Abstract:
A handle assembly of luggage comprises a handle grip with a push button, two first sliding tubes, at least one pair of second sliding tubes, two supporting tubes, two first locking devices, each provided below each first sliding tube, at least one pair of jumping means, at least one pair of second locking devices, each having a spring receptacle provided below each second sliding tube, a pair of first connecting means attached between the handle grip and the first locking devices, and at least one pair of second connecting means for controlling the second locking devices. The first sliding tubes, the second sliding tubes, and the supporting tubes are activated at positions irrelevant to their respective lengths due to the provision of the second locking device at the bottom of the second sliding tube. As a result, with any combination of lengths of the luggage handle&#39;s supporting barrels, the retracted first sliding tube may abruptly but smoothly jump out of the second sliding tube whenever the jumping means is activated. This enables a quick assembly of the luggage handle system, which in turn accommodates the manufacturing of quality luggage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
         [0001]    Reference is made to pending application (Attorney Docket No. 890-003.016), entitled LOCKING DEVICE FOR RETRACTABLE HANDLE OF LUGGAGE, assigned to the assignee of this application and filed on even date herewith.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a retractable handle of luggage and more particularly to a locking device with improved jumping means for a multi-stage retractable handle of a luggage.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    Conventionally, the handle grip of a retractable handle assembly is usually withdrawn into a bezel located on top of the luggage. For such a design, the provision of the bezel generally prevents the luggage handle from being hit and damaged by outside objects, which may eventually cause damage to the luggage handle when it is not in use. When the handle grip is in use, however, the user simply presses the push button on the luggage handle and unlocks the locking device to raise the handle grip. However, the recessed position of the handle grip often tends to be too close to the bezel to help the user get hold of the luggage handle. For this reason, a jumping means is always provided in the bottom of the handle system to accommodate the handle&#39;s easy lifting and also enables it to jump up a small distance whenever the push button is pressed. With this jumping means of the two-stage luggage handle system, the user can very easily grasp the luggage handle and stretch the handle grip to any desired length. Nevertheless, for the multi-stage luggage handle system, if the jumping means is also provided in the bottom of the supporting tube, since there is a length difference between the first sliding tube and the second sliding tube or a length difference between the second sliding tube and the supporting tube, it is difficult to adjust the anchoring position of the spring receptacle so that the first sliding tube cannot be easily attained at a desirable position relative to the spring receptacle in order to obtain an optimum jumping effect.  
           [0006]    Moreover, the above mentioned indispensable consideration for the process of adjusting the spring receptacle&#39;s anchoring position complicates the assembling process in manufacturing, which in turn devaluates the quality of the luggage.  
           [0007]    In view of this, the opinion that the previous design will inexorably produce a complexity to the manufacturing of luggage itself is something that is beyond dispute.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a locking device with improved jumping means for a multi-stage retractable handle of luggage. With the provision of the jumping means located at the bottom of the first locking devices and the spring receptacles located in the second locking devices, a desirable position of the jumping means relative to the spring receptacles is obtained. Such a design assures better jumping, smooth retraction, and a quick extension of the locking device for the multistage retractable luggage handle.  
           [0009]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a locking device with an improved jumping means for the multi-stage retractable handle of luggage, wherein each of the first sliding tubes, the second sliding tubes, and the supporting tubes are activated in a position which is irrelevant to the respective length of the first sliding tubes, the second sliding tubes, and the supporting tubes. Due to the provision of the second locking device at the bottom of the second sliding tube, the retracted first sliding tube may jump out of the second sliding tube whenever the jumping means is activated. Such a deployment can enable the manufacturer to manufacture a first sliding tube and a second sliding tube with suitable respective lengths based entirely on the customers&#39; preferences derived from their personal ideas about comfort and convenience. As a result, it is possible to produce a great variety of luggage handles with different retraction lengths.  
           [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a locking device with improved jumping means for a multi-stage retractable handle of luggage, wherein the length of fully extended handle is longer than the height of the luggage for providing a handle with extended sufficient length to the user when towing a small luggage piece along the ground.  
           [0011]    It is still further object of the present invention to provide a locking device with improved jumping means for a multi-stage retractable handle of luggage, wherein the handle grip can be pulled a sufficient distance above the recess on top of luggage and locked therein so as to provide a convenient carry-on handle to the user when lifting luggage.  
