Patent Publication Number: US-6711784-B2

Title: Handle conversion device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to handles for wheeled objects, such as luggage or suitcases, and, in particular, to a handle conversion device for reorienting the position of a handle used to direct a wheeled object for forward and rearward movement, to minimize arm, wrist and/or shoulder strain of a user prompting the wheeled object. 
     2. Background Art 
     Many of the commercially available wheeled luggage and hand carts have an integral, rigid or retractable, structured handle which provides the user a gripping surface in a position typically perpendicular to the direction the user is pulling the luggage or cart. For instance, Shyr et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,162; PCT Application No. WO93/18684; Browning, U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,120; Cowan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,705; Carpenter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,649 and Liang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,934 each disclose this type of wheeled object. Another type of commercially available wheeled luggage is shown in Gibbs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,793, which utilizes an unstructured, often flexible strap to pull the wheeled object. 
     The guiding of wheeled luggage having such integral, rigid or retractable, structured handles often causes undesirable discomfort in the arm, wrist or shoulder of frequent users of such products, such as airline employees, sales people, court reporters and the like, as a result of the unnatural positioning of the arm and wrist necessitated by the orientation of the preexisting handle of the wheeled object. In particular, the gripping portion of the preexisting handle is typically positioned for use in an orientation substantially perpendicular to the desired direction of forward and rearward motion of the wheeled object. This positioning causes an awkward under or over grip of the gripping portion, in turn, forcing the user&#39;s elbow, arm and/or wrist to be uncomfortably extended or twisted under force for extended periods of time. 
     There are a number of references that disclose wheeled suitcases with direction-parallel handles, including Wood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,613; Gregg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,709; Wickman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,670; and Rhaney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,438. In each of these disclosures, however, these handles are integral to their respective wheeled cases. 
     Another reference, namely Hansen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,118 specifically addresses the problem of reorienting the grip on a preexisting handle of a wheeled or other slidable object. In particular, Hansen et al. is directed to a handle conversion apparatus for attachment to a preexisting handle of a wheeled object. The handle conversion apparatus comprises a hand grip having a longitudinal axis which is substantially perpendicular to the gripping portion of the preexisting handle, to convert the gripping orientation of the handle by 90°, to an orientation substantially parallel to the direction of forward and rearward motion of the wheeled object. 
     The invention of Hansen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,188 has worked well with wheeled objects having preexisting handles. However, it is desired to provide a handle conversion device which enhances the ability of a user to securably retain the preexisting handle of a wheeled object, while allowing for relatively quick attachment to and release of the handle conversion device from the wheeled object. It is desired to provide these enhanced features while still providing a handle conversion device capable of reorienting the handle grip of a variety of wheeled objects to provide comfort to the user—while allowing for easy transportation of the device in a small bag or purse. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims and drawings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a handle conversion device for facilitating movement of a wheeled object which includes a preexisting handle with a grip member having a longitudinal axis positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by a desired direction of forward and rearward movement. The handle conversion device includes a hand grip, a neck and an attachment portion. 
     The hand grip includes a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis positioned between the first and second ends. The longitudinal axis of the hand grip is orientated substantially perpendicular to the plane occupied by the grip member of the preexisting handle, and substantially within the plane defined by the forward and rearward movement of the wheeled object. The hand grip is preferably contoured and coated with a rubber-type material to enhance the grip. 
     The attachment portion includes a hook member and a retention member which act in combination to releasably yet restrainably retain the grip member of the preexisting handle, and to maintain the substantially perpendicular relationship of the hand grip for the handle conversion device to the preexisting handle. The hook member and retention member preferably create a retention zone capable of expanding to accommodate preexisting handles of varying size and dimensions. 
     The hook member preferably includes an attached end emanating from the neck and a free end. In a preferred embodiment, the free end of the hook member includes a curved lip portion which creates a tapered region between the free end of the hook member and the retention member to facilitate insertion of the handle grip member into the retention zone. Moreover, the hook member preferably has a substantially J-shape with an open end and a closed end, although other configurations are likewise contemplated. 
     The retention member preferably also includes an attached end emanating from the neck and a free end. In a preferred embodiment, the free end of the retention member includes a curved lip portion having a concave section. The concave section allows rotation of the handle grip member when positioned in the retention zone between the hook member and the retention member. 
