WO1999034703A1

WO1999034703A1 - Lower profile towable luggage

Info

Publication number: WO1999034703A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/000557
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernard D. Sadow; Jeffrey A. Schwab
Original assignee: Outrigger, Inc.
Priority date: 1998-01-09
Filing date: 1999-01-08
Publication date: 1999-07-15
Also published as: EP1045654A1; EP1045654A4; CN1292657A; JP2003521262A

Abstract

An article of towable luggage has ground engagable wheels (24) mounted on the major front or rear wall, to permit towing of said article of luggage over a ground surface with the selected wall in proximity to and presented to the ground surface (42), the article of towable luggage being towable by a towing strap (44) attached to said article of towable luggage, or by a handle (18) having telescopic legs (20) pivotally attached to the article of luggage, the telescopic legs of the handle in the alternative being telescopically received within the body of the article of luggage, the respective legs including hinges permitting the handle to be raised and lowered relative to the article of luggage.

Description

LOWER PROFILE TOWABLE LUGGAGE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending International Application no. PCT/US98/12162 filed on June 8, 1998, which is a continuation of our copending United States of America national application serial no. 09/056,104 filed on April 6, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of our copending United States of America national application serial no. 09/015,571, filed on January 30, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of our copending United States of America national application serial no. 09/005,313, filed on January 9, 1998, which is a continuation-in-part of our copending United States of America national application serial no. 08/871,472, filed on June 9, 1997. FIFT H OF T F. INVENTION

This invention relates to articles of luggage in the form of suitcases or carrying cases, as commonly used by airlines' passengers or other travelers for the transportation of clothing and personal effects. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commonly known wheeled carrying cases include a substantially rigid frame providing side walls of the case, and front and rear major walls that are supported by the frame, at least one of the major walls including a zippered attachment to adjacent ones of the side walls.

Wheeled carrying cases are also well known in the art that include a handle that can be telescopically extended, or retracted into, the body of the case at one of the side walls thereof, and, wheels provided at the opposite side wall of the case that can roll over a ground surface, such as the floor of an airport terminal, or, a passenger aisle of an aircraft.

While this arrangement is admirable for relatively small articles of luggage, it poses a problem in the event that a large and heavily loaded article of luggage is involved.

While such large and heavy articles of luggage easily can be stored in the luggage compartment of an automobile or other form of conveyance, when it is necessary to transport the article of luggage to some other location, a problem arises in providing adequate stability for the article of luggage when being wheeled on a ground surface, this being due to the fact that during wheeling of the article of luggage, the article of luggage must be held in an inclined position. In that position, the center of gravity of the case is displaced laterally of the ground engaging wheels, is located between the handle and the ground engaging wheels.

This can constitute a source of discomfort to the person towing the article of luggage, who is then required to exert sufficient force to support the handle, which at the time the article of luggage is positioned in the inclined position relative to the vertical for towing, can exert a considerable downwards force on the handle, that downwards force being resisted by the grasp of the user's hand.

Further, depending on the physical height of the person towing the article of luggage, the condition exists that a relatively shorter person will be subjected to a much greater force, due to the greater inclination relative to the vertical of the article of luggage and the fixed position of the handle relative to the article of luggage, than would be a taller person, who conveniently can hold the article of luggage at a lesser angle of inclination relative to the vertical during towing of the article of luggage.

As will be appreciated, the wheels on which the article of luggage is towed act as a fulcrum about which the article of luggage angles relative to the vertical when moved from the vertical position to the inclined towing position. Further, the greater the angle of inclination relative to the vertical, the greater becomes the spacing of the center of gravity relative to the towing wheels providing the fulcrum, the center of gravity then being displaced laterally of the vertical and laterally of the axis of the ground engaging wheels.

One manner of reducing this problem would be for the user to have packaged all heavy articles at the bottom of the article of luggage and in proximity to the towing wheels, the remainder of the case being occupied by relatively light weight articles. This, however, does not normally occur during the packaging of the article of luggage by the user. If relatively heavy articles are packaged in that end of the article of the luggage remote from the towing wheels, then, the center of gravity of the packaged article of luggage becomes even more displaced relative to the vertical plane including the axes of the towing wheels. If the handle of the case should slip out of the grasp of the user's hand, then, the only possible situation is that the article of luggage, and its contained articles will crash downwardly onto the supporting ground surface, this resulting in possible damage to the articles stored within the article of luggage.

Another problem often encountered by travelers is having to deal with multiple articles of luggage. Even if both have wheels, it is very cumbersome to attempt to tow (or push) more than one article of luggage at a time. As well, the ability to stack one article of luggage upon another article of luggage is restricted and also adds significant weight along the extent of the inclined handle of the towed article of luggage.

For this reason, despite the generally recognized advantages of wheeled luggage, there are significant unresolved problems in use which the simple addition of wheels and a handle do not solve. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proceeds from the known wheeled article of luggage of the type including a handle extendable, or some other towing implement, from a wall of the article of luggage and towing wheels provided at another wall of the article of luggage, and overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing wheels on one of the major front or back walls of the article of luggage that will permit the article of

luggage to be towed over a ground engaging surface with the wheeled major wall of the article of luggage in proximity to the ground surface, thus to relieve the user of any forces exerted on the user's hands due to angling of the article of luggage relative to the vertical as is common in prior art constructions. In addition, the article of luggage can readily service as a platform upon which additional articles of luggage or other items can be stacked and conveniently and easily towed.

In one embodiment of the invention, the article of luggage is provided with ground engaging wheels on a major wall of the article of luggage, and an extendable handle of the article of luggage, which instead of being arranged in fixed telescoping relation with the article of luggage and extendable or retractable parallel to the plane of the major walls of the article of luggage, comprises a towing member that is attached to the article of luggage, and which can be extended therefrom into a position convenient for use in towing of the article of luggage.

For example, the towing member can be a flexible strap that can be readily stored within a pocket located on the outer surface of the article of luggage, and which can be withdrawn from that pocket and employed in the manner of a leash for towing the article of luggage at the time the article of luggage has been laid on its wheeled major wall.

