Abstract:
A rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly includes a shaft affixed to a retractable handle of a luggage, a barrel-like grip sleeved onto and turntable about the shaft, a spring member sleeved onto one extension rod at one end of the shaft and connected between the shaft and the grip for returning the grip to its former position after a rotary motion of the grip relative to the shaft, and a lock for locking the grip to the shaft to prohibit rotation of the grip relative to the shaft.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   (a) Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a luggage handle and more specifically, to a rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly for use in a retractable handle of a luggage. 
   (b) Description of the Prior Art 
   A regular luggage (travel bag), more particularly, a wheeled luggage (travel bag) has a retractable handle for carrying by hand. The retractable handle of a luggage (travel bag) has a grip for the grasping of the hand. When the luggage (travel bag) is standing still on the floor, the retractable handle is kept in vertical. Before moving the luggage (travel bag) on the floor, the user must extend out retractable handle and hold the retractable handle and the luggage (travel bag) in a tilted position. When adjusting the luggage (travel bag) between the vertical position and the tilted position, the user must keep the hand grasping the grip of the retractable handle in a loosened status, preventing heavy friction between the palm of the hand and the grip of the retractable handle or twisting of the hand. Further, when the luggage (travel bag) is moving over an uneven floor surface or when the user vibrating the body during walking, the hand must be kept in a loosened status to prevent an injury. However, the grip may rub against the skin of the palm of the hand heavily when the hand is kept in a loosened status. In order to eliminate this problem, EP0548708A1 discloses a grip structure, entitled “Handle, particularly for portfolios, suitcases, briefcases, or similar”. According to this design, the anatomic grip of the handle is able to rotate or to oscillate about a longitudinal axis and elastic means are provided which return the grip to a rest position when it is released by the user&#39;s hand, so that this grip may always be grasped correctly, without having to be orientated about the said axis of rotation or oscillation for this purpose. According to this design, the grip will deviate from the position when rotated. When pulling the handle during walking, the grip may be not kept in balance, affecting the pulling action. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly, which keeps the grip in balance when the grip is rotated relative to the handle of the luggage, so that the user can pull the handle smoothly with less effort. 
   To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly is comprised of a shaft affixed to a retractable handle of a luggage, a barrel-like grip rotatably sleeved onto said shaft, a spiral torsion spring sleeved onto said shaft and connected between the shaft and the grip for reversing the grip after each rotary motion of the grip relative to the shaft, and a lock for locking the grip to the shaft. The shaft comprises a locating means at its one end, namely, the first end. The grip comprises an axial hole axially extending through first and second ends thereof and coupled to the shaft for allowing rotation of the grip relative to the shaft, a locating means on the first end, and a recessed hole on the second end. The spiral torsion spring has a first pin extending from one end thereof and fastened to the locating means of the shaft, and a second pin extending from an opposite end thereof and fastened to the locating means of the grip. The lock comprises a latch mounted in the retractable handle of the luggage and movable between a locking position where the latch locks the grip to the shaft and an unlocking position wherein the latch unlocks the grip from the shaft for allowing rotation of the grip relative to the shaft. The latch comprises a base, a first top groove and a second top groove formed on the top side of the base, a finger strip extending from the bottom side of the base for operating by hand to move the latch between the locking position and the unlocking position, a latch pin extending from the front side of the base for engaging the recessed hole of the grip to lock the grip to the shaft, a positioning member selectively positioning in one of the first top groove and the second top groove, and a spring member pressed on the positioning member to hold the positioning member in one of the first top groove and the second top groove. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in accordance with the present invention, showing the lock assembled before installation. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective assembly view of the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an elevational view in an enlarged view of one end of the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in accordance with the present invention, showing the positioning of the lock. 
