Abstract:
A retractable handle device includes a pair of conduits, a pair of tubes slidably engaged in the conduits, a housing secured on top of the tubes, and a hand grip rotatably secured to the housing with a shaft. One or more spring biased latches are disposed in the tubes, a bar is slidably received in the housing and coupled to the spring biased latches with links for selectively actuating the spring biased latches to lock the conduits and the tubes. A pin is slidably received in the shaft. A knob is slidably received in the hand grip for selectively actuating the pin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a retractable handle assembly, and more particularly to a retractable handle assembly for suitcases and having a rotatable hand grip rotatably provided thereon. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical retractable handle assemblies are provided for attaching to such as the suitcases and comprise two or more pairs tubes or pipes slidably engaged with each other and extendible outward relative to each other for allowing the tubes or pipes to be adjusted and pulled outward of the suitcases for carrying purposes, and to be stored in the suitcases. A hand grip is normally solidly secured on top of the tubes or pipes and may not be rotated relative to the tubes or pipes or the suitcases. U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,984 to Cheng discloses one of the typical retractable handle assemblies and also includes a hand grip solidly secured on top of the tubes or pipes. When the suitcases carry heavy goods therein and when the suitcases are tilted or are falling down, the hand grip may not be rotated relative to the suitcases such that the users hands holding the hand grips may be twisted and hurt by the hand grip when the heavy suitcases falling down. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional retractable handle assemblies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a retractable handle assembly including a rotatable hand grip rotatably provided thereon for allowing the hand grip to be rotated relative to the suitcase and for preventing the users hands from being rotated and twisted and hurt by the hand grip when the suitcases are falling down. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a retractable handle assembly comprising a pair of conduits, a pair of tubes slidably engaged in the conduits, and movable into the conduits in a storing position, and extendible outward of the conduits in an outward extended and working position, a housing secured on top of the tubes and moved in concert with the tubes relative to the conduits, a hand grip rotatably secured to the housing, and means for selectively locking the tubes to the conduits. 
     The housing includes a shaft secured thereon, the hand grip is rotatably secured onto the shaft. The hand grip includes an orifice formed therein for rotatably receiving the shaft, the shaft includes an enlarged head laterally extended outward therefrom and engaged with the hand grip for preventing the hand grip from being disengaged from the shaft. 
     The selectively locking means includes at least one spring biased latch provided in a first of the tubes, a bar slidably received in the housing, and a link coupling the bar to the spring biased latch for selectively actuating the spring biased latch to engage with the conduits. 
     A spring biasing device may further be provided for biasing the bar away from the tubes and the conduits. 
     The selectively locking means includes a pin slidably engaged through the shaft, and preferably coupled to the bar and moved in concert with the bar. 
     The selectively locking means includes means for depressing the pin inward of the shaft and includes a knob slidably engaged in the hand grip, a beam and a lever are pivotally secured to the hand grip and each includes a first end and a second end, the first end of the beam is pivotally secured to the knob, a block is pivotally secured to the second ends of the beam and the lever, the first end of the lever includes an actuator aligned with the pin for depressing the pin inward of the shaft when the knob is depressed inward of the hand grip. 
     A spring biasing device may further be provided for biasing the knob outward of the hand grip. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a retractable handle assembly in accordance with the present invention for attaching onto a suitcase; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rotatable hand grip of the retractable handle assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the other embodiment of the rotatable hand grip of the retractable handle assembly; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view of the retractable handle assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view taken along lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines  6 — 6  of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 7,  8 ,  9  are partial cross sectional views similar to FIG. 6, illustrating the operation of the retractable handle assembly; and 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 are plan schematic views illustrating the operation of the retractable handle assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-6, a retractable handle assembly in accordance with the present invention is provided for attaching onto an object, such as a suitcase  10 , and particularly for attaching onto the rear portion of the suitcase  10  for carrying the suitcase  10 . A bracket  11  is secured in the upper and rear portion of the suitcase  10 , and includes a depression  12  formed therein for receiving a rotatable hand grip  20 . Two conduits  93 ,  94  are secured on the outer portion of the back of the suitcase  10 , or may be secured within the suitcase  10 , and each includes an orifice  95 ,  96  formed in the lower portion thereof (FIG. 6) and each includes an aperture  97 ,  98  formed in the upper portion thereof. 
     Two tubes  81 ,  82  are slidably received in the conduits  93 ,  94  respectively. A housing  60  includes two ends secured on top of the tubes  81 ,  82  with fasteners  69  and moved in concert with the tubes  81 ,  82  relative to the conduits  93 ,  94 , and includes a recess  61  and an orifice  62  formed in the upper portion thereof. The housing  60  includes one or more rods  63 ,  64  extended therein (FIGS.  5 - 9 ). A bar  70  includes one or more holes  75 ,  76  formed therein for slidably receiving the rods  63 ,  64  and for allowing the bar  70  to be slidably received and retained in the housing  60 . A cap  80  is secured to the bottom of the housing  60  with such as the fasteners  802  for preventing the bar  70  from being disengaged from the housing  60 . 
