GB2293092A

GB2293092A - Dragging device for a wheeled suitcase

Info

Publication number: GB2293092A
Application number: GB9417530A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yi Chen Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-08-31
Filing date: 1994-08-31
Publication date: 1996-03-20
Also published as: GB9417530D0

Abstract

A dragging device for a wheeled suitcase 30 includes a hand grip 10 slidably extending through a rotatable element 20, via a tunnel 21 defined therethrough. A flange 13 extends radially from one end of the hand grip to prevent the hand grip disengaging from the rotatable element. The suitcase has a receiving zone 40 defined therein for receiving the hand grip and the rotatable element. The rotatable element 20 is rotatably engaged to the suitcase. As described the hand grip is U-shaped and comprises telescopic legs 11, 12 passing through two elements 20 rotatably mounted on a plate 50 secured to a corner of the suitcase. <IMAGE>

Description

k DRAGGTNG DEVICE FOR A WSF:ELwD SUTTCASI!: The present invention relates to a dragging device, and more particularly, to a lugging device with rotatable and extractable features.

It is noted that there exists a need for a suitcase which can either be carried by hand or moved around by a dragging device disposed therewith. Two known applications for such a device are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,306 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,005. The former one includes a luggage case 12 with an extractable bight portion 82 contained therein, and two rollers 66, 66 which are rotatably engaged to an under side of the luggage case 12 such that the luggage case 12 can be moved by pulling the bight portion 82.

However, one must push the bight portion 82 downwardly to incline the luggage case 12 in order to utilize the rollers 66, 66 and move the luggage case 12 efficiently. In this case, goods or clothes contained in the luggage case 12 will be inclined and therefore could be messed up. In addition, the unextractable bight portion 82 cannot satisfy varieties of needs of users with different heights. The latter one has the feature of being extractable and the cylindrical handle 14 can be received in the suitcase, however it has a complicated structure which includes not only a number of elements but many of them having a small portion which tends to be damaged, namely it has a higher possibility of failure.

The present invention intends to provide an improved lugging device with simple structure which includes extractable and rotatable features to mitigate and/or obviate the above-mentioned problems.

The present invention provides a lugging device for a wheeled suitcase which includes a hand grip having first and second ends slidably extending through a rotatable element via a tunnel defined therethrough. A flange extends radially from the second end of the hand grip to prevent the hand grip disengaging from the rotatable element. A suitcase has a receiving zone defined therein for receiving the hand grip and the rotatable element. A slot communicates with the receiving zone and is defined in an outer surface of the suitcase through which the hand grip passes, and the rotatable element is rotatably engaged to the suitcase.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lugging device which includes extractable and rotatable features.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a lugging device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a hand grip of the device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the hand grip showing a button and a spring disposed therein; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the hand grip showing the button is pushed in the hand grip when inserting the hand grip into a receiving zone of the suitcase; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention showing a tall man pulling the hand grip of the present invention; and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a short man pushing the hand grip of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 and 2, a dragging device in accordance with the present invention generally includes a hand grip 10, a rotatable element 20, a suitcase 30 with a receiving zone 40 and an auxiliary board 50 with two recesses 51. The hand grip 10 is U-shaped with two extending parts, each part is composed of first and second tubes 11, 12, each tube has first and second ends, a rotatable element 20 having a tunnel 21 defined therethrough so as to slidably mount on the tube 12 whose second end has a cap 13 with a flange extending laterally therefrom disposed thereon for preventing the tube 12 disengaging from the rotatable element 20. The first tube 11 is received in the second tube 12.

