Extendable aid standing for a luggage

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6405842
  • Patent Number
    6,405,842
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 24, 2001
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 18, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Young; Lee
    • Mai; Tri M.
    Agents
    • Browdy and Neimark, P.L.L.C.
Abstract
An extendable aid standing for a luggage comprises a main member, fixed at the bottom end of a luggage. Two rotated members, having two helical guiding slots, pivoted at the lateral ends of the main member for turning between a collapsed position and an extended position. Two pressed members received in two coupled bushings respectively and with two pins insert into the corresponded the pressed members and the coupled bushings. Two elastic means received in the coupled bushings respectively, with one end against at the coupled bushing and the other end against at the pressed member. The coupled bushing, with the pressed members and the elastic means, received in the bottom end of the main member, and let the two ends of the pin received in the guiding slots of the rotated member respectively. The pressed can shift between an unpressed position and a pressed position, by the mean time of shifting, the rotated members are driven to turn to the collapsed position and the extended position to prevent tipped the luggage forwards.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is generally relative to a luggage, and more particularly to an automatic extending and collapsing aid standing for a luggage.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




In the field of conventional luggage, there is a kind of design of luggage, which can expense the volume of the luggage. After expensing the luggage, or putting an extra article on the luggage, the location of the center of gravity of-the luggage will different from the location of the original design, which cause the possibility of tipping the luggage forwards. Conventional solution for above problem is provided an extendable aid standing at the bottom end of the luggage. Please refer to

FIG. 1

, the luggage


80


provided a standing seat


81


at the front side of the bottom end of the luggage


80


. An expandable aid standing


82


pivoted at the seat


81


, which can pull out and push into the seat


81


by hand. If there is a dangerous of tipping the luggage


80


forwards, user can pull out the aid standing


82


by hand for increasing the distance between the standing


82


and the wheels


83


of the luggage


80


, i.e. increasing the area for supporting the luggage


80


, to prevent tipping the luggage


80


forwards. The structure of above aid standing


82


is operated by hand which provided an inconvenient using solution to users.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an extendable aid standing which can automatic extending the aid standing while there is a dangerous of tipping the luggage forwards.




In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of present invention is attained an expandable aid standing, which comprises a main member, fixing at the bottom end of a luggage; a rotated member, which with on end pivoted at the main member for turning within a predetermined range; a pressed member, which with one end pivoted at the bottom end of the main member for moving inwards to or outwards from the main member, and when the pressed member moved, it will drive the rotated member to turn; and a elastic means, which with one end against at the main member, the other end against at the pressed member, whereby actuating the presses member to move outwards from the main member for driving the rotated member to turn inwards to the luggage; and while a pressure exerted on the pressed to overcome the elastic means, the pressed member will move inwards to the main member and drives the rotated to rotate an angle to orient to the front side of the luggage for preventing tipping.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a schematic view of a prior art extendable aid standing of a luggage.





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the present invention (in collapsed state).





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the present invention (in extended state).





FIG. 5

is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the detail structure of the pin and the guiding slot.





FIG. 6

is a sectional view of the present invention, showing how the pressed member actuated the rotated member to the collapsed position.





FIG. 7

is a sectional view of the present invention, showing how the pressed member actuated the rotated member to the extended position.





FIG. 8

is a schematic view of a luggage with the present invention, showing the activation of the rotated member when the luggage at the normal state.





FIG. 9

is a schematic view of a luggage with the present invention, showing the activation of the rotated member when the luggage possibly tipping forwards.





FIG. 10

is a sectional view of the present invention, showing the rotated member is locked by the interference of the rib and the locking rib.











DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




As shown in

FIG. 2

to


4


, a extendable aid standing embodied in the present invention is comprising a main member


10


, two rotated members


20


, two pressed members


30


, two coupled bushings


40


, two elastic means


50


and two mounts


60


; wherein




The main member


10


is made by plastic and elongated in transverse direction. Two receiving pieces


11


provided at the top and bottom side of the two transverse ends of the main member


10


respectively. Each of the receiving pieces


11


has a hole


12


and a teeth potion


121


at the inner surface of each hole


12


of the receiving pieces


11


. Two locking ribs


13


provided at close to the two ends of the main member


10


and between the two receiving pieces


11


on the same side respectively. Two posts


14


provided at the top end of the main member


10


.




