Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Hand luggage – With handle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-15
2001-10-23
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Hand luggage
With handle
C190S01800A, C190S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305514
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a handle assembly for wheeled luggage and more particularly to an off-centered dual-purpose handle assembly that can be used for both carrying and pulling a wheeled luggage and furthermore, when luggage is carried, the lower end of luggage tilts away from the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wheeled luggage has been widely used in recent years by travelers in various forms of transportation. When designing a wheeled luggage, a number of important criteria must be considered. For example, luggage should be rigidly constructed for surviving rough handling when pulled in the streets, in and out of buildings with ascending or descending steps, and in and out of various forms of carriers such as airplanes or motor vehicles. The wheeled luggage must also have adequate wheel means such that luggage can be pulled along a pavement with relative ease.
Wheeled luggage should have a convenient pull-handle system that can be easily stowed away when not in use and extended when needed. Most types of luggage of large or medium size sold in markets are equipped with a pull handle of various types so as to facilitate carrying of the same in journey. However, most of pull-handle systems are not suitably designed and cannot be reliably used. For example, in order to carry or lift the wheeled luggage, a separate handle system must be provided on luggage case in addition to the pull-handle system. But such design is unsatisfactory because it protrudes from the surface of luggage case permanently and cannot be retracted into a recess. As such, the requirement for a separate carry handle system not only clutter the simple design of a luggage case, but also increase the cost of luggage.
More recently, the airline industry has strictly enforced the restriction on the dimensions of carry-on luggage that may be brought onboard of an airplane. A protruded carry handle used on a wheeled luggage for carrying purpose further adds to the dimensions and may disqualify a luggage to be carried onboard an airplane. The need for a handle system that can be completely stowed away in a recess built into the luggage case, can be used to both pull luggage on wheels or to carry luggage when needed has been long existing but unfulfilled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wheeled luggage equipped with a pull-handle system that does not have the drawbacks of conventional pull-handle systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wheeled luggage equipped with a dual-purpose handle system that can be used for both pulling luggage on wheels or carrying wheel when needed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wheeled luggage equipped with a dual-purpose handle system that can be locked in at least two operating positions for pulling and carrying luggage.
It is another further object of the present invention to provide a wheeled luggage equipped with a dual-purpose handle system that can be completely stowed away in a bezel when not in use and thus reducing the dimensions of luggage.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide a wheeled luggage equipped with a dual-purpose handle system such that the need for a separate carrying handle is eliminated.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide a wheeled luggage equipped with a dual-purpose, off-entered handle system.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide a dual-purpose handle system that can be locked in a stowed-away position, in a partially-extended or carrying position, e.g., at a distance between about 0.5 inch to about 6 inch from the top of luggage, and in a fully extended position for pulling luggage on wheels. The locking function is provided by a novel locking mechanism that is connected to an end of an inner tube which slidingly engages a cavity in an outer tube for operating the handle system. Two identical inner tubes are used to slidingly engage two identical outer tubes and are mounted on each side of handle grip. A recessed button in the handle grip is used to operate the locking mechanism by a pair of flexible steel cables mounted inside the inner tubes. The locking mechanism which are mounted to the inner tube with locking pins facing each other for engaging at least three apertures provided in the outer tubes for each of the three locking positions, i.e., the handle storage position, the handle for carrying position, and the handle for pulling position.
Another novel feature of the present invention is the positioning of handle grip in relation to the center line of luggage in the longitudinal direction across the top of luggage. The U-shaped handle grip which attaches to the two inner tubes at the two ends of the U-shaped handle grip while the bottom of the U-shaped handle grip is used as the handle grip and a housing for the push button, i.e., the activating device for locking mechanism. The handle grip is designed to be off-centered from the center line of luggage. The off-centered distance may be between about 0.1 inch and about 2 inch to either side of the center line. The off-centered handle grip enables the luggage to be picked up by the handle grip with the lower end of luggage tilting away from the user. The U-shaped handle rip is designed with the opening of the U-shaped handle grip pointing toward the wheels mounted on the backside of the luggage. This allows the backside of luggage, and specifically the wheels to tilt away from the legs of user. The tilt-away feature of the present invention wheeled luggage when luggage is being carried provides a great convenience to the user since it does not interfere with the user's movement or walking.
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: 5908093 (1999-06-01), Miyoshi
patent: 5950779 (1999-09-01), Miyoshi
patent: 5956807 (1999-09-01), Kuo
patent: 6026543 (2000-02-01), Chen
patent: 6079527 (2000-06-01), Kuo
Kuo Chung Hsien
Lin Jer Hong
Chaw Khong Technology Co. Ltd.
Dougherty & Troxell
Weaver Sue A.
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