     In one preferred embodiment, the retention member is preferably positioned in the open end of the hook member. Additionally, the hook member is preferably has a thickness greater than the thickness of the retention member, to prompt substantial deformation of the retention member before substantial deformation of the hook member. To this end, the retention member preferably is made from a resiliently deformable material having a memory or spring back characteristic which allows the retention member to be positioned between a deformed, retaining orientation and a resting orientation. Likewise, the hook member is preferably resiliently deformable as well. 
     In another preferred embodiment, the retention member is positioned outside of the open end of hook member. In this embodiment, the retention member preferably has a thickness greater than the thickness of the hook member to prompt substantial deformation of the hook member before substantial deformation of the retention member. 
     The handle conversion device is preferably attachable to the preexisting handle in at least two different orientations to provide a user with flexibility in finding an attachment orientation which fits his or her wheeled object carrying style. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of the handle conversion device according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 of the drawings is another perspective view of the handle conversion device shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 of the drawings is a side elevational view of the handle conversion device shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 of the drawings is a front elevational view of the handle conversion device shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 of the drawings is a perspective view of the handle conversion device shown in FIG. 1, attached to a preexisting handle of a wheeled object in one orientation; 
     FIG. 6 of the drawings is a perspective view of the handle conversion device shown in FIG. 1, attached to a preexisting handle of a wheeled object in a second orientation; 
     FIG. 7 of the drawings is a side elevational view of the handle conversion device shown in FIG. 1, attached to a preexisting handle; and 
     FIG. 8 of the drawings is a side elevational view of a handle conversion device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail several specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principals of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
     Handle conversion device  20  is shown in FIGS. 1-7 as comprising hand grip  22 , neck  24  and attachment portion  26 . At the outset, handle conversion device  20  is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 as used in combination with wheeled object  12 . Wheeled object  12  is shown taking the form of a suitcase having a preexisting handle  13  with a grip member  14  defining longitudinal axis  15  lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of forward  16  and rearward  17  movement of wheeled object  12 . However, it is certainly contemplated that handle conversion device  20  can be used in combination with any wheeled object having a preexisting handle with a grip member oriented perpendicular to a desired direction of movement. Further, the present invention is not limited to use with only wheeled luggage articles, as it may be used in combination with any object having a preexisting structurally rigid handle and requiring forward and rearward movement, whether that movement is accomplished on wheels, rollers, skis or even by dragging the object itself. Throughout this detailed description, like reference numerals will be used to designate like parts. 
     Hand grip  22  is shown in FIGS. 1-3 and  7  as including first end  30 , second end  32  and longitudinal axis  34  extending between first end  30  and second end  32 . Longitudinal axis  34  lies in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane occupied by longitudinal axis  15  of grip member  14  in preexisting handle  13  of wheeled object  12 . Further, as can be seen from FIGS. 1-7, the plane occupied by longitudinal axis  34  preferably runs through neck  24  and attachment portion  26  and is parallel to and/or coextensive with the plane defined by forward  16  and rearward  17  movement of handle conversion device  20 —to facilitate reorientation of the gripping portion of wheeled object  12 . 
     As is shown in FIGS. 1-7, hand grip  22  is preferably contoured to enhance a user&#39;s grip. While the specific contour shown in the drawings is designed to foster an ergonomically efficient grip by a user, other contours which assist a user in grasping handle conversion device  20  and facilitate movement of wheeled object  12  are likewise contemplated, as would be known by those in the art with the present disclosure before them. Likewise, it is further contemplated that hand grip  22  may comprise a purely symmetric and/or cylindrical grip, without a specific contour. Hand grip  22  also is shown in the drawings as preferably coated with rubber or a rubber-type material to further enhance a user&#39;s grip. However, hand grip  22  need not be coated, and may be formed entirely from the material comprising the rest of handle conversion device  20 . It must also be noted that while hand grip  22  is shown as a solid structure, it is likewise contemplated that hand grip may contain a hole or aperture to facilitate grasping in different orientations. 
     Neck  24  is shown in FIGS. 1-7 as connecting hand grip  22  and attachment portion  26 . Neck  24 , like attachment portion  26 , is preferably formed from a plastic material to render handle conversion device  20  lightweight for ease in carrying and storage, yet durable for long-lasting use. Further, while neck  24  is shown as including a raised flange portion, a product of a beneficial manufacturing process, it is likewise contemplated that neck  24  may be a smooth, uniform, continuous piece connecting hand grip  22  and attachment portion  26 . Indeed, neck  24  may comprise virtually any configuration which connects hand grip  22  and attachment portion  26 . Of course, it is likewise contemplated that attachment portion  26  may directly emanate from hand grip  22 , thus obviating the need for a separate neck. 
