base of the suitcase body, a pair of tubes slidably received in the posts respectively and including an upper portion secured to the upper portion of the upper shell of the suitcase body for allowing the tubes and the upper shell of the suitcase body to be moved up and down relative to the posts, and a bar secured to the lower portion of the upper shell of the suitcase body and including a pair of orifices for slidably receiving the posts respectively and for slidably securing the upper shell to the posts.
A handle device is further attached to the upper shell for carrying the suitcase and includes a pair of pipes slidably received in the tubes respectively and moved relative to the tubes between an extended position and a retracted position, and includes a hand grip provided between the pipes, and means for selectively securing the pipes at the extended position and the retracted position relative to the tubes. A bracket is secured to the upper portion of the upper shell and includes the tubes extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the posts respectively.
The foldable middle portion of the suitcase body includes one or more peripheral zipper devices, the bar and the posts are secured in the suitcase body for preventing the posts from blocking the peripheral zipper devices and for allowing the zipper devices to be easily operated by the users.
A securing means is further provided for securing the posts to the bar and includes at least one hole formed in a first of the posts, a spring-biased projection disposed in the bar and engaged with the hole of the first post for securing the first post to the bar. The bar includes at least one block secured therein for receiving the spring-biased projection.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4361215 (1982-11-01), Sawai
patent: 5251731 (1993-10-01), Cassese et al.
patent: 5323387 (1994-06-01), Scicluna et al.
patent: 5374073 (1994-12-01), Hung Hsin
patent: 5664652 (1997-09-01), Shamah
patent: 5709398 (1998-01-01), Lu
patent: 5713502 (1998-02-01), Dixon
patent: 5819891 (1998-10-01), Wang et al.
patent: 395247 (1928-08-01), None
Baxley Charles E.
Weaver Sue A.
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