In the alternative, a telescoping handle with a gripping handlebar can be hinged to the article of luggage at the end remote from the handlebar, and which is preferably releasably secured to the article of luggage in the vicinity of the handlebar of the telescoping handle. In this instance, prior to placing the article of luggage on its wheeled major wall, the handle is first released from its attachment to the article of luggage in the vicinity of the handlebar, the telescopic handle is then swung angularly about its pivot at the end of the handle remote from the handlebar, such that it extends beyond the end of the article of luggage. The article of luggage can then be laid on its wheeled major wall. If desired a side mounted carrying handle can be included which permits customary carrying and as well conveniently can be employed for luggage to its operative towing orientation.

Yet another alternative is the inclusion of the telescoping handle which can be extended from the article of luggage a distance sufficient to expose hinges in the telescoping handle, those hinges, when exposed, permitting the handle to be raised and lowered relative to the article of luggage, and thus permit towing of the article of luggage with comfort by a person of any height. A protective shield can be mounted on the luggage to protect the hinges when exposed and the handle in the immediate vicinity of the hinges. Given the position of the hinges during transport along the ground, an obstruction such as a curb could damage the hinge when the luggage is urged up and over the curb. The protective shield not only acts to shield the hinges from damage, preferably it is so configured as to facilitate the traverse.

The telescoping handle in this alternative (whether or not protective shield is employed) may be lockable at various degrees of extension from the case to accommodate different persons of varying heights. At less than full extension of the telescoping handle, however, the case is only towable in an inclined attitude relative to the ground surface as was previously described with respect to the towing of the case on the towing wheels 16. In addition, the hinge may be of a first socket type restricting rotation of the handle substantially within two planes, one plane being substantially perpendicular to the wheeled major wall of the article of luggage when the article of luggage is laid on its major wall and the other plane having an inclination to the horizontal substantially the same as the inclination of the handle to the horizontal.

Alternatively, the hinge may be of a second socket type restricting rotation substantially within the single plane substantially perpendicular to the wheeled major wall of the article of luggage. As a further optional variation of the second socket type of hinge, the hinge may have a mechanism allowing it to lock at various degrees of rotation within the single substantially perpendicular plane to which reference was just made. Another optional variation of the second socket type of hinge permits the handle to "snap back" to a vertical position when not held in another position, thus reorienting the handle to a preferred initial operating position when towing of the luggage is to be commenced again. Yet another optional variation of the second socket type of hinge includes a mechanism allowing the type of rotation of the handle within the two planes previously specified in connection with the first socket type of hinge and, in addition, permits the handgrip to be rotatably connected to the handle, allowing the handgrip to remain in an unrotated position as the handle rotates in a plane having an inclination to the horizontal substantially the same as the inclination of the handle to the horizontal. In this embodiment, the design of the socket hinge decreases the torsional forces at the hinge and in the handle, and convenience of use is further enhanced as less torsional forces are applied to the wrist and arm of a user during use.

Preferably the wheeled major wall of the article of luggage is provided with one pair of towing wheels that are rotatable about a common fixed axis, and at least one caster wheel, i.e. a wheel that can rotate randomly about a first axis extending perpendicular to the backwall of the article of luggage, and a second axis extending parallel to the backwall of the article of luggage. Preferably two such caster wheels are provided, one at each comer of the substantially rectangular major wall of the article of luggage. In the alternative, only one caster wheel centrally located between two of the comers of the substantially rectangular major wall of the article of luggage is sufficient. It should be understood that a towing wheel or wheels rotatable only about an axis or axes extending parallel to the backwall of the article of luggage may be substituted for some or all of the caster wheel or wheels, while still allowing the towing wheel or wheels to rotate about an axis or axes extending perpendicular to the backwall of the article of luggage. This can be done if the towing wheel or wheels are made part of a larger subassembly or subassemblies which can rotate about an axis or axes extending perpendicular to the backwall of the article of luggage.

The provision of four wheels to support the article of luggage on its major wall is adequate in the event that the major wall of the article of luggage is substantially rigid. If, however, and as is often the case, the major wall of the article of luggage includes a sheet of a flexible material, such as leather, synthetic leather, or a coated woven fabric, there could then be a tendency of the major wall of the article of luggage to bulge outwardly, particularly when the major wall of the article of luggage is moved into proximity with the supporting ground surface. This can result in abrasion or other damage at the center of the major wall.

To overcome this problem in what is generally referred to as soft- sided luggage, a roller ball type caster is preferably located at the center of the major wall of the article of luggage that is operative to support the center of the major wall spaced from the engaged ground surface.

The ground-engaging roller ball can be supported within the article of luggage by a suitable frame member that extends parallel to the major wall of the article of luggage, and which, preferably, for lightness in weight, is in the form of an X-frame that provides a support for the roller ball at the intersection of the arms of the X-frame, and which also provides supports at the ends of the arms of the X-frame for the roller wheels or casters. Access to the interior of the article of luggage can be provided at that wall of the article of luggage that is opposite to the wheeled major wall, or, the wheeled major wall can be detachably attached to the side walls of the case. At least some of the wheels on the major wall of the article of luggage may be designed such that they retract beneath the surface of the major wall for ease of transport or storage of the luggage when not being towed, and for protection of the wheels during such transport or storage. The retraction can be accomplished either through manual retraction or, as later described, the retractable handle can serve as an initiating mechanism in combination with the wheel mechanisms to cause retraction (or extension) of the wheels.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, means are provided to facilitate transporting the luggage up or down stairs. Given the potential for use of the present invention in larger size pieces of lugggage, the weight being towed can result in too rapid a descent on stairs or backsliding on ascent. To alleviate these potential problems, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes means, for example, in the form of retaining strips, preferably spaced apart in parallel relationship along the wheel bearing surface of the luggage. The retaining strips provide spaced apart notches to grip the edges of the steps, and to releasably restrain the luggage. This is particularly helpful as well on an escalator. In addition, not only can the article of luggage be placed on a ground surface with the wheeled major wall of the article of luggage presented to the ground surface in preparation for towing of the article of luggage across the ground engaging surface, but also, the article of luggage, which is already loaded with its contents, can be employed as a wheeled pallet usable in the transportation of further articles of luggage, such as carry-on cases, hand baggage, carrier bags, or any other items needing transport by the user. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described with respect to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and, in which;

Figure 1 is a frontal perspective view of the wheeled carrying case of the present invention, when in a vertical position in which it is supported on a ground surface;

Figure 1A is a view of Figure 1 taken along section lines 1A-1A.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the wheeled carrying case of figure 1, in which a handle structure of the carrying case has been hinged relative to a major wall of the carrying case, and, the carrying case has been laid on the ground engageable surface ready for towing of the carrying case;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of an alternative form of the wheeled carrying case of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a frontal perspective view corresponding with Figure 2, and showing the wheeled carrying case of Figure 3 in a position ready for towing of the case over a supporting ground surface; and,

Figure 5 is a frontal perspective view corresponding with Figure 4, and showing the carrying case of Figure 4 when employed for transporting auxiliary articles of luggage, the carrying case then acting as a pallet to which the articles of auxiliary luggage can be detachably attached.

