Patent Description:
Conventional rolling containers such as luggage, toolboxes, or equipment cases, typically feature an extendable handle that comfortably reaches the extended arm of the user in order that the luggage may be pulled behind or alongside the user. However, conventional containers with retractable handles require a second, fixed handle when lifting the container. If a user improperly lifts a loaded suitcase or other container with the retractable handle in its extended position, the forces exerted on the mechanisms to regulate the extension largely exceed the forces they were design to withstand, easily resulting in permanent damage to the regulating mechanisms. Additionally, the arms of the extendable handle may become bent or warped due to the load. In this state, the arms can no longer be retracted and the suitcase or other container is no longer usable. Thus, there is a need in the art for improved extending and retracting handle that can support the load of a packed container such as a suitcase, toolbox, or equipment case or, alternatively, as a handle for engaging and releasing foldable structures.

In other aspects, conventional containers such as luggage or other cases, are typically shells that protects the contents while traveling, but are impractical to access the contents when the user arrives at his/her place of stay; the user often does not want to unpack all the clothes into a closet or chest of drawers. For example, there may be no clothing storage at the user's destination or, for practical reasons, as he/she does not want spread belongings around, due to time constraints, or hygiene concerns. There are two major issues. First, the clothes within a suitcase are stacked on top of each other making the underlying layers harder to access without causing disarray to the overlying layers. Second, with each passing day the user generates dirty laundry that cannot be mixed with the clean clothes. Thus, there is a need in the art for a system that enables the user to rapidly unpack, easily access his clothes, and maintain separation from dirty laundry, all confined within the space of the luggage.

Prior attempts have been made to provide a temporary clothing storage system inside luggage. For example, <CIT> describes a hanging shelf system travel organizer that is used with a suitcase. In this system, an accordion-like set of clothing compartments is manually unfolded from the suitcase; the system includes hangers to hang it within a closet. Alternatively, rigid elements are provided as a support frame. In <CIT>, a collapsible compartmentalized structure is placed within a suitcase. In order to be freestanding, a rigid frame is required to be carried within the suitcase to support the structure. Thus, the prior art solutions rely on external supports (such as the rack within a closet on which to hang the system) or require the user to carry within the suitcase bulky frames on which to attach the clothing storage systems. The extra weight and space that these frame members require is unacceptable to most traveler,.

<CIT> discloses a handle structure for a container comprising a handle, a movable retaining pin and a handle seat.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a handle structure for a container that includes a handle with an actuator and a movable retaining pin. An extendable and retractable arm connects to the handle. A handle seat is integrated with the container and forms a structural part of the container. The handle seat includes a hollow recess. The retaining pin is retracted within the handle by a fastening member.

The fastening member includes a pin locking magnet for cooperating with a recess locking magnet in the recess. A pin retracting magnet cooperates with a handle retracting magnet. The handle structure is configured such that the handle in a retracted position has the retaining pin and the recess aligned. The pin locking magnet is configured to be attracted to the locking magnet. The attraction between the pin locking magnet and locking magnet is stronger than the attraction between the pin retracting magnet and the handle retracting magnet such that the retaining pin automatically move outwards into the recess to lock the handle to the handle seat in order to obstruct any extracting movement of the handle and to transfer the loadbearing forces from the handle to the handle.

The container may be a suitcase, a toolbox, an electronics case, or any other receptable that may hold items and may be carried with an extendable handle/handle arms.

In another aspect, a handle structure for a container may include a handle with a first actuator and a movable retaining pin positioned within the handle. An extendable and retractable arm is connected to the handle. A handle seat is integrated with and forms a structural part of a container. The handle seat includes a recess for receiving the movable retaining pin. That is, the moveable retaining pin is movable between a position within the handle and a position within the recess to lock the handle in a load-bearing position. The handle structure is configured such that when the handle is in a retracted position, the retaining pin and the recess are aligned. A second actuator cooperates with the first actuator to move the retaining pin from the position within the handle to the position within the recess and to retract the retaining pin from the position within the recess to the position within the handle. This permits the handle to extend via the extendable and retractable arm connected to the handle. The second actuator may be one or more springs to urge the movable retaining pin towards the recess.

Numerous types of rolling containers with extendable handles are known in the art including full-sized suitcases, garment bags, toolboxes, electronics cases, and carry-on luggage. Examples of rolling luggage with extending handles for pushing or pulling the luggage are shown in <CIT>,<CIT>, <CIT>, and <CIT>. Other rolling containers with extending and retracting handles are also known, including electronics cases, musical instrument cases, tool boxes, etc. An example of a tool box with an extendable handle is depicted in <CIT>.

