Patent ID: 7070190

Claim:
A towable wheeled luggage case having an extendable handle assembly rotatable about a pivot axis within a limited angular range to minimize the downward vertical force on the handle assembly experienced by users of different heights when the wheeled luggage is tilted for towing, said wheeled luggage case having a generally rectilinear bottom wall and top wall and four elongated side walls extending between the top and bottom walls; said handle assembly extendable from a position proximate the top wall; the bottom wall being provided with at least one pair of supporting wheels mounted proximate the bottom wall and positioned adjacent a rear side wall in the direction from which the extendable handle projects; the extendable handle assembly comprising at least one rigid leg joined at one end to a transverse hand grip, the at least one leg being movable between a first retracted storage position inside the case and a second extended position projecting from the case, the hand grip being maintained on the exterior of the case proximate the intersection of the top wall and rear side wall in the first position; the handle assembly being angularly adjustable in the second extended position to intersect the rear wall at an angle that is different than the angle formed with the rear wall when the handle assembly is in the first storage position, the axis of rotation of the handle assembly being proximate to the intersection of the top wall and rear wall of the case; angular retaining means secured to the case and in contact with the handle assembly to releasably secure the at least one extended leg in at least one fixed angular position with respect to the plane of the rear wall of the case the angular displacement being in the range of 15° to 38° from the vertical to thereby to minimize the effective downward vertical force on the hand grip during towing when the extended handle is in the operable towing position; and release means cooperatively engaged with the retaining means and responsive a predetermined external impact force applied to the handle assembly in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the rear wall, whereby actuation of the release means allows the handle to move in response to the predetermined impact force to a position which is generally parallel to the surface of the rear wall of the case.