Figure 5 A is a plan view showing a plurality of pieces of luggage stacked on top of a towed piece of luggage, the stack being attached together by a series of buckle and strap arrangements.

Figure 5B is a partial cross-sectional view of Figure 5A taken along section lines 5B-5B.

Figure 5C is a partial perspective view of a stack of luggage connected by an elastic cord, and showing a combination conventional handle and attachment handle for the cord on each piece of luggage.

Figure 5D is a sectional view of Figure 5C taken along section lines 5D-5D.

Figure 5E is a sectional view of Figure 5C taken along section lines 5E-5E.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of luggage showing three wheels for towing purposes and retaining strips on the bottom. Figure 6A is an enlarged partial detail of one of the retaining strips.

Figure 6B is a side view of the towable luggage on an escalator showing the retaining strips in use. Figure 6C is a sectional view of Figure 6B taken along section lines 6C-6C.

Figure 7 is a frontal perspective view of a wheeled carrying case with a hinged extendible handle similar to that shown in Figure 4, the handle being in a fully retracted position, except that the hinged handle is a linear member and is lockably adjustable in its desired extension.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 7 taken along section lines 8-8.

Figure 8A is a partial cross-sectional view of Figure 7 taken along section lines 8A-8A. Figure 8B is an enlarged detail of the area indicated in Figure 8A.

Figure 8C is an enlarged detail of the area indicated in Figure 8A.

Figure 9 is a view of Figure 8 taken along section lines 9-9 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 8 showing the condition when a first button is pressed.

Figure 11 corresponds to Figure 7, except that a first telescoping section of the handle has been fiilly extended. Figure 12 is a partial cross-section of Figure 11 taken along section lines 12-12 in Figure 11.

Figure 12A shows an enlarged detail of the portion of Figure 12 indicated therein. Figure 12B is an alternative detail of the area shown in Figure

12A.

Figure 13 corresponds to Figure 7 except that the handle has been f illy extended and the case is lying on its back wheeled wall.

Figure 14 is an enlarged partial cross-section of Figure 13 taken along section lines 14-14 in Figure 13.

Figure 15 corresponds to Figure 13 except that the hinge of the handle is different from that shown in Figure 13.

Figure 16 is an enlarged partial cross-section of Figure 15 taken along section lines 16-16 in Figure 15. Figure 17 is an exploded enlarged view of a hinge of a handle with detents and a spring-loaded ball bearing.

Figure 17A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hinge of Figure 17 when assembled.

Figure 18 is a perspective view of a piece of luggage in accordance with the invention showing telescoping legs fiilly extended and a protective shield covering the region of the telescoping legs in the vicinity of the hinges. Figure 18A is an enlarged detail showing the protective shield when the telescoping legs are fully retracted.

Figure 18B is a view of Figure 18A taken along section lines 18B- 18B. Figure 19 is a plan view of luggage according to the invention showing hinges similar to the hinge shown in Figure 13.

Figure 19A is an enlarged cross-sectional detail of one of the hinges shown in Figure 19.

Figure 20 is a rear perspective view of the wheeled carrying case of the present invention, being similar to Figure 3 except that some of the wheels of the carrying case are retractable below the surface of the major wall of the carrying case.

Figure 21 is an enlarged partial cross-section of Figure 20 taken along section lines 21-21 in Figure 20. Figure 22 corresponds to Figure 20, except that Figure 22 shows the retractable wheels in an extended operating position, while Figure 20 shows the retractable wheels in a retracted position.

Figure 23 is an enlarged partial cross-section of Figure 22 taken along section lines 23-23 in Figure 22. Figure 24 is an enlarged plan cross-sectional view of an alternate arrangement for the retractable wheels which were shown in cross-section in Figures 21 and 23. Figure 25 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the arrangement shown in Figure 24.

Figure 26 is a perspective view of a molding on the bottom of luggage in accordance with the invention on which molding retractable and fixed wheels are mounted.

Figure 27 is a perspective view of a molded top of the luggage for which a bottom molding was shown in Figure 26.

Figure 28 is a partial enlarged detail view partially broken away of a molded bottom of luggage in accordance with the invention showing a mechanism for automatic extension and retraction of wheels mounted on the molded bottom.

Figure 29 is a sectional view of Figure 28 taken along section lines 29-29.

Figure 30 is a sectional view of Figure 29 taken along section lines 30-30.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In each of the embodiments now to be described, it is assumed that in its novel usage described herein the carrying case will be supported on a ground surface 10, such as a side walk, lobby floor, or main hall of an aircraft terminal building or the like.

In Figure 1, the carrying case of the present invention is shown in a vertical position in which ground-engaging feet 12 of the carrying case 14 are resting on the ground surface 10. If desirable, additional support for the carrying case 14 can be provided by towing wheels 16, as shown in Figure 3, that are rotatable about a fixed axis, that axis lying in or closely parallel to a plane that includes a major wall of the carrying case, and also the direction of sliding of a handle bar 18 of a telescopic handle having telescopically retractable and extendable legs 20.

As so far described, the carrying case includes those elements that are commonly known in conventional wheeled carrying cases. The user firstly extends the handle bar 18 from the body of the carrying case, and then employs the handle to angle the carrying case from its initial vertical orientation into an inclined position in which it is supported for towing over the ground surface on ground engaging towing wheels 16 as illustrated in Figure 3.

