Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIO~
Field of the invention
This invention relates to a wheel unit for mounting in
a suitcase comprising a bifurcated wheel bracket movable in and
out of a hole in the one end of a housing.
Prior Art
Units of this type hitherto known are usually provided
with rather complicated locking mechanisms which are difficult
for the user to handle.
SUM~ARY OF THE INVE~TION
The object of the present invention is to improve the
system of locking means for locking the wheel in a driving position
in which the wheel is placed at a certain distance from the suit-
case wall, and the bracket of the wheel is locked in a position
turned 90 in relation to the longitudinal direction of the
housing.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wheel
unit i~l which the wheel bracket automatically is retracted into
the housing by a 90 turn when the driving position is no longer
used, whereby the manipulation of the unit is greatly facilitated.
The wheel unit has a wheel bracket which is rotatably
mounted in a bearing block actuated by a spring for introduction
of the wheel bracket into a housing, and the wheel bracket in
driving position is turned 90 in relation to the bearing block
and is locked in recesses situated in the side edges of the housing.
Many other advantages features and additional objects
of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in
the art upon making reference to the detailed description and
the accompanying sheets of drawings in which preferred structural
embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention
are ~hown by way of illustrative example.
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1 IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the unit
according to the invention with the wheel bracket in retracted
position, partly in cross-section;
FIG. 2 shows the wheel bracket in extended and turned
position;
FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment
of the bearing block and the guide channel, partly broken away;
FIG. 6 is a perspective vlew of the guide channel of
FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the
invention partly in cross-section;
FIG. 8 is an end view of FIG. 7 with the wheel turned
90; and
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of FIG. 7 with the wheel
retracted into the housing.
AS SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS
The unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a wheel
bracket 1 with a smooth-running wheel 2, the wheel in retracted
position being embraced by a housing 3. The wheel bracket 1 is
secured at one end of a tube 4 passing through a hole in the web
of the wheel bracket and extending a distance between the legs of
the wheel bracket. The part of the tube 4 situated above the wheel
bracket passes through a bore in a bearing block 5 which is prismatic,
i.e. is a polyhedron, and which can slide in a guide channel 6 in
the direction of the tube axis. The bore of the bearing block has
a size that enables the tube 4 to slide and turn therein. The
guide channel 6 comprises three side walls of the housing 3 and
two guide rails 7 placed inside and secured to the opposite side
walls of the housing.
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1 One end of a tension spring 8 is attached to the
closed end of the housing 3, and the other end of the spring is
attached to the lower end of the tube 4, the spring extending
through said tube.
Around its opening, the housing 3 is provided with a
mounting flange 9 for securing the unit. The flange 9 will abut
the outside wall of a suitcase and a frame (not shown) corresponding
to the suitcase opening is placed on the inner wall of the suitcase
and thereafter, the parts are connected, for instance by means of
rivets. On the longitudinal sides of the flange at the guide
channel 6 there are recesses or notches 10 (FIG.3) corresponding
in size to the web of the wheel bracket, so that in its turned
position, said web can be held in these recesses under the force
of the tension spring 8.
The tube 4 extends a distance above the bearing block 5,
and at this end it is provided with a collar 11. When the wheel
bracket is pulled, the bearing block 5 will follow along the
channel 6.
In the retracted position of FIG. 1 the tension spring
8 holds the bearing block 5 and the wheel bracket 1 in position
inside the housing 3. By pulling on the wheel 2, the wheel bracket
1 and the lower end of the tube 4 slide out of the housing. When
the entire wheel bracket is free of the opening of the housing 3,
the wheel bracket 1 is turned 90 and released, and the spring 8
retracts the web of the wheel bracket into the recesses 10, whereby
a stable positioning of the wheel bracket 1 is obtained. The
bearing block 5 and the tube 4 fixed to the wheel bracket provide
the unit with a shock-resistant rigidity which can resist, for
instance, bumping into curbs or driving up stairs. When use of the
3~ whee1s is no longer required,the wheel bracket is turned 90 ~ack
whereupon the tension spring 8 will retract the wheel bracket 1
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1 with the bearing block 5 up into the guide channel 6, so that onl~
a small part of the wheel 2 extends outside the opening of the
suitcase.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show a tubular embodiment of a guide
channel 6', that may be used with a cYlindrical bearing block 5'.
