Patent ID: 6390259
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: A45C

Abstract:
A wheeled luggage comprising a main body, an auxiliary body, a flexible section sandwiched between said main body and said auxiliary body and having a zipper, a pair of support mechanisms provided on said opposite sides of said luggage, and a cover coupled to said auxiliary body, each of said support mechanisms comprising:a sliding board secured to said side of said auxiliary body and comprising a first groove rail on either said top or said bottom side a flat recess, a lower vertical channel and an upper vertical channel on one side, a horizontal channel in said center having two opposite shoulders in one end joined with said facing ends of said vertical channels, an elongate horizontal slot in said other end, and an elongate trough coupled between said elongate horizontal slot and said shoulders; a locking mechanism secured to said side of said main body and comprising two opposite locking members each including a ratchet member, and a groove in one end for guiding said first groove rail to match therewith; and a trigger mechanism comprising a plate member including an elongate plate, an enlarged end member in one end, an aperture through said other end, a projection on said back slidably received in said trough, two spaced posts on one side of said end member with said plate located therebetween, two elastic members put on said posts and each having one end biased against said shoulder, and two spaced pins; a trigger member on said back of said sliding board and including a sleeve on one side inserted through said elongate horizontal slot of said sliding board and said aperture and a lock pin inserted into said sleeve for coupling said trigger member to said plate member; and a pair of sliding members received in said vertical channels respectively and each having an elongate slanted slot in one end facing said other sliding member with said pin defined therein and a slanted end in said other end engaged with one of said teeth of each ratchet member; wherein in an unused position, said width of said flexible section is reduced to a minimum by closing said zipper and each slanted end engaged with said rear tooth of said ratchet member, thereby preventing said sliding board from forward moving at said unused position; said sliding board is operative to slide forward to cause said auxiliary body to move away from said main body with each slanted end sliding on said teeth of each ratchet member until said width of said flexible section has reached a maximum in a use position and each slanted end is engaged with said front tooth of each ratchet member once said sliding of said slanted ends is stopped, thereby preventing said sliding board from backward moving at said use position; or said lock pin is continuously pushed rearward to cause said plate member to move rearward for compressing said elastic members, said sliding members are forced to move toward each other with said pins moved from lowest positions in said slanted slots to highest positions therein, each slanted end is disengaged from said ratchet member, and said sliding board is operative to slide rearward until said width of said flexible section has reached said minimum and once said lock pin is released each slanted end is again engaged with said rear tooth of each ratchet member, thereby preventing said sliding board from forward moving at said unused position.