Each of the rotated members


20


has a pivoted potion


21


and a arm


25


. The pivoted potions


21


of the rotated members


20


each is a cylinder with a receiving hole


22


. The pivoted potion


21


of each rotated members


20


has a rib


23


on the outer surface and has two helical guiding slots


24


on the inner surface of the receiving hole


22


. The arm


25


with one end connected at the pivoted potions


21


of the rotated members


20


respectively, and elongated outwards and downwards. The rotated members


20


pivoted at the two ends of the main member


10


with the pivoted potion


21


of each rotated member


20


received in between the receiving piece


11


on the same side respectively. The receiving holes


22


of the rotated members


20


corresponding to the holes


12


of the two receiving pieces


11


on the same side of the main member


10


respectively. Thus, the two rotated members


20


can rotate at a predetermined range.




Each of the pressed members


30


has a bottom potion


301


, which has a larger diameter, and a cylinder potion


302


, which fixed at the top end of the bottom potion


301


and has a smaller diameter. Each cylinder potions


302


of the pressed members


30


has a hole


31


along diametric direction. A bar


32


with two ends connected to the bottom potions


301


of the pressed members


30


to let the two. pressed members


30


as a unit.




The coupled bushings


40


are opening at the bottoms and have a screw hole


42


at top end. Two guiding holes


41


disposed at the opposite sides of the coupled bushings


40


elongated along the axial of the coupled bushings


40


respectively. The cylinder potions


302


of the pressed members


30


received in the coupled bushings


40


, and the holes


31


of the pressed members


30


are corresponding to the guiding holes


41


of the coupled bushings


40


respectively. Two pin


34


inserted into the holes


31


of the pressed members


30


and the guiding holes


41


of the coupled bushings


40


respectively, whereby the pressed members


30


can displace along the guiding holes


41


of the coupled bushings


40


.




The elastic means


50


are two springs in the embodiment of present invention. The elastic means


50


received in the coupled bushings


40


, and with one end against at the coupled bushings


40


, the other end against at the cylinder potions


302


of the pressed members


30


respectively. Then the coupled bushings


40


inserted into the holes


12


of the receiving pieces


11


of the main member


10


and the receiving holes


22


of the rotated members


20


respectively. The coupled bushings


40


and the teeth potions


121


of the holes


12


are transition fit or interference fit for fixing the coupled bushings


40


in the main member


10


initially to prevent rotation. Please refer to

FIG. 5

, the pins


34


received in the guiding slots


24


of the rotated members


20


, whereby the rotated members


30


can be driven to rotate when the pressed members


30


displaced.




Finally, disposed the mounts


60


at the inner side of the bottom end of a luggage


90


, the rest elements of the present invention disposed at the predetermined location on the outer side of the bottom end of a luggage


90


. Four screws (not shown in FIG) coupled the mounts


60


to the posts


14


of the main member


10


and the screw holes


42


of the coupled bushings


40


respectively, to fix all the elements of present invention at the bottom end of the luggage


90


.




Now please refer to

FIG. 3 and 6

. Initially, the two pressed members


30


of present invention are actuated by the elastic means


50


to position at a unpressed position, in which the pins


34


are closed to the bottom end of the guiding holes


41


of the coupled bushings


40


and corresponding to the bottom end of the guiding slots


24


of the rotated members


20


. At this time, the rotated members


20


positioned at collapsed positions, in which the arms


25


of the rotated members


20


oriented to each other.




And then, please refer to

FIGS. 4 and 7

. When a pressure exerted on the pressed members


30


to overcome the spring force of the elastic means


50


, the pressed members


30


will move to pressed positions, in which the pins


34


are closed to the top end of the guiding holes


41


of the coupled bushings


40


and corresponding to the top end of the guiding slots


24


of the rotated members


20


. At the journey of the pressed members


30


moved from the unpressed position to the pressed position, the rotated members


20


will be driven by the activation of the pins


34


and the guiding slots


24


of the rotated members


20


to turn from the collapsed positions to extended positions, in which the arms


25


of the rotated members


20


oriented to the front side of the luggage. When the pressure vanished or under a specific value, the elastic means


50


will push the pressed members


30


to shift from the pressed positions to unpressed positions, and drove the rotated members


30


to turn back to the collapsed positions as shown in

FIGS. 3 and 6

.




