Patent ID: 7011195

Claim:
In a soft-sided suitcase, said suitcase including a rigid metal frame and a soft fabric material which is fastened to said frame at a top and sides, forming a frame enclosure with an open bottom; said frame enclosure having a sliding fastener openable portion on one side that serves as a cover; a suitcase base and pulling handle comprising: (a) a base made of a hard, rigid material, formed in a tray-like trough; said base having an open top, elongate opposing parallel planar side walls, a bottom wall, a planar front end wall and an opposing rear end wall; said bottom wall having a V shape forming an obtuse angle of approximately 163 degrees; said base including: a pair of main wheels, that are rotatably mounted transversely to said side walls on an axle and fastened to an underside of said bottom wall at a proximate midway point between said front end wall and said rear end wall; a caster wheel which is swivel mounted on said bottom wall adjacent to said front end wall; and a first latch plate which is mounted and fastened to said front end wall of said base on an outer surface midway between said side walls; said frame enclosure being placed vertically and fastened at ends of said open bottom to said open top of said base; (b) a quick-release pulling handle that is pivotably mounted on a side of said frame enclosure which is fastened to said front end wall of said base; said pulling handle being constructed with an elongate, hollow metal tube that includes plugs which are fastened in said tube, inset near each end, said plugs having an axial bore cut through their length, a handlebar which is attached to one end of said tube at an angle of 90 deg. to said tube, and two curved metal handle mounting strips that are fastened to opposing edges of a distal end of said tube, defining a “U” shaped mounting member for pivotally mounting said pulling handle; said pulling handle including a first means for latching and quickly releasing said pulling handle from a stored and latched position; and (c) second means for fixing said pulling handle rigidly in place to facilitate lifting the suitcase at a front end while pulling said suitcase.