     The bar  70  includes two ends each having a coupler  72 ,  73  provided thereon or extended therefrom, and secured to two links  85 ,  86  respectively. The links  85 ,  86  each includes a lower end having a typical spring biased catch  91 ,  92  provided therein for selectively engaging with the orifices  95 ,  96  of the conduits  93 ,  94  (FIG.  6 ), and for locking and retaining the links  85 ,  86  in the conduits  93 ,  94  respectively when the tubes  81 ,  82  are engaged and received within the conduits  93 ,  94 . The typical spring biased catch  91 ,  92  may also be used for selectively engaging with the apertures  97 ,  98  of the conduits  93 ,  94  (FIG.  9 ), and for locking and retaining the links  85 ,  86  in the conduits  93 ,  94  respectively when the tubes  81 ,  82  are extended outward of the conduits  93 ,  94 . 
     A shaft  50  includes a disc  53  extended from the lower portion thereof and snugly received in the recess  61  of the housing  60  with such as a force-fitted engagement, and includes an enlarged head  52  extended radially outward from the upper portion thereof, and includes a bore  51  formed therein. A pin  40  is slidably engaged through the bore  51  of the shaft  50  and includes an enlarged upper head  41  for engaging with the shaft  50  and for limiting the sliding of the pin  40  relative to the shaft  50 , and for preventing the pin  40  from being engaged through the bore  51  of the shaft  50 . The pin  40  includes a lower end extended through the orifice  62  of the housing  60 , and includes a stud  42  of a reduced diameter engaged through a hole  71  of the bar  70 . 
     A spring  74  is engaged between a projection  801  of the cap  80  and engaged with the stud  42  and engaged with the bar  70  for biasing the bar  70  upward away from the tubes  81 ,  82  and the conduits  93 ,  94  and for biasing the pin  40  upward beyond the shaft  50 . The pin  40  is engaged with the bar  70  for moving the bar  70  and thus the links  85 ,  86  downward against the spring  74 . The fasteners  802  may engage through the cap  80  and the housing  60  and may engage with the disc  53  for solidly securing the cap  80  and the housing  60  and the disc  53  of the shaft  50  together. 
     The rotatable hand grip  20  includes such as two half members  28 ,  29  secured together with fasteners  291 , and may be formed into an open-shape (FIG.  2 ), or an enclosed shape (FIG.  3 ), and includes an orifice  24  formed in the lower and middle portion thereof for rotatably receiving the shaft  50  and for allowing the hand grip  20  to be rotatably secured onto the housing  60  with the shaft  50 . The head  52  of the shaft  50  may engage with the hand grip  20  for preventing the hand grip  20  from being disengaged from the shaft  50 . The hand grip  20  includes an upper peg  22  and a lower peg  23  provided therein, and includes an opening  25  formed in the upper portion thereof. 
     A beam  31  includes a hole  311  formed in the middle portion thereof for rotatably receiving the upper peg  22  and for rotatably securing the beam  31  to the upper peg  22  of the hand grip  20 . A lever  33  includes a hole  331  formed in the middle portion thereof for rotatably receiving the lower peg  23  and for rotatably securing the beam  31  to the lower peg  23  of the hand grip  20 . A block  32  has two ends pivotally or rotatably secured to one ends of the beam  31  and the lever  33  with pivot axles  321 . A knob  21  is slidably engaged through the opening  25  of the hand grip  20 . A post  211  is secured in the knob  21 . The beam  31  includes a channel  313  formed in the other end thereof for slidably receiving the post  211  and for pivotally or rotatably securing the other end of the beam  31  to the knob  21 . 
     The other end of the lever  33  includes an actuator  333  provided thereon for engaging with the pin  40  and for depressing the pin  40  and the bar  70  downward against the spring  74 . A spring  213  may be provided for engaging with the knob  21  and for biasing the knob  21  upward and outward through the opening  25  of the hand grip  20 . The knob  21  may thus be depressed inward of the hand grip  20  against the spring  213 . It is to be noted that the hand grip  20  is rotatably secured to the housing  60  with the shaft  50 . The pin  40  is received in the center of the shaft  50 , such that the depression or actuation of the pin  40  will not affect the rotational attachment of the hand grip  20  onto or relative to the housing  60 . 
     In operation, as shown in FIG. 7, when the knob  21  is depressed inward of the hand grip  20  against the spring  213 , the actuator  333  of the lever  33  may be caused to depress the pin  40  and thus the bar  70  downward against the spring  74 , the links  85 ,  86  may thus be forced and pushed by the bar  70  to disengage the spring biased catch  91 ,  92  from the orifices  95 ,  96  of the conduits  93 ,  94 , for allowing the tubes  81 ,  82  to be moved outward of the conduits  93 ,  94  (FIGS. 8,  9 ). When the knob  21  is released, the spring  74  may bias the bar  70  away from the tubes  81 ,  82 , and the spring biased catch  91 ,  92  may be aligned with and biased to engage with the apertures  97 ,  98  of the conduits  93 ,  94  (FIG.  9 ), for locking the tubes  81 ,  82  to the conduits  93 ,  94  at the outward extended position. 
     As shown in FIGS. 10,  11 , when the suitcase  10  is moved across an uneven ground  15 , and then the suitcase  10  is tilted or is falling down, the hand grip  20  will not be rotated and twisted together with the suitcase  10 , due to the rotatable engagement of the hand grip  20  to the housing  60  with the shaft  50 . The hands of the users that hold the hand grip  20  thus will not be twisted and hurt by the hand grip  20  when the suitcase  10  is falling down. 
     Accordingly, the retractable handle assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a rotatable hand grip rotatably provided thereon for allowing the hand grip to be rotated relative to the suitcase and for preventing the users hands from being rotated and twisted and hurt by the hand grip when the suitcases are falling down. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.