Retractable wheel assembly for a carrier
AssigneeTimothy J. C. O'Shea
InventorTimothy J. C. O'Shea
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A retractable wheel assembly (110) for a carrier (100) is disclosed wherein the wheels (120) are rotatably mounted in cowls (130), which are pivotably disposed in wheel wells (116L, 116R) on a housing. The cowls are connected with a cowl axle assembly (140) that includes a coil spring, preferably a constant force spring (150) that biases the cowls towards a retracted position. The constant force spring is connected to a retractable handle (104), preferably with a spring engagement member (160), such that extending the retractable handle will bias the cowls towards an extended position, wherein the wheels extend out of the wheel wells for use.
Claims20
A retractable wheel assembly for a carrier comprising:
- a retractable handle that is movable between an extended position and a retracted position:
- a housing attached to the retractable handle, the housing defining a wheel well;
- a cowl having a pivot axis and disposed in the wheel well such that the cowl is pivotable between a first position and an second position;
- a wheel rotatably mounted in the cowl, the wheel adapted to rotate about an axis that is offset from the cowl pivot axis, wherein the wheel is disposed substantially entirely within the wheel well when the cowl is in the first position, and the wheel extends out from the wheel well when the cowl is in the second position;
- a cowl axle attached to the cowl and oriented along the cowl pivot axis;
- and
- a spring having a first end connected to the cowl axle and a second end connected to the retractable handle;
- wherein the cowl is biased by the spring towards the first position when the retractable handle is retracted, and the cowl is biased towards the second position when the retractable handle is extended.
A carrier comprising
- a closable container portion having a handle that is movable between a first position and a second position;
- a wheel housing attached to the closable container, the wheel housing defining a first wheel well and a second wheel well;
- a first cowl pivotably disposed in the first wheel well and a second cowl pivotably disposed in the second wheel well, the first and second cowls interconnected with a cowl axle, wherein the first and second cowl pivot about a first axis between a retracted position and an extended position;
- a first wheel rotatably mounted in the first cowl and a second wheel rotatably mounted in the second cowl, the first and second wheels adapted to rotate about a second axis that is parallel to the first axis, wherein the first and second wheels are disposed substantially entirely within the first and second wheel wells when the first and second cowls are in the retracted position, and the first and second wheels extend out from the first and second wheel wells when the first and second cowls are in the extended position;
- and
- a constant force spring having a first end connected to the cowl axle and a second end connected to the handle such that the first and second cowls are biased towards the retracted position when the handle is in the first position, and the first and second cowls are biased towards the extended position when the handle is in the second position.
A retractable wheel assembly comprising:
- a wheel housing having a first wheel well and a second wheel well;
- a first cowl pivotably disposed in the first wheel well and a second cowl pivotably disposed in the second wheel well;
- a first wheel rotatably mounted in the first cowl and a second wheel rotatably mounted in the second cowl;
- an axle connecting the first cowl to the second cowl;
- a handle selectively movable between a first position and a second position;
- biasing means attached to the axle and to the handle such that the biasing means biases the first cowl toward a retracted position when the handle is in the first position and the biasing means biases the cowl towards an extended position when the handle is in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.