Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Handle – handle component – or handle adjunct – Length adjustable pull handle for luggage or luggage cart
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-05-01
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Handle, handle component, or handle adjunct
Length adjustable pull handle for luggage or luggage cart
C190S115000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223391
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking assembly of a retractable handle for wheeled luggage, and more particularly to an improvement of the locking assembly accommodated between the sliding tube and the support tube of a retractable handle for wheeled luggage.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically a convenient pull-handle is provided on a wheel luggage that can be easily pulled in the streets. Further, the pull-handle of most types of luggage is retractable for being stowed away when not in use and extended when needed.
A prior art retractable handle system is shown in FIG.
1
. The handle system comprises a handle grip H, a pair of up-side-down L-like shaped members L, a bezel assembly P, a pair of sliding tubes A, a pair of locking assemblies B, a pair of sleeve members C, a pair of support tubes D, and a base E.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, there is shown an enlarged portion of the sliding tube A, the locking assembly B, the sleeve member C, and the support tube D on the right side of the prior art handle system of FIG.
1
.
Referring to
FIG. 1
again, a screw H
2
is threaded through a hole H
1
on an end portion of the handle grip H to an upper hole A
1
of the sliding tube A for holding them together. The sliding tube A is inserted through the up-side-down L-like shaped member L and the bezel assembly P. Consequently, a locking pin B
1
is inserted through a lower hole A
2
of the sliding tube A and a hole B
2
of the locking assembly B for holding them firmly. The sleeve member C is inserted into an upper portion D
2
of the support tube D in which a pair of projections C
3
(only one is shown) of the sleeve member C are clung to a corresponding pair of recessed portions D
3
of the support tube D for providing the fit setting of the sleeve member C into the support tube D.
As to the operation, the locking assembly B is slidable within the support tube D. A lowest position of the locking assembly B is on a bottom of the sleeve member C. A spring B
3
and a ball B
4
are provided to be engaged with an upper hole D
4
and a lower hole D
5
in order to lock the locking assembly B in the hole D
4
or D
5
.
In terms of the engagement of the sliding tube A and the support tube D, it is frequently designed that the locking pin B
1
is inserted through the sliding tube A and the locking assembly B for being engaged against the support tube D. However, such a pin connection is slackened after a frequent and/or long time use. Accordingly, the operation of the retractable handle is not sufficiently smooth. Further, the diameters of the locking pin B
1
and the lower hole A
2
should be well matched. Otherwise, it is difficult to assemble them if the tolerance between the locking pin B
1
and the hole A
2
is relatively large. As a result, an additional cost will be spent on the manufacturing process in order to remedy them. Even worse, the quality of the retractable handle is poor.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved locking assembly of a retractable handle for wheeled luggage to overcome the above drawbacks of prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking assembly of a retractable handle for wheeled luggage wherein the U shaped locking assembly comprises an upper hollow standing part and a lower pedestal part. The standing part has a pair of projections provided on two opposite sides thereof for being correspondingly secured to the holes of the sliding tube when the sliding tube is inserted into the standing part. It is envisaged that the locking pin is eliminated in order to obtain advantages such as simplifying the structure of the handle system, facilitating assembly, reducing the cost, and improving the handle quality.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5374073 (1994-12-01), Hung-Hsin
patent: 5459908 (1995-10-01), Chen
patent: 5586628 (1996-12-01), Wang
patent: 5653000 (1997-08-01), Lee
patent: 5781964 (1998-07-01), Lin et al.
patent: 5876048 (1999-03-01), Lee
patent: 5951037 (1999-09-01), Hsieh et al.
Chaw Khong Technology Co. Ltd.
Dougherty & Troxell
Sandy Robert J.
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