Please refer to

FIG. 8

, when the luggage


90


operated as normal use, which means the luggage


90


would not tip forwards. At this moment, the pressure exerted on the pressed members


30


will not compress the elastic means


50


, the pressed members


30


still positioned at the unpressed positions, and the rotated members


20


positioned at collapsed positions. If putting the luggage


90


on the ground, the wheels


91


and the bottom potions


302


of the pressed members


30


will support the luggage


90


stand on the ground. Although the distance (d


c


) between the wheels


91


and the pressed members


30


is shorter, i.e., the area for supporting the luggage


90


is smaller. But the luggage


90


will not tip forwards because of the center of the gravity of the luggage


90


located at the predetermined range of the original design.




If expensing the volume of the luggage


90


or putting extra articles on the luggage


90


, to cause the center of gravity of the luggage


90


shift to the front side of the luggage


90


. That will put the luggage


90


in the dangerous of tipping forwards. At this case, the pressure exerted on the pressed members


30


will overcome the elastic means


50


to cause the pressed members


30


shift to the pressed positions and the rotated members


20


are driven to rotate to the extended positions. Please refer to

FIG. 9

, now the luggage


90


is supported by the wheels


91


and the outer ends of the arms


25


of the rotated members


20


. The distance (d


e


) between the wheels


91


and the outer ends of the arms


25


of the rotated members


20


is enlarged, which cause the area for supporting the luggage


90


increased to prevent tipping the luggage


90


forwards.




If the user is pulling the luggage, in which the pressed members


30


lost the touch with the ground, or the center of gravity of the luggage


90


shift back to normal range, in which the pressure exerted on the pressed members


30


decreased, to cause the luggage


90


will not tip forwards. The elastic means


50


will push the pressed members


30


to the unpressed positions and the rotated members


20


are driven to rotate back to the collapsed positions. Which means, the extendable aid standing of the present invention can detect the distribution of the gravity of the luggage


90


to automatic extend when the luggage


90


is in the dangerous of tipping forwards and to automatic collapse when the dangerous vanished.




An important thing we must describe here, the engagement of the pins


34


of the pressed members


30


and the guiding slots


24


of the rotated members


20


is a mechanism for turning the rotated members


20


between the extended position and the collapsed position when the pressed members


30


displacing between the pressed position and the unpressed position. It is not the only one mechanism to achieve such function. Such as, two engaged bevel surface, a slider engaged on a bevel surface, a slider engaged in a guiding slot (hole), a roller engaged in a guiding slot (hole) or the engagement of a worm gear and a rack etc., which are the variety types of the mechanism to make one element displaced straight to drive another element rotated.




Another specificity will be mentioned hereunder. In some case, we do not want the rotated members


20


extended, such as the luggage is put in the cabin of a truck or an aircraft, the rotated members


20


of the present invention will extend by vibration. At that moment, the luggage will not tip forwards but the extended rotated members


20


will possibly be damaged by unexpected impact or the elastic means will fatigue because of the rotated members


20


continuous extended and collapsed by vibration. The solution for above problem in present invention, we provided the locking ribs


13


and the ribs


23


as described above. When the user didn't want the rotated members


20


extended, he/she can turn the rotated members


20


more inwards to let the ribs


23


of the rotated members


20


shift to the back sides of the locking ribs


13


of the main member


10


. Because of the interference of the ribs


23


of the rotated members


20


and the locking ribs


13


of the main member


10


, the rotated members


20


is locked and cannot rotate to the extended positions. To release the locking status, user can pull the rotated members outwards, or the pressure exerted on the pressed members


30


exceeded a predetermined value, the ribs


23


of the rotated members


20


will move to the front sides of the locking ribs


13


of the main member


10


. After that, the rotated members


20


can turn again to the extended position and collapsed position as described above.




