Abstract:
A handle assembly of wheeled luggage comprises a handle grip with a push button, two first sliding tubes, at least one pair of second sliding tubes, two support tubes, two first locking devices each provided below each first sliding tube, at least one pair of second locking devices each provided below each second sliding tube, a pair of first cables attached between handle grip and first locking devices, and at least one pair of second cables for controlling second locking devices wherein the length of fully extended handle is longer than the height of luggage for providing a handle with extended sufficient length to the user when towing a small luggage along the ground.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a retractable handle for wheeled luggage and more particularly to a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventionally, only one locking device is provided in the retractable handle for controlling the handle in a retracted position and an extended position. Further, it is also possible to design the sliding tube to be engaged with the support tube in a plurality of retaining slots of the support tube for varying the length of retractable handle. It is known that the maximum length of the retractable handle is less than that of the height of luggage case. In addition, the airline industry has strictly enforced the restriction on the dimension of carry-on luggage that may be brought onboard of an airplane. As such, in one case that the total height of the height of luggage plus the length of fully extended handle is still less than the distance between hand of an upright person and ground. This means that the person has to bend his/her back to reach and tow the handle grip. It can be seen that such design is not convenient. 
     Furthermore, it is necessary to retract the handle to its lowest position in order to carry the luggage in and out of various forms of carriers such as airplanes or motor vehicles. However, the center line of handle grip tends to tilt away from the center line of luggage when luggage is lifted, i.e., the lower portion of luggage is nearer the user than the top portion thereof. As such, luggage may interfere with the user&#39;s movement or walking. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a multi-locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage for eliminating the disadvantages of prior art. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage wherein the length of fully extended handle is longer than the height of luggage for providing a handle with extended sufficient length to the user when towing a small luggage along the ground. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage wherein handle grip can be pulled a small sufficient distance above the recess on top of luggage and locked therein so as to provide a great convenience to the user when lifting luggage. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage wherein the length of handle may be varied for conforming to a tall person. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a handle assembly of wheeled luggage having two identical parts each comprising: a first sliding tube; a first locking device detachably attached to the bottom of the first sliding tube; a second sliding tube for allowing the first sliding tube to slidingly move therein having a plurality of holes; a second locking device detachably attached to the bottom of the second sliding tube; and a support tube for allowing the second sliding tube to slidingly move therein having a plurality of holes. 
     Whereby the handle is retracted when the push button is not pressed. The first sliding tube is received in the second sliding tube and the second sliding tube is received in support tube. Projection is biased by spring to engage with lower hole of the second sliding tube. The bottom of first locking device is biased against the top of sliding block of second locking device so as to cling the first end of lock pin to lower hole of support tube, whereby handle is locked in a retracted position. The push button is pressed. Then handle is pulled upward to cause flexible steel cable to move upward so as to bias spring and guide pin to move into lower hole. Grasp handle grip to pull first sliding tube upward for separating bottom of first locking device from top of second locking device. Then top of sliding block being vertically slidable on second locking device is not biased by bottom of first locking device. Sleeve is pushed to the right by the expansion of spring to cause lower slopes of triangular projections to engage against lower slope of the sliding block. Then sliding block moves up to cause lock pin to move to the right to dear lower hole of support tube. Once first sliding tube is pulled up to cause projection of locking block to come into middle hole to lock therein, first sliding tube no longer moves up along the second sliding tube. Then first sliding tube and second sliding tube together move up until the lock pin of second locking device comes into engagement with middle hole of support tube and locks therein. At this time handle is pulled up a small distance above the top of luggage. First and second locking device are unlocked simultaneously when push button is pressed again. Locking block moves up to come into engagement with upper hole of second sliding tube. Handle grip continuously moves up to cause flexible steel cable previously caught in the retaining groove of the first housing below the first sliding tube to move up along with first sliding tube. Then second sliding tube and second locking device move up until lock pin comes into contact with upper hole and locks therein. Now handle is in a fully extended position for allowing luggage to be towed along the ground. 
     To the contrary, press push button to retract handle which in turn causes pin of locking block attached to flexible steel cable to escape engagement with upper hole of second sliding tube. Whereby first sliding tube may receive within second sliding tube until bottom of first locking device comes into contact with top of sliding block. Then upper slopes of sliding block engages with upper slopes of triangular projections to cause lock pin of second locking device to clear upper hole of support tube. Pin dears upper hole of second sliding tube when push button is pressed again. Then first sliding tube may receive in second sliding tube and second sliding tube may receive in support tube. Now the handle is fully retracted. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage of the invention; 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B are first and second sectional views showing retracted positions of the fully retracted handle respectively; 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are similar to FIGS. 2A and 2B respectively, push button being pressed; 
     FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view showing the operation of second locking device; 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B are first and second sectional views showing handle lifted a small distance above the top of luggage; 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B are similar to FIGS. 5A and 5B respectively, push button being pressed again; 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B are first and second sectional views respectively showing first locking device locked in upper hole of second sliding tube and second locking device is unlocked; 
     FIGS. 8A and 8B are first and second sectional views respectively showing second locking device locked in upper hole of support tube where handle is fully extended; 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B are first and second sectional views respectively showing first locking device locked in lower hole of second sliding tube when push button is pressed, the bottom of second sliding tube is urged against the top of second locking device such that second locking device is released for allowing handle to retract continuously; 
     FIG. 10 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view showing second locking device being pressed; 
     FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage of the invention; and 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a third preferred embodiment of a locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a multi-locking device for retractable handle of wheeled luggage constructed in accordance with the invention wherein handle system is provided on the back of luggage with a handle grip received in a bezel on top of luggage. 
