Patent Abstract:
This invention relates to a portable luggage carrier, and, more particularly, to such a carrier having an exercise means associated therewith. The portable carrier comprises a support member or means for supporting the luggage. A fold out platform means connected to the support means for holding the luggage is provided and the carrier has a collapsible wheel means affixed to the support means in association with a handle means affixed to the support member.

Full Description:
[0001]    This applications claims priority from U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/214,685 filed Jun. 27, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a portable luggage carrier, and more particularly, to a carrier comprising an exercise means attached to and in cooperation with the carrier. The carrier comprises, in addition to the exercise means, a support member having pivotably attached thereto a fold out luggage supporting member having collapsible wheel means attached to the luggage supporting member by means of a telescoping handle means affixed to the support.  
           [0004]    2. Brief Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    This invention relates to a portable luggage carrier, such as for example a carrier for such loads as suitcases, golf bags, etc. Such carriers have been provided in the past but heretofore there has not been such a carrier which contains or is associated with an exercise means to provide a source of exercise when the carrier is not supporting luggage.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    This invention relates to a portable luggage carrier, and more particularly to such a carrier having an exercise means associated or incorporated therewith. The carrier comprises a support member for supporting the luggage, a fold out platform means connected to the support member for holding the luggage having a collapsible wheel means affixed to the support means in association with a handle means affixed to the support member, and an exercise means attached to the support means.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable luggage carrier of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]    Referring to FIG. 1 a luggage carrier  30  is shown according to the invention. As used herein the term “luggage” is not meant to be limited to a case for carrying clothes, but is meant to include all types of suitcases, boxes, golf bags, athletic bags and the like. The carrier  30  is utilized or destined for carrying luggage (not shown), e.g. a suitcase, a golf bag, boxes, etc.  
         [0009]    The collapsible carrier  30  has a support member or frame  41  having a first leg  42  and a second leg  43  and adjoining cross arm  44  affixed to legs  42  and  43 . Affixed to the cross arm  44  is a pair of triangular braces  46  and  47  for supporting the cross arm  44  and legs  42  and  43 .  
         [0010]    A fold out platform device  48  is pivotably attached to the support member  41  for holding the luggage (not shown) when not in use for exercising. The platform means  48  has support legs  49  and  51  conventionally attached thereto, e.g. welded, bolted, or integrally formed as part of platform means  48 , at each front corner thereof for supporting the carrier  30  when it is loaded with the luggage it is intended to carry. The support legs  49 ,  51  may be fabricated from the same material as the platform  48 , which may be plastic or a metal, or may differ from platform  48  and attached to platform  48  by any conventional means, e.g. by bolting, welding, etc.  
         [0011]    Platform means  48  is pivotably attached to the frame  41  by any conventional means. For illustrative purposes only, such pivotable attachment can be carried out as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,453, incorporated hereinto by reference in its entirety. In particular as illustrated in FIG. 1, the fold out platform device  48  is provided with a pair of hinge members  53  and  54  integrally formed therein, which are capable of being rotated about the cross arm  44  when it is desired that platform means  48  is to remain in an extended position perpendicular to the cross arm  44 . The arm  44  is internally threaded with a plurality of threaded openings  56  destined to receive a plurality of securing rods  57  destined to pass through mating holes  58  contained in the binges  53  and  54 . One end of the rod  57  is matingly threaded for screwing into openings  56  to secure the platform means  48  so that it does not rotate if desired. The type of rotational and attachment means is not critical and as indicated any such means known in the art can be employed.  
         [0012]    The platform means  48  has a plurality of tension springs which are interchangeable with one another. The tension springs are illustrated in FIG. 1 as spring  59 ,  61  and  62 . The springs  59 ,  61  and  62  are releasably attached to the bottom  63  of the platform means  48  along its horizontal axis by any conventional suitable means known in the art, e.g. bolting, threaded security pins, etc. Typically, the tension springs are attached by means of bolting.  
         [0013]    The tension springs  59 ,  61  and  62  are of different tensions and are interchangeable with one another, i.e. a higher tension spring  59  can be removed from the platform means  48  and interchanged with a removed lower tension spring  62  or a removed intermediate tension spring  61 , as desired, to change the tension for the lifting and rotation of platform means  48  during the destined exercise operation, utilizing reversible shock cords, illustrated in FIG. 1 as having numeral  64 .  
