Handle structure for turning and adjusting direction

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6508344
  • Patent Number
    6,508,344
  • Date Filed
    Friday, December 28, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 21, 2003
    22 years ago
Abstract
A handle structure for turning and adjusting the direction of a luggage handle includes a handle located on the top end of the luggage to fasten to extensible pulling bars of the luggage. The handle includes a handle section which has a bottom rim to fasten to a support section. The support section includes a control section which has a bottom end engaged with a turning section. The turning section has two sides coupled respectively with a left coupling elbow and a right coupling elbow of a coupling section.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The invention relates to a handle structure for turning and adjusting direction, and particularly a handle adapted for use on luggage that is capable of turning and adjusting direction.




2. Description of the Prior Art




The commonly used luggage or trunks generally have a handle which is fixedly mounted in one direction (mostly in parallel with the luggage). It is not flexible and cannot meet different requirements of consumers. The luggage thus made have functional deficiency and lack competitiveness on the market. There are still rooms for improvement.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In view of aforesaid disadvantages, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a handle that is turnable and adjustable to various directions.




The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING





FIG.1

is a perspective view of the invention adapted to a luggage.





FIG.2

is an exploded view of the invention.





FIG.3

is a sectional view of the invention.





FIG.4

is a fragmentary cross section taken along line


4





4


in FIG.


3


.





FIG.5

is a schematic view of the invention in use.





FIG.6

is a schematic view of the invention taken along line


6





6


in FIG.


5


.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1 through 4

, the invention mainly includes a handle


20


bridging the top ends of two pulling bars


11


of a luggage


10


. The handle


20


can control control elements


12


of the pulling bars


11


for extension or retraction (such a technique is known in the art, and forms no part of the invention, thus will be omitted). The handle


20


includes a handle section


30


, a support section


40


, a control section


50


, a turning section


60


and a coupling section


70


.




The handle section


30


includes a casing


31


which is formed by coupling two arched shells


311


,


312


. The shells


311


,


312


have respectively a side wall which has an indented recess


321


,


322


to form a retain arch (not being marked in the drawings). The indented recesses


321


,


322


have respectively a screw bore


323


,


324


. The casing


31


also has one end fastened to a fastening blade


33


through a screw


331


, and another end formed an opening


34


and a coupling trough


341


for housing a coupling sleeve


35


. The coupling sleeve


35


has an aperture


351


at one end and a screw bore


352


located on an upper side to engage with a screw,


353


for fastening the coupling sleeve


35


to the casing


3


l through the coupling trough


341


. There is a push element


36


inserted in the aperture


351


. The push element


36


has one end formed a jutting strut


361


to couple with a spring


362


, and another end formed a jutting rim


363


to couple with a cap


37


, and a bottom side which has a slant surface


364


formed thereon.




The support section


40


has a concave saddle seat


41


to couple with the retain arch of the handle section


30


. The saddle seat


41


has two sides each has an aperture


411


to engage with a screw


412


for fastening the saddle seat


41


to the retain arch of the handle section


30


through the screw bores


323


,


324


. The saddle seat


41


further has a rod


42


located thereunder. The rod


42


has a bottom end forming a latch slot


421


, and a through cavity


43


running through to house the control section


50


.




The control section


50


includes a push rod


51


which has a bias edge


511


formed on the top end thereof to match the slant surface


364


of the push element


36


. The push rod


51


has a bottom end engaged with an anchor element


52


. The anchor element


52


includes-a substantially semi-circular body


521


and a pin


522


located above the body


521


. The body


521


has a slot


523


and two latch lugs


524


located at the bottom on two lateral sides thereof. The body


521


further has another side pressing against a slide key


53


. The slide key


53


also presses against a slant side


131


of a push key


13


mounted to the top end of a control element


12


of the pulling bar


11


.




The turning section


60


consists of a front latch sheath


61


and a rear latch sheath


62


for coupling the rod


42


of the support section


40


. The front latch sheath


61


and the rear latch sheath


62


have respectively two sides each forms a curved latch rim


611


,


621


. The front latch sheath


61


has a retain pin


612


located therein. The rear latch sheath


62


has a slide groove


622


formed therein. The retain pin


612


runs through the slot


523


of the anchor element


52


of the control section


50


.




The coupling section


70


consists of a left coupling elbow


71


and a right coupling elbow


72


to respectively engage with two sides of the turning section


60


. The right coupling elbow


72


houses the slide key


53


of the control section


50


and allows the control element of one pulling bar


11


to pass through. The left coupling elbow


71


and the right coupling elbow


72


have respectively cross-shaped notches


711


,


721


formed therein corresponding to one another, and have respectively an indented groove


712


,


722


to couple with the latch rims


611


,


621


of the turning section


60


. The left coupling elbow


71


and the right coupling elbow


72


are fastened respectively to the pulling bars


11


through screws


713


,


723


at a lower section thereof.




The invention may be operated as follows:




1. For adjusting the elevation of the pulling bars


11


of the luggage


10


(referring to FIG.


5


), users may adopt a general operation procedure as follows:




depress the cap


37


of the handle section


30


to move the push element


36


, the slant surface


364


of the push element


36


will push the push rod


51


of the control section


50


downwards, the push rod


51


in turn will depress the anchor element


52


sliding downwards, then the body


521


will be moved to squeeze and move the slide key


53


rightwards, as a result, the push key


13


of the control element


12


will be pushed, and the elevation of the pulling bar


11


will be changed and adjusted. (the depressing movement of the control element


12


is a technique known in the art, thus is omitted here).




