Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Supporting devices – Wheeled
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-02
2003-11-25
Mai, Tri M. (Department: 3727)
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Supporting devices
Wheeled
C190S115000, C016S113100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651791
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of hand towable travel baggage. More particularly, this invention pertains to a towing member having a towing handle that is pivotally attached to an arm portion of the towing member. The pivotal connection between the towing handle and the arm portion of the towing member allows a person to hold the towing handle in a position that is more comfortable than would otherwise be possible when towing a piece of baggage along a surface. Furthermore, the pivotal connection increases the maneuverability of hand towable baggage by allowing a person to steer a piece of baggage along a tight radius without having to adjust his or her grip on the towing handle.
(2) Description of the Related Art
It is common for many varieties of baggage to be equipped with one or more wheels that enable the baggage to be towed by persons when traveling. Typically, a towable piece of baggage is also provided with a towing member having an arm portion that connects a towing handle to the piece of baggage. The length of the arm portion connecting the towing handle to the piece of baggage prevents the baggage from coming into contact with the person's legs and feet as the piece of baggage is being towed.
Baggage that are not permanently equipped with either wheels or towing members can also be towed using portable towing carts. A typical cart can be removably secured to a piece of baggage to provide wheels and a towing member for towing the piece of baggage.
Regardless of whether a towing member is an integral part of a piece of baggage or whether it is part of a towing cart, the majority of towing members allow a towing handle to be selectively extended from and retracted toward a piece of baggage being towed. The ability to extend and retract the towing member allows the towing member to be unobtrusive when the piece of baggage is not being towed. Furthermore, with the towing member in the retracted position, the piece of baggage can more easily be placed into the trunk of an automobile or into an overhead compartment of an airplane when traveling.
In those cases where the wheels and the towing member of towable baggage are permanently secured to the baggage, it is common for a wheeled piece of baggage to have an extendable towing member comprised of a pair of parallel telescoping poles, bridged by a towing handle, that slide into separate vertically oriented tubular receptacles rigidly attached to an interior compartment of the piece of the baggage. It is also known to utilize a single-pole telescoping tow member that extends and retracts from a single tubular receptacle centrally positioned between the wheels of a piece of baggage. In either situation, a piece of baggage having a permanently secured towing member typically has a receptacle for the towing handle such that the towing handle lies flush with an exterior surface of the piece of baggage when the towing member is retracted. This prevents the towing handle from being obtrusive and reduces the chance of snagging the towing handle on other items, while also improving the aesthetic appearance of the piece of baggage when the piece of baggage is not being towed.
Perhaps more common of towing carts, other types of baggage utilize non-telescoping extendable towing members such as bars or poles that are hinged to swing relative to the piece of baggage. Typically, such hinged towing members have some form of clasp that holds the towing member against a side of the piece of baggage when the baggage is not being towed and that releases the towing member when desired to allow the towing member to pivot upwardly into an extended position.
Regardless of the type of towing member, extendable towing members are usually provided with a mechanism for locking the towing member in the extended position. Such locking mechanisms are well known in the art and include such devices as spring-loaded detents, cam locks, and other interference locks. Some locking mechanisms are unlocked by manually operating a release mechanism. Other locking mechanisms, such as many spring-loaded detent mechanisms, are automatically released by simply exerting a force on the towing handle that is sufficient to retract the detent. Additionally, some towing members have locking mechanisms that are capable of locking the towing member in the retracted position.
Despite the convenience of being able to tow a piece of baggage as opposed to carrying it when traveling, towing a piece of baggage can be awkward and uncomfortable. One reason that towing a piece of baggage can be uncomfortable lies in the positioning and the shape of the towing handle of most towing members. As mentioned above, it is common for the towing handle of dual-pole towing members to be a bridge spanning between the poles. Such towing handles are therefore generally oriented horizontal to the surface upon which the piece of baggage is being towed and extend perpendicular to the path along which the piece of baggage is being towed. In this configuration, a person must generally grasp the towing handle behind his of her back with his or her wrist rotated to almost its limit of rotation in either direction. When towing such baggage long distances, this position can become uncomfortable and such persons often find it necessary to switch hands one or more times to prevent fatigue.
Regardless of the disadvantages in comfort associated with the towing handle configuration as described above, alternative orientations of the towing handles are often not available without comprising other aspects of the utility of such devices. For example, shaping the handle of an extendable towing member in a manner that would be more comfortable is likely to cause the handle to protrude from the piece of baggage or require a larger receptacle for the handle when the towing member is retracted. Another disadvantage associated with the towing handle configuration described above is that, due to the awkward grasp needed to hold onto the towing handle, the maneuverability of a towed piece of baggage becomes limited by the person's inability to further twist his or her wrist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The towing member of the present invention is designed to be either permanently or removably attached to a piece of baggage. In accordance with the present invention, a towing member is provided with a pivot mechanism that allows a towing handle of the towing member to pivot about an axis relative to an arm portion of the towing member.
The relative movement between the towing handle and the arm portion of the towing member allows a person to grasp the towing handle in a comfortable position when towing a piece of baggage. Additionally, the relative movement between the towing handle and the arm portion of the towing member increases the maneuverability of a towed piece of baggage by eliminating the need for a person to adjust his or her grip on the towing handle when attempting to redirect the piece of baggage. Furthermore, the relative movement between the towing handle and the arm portion allows the towing handle to be repositioned when the arm portion is retracted such that it is unobtrusive and does not otherwise interfere with the use of the piece of baggage.
In general, the towing member of the present invention comprises an arm portion, a towing handle, and a pivot mechanism. The arm portion is configured to connect the towing handle to a piece of baggage while the pivot mechanism allows the towing handle to be connected to the arm portion in a manner such that the towing handle can pivot relative to the arm portion.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the arm portion utilizes a curved, single-pole telescoping member that enables the towing handle to be selectively extended from and retracted toward a piece of baggage. The towing handle of the preferred embodiment is T-shaped and the pivoting mechanism allows the handle to pivot about a center-axis of the arm portion that is defined by the length of the arm portion.
By enabling the tow
Mittleman David
Nykoluk Cory O.
Lewis Rice & Fingersh LC
TRG Accessories LLC
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