1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to luggage technology, and more particularly, to a stepless retractable handle assembly for luggage.
2. Description of the Related Art
A luggage normally has rollers mounted at the bottom side thereof, and a retractable handle mounted at the back side thereof. By means of the rotation of the rollers and the draggable function of the retractable handle, the carrying convenience of the luggage is enhanced.
For enabling a luggage to be dragged with less effort, conventional retractable handles are commonly made in a multi-stage telescopic design. In the retractable handle adjustment process, it needs the help of positioning pins, positioning steel balls or other positioning structures to achieve the desired positioning effect. However, these positioning structures likely to cause a limitation in the adjustment process, making the user unable to adjust the retractable handle to the most appropriate height according to the actual needs. This will also affect the comfort of the use of the retractable handle with luggage.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a stepless retractable handle assembly for luggage, which is quite convenient in operation and allows adjustment to any desired height without structural limitations.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a stepless retractable handle assembly for luggage comprises a handle grip, two retractable bars, a control unit, a transmission unit, and two positioning units. The handle grip comprises a bottom grip shell, and a top grip shell mounted on a top side of the bottom grip shell. The top grip shell comprises a button slot. Each retractable bar comprises an outer tube and an inner tube axially slidably inserted into the outer tube. The inner tube has a top end thereof fixedly connected to the bottom grip shell of the handle grip, and thus, the two inner tubes can be carried by the handle grip to move in the respective outer tubes up and down. The control unit comprises a press-button and a first teturn device. The press-button is vertically movably mounted in the button slot of the top grip shell of the handle grip, comprising two first pushing abutment portions located at a bottom side thereof. The first teturn device is mounted between the bottom grip shell of the handle grip and the press-button to impart an elastic restoring force to the press-button. The transmission unit comprises two transmission plates, two bearing blocks, and two connection shafts. The two transmission plates are transversely movably mounted in the bottom grip shell of the handle grip, each comprising two first bearing portions located at one end thereof and respectively abutted against the first pushing abutment portions of the press-button and a second pushing abutment portion located at an opposite end thereof. Thus, the two transmission plates can be moved transversely when the press-button is pressed by an external force. The two bearing blocks are respectively affixed to respective top ends of the inner tubes of the retractable bars, each comprising a second bearing portion abutted against the second pushing abutment portion of one respective transmission plate. The two connection shafts are respectively inserted into the inner tubes of the retractable bars, and respectively connected to respective bottom ends of the bearing blocks. Thus, the bearing blocks are drivable to move the connected connection shafts vertically. Each positioning unit is mounted in one respective retractable bar, comprising an anchor clamp holder, an anchor clamp and a second teturn device. The anchor clamp holder is mounted in the inner tube of one respective retractable bar and connected to a bottom end of one respective connection shaft for movement with the inner tube of the respective retractable bar relative to the associating outer tube. The anchor clamp is pivotally connected to the anchor clamp holder and disposed in the outer tube of the respective retractable bar and movable to abut against or release from an inside wall of the outer tube of the respective retractable bar subject to vertical displacement of the anchor clamp holder in the respective retractable bar. The second return device is stopped against the anchor clamp holder to impart an elastic restoring forced to the anchor clamp holder. Thus, when pressed on the press-button, the anchor clamps are released from the inside walls of the outer tubes of the respective retractable bars for allowing adjustment of the height of the inner tubes of the retractable bars. When released the press-button, the anchor clamps are extended out to abut against the inside walls of the outer tubes of the respective retractable bars, locking the inner tubes of the retractable bars in the adjusted position.
Preferably, the movable holder frame of the anchor clamp holder comprises a first lateral hole and a second lateral hole; the anchor clamp comprises a first clamping arm and a second clamping arm. The first clamping arm comprises a first transverse guide hole located in one end thereof, and a first pivot hole disposed adjacent to the first transverse guide hole. The second clamping arm comprises a second transverse guide hole located in one end thereof, and a second pivot hole disposed adjacent to the second transverse guide hole. Each positioning unit further comprises a first pivot bolt and a second pivot bolt. The first pivot bolt is inserted through the first lateral hole of the respective movable holder frame and the first transverse guide hole of the respective first clamping arm. The second pivot bolt is inserted through the second lateral hole of the respective movable holder frame and the second transverse guide hole of the respective second clamping arm. Thus, the first and second clamping arms of the anchor clamp can be biased to abut against or release from the inside wall of the outer tube of the respective retractable bar when the respective movable holder frame is moved vertically.
Preferably, each positioning unit further comprises a supplementary anchor clamp pivotally connected the bottom end of the respective movable holder frame below the associating anchor clamp. Thus, the supplementary anchor clamp can be biased to abut against or release from the inside wall of the outer tube of the respective retractable bar when the associating movable holder frame is moved vertically, enhancing the functioning of the respective positioning unit to lock the inner tube of the respective retractable bar.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure.
Referring to
The handle grip 20 comprises a bottom grip shell 21, and a top grip shell 22 affixed to a top side of the bottom grip shell 21. The top grip shell 22 defines therein a button slot 23.
