초록 ▼

A wheel retraction mechanism for use on travel luggage, the retraction mechanism causing the extension and retraction of one or more wheels upon relative movement of two adjacent members. The members comprise two engaging actuation surfaces which, upon relative longitudinal movement, create a moveme

A wheel retraction mechanism for use on travel luggage, the retraction mechanism causing the extension and retraction of one or more wheels upon relative movement of two adjacent members. The members comprise two engaging actuation surfaces which, upon relative longitudinal movement, create a movement in a different direction, which can be used to extend or retract wheels from a piece of travel luggage.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wheel retraction mechanism for wheeled travel luggage, comprising: a primary member having a first actuation surface extending from or along a longitudinally extending surface of the primary member;a secondary member, located substantially parallel to the primary member, the secondary member ha

1. A wheel retraction mechanism for wheeled travel luggage, comprising: a primary member having a first actuation surface extending from or along a longitudinally extending surface of the primary member;a secondary member, located substantially parallel to the primary member, the secondary member having a second actuation surface extending from or along a longitudinally extending surface of the secondary member; andat least one wheel, attached to the primary or the secondary member;wherein the second actuation surface engages the first actuation surface and is shaped so it is able to slide along the length of the first actuation surface, and the first actuation surface is shaped whereby relative longitudinal motion between the primary and secondary members results in rotation of at least one of the primary and the secondary members about its longitudinal axis, andwherein the first actuation surface is a slot, and the second actuation surface is a projection for engaging the slot. 2. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the primary and secondary members are tubular and the first actuation surface is helically shaped around the length of the elongated surface of the primary member. 3. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the primary member and the secondary member are co-axial and one of the primary member or the secondary member is at least partially disposed within the other of the primary member or the secondary member. 4. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 2, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis. 5. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the at least one wheel is attached to said rotating member. 6. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 4, where upon movement of the second actuation surface along the length of the first actuation surface, said rotating member is rotated between a position where the wheel or wheels are fully extended and a position where the wheels are fully retracted. 7. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the rotation required to move the wheel or wheels from a fully extended to a fully retracted position is between 70-110 degrees. 8. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 3, wherein there is a sliding fit between the primary member and the secondary member. 9. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 3, wherein when the second actuation surface is located at a location corresponding to a retracted position, one of said primary or said secondary members is located almost wholly within the other of said primary member or said secondary member. 10. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first actuation surface extends over at least half the length of the primary member. 11. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first actuation surface extends over substantially the entire length of the primary member. 12. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a first end portion of the first actuation surface runs substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the primary or secondary member. 13. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the second end portion of the first actuation surface runs substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the primary or secondary member. 14. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a center portion of the first actuation surface has an increased angle with respect to the longitudinal direction compared to both the first and second end portions of the first actuation surface. 15. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the wheel retraction mechanism is attached to an item of travel luggage. 16. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the wheel retraction mechanism is attached to a side of the travel luggage which can be used as a base to rest the luggage on. 17. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the wheel retraction mechanism is attached to a side of the luggage adjacent the base and when in a wheel-extended position, the luggage can be leant on to the extended wheels to be transported. 18. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the wheel retraction mechanism is attached to a side of the travel luggage which is opposite an opening in the luggage. 19. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 15, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis; andwherein the rotating member is rotatably attached to the luggage. 20. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis, and wherein the or each wheel is attached to the rotating member by a bracket, which rotatably fixes the wheel or wheels relative to the rotating member a distance away from the longitudinal axis of the rotating member. 21. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis, andwherein the wheel retraction mechanism is attached to an item of travel luggage and wherein a reinforcing member is connected to the luggage and interacts with a locking projection on the rotating member when the rotating member is in the wheel-extended position, preventing the rotating member from rotating to a wheel-retracted position without the second actuation surface being moved relative to the first actuation surface. 22. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the reinforcing member is slidably attached to the luggage. 23. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 21, wherein the reinforcing member is moved by the second actuation surface or a bracket attached thereto, from a first position, wherein the locking projection does not interact with the reinforcing member when the rotating member is in a wheel-retracted position, to a second position, where the locking projection does interact with the reinforcing member when the rotating member is in a wheel-extended position. 24. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 23 wherein the reinforcing member is configured to slide from its second position to its first position under the action of a spring, as the second actuation surface moves along the first actuation surface, allowing the rotating member to rotate to a wheel-retracted position. 25. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis, andwherein at least one hole in either the rotating or non-rotating member engages with a retractable projection when the rotating member is in a wheel-retracted position, for locking the mechanism in this position. 26. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 25, wherein the retractable projection or retractable projections are configured to retract against the action of a spring. 27. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 25, wherein the retractable projection or retractable projections are configured to retract under the action of a button. 28. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis, andwherein at least one hole in either the rotating or non-rotating member engages with a retractable projection when the rotating member is in a wheel-extended position, for locking the mechanism in this position. 29. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 28, wherein the reinforcing member is moved by the second actuation surface or a bracket attached thereto, from a first position, wherein the locking projection does not interact with the reinforcing member when the rotating member is in a wheel-retracted position, to a second position, where the locking projection does interact with the reinforcing member when the rotating member is in a wheel-extended position and wherein the at least one hole and retractable projection are for fixing the relative positions of the rotating remember and the non-rotating member, thus can maintain the second actuation surface in a position where it keeps the reinforcing member in its second position, in which it engages the locking projection. 30. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second actuation surface is cylindrical in shape. 31. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second actuation surface is detachable from the secondary member. 32. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second actuation surface is screwably detachable from the secondary member. 33. An apparatus comprising two or more wheel retraction mechanisms according to claim 1 attached to a common component, wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member of each wheel retracting mechanism is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member of each wheel retracting mechanism is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis, andwherein said non-rotating members are interconnected and thus unable to rotate along their longitudinal axes. 34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the common component acts as a handle for the user. 35. An apparatus according to claim 33 wherein the retractable projection or retractable projections of the two or more wheel retraction mechanisms are configured to retract under the action of a button, and wherein the handle comprises the button for retracting the retractable projections. 36. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the common component is a cover. 37. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the cover acts to conceal and protect the wheels when in a retracted position. 38. A wheel retraction mechanism for wheeled travel luggage, comprising: a primary member having a first actuation surface extending from or along a longitudinally extending surface of the primary member;a secondary member, located substantially parallel to the primary member, the secondary member having a second actuation surface extending from or along a longitudinally extending surface of the secondary member;at least one wheel, attached to the primary or the secondary member;wherein the second actuation surface engages the first actuation surface and is shaped so it is able to slide along the length of the first actuation surface, and the first actuation surface is shaped whereby relative longitudinal motion between the primary and secondary members results in rotation of at least one of the primary and the secondary members about its longitudinal axis;wherein one of said primary member or said secondary member is a non-rotating member, and is unable to rotate about a longitudinal axis, and the other of said primary member or said secondary member is a rotating member and is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis, andwherein the wheel retraction mechanism is attached to an item of travel luggage and wherein a first bearing surface is provided in one of the rotating or non-rotating members, the first bearing surface engaging a second bearing surface provided in the luggage or a fitting attached thereto for transferring load in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the rotating and non-rotating members. 39. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 38, wherein the first bearing surface is located in the rotating member. 40. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 39, wherein the first bearing surface and second bearing surface transfer the majority of the load of the luggage to the rotating member. 41. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 38, wherein the first bearing surface comprises a load-transferring slot and the second bearing surface comprises a load-transferring projection. 42. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 41, wherein the load-transferring slot is orientated in a circumferential direction of the rotating member. 43. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 38, wherein the second bearing surface is configured to slide substantially along the length of the first bearing surface as the rotating member rotates between its wheel-extended and wheel-retracted position. 44. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 38, wherein the second bearing surface abuts a surface of the first bearing surface when the rotating member is in its wheel-extended position, preventing the rotating member from rotating any further. 45. A wheel retraction mechanism according to claim 38, wherein the first and second bearing surfaces only engage each other as the wheels approach a fully wheel-extended position.