초록 ▼

A retractable wheel assembly for an article of luggage has a housing formed with side and end walls, closed top and open bottom. The housing fits into an opening in a side of the luggage and has a peripheral flange for attachment to the luggage. The housing has a well in which is a fork supporting a

A retractable wheel assembly for an article of luggage has a housing formed with side and end walls, closed top and open bottom. The housing fits into an opening in a side of the luggage and has a peripheral flange for attachment to the luggage. The housing has a well in which is a fork supporting a rotatable wheel. The fork is rotatable on a stationary pin and is movable laterally on the pin. A coil spring on the pin biases the fork against an abutment in the well so the fork and wheel are held retracted in the well. A catch cooperates with the spring in holding the fork and wheel retracted. When the catch is disengaged the fork can be rotated on the pin to an outward position where the coil spring moves the fork laterally into engagement with a flat, U-shaped bracket at the bottom of the housing. There the fork is held extended until moved manually laterally against the bias of the spring to disengage the fork from the bracket, so that the fork and wheel can be rotated into the well. The catch may be a manually rotatable lug or a spring catch member. THe axis of rotation of the fork is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the wheel in the fork so the wheel may retract entirely into the well.

대표청구항 ▼

A retractable wheel assembly for an article of luggage or the like, comprising: a housing attachable to said article of luggage and having walls defining a well, closed top and open bottom; a wheel support having a pair of spaced flat legs; a wheel rotatably mounted on its axis between said legs; sh

A retractable wheel assembly for an article of luggage or the like, comprising: a housing attachable to said article of luggage and having walls defining a well, closed top and open bottom; a wheel support having a pair of spaced flat legs; a wheel rotatably mounted on its axis between said legs; shaft means in said well rotatably carrying said wheel support, said wheel support being freely movable laterally on said shaft means; bracket means carried by said housing and arranged to engage said wheel support when in outwardly extending position; and spring means in said well arranged to urge said wheel support into engagement by said bracket means when in outwardly extended position, whereby said wheel support can be disengaged from said bracket means by moving said wheel support laterally on said shaft means against bias in said spring means, and whereby said wheel support can be rotated into said well when disengaged from said bracket means.