The present invention solves the disadvantage of the conventional extendable and retractable handle by creating an extendable and retractable handle configured to bear the load of the container being towed, pushed, or carried. The handle of the present invention is suitable for use in any kind of container, luggage, case, or enclosure, such as the ones described above but not limited thereto.

<FIG> depicts a container <NUM> with an extendable and retractable handle <NUM>. In <FIG> the handle is in the retracted position; it is extendable via arms <NUM> from a handle seat <NUM>. As seen in <FIG>, the container <NUM> may optionally include wheels <NUM> for propelling the suitcase, although wheels are not required for the container <NUM>. <FIG> depicts the handle <NUM> in an extended position via arms <NUM>. In some embodiments, the arms <NUM> may be telescoping arms using concentric tubes, typically having a circular, square, or rectangular cross-section.

<FIG> depicts a cross section of a handle structure <NUM> that can lock the handle <NUM> to structural elements of the container such that the handle becomes load-bearing and the entire container can be lifted by the handle without damaging the handle or any extending/telescoping arms. The handle includes an actuator <NUM> which, as seen in <FIG>, may be in the form of a push-button that includes one or more springs <NUM> for returning the push button to an initial, non-actuated state. Two movable retaining members <NUM> are positioned within the handle and may be pins, bolts, fasteners or other movable retaining elements that can pass from the handle into recesses <NUM> positioned within a handle seat <NUM> or any frame or bracket that makes a connection with a structural element of the container for transferring a load from the handle to the container structure itself. The handle structure is connected to extendable and retractable arms <NUM> such that the handle <NUM> may be extended or retracted on the arms <NUM>. The extendable and retractable arms <NUM> may include telescoping members, for example cylindrical or rectangular tubes that telescope within each other in order to shorten the length that is stored within the bag, luggage, or container to which the handle is attached.

Note that although two sets of elements are shown (pins, arms, recesses, magnets, etc.) it is understood that one or more than two sets of elements may be used depending upon the desired strength of the handle, the size of the container, and the nature of the contents to be carried within the container.

<FIG> depicts the extendable and retractable handle <NUM> in an extended position. In the extended position, two retaining pins <NUM> are retracted within the handle <NUM> by any known retaining or fastening members such as magnets, hook and loop fasters (e.g., VELCRO), screws, or the like. In the example of <FIG>, a retaining pin includes a pair of magnets: a pin locking magnet <NUM> for cooperating with a recess locking magnet <NUM> in the recess <NUM> and a pin retracting magnet <NUM> for cooperating with a handle retracting magnet <NUM>, positioned within the handle. In <FIG>, the handle retracting magnet <NUM> has magnetically attracted the pin retracting magnet <NUM> such that the pin is securely held within the handle with the handle in an extended position.

When the handle <NUM> is fully retracted, shown in <FIG>, the retaining pins <NUM> and the recesses <NUM> are aligned. The pin locking magnet <NUM> is drawn to locking magnet <NUM>. That is, the attraction between magnets <NUM> and <NUM> may be stronger than the attraction between the pin retracting magnet <NUM> and the handle retracting magnet <NUM>. Based on this attraction, the retaining pins <NUM> automatically move outwards into the recesses <NUM> solidly locking or engaging the handle <NUM> to the handle seat <NUM> (or any other structural element of the container) obstructing any extracting movement of the handle. The retaining pins <NUM> transfer the loadbearing forces from the handle <NUM> to the handle seat <NUM> which is a structural part of the container or is attached to a structural part of the container. That is, the recesses <NUM> and handle seat <NUM> may be part of a suitcase or case frame or any other structure that distributes the load to structural elements of a case to be lifted by handle <NUM>.

Thus, in operation, the attraction between the pin locking magnet <NUM> and recess locking magnet <NUM> is configured to be stronger than the attraction between the pin retracting magnet <NUM> and the handle retracting magnet <NUM> such that the retaining pin <NUM> is configured to automatically move into the recesses <NUM>. This unites the handle <NUM> with the handle seat <NUM> to obstruct any extracting movement of the handle and to transfer the loadbearing forces from the handle <NUM> to the handle seat <NUM>.

In order to extend the handle <NUM>, the user retracts retaining pins <NUM> from the recesses <NUM> into the interior of handle <NUM>. As seen in <FIG>, when the actuator <NUM> is pressed, it retracts the retaining pins <NUM> back into the handle <NUM>, for example, by means of cables <NUM> or any other structure that pulls the retaining pins <NUM> towards the handle retaining magnets <NUM>. Once the retaining pins <NUM> are retracted within handle <NUM> and locked to magnets <NUM>, the user can extend the handle <NUM>/arms <NUM> since the handle <NUM> will clear the recesses <NUM>, allowing the entire assembly to move freely out from the handle seat <NUM>.

