Shock-absorbing wheel assemblies for luggage bag

A method of supporting a bag as the bag is tilted and pulled along a surface, the method comprising the steps of:

• rigidly connecting a wheel housing to a bottom edge of the bag;
• providing a strut member defining a longitudinal axis and comprising
• first and second elongate pivot flanges,
• a spring plate that spaces the first and second pivot flanges from each other such that the pivot flanges are spaced from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the strut member,
• first and second strut openings formed in the first and second pivot flanges, respectively, and
• first and second wheel openings formed in the first and second pivot flanges, respectively;
• extending a pivot pin through the first and second strut openings in the strut member to connect the strut member to the housing for rotation between first and second positions about a pivot axis such that the longitudinal axis defined by the strut member extends substantially through the pivot axis;
• opposing movement of the strut member from the first position to the second position by arranging a spring member between the wheel housing and a spring plate of the strut member;
• extending a wheel axle through the first and second wheel openings and a wheel member such that
• at least a portion of the wheel member extends out of the wheel housing as the strut member moves between the first and second positions, and
• the longitudinal axis of the strut member extends substantially through the wheel axle;
• tilting the bag such that the wheel member engages the surface and the load of the bag is transmitted at least partly from the wheel housing to the strut member through the spring member;
• and
• arranging the spring member such that the spring member is below, relative to true vertical, the pivot portion when the bag is tilted and pulled with only the wheel member in contact with the surface such that the longitudinal axis of the strut member is substantially vertically aligned when the strut member is in the first position while the bag is tilted and pulled with only the wheel member in contact with the surface;
• irregularities in the surface cause the wheel member to move between the first and second positions relative to the bag such that the spring plate acts on and resiliently deforms the spring member to inhibit transfer of shocks associated with such irregularities from the wheel member to the wheel housing;
• arranging the spring member above, relative to true vertical, the wheel axle when the strut member moves between the first and second positions while the bag is tilted and pulled with only the wheel member in contact with the surface;
• arranging the pivot pin above, relative to true vertical, the wheel axle when the strut member moves between the first and second positions while the bag is tilted and pulled with only the wheel member in contact with the surface;
• and
• angling the pivot flanges and spring plate with respect to horizontal when the strut member moves between the first and second positions while the bag is tilted and pulled with only the wheel member in contact with the surface to inhibit the collection of debris between the strut member and the wheel housing.