For the interference of the locking ribs


13


and the ribs


23


to lock the rotated members


20


is one of the variety choices of the locking structure. It's easy to be understood, the location and the locking type of the means for locking the rotated members


20


will not limit only in the specification of the present invention described.




Summarizing the features of the extendable aid standing of the present invention, which can detect the distribution of the gravity of the luggage, when there is a dangerous of tipped the luggage forwards, the rotated members of the aid standing will extend automatically to prevent the luggage tipped forwards, and when the dangerous disappeared, the rotated members of the aid standing will collapse automatically.




While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.



Claims
  • 1. An extendable aid standing for a luggage, comprising:a main member adapted to be fixed to a bottom of a luggage; at least one rotated member having an elongated arm; said rotated member pivotable on said main member so that said rotated member can rotate between a collapsed position, in which said arm of said rotated member is adapted to be oriented to a front side of the luggage, and a extended position, in which said arm of said rotated member is adapted to be oriented to a lateral side of the luggage; at least one pressed member engaged on a bottom of said main member, wherein said pressed member can displace between a unpressed position, in which said pressed member has been moved outwards from said main member, and a pressed position, in which said pressed member has moved inwards to said main member; means for driving said rotated member to turn to the collapsed position and the extended position when said pressed member is moved to the unpressed position and the pressed position; and at least one elastic means which has a first end engaged against said main member and a second end engaged against said pressed member to force said pressed member to the unpressed position; wherein when a pressure with a predetermined value is exerted on said pressed member to overcome said elastic means, said pressed member will move to the pressed position and drive said rotated member to turn to the extended position; and wherein when the pressure is smaller than the predetermined value, said elastic means will force said pressed member to move to the unpressed position and said rotated member will be driven to turn to the collapsed position.
  • 2. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one coupled bushing, which is mounted on said main member; and wherein one end of said pressed member is received in said coupled bushing for displacing vertically at a predetermined limited distance.
  • 3. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 2, wherein said coupled bushing has two elongated guiding holes and said pressed member has a hole corresponding to said guiding holes of said coupled bushing; wherein a pin is inserted into said guiding holes of said coupled bushing and said hole of said pressed member; and wherein said rotated member has two helical guiding slots and wherein ends of said pin are respectively received in said guiding slots.
  • 4. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 2, wherein said elastic means is a spring, which is received in said coupled bushing with the first end against said coupled bushing, the second end against said pressed member.
  • 5. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 2, wherein said main member has two receiving pieces at a lateral end, each of said receiving pieces having a hole and said rotated member having a pivoting portion which has a receiving hole; said guiding slots being provided at an inner surface of said receiving hole of said rotated member; said pivoting portion of said rotated member received in said rotated member between said receiving pieces for free rotation; said coupled bushing received in said holes of said receiving pieces of said main member and said receiving hole of said rotated member.
  • 6. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 5, wherein the inner surface of said holes of said receiving pieces of said main member have respective teeth portions.
  • 7. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one mount adapted to be disposed at an inner side of the bottom of the luggage; at least one screw coupled to said main member and said mount for fixing said main member at an outer side of the bottom of the luggage.
  • 8. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 2, further comprising at least one mount adapted to be disposed at an inner side of the bottom end of the luggage; at least one screw coupled to said main member and said mount and at least one screw coupled said coupled bushing and,said mount for fixing said main member at an outer side of the bottom end of the luggage.
  • 9. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotated member has at least one rib; said main member has at least one locking rib corresponding to said rib of said rotated member, wherein said rotated member is locked by the interference of said rib of said rotated member and said locking rib of said main member.
  • 10. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 1, further comprising two of each of said rotated member, said pressed and said elastic means; wherein said rotated members pivot at two lateral ends of said main member and the extended positions of said rotated member are said arms of said rotated members generally adapted to be oriented to the front side of the luggage, and the extended positions of said rotated members are said arms of said rotated members generally oriented to each other.
  • 11. The extendable aid standing as defined in claim 10, further comprising a bar having ends connected respectively to said pressed members.
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