Patent ID: 7270223

Claim:
A handle system for a rolling luggage case comprising: a luggage case in which one or more articles can be stored for travel, said luggage case containing a top, bottom, front, and back panels, and a pair of sidewalls; a wheel assembly provided at a location on said bottom panel and adjacent to said back panel; at least one telescoping member that is extensible from a retracted position within said luggage case to an extended position protruding from said luggage case; a gear assembly attached to an end of said at least one telescoping member that is distal from said luggage case, said gear assembly comprising at least a gear housing having a gear disposed therein that pivots within said gear housing, said gear assembly providing pivotal and rotational movement about said end of said at least one telescoping member said gear housing is comprised of a cylindrical portion, a domed portion, and a bore extending through a length of said gear housing, said domed portion having a slot through which a stem of said gear extends, said gear is comprised of a rounded base with two substantially flat portions, said substantially flat portions engaging substantially flat inner walls of said bore of said gear housing thereby facilitating pivotal movement of said gear along a plane that is substantially parallel with said substantially flat portions of said gear; and a handle attached to said at least one telescoping member through said gear assembly, wherein said handle is rotatable and pivotal about said end of said at least one telescoping member, said handle comprising a push button plate having a ridge, wherein said stem of said gear includes a plurality of slots joined by a channel that is substantially perpendicular to said plurality of slots, wherein said ridge rides within said plurality of slots and said channel thereby facilitating rotational motion of said handle.