Abstract:
A selectively rotatable handle for luggage includes a grip and a base. The grip has a grip having a handle end and an opposite base end. The base is mountable to a piece of luggage. The base end is rotatably mounted to the base. Teeth on the base releasably engage opposed facing teeth on the base end. The opposed facing teeth are urged into interlocking engagement by a spring.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional patent application No. 60/105,973 filed Oct. 28, 1998 titled Selectively Rotatable Handle For Wheeled Luggage. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of ergonometrically designed detachable handles for wheeled containers, luggage and the like, where such handles are selectively rotatable by the user to a preferred comfort position which places minimal tension and rotative stress on the joints of the wrist, elbow and shoulder. The handle is designed to also provide an auxiliary lifting means for luggage. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Luggage of the type which is designed primarily to be rolled either beside or behind the traveller presently has several inherent faults. Large luggage pieces must be rolled either by griping a flexible strap and pulling the pieces along behind or by gripping the conventional lifting handle and pushing the suitcase along at ones&#39; side. More compact luggage pieces require the user to grip a rigid extendible handle attached to the suitcase and either pull or push the luggage. In the foregoing examples the traveller has no means of repositioning the gripping arm to realign the wrist, elbow and shoulder and to thereby relieve muscular or joint discomfort. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary handle which can be readily attached to a handle on rolling type transportable containers such as wheeled golf bag carriers or suitcases or the like which will permit ready selective rotation of the handle so as to reposition an arm of a user relative to the fixed handle of the container to achieve the most advantageous and comfortable position for transport of the container and thereby avoid the pain associated with joint and muscular stress. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a handle which once selectively positioned as desired by the user, will retain the position until selectively repositioned by the user. 
     In the prior art, applicant is specifically aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,118 which issued Mar. 3, 1998 to Hansen et al for a Handle Conversion Apparatus. Hansen teaches converting the pre-existing handle of a wheeled object such as a suitcase by attaching to the handle of the suitcase a hand grip. The hand grip is rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a grip member of the suitcase handle. What is neither taught nor suggested, and which it is an object of the present invention to provide, is a means for releasably locking such a grip into a rotational position about that axis which is comfortable and ergonomically beneficial to a user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The selectively rotatable handle of the present invention for wheeled luggage and the like includes a grip for gripping by a user. The grip comprises a shank of circular or elliptical cross section having at a first end thereof a cantilevered handle and at a second end thereof a butt. The butt generally extends at right angles to the handle and is spaced therefrom by an integrally formed intermediate curved portion of the shank. A longitudinal axis extending through the butt generally bisects the handle at a right angle. 
     The grip further includes a base for attaching the grip to luggage. In one embodiment the base is rigidly mounted to the luggage. In a further embodiment the base is releasably mountable onto the luggage, for example, to the luggage handle. The base may comprise an elongated grapple which may be releasably positioned over the luggage handle. 
     The base may have formed thereon an upper housing. The upper housing may have an annular collar defining a first cylindrical passage aligned with the longitudinal axis of the butt when the butt is mounted in the housing. Elongated shoulders of the base extend at right angles to the butt. A correspondingly elongated grapple arm depends therefrom along the full length of the shoulders and upper housing. In one preferred embodiment, the grapple arm and shoulders form, in cross section, a “C”-shape, the lower portion of the arm forming an upturned hook. A handle of a suitcase or the like may be releasably snugly mated within the “C”-shaped elongated grapple. 
     The first cylindrical passage is sized to accept the end of the butt journalled therein. A lower second cylindrical passage of larger diameter than the first cylindrical passage is formed adjacent and coaxial with the first cylindrical passage. A flared or enlarged end of the butt, or a swivel piece mounted to the butt, is journalled in the second cylindrical passage. The end of the butt or swivel has a first radial array of corrugations or teeth formed thereon. The corrugations or teeth extend radially outwardly from, in radially spaced array around, the longitudinal axis of the first and second cylindrical passages. 