           [0012]    To achieve the above mentioned and other objectives, the present invention provides a handle system of luggage with two identically symmetric parts. For this new handle system, each part comprises a handle grip and a push button provided thereon, a first sliding tube affixed to the end of the handle grip, a first locking device detachably attached to the bottom of the first sliding tube, a jumping means provided at the bottom of the first locking device, a second sliding tube for allowing the first sliding tube to glide freely therein and with a plurality of holes drilled upon it, a second locking device detachably attached to the bottom of the second sliding tube, a supporting tube for allowing the second sliding tube to glide freely therein and with a plurality of holes drilled upon it, a first connecting means connected between the push button and the first locking device, and a second connecting means clung between the first locking device and the second locking device; wherein the second locking device consists of a second housing having a longitudinally disposed spring receptacle, a sliding block longitudinally slidable within the second housing, a helical spring laterally biased within the lower part of the second housing, a locking block laterally slidable, and a second connecting means having the top end clung to the first locking device and the bottom end clung to the longitudinally disposed sliding block.  
           [0013]    The above mentioned and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made in conjunction with the accompanying FIGS.  1 - 8 . 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a retractable handle on the right-hand side of a luggage piece according to the invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the jumping means of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled locking device;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, where the push button is pressed to allow the first connecting means to pull back the first locking block and to cause it to retract from its allocation hole so that the first sliding tube, along with the handle, is unlocked;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, where after the first locking block is unlocked, the jumping means is activated to cause the first locking device to jump up, which in turn lifts the first sliding tube;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, where the first sliding tube is lifted to pull up the second connecting means so as to cause the longitudinally disposed sliding block on the second locking device to retract the generally cubic-shaped laterally disposed locking block which in turn leads to the unlocking of the second locking device;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6, where after the generally cubic-shaped locking block is unlocked, the second locking device is activated by the second connecting means to cause the second locking device to move upward, which in turn leads to the protraction of the second sliding tube; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a retractable handle on the left-hand side of the luggage according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    FIGS.  1  to  3  show a locking device with an improved jumping means for the retractable handle of a luggage constructed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the handle system is provided at the back of a luggage piece with a handle grip S having a push button P installed upon it; the handle system is recessed into a receiving bezel on the top of the luggage when it is not in use.  
         [0023]    Note that since the present handle assembly is bilaterally symmetric, the description on one side of the handle system serves to speak for both the entities. The stretching mechanism of the present handle system comprises a first sliding tube  10 , a first locking device  20  with an appendixed jumping means  25 , a first sleeve member  30 , a second sliding tube  40 , a second locking device  50 , a second sleeve member  60 , and a supporting tube  70 . While all the major composing members of the present invention generally could have a variety of cross section options (for example, the oval or elliptic shape, the square shape, the rectangular shape, and the polygonal shape), the forthcoming narrative is based on a general outer surface profile of an oval or elliptic shape. The first sliding tube  10  takes the form of a metal tube of a laminar elliptic cross section with a lower hole  13  and an upper hole  12  drilled upon it. The upper hole  12  is connected to the receiving opening on one side of the handle grip S through a known fastener.  
         [0024]    The first locking device  20  comprises a first housing  21 , a first connecting means  22 , a helical spring  23 , a first locking block  24 , and a jumping means  25 . The first housing  21  is composed of a retaining groove  211  at the top of the elongation  210 , a longitudinal guide groove  212 , a laterally traversed pin hole  213 , a lateral tunnel opening  215  (See FIG. 2) provided at the lower bottom portion  214 , and a lateral guide groove  216  located below the lower bottom  214 . The laterally traversed pin hole  213  is provided to allow a pin  14  to be inserted into the hole  213  on the first housing  21  and the hole  13  at the lower part of the first sliding tube  10  to secure the first housing  21  to the first sliding tube  10 . The first connecting means  22  has a top hook end (not shown) secured to the handle grip S and a bottom hook end  221  secured into the hollow opening  245  on the first locking block  24  through a path which starts from the retaining groove  211  at the top of the elongation  210  of the first housing  21 , the lateral opening  215 , and reaches the hollow opening  241  of the first locking block  24  such that the mere pressing of the push button P may actuate the first connecting means  22  and the first locking device  20 . The helical spring  23  is laterally provided inside the opening  215  at the bottom of the first housing  21  to bias against the first locking block  24  for the operation of locking or unlocking it. The first locking block  24  is provided to be inserted into the lateral opening  215  at the bottom of the first housing  21  and contains a projection  240  on a first side, an aperture  241  on a second side, and an opening  245  which is in communication with the aperture  241 . The jumping means  25  consists of a limiting pin  26  and a helical spring  27 . The limiting pin  26  includes a thin square shaped engagement member  261  on top and a longitudinally elongated cylindrical drape beneath it. The engagement member  261  is provided as a means to cling the limiting pin  26  onto the guide groove  216  beneath the bottom  214  of the first housing  21 , while the cylindrical drape below it serves as an allocation member for the helical spring  27 . The helical spring  27  is affixed around the limiting pin  26  and works as the action initiator of the luggage handle&#39;s jumping means  25 .  
