Patent Publication Number: US-7712590-B1

Title: Luggage grip having simplified construction

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a grip and, more particularly, to a grip for a luggage to facilitate a user holding the grip to lift the luggage. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A conventional luggage grip is mounted on the top of a luggage and has a hollow inside to facilitate a user holding the luggage grip to lift the luggage. However, the luggage grip protrudes from the top of the luggage, so that the luggage has a larger volume, thereby causing inconvenience to the user in storage and transportation of the luggage. In addition, the luggage grip protrudes from the luggage, so that the luggage grip easily interferes with other luggage. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a luggage grip, comprising two fixing seats spaced from each other, and a flexible holding bar mounted between the two fixing seats and having two opposite end portions each movably mounted on the respective fixing seat. 
   The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a luggage grip that has a simplified construction to decrease the cost of fabrication. 
   Another objective of the present invention is to provide a luggage grip that is assembled easily and quickly. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a luggage grip that is mounted on the luggage easily and quickly to facilitate a user mounting the luggage grip. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to provide a luggage grip, wherein the holding bar is pulled upward to have a curved shape for use with the user and is retractable to have a flat shape when not in use, thereby facilitating the user operating and folding the holding bar. 
   Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a luggage grip in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the luggage grip as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a front cross-sectional view of the luggage grip as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic operational view of the luggage grip as shown in  FIG. 3  in use. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a luggage grip in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises two fixing seats  20  mounted on a luggage  50  and spaced from each other, and a flexible holding bar  10  mounted between the two fixing seats  20  and having two opposite end portions  12  each movably mounted on the respective fixing seat  20 . 
   Each of the two fixing seats  20  has an inside provided with a receiving chamber  21 , and each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is slidable in the receiving chamber  21  of the respective fixing seat  20 . Each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is provided with an elongate guide slot  13 . The holding bar  10  has a mediate portion provided with an enlarged holding portion  11  located between the two end portions  12 . 
   The luggage grip further comprises two fastening members  30  each mounted on the respective fixing seat  20  and each provided with a protruding limit rod  31  extending through the respective fixing seat  20  and the guide slot  13  of the respective end portion  12  of the holding bar  10  so that the guide slot  13  of each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is slidable on the limit rod  31  of the respective fastening member  30  when each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is slidable in the receiving chamber  21  of the respective fixing seat  20 . The limit rod  31  of each of the two fastening members  30  has an inside provided with a screw bore  311  and has a distal end provided with a mounting portion  312  protruding outwardly from the respective fixing seat  20 . The mounting portion  312  of each of the two fastening members  30  has a diameter smaller than that of the limit rod  31 . Each of the two fastening members  30  is further provided with a protruding stop rod  32  extending through the respective fixing seat  20  into the receiving chamber  21  of the respective fixing seat  20  and abutting an end face  14  of the respective end portion  12  of the holding bar  10  when each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is slidable in the receiving chamber  21  of the respective fixing seat  20 . The stop rod  32  of each of the two fastening members  30  has an inside provided with a screw hole  321  and has a distal end provided with a mounting section  322  protruding outwardly from the respective fixing seat  20 . The mounting section  322  of each of the two fastening members  30  has a diameter smaller than that of the stop rod  32 . 
   Each of the two fixing seats  20  has a first side provided with a through hole  22  connected to the receiving chamber  21  to allow passage of the limit rod  31  of the respective fastening member  30  and a through bore  23  connected to the receiving chamber  21  to allow passage of the stop rod  32  of the respective fastening member  30 . The first side of each of the two fixing seats  20  has a periphery provided with a receiving groove  24  to receive the respective fastening member  30 . The receiving groove  24  of each of the two fixing seats  20  has a shape and dimension corresponding that of the respective fastening member  30  so that the respective fastening member  30  is fully hidden in the receiving groove  24  of each of the two fixing seats  20 . 
   Each of the two fixing seats  20  has a second side provided with a retaining hole  25  connected to the receiving chamber  21  to allow passage of the mounting portion  312  of the respective fastening member  30  and a retaining bore  26  connected to the receiving chamber  21  to allow passage of the mounting section  322  of the respective fastening member  30 . The retaining hole  25  of each of the two fixing seats  20  has a diameter smaller than that of the limit rod  31  of the respective fastening member  30  to retain the limit rod  31  of the respective fastening member  30 . The retaining bore  26  of each of the two fixing seats  20  has a diameter smaller than that of the stop rod  32  of the respective fastening member  30  to retain the stop rod  32  of the respective fastening member  30 . 
   The luggage grip further comprises two locking screws  40  each screwed into the screw bore  311  of the respective fastening member  30  and abutting the mounting portion  312  of the respective fastening member  30 , and two retaining screws  42  each screwed into the screw hole  321  of the respective fastening member  30  and abutting the mounting section  322  of the respective fastening member  30 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is retractable into and fully hidden in the receiving chamber  21  of the respective fixing seat  20  when the holding bar  10  is disposed at a flat state. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the guide slot  13  of each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is slidable on the limit rod  31  of the respective fastening member  30  so that each of the two end portions  12  of the holding bar  10  is extendable outwardly from the receiving chamber  21  of the respective fixing seat  20  when the holding bar  10  is pulled upward and disposed at a curved state to facilitate a user holding the holding portion  11  of the holding bar  10 . 
   Accordingly, the luggage grip has a simplified construction to decrease the cost of fabrication. In addition, the luggage grip is mounted on the luggage  50  easily and quickly to facilitate a user mounting the luggage grip. Further, the holding bar  10  is pulled upward to have a curved shape for use with the user and is retractable to have a flat shape when not in use, thereby facilitating the user operating and folding the holding bar  10 . 
   Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.