When the case is fulcrumed about the towing wheels 16 into an inclined attitude relative to the ground surface, the center of gravity of the case moves relative to the axis of the ground wheels, and, depending upon the amount of inclination of the case relative to the vertical, will position itself on the opposite side of a vertical plane that includes the common axis of the ground engaging wheels 16. It is impossible to predict exactly where the actual center of gravity of the carrying case will be positioned, as this will be entirely dependent upon the weight of the contents of the carrying case and the positioning of the contents within the carrying case. Depending upon the extent to which the carrying case is angled relative to the vertical, the center of gravity of the carrying case will have passed over a vertical plane including the axis of rotation of the ground engaging towing wheels 16, and, dependent on the amount of inclination of the carrying case relative to the vertical will be spaced from the vertical plane including the axis of rotation of the respective towing wheels 16.

A taller person will have the tendency to move the carrying case to a relatively small inclination relative to the said vertical plane, while a person of lesser height will have angled the carrying case at a greater angle to the said vertical plane, in which event the center of gravity will have moved further away from the said vertical plane, and, the downwards force exerted on the handlebar 18 will have been considerably increased.

If the user at that time loses or releases his or her grasp on the handlebar 18, then, the carrying case will crash onto the ground engagable surface, with possible damage to the stored contents of the carrying case.

Where size, weight and the need for transporting additional items are issues, the present invention teaches the addition or substitution of additional ground-engagable wheels 22 and 24 mounted on one of the walls of the carrying case. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wheels 22 and 24 are mounted on a front wall 26 of the case. As well, the handlebar 18 and its supporting telescopic legs 20 are mounted externally of the carrying case on the opposed back wall 28 of the case, with the legs 20 hinged in any convenient manner such as shown at 30, such that the entire handlebar and telescopic leg assembly is swingable, as illustrated in Figure 2, relative to the body of the carrying case 14 from a position in which it overlies the back wall 28, to a position in which it extends at an angle to the back wall 28. Conveniently, the hinged attachment 30 of the handlebar and telescopic leg assembly 20 can be located adjacent an end wall 32 of the carrying case and the back wall 28 can be provided with a removable zippered closure 34, to enable loading of the articles to be carried within the carrying case. Conveniently, the carrying case can be provided with a side handle 36, that in addition to being employed for hand carrying or manipulation of the case, also can be employed for reorienting the carrying case into a position in which the wheels 22 and 24 are engaged with the supporting ground surface. Referring again to the embodiment of Figure 1, when the handlebar 18 and its supporting telescopic legs 20 are in the retracted position, one or multiple of handle 36 can then be employed to tilt the carrying case on to the ground engaging feet 12 to lower the front wall 26 into engagement with the supporting ground surface 10. Thereafter, a release button 38 associated with the handlebar 18 and its supporting telescopic legs 20 is actuated to release the handlebar 18 from its releasable engagement with the end wall 40 of the carrying case. As shown in Figure 2, the handle 18 is then swung upwardly and over the then upwardly presented back wall 28 of the carrying case, in order to position the handlebar in an orientation ready for towing of the carrying case over the ground surface 10, as is accommodated by the ground engaging wheels 22 and 24. Conveniently, the front wall 26 of the carrying case 40 can be made of a flexible material, such as is common in the art, or alternatively, the entire back wall can be made of a structurally rigid material such as molded plastic, metal or a plywood substrate can be used to support the flexible outer covering material. If a flexible material is used for the formation of the back wall 26, then a probability exists that the back wall will bulge outwardly at the time the case is positioned horizontally for towing.

If the outward bowing of the front wall 26 is sufficient to cause the center of the front wall to contact the ground surface 10, the center of the front wall 26 might be abraded or otherwise damaged during towing. To avoid this from happenning, a center caster 40 may be employed, preferably, in the form of an omni-directionally rotatable ball which is mounted on the front wall 26 at the center of the front wall 26.

As shown in Figure 1A, the center caster 40 is of lesser height than the height of the ground engaging wheels 22 and 24 as shown by vertical line 43. At maximum height, a center caster 41 (shown in dotted lines) can be of equal height to the height of the ground engaging wheels 22 and 24. Further, if the front wall 26 is formed of a flexible material, it is also preferably that a frame be incorporated into the luggage, with the frame providing a support for the ground engaging wheels 22 and 24, and also for the center caster 40. Conveniently, and to reduce the weight of the carrying case, the frame supporting the wheels 22 and 24 and also the center caster 40 can be in the form of an X-frame, as indicated in dotted lines 42 in Figure 1 of the drawings.

In the event that one of the sets of ground engaging wheels 22 and 24, for example wheels 22, are rotatable about fixed axes, then, the other wheels 24 can be in the form of casters, that can angle relative to the wheels 22. The combination of wheels rotatable about a fixed axis and caster wheels will allow for omni-directional movement of the carrying case over the ground surface 10 under the control of the handlebar and its supporting telescopic legs 20.

Figure 6 shows an embodiment where only one caster wheel 51 is employed centrally located between two comers of a major wall of the case along with two wheels 53 rotatable about fixed axes. This wheel arrangement will also allow for omni-directional movement of the carrying case over the ground surface, similar to the movement allowed by the combination of ground engaging wheels 22 and 24 where the wheels 22 are rotatable about fixed axes and the other wheels 24 are caster wheels.

Figures 6, 6A, 6B, and 6C also show various views of a set of retaining strips 55 which allow a user to maintain the luggage in a stationary position while the luggage is being held in a particularly challenging position such as, for example, on an escalator 57, (seg Fig. 6B), or if ascending or descending stairs. In lieu of telescoping legs 20, the legs 20 can be tubes of fixed length that are hinged at their ends opposite the handlebar 18 to the end wall 32 of the case by the hinges 30.

