Information
-
Patent Grant
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6553619
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Patent Number
6,553,619
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Date Filed
Friday, August 31, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, April 29, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
- A45C13/26 - Special adaptations of handles
- Y10S16/40 - Attaching means
- Y10T16/44 - Handle, handle component, or handle adjunct
- Y10T16/455 - Luggage-type [loop style] handgrip for carrying [e.g., suitcase, handbag, briefcase, shopping bag, package, etc.]
- Y10T16/476 - Handle with ergonomic structure [e.g., finger engagement structure such as indents, grooves, etc.] and handle user-interaction [human engineering] enhancements such as improved handle dimensions and handle positioning
- Y10T16/48 - Insulated handle
- Y10T16/513 - Loop-type handle
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 016 1141
- 016 431
- 016 444
- 016 430
- 016 435
- 016 DIG 40
- 016 DIG 41
- 190 115
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A handle includes an elongate member having two ends coupled to two links with two anchor straps, a covering member engaged around the elongate member and having two end ears engaged over the anchor straps and secured to the anchor straps with fasteners. A cushioning member is engaged between the elongate member and the covering member for forming a comfortable grasping structure. The fasteners may also be engaged through the cushioning member for further solidly securing the covering member and the cushioning member together.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle, and more particularly to a handle having a structure for allowing the user to grasp with more comfortableness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical handles for such as the suitcases, comprise a circular elongate member having two ends secured or coupled to the typical luggage connecting loops or links. U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,028 to Finkelstein discloses one of the typical handles. The users may not feel comfortable when the luggage device or the suitcase is heavy.
In order to solve the grasping problem, some of the typical handles provide a foam finger grip attached to the handle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,941 to Szabo et al., discloses one of the typical handles having a closed-cell foam finger grip attached to the bottom of a solid rigid palm engaging member. However, the solid right palm engaging member is exposed and is secured on the foam finger grip, such that the users also may not feel comfortable to carry the heavy suitcase with the typical handles. In addition, the solid right palm engaging member may be easily disengaged from the foam finger grip after use.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional handles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a handle including a structure for allowing the user to grasp with more comfortableness.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a handle comprising an elongate body member including two ends, two links, two anchor straps engaged on the ends of the elongate body member and coupled to the links respectively, a covering member engaged around the elongate body member, and including two end ears engaged over the anchor straps, means for fastening the end ears and the covering member and the anchor straps and the ends of the elongate body member together, and a cushioning member engaged around the elongate body member and engaged between the elongate body member and the covering member for providing a comfortable grasping structure. The users may thus grasp the handle to carry the heavy suitcases with a suitable or increased comfortableness.
The elongate body member includes at least one ridge extended therefrom for forming a spatial configuration to the body member.
The anchor straps each includes a curved member engaged over the links respectively, and two panels engaged on the ends of the elongate body member for being secured to the elongate body member with the fasteners.
The covering member includes two flaps engaged around the cushioning member and the elongate body member, and the free edges of the flaps may be secured together with adhesive materials, stitches or by welding processes, or the like.
The fastening means includes two fasteners engaged through the end ears and the covering member and engaged through the anchor straps and engaged through the ends of the elongate body member, for solidly securing the end ears and the covering member and the anchor straps and the ends of the elongate body member together.
Alternatively or simultaneously, the fasteners may be engaged through the end ears of the covering member and engaged through the cushioning member for solidly securing the covering member and the cushioning member together.
A wrapping member may further be provided and engaged around the cushioning member before the covering member is engaged around the cushioning member, and for further solidly retaining the cushioning member within the covering member and for allowing the cushioning member to be easily engaged into the covering member.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a handle in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded view of the handle;
FIG. 3
is a cross sectional view taken along lines
3
—
3
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is a cross sectional view similar to
FIG. 3
, illustrating the other arrangement of the handle; and
FIG. 5
is a plan view showing the flexibility of the body member of the handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
FIGS. 1-3
, a handle in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongate body member
20
including a substantially longitudinal flat structure having two flat ends
21
and having an orifice
22
formed in each of the ends
21
thereof. The elongate body member
20
is preferably made of rigid material and injection molded of such as the polypropylene, high density polyethylene, rigid vinyl, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, and the like, and includes a suitable resilience or flexibility as shown in
FIG. 5
, and includes one or more bulges or ribs or ridges
23
extended upward and/or downward therefrom for forming a spatial or preferably rounded structure.