       FIG. 5  is an elevational view in an enlarged view of the other end of the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in accordance with the present invention, showing the positioning of the spring member. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, showing the latch engaged into the recessed hole of the grip. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic perspective view of a part of the present invention, showing the latch engaged into the recessed hole of the grip. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic sectional view of the present invention, showing the latch disengaged from the recessed hole of the grip. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic perspective view of a part of the present invention, showing the latch disengaged from the recessed hole of the grip. 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic applied view of the present invention, showing the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly installed in the handle of a luggage and operated. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a shaft  1 , a grip  2 , a spring member  3 , and a lock  4 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3  and  FIG. 1  again, the shaft  1  comprises a locating means, for example, a locating hole  11  on its one end, and two extension rods  12  respectively and axially extending from its two opposite ends. The extension rods  12  each have at least one, for example two planes  121 , and a mounting hole  13  cut through the planes  121 . Further, a locating block  14  is respectively attached to one plane  121  of each of the extension rods  12 . By means of the mounting holes  13  of the extension rods  12  and the locating blocks  14 , the shaft  1  is fastened to a handle  51  of a luggage  5  (see also  FIG. 10 ). 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  again, the grip  2  is shaped like a barrel, having an axial hole  21  axially extending through its two distal ends and coupled to the shaft  1  for allowing turning of the grip  2  about the shaft  1 , a locating means, for example, a locating groove  22  on its first end, an end recess  211  formed on the first end around the axial hole  21 , and a recessed hole  23  on its second end. The locating groove  22  is axially formed on the first end of the grip  2  and abutted to the border of the end recess  211 . Further, two end plates  24  are respectively fastened to the first and second ends of the grip  2  with screws  243 . One end plate  24  has a first through hole  241  and a second through hole  242  respectively aligned with the axial hole  21  and recessed hole  23  of the grip  2 . The first through hole  241  has a diameter fitting the outer diameter of the extension rods  12  of the shaft  1 . After installation of the end plates  24 , the grip  2  is secured to the shaft  1  and prohibited from axial displacement relative to the shaft  1 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6  and  FIG. 1  again, the spring member  3  is a spiral torsion spring sleeved onto the shaft  1  and received in the end groove  211  of the grip  2 , having a first end terminating in a first pin  31  that is fastened to the locating hole  11  of the shaft  1  and a second end terminating a second pin  32  that is fastened to the locating groove  22  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). When rotating the grip  2  relative to the shaft  1 , the spring member  3  is compressed. When released the hand from the grip  2  after rotation, the spring force of the spring member  3  immediately reverses the grip  2  relative to the shaft  1  to its former position. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIGS. 1˜3  again, the lock  4  is comprised of a latch  41 , a positioning member  42 , and a spring  43 . The latch  41  is mounted in the handle  51  adjacent to the recessed hole  23  of the grip  2  and slidable toward and away from the recessed hole  23 . The latch  41  has a base  411 , a first top groove  412  and a second top groove  412 ′ on the top side of the base  411 , a L-shaped guide plate  413  disposed at the bottom side of the base  411  and slidably coupled to the associating end plate  14 , a finger rod  414  extending from the guide plate  413 , and a latch pin  415  extending from the base  411  for engaging the recessed hole  23  of the grip  2  to stop the grip  2  from rotation relative to the shaft  1 . The positioning member  42  is a steel ball selectively set in the first top groove  412  or second top groove  412 ′ on the top side of the base  411  to hold down the latch  41  in one of two positions, namely, the locking position where the latch pin  415  is engaged into the recessed hole  23  and the unlocking position where the latch pin  415  is disengaged from the recessed hole  23 . The spring  43  is a compression spring pressed on the steel ball  42  to hold the steel ball  42  in the first top groove  412  or second top groove  412 ′. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 10 , when the shaft  1 , the grip  2 , the spring member  3  and the lock  4  are assembled, the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly is installed in (the forked top end of) the handle  51  of the luggage  5 . After installation of the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly in the handle  51 , the shaft  1  is fixedly secured to the handle  51  and prohibited from rotation relative to the handle  51 , and the user can control the lock  4  to lock or unlock the grip  2 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , when the user pulled the latch  41  outwards to have the steel ball  42  be positioned in the first top groove  412 , the latch pin  415  is disengaged from the recessed hole  23  of the grip  2  and the second through hole  242  of the associating end plate  24 , the grip  2  is turnable about the shaft  1  in one direction. When the user holds the grip  2  of the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly with the hand to pull the luggage  5  (see  FIG. 10 ), the luggage  5  and the handle  51  are tilted, and at the same time the grip  2  is turned about the shaft  1  through an angle to fit the tilting action of the luggage  5  and the handle  51 . When moving over an uneven floor or road surface, the grip  2  is turned about the shaft  1  alternatively forwards and backwards to eliminate shocks. Therefore, the user can carry the luggage  5  comfortably with less effort when walking. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the user pushes the latch  41  of the lock  4  forwards to have the steel ball  42  be positioned in the second top groove  412 ′, the latch pin  415  is engaged into the recessed hole  23  of the grip  2  and the second through hole  242  of the associating end plate  24  to lock the grip  2 , prohibiting the grip  2  from rotary motion relative to the shaft. 
   As stated above, the rotation-controllable rotary grip assembly allows the user to lock or unlock the grip  2 . When the grip  2  is locked, it is prohibited from rotary motion relative to the shaft  1 . On the contrary, when the grip  2  is unlocked, the grip  2  is turnable about the shaft  1 . During rotation of the grip  2  relative to the shaft  1 , the grip  2  is kept in balance, and will not deviate from the position, i.e., the invention eliminates the drawback of the prior art EP0548708A1. 
   Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.