     Note that because the handle system is bilaterally symmetrical so that description of one side serves to describe the entirety. Thus the handle system of the invention comprises: a first sliding tube  10  having a lower hole  13  and an upper hole  12  attached to one end of handle grip (not shown) by a known fastener; a first locking device  20  detachably attached to the bottom of first sliding tube  10 ; a second sliding tube  40  for allowing first sliding tube  10  to slidingly move therein having upper, middle, and lower holes  45 ,  46 , and  47  on a first side, two top apertures  42  on first and third sides, and a pin hole  43  on a second side; a first sleeve member  30  provided on the top of second sliding tube  40  having two detents  32  provided on two opposing sides matingly engaged with apertures  42  of second sliding tube  40 ; a second locking device  50  detachably attached to the bottom of the second sliding tube  40  being secured to the pin hole  43  of second sliding tube  40  by a pin  44 ; a support tube  70  for allowing second sliding tube  40  to slidingly move therein having upper, middle, and lower holes  73 ,  76 , and  74  on second and fourth sides, respectively, two apertures  72  on a second and a third sides, and a spin hole  75  below the lower hole  74 ; and a second sleeve member  60  provided on the top of support tube  70  having two detents  62  provided on two opposing sides matingly engaged with apertures  72  of support tube  70 . 
     The first locking device  20  comprises: a first housing  21  having an upper portion  210  with a guide groove  212 , a retaining groove  211 , and a pin hole  213  such that pin  14  may insert through lower hole  13  of first sliding tube  10  and pin hole  213  to secure first locking device  20  and first sliding tube  10  together; and a lower portion  214  with a cavity  215  and a smoothly curved portion  218  (FIG.  2 ); a spring  23  provided in the cavity  215  of first housing  21 ; a locking block  24  provided in the cavity  215  of first housing  21  having a projection  240  on a first side, an aperture  241  on a second side, and an opening  245  in communication with the aperture  241 ; and a flexible steel cable  22  having an enlargement on one end (not shown) being secured to handle grip and an enlargement  221  on the other end being secured in the opening  245  through the guide groove  212 , the smoothly curved portion  218 , cavity  215  (FIG.  2 ), and aperture  241  such that a pressing of the push button may be transmitted to first locking device  20  through the movement of flexible steel cable  22 . 
     The second locking device  50  comprises: an upper portion  51  having a groove  511 , a pin hole  512  such that pin  44  may insert through lower hole  43  of second sliding tube  40  and pin hole  512  to secure second locking device  50  and second sliding tube  40  together; and a lower portion  52  having a central dent  521  and a smaller aperture  523  on the bottom of dent  521 ; a sliding block  57  being slidable along groove  511  and dent  521  having an upper portion  571  with an elongate groove  572  and a lower portion  573  wider than the upper portion  571 ; a rectangular recess  577  formed on the lower portion  573  being adjacent the upper portion  571  having two V-shaped recesses  575  located on two opposing sides each V-shaped recess  575  having an upper slope  574  and a lower slope  576 ; a cone-shaped spring  53  with one end biased against smaller aperture  523  of the lower portion  52 ; a lock pin  54  slidingly moved in dent  521  having two opposing projections  541  and  542  being inserted into cone-shaped spring  53  and secured in the smaller aperture  523 ; a sleeve  55  slidingly moved in dent  521  with one end biased against cone-shaped spring  53 , lock pin  54  slidable in the sleeve  55 , two opposing triangular projections  553  formed on the outer surface of the sleeve  55  for matingly engaged with V-shaped recesses  575  having a lower slope  5531  and an upper slope  5532 ; a spring  56  put on lock pin  54  being received in sleeve  55 ; and a stem member  58  having a top end  581  clung to the retaining groove  211  of the first housing  21  and a bottom end  582  clung to elongate groove  572 . 
