AU761475B3

AU761475B3 - Wheel mounting arrangement

Info

Publication number: AU761475B3
Application number: AU66585/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jack Tsai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-10-18
Filing date: 2000-10-18
Publication date: 2003-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2004-06-05

Description

S&F Ref: 528015

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 PETTY PATENT SPECIFICATION

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Mr Jack Tsai No. 108-11, Tungan Rd Wenchu Li, Tachia Town Taichung County Taiwan Jack Tsai Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 Wheel Mounting Arrangement Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5843c WHEEL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to wheels and, more specifically, to a wheel mounting arrangement for a portable object, for example, a travel bag, which enables the portable object to be smoothly moved over uneven road surfaces and the steps of a stair with-less effort.

A regular wheeled travel bag I, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises two wheel holders 2 disposed in two front corners thereof, and two wheels 3 respectively mounted in the wheel holders 2. Because each wheel holder 2 supports one wheel 3 only, the travel bag 1 may vibrate when moved on the floor. Further, when pulling the travel bag 1 over steps of a stair, much effort should be employed, and the body of the travel bag 1 tends to be damaged by the protruding edge T of the steps of the stair..

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has been accomplished to provide a wheel mounting arrangement, which eliminates the aforesaid problems. It is one object of the present invention to provide a wheel mounting arrangement for a portable object, which supports the portable object stably on the floor. It is another object of the present invention to provide a wheel mounting arrangement for a portable 2 object, which enables the portable object to be moved over the steps of a stair with less effort without causing damage.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a luggage piece including: two mounting frames, each mounting frame fixedly mounted to opposite ends of an edge comer of the luggage piece and including a recessed receiving chamber; a pivot axle fastened to each mounting frame across the respective recessed receiving chambers; a wheel assembly pivotably attached to each said pivot axle, each wheel assembly including: two substantially triangular wheel holder plates, each wheel holder plate including a center pivot hole coupled to said pivot axle and three corner pivot holes at three corners thereof; three pivot pins respectively mounted in the corner pivot holes of said triangle wheel holder plates to hold said wheel holder plates in parallel; and three wheels respectively pivotally mounted on said pivot pins between said triangle wheel holder plates.

Because the wheels are turned with the triangle wheel holder plates about the pivot axle and rotated on the respective pivot pins when moved over the steps of a stair, less effort is needed to pull the portable object.

Brief Description of the Drawings FIG. 1 illustrates a travel bag tilted and moved on the floor according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates the travel bag of FIG. 1 moved over the steps of a stair.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a travel bag constructed according to the [R:\LIBLL] 14035.doc:TCW present invention, and moved on the floor in a tilted position according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates the travel bag of FIG. 4 immovable on the floor.

FIG. 6 illustrates the travel bag of FIG. 4 moved over the steps of a stair (Step I).

FIG. 7 illustrates the travel bag of FIG. 4 moved over the steps of a stair (Step II).

FIG. 8 illustrates the travel bag of FIG. 4 moved over the steps of a stair (Step III).

FIG. 9 illustrates a golf bag constructed according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 3, the travel bag, referenced by comprises two mounting frames 11 respectively disposed in the two bottom corners thereof at the front side, and two wheel assemblies respectively pivotally mounted in the recessed receiving chamber 12 of each mounting frame 11 by a respective pivot axle 13. Each wheel assembly 20 is comprised of two triangle wheel holder plates 21, and three wheels 23, 24 and 25 pivotally coupled between the triangle wheel holder plates 21 in the three corners.

The. triangle wheel holder plates 21 each comprise a center pivot hole 210, which receives the respective pivot axle 13, and three axle holes 211 in the three corners. Three pivot pins 22 are respectively mounted in the axle holes 211 to hold the three wheels 23, 24 and 25 between the wheel holder plates 21 in the three corners. Because the wheel assemblies 20 are respectively pivotally fastened to the mounting frames 11 by a respective pivot axle 13 and, because the wheels 23, 24 and 25 of each wheel assembly are respectively pivoted to the respective pivot pins 22 between the respective pairs of wheel holder plates 21, the three wheels 23, 24 and 25 of each wheel assembly 20 can be turned about the respective pivot pins 22 as well as turned with the respective pairs of wheel holder plates 21 about the respective pivot axles 13.

Referring to FIG. 4 and 5 and FIG. 3 again, when pulling the travel bag 10 on the floor in a tilted position, each wheel assembly 20 has two wheels 23 and 24 disposed in contact with the floor and rotated on the respective pivot pins 22, enabling the travel bag 10 to be smoothly stably moved on the floor. When keeping the travel bag 10 standing still, each wheel assembly still has two wheels 23 and 24 disposed in contact with the floor to support the travel bag 10 on the floor stably in position.

Referring to FIGS. from 6 through 8, when pulling the travel bag 10 over the steps of a stair, the wheel holder plates 21 of each wheel assembly 20 are forced to rotate on the respective pivot axle 13, enabling the travel bag 10 to be smoothly moved over the steps with less effort.

As indicated above, because the wheels 23, 24 and 25 of each wheel assembly 20 can be rotated on the respective pivot pins 22 and turned with the respective pair of wheel holder plates 21 about the respective pivot axle 13, the travel bag 10 can be smoothly moved over uneven road surfaces and steps of stairs with less effort.

Referring to FIG. 9, the invention can also be used in a golf bag 30. As indicated, wheel assemblies 20 are installed in the bottom side of the golf bag 30 for enabling the golf bag 30 to be smoothly moved over uneven road surfaces and steps of stairs with less effort.

It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended for use as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed.

Claims

1. A luggage piece including: two mounting frames, each mounting frame fixedly mounted to opposite ends of an edge corer of the luggage piece and including a recessed receiving chamber; a pivot axle fastened to each mounting frame across the respective recessed receiving chambers; a wheel assembly pivotably attached to each said pivot axle, each wheel assembly including: two substantially triangular wheel holder plates, each wheel holder plate including a center pivot hole coupled to said pivot axle and three corer pivot holes at three corers thereof; three pivot pins respectively mounted in the corer pivot holes of said triangle wheel holder plates to hold said wheel holder plates in parallel; and three wheels respectively pivotally mounted on said pivot pins between said triangle wheel holder plates.

2. The luggage piece of claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

3 to 8 or Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings. Dated 8 January 2003 Jack Tsai Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBLL] 14035.doc:TCW