BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a luggage case. Particularly, the present invention relates to a luggage case having accessory cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today luggage cases have become a requisite accessory of miscellaneous people who travel frequently, and a variety of luggage cases in different size can be selected depending on situations, such as traveling abroad, business trip, or shipping items between locations. In addition to size, a variety of designs are provided, such as hard case and soft case. Moreover, some luggage cases have one or more zipper pockets on the outer side for accommodating small items. However, generally, luggage cases are not designed for easy access to items accommodated therein during the trip or shipping. Luggage cases are usually designed to have a closed configuration for convenient movement while a hand grip and wheels are disposed on the exterior of the luggage case to facilitate the user's operation and the mobility of luggage case.
On the other hand, it is common that users often make good use of the wheels to put the personal carry-on bag or belongings on the luggage case to be moved together. Because of a concise outline of luggage case, the users usually can merely put the personal carry-on bag or belongings near the hand grip or the handle shaft. However, because of the shaking caused by movements of the luggage case, the accessories attached to or disposed on the luggage case are mostly not steadily fixed thereon and even drop down to the floor interrupting the movement. As a result, it is desired to provide a luggage case for steadily supporting personal carry-on bags or small luggage disposed thereon to be smoothly moved with the luggage case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a luggage case having accessory cables.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a luggage case for shipping items that may differ in size.
The luggage case of the present invention includes a case body, a handle, and at least one cable. The handle is retractably connected to the case body and includes a shaft and a hand grip, wherein the shaft has one end connected to the case body and the other end connected to the hand grip. The shaft is retractable to adjust a distance between the hand grip and the case body. The cable has one end connected to the hand grip and the other end connected to the case body. The cable extends and is exposed between the hand grip and the case body when the shaft extends out from the case body. The cable retracts in a winding manner as the shaft retracts to the case body.
The luggage case of the present invention further includes a winding wheel disposed in the hand grip and/or the case body; the at least one cable is wound around the winding wheel as the handle retracts toward the case body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A-1D are schematic views of the embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention;
FIG. 1E is a schematic view of the embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention in a state of use;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention;
FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic views of another embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention;
FIGS. 4A-4B are schematic views of still another embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention;
FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic views of still another embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention; and
FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic views of still another embodiment of the luggage case of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As FIGS. 1A-1B show, the luggage case 10a of the present invention includes a case body 300, a handle 100 and at least one cable 200. The handle 100 is retractably connected to the case body 300 and includes a shaft 150 and a hand grip 120, wherein one end of the shaft 150 is connected to the case body 300 and the other end of the shaft 150 is connected to the hand grip 120. The shaft 150 is retractable to adjust a distance between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300.
Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1A, the shaft 150 of the luggage case 10a includes two poles disposed side by side and two ends of the hand grip 120 are connected to the two poles, respectively. The two poles, for example, may be disposed near two sides of the case body 300, respectively. However, in other embodiments, the shaft 150 may have other configurations. For example, the shaft 150 may be in a U shaped frame configuration with two vertical poles connected to the case body 300 and a horizontal bar connected between the two vertical poles, wherein the hand grip 120 can be made of any suitable material covering the horizontal bar. In another embodiment, the shaft 150 can be a single pole, which forms a T shaped handle with the hand grip 120 perpendicularly connected thereto (as shown in FIG. 2). That is, the number of such pole is not limited to the embodiments. Particularly, the pole(s) of the retractable shaft 150 can move relative to the case body 300 in their extending direction to extend out from the case body 300, specifically out of a top portion 350 of the case body 300 or be at least partly received inside the case body 300 as shown in FIG. 1 B, or in other embodiments, retreat toward the case body 300 if the handle 100 is disposed and exposed on the rear side of the case body 300 (not shown).
The hand grip 120 can be formed as rod-like, flat piece-like, or other suitable shapes, such as a shape suitable for hand gripping. Instead of a long and narrow shape with two ends connected to the two poles of the shaft as shown in FIG. 1A, the hand grip 120 may be formed like a shorter bar or be a knob with its middle portion connected to the single pole of the shaft 150 as shown in FIG. 2. In the embodiment that the hand grip 120 is a long and narrow shape, the extending direction of the hand grip 120 is usually consistent with the extending direction of a longer side of the top portion 350. In the embodiment that the poles of the shaft 150 are disposed side by side, it is preferably that two ends of the hand grip 120, which has a long and narrow shape, are connected to the poles. As a result, the hand grip 120 and the shaft 150, and further the top portion 350 together enclose a scope of plane.