     The following is a description of the operation of handle system. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2A-10, handle is retracted when push button  91  is not pressed (FIGS.  2 A and  2 B). First sliding tube  10  is received in second sliding tube  40  and second sliding tube  40  is received in support tube  70 . Projection  240  is biased by spring  23  to engage with lower hole  47  of second sliding tube  40 . The bottom of first locking device  20  is biased against the top of sliding block  57  of second locking device  50  so as to cling the first end of lock pin  54  to lower hole  74  of support tube  70 , whereby handle is locked in a retracted position. The push button  91  is pressed as shown in FIGS. 3A-3B. Then handle is pulled upward to cause the flexible steel cable  22  to move upward so as to bias spring  23  and guide pin  240  to move into lower hole  47  (FIG.  3 A). Grasp handle grip  90  to pull first sliding tube  10  upward for separating bottom of first locking device  20  from top of second locking device  50 . At this time top of sliding block  57  being vertically slidable on second locking device  50  is not biased by bottom of first locking device  20 . Sleeve  55  is pushed to the right by the expansion of spring  53  to cause lower slopes  5531  of triangular projections  553  to engage against lower slope  576  of the sliding block  57  (FIG.  4 ). Then sliding block  57  moves up to cause lock pin  54  to move to the right to clear lower hole  74  of support tube  70  (FIG.  3 B). Once first sliding tube  10  is pulled up to cause projection  240  of locking block  24  to come into middle hole  46  to lock therein (FIG.  5 A), first sliding tube  10  no longer moves up along the second sliding tube  40 . Then first sliding tube  10  and second sliding tube  40  together move up until the lock pin  54  of second locking device  50  comes into engagement with middle hole  76  of support tube  70  and locks therein (FIG.  5 B). At this time handle is pulled up a small distance above the top of luggage. Similarly, first and second locking device  20  and  50  are unlocked simultaneously when push button  91  is pressed again (FIGS.  6 A and  6 B). As stated above, locking block  24  moves up to come into engagement with upper hole  45  of second sliding tube  40  (FIGS.  7 A and  7 B). At this time, handle grip  90  continuously moves up to cause stem member  58  previously caught in the retaining groove  211  of the first housing  21  below the first sliding tube  10  to move up along with first sliding tube  10 . Then second sliding tube  40  and second locking device  50  move up until lock pin  54  comes into contact with upper hole  73  and locks therein (FIGS.  8 A and  8 B). Now handle is in a fully extended position for allowing luggage to be towed along the ground. To the contrary, press push button  91  to retract handle which in turn causes pin  240  of locking block  24  attached to flexible steel cable  22  to escape engagement with upper hole  45  of second sliding tube  40 . Whereby first sliding tube  10  may receive within second sliding tube  40  until bottom of first locking device  20  comes into contact with top of sliding block  57 . Then upper slopes  574  of sliding block  57  engages with upper slopes  5532  of triangular projections  553  (FIG. 10) to cause lock pin  54  of second locking device  50  to clear upper hole  73  of support tube  70  (FIGS.  9 A and  9 B). Pin  240  clears upper hole  45  of second sliding tube  40  when push button  91  is pressed again. Then first sliding tube  10  may receive in second sliding tube  40  and second sliding tube  40  may receive in support tube  70 . Now the handle is fully retracted (FIGS.  2 A and  2 B). 
     Note that the first locking device  20  is a master device and second locking device  50  is a slave one. As such, the number of second locking device  50  may be added in other embodiments. Further, the number of second sliding tube  40  may be added too. As a result, a handle system with multiple locking devices and a plurality of constituent tubes are carried out, thereby enabling handle to extend and lock in one of a plurality of selective positions thereof. 
     Note that stem member  58 , middle hole  46  of second sliding tube  40 , and middle hole  73  of support tube  70  may be omitted if the function of extending handle a predetermined distance above the top of luggage is not desirable as shown in FIG. 11 the second preferred embodiment of the invention. This is an aspect of the Invention. 
     Note that the height of first sleeve member  30  is designed to be less than that of the upper portion  210  of first locking device  20 . Such that a gap G is generated between upper portion  210  of first locking device  20  and bottom of first sleeve member  30  when first locking device  20  is pulled to its fully extended position (FIGS. 7A,  7 B,  8 A, and  8 B). Thus second locking device  50  may be unlocked when first and second locking device  20  and  50  both in locked conditions (FIG.  8 ). Accordingly, the sliding block  57  moves up a small distance to cause lock pin  54  to dear lower hole  73  of support tube  70 . This is another aspect of the invention. 
     Note that actuation mechanism may not be exactly the one as described herein. The only requirement is that a connecting means (flexible steel cable)  22  is attached between push button  91  of handle grip  90  and master locking device  20  for causing a corresponding action when push button  91  is pressed. For example, first locking device  20  may be replaced by a conventional locking device without departing from the scope of the invention. But the space above the housing of first locking device  20  reserved for flexible stem member attached to second locking device  50  is necessary if the function of extending handle a small predetermined distance above the top of luggage is desirable. 
     FIG. 12 illustrates a third preferred embodiment of the invention wherein master locking device is a conventional one, while the second locking device  50  is the same as the first and second embodiments. Note that second locking device  50  may be located below one of second sliding tubes  40  (only one is shown) in an implementation of multi-segment handle. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.