Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of Invention
This invention relates to luggage and in particular to
trunks and luggage having retractable wheels.
Prior art is found in United States Patents numbers
2,539,993, 2,917,317~ 2,510,754, 3,141,680, 3,178,197 and
4,122,924.
The various mechanisms illustrated in the prior art
are complex, difficult to maintain, expensive and occupy too
much space.
One object of the present invention is to provide trunks
and luggage having retractable wheels which are simpler to con- ~w~
struct and operate than the prior art.
A further object of this invention is to provide such
trunks and luggage which are more durable and require less
maintenance.
Other objects and advantages of this in~ention will be ' ~
apparent from the description and claims which :Eollow taken -
together with the appended drawings.
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Summary of the Invention
The invention relates ko a luggage case wherein there
is the combination of an opening in a wall thereof, door ~neans
registerable with the opening, wheel means stored in the case
acljacent the opening, operating means for simultaneously
extending and retracting the wheel means and openln~ and
closin~ the door means, and handle means for actuating
the operating means. The invention relates to the improvement
in which: the wheel means comprises a wheel mounted on a
wheel support member which is pivotally supported by the
luggage case and has a first slot; and the operating means
comprises a second slot adjacent the first slot, slot
engaging means extending through both the slots, and
connection means connected to the slot engaging means and
to the handle means.
Thus, the invention comprises generally a trunk or
luggage case having a wheeling handle Gperatively connected
to a pair of extensible wheels. The motion of each wheel is
controlled by a cam slot so that the wheel moves out when
the handle is extended but is arranged to return to storage
position when the handle is retracted. A door is provided
for each wheel to ~eep out the elements. The mechanism
preferably comprises an elongated wire loop connected to a
pivot pin which goes through the cam slot.
In one embodiment there is a sliding door which opens
before the wheel is ejected. A~curved cam slot provides any
required lost motion in extending the handle.
In another embodiment the door is spring-loaded and
opened by the ejection of the wheel. A stop is provided to
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hold tl~e door open while the han~le is extende~. ~ny re~uired
los~ mo-tion in extending the handle is provided by llavin~ ~he
handle legs engage a wheel wire loop after it has been
substantially extended.
In a trunk or large case lost motion may not be needed,
so that actuation of the handle operates directly on the wheel
mechanisms.
Brief Description of Drawings
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a luggage case made in
accordance with this invention showing the handle and wheels
extended, and having pivo~ing wheel doors.
Fig. lA is a partial section in the top portion of the
case showing handle lock.
Fig. 2 is a view of the mechanism of the luggage case
illustrated in Fig. 1 with the wheels and handle extended.
Fig. 2A is an enlarged plan view of a portion of Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the wheel portion
in extended position.
Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of the wheel in
retracted position.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment
of this invention with the handle and wheels extended, having
sliding rather than pivoting wheel doors.
Fig. 6, appéaring on the second sheet of drawings,
is a perspective view of the mechanism of the luggage case of
Fig. 5 with the wheels and handle extended.
Fig. 7 is a side schematic view of the wheel portion
of the luggage case of Fig. 5 with the wheels extended.
Fig. 8 is a side sc-hematic view of the wheel portion
of Fig. 5 with the wheels retracted.
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Specific Examples of Invention
Referring now ~o Figs. 1 to 4 ~here is illustrated therein
a luggage case made in accordance with this invention. .The
wheeling handle lO0 is U-shaped and comprises horizontal portion .
101 storable in recess 101a and having at its encs a pair of
vertical members 102. Vertical members 102 connect to the
mechanisms for wheels 111, as explained below, so that when the
wheeling handle 100 is fully extended the wheels 111 are extended
but when the horizontal portion lOl of wheeling handle 100 is
stored in recess 101a the vertical members 102 are stored within
the luggage case and the wheels 111 are retracted.
Locking means are provided to maintain the wheeling handle
100 in the selected extended or retracted position. The locking
means comprise transverse locking rods 151 and 152 spacea adjacen
recess 101a and having manip~lable ends 151a and lS2a in recess 9 .