Two anchor straps
24
each includes two panels
25
for engaging with the flat ends
21
of the elongate body member
20
, and each includes a curved member
28
for engaging over a substantially rectangular chain type link
29
respectively. The panels
25
each includes an aperture
26
formed therein for aligning with the orifices
22
of the flat ends
21
of the elongate body member
20
, and for receiving fasteners
33
respectively. A soft or resilient cushioning member
27
is engaged around the elongate body member
20
, such as engaged around the ridges
23
of the body member
20
(
FIGS. 3
,
4
). The cushioning member
27
may be made of spongy materials, polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, or the like, and may be secured onto the elongate body member
20
with adhesive materials or the like.
A covering member
30
includes two flaps
31
engaged around the cushioning member
27
and the elongate body member
20
. The free edges of the flaps
31
may be secured together with such as the adhesive materials, stitches, or by welding processes, or the like, for solidly retaining the cushioning member
27
within the covering member
30
. The covering member
30
includes two end ears
32
extended therefrom and engaged around the rectangular chain type links
29
respectively and engaged over the curved members
28
of the anchor straps
24
. The fasteners
33
may be engaged through the ears
32
and the apertures
26
of the panels
25
and the orifices
22
of the flat ends
21
of the elongate body member
20
, and may be engaged with washers
34
respectively for securing the elongate body member
20
and the covering member
30
between the links
29
. The fasteners
33
may further be engaged with the flaps
31
of the covering member
30
and/or the cushioning member
27
for further solidly securing the covering member
30
and the cushioning member
27
together. Two further anchor straps
37
each includes a curved member
38
engaged over the links
29
for securing the handle to the suitcase or the like.
The resilient cushioning member
27
may be secured onto the elongate body member
20
with adhesive materials or the like. As shown in
FIG. 3
, a wrapping member
40
, such as a wire or a tape
40
may be engaged around or may wrap the cushioning member
27
onto the elongate body member
20
before engaging the cushioning member
27
onto the elongate body member
20
into the covering member
30
. As shown in
FIG. 4
, the cushioning member
27
may also simply be engaged onto or wrapped around the elongate body member
20
and then engaged into the covering member
30
, without being secured to the elongate body member
20
with the adhesive materials.
In operation, as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, the users may grasp the handle with a suitable or increased comfortableness due to the cushioning member
27
that is engaged within or between the elongate body member
20
and the covering member
30
, and that will not be disengaged from the covering member
30
.
Accordingly, the handle in accordance with the present invention includes a structure for allowing the user to grasp with more comfortableness.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
- 1. A handle comprising:an elongate body member including two ends, a covering member engaged around said elongate body member, a cushioning member engaged around said elongate body member and engaged between said elongate body member and said covering member for providing a comfortable grasping structure two links, and two anchor straps engaged on said ends of said elongate body member and coupled to said links respectively.
- 2. The handle according to claim 1, wherein said covering member includes two end ears folded relative to said covering member and secured to said covering member.
- 3. The handle according to claim 2 further comprising means for fastening said end ears and said covering member and said ends of said elongate body member together.
- 4. The handle according to claim 3, wherein said fastening means includes two fasteners engaged through said end ears of said covering member and engaged through said cushioning member for solidly securing said covering member and said cushioning member together.
- 5. The handle according to claim 1, wherein said covering member includes two end ears folded relative to said covering member and engaged over said anchor straps, and secured to said covering member.
- 6. The handle according to claim 1 further comprising means for fastening said end ears and said covering member and said anchor straps and said ends of said elongate body member together.
- 7. The handle according to claim 6, wherein said fastening means includes two fasteners engaged through said end ears and said covering member and engaged through said anchor straps and engaged through said ends of said elongate body member.
- 8. The handle according to claim 1, wherein said anchor straps each includes a curved member engaged over said links respectively, and two panels engaged on said ends of said elongate body member.
- 9. The handle according to claim 1, wherein said covering member includes two flaps engaged around said cushioning member and said elongate body member.
- 10. The handle according to claim 1 further comprising a wrapping member engaged around said cushioning member before said covering member is engaged around said cushioning member.
- 11. The handle according to claim 1, wherein said elongate body member includes at least one ridge extended therefrom for forming a spatial configuration.
US Referenced Citations (22)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2828705 |
Jan 1980 |
DE |
30471987 |
Jul 1982 |
DE |