GB2238955A - Handles - Google Patents

Abstract

A handle for use with portable articles, such as a case or camera, comprises a strap 16,16a, at least one rotatable reel 8 to which the strap is connected and on which it may be coiled, and means eg ratchet and paw mechanism(s) 12, 20 for retaining at will the elongate member in its coiled condition, for use as a carrying handle, or in an extended condition for use as a shoulder or neck strap. Torsion spring(s) 14 bias the handle to its carrying handle condition. in Fig 7, the housing 2A that can seat on the neck contains the reels, springs, and pawl-and-ratchet mechanisms. The handle portion 30, Fig 9, includes a middle portion 34 and hinged side portions 36, all portions being coplanar when the strap is extended. <IMAGE>

Description

A A HANDLE This invention relates to a handle for portable articles.

Generally, items of luggage or baggage for instance, have one or more handles which are intended to be grasped by the user's hand in order to be carried. In other cases, the baggage is provided with an elongate strap affixed thereto, the strap being intended to be passed over a shoulder of the user in order to carry the weight of the baggage more conveniently or comfortably.

Some baggage is provided with both carrying handle and strap, the choice of use of either being with the user.

When such baggage is being carried by the handle then the strap is either left to dangle unused, which may. be inconvenient or even dangerous, or else it has to be folded away and retained out of harms way.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle for use with portable articles, which may be converted from a condition close connected to the article, to an extended condition.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a handle for use with portable articles comprising an elongate member, at least one reel on which the member may be coiled, means for connecting the elongate member to said at least one reel, and means for retaining at will the elongate member in its coiled condition or in an extended condition.

The means for retaining the elongate member in its coiled or extended position may be a ratchet mechanism.

The elongate member may be in the form of a strap attached at one or each end to the or at least one reel.

Each reel may be rotatably mounted on a spindle to which is attached the ratchet wheel of the ratchet mechanism, and the means for retaining the elongate member in its coiled or extended condition may be one or more pawls which engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel. There may be provided means for disengaging the pawl from its engagement with the ratchet wheel, whereupon the elongate member may be extended or recoiled.

The reel may be provided with a torsion spring to bias the reel in a direction to cause recoiling of the elongate member.

Further according to the invention there is provided a flexible strap like member for connection to a portable article and which includes a handle having a width greater than the width of the strap like member and which further includes side portions hingably attached to a middle portion.

The side portions may be adapted to a position where they are coplanar with the middle portion to provide a longitudinally flexible configuration, or maybe hinged to conform to a channel like transverse section to provide a longitudinally substantially rigid configuration.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a handle according to the invention, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with parts exploded for clarity, Figure 3 shows a handle according to the invention attached to an article of baggage, Figure 4 shows two items of baggage containing the invention in use, Figure 5 shows a handle according to the invention adapted for use with a different article of baggage, Figures 6, 6A and 6B show an alternative arrangement of the invention and the invention in use in its two alternative configurations, Figure 7 shows a different embodiment, the invention being used in conjunction with the camera, Figure 8 shows a handle according to the embodiment of Figure 7 in two different configurations, Figure 9 shows part of a handle according to the invention having hingeable side members.

As seen clearly in Figures 1 and 2 a housing 2 adapted to be attached to a case 4 contains a pair of spindles 6 upon each of which is mounted a drum 8 rotatable therewith. Ratchet wheel 10 having teeth 12 is fast with the spindle at one end thereof, and a torsion spring 14 has one of its ends fast to the spindle, the other end of the spring being fast to the housing. A strap 16 is attached at its ends to the drums 8, the torsion springs 14 tending to rotate the drums to coil the strap there around.

A longitudinally extending bar 18 is provided at its end portions with pawls 20 which are adapted to engage teeth 12 on the ratchet wheels 10. Intermediate to the ends of the bar and integral with it is a cross member 22 which has an upstanding button 24 protruding into a hole 26 formed in an upper high portion of the housing 2. Spring means, not shown, by the pawls 20 towards engagement with the teeth 12.

It will be clear from the above that the strap may adopt either that position as shown in the drawings where it provides a shoulder strap for carrying the baggage conveniently and comfortably, or else a second position where it is coiled around the drums 8 by the biasing action of the torsion springs 14, the strap extending between slots 28 formed in the housing to provide a more conventional carrying handle.