     Attachment portion  26  is shown in FIGS. 1-7 as including hook member  36 , retention member  38  and retention zone  40 . As can be seen from the drawings, attachment portion  26  preferably lies in the same plane as longitudinal axis  34  of hand grip  22 , a plane which is perpendicular to that occupied by grip member  14  on preexisting handle  13  of wheeled object  12 , and a plane which is parallel to or overlapping with the plane defined by forward movement  16  and rearward movement  17  of wheeled object  12 . Hook member  36  and retention member  38  preferably emanate, at respective attached ends  42  and  48 , from neck  24 . Alternatively, hook member  36  and retention member  38  may have different origination points rooted in either neck  24  or hand grip  22 . 
     Hook member  36  preferably includes attached end  42 , free end  44 , closed portion  45  and open portion  47 . While hook member  36  is shown in the drawings as comprising a substantially J-shaped member, it is likewise contemplated that hook member  36  need not be J-shaped, or even a hook configuration. Indeed, hook member  36  may comprise a substantially straight retaining piece, similar to retention member  38 , or have other alternative configurations as would be known to those with ordinary skill in the art with the present disclosure before them. However, for purposes of this description, hook member  36  will be described as having a substantially J-shape. 
     As is shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, free end  44  of hook member  36  preferably includes a curved lip portion  46 . Curved lip portion  46  preferably flares outwardly to create a tapered region between free end  44  of hook member  36  and retention member  38 , to facilitate insertion of grip member  14  of preexisting handle  13  into retention zone  40 . In particular, the tapered region formed between curved lip portion  46  and retention member  38  prompts deformation of retention member  38  upwards, and allows for deformation of the hook member  36  downward, upon insertion of grip member  14  into retention zone  40 . Further, curved lip portion  46  creates a nesting zone  47  on the inside surface of hook member  36 , which assists in releasably securing grip member  14  in retention zone  40  and minimizing the ability of grip member  14  to inadvertently release therefrom. 
     As is shown in FIG. 3, retention member  38  comprises attached end  48  and free end  50 . Retention member  38  is resiliently deformable, and preferably positioned in open portion  47  of hook member  36 . Thus, upon prompting, retention member  38  can be moved or deformed to any number of positions inside hook member  36 , such as that shown in FIG. 7, to accommodate preexisting handles of varying sizes and shapes, while still substantially returning to its original position shown in FIG.  3 . This “memory” or “spring-back” characteristic likewise causes retention member  38  to exert a biased, downward force on hand grip  14  (shown in FIG.  7 ), or on any other preexisting handle, to releasably retain the preexisting handle in retention zone  40  of attachment portion  26 . 
     Free end  50  of retention member  38  also includes a curved lip portion  52 , which is preferably concave. Curved lip portion  52  acts in combination with free end  44  of hook member  36  to create retention zone  40 , which is preferably tailored to releasably retain preexisting handles having at least a portion which is curved or rounded. To this end, the curved portion of free end  50  of retention member  38  acts in combination with the curved portion of hook member  36  to allow rotation of handle conversion device  20  about grip member  14  of preexisting handle  13 . This rotation, in turn, allows transition of wheeled object  12  from a resting position to a transporting or wheeling position, shown in FIGS.  5  and  6 —while maintaining preexisting handle  13  in a releasably retained orientation inside attachment portion  26 . Rotation of handle conversion device  20  further permits adjustments in the orientation of and relationship between handle conversion device  20  and preexisting handle  13  as a user transports wheeled object  12  during use. For instance, a user&#39;s hand and/or arm typically moves at least slightly up and down when a user is walking and/or running through an airport, down the street, in a hotel, or moving between locations. 
     Moreover, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, retention member  38  preferably has a thickness which is less than the thickness of hook member  36 . This differences in thickness preferably prompts deformation of retention member  38  before substantial deformation of hook member  36  upon insertion of grip member  14  of preexisting handle  13  into retention zone  40  of attachment portion  26 . As can be seen by comparing the orientation of retention member  38  in its resting position in FIG. 3, with one of its retaining positions shown in FIG. 7, retention member  38  preferably undergoes more deformation and movement than hook member  36 . Indeed, inasmuch as retention member  38  is preferably made from a resiliently deformable material which has a memory enabling deformation and return to its original orientation, handle conversion device  20  may be used repeatedly over time, and in combination with any preexisting handles having any number of sizes and/or configurations. Hook member  36  is also preferably made of the same resiliently deformable material as retention member  38 , and thus will likewise have some memory allowing for prompted movement upon insertion of grip member  14  into retention zone  40 . 