2. For adjusting the angle of the handle


20


:




depress the cap


37


of the handle section


30


to move the push element


36


, the slant surface


364


of the push element


36


will push the push rod


51


sliding downwards, the push rod


51


in turn will depress the anchor element


52


downwards (same as the operation for adjusting the elevation of the pulling bar), then the body


521


will be moved and disengaged from the notches


711


,


721


of the coupling section


70


and the latch slot


421


of the support section


40


, then the handle section


30


may be turned to a selected angle to engage with the longitudinal or transverse notches of the coupling section (the notches and latch slots are formed in a cross shape) without sliding downwards to form a latched and anchored condition.




3. For adjusting the turning of the handle


20


:




depress the cap


37


of the handle section


30


to move the push element


36


, the slant surface


364


of the push element


36


will push the push rod


51


sliding downwards, the push rod


51


in turn will depress the anchor element


52


downwards (same as the operation for adjusting the elevation of the pulling bar), then the body


521


will be moved and disengaged from the notches


711


,


721


of the coupling section


70


and the latch slot


421


of the support section


40


, then the handle section


30


may be turned to move the turning section


60


with the latch rims


611


,


621


of the latch sheathes


61


,


62


sliding on the indented grooves


712


,


722


of the left and right coupling elbows


71


,


72


. Thereby the handle may be turned and biased forwards or backwards (as shown in FIG.


6


).




Furthermore, in order to make the invention capable of adjusting angle and direction in a multiple choices manner, the latch slot of the support section and the notches of the coupling section may be designed and formed in a radial fashion. Moreover, both sides of the body of the anchor element in the control section may be made to respectively contact a slide key and one control element is housed in the pulling bar so that the body may push the slide keys at two sides simultaneously for controlling the control elements located at two sides of the pulling bar.




By means of aforesaid constructions, the handle of luggage or trunks may be turned and adjusted to an angle desired, thus overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional luggage or trunks.




While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A handle structure for turning and adjusting direction, comprising:a handle located on a top section of a luggage having a handle section which has a bottom rim; and a support section fastened to the bottom rim of the handle section having a control section located therein and a turning section located at a bottom end thereof, the turning section having two sides to couple respectively with a coupling section, the coupling section including a left coupling elbow and a right coupling elbow; wherein the handle section includes a push element which has one end coupling with a spring and another end coupling with a cap, and a bottom engaging with a push rod of the control section, the push rod having a bottom end coupled with an anchor element, the anchor element having one side pressing a slide key which also presses a push key mounted to a top end of a control element, the turning section having two sides each having a latch rim engageable with an indented groove formed on the coupling section, the left coupling elbow and the right coupling elbow having respectively notches formed therein to latch the anchor element, the support section further having a bottom end which has a latch slot matching the left and the right coupling elbow to allow the anchor element forming an engaging or detaching condition; wherein the cap is depressable to move the anchor element of the control section downwards for turning the handle or biasing the handle forwards or rearwards.
  • 2. The handle structure for turning and adjusting direction of claim 1, wherein:the handle section includes a casing which is formed by coupling two arched shells, the shells having respectively a side wall which has an indented recess to form a retain arch, the indented recess having a screw bore, the casing having one end fastened to a fastening blade through a screw and another end formed an opening and a coupling trough for housing a coupling sleeve, the coupling sleeve having an aperture at one end thereof for housing the push element and a screw bore located on an upper side thereof to engage with a screw for fastening the coupling sleeve to the casing, the push element having one end formed a jutting strut to couple with a spring and another end formed a jutting rim to couple with the cap, and a bottom which has a slant surface formed thereon; the support section has a concave saddle seat to couple with the retain arch of the handle section, the saddle seat having two sides each having an aperture to engage with a screw for fastening the saddle seat through the screw bore of the retain arch to the handle section, the saddle seat further having a rod located thereunder, the rod having a bottom end forming a latch slot, the saddle seat also having a through cavity running therethrough to house the control section; the control section includes a bias edge formed on a top end of the push rod to match the slant surface of the push element, the anchor element located beneath the push rod having a substantially semi-circular body and a pin located above the body, the body having a slot and two latch lugs located at the bottom on two lateral sides thereof, and having another side pressing the slide key; the turning section includes a front latch sheath and a rear latch sheath for coupling the rod of the support section, the front latch sheath and the rear latch sheath having respectively two sides each as forming the latch rim which is curved, the front latch sheath having a retain pin located therein, the rear latch sheath having a slide groove formed therein, the retain pin running through the slot of the anchor element of the control section; and the coupling section consists of the left coupling elbow and the right coupling elbow to respectively engage with the two sides of the turning section, the right coupling elbow housing the slide key of the control section and allowing the control element located in a pulling bar to pass through such that the slide key pressing against the push key mounted to the top end of the control element, the left coupling elbow and the right coupling elbow having respectively the notches formed therein corresponding to one another, and have respectively the indented groove to couple with the latch rims of the turning section, the left coupling elbow and the right coupling elbow having respectively a lower section fastened to the pulling bar through a screw.
  • 3. The handle structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the push key of the control element has a slant side pressing the slide key of the control section.
  • 4. The handle structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the notches of the left coupling elbow and the right coupling elbow are selectively formed radially or in a cross shape.
  • 5. The handle structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the latch slot of the support section is selectively formed radially or in a cross shape.
  • 6. The handle structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein one slide key is deployed at either of two sides of the body of the anchor element in the control section, the pulling bar having a control element located therein to allow the body to push the slide keys at two sides simultaneously for controlling the anchor element located at two sides of the pulling bar.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
5713441 Chen Feb 1998 A
5884362 Tsai Mar 1999 A
6009598 Chang Jan 2000 A
6301746 Myers et al. Oct 2001 B1
6332242 Chen Dec 2001 B1
6409207 Kuo Jun 2002 B1
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry
Kuo, US 2001/0040080 A1, Nov. 15, 2001.*
Kou, US 2002/0014382 A1, Feb. 7, 2002.