While two pins <NUM> are depicted in the FIGS. , it is understood that a single pin or more than two pins may be used. Other locking members may also be used, besides pins. For example, latches may be used with an interlocking member in the recess with the actuator in the handle releasing the latch. A push button actuator in the handle may connect to cables to release a latch element from a connection in the recessed portion. Conventional commercially-available latches may be used. In short, any mechanism for locking the handle in position may be used to accomplish the objectives of the present invention.

The handle of the present invention may be incorporated into any of the luggage and cases depicted in the patents cited above and also in any other device that uses extendable handles and is configured to be load-bearing. In this way, only a single handle is needed for both rolling the container and for carrying the container, eliminating the problems of extending handle misuse for load-bearing applications.

Turning to <FIG>, another aspect of the present invention is depicted. In <FIG>, springs are used to actuate the retaining pins with retracting cables used to withdraw the retaining pins within the handle. When the handle <NUM> is fully retracted, shown in <FIG>, retaining pins <NUM> and the recesses <NUM> are aligned. One or more actuators, here depicted as normally-open springs <NUM>, urges the pins <NUM> into the recesses <NUM>. Based on the spring force, the retaining pins <NUM> automatically move outwards into the recesses <NUM> solidly engaging the handle <NUM> to the handle seat <NUM> (or any other structural element of the container) obstructing any extracting movement of the handle. The retaining pins <NUM> transfer the loadbearing forces from the handle <NUM> to the handle seat <NUM> which is a structural part of the container or is attached to a structural part of the container. That is, the recesses <NUM> and handle seat <NUM> may be part of a suitcase or case frame or any other structure that distributes the load to structural elements of a case to be lifted by handle <NUM>.

To retract the pins <NUM>, shown in <FIG>, the actuator <NUM> is depressed against the force of springs <NUM> and cables <NUM> or other withdrawal elements pull against the spring force from normally-open springs <NUM> to close the springs <NUM> and withdraw the pins <NUM> from recesses <NUM>. The handle <NUM> may then be extended along arms <NUM> for pulling the container along optional wheels. With the springs <NUM> in a compressed, closed position, a latching element (not shown) may maintain the springs in the closed position so that pins <NUM> are retained within the handle <NUM> when the handle is in an extended state.

The pins <NUM> or <NUM> of the above FIGS. may optionally be located in locations other than the handle when desiring to lock the luggage handle in an extended position. <FIG> schematically depicts an option in which two sets of pins <NUM> and <NUM> are provided to give the user an option to lock the handle in a retracted position or in an extended position. In the fully locked position, retaining pins <NUM> and <NUM> are respectively aligned in recesses <NUM> and <NUM>. Note that, optionally, recesses <NUM> are not provided and the pins <NUM> are retracted within arms <NUM> even in the "handle locked" position of <FIG>. Recesses <NUM> and their magnets are only provided when desiring to provide extra strength to the handle structure in the retracted and locked position. Pin locking magnets <NUM> are attracted to locking magnets <NUM> with optional recess magnet <NUM> attracted to pin magnet <NUM>.

In operation, cables <NUM> and <NUM> withdraw the pins <NUM> and <NUM> from respective recesses <NUM> and <NUM> when actuator <NUM> is depressed. When the handle <NUM> is fully extended, pins <NUM> are aligned with upper recesses <NUM> and the attraction of magnets <NUM> to magnets <NUM> draws pins <NUM> into recesses <NUM>, locking the handle in the extended position. Thus, the user may safely lift the container with the handle in the extended position without having to move the handle to a retracted position in order to distribute the load from the handle to a container structural element.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an organizing system for containers such as suitcases for managing personal belonging upon arrival at a destination as well as providing maximum packing flexibility. In particular, the inventive system uses at least a portion of the container/suitcase itself as the support structure for an integrated organization system. Further, the system is at least partially self-assembling; that is, shelves for holding clothes and other personal belongings reposition from a folded state to an open state automatically or semi-automatically with minimal effort by the user. The system may be used in connection with the load-bearing handle system above or independent of the load-bearing handle system.

<FIG> depicts a suitcase <NUM> having a storage portion <NUM> and a cover portion <NUM>. Cover portion <NUM> typically attached to storage portion <NUM> by a zipper, snaps, or hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO) or a combination thereof. Cover portion <NUM> and/or storage portion <NUM> may include frame members, not visible in the drawings, to maintain the rigidity and structural integrity of the suitcase. For example, a rigid metal or plastic frame may have a fabric cover to produce a lightweight suitcase. Alternatively, cover <NUM> and storage portion <NUM> may be hard-shell luggage elements, made from a rigid plastic material such as polycarbonate or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or combinations thereof.

