Trunks and hand-carried luggage – Hand luggage – With handle
Patent
1986-05-05
1990-05-29
Gehman, Bryon
Trunks and hand-carried luggage
Hand luggage
With handle
190 18A, A45C 1300
Patent
active
049288008
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a steering handle for a wheeled luggage case.
Luggage cases are known which have a pair of wheels at one corner on which the case may be rolled for ease of transport when the case is heavy. It is also known to provide a folding handle on the side of the case opposite the wheels for steering the case when it is being rolled. The handle is hinged to the wall of the case or to a mounting plate secured to the wall of the case. When not in use, the handle may be folded to lie flush against the case wall but when the case is to be rolled on the ground it can be swung out to provide a steering handle.
In some known constructions, the hinging movement of the handle is limited by a stop on the wall of the case immediately above the pivot point so that the handle is rigid in use and can bear some of the load of the case. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that a considerable load is placed on the pivot point and the stop by the weight of the case. It is desirable to be able to make steering handles of plastic but it has been found in practice that plastic handles are liable to be broken due to the weight that is placed upon them by the load in the case. The longer the handle the greater is the load on the pivot point and therefore it has only been possible hitherto to make plastic handles of short length.
It is also known to provide a metal steering handle with a metal stay connected between the handle and the mounting plate by means of which the handle is secured to the case wall. The stay limits the hinging movement of the handle and shares the load of the case with the pivot of the handle. A spring acts on the stay with an over centering action to hold the handle in the extended position, and also bias the handle towards the closed position when it has been pivoted towards the case by a certain distance.
The present invention provides a steering handle for a luggage case, with a stay in which the need for a separate spring is avoided.
According to the present invention there is provided a luggage case comprising a shell, steering handle for steering the case when it is being rolled on the ground, the steering handle being pivoted to the shell or mounting means secured to the shell for movement between a first closed position in which the handle lies adjacent the shell and a second extended position in which the handle projects from the shell, the movement of the handle away from the first position being limited at the second position by means of a stay connected on the one hand to the shell of the case and on the other hand to the steering handle at a position spaced from the pivot axis towards the free end of the handle, the stay being of resilient flexible material, means being provided for holding the stay in a flexed condition when the handle is in the first position so that the stay exerts a force on the handle tending to hold the handle in the first position. Thus the need for a separate spring to hold the handle in the closed position is avoided.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the stay is free at one end and passes through a slot, the stay being drawn through the slot as the handle is moved from the first position to the second position, a stop on the free end of the stay engaging the edge of the slot when the handle is in the second position to prevent movement of the handle beyond the second position.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a suitcase in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the handle of the suitcase of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale with the handle in the extended position;
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the handle of FIG. 2 in the closed position;
FIG. 4 shows an elevation of the stay of the handle of FIGS. 2 and 3 viewed in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 shows an elevation of the base moulding of the handle assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3 viewed in the direction of the arrow B in FI
REFERENCES:
patent: 2364073 (1944-12-01), Howard
patent: 3447195 (1969-06-01), Bush
patent: 3805929 (1974-04-01), Kuwayama
patent: 3948365 (1976-04-01), Gregg et al.
patent: 4358006 (1982-11-01), Castelli
patent: 4508202 (1985-04-01), Siegert et al.
patent: 4544050 (1985-10-01), Seynhaeve
Green Stephen T.
van Hoye Willibald
Gehman Bryon
O'Connor Gregory W.
Samsonite Corporation
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