The structure described with respect to Figure 1 and 2 results in the handlebar 18 and its supporting legs 20 being positioned exteriorly of the carrying case 14. While this has the advantage of providing the maximum internal capacity of the carrying case, internal mounting is also possible, such as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

In Figures 3 and 4, the handlebar 18 and its associated telescopic legs, instead of being positioned adjacent the front wall 26 of the carrying case are positioned internally of the carrying case and adjacent the back wall 28. Also as illustrated, the rigid handlebar and leg arrangement can be supplemented, or indeed eliminated and replaced by a towing strap 44 which can be stored when not needed in a pocket 46 secured to a side wall of the carrying case. The positioning of the telescopically extendable legs 20 for them to be guided within the case and adjacent the back wall 28 of the case carries with it the requirement that the legs 20, when retracted, can only extend parallel to the back wall 28 of the case in the manner of the conventional carrying case. To permit upwards orientation of the handlebar relative to the ground surface 10, the respective legs 20 can be hingedly connected at 48 to the leg portions 50 that are slidable within the body of the case, and, which are held captive within the body of the case at the time the main handlebar 18 and its supporting legs 20 are extended from the case.

The respective telescoping legs 20 may be protected in the vicinity of the hinges 48 from damage due to collision with a curb or other obstruction during travel by a protective shield 119, s§g Figure 18. The protective shield 119 comprises two L-shaped vertical sections 121 and a horizontal channel-shaped section 123, both of which rest against corresponding surfaces of the luggage when the legs 20 are fully retracted. The vertical sections 121 and the horizontal section 123 are connected by a spring-loaded hinge 125, allowing the vertical sections 121 to angularly rotate with respect to the horizontal section 123, thus effectively protecting the region of the telescoping legs 20 around the hinges in the fully extended operating position, while not materially impeding the ease of rotating those legs 20 about their hinges as needed. As well, the shield 119 can serve as a rest stop during the lifting or tilting or both of the luggage in traversing a curb.

Figure 5 shows the case of Figures 3 and 4 with internally mounted telescopic legs 20 and handgrip 18, and as well illustrates the possibility of stacking at least one case 39 atop the case 41. Such stacking is accomplished in Figure 5 through the use of an elastic cord 43 tightly binding both cases 39, 41 and tied on both ends to a conventional handle 36 on the case 41.

Figures 5A through 5E depict two alternative methods for attaching more than one case to the towed case. Figures 5A and 5B show a system employing a strap 59 and buckle 61 to connect each case to the one above it. Figures 5C, 5D, and 5E show a system employing an elastic cord 63 wrapped about either of two parts of the lowest case 65, a conventional handle 67 for carrying the case 65 or an extensible and retractable handle 69 extending from and being substantially perpendicular to the conventional handle 67. Each case 71 in the stack of cases will have a like combination of conventional and extensible and retractable handles to allow it to serve as the bottom case in a stack of cases.

In Figures 7 to 14, the handlebar 18 and its supporting legs 20 are replaced by a linear member 52 comprised of a plurality of telescoping sections 54, 56 and a handgrip 58. The handle 60 shown in Figures 6 to 12 is shown in its fiilly retracted position within the carrying case 14 in Figure 6, and the linear member 52 and its associated end section 50 are contained within a tubular member 62 located within the carrying case 14 and attached to the back wall 28. In this fiilly retracted position, the handle 60 is locked in place by a latch 64 pinned to the handgrip 58 at one end and seated in a groove 66 in a boss 68 which is integral with the tubular member 62 and is fixedly attached to the carrying case 14. The latch 64 is held firmly in groove 66 by the spring 74 which biases a first button 72 and by a spring 67 loaded second button 69 pinned to a lever arm 73 fitting between and contacting the boss 68 and the underside 75 of the handgrip 58. The linear member 52 passes through an aperture 70 in the boss 68. Pressing down 71 on the first button 72, which is located on the top of the handgrip 58 over the linear member 52, releases 77 the latch 64 from the groove 66, allowing a first telescoping section 56 to be extended to its full length.

Further extension of the linear member 52 is prevented by the lever arm 73 which extends far enough to obstruct the top of a wall of a second telescoping section 54 from extension, but not far enough to contact the first telescoping section 56. In this position where only the first telescoping section 56 is extended, the case 14 can only be carried in an attitude inclined from the vertical with respect to the supporting surface on its towing wheels 16.

To extend the second telescoping section 54, the second button 69 is depressed 76 with the result that the lever arm 73 is lifted 78. Figure 12A shows an exemplary detail of an arrangement whereby the lever arm 73 can be lifted 78 when the second button 69 is depressed 76. When the second button 69 is depressed 76, the lever arm 73 is lifted 78 by the comer 65 of the boss 68. When the second button 69 is released, a torsion spring 67 surrounding the pin 79 connecting the second button 69 and the lever arm 73 acts to restore the lever arm 73 to a horizontal position.

Figure 12B shows another exemplary detail of an arrangement whereby the lever arm 73 can be lifted 78 when the second button 69 is depressed 76. Figure 1 IB shows the pin 79, which attaches the lever arm

73 to the second button 69, and the hole 81 in the second button 69 and the lever arm 73, through which hole 81 the pin 79 passes. The cams 83, 85 on the pin 79 and the hole 81, respectively, convert the downward motion of the second button 69 when depressed into rotational motion of the pin 79 counterclockwise, raising the lever arm 73 mounted on the pin

79, and convert the upward motion of the second button 69 when it is released after depression into clockwise rotation of the pin 79, lowering the lever arm 73 mounted on the pin 79. The pin 79 is fixed with respect to the lever arm 73 by a second pin 87 or other fixing means. An alternative arrangement to that using the latch 64 is shown in

Figure 8A. A rod 78 is connected to the spring 74 beneath the first button 72. The rod 78 travels vertically down and up within the first telescoping section 56 as the first button 72 is depressed and released. The rod 78 is adapted to contact a tube 82 mounted in first telescoping section 56 near the free end of the rod 78. The tube 82 is loaded with a spring biased ball bearing 84. When the first button 72 is not depressed, the ball bearing 84 is seated in an aperture 86 in the second telescoping section 54 by the contact of the rod 78 with the tube 82, thus locking the first telescoping section 56 against vertical movement. When the first button 72 is depressed, the ball bearing 84 can be moved out of the aperture 86 since the rod 78 no longer contacts the tube 82, allowing vertical extension of the first telescoping section 56. A multiplicity of apertures 86 may be located in the second telescoping section 54 to allow multiple "locking points" for the first telescoping section 56 as it extends since the ball bearing 84, by virtue of its spring biasing, will become seated in each of the apertures 86 as the rod 78 contacting the tube 82 moves vertically upward along with the first telescoping section 56 in which the rod 78 is mounted. By depressing the first button 72 on each such occasion of locking, the ball bearing 84 will become unseated from the aperture 86 in which it is seated, allowing further extension of the first telescoping section 56. An alternative structure to that which is described in this paragraph is disclosed in our copending application serial no. 09/005,313, filed on January 9, 1998, which is incorporated by reference in this application, especially on page 18, line 17 through page 19, line 20 and in Figures 7A and 7B of that copending application.