Affixed to the cover portion <NUM> of the suitcase <NUM> are one or more shelves <NUM>, displayed in <FIG> in an open, assembled position. The shelves may be rigid or collapsible; in one embodiment, the shelves may include a metal or plastic wire frame with fabric covering the frame. A rigid plastic plate may be included in a bottom portion of the shelves. A fabric or elastomeric hinge may connect the shelves to the cover portion <NUM> of the suitcase <NUM>. Alternatively, the shelves may be removable from the cover portion <NUM> and include an attaching member such as a zipper, hook and loop fastener, snaps, or other known attachments.

An optional closing member, <NUM>, for example, a hook and loop fastener such as VELCRO, may maintain the shelves <NUM> in a closed position. Alternatively, the shelves may open automatically as the cover of the suitcase is opened. In either embodiment, the user is not required to configure the shelves as the shelves self-assemble to an open position either through the action of opening cover portion <NUM> or the un-latching of closing member <NUM>. By using closing member <NUM>, when the shelves <NUM> are not needed, they can be stored away without occupying any space; alternatively, they may be removed in order not to restrict the user in the number ways the luggage can be packed.

To maintain the portion of the suitcase having the shelves attached thereto in an open position, a locking mechanism may be provided, optionally using one or more suitcase wheels as an anchor. For example, the base may include a friction-fitting receiving element that locks into a wheel to hold the cover portion of the suitcase in an open position.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, the rigidity of the cover member <NUM> is sufficient to support the weight of shelves <NUM> and any articles of clothing placed thereon. Although shelves <NUM> are depicted with an edge portion, it is understood that they may be fully open (e.g., flat plates) or may be optionally closed pouches including zippered closures (or other fasteners such as snaps, hook and loop, or buttons). In this manner, an enclosed shelf may be provided to contain soiled laundry. The shelves <NUM> may use the entire area of the cover member <NUM> or a smaller area of cover member <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts alternative shelves <NUM> that are foldable to a relatively flat configuration. Shelves <NUM> may optionally be maintained in a folded position by fasteners, such as those described above. The shelves, in the folded position, may occupy little to no space within the suitcase <NUM> if items are not packed within the shelves. In <FIG>, the shelves <NUM> have been released to unfold/self-assemble or, alternatively, have unfolded with the action of opening the cover portion <NUM>. The shelves may have a flexible or rigid metal or plastic frame covered by fabric, mesh, or thin sheets of plastic. Optionally, rigid reinforcing base plates may be provided.

A further embodiment of the organizing system is depicted in <FIG>. In <FIG>, container/suitcase <NUM> includes a cover portion <NUM>, a storage portion <NUM> and a limiting member <NUM>. The limiting member is removably attached between the cover portion <NUM> and the storage portion <NUM> to limit the opening of the cover portion. The limiting member may be fabric, web material, elastomeric or partially elastomeric. In some embodiments, it may be selected to be a rigid member such as a rigid plastic or metal rod. In this manner, the cover portion <NUM> is maintained in a substantially vertical position to be the vertical support member for the shelves.

Depending on the size and configuration of the shelves, the shelves may be used as compartments for holding clothing or toiletries during packing of the suitcase. In such an embodiment, closures are provided through fasteners. Upon releasing the fasteners, the clothing is pre-arranged on the shelves <NUM>, eliminating the need for the user to unpack the container/suitcase.

Claim 1:
A handle structure (<NUM>) for a container (<NUM>) or folding structure comprising a handle (<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) with an actuator (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), a movable retaining pin (<NUM>,<NUM>), an extendable and retractable arm (<NUM>) and a handle sea (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) cooperating with a structural part of the container and with a recess (<NUM>);
wherein the retaining pin is retracted within the handle by a fastening member;
wherein the fastening member includes a pin locking magnet (<NUM>) for cooperating with a recess locking magnet (<NUM>) in the recess; and a pin retracting magnet (<NUM>) for cooperating with a handle retracting magnet (<NUM>);
the handle structure configured such that the handle in a retracted position, has the retaining pin and the recess aligned;
the pin locking magnet is configured to be drawn to the locking magnet;
and the attraction between the pin locking magnet and locking magnet is configured to be stronger than the attraction between the pin retracting magnet and the handle retracting magnet such that the retaining pin is configured to: automatically move outwards into the hollow recesses (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
and latch the handle to the handle seat to obstruct any extracting movement of the handle and transfer the loadbearing forces from the handle to the handle seat.