The rotatable element 20 is a tubular element having two opposite sides from each which a stud 201 extends. The suitcase 30 has two slots 31 defined in an outer surface of a corner thereof, the receiving zone 40 having two receiving portions defined in an interior of the suitcase 30 which communicate with the slots 31. The auxiliary board 50 is a curved board wherein the two recesses 51 each have two lateral surfaces and a semicircular bottom and the auxiliary board 50 can be mounted on the corner of the suitcase which receives the semicircular bottoms of the slots 51. A hole 52 is defined in the bottom of the auxiliary board 50 and communicates with the receiving portion of the receiving zone 40 of the suitcase 30 and a pivotal recess 53 is defined in each of the lateral surfaces of the recess 51 for pivotal engagement with the studs 201 of the rotatable elements 20.

Referring now to Figs. 3 through 7, the first tube 11 has first and second openings 110, 111 defined in front and rear sides near the second end thereof. A box 62 having an opening 620 defined in a front side thereof and a flange 621 extending from each vertical front side thereof is disposed in the first tube 11 through the opening 110, a groove 622 is defined in each vertical rear side of the box 62. The box 62 engages the flanges 621 to edges defining the first opening 110 and receives the edges defining the second opening 111 in the grooves 622. A button 60 connecting to one end of a spring 601 is disposed within the box 62 via the first opening 110 by being fixedly engaged with the other end of the spring 601 to a rear inner side of the box 62.The button 60 has a bevel projection 61 projecting from an outer surface thereof such that an upper end of the bevel projection 61 projects out from the opening 110. The second tube 12 has an opening 120 defined in a side near the first end thereof, a width of the bevel projection 61 is less than that of the opening 120 such that the bevel projection 61 projects out from the openings 110, 120 when a user pulls the first tube 11 up to a position where the two openings 110, 120 are in alignment.

When the user wants to receive the hand grip 10 in the suitcase 30, what he or she needs to do is only to push the first tube 11 downwardly, and the button 60 is pushed into the openings 110, 120 by a contact between the bevel projection 61 and a rim of the corner of the suitcase 30, and the tubes 11, 12 are then be received in the receiving portions of the receiving zone 40.

Therefore, the present invention includes two important features, one is the rotatable feature of the hand grip 10 and the other is the extractable feature constructed by first and second tubes 11, 12, and both of which are convenient for users of different heights.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

I claim:

1. A dragging device for a wheeled suitcase, and comprising: a hand grip having first and second ends and slidably extending through a rotatable element via a tunnel defined therethrough, a flange extending radially from said second end of said hand grip to prevent said hand grip disengaging from said rotatable element; a suitcase having a receiving zone defined therein for receiving said hand grip and said rotatable element, a slot communicating with said receiving zone and being defined in an outer surface of said suitcase through which said hand grip passes, and said rotatable element being rotatably engaged to said suitcase.

2. The dragging device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rotatable element is a tubular element with two opposite sides and each side having a stud extending therefrom, said receiving zone of said suitcase defined by at least two inner surfaces in which a pivotal recess is defined for engagement with one of said studs.

3. The dragging device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said handle grip is U-shaped with two extending parts on which a rotatable element is mounted.

4. The dragging device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hand grip comprises first and second tubes, said first tube can be extracted from or received in said second tube.

5. The dragging device as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said tube has an opening defined in a side thereof, a button connecting to one end of a spring is disposed in said opening of said first tube and the other end of said spring is fixedly engaged to said first tube such that said button extends through said openings of first and second tubes when said first tube is extracted from said second tube and, said button is received in said first tube when said first tube is received in said second tube.

6. The dragging device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said button has a bevel projection projecting from an outer side thereof such that said button is pushed into said first tube by an edge of said suitcase against said bevel projection when inserting said hand grip into said receiving zone.

7. The dragging device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an auxiliary board is fixedly disposed on said suitcase, at least one recess with a semicircular bottom is defined in said auxiliary board for receiving said rotatable element and a hole defined in said recess communicates with said receiving zone of said suitcase.

8. The dragging device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said recess of said auxiliary board is defined by at least two lateral surfaces in which a pivotal recess is defined, said rotatable element is a tubular element with two opposite sides and each side has a stud extending therefrom for pivotal engagement with said pivotal recess.

9. The dragging device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.