U.S. patent application number 10/659558 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-10 for luggage assembly.
Invention is credited to Liang, Sung-Ming.
Application Number | 20050051405 10/659558 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34226975 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050051405 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liang, Sung-Ming |
March 10, 2005 |
Luggage assembly
Abstract
A luggage assembly includes an upright tubular member, upper and
lower mounting seat members, upper and lower horizontal plate
members, a luggage shell, and a pull handle unit. The upper and
lower mounting seat members are mounted respectively on top and
bottom end portions of the upright tubular member. The upper and
lower horizontal plate members are mounted respectively on the
upper and lower mounting seat members. The luggage shell is
disposed to surround the upright tubular member, the mounting seat
members and the horizontal plate members, and is formed with welts.
The pull handle unit is disposed externally of the luggage shell,
and includes a mounting seat fastened to the upper mounting seat
member and the upper horizontal plate member, and a handle member
pivotally retained on the mounting seat.
Inventors: |
Liang, Sung-Ming; (Chang-Hua
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTIE, PARKER & HALE, LLP
PO BOX 7068
PASADENA
CA
91109-7068
US
|
Family ID: |
34226975 |
Appl. No.: |
10/659558 |
Filed: |
September 9, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
190/115 ;
16/113.1; 190/124; 190/39 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 16/451 20150115;
A45C 5/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
190/115 ;
190/124; 190/039; 016/113.1 |
International
Class: |
A45C 013/30; A45C
013/00; A47B 095/02; A45C 013/26 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A luggage assembly comprising: an upright tubular member having
top and bottom end portions; upper and lower mounting seat members,
each of which is made of a rigid plastic material and has front and
rear end portions, each of said front and rear end portions of each
of said upper and lower mounting seat members having top and bottom
sides, said rear end portions of said upper and lower mounting seat
members being mounted respectively on said top and bottom end
portions of said upright tubular member; upper and lower horizontal
plate members, each of which has front and rear end portions and is
made of a rigid plastic material, said upper horizontal plate
member being mounted on said bottom side of said front end portion
of said upper mounting seat member, said lower horizontal plate
member being mounted on said top side of said front end portion of
said lower mounting seat member; a luggage shell made of fabric and
disposed to surround said upright tubular member, said upper and
lower mounting seat members, and said upper and lower horizontal
plate members, said luggage shell including a front wall, a rear
wall, a side wall connected to said front and rear walls, a first
welt formed at a juncture of said front and side walls, and a
second welt formed at a juncture of said rear and side walls; and a
pull handle unit disposed externally of said luggage shell and
including a mounting seat fastened to said front end portion of
said upper mounting seat member and said upper horizontal plate
member, and a handle member pivotally retained on said mounting
seat.
2. The luggage assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper
and lower horizontal plate members are free of a reinforcing frame
connection therebetween.
3. The luggage assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
an extension handle member extendable and retractable through said
luggage shell and said upright tubular member.
4. The luggage assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
wheel unit disposed externally of said luggage shell and fastened
to said lower horizontal plate member.
5. The luggage assembly as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a
foot post unit disposed externally of said luggage shell and
fastened to said lower horizontal plate member and said lower
mounting seat member.
6. The luggage assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said foot
post unit and said wheel unit are disposed respectively at said
front and rear end portions of said lower horizontal plate member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a luggage assembly, more
particularly to a durable and lightweight luggage assembly.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional luggage assembly includes a pair of parallel
upright tubular members, upper and lower mounting seat members, a
reinforcing frame, a luggage shell, and a pull handle unit.
[0005] Each of the tubular members has top and bottom end portions.
The upper and lower mounting seat members are connected
respectively to the top end portions and the bottom end portions of
the tubular members. The reinforcing frame interconnects the upper
and lower mounting seat members, and is made of steel. The luggage
shell is disposed to surround the tubular members, the upper and
lower mounting seat members, and the reinforcing frame. The pull
handle unit is disposed externally of the luggage shell, and is
fastened to reinforcing frame.
[0006] Although the conventional luggage assembly achieves its
intended purpose, the reinforcing frame is relatively heavy. To
solve this problem, it has been proposed to use a reinforcing frame
made of aluminum. This, however, can cause other problems.
Particularly, the reinforcing frame is easily deformed when the
luggage assembly is carried using the pull handle unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide
a luggage assembly that is relatively light, while without
compromising the overall structural strength thereof so as to
overcome the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.
[0008] According to the present invention, a luggage assembly
comprises an upright tubular member, upper and lower mounting seat
members, upper and lower horizontal plate members, a luggage shell,
and a pull handle unit. The upright tubular member has top and
bottom end portions. Each of the upper and lower mounting seat
members is made of a rigid plastic material, and has front and rear
end portions. Each of the front and rear end portions of each of
the upper and lower mounting seat members has top and bottom sides.
The rear end portions of the upper and lower mounting seat members
are mounted respectively on the top and bottom end portions of the
upright tubular member. Each of the upper and lower horizontal
plate members has front and rear end portions, and is made of a
rigid plastic material. The upper horizontal plate member is
mounted on the bottom side of the front end portion of the upper
mounting seat member. The lower horizontal plate member is mounted
on the top side of the front end portion of the lower mounting seat
member. The luggage shell is made of fabric and is disposed to
surround the upright tubular member, the upper and lower mounting
seat members, and the upper and lower horizontal plate members. The
luggage shell includes a front wall, a rear wall, a side wall
connected to the front and rear walls, a first welt formed at a
juncture of the front and side walls, and a second welt formed at a
juncture of the rear and side walls. The pull handle unit is
disposed externally of the luggage shell, and includes amounting
seat fastened to the front end portion of the upper mounting seat
member and the upper horizontal plate member, and a handle member
pivotally retained on the mounting seat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred
embodiment of a luggage assembly according to this invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view to illustrate a
luggage shell of the preferred embodiment; and
[0012] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the preferred embodiment of a
luggage assembly 1 according to this invention is shown to include
an upright tubular member 11, upper and lower mounting seat members
13, 12, upper and lower horizontal plate members 16, 15, a luggage
shell 20, and a pull handle unit 30.