~ocking rods lSl and 152 are supported by tube 152d having at
its end an enlarged spring housing 152c attached to the case
wall and have springs 152b mounted near their en~s. The springs
152b act in conjunction with the case wall ~ case wall orifice 94a
and orifices 102a and 102c of vertical members 102. When handles
].51a and 152a are pulled together the ends of rods 151 and 152
are pulled out of the orifices permitting vertical members 102
to mov~. The springs 152b maintain tension so that when the .
vertical members 132 are fu11y extended, the ends ~f the locking
rods 151 and 152 engage the orifices 102c thus locking the handle
in the extended position. Orifices 102a lock handle when
retracted.
, There is a separate m~chanism for each wheel 111 connected
and actuated by the common wheeling handle lO0. The mechanism
illustratcd in Flg. 2 is similar for each wheel. The vert1c-1 ;
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member 102 comprises a U-shaped channel having cover plate 102b
and transverse wall 102d having orifices or notches 102e and 102f
Closed wire loop 133 is movable through orifices 102e and 102f
so ~hat the outer portion of closed wire loop 103 acts as a
los: motion upon extension of the handle. The combination of
vertical member 10~ and wire loop 103 mo~e in a track 113. The
ends of wire loop 103 are connected to both sides of a pin 104.
Pin 104 slides in slot 106 of wheei holde: 105 and also in the
slot 107 of frame nlember 108. Frame member 108 is connected to
wall 9S of the lug~age case. Wheel support is pivotally support-
ed by fixed pivot lOSa mounted on luggage case frame member 108.
Wheel suppoft 105 also has a depending portion in which there is
a pin llla ~.olding the wheel 111 and also a door stop portion 11?
Door stop 112 acts against spring-pivoted door 110, which door
forms a portion of wall 97 of the case ir openi~g 97a.
Suitable cover plates 113a and 12C are provided to cover
the track 113 so as to form a closed concuit for the motion of
the mechanism.
The wire used in ma~ing wire 103 is preferably suitably
tempered to maintain shape and yet have some flexibility. Where
the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 is applied to a trunk
the wire 103 or handle can be shorter since no lost motion would
be required.
Although this invention is not limited to any particular
sizej it is preferred ~hat for common sizes of l~,rge luggage
that wheels of two to four inches in diameter be used. For a
three-inch ~yheel t~e enclosure for the embodiment illustrated in
Figs. 1 to 4 would be approximately four inches by three and a
half inches. Roll~rs can be used in place of wheels, but wheels
are preferred because of easier navigation particularly on rough
surfaces.
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Refe.ring now to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 - B
the mechanisns are housed in a similar manner as in the ~`irst
embodiment and the handle and locking are similar. The si~nifi-
cant difference between this second embodiment an~ the fArst
embodiment is in the door and lost motion aspects. Instt!ad of
having a loop of wire providc all the lost motion with a swingingl
door, this second embodiment has a sliding door 710 in space 197a ¦
in wall 197 Wit]l the lost motion for same provided by the curva-
ture of the cam slot 207 in frame member 208 which is connected
to case wall 195. Ihe wheeling handle 201 has a pair of U-shaped _
channels 202 sliding within track 213 and interlo-ked at wall 202
to wire loop 203. The other end of loop 203 is permanently con-
nected to one end of the sliding door 210. Door 210 moves in
track 213 and at its other end is permanently conlected by wire
loop 203a to pin 204. Pin 204 extends through straight slot 206
of wheel support 205 and also through curved slot 207 of frame
member 208. Wheel 211 is suspended on the lower portions of
wheel holder 205 by pin 211a. Wheel support 205 is permanently
connected by fixed pivot 205a to frame member 20U. Cover plates
213b and 213c are provided to form an enslosed conduit with the
tracks 213 and 213a.
In the claims which follow, it is intended that the word
"slot" be used in its generic sense t o also include"groove"