When the luggage case 10a is in use, the user usually holds the hand grip 120 to pull out the handle 100. As such, the retractable shaft 150 extends out from the case body 300 so that the distance between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 is adjustable. When the luggage case 10a is not in use; the user usually pushes the hand grip 120 downward so that the shaft 150 retracts toward the case body 300, enabling the handle 100 to be in a storage state, i.e. received in the case body 300.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, an accommodation space 400 is formed in the top portion 350. The accommodation space 400 has an extending direction consistent with the extending direction of the hand grip 120 and preferably has a long and narrow shape corresponding to the shape of the hand grip 120. When the shaft 150 is received in the case body 300 completely (i.e. in the storage state), it is preferable that at least a portion of the hand grip 120 is received in the accommodation space 400 while the remaining portion is exposed for the user's operation. As a result, when pulling up the handle 100 originally in the storage state, it makes the hand grip 120 protrude out of the top portion 350 and then move away from the top portion 350. On the other hand, the accommodation space 400 can be partially expanded at the central portion to form an operation space 401. The operation space 401 corresponds to a location on the hand grip 120 for the user's operation of pulling the handle 100 up.
The cable 200 of the luggage case 10a of the present invention has one end connected to the hand grip 120 and the other end connected to the case body 300, so that the cable 200 is retractably connected between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300. The cable 200 is preferably a flexible structure in comparison to the shaft 150, so that the length of the cable 200 between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 is adjustable in a winding or folding manner. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cable 200 extends and is exposed between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 when the shaft 150 extends out from the case body 300, and at least a portion of the cable 200 retracts in a winding manner as the shaft 150 retracts to the case body 300. Specifically, the cable 200 is preferably wound in the hand grip 120 (as shown in FIG. 1C) or in the case body 300 (as shown in FIG. 1D) as the handle 100 retracts toward the case body 300. The retracting handle 100 is usually able to reach the storage state, such as the state of completely received in the accommodation space 40. In this regard, as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, the cable 200 could be also in its storage state and substantially unseeable.
The at least one cable 200 includes a single or multiple cables 200. In a case of multiple cables, the cables 200 are preferably spaced apart and aligned with the shaft 150. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, for example, two cables 200 are exposed between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300, substantially parallel to the shaft 150, and form a support plane P together with the shaft 150, wherein the support plane P substantially includes the above mentioned scope of plane enclosed by the hand grip 120, the shaft 150, and the top portion 350, and the spaced apart cables 200 serve as an auxiliary supporter to support any items disposed on the top portion 350. In the case that the shaft 150 includes two poles disposed side by side, especially two poles connected to the two ends of the hand grip 120, the at least one cable 200 is preferably disposed between the two poles and spaced therefrom. In addition, when it is especially provided cables 200 in pairs, each of the cables 200 in pairs is preferably located equidistant from its nearest pole. In other embodiments, however, the at least one cable 200 may be disposed outside the shafts 150; for example, there might be the pole(s) of the shaft disposed between the cables. (i.e. the other sides of the shafts facing each other).
In the embodiment that the shaft 150 includes a single pole, as shown in FIG. 2, the at least one cable 200 is preferably connected to the hand grip 120 near one end thereof that is away from the single pole. In such case, the at least one cable 200 and the single pole from the support plane P.
The unwound or folded length of the cable 200 is preferably greater than a vertical distance between the hand grip 120 and the top portion 350, so that the end of the cable 200 connected to the case body 300 passes the accommodation space 400 in the top portion 350 and is received inside the case body 300. As such, it is a part of the unwound cable 200 exposed between the hand grip 120 and the top portion 350. Depending on the movement of the handle 100/hand grip 120 relative to the top portion 350, the exposed part of the cable 200 is variable in length. Specifically, when the handle 100 moves toward the top potion 350 such as the hand grip 120 being pushed, the distance between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 is shorten, the cable 200 is wound from the end connected to the hand grip 120 and/or the other end received inside the case body 300 so that the part exposed between the hand grip 120 and the top portion 350 is then received inside the hand grip 120 and/or the case body 300.