     The first radial array of corrugations or teeth are in opposed facing mating relation to a second radial array of corrugations or teeth on an annular inner face on the shoulder between the first and second cylindrical passages. 
     An annular groove is formed in the wall around the second cylindrical passage and is spaced from the second radial array of corrugations or teeth. The groove is sized to accept a rigid planar end disk in mating engagement therein so as to form a rigid wall across the end of the second cylindrical passage. Resilient biasing means, for example, in the form of a resilient clover-leaf spring, coil spring or the like, is sandwiched between the end of the butt or swivel journalled in the second cylindrical passage and the end disk. The resilient biasing means urges the first and second arrays of corrugations or teeth against one another. 
     When the handle is tensioned, as by pulling of the luggage, the teeth or corrugations are interlockingly mated so as to resist rotation of the grip about the longitudinal axis of the first and second cylindrical passages. Pushing the grip against the return biasing force of the biasing means disengages the mating of the first and second radial arrays of corrugations or teeth allowing rotation of the grip. 
     Since the grip portion is bisected by the longitudinal axis of the butt, which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the first and second cylindrical passages, the selectively rotatable handle may, firstly, be depressed against the biasing means to disengage the meshing corrugations or teeth with only minimal force and then, secondly, be selectively repositioned by rotation to a more ergonomically advantageous position relative to the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints of the user during use of the grip. 
     In summary, the selectively rotatable handle of the present invention comprises a grip and a base. The grip has a handle end and an opposite base end. The base is mountable to a piece of luggage. The base end is rotatably mounted to the base. By reference to “mountable”, it is intended this include that the base may be incorporated as part of the piece of luggage, e.g. suitcase or any other container, or may be detachable from the piece of luggage. 
     A first interlocking means on the base releasably engages a second interlocking means on the base end. The first and second interlocking means are in opposed facing relation. The first and second interlocking means are urged into interlocking engagement by a resilient biasing means. 
     Advantageously, the first and second interlocking means are opposed facing radially spaced first and second arrays of teeth radially spaced around a first axis generally perpendicular to the handle end. Further, the base may comprise a hollow housing, the base end swivel-mounted in the hollow housing so as to be rotatable about, and translatable along, the first axis. In this embodiment the first array of teeth are mounted to an inner surface of the housing and the second array of teeth are mounted to the base end. 
     The resilient biasing means, which may be a spring, is mounted within the housing so as to resiliently urge the base end along the first axis in a first direction so as to mesh the first and second arrays of teeth together. In one embodiment, the resilient biasing means may be mounted sandwiched in between the base end and an interior floor surface of the hollow housing. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, the base end comprises a shaft swivelmounted to the housing through an aperture in the housing. The shaft and the aperture are coaxial with the first axis. The inner surface of the housing is an annular shoulder, interior to the housing, around the aperture. The base end further comprises, at a distal end thereof, a radially enlarged annular platform such as a rigid disk. The second array of teeth are mounted around the annular platform or disk. 
     In a further embodiment, the base comprises a grapple releasably mountable to the piece of luggage, for example to the luggage handle. In this embodiment, the grapple may be a C-shaped channel releasably mountable onto the luggage handle. The C-shaped channel may be elongate so as to extend from either side of the housing. 
     In a further aspect of the present invention, the handle end is elongate and mounted to the base end by a shank. The base end may be releasably mounted by a releasable coupler to the shank. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating the handle of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view illustrating the handle of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away sectional view along line  3 — 3  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away sectional view of an alternative embodiment along line  3 — 3  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a securing pin of the embodiment of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a selectively rotatable handle  10 , comprises a grip  12  and a base. Grip  12  has a cantilevered handle  16 , of circular or elliptical cross section at a first end and a butt  18 , at an opposite second end. A longitudinal axis  20 , extends through the butt  18  and generally bisects handle  16 , at a right angle. Handle  16  and butt  18  are held rigidly spaced apart intersecting along the longitudinal axis  20  by an integrally formed intermediate curved shank  22 . The lowermost end of butt  18  is advantageously of reduced diameter so as to form shaft  24 . 