         [0025]    The first sleeve member  30  has two slightly protruded projections  32  and  32 ′ located at the two opposite sides of the sleeve member&#39;s  30  outer surface. The second sliding tube  40  is provided to allow the first sliding tube  10  to glide freely therein and contains the top, center, and lower holes  45 ,  46 , and  47  on a first side, two apertures  42  and  42 ′ on the first and third sides, and two pin holes  43  laterally drilled across the traversed other two sides. The two apertures  42  and  42 ′ on the first and third sides are provided to couple with the aperture projections  32  and  32 ′ of the first sleeve member  30 . The two pin holes  43  are provided to allow the second locking device  50  to be detachably attached to the bottom of the second sliding tube  40  by using a pin  44  to secure the two bottom holes  43  and the laterally traversed tunnel holes  512  on the second locking device  50  together.  
         [0026]    The second locking device  50  is formed by a second housing which includes an upper portion  51  and a lower portion  52  (see FIGS. 1 and 8). The upper portion  51  contains a longitudinal groove  511 , two laterally traversed pin holes  512 , and a longitudinally disposed spring receptacle  514  such that the pin  44  may be inserted through the lower holes  43  of the second sliding tube  40  and the pin holes  512  to secure the second locking device  50  and the second sliding tube  40  together. The lower portion  52  consists of a laterally allocated central dent  521 , a helical spring  53 , a cubic locking block  54 , and a longitudinally deployed sliding block  55 . The helical spring  53  is horizontally placed into the laterally disposed central dent  521  at the lower portion  52  of the second housing  50  and has one end biased against the inner wall of the lower portion  52 . A generally cubic shaped locking block  54  goes against the helical spring&#39;s  53  other end and is slidable within the central dent  521  at the lower portion  52  of the second locking device  50 . With one end biased against the helical spring  53 , the locking block  54  contains a frontal lock pin  541  and two triangular projections  542  symmetrically provided at the two other sides of the locking block&#39;s  54  outer surface. The lock pin  541  fits into the lower portion  553  of the sliding block  55  to facilitate the coupling operation between the two triangular projections  542  and two V-shaped recesses  555  (See FIG. 8); each of the two triangular projections  542  has a lower slope  5421  and an upper slope  5422 .  
         [0027]    The sliding block  55  is longitudinally glidable along the groove  511  of the upper portion  51  of the second locking device  50  and on gliding, the sliding block  55  glides itself across the mouth of the horizontally disposed central dent  521  of the lower portion  52  of the second locking device  50 . The sliding block  55  has an upper portion  551  and a lower portion  553 . The upper portion  551  has an reversed-arch shaped groove  552  on top and a longitudinal sliding surface below it. The second connecting means  56  has a top L-shaped hook end  561  clung to the retaining groove  211  of the first housing  21  of the first locking device  20  and a bottom U-shaped hook end  562  clung to the arch-shaped groove  552  of the upper portion  551  of the sliding block  55 .  
         [0028]    The lower portion  553  has a side profile wider than the upper portion  551  and contains a longitudinally deployed rectangular recess  557  and two V-shaped recesses  555 . The rectangular recess  557  is provided to communicate with the upper portion  551 , and the two V-shaped recesses  555  are located on the two opposite sides of the sliding block&#39;s  55  outer surface; each of the two V-shaped recesses  555  has an upper slope  554  and a lower slope  556 .  
         [0029]    The second sleeve member  60  has two slightly protruded projections  62  and  62 ′ provided on the two opposite sides of the second sleeve member&#39;s  60  outer surface. A supporting tube  70  is provided for allowing the second sliding tube  40  to glide freely therein. The supporting tube  70  has a top and bottom hole  73  and  74  on a first side and two apertures  72  and  72 ′ on the first and third sides of the tube&#39;s outer surface; wherein the two apertures  72  and  72 ′ are provided for coupling with the projections  62  and  62 ′ of the second sleeve member  60 .  
         [0030]    The following narrative is a description of the operation procedure for the handle system of the present invention. Initially, the luggage handle&#39;s locking device is assumed to be at its retracted position.  
         [0031]    Referring to FIG. 4, when the push button P on the handle grip S is pressed by the user, the locking device is activated; the first connecting means  22  (in the form of a bendable metal cable) is tensely pulled up to induce the first locking block  24  to be dragged into the laterally disposed opening  215  (FIG. 2) so that the first locking block  24  is cleared of the lower hole  47  of the second sliding tube  40 , and the first locking device  20  is thus unlocked.  
