Stair wheeler

Abstract

A suitcase having a telescoping pull handle and a set of spaced apart wheels, between the back panel and bottom wall of the suitcase housing, permits easy movement over a planar surface. A staggered wheel mechanism is pivotally mounted on the back panel of the suitcase for improved mobility of the suitcase over a flight of stairs.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Provisional Application Number: 60895741[0002]Receipt Date Mar. 20, 2007STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0003]N / AREFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX[0004]N / ABACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]The present invention relates to staggered wheel mechanism to facilitate transporting a traditional wheeled luggage e.g. suitcase over a flight of stairs. The staggered wheel arrangement offers a near linear, continuous, rotary outer surface when in contact with the edge of the steps thus greatly enhancing the mobility of the suitcase over a flight of stairs. The staggered wheel mechanism can also be used on a shopping basket or any other embodiment that requires easy and quick movement over a flight of stairs.[0006]Traditionally, suitcases have been designed with a set of wheels at the bottom or bottom corners of the suitcase. Wheels permit the suitcase to be easily...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026]The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems and drawbacks of prior art and provide a mechanism that would make the embodiment highly maneuverable over a flight of stairs when ascending or descending.

Problems solved by technology

Whilst traditional wheeled luggage greatly enhances mobility over a planar surface an individual is faced with dilemma when they encounter a flight of stairs over which the suitcase has to be transported.

However there are greater number of public places and residential places where there is no easy means to move the luggage between two different floors or even to negotiate a few steps.

The skids mounted on the back panel of the suitcase rubs against the steps and since the skids are not frictionless it can damage the stairs if made of wood, carpeted or leave marks on the steps.

Secondly when suitcase is pulled over steps in near upright position the back of the suitcase can slam against the stairs as it leaves contact with one step and engages with the next.

The friction and jerky movement can lead to additional strain on the hand leading to injury and could also damage fragile articles within the luggage compartment.

So a typical rolling suitcase is not well suited for moving