     The base provides a means for attaching the grip to a luggage handle, and may take the form of elongated grapple  30 . Grapple  30  has elongated upper shoulders  32  encircling, and formed integrally therewith, an upper housing  34 . Longitudinal axis  38  of grapple  30 , is generally at right angles to axis  20 . 
     Depending downwardly from a first side of shoulders  32  is an arm  40 . Arm  40  is generally planar and extends the full length of shoulders  32 . Arm  40  terminates in an upturned hook or shelf  42  in oppositely disposed relation to shoulders  32 . Upturned shelf  42  extends the width of, and length of, shoulders  32  and upper housing  34 . The free edge  42   a  of shelf  42  is in substantially vertical alignment with, but spaced from, a second side of shoulders  32  opposite the first side, so as to form in cross-section a “C”-shaped channel  44 . The “C”-shaped channel is sized to snugly receive therein a handle  46  of a suitcase or the like. 
     The upper housing  34 , has a cylindrical first passage  46 , formed coaxially with axis  20 . First passage  46  is sized to accept the lowermost end of butt  18 , i.e., shaft  24 , when journalled therein. A cylindrical second passage  50 , of larger diameter than first passage  46  is formed within upper housing  34 . Second passage  50  is formed coaxial to first passage  46 . The annular shoulder between the first and second passages is formed as an annular inner face  52 . Inner face  52  has corrugations or teeth  54  which extend symmetrically in a radially spaced array outwardly of axis  20 . 
     Swivel  58  provides a selectively rotatable joint between grip  12  and grapple  30 . Swivel  58  terminates at its lowermost end with a disk  60 . An integrally formed vertically extending cylindrically stem  62  is mounted to disk  60  at right angles to the disk so as to be coaxial with axis  20 . Stem  62  has a cylindrical cavity  66  formed within the end of the stem remote from disk  60 , into which the shaft  24  may be rigidly or releasably mounted into cavity  66 . 
     Disk  60  has on its exposed annular upper face a radially extending spaced array of corrugations or teeth  64 , radially spaced about stem  62 . Corrugations or teeth  64  are in opposed facing relation with, so as to mate with, when pressed against, corrugations or teeth  54 . 
     Grip  12  may be retained in a preselected position by the resilient urging of clover-leaf spring  68  or the like. Leaf spring  68  may be a resilient plastic hemisphere, the perimeter of which has a plurality of radially spaced cuts or denticulations to permit compression of the spring. The spring is supported within passage  50  by a retainer disk  72  mounted in an annular recess or groove  70  formed in the passage wall. Recess  70  lies in a plane at right angles to axis  20 . Disk  72  closes passage  50  and retains spring  68  pressed against the underside of disk  60 . This maintains opposed facing contact between corrugations  54  and  64 . 
     Selective rotation of handle  16 , to thereby position the handle to its most ergonomically advantageous alignment about axis  20  such as illustrated in FIG. 1 is accomplished by applying downwards pressure on the handle sufficient to compress spring  68  and to disengage mating of corrugations  54  and  64 . Handle  16  may then be rotated so as to be repositioned. The downwards pressure is then released to permit the spring to re-engage corrugations  54  and  64  at the newly selected position. 
     When the handle is tensioned, as by pulling of the luggage in its direction of translation A, the teeth or corrugations are interlockingly mated so as to resist rotation of the grip about the longitudinal axis of the first and second cylindrical passages. Pushing the grip against the return biasing force of the biasing means disengages the mating of the first and second radial arrays of corrugations or teeth allowing rotation of the grip. 
     In the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, leaf spring  68  is replaced with helical coil spring  68  ′. Shaft  24  is releasable secured within cavity  66  by means of pin  74  journalled through corresponding apertures in shaft  24  and the upper end of stem  62 . The pin may be retained in the apertures by use of resilient clip  76  engaging annular groove  78 . The form of the spring and pin are not intended to be limiting as other resilient urging means and releasable mounting means, respectively, would also work. 
     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.