초록

A dual wheel assembly is provided at each corner of an item of luggage to facilitate pulling of the luggage in any direction by means of a handle such as a telescopic handle of the luggage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. Portable luggage comprising, in combination: a luggage case having a four sided base and side panels attached to each side of the base, a corner at the intersection of each pair of adjacent sides forming the base, said base defining a plan view; a handle for toting the luggage; and a plurali

1. Portable luggage comprising, in combination: a luggage case having a four sided base and side panels attached to each side of the base, a corner at the intersection of each pair of adjacent sides forming the base, said base defining a plan view; a handle for toting the luggage; and a plurality of wheel assemblies affixed to the case at two adjacent corners of the base, each said wheel assembly including a single, unitary housing, each said housing including a first substantially vertical wheel channel and a second separate, substantially vertical wheel channel, said separate channels intersecting at an angle and each separate channel including an axle with a wheel mounted thereon, each of said wheel axles defining an axis, said axes together forming a substantially right angle in plan view, said wheels each having a surface engaging face projecting below the housing and the base for support of the base and permitting rotation of the wheels about their respective axles. 2. The luggage of claim 1 including said wheel assembly at more than two corners of the base. 3. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the base is rectangular and the axes are at a substantially right angle. 4. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the housing is comprised of a molded material having said first and second channels intersecting at the same angle as the angle of intersection of said axles. 5. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the surface engaging faces of the wheels in the housing are not co-planar when the base is horizontal. 6. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the surface engaging faces of the wheels in the housing are co-planar when the base is horizontal. 7. The luggage of claim 1 including said wheel assembly at three corners of the base. 8. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the unitary housing is comprised of a first vertical panel for attachment to one side panel of the case, a second vertical panel for attachment to another side panel of the case adjacent said one side panel of the case, and a bottom panel for engaging said base. 9. The luggage of claim 8 further including fasteners for attaching at least one panel of said housing to a side panel of the case. 10. The luggage of claim 8 wherein a side panel of said housing includes a molded rib. 11. The luggage of claim 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 wherein the axes are at substantially a right angle. 12. The luggage of claim 8 wherein the panels comprising the unitary housing are attached to the outside of the panels of the case. 13. The luggage of claim 1 further including fasteners for attachment to said housing to the case. 14. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the channels for the wheels are connected. 15. A wheel assembly for luggage comprising, in combination: a unitary housing, said housing including first and second generally vertical side panels, and a bottom panel connecting the side panels said side panels intersecting to define a corner, said housing further including a first integral wheel well in the first side panel and bottom panel and a second integral wheel well in the second side panel and bottom panel; a first axle and first wheel mounted thereon in the first wheel well; and a second axle and second wheel mounted thereon in the second wheel well, said axles intersecting at a substantially right angle said first and second wheels each including a surface engaging face spaced from the bottom panel of the housing. 16. The wheel assembly of claim 15 wherein the wheels have a different diameter. 17. The wheel assembly of claim 15 wherein the housing is a molded material. 18. The wheel assembly of claim 15 wherein the wheel wells are connected. 19. The wheel assembly of claims 15, 16, 17 or 18 in combination with a luggage case having a bottom and intersecting sides forming a case corner, said wheel assembly affixed to the case corner with the bottom panel engaging the case bottom and the side panels engaging case sides.