The structure of the second button 69 is the same as shown in Figure 8 and as described with reference thereto except for the elbow and rod arrangement 88 attached to the bottom flange 90 of the second button

69. The elbow and rod arrangement 88 carry a tube 92 loaded with a spring biased ball bearing 94. The rod 96 travels vertically down or up between the tubular member 62 and the second telescoping section 54 when the second button 69 is depressed or released, respectively. When the second telescoping section 54 is unextended, the ball bearing 94 is seated in one of the apertures 86 in the second telescoping section 54, adding its locking effect to that of the lever arm 73 previously described. Pressing the second button 69 after the first telescoping section 56 is fiilly extended will raise the lever arm 73 as previously descibed and will also unseat the ball bearing 94 from the aperture 86 in which it was located, thus allowing extension of the second telescoping section 54. Analogously to the possibility outlined above for the first telescoping section 56 in Figure 8A, multiple "locking points" can be introduced at different lengths of extension of the second telescoping section 54 by a multiplicity of apertures 86 in and along the length of the second telescoping section 54. If such a multiplicity of apertures 86 is introduced in the second telescoping section 54, the ball bearing 94 will become seated in each of the apertures 86 as the second telescoping section 54 is extended, locking the section repeatedly. By depressing the second button 69 on each such occasion of locking, the ball bearing 94 will become unseated from the aperture 86 in which it is seated, allowing further extension of the second telescoping section 54. As can be deduced from the above description and the drawings, the same apertures 86 in the second telescoping section 54 can be used to seat both ball bearings 84, 94 and thus to serve as multiple "locking points" for both the first telescoping section 56 and the second telescoping section 54. The arrangement shown in Figures 8 A to 8C allows as many degrees of lockable extension of the handle 60 as the number of apertures 86 which are provided in contradistinction to the arrangement shown in Figure 8 which only allows one degree of lockable extension, namely, the condition existing when the first telescoping section 56 is fiilly extended, and the second telescoping section 54 is still unextended.

For either the arrangement of Figure 8 or that of Figures 8A to 8C, when the second telescoping section 54 is fiilly extended, the associated end section 50 will be partially exposed on the outside of the case 14. Figure 14 shows the end section 50 connected to the second telescoping section 54 by a socket type hinge 98 restricting rotation 100, 102 of the handle to a plane substantially perpendicular to the back wall 28 of the carrying case 14 when the case 14 is laid on its back wall 28 on a supporting surface, and to a plane of substantially the same inclination to the horizontal as the inclination of the handle 60 also when the case 14 is laid on its back wall 28. The hinge 98, thus, allows extensive maneuverability of the handle 60 when the case 14 is laid on its back wall 28, without allowing rotation of the handle 60 about its longitudinal axis 104. This extensive maneuverablity of the handle 60 allows a person to guide the case 14 in substantially any direction including around curved paths of varying radii of curvature.

Alternatively, Figure 16 shows the end section 50 connected to the second telescoping section 54 by socket type hinge 104 restricting rotation 100 of the handle 60 to a plane substantially perpendicular to the back wall 28 of the carrying case 14 when the case 14 is laid on its back wall 28 on a supporting surface.

The socket type hinge shown in Figure 16 may optionally be provided with a locking mechanism allowing the telescoping handle 101, see Figure 17, to be releasably "fixed" at various positions of rotation. The locking mechanism comprises a series of detents 103 on the end section 105 remaining within the case upon full extension of the telescoping handle 101. A spring-loaded ball bearing 107, (sαe Figure 17A), fits into one of the detents 103 to lock the handle 101 in a particular angular position. However, upon a reasonable force exerted by the user generally perpendicular to the handle 101, the handle 101 is removed from such a locked position since the spring-loaded ball bearing 107 is forced out of its detent 103 by compressing its spring. The socket type hinge shown in Figure 16 may also optionally be provided with a torsion spring 109, (s^ Figure 19A), or other equivalent device to insure that the handle 111 retums to the vertical or upright position if released.

Finally, a second hinge 113, (sre Figure 19A), may optionally be added to the socket type hinge shown in Figure 16, allowing rotation of the handle in the same planes specified with respect to the socket type hinge 98 shown in Figure 14. In addition, however, such a handle 111 may also be provided with a pinned connection 115 to the handgrip 117, (see Figure 19), allowing the handgrip 117 to remain in an unrotated position even as the remainder of the handle 111 rotates in the plane of its inclination to the horizontal.

At least one of the wheels 106 on the major wall 108 of the article of luggage 110 may be designed so that it retracts below the surface 112 of the major wall 108 of the luggage 110 from which it otherwise protrudes upon the desire of a user, (see Figures 20 and 21).

In the particular embodiment shown in Figure 20, the at least one wheel 106 is held in a retracted position so that a bottom surface 114 of a housing 116 in which each wheel 106 is mounted is level with the surface 112 of the major wall 108 of the luggage 110 when an extendible handle 118 of the luggage 110 is in a fiilly retracted position. Each wheel 106 is held in a retracted position by a bar 120 with a tongue 122, the tongue 122 fitting into an aperture 124 in the housing 116. The tongue 122 and the aperture 124 restrain the housing 116 and the wheel 106 from being rotated outwardly from the luggage 110 by a spring-loaded hinge 126 which tends to rotate the attached housing 116 and mounted wheel 106 out of a well 128 in the luggage 110 into which the housing 116 and wheel 106 fit when retracted. Each bar 120 is biased toward the aperture 124 by a spring 130 surrounding and extending along a portion of the length of the bar 120, the spring 130 being held in place by protrusions 132,133 from the major wall 108 of the luggage 112 and from the well 128, respectively, and by a flange 135 on the bar 120. A cable 134 is attached at a first end to each bar 130, the cable 134 extending through a guide tube 137 to an attachment at a second end to a U-shaped member 136. The U-shaped member 136 is in turn attached through a cable 139 to a pull ring 141 located within the luggage 110 in a position such that the grip 143 of the extendible handle 118 covers the pull ring 141 when the extendible handle 118 is fiilly retracted and, thus, makes the pull ring 141 inaccessible to a user. However, as soon as the extendible handle 118 is at least partially extended, the user can manually exert a tensile force 138 on the pull ring 141.

