US 4,792,025 A · Caddy luggage

Abstract

A suitcase is modified to have wheels at the bottom corners of the rear face of the suitcase, a retractable handle with an offset to secure stacked luggage against the offset, and a spring actuated folding shelf which can grip adjacent luggage items. The offset handle can be used for normal lifting when retracted and pulling when extended. Offset allows extension structure to be placed in the rear wall of the suitcase while the handle is placed in the normal central location. The offset also lowers the center of gravity of the combination, especially when other items of luggage are stacked on the extensible handle. The shelf is incorporated into the front wall, and can be folded out and down to support adjacent luggage. The shelf is spring loaded towards the closed (flush with suitcase) position, in order to secure the shelf when not in use and to grip adjacent luggage when the shelf is deployed. Wheels are placed in recessed corners using a single bracket and axle component which provides added structural integrity with minimum added weight.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A luggage and caddy combination for containing items of personnal property of a traveler and for carrying other pieces of luggage, which comprises:

a generally parallelipipedic container defined by opposite first and second faces, first and second opposite sides, a top and a bottom;
rolling means for rotatively supporting said container, said rolling means being attached to said container about a first axis parallel and proximate to the intersection of said first face and bottom;
a generally planar shelf having one edge rotatively secured to said second face about a second axis parallel and proximate to the intersection of said bottom and second face, said shelf being movable from a stowed position generally parallel to said second face to at least one deployed position generally orthogonal with said second face;
a support structure having one end secured to said container, an opposite second end shaped and dimensioned to form a handle at a first location near the top of the container, and an extensible section between said first and second end, said section having means for extending said second end to at least one other location above and apart from said top along a plane generally parallel and proximate to the plane of said first face;
and
means for locking said support structure in each of said locations.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Caddy luggage

Life of this patent

Caddy luggage

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18