To convert the handle from the above, conventional disposition to the extended condition, the button 24 is depressed, against the action of its spring, to remove the pawls 20 from the engagement with the teeth 12 of the ratchet wheel. The strap is then pulled upwardly until it acquires the desired length above the baggage and the button is released to allow re-engagement of teeth 12 by the pawls the action of withdrawing the strap 16 rotates the drums 8 about their axis which loads the torsion springs 14. When it is required to return the strap to its conventional position, depression of the button 24 releases the pawls 20 from their engagement with the teeth 12 on the ratchet wheel 10 and the torsion springs rotate the drums 8 to rewind the strap around them.

For the comfort of the user, the strap is provided with a handle portion 30 which may be slotted as indicated at 32 in Figures 1 and 9, and threaded on to the strap.

As illustrated, the handle portion 30 has a middle portion 34 and two side portions 36 hinged at 38 to the middle portion. When the strap is in its extended condition and is used as a shoulder strap, the side portions 36 are transversely coplanar with the middle portion 34 and provide a comfortable and padded grip on the shoulder of the user.

With the strap in its non-extended, or coiled position, the side portions 36 are adapted to an orthogonal position with respect to the middle portion, as seen in Figure 9 and provide a substantially rigid configuration for carrying the baggage by hand.

In Figures 3 and 4 are illustrated typical cases 4 provided with handles in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 shows the handle mainly it its conventional carrying position but the extended position of the carrying strap is indicated in chain-dot lines.

Figure 4 shows two such cases being carried by a user, one in the conventional manner, and another one being carried by use of the shoulder strap.

Figure 5 illustrates the use of the handle according to the invention in conjunction with a case of the expanding type.

Figure 6 shows a handle according to the invention used with a case of a different type and the housing in this case is split to accommodate the join line of the two halves of the case.

Figure 6A shows the case of Figure 6 being carried by means of the shoulder strap and Figure 6B shows the case being carried in the more conventional manner.

Although the previous examples have been illustrated and described in relation to fairly conventional baggage and cases, the same principle of the invention may be used for carrying other different portable articles.

As an example Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the use of an extensible carrying strap for use with a camera. In this embodiment a housing 2A is formed with a curvature appropriate to comfortably seat on the neck of the user and contains the drums, torsion springs and ratchet and pawl mechanisms. The straps 16A have means for attachment at 50 to a camera 52 and a ratchet release button 24A is located within the housing 2A.

Figure 8 shows the use of such a handle both in its extended position for carrying one camera slung round the neck of the user, and another camera being carried by hand.

For the avoidance of doubt, there is also provided a portable article provided with a handle or with a flexible strap-like member, each of which is specified as being in accordance with the present invention.

Claims (11)

1. A handle for use with portable articles comprising an elongate member, at least one reel on which the member may be coiled, means for connecting the elongate member to said at least one reel, and means for retaining at will the elongate member in its coiled condition or in an extended condition.

2. A handle as claimed in Claim 1, in which the means for retaining the elongate member in its coiled or extended position is a ratchet mechanism.

3. A handle as claimed in either Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the elongate member is in the form of a strap attached at one or each end to the or at least one reel.

4. A handle as claimed in Claim 2, in which the or each reel is rotatably mounted on a spindle to which is attached the or a ratchet wheel of the ratchet mechanism, and the means for retaining the elongate member in its coiled or extended condition is one or more pawls which engage the teeth of the or each ratchet wheel.

5. A handle as claimed in Claim 4, in which means is provided for disengaging the or each pawl from engagement with the or each ratchet wheel, whereupon the elongate member may be extended or recoiled.

6. A handle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the or each reel is provided with a torsion spring to bias its reel in a direction to cause recoiling of the elongate member.

7. A flexible strap-like member for connection to a portable article, including a handle portion having a width greater than the width of the strap-like member and having side portions hingably attached to a middle portion.

8. A flexible strap-like member as claimed in Claim 7, in which said side portions are adapted to lie in a position in which they are co-planar with the middle portion to provide a longitudinally flexible configuration, or alternatively to lie at right angles thereto to form, a channel-like transverse section to provide a longitudinally substantially rigid configuration.

9. A handle for portable articles substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

10. A flexible strap-like member substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 9 of the drawings.

11. A portable article provided with a handle as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 or 9 or with a flexible strap-like member as claimed in any one of Claims 7, 8 or 10.