The tensile force 138 acts through the system of the cable 139, the U-shaped member 136, and the cables 134, to retract each bar 120 against each biasing spring 130 such that the tongue 122 no longer lies within the aperture 124. This retraction of the bar 120 and the tongue 122 sets the housing 116 and the attached wheel 106 free to rotate 140 under the impetus of the spring-biased hinge 126 until the housing 116 impacts and is held against the surface 112 of the major wall 108 of the luggage 110. In this position, the wheel 106 is available to contact a supporting surface to allow the luggage 110 to be propelled by the handle 118 such that its major wall 108 is parallel to the supporting surface. In contrast, the retracted position of the wheels 106 previously discussed allows more convenient storage of the luggage 110 because the flat surface 112 of the major wall 108 is not interrupted by the projection of the housings 116 and wheels 106 in the operating position.

The retraction of the wheels 106 and the housings 116 from the operating position must be done manually by the user. The user must rotate each housing 116 and wheel 106 against the biasing force exerted by the spring-biased hinge 126 back into their respective wells 128 in the luggage 110. Each housing 116 and wheel 106 will be "snap-locked" into place by the tongue 122 when the housing 116 and wheel 106 reach their retracted position in their well 128. This "snap-locking" effect occurs as follows. The tongue 122 protrudes from an aperture 142 in the well 128 when the interior 141 of the well 128 is not filled by the housing 116 and the wheel 106. This protrusion of the tongue 122 into the interior 141 of the well 128 occurs due to the spring 130 biasing the bar 120 toward the well 128 when no tensile force 138 is acting on the cable 134. The flange 135 serves to limit the biasing of the bar 120 toward the well 128 by contacting the well 128, as well as serving to hold the spring 130 as previously mentioned. When the housing 116 is rotated into the well 128, the outer surface 145 of the housing 116 contacts the tongue 122 forcing it temporarily inward toward the well 128 against the biasing force of the spring 130. When the tongue 122, however, reaches the aperture 124 in the housing 116 due to the rotation of the housing 116 into the well 128, the tongue 122 will be snapped into the aperture 124 by the biasing force of the spring 130, thus locking the housing 116 and attached wheel 106 into place.

Figures 24 and 25 detail an alternative arrangement for the retractable wheel assemblies 144. The major difference from the previously described arrangement is the alteration of the member restraining the wheel 147 and the housing 149 in a retracted position from the bar 120 previously described to a pivotable member 146. The pivotable member 146 restrains the wheel 147 and the housing 149 by a tongue 148 fittinng through an aperture 150 in the well 152 and an aperture 154 in the housing 149, similarly to the previous description.

However, the pivotable member 146 is of a generally cross shape in plan and is pivotably attached 156 to the luggage 158. The pivotable attachment is located on one arm 160 of the pivotable member 146 transverse to the tongue 148 of the pivotable member 146, while a second arm 162 of the pivotable member 146 is attached through a spring 164 to the luggage 158.

Upon the pulling of a cable 166, attached to an end 168 of the pivotable member 156 opposite the tongue 148, by a process similar to that previously described, the pivotable member 146 pivots about the pivotable attachment 156 such that the tongue 148 no longer passes through the aperture 154, (see dotted line shape 170 in Figure 20 representing the pivoted position of the pivotable member 146). When a pulling force is no longer exerted on the cable 166, the spring 164 acts to cause the pivotable member 146 to pivot in the opposite direction from the direction of pivoting of the pivotable member 146 when the cable 166 was pulled, such pivoting producing the result that the tongue 148 is again in a position to pass through the aperture 154. Similarly to the previously described wheel arrangement, the interior 172 of the well 152 must be empty to allow the tongue 148 to be pivoted back by the spring 164 to a position to pass through the aperture 154. This position of the tongue 148 protruding from the well 152 into the empty interior 172 of the well 152 will insure a "snap lock" of the housing 149 and the wheel 147 into the retracted position when the housing 149 and the wheel 147 are subsequently manually retracted, the "snap lock" occurring by a process similar to that described for the previous wheel arrangement.

It should be noted that the wheel shown in the center of the major wall for the retractable wheel arrangements is exemplary only and may easily be replaced by the roller ball shown in other of the drawings appended hereto.

Furthermore, the arrangements disclosed for retaining the retractable wheels in a retracted position and releasing them from that position are exemplary only, and persons with ordinary skill in the art can easily conceive of altemative arrangements which are within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, Figure 26 shows an altemative arrangement for retaining retractable wheels in a retracted position comprising a molded or otherwise rigid major wall 174 of a case upon which retractable caster wheels 176, as well as fixed wheels 177 are mounted. The caster wheels 176 are held in the retracted position by a rigid frame 178 releasably connected to all three retractable caster wheels 176 when they are in the retracted position.

When the handgrip 180 is extended in extending the telescoping legs of the handle (not shown), the rigid frame 178, which is connected to the handle, moves in the same direction, being also connected to slides 182 moving in internal tracks 184 in the molding 174. As the rigid frame 178 moves in the same direction as the handle, it releases the retractable caster wheels 176 which pop out through holes (not shown) in the molding 174, propelled by spring-loaded hinges 186 connecting the plates 188 on which the retractable caster wheels 176 are mounted to the molding 174. As was true for the retractable wheel embodiments previously disclosed, the user will manually retract the wheels once they are extended.

Figure 27 shows a molding or otherwise rigid major wall 190 other than the major wall shown in Figure 26 on which the retractable wheels are mounted. Thus, a case can have such molded upper and lower major walls, with the side walls being either flexible or also rigid at the option of the manufacturer.