[0014] The tubular member 11 has top and bottom end portions 112,
111. Each of the upper and lower mounting seat members 13, 12 is
made of a rigid plastic material, has front and rear end portions
132, 122, 131, 121, and is generally L-shaped. In particular, each
of the upper and lower mounting seat members 13, 12 has a
horizontal section that serves as the front end portion 132, 122
and a vertical section that serves as the rear end portion 131,
121. Each of the front end portions 132, 122 of each of the upper
and lower mounting seat members 13, 12 has top and bottom sides.
Each of the rear end portions 131, 121 of the upper and lower
mounting seat members 13, 12 is formed with an insert hole 133,
123. In this embodiment, the rear end portions 131, 121 of the
upper and lower mounting seat members 13, 12 are mounted
respectively on the top and bottom end portions 112, 111 of the
tubular member 11 such that the top and bottom end portions 121,
111 of the tubular member 11 extend fittingly and respectively into
the insert holes 133, 123 in the rear end portions 131, 121 of the
upper and lower mounting seat members 13, 12.
[0015] Each of the upper and lower horizontal plate members 16, 15
is made of a rigid plastic material, has front and rear end
portions 162, 161,152,151, and is generally rectangular in shape.
In this embodiment, the upper horizontal plate member 16 is mounted
on the bottom side of the front end portion 132 of the upper
mounting seat member 13 such that the front end portion 162 of the
upper horizontal plate member 16 projects relative to the front end
portion 132 of the upper mounting seat member 13. On the other
hand, the lower horizontal plate member 15 is mounted on the top
side of the front end portion 122 of the lower mounting seat member
12.
[0016] The luggage shell 20 is made of fabric and is disposed, in a
known manner, to surround the tubular member 11, the upper and
lower mounting seat members 13, 12, and the upper and lower
horizontal plate members 16, 15. In this embodiment, the luggage
shell 20 includes a front wall 23, a rear wall 22, a side wall 21
connected to the front and rear walls 23, 22, a first welt 25
formed at a juncture of the front and side walls 23, 21, and a
second welt 24 formed at a juncture of the rear and side walls 22,
21.
[0017] The pull handle unit 30 is disposed externally of the
luggage shell 20, and includes a mounting seat 31 fastened to the
front end portion 132 of the upper mounting seat member 13 and the
rear end portion 161 of the upper horizontal plate member 16, and a
handle member 32 pivotally retained on the mounting seat 31.
[0018] The luggage assembly 1 further includes a bezel 14 disposed
externally of the luggage shell 20 and fastened to the rear end
portion 131 of the upper mounting seat member 13. The bezel 14 is
formed with a hole 141 that is aligned with the insert hole 133 in
the rear end portion 131 of the upper mounting seat member 13 when
the bezel 14 is fastened to the upper mounting seat member 13.
[0019] The luggage assembly 1 further includes an extension handle
member 40 extendable and retractable through the bezel 14, the
luggage shell 20, and the tubular member 11. The handle member 40
has a handgrip 42 and a towing bar 41 that are respectively
received in the bezel 14 and the upright tubular member 11 when the
handle member 40 is retracted. The handgrip 42 is operated to
extend or retract the handle member 40.
[0020] The luggage assembly 1 further includes a wheel unit 50
disposed externally of the luggage shell 20. In this embodiment,
the wheel unit 50 is fastened to the lower horizontal plate member
15.
[0021] The luggage assembly 1 further includes a foot post unit 60
disposed externally of the luggage shell 20. In this embodiment,
the foot post unit 60 is fastened to the lower horizontal plate
member 15 and the lower mounting seat member 12.
[0022] Preferably, the wheel unit 50 includes a pair of wheels
disposed respectively at the left and right parts of the rear end
portion 151 of the lower horizontal plate member 15. The foot post
unit 60 is disposed at the front end portion 152 of the lower
horizontal plate member 15.
[0023] As mentioned hereinabove, each of the upper and lower
mounting seat members 13, 12, and the upper and lower horizontal
plate members 16, 15 is made of a rigid plastic material.
Furthermore, the upper and lower horizontal plate members 16, 15
are free of a reinforcing frame connection therebetween. The
construction as such reduces the overall weight of the luggage
assembly 1 of this invention.
[0024] It has thus been shown that the luggage assembly 1 of this
invention includes an upright tubular member 11, upper and lower
mounting seat member 16, 15 that are mounted respectively on top
and bottom end portions 112, 111 of the tubular member 11, upper
and lower horizontal plate members 16, 15 that are mounted
respectively on the upper and lower mounting seat members 13, 12,
and a luggage shell 20 that is disposed to surround the tubular
member 11, the mounting seat members 13, 12 and the horizontal
plate members 16, 15, and that is formed with first and second
welts 24, 25. The construction as such results in a lightweight
structure without compromising the overall structural strength of
the luggage assembly 1.
[0025] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
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