As shown in FIG. 1C, for example, the luggage case 10a further includes a winding wheel 110 disposed in the hand grip 120, wherein the cable 200 is connected to the winding wheel 110 so as to be wound around the winding wheel 110 as the handle 100 retracts toward the case body 300 or released from the winding wheel 110 as the handle 100 is pulled up. Particularly, the winding wheel 110 can include a rotational spring or a torsional spring. For example, the torsional spring of the winding wheel 110 tends to its released state and therefore lets the winding wheel 110 rotate to wind the cable 200, which in the preferred embodiment specially happens along with the shaft 150 retracting to the case body 300. On the other hand, when pulling the handle 100 away from the case body 300 as well as enlarging the distance between the hand grip 120 and the case body 300, the cable 200 having two ends respectively connected to the hand grip 120 and the case body 300 is also pulled, forcing the winding wheel 110 to rotate as well as to release the cable 200 from a winding state to an unwound state.
In addition, the luggage case 10a further includes a supporting element 130 disposed in the hand grip 100 and an opening 105 formed on a side of the hand grip 100 facing the top portion 350, which is preferable for the cable 200 to pass therethrough. The portion of the cable 200 in the hand grip 120 may extend along the hang grip 100 between the winding wheel 110 and the supporting element 130, passing by the supporting element 130, extends out of the hang grip 100 through the opening 105 and naturally hangs down. In other words, the supporting element 130 could change an extending direction of the cable 200 and mediate together with the opening 105 where the cable 200 is located relative to the shaft 150. The other end of the unwound cable 200 is received inside the case body 300, wherein another winding wheel may be optionally disposed in the case body 300 so that the cable 200 may has the end received inside the case body 300 being connected to the winding wheel and wound therearound.
In addition, the winding wheel 110 and/or the supporting element 130 give the cable 200 a tension or mediate a hanging direction of the cable 200.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the winding wheel 110 and the support element 130 are disposed in the case body 300 to let the cable 200 be wound around as the handle 100 retracts toward the case body 300 and change the extending direction of the cable 200. On the other hand, there might be an opening 106 formed on the top portion 350 of the case body 300 for the cable 200 passing therethrough and extending out of the case body 300. Alternatively, the cable 200 may extend out of the case body 300 through the accommodation space 400 mentioned above.
Material of the cable 200 may be selected from metal, plastic, and rubber, and is preferably flexible material. On the other hand, the cable 200 may be replaced by flat strip such as a rubber belt. As FIG. 1E shows, after pulling up the handle 100, a luggage 8 such as a package or a handbag may be disposed and lean on the top portion 350 and the shaft 150 and further supported by the cables 200, which also improves the use of the luggage case 10a. On the other hand, by means of the cable 200, items having smaller volume are prevented from dropping from a space between the poles of the shaft 150 when leaning thereon. In sum, the luggage case of the present invention has the cable acting as an auxiliary support for additionally supporting items different in size.
FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic views of another embodiment of the luggage case 10b of the present invention. As FIG. 3B shows, the accommodation space for receiving the hand grip 120 is omitted from the top portion 350 of the luggage case 10b. As FIG. 3A shows, the hand grip 120 of the handle 100 in the storage state is sitting on the top portion 350. The center of the hand grip 120 is a gripping portion 102. When the hand grip 120 is sitting on the top portion 350, the gripping portion 102 and the top portion 350 are apart by a space for the user's hand reaching to hold and operate hand grip 120. On the other hand, in addition to the opening 352 formed on the top portion 350 for the shaft 150 extending out from the case body 300, a further opening 351 is provided for the cable 200 to pass through the top portion 350. FIGS. 4A-4B are schematic views of still another embodiment of the luggage case 10c of the present invention, wherein the hand grip 120 is formed to have a streamline shape.
FIGS. 5A-5C are schematic views of still another embodiment of the luggage case 10d of the present invention, wherein depending on a shape of the hand grip 120, one or more accommodation spaces 400 are formed on the top portion 350 corresponding to two ends of the hand grip 120 while the shaft 150 can also extend out from the case body 300 through the accommodation space 400. When the hand grip 120 of the handle 100 is in the storage state, the side of the hand grip 120 facing the top portion 350 is partially received in the accommodation space 400. On the hand, the opening 351 is formed on the top portion 350 for the cable 200 to pass through the top portion 350. FIGS. 6A-6B are schematic views of still another embodiment of the luggage case 10e of the present invention. In comparison to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, the hand grip 120 and the corresponding accommodation space 400 of the embodiment shown in 6A-6B may have different design.
Although the preferred embodiments of present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. The preferred embodiments disclosed will not limited the scope of the present invention. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20140008167