         [0032]    Referring to FIG. 5, after the user has pressed the push button P on the luggage handle S, the user immediately loosens hold of the handle grip S and releases the push button P. When the user releases the push button P, with the first locking block  24  and the allocation hole  47  still disengaged, the jumping means  25  is abruptly activated from below and instantly pushes up the first locking device  20  through the expansion of the upright helical spring  27 . This chain reaction triggered by the user&#39;s mere pressing of the push button P results in the first locking device&#39;s  20  sudden elevation, which in turn leads to a prompt release of the first sliding tube  10 . The resulting effect isthat the originally retracted handle grip S will jump up a small distance from its receiving bezel to help the user grasp the handle grip more easily.  
         [0033]    Referring to FIG. 6, the lifting action of the first sliding tube  10  allows the device&#39;s second connecting means&#39;  56  upper L-shaped hook end  561  to cling to the retaining groove  211  at the top of the first housing  21  of the first locking device  20 . At this point, if the first sliding tube  10  is further stretched by the user, since the second connecting means  56 , in the form of a slim rigid metal section, is not a flexible element and has two deformed ends, the lifting of the second connecting means&#39;  56  top hook end  561  spontaneously drags the bottom U-shaped hook end  562  upward. The U-shaped hook end  562  is clung to the reversed-arch shaped groove block  552  of the upper portion  551  of the sliding block  55 , and the lifting of the second connecting means  56  also signals the raising of the sliding block  55 . Followed by the elevation of the sliding block  55 , the related ascent of the lower slope  556  of the sliding block  55  pushes the lower slope  5421  of the triangular projection  542  of the locking block  54  to displace laterally; this lateral displacement of the locking block  54  results in the disengagement of the locking block  54  from the lower hole  74  of the supporting tube  70 , and the second locking device  50  is thus unlocked. In this manner, as shown in FIG. 6, the locking block  24  of the first locking means  20  is engaged with the middle hole  46  of the second sliding tube  40 , and makes the handle grips go up a small distance above the recess on the top of luggage and locked therein so as to provide a carry-on handle to the user when lifting luggage.  
         [0034]    Referring to FIG. 7, after the generally cubic shaped locking block  54  is unlocked, the second locking device  50  is activated. If the user then chooses to raise the handle grip further, the general ascent of the second connecting means  56  will drag the second locking device  50  upward, which in turn will cause the second sliding tube  40  to be extended. In this manner, the luggage handle&#39;s supporting barrels are stretched one by one to fulfill the locking device&#39;s general action of protraction. FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a retractable handle on the left-hand side of the luggage according to the present invention.  
         [0035]    The following narrative provides a more detailed understanding of the mutual relations among the many mechanical components, which constitute the luggage handle&#39;s locking mechanism. The jumping means  25  is provided in the first locking device  20  and is installed at the bottom of the first sliding tube  10 ; the spring receptacle  514  is fixedly provided within the second locking device  50  and is installed at the bottom of the second sliding tube  40 , and the second connecting means  56  is clung to the vertically deployed sliding block  55  as a trigger member in the second locking device  50 . When neither the first and the second sliding tubes is protracted, the jumping means  25  sits on the spring receptacle  514  and together they form a working mechanism whose major task is to activate the first locking device  20  and raise the first sliding tube  10 ; the performance gravity at this stage is on the first locking device  20 . After the first sliding tube  10  is protracted, the jumping means  25  no longer sits on the spring receptacle  514 , and the relative loci of the second connecting means  56  become a crucial element for controlling the protraction of the second sliding tube  40 ; the performance gravity at this stage is now on the second locking device  50 . However, the provision of the second locking device  50  is important throughout. Even though originally, when no barrel was protracted, and the first locking device  20  played a major role in accomplishing the task of protracting the first sliding tube  10 , the existence of the spring receptacle  514  on the second locking device  50  was still an indispensable element for the proper function of the jumping means  25 , which is located on the first locking device  20 .  
         [0036]    Perceivably, with this design, the desirable relative loci of the jumping means  25 , the spring receptacle  514 , and the second connecting means  56  enable the user to control the motion of the first sliding tube  10 , the second sliding tube  40 , and the supporting tube  70 , regardless of their relative physical lengths. For this reason, the locking device does not need to account for the spring receptacle&#39;s special anchoring position and the composing barrels&#39; specific relative lengths. In other words, with such a design, any combination of barrel lengths can assure a smooth enforcement of the luggage handle&#39;s jumping action and protraction operation. This favorable point enables the manufacturer to manufacture a first sliding tube  10  and a second sliding tube  40  with suitable lengths based entirely on the retraction requirements placed on them; therefore, it is possible for the manufacturer to produce a great variety of luggage handles with different retraction lengths. In addition, the promoted features of the luggage handles, such as better jumping, smooth retraction, and a quick extension of the locking device, can also be fulfilled.  
         [0037]    While the invention herewith disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.