Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – Device for attaching wheel to axle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-02
2002-06-25
Stormer, Russell D. (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
Device for attaching wheel to axle
C301S118000, C301S111010, C190S01800A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409283
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wheel assembly for a trunk-attached carriage, and more particularly wheel assembly that can be mass-produced at reduced cost and in efficiency and can be easily assembled to and disassembled rom a trunk-attached carriage no matter what size the trunk is, so that any damaged components of the wheel assembly can be replaced at any time to prolong the usable life of the trunk carriage.
A trunk-attached carriage is very helpful in effortlessly carrying heavy clothes and the like during a trip. Such trunk-attached carriage usually includes two wheel brackets connected to a bottom of the carriage for two wheels o mount thereto. The wheel brackets are normally directly riveted onto the carriage-by some skilled worker and with specific to machinery. Once the wheel brackets and the wheels are mounted onto the carriage, they are not easily dismountable. In the event of any damaged wheel or other component of the wheel bracket, a whole set of the wheel bracket, including the wheel, must be replaced with a new set. From the position of a user, it is not economical to do so.
There has been developed an easily removable wheel assembly for such trunk-attached carriage, allowing a user to easily and quickly assemble and disassemble the wheels and other components on wheel brackets to and from the carriage and therefore a prolonged usable life of the carriage. However, such improved trunk-attached carriage includes a wheel axle having a length of at least 30 centimeters that is equal to an overall width of the wheel assembly. The long wheel axle requires extra material and therefore higher cost to make it, and the wheel assembly must include a seat having a long hole transversely extended a full length of the seat for the long wheel axle to extend therethrough. All these increase the manufacturing cost of the conventional removable wheel assembly. Moreover, it is more difficult to install and align two wheels that are mounted on the same wheel axle. Therefore, the conventional removable wheel assembly is installed at high labor cost and in low productivity.
Another disadvantage of the above-described conventional wheel assembly is that they include two wheel brackets and can be used only with a trunk of matched size. Different molds must be made to produce differently sized wheel assemblies for use with differently sized trunks and therefore increase the cost of the carriage.
It is therefore desirable to develop a wheel assembly that can be mass-produced at reduced cost and high productivity and can be easily assembled to and disassembled from a trunk-attached carriage no matter what size the trunk is, so that any damaged components of the wheel assembly can be replaced at any time to prolong the usable life of the trunk carriage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A wheel assembly for a trunk-attached carriage according to the present invention includes an integrally formed wheel bracket having a vertical, a side and a bottom plate for mounting onto a lower rear corner of a trunk, a compression spring, a short wheel axle, a locking member, and a wheel. The wheel bracket defines a wheel space for the wheel to locate therein. The wheel axle transversely extends across the wheel bracket to pass through an axle hole on the wheel, so that the wheel is rotatably mounted on the wheel axle and connected the wheel bracket. An end of the wheel axle close to the side plate of the wheel bracket is connected to a diameter-reduced inner end of the locking member, so that the wheel axle can be turned into a locked position on the wheel bracket by turning a diameter-expanded outer end of the locking member. And, by turning the locking member in a reverse direction, the wheel axle can be removed from the wheel bracket for replacement of any damaged component of the wheel assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 884196 (1908-04-01), McTigue
patent: 2323813 (1943-07-01), Fred
patent: 5673925 (1997-10-01), Stewart
patent: 5800022 (1998-09-01), Del Rosario
patent: 6253891 (2001-07-01), Miller
Arnhem Erik M.
Stormer Russell D.
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