Each retractable bar 30 comprises an outer tube 31, and an inner tube 32 slidably axially inserted into the outer tube 31. As shown in
The control unit 40 comprises a press-button 41 and a first. teturn device 42. As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
The anchor clamp 62 comprises a first clamping arm 68. The first clamping arm 68 comprises a first transverse guide hole 682 extended through two opposite lateral sides of one end thereof, and a first pivot hole 684 disposed adjacent to the first transverse guide hole 682. The first clawing arm 68 is pivotally connected to a bottom end of the movable holder frame 65 with a first pivot bolt 70. The first pivot bolt 70 is inserted through the first lateral hole 653 of the movable holder frame 65 and the first transverse guide hole 682 of the first clamping arm 68. The anchor clamp 62 further comprises a second clamping arm 69. The second clamping arm 69 comprises a second transverse guide hole 692 extended through two opposite lateral sides of one end thereof, and a second pivot hole 694 disposed adjacent to the second transverse guide hole 692. The second clamping arm 69 is pivotally connected to the bottom end of the movable holder frame 65 with a second pivot bolt 71. The second pivot bolt 71 is inserted through the second lateral hole 654 of the movable holder frame 65 and the second transverse guide hole 692 of the second clamping arm 69. Further, the first clamping arm 68 and the second clamping arm 69 are pivotally connected together by a first pivot pin 72. The first pivot pin 72 is inserted through the first locating hole 665 of the fixed holder frame 64, the first pivot hole 684 of the first clamping arm 68, the second pivot hole 694 of the second clamping arm 69 and the first longitudinal sliding slot 655 of the movable holder frame 65. The anchor clamp 62 further comprises a first friction member 73 and a second friction member 74. The first friction member 73 is mounted at an opposite end of the first clamping arm 68. The second friction member 74 is mounted at an opposite end of the second clamping arm 69. The second teturn device 63 (for example, compression spring) is mounted in the opening 651 of the movable holder frame 65 and stopped between the lower bearing wall 663 of the fixed holder frame 64 and the upper bearing wall 652 of the movable holder frame 65 to impart an upward pressure to the movable holder frame 65.
Each positioning unit 60 further comprises two first torsion springs 75. The first torsion springs 75 are respectively mounted on two opposite ends of the first pivot pin 72 and respectively accommodated in a first spring groove 686 in the first clamping arm 68 and a second spring groove 696 in the second clamping arm 69. The first spring groove 686 extends around the first pivot hole 684. The second spring groove 696 extends around the second pivot hole 694. Thus, the first torsion springs 75 can simultaneously impart an outward elastic restoring force to the first and second clamping arm 68;69.
Each positioning unit 60 further comprises a supplementary anchor clamp 80. The supplementary anchor clamp 80 comprises a third clamping arm 81, a third friction member 77, a fourth clamping arm 82, and a fourth friction member 78. The third clamping arm 81 has a third pivot hole 812 extended through two opposite lateral sides of one end thereof. The third friction member 77 is mounted at an opposite end of the third clamping arm 81. The fourth clamping arm 82 has a fourth pivot hole 822 extended through two opposite lateral sides of one end thereof. The fourth friction member 78 is mounted at an opposite end of the fourth clamping arm 82. The third clamping arm 81 and the fourth clamping arm 82 are pivotally connected to the bottom end of the movable holder frame 65 by a second pivot pin 79. The second pivot pin 79 is inserted through the second locating hole 667 of the fixed holder frame 64, the third pivot hole 812 of the third clamping arm 81, the fourth pivot hole 822 of the fourth clamping arm 82 and the second longitudinal sliding slot 658 of the movable holder frame 65. Each positioning unit 60 further comprises a third pivot bolt 83, a fourth pivot bolt 84, and two second torsion springs 76. The third pivot bolt 83 is inserted into the third lateral hole 656 of the movable holder frame 65 and stopped at the outer perimeter of the third clamping arm 81. The fourth pivot bolt 84 is inserted into the fourth lateral hole 657 of the movable holder frame 65 and stopped at the outer perimeter of the fourth clamping arm 82. The two second torsion springs 76 are respectively mounted on two opposite ends of the second pivot pin 79 and respectively accommodated in a third spring groove 814 in the third clamping arm 81 and a fourth spring groove 824 in the fourth clamping arm 82. The third spring groove 814 extends around the third pivot hole 812. The fourth spring groove 824 extends around the fourth pivot hole 822. Thus, the second torsion springs 76 can simultaneously impart an outward elastic restoring force to the third and fourth clamping arm 81;82.
Thus, when going to adjust the height of the retractable bars 30, press on the press-button 41, as illustrated in
After the retractable bars 30 are adjusted to the desired height, release the pressure from the press-button 41, allowing the press-button 41 to be returned to its former position by the elastic restoring force of the first teturn device 42, as shown in
It is to be noted that the supplementary anchor clamps 80 can be eliminated from the positioning units 60 according to actual requirements. In this case, as started in
In conclusion, the stepless retractable handle assembly 10 of the present invention is quite convenient in operation. The most important is the ability to meet the needs of different users for adjustment to any desired height without structural limitations, achieving the purpose of increasing user comfort.