     It must also be noted that retention member  38  is preferably of a thickness which securely holds grip member  14  in retention zone  40  during use and transportation of wheeled object  12 , but which also allows simple and relatively effortless release of grip member  14  from attachment portion  26 . This construction enables quick and easy attachment and detachment of handle conversion device  20  from wheeled object  12  between times when the wheeled object is moved by a user, and times when the wheeled object is placed in a resting location, such as a vehicle, an airplane, a hotel room, an office, a closet, etc. 
     Of course, it is likewise contemplated that retention member  38  may have a thickness substantially equivalent to the thickness of hook member  36 , in which case both hook member  36  and retention member  38  tend to deform more equally upon insertion of grip member  14  into retention zone  40 . Likewise, it is also contemplated that retention member has a greater thickness than hook member  36 , such as that shown in FIG. 8, to prompt equal or more substantial deformation of hook member during insertion of grip member  14  into retention zone  40  of attachment portion  26 . Moreover, while free ends  44  and  50  of hook member  36  and retention member  38 , respectively, are shown as constructed to accommodate a circular or round grip member, the shape and contour of the free ends may be altered to enhance use with a preexisting handle having other shapes. 
     In operation, and is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, grip member  14  of preexisting handle  13  is positioned between hook member  36  and retention member  38  into retention zone  40  of attachment portion  26 . This places longitudinal axis  34  of hand grip  22  and handle conversion device  20  as a whole in a plane substantially perpendicular to that occupied by longitudinal axis  15  of grip member  14 , and in a plane substantially parallel or coextensive with the plane defined by forward movement  16  and rearward movement  17  of wheeled object  12 . This reorientation of the gripping portion of wheeled object  12  minimizes contortion of a user&#39;s arm, particularly a user&#39;s elbows and wrists, which results from holding grip member  14  while propelling wheeled object  12  in forward and rearward directions  16  and  17 . Handle conversion device  20  removes and/or minimizes contortion strain, which can lead to various shoulder, wrist and/or elbow problems, particularly in frequent travelers, such as flight crews, sales people and others who often use various types of wheeled objects such as luggage cases, hand carts and the like. 
     Further, as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, handle conversion device  20  may be attached to preexisting handle  13  of wheeled object  12  in at least two different orientations to provide a user with flexibility in how he or she prefers to push or pull his or her wheeled objects. Notably, both orientations achieve the ultimate goal of reorienting the grip to a more user-friendly, strain-minimizing orientation in the plane of forward and rearward movement of the wheeled object. 
     In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 8, handle conversion device  60  includes hand grip  62 , neck  64  and attachment portion  66 . Like attachment portion  26  of handle conversion device  20 , attachment portion  66  of handle conversion device  60  also includes hook member  68 , retention member  70  and retention zone  72 . However, instead of positioning the retention member inside of the hook member, hook member  68  is positioned inside the opening created by retention member  70 . Free end  74  of hook member  68  and free end  76  of retention member  70  are still preferably curved to facilitate insertion of a grip member into retention zone  72 , to enhance retention of the grip member inside the retention zone and to permit rotation of handle conversion device  60  about a preexisting handle. 
     Moreover, as can be seen from FIG. 8, retention member  70  preferably has a thickness which is greater than that of hook member  68 , prompting greater deformation of free end  74  of hook member  68  than free end  76  of retention member  70  upon insertion of a preexisting handle into retention zone  72 . Further, as was described with respect to the configuration of hook member  36  on handle conversion device  20 , hook member  68  of handle conversion device  60  need not have the “J” configuration as shown, nor be a hook at all. Indeed, hook member  68  may comprise a substantially “L” shaped member, such as retention member  70 , for releasably retaining a preexisting handle between hook member  68  and retention member  70 , or take other configurations even flatter than an L-shaped element, as would be known by those with ordinary skill in the art with the present disclosure before them. Finally, like attachment portion  26 , hook member  68  and retention member  70  of attachment portion  66  may have similar thicknesses, or differing reversed thicknesses from that shown in FIG.  8 . 
     The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited as those skilled in the art with present disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and/or variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.