At one end of the tube, there is a cutout 12 of such a
width that the wheel bracket is capable of sliding therein, and
diametrically oppositethe cutout 12 there is a second cutout 13
slidably receptive of one end of a pin 14 carried near the lower
edge of the bearing block 5' and extending in the direction of
the wheel.
When the wheel is extended from the position shown in
FIG. 1 the wheel bracket 1 and one end of the pin 14 slide in the
cutout 12 and the other end of the pin 14 extending in the opposite
direction slides in the cutout 13.
The lower end of the tube is also provided with two
notches 15.
When the wheel bracket is pulled out of the tube it is
turned 90~ and thereafter, the spring 8 retracts the bearing block,
and the extending ends of the pin 15 are received in the notches 15
as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6.
The unit of FIGS. 7 to 9 comprises a housing 21, a
bracket 22 and a wheel 23 rotatably supported therein. The bracket
22 has a rectangular web 24 connecting a pair of branches 25,
and the shorter dimension of said web extends in the same direction
as the shaft of the wheel 23.
The bracket 22 is supported for rotation and axial slid-
ing in a bearing block 26 having two ears 27.
The bearing block 26 has a transverse slot or recess 28,
a counter-bore 29 and a hole 30. The width of the recess 28 cor-
responds to the shorter dimension of the web 24 of the bracket 22.
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1 The bore 29 is a guide member for a bearing or bushing 31
placed on the web, while the hole 30 receives a pin 32 secured
to the web and extending beyond the bushing 31. The free end of
the pin 32 extends between the ears of the bearing block and is
tapered, and at its outer end it is provided with a stop flange
33. A conical compression spring 34 acts between the stop flange
33 and the bearing block 26.
The bracket part 22 can be turned around the axis of
the bushing 31 in the bore 29, and concurrently, it is slidable
for a short distance against the spring tension in the direction
of the axis of such turning, as shown by the arrow 35.
When the bracket part 22 has been turned 90 from the
position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIG. 8, the
spring 34 will pull the web 24 of the bracket part into the slot
28, as the size of this side of the web corresponds to the width
of said slot.
Inside the housing 21, there are supported two sets
of ribs or wall reinforcements 36 and 37 having recesses 38 and
39 at the opening of the housing, into which recesses the web 24
Of the bracket abuts in the seated position in the slot 28.
When the bracket 22 is to be retracted, it is necessary
first to pull the bracket out of the slot 28 and the recesses 38
and 39 at the opening of the housing, after which it can be turned
either along the arrow 40 or in an opposite direction.
The bearing block 26 is pivotally supported on a shaft
41 secured to the side walls of the housing 21 and passing through
holes 42 in the ears 27 of the bearing block 26. A torsion spring
43 carried on the shaft 41 acts between the housing 21 and the
bearing block 26 and urges the wheel 23, bracket 22 and bearing
30 block 26 to pivot to the position indicated by dotted lines in
~IG. 7. Thus, the wheel 23 can be pivoted in and out of the
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1 housing along the arrow 44. A pair of stop ribs 45 are supported
on the inside of the side walls of the housing, thereby limiting
the retracting movement of the wheel bracket. Thus, the position
of the wheel and bracket part shown in FIG. 7 with solid lines is
not a stable position.
The housing 21 has an edge f'ange 46 with h~les 47 for
mounting in a suitcase in a suitable opening, where the attaching
may be done by means of, for instance, rivets.
One or preferably two units are mounted in a suitcase.
To use them, the projecting wheels 23 are pulled out from the
housing and are turned 90, whereby the bracket part 22 by means
of the spring 34 is seated in the seat 28 and the recess 38 and 39.
When the wheel or the wheels no longer are in use, the wheel is
pulled and again turned 90, after which the bracket with the
wheel swings into the housing due to the influence of the spring
43. When the turning axis passes through the wheel axis, it is
of no importance which way the wheel bracket is turned, clockwise
or counter-clockwise, and the user may employ either direction of
turning.
Although various minor modifications might be suggested
by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to
embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such
embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of
my contribution to the art.