         [0014]    The shock cords  64  are intended to provide various pulling exercises using the platform means  48  at a selected tension, e.g. high, medium, low, by adjusting the springs  59 ,  61 ,  62 . In this regard, in operation, the spring closest to the rear end  66  of the platform means  48 , when provided with the highest tension spring, illustrated as spring  59 , will provide the highest level of exercise. The shock cords  64  have a loop  67  which is releasably connected to the front end  69  of the platform  48 , utilizing any conventional means, e.g. a loop/link releasable attachment mechanism as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,716, which is incorporated by reference hereinto in its entirety.  
         [0015]    Provided in the front end  69  of the platform means  48  is a crunch bar  71 . The crunch bar  71  is destined to provide support for the exerciser&#39;s legs (not shown) when the carrier is used horizontally in an exercise mode. In this regard, also provided on the supporting frame  41  of the carrier  30  is a lockable rowing-type seat  72  of conventional design fabricated from metal, plastic, etc. The seat  72  is supported on the legs  42  and  43  and extends perpendicularly thereto and is slideable therealong when the carrier is  30  in a horizontal exercise mode. The seat  72  is slideable along legs  42  and  43  in any conventional manner. Typically a channel (not shown) is fabricated in each leg  42 ,  43  and an appendage, e.g. a rod, etc. (not shown) extends from, the sides  73  of the seat  72  into each channel (not shown) and traverses the length of each such channel a calculated, predetermined distance.  
         [0016]    The seat  72  is affixed to each leg  42 ,  43  whereby it lies flat when the carrier  30  is in its carrying or supporting mode or when the carrier is in a vertical exercise mode. The seat  72 , as previously indicated, can be rotated whereby it extends away from the legs  42 ,  43 , typically at a right angle from legs  42  and  43  and is locked, by an conventional means, e.g. threaded rods, etc., in such a position thereby enabling a person who is exercising to sit on the seat  72  on the support  41 , when it is in a vertical position. The rotation of the seat  72  can be accomplished by any conventional means, e.g. a hinge mechanism with locking bolts, etc.  
         [0017]    Affixed to and connecting legs  42  and  43  is an axle (not shown) which rotatably supports a pair of wheels  74  and  76  for both rolling the carrier  30  when carrying a load (not shown) and increasing the stability of the carrier  30 . The wheels  74 ,  76  are preferably made of plastic, however, any suitable material can be used, such as for example a metal, wood, rubber, etc. Once the wheels  74 ,  76  are put on the axle (not shown) end caps  77  and  78  are force fitted onto the axle (not shown) to keep the wheels  74 ,  76  thereon. Alternatively, any conventional retaining means can be employed.  
         [0018]    A telescoping handle means  79  is affixed to the support or frame  41 . The handle means  79  has telescoping sections  81  and  82  which pass into legs  42  and  43  and are releasably locked therein. The handle means  79  is not critical and can be of any conventional type. In this regard reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,998,476 and 4,248,453, which describe such typical handle means which have telescoping tube assemblies which are moveable between extended and retracted positions. The disclosures of these two patents are incorporated by reference hereinto in their entirety.  
         [0019]    As illustrated in FIG. 1, the shock cords  64  are attached to two loops  83  and  84 , e.g. by means of hooks, which are removably attached to the top bar  86  of the handle means  79 . The top bar  86  is removably affixed to the handle means  79  and when so removed, in the exercise mode, of the carrier  30 , with cords  64  attached thereto are used to pull up and down the tensioned platform means  48 , in a similar exercise fashion illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,716, incorporated by reference hereinto in its entirety. Additionally, it is to be noted that the cords  64 , can be extended over the bar  86  to the opposite side of the carrier  30  when the carrier  30  is used in an exercise mode.  
         [0020]    It is again to be noted that the carrier  30  can be used in a horizontal plane i.e. lying down, and in a vertical plane, i.e. erect, as when carrying a load when not in the exercise mode.  
         [0021]    In an alternative embodiment, a carry-on luggage bag suitable for storage in the overhead compartment of an airplane can be employed. Typically, these luggage bags have a wheel means and a telescoping handle means similar to that as previously described in FIG. 1 for carrier  30 . Additionally the platform means  48 , shock cords  64  and their attachment can be configured and fixed in the bottom of such luggage bag covered over by a masking film or base upon which the traveler&#39;s clothes, toiletries, etc. are placed when travelling. In an exercise mode the carry-on luggage with its counterpart platform means  48  and shock cords  64  can be employed as previously described.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0