Figures 28 through 30 show yet another altemative embodiment for retractable wheels. This embodiment allows automatic retraction as well as extension of the wheels 192. As illustrated, this is accomplished by a rack 194 and pinion 196 mechanism. The rack 194 is cut on a bar 195 connected to the end section 198 of the handle, the end section 198 being held inside the case even at full extension of the handle. The end section 198 is held inside the case by a detent 200 in the end section 198 contacted by a spring-loaded ball bearing 202 at full extension of the handle.

The automatic extension and retraction of the caster wheels 192 occurs as follows. As the leg 204 of the handle approaches full extension, the rack 194 engages the pinion 196 causing it to rotate. The pinion 196 is attached to a spring-loaded hinge 206 which is in turn attached to the plate 208 on which the caster wheel 192 is mounted. The spring of the spring-loaded hinge 206 is so biased as to retain the caster wheel 192 in a retracted position within the case in the absence of rotation of the pinion 196. The rotation of the pinion 196 causes the hinge 206 and the plate 208 to rotate, extending the caster wheel 192 outside of the case. The process is reversed as the leg 204 of the handle begins to be inserted inside the case from its fiilly extended position. The rack 194 again causes the pinion 196, the hinge 206, and the plate 208 to rotate, but in the opposite direction from that occurring when the leg 204 of the handle is extending, thus retracting the caster wheel 192 inside the case.

Although Figures 28 through 30 show the arrangement for only one retractable caster wheel 192, the arrangement for the retractable caster wheel at the other comer of the case is a mirror image of the arrangement shown. Furthermore, if there is a caster wheel in the center of the major wall of the case, it may also easily be made automatically extendable and retractable through the use of another spring-loaded hinge and rack and pinion arrangement similar to that shown in Figures 28 through 30 with the addition of another bar with rack cut into it attached to the other side of the end section 198 horizontally across from the bar 195.

Optionally, and as illustrated in Figure 1, the front wall 26 can also be detachably attached to the body of the carrying case 14 by a zippered connection therewith as indicated at 34 in Figure 1. This will permit the front wall 26 with its attached ground engagable wheels 22 and 24 and the center caster 40 to be entirely removed from the carrying case in the event that it is not deemed needed for a particular use or if replacement, repair, or cleaning of the surface is desired. If desired, access to the interior of the carrying case can be provided by a zippered closure located underneath the front wall 26. Alternatively, the zippered closure can be provided on the back face 28 of the carrying case, in which event the handle 18 and its legs 20 can also be made removable from the body of the carrying case.

Numerous altemative modifications will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art, and are included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An article of towable luggage, including a body having a major front wall, a major rear wall, and side walls extending peripherally of said major front and rear walls and supporting said major front and rear walls in spaced relation; the improvement comprising: wheels mounted from one of said major front and rear walls permitting towing of said article of towable luggage over a ground surface with said wheel bearing wall adapted to lie in proximity to and be supported on said ground surface by said wheels, at least one of said wheels being retractable within said article of towable luggage, said one of said major front and rear walls being a substantially rigid unitary element.

2. The article of towable luggage of claim 1 , wherein said at least one retractable wheel is adapted to be released from a retracted state within said article of towable luggage by a means for conducting tensile force, said means for conducting tensile force being releasably attached to said mounting of said at least one retractable wheel from said one of said major front and rear walls.

3. The article of towable luggage of claim 1, wherein said mounting of said at least one retractable wheel from said one of said major front and rear walls comprises a spring-biased means for rotating said at least one retractable wheel.

4. The article of towable luggage of claim 1 , wherein said at least one retractable wheel is held in a retracted state within said article of towable luggage by a releasable attachment to a means for conducting tensile force.

5. The article of towable luggage of claim 1 , wherein said at least one retractable wheel is adapted to be released from a retracted state within said article of towable luggage by a means for conducting tensile force, said means for conducting tensile force causing rotation of a means for rotating said mounting of said at least one retractable wheel from said one of said major front and rear walls.

6. The article of towable luggage of claim 5, wherein said means for rotating said mounting of said at least one retractable wheel from said one of said major front and rear walls comprises a rack and pinion mechanism.

7. An article of towable luggage, including a body having a major front wall, a major rear wall, and side walls extending peripherally of said major front and rear walls and supporting said major front and rear walls in spaced relation; the improvement comprising: wheels mounted on one of said major front and rear walls permitting towing of said article of towable luggage over a ground surface with said wheel bearing wall adapted to be in proximity to and be supported on said ground surface by said wheels mounted on said one of said front and rear major walls; and handle means on said towable luggage to permit towing.

8. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, wherein the non-wheel bearing major wall is adapted to receive thereon at least one additional article of luggage.

9. The article of towable luggage of claim 8, further including securement means to releasably secure the additional luggage to the towable luggage.

10. The article of towable luggage of claim 9, wherein said securement means is a buckle and strap arrangement.

11. The article of towable luggage of claim 9, wherein said securement means is an elastic cord.

12. The article of towable luggage of claim 8, wherein said at least one additional article of luggage and said article of towable luggage each include a carrying handle and an extensible and retractable handle extending from and retracting to said carrying handle.

13. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, wherein said wheels are three in number.

14. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, wherein at least one retaining strip is mounted on said wheel bearing wall.

15. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, in which said handle means includes a telescoping handle, at least one hinge allowing rotation of said telescoping handle with respect to said article of towable luggage, and a mechanism allowing releasable locking of said telescoping handle at various degrees of said rotation.

16. The article of towable luggage of claim 15, wherein said mechanism allowing releasable locking of said telescoping handle at various degrees of said rotation comprises at least one detent and a spring- loaded ball bearing.

17. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, wherein said handle means comprises a telescoping handle, at least one hinge allowing rotation of said telescoping handle with respect to said article of towable luggage, and a protective shield attached to said article of towable luggage and covering said at least one hinge and a region of said telescoping handle in the vicinity of said at least one hinge.

18. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, further including a shield located in juxtaposition to a leading edge of the wheel bearing wall.

19. The article of towable luggage of claim 7, wherein said article of towable luggage further comprises a telescoping handle, at least one hinge allowing rotation of said telescoping handle with respect to said article of towable luggage, and a means for causing said telescoping handle to assume a position substantially perpendicular to said ground surface when said telescoping handle is substantially fiilly extended and when no force is exerted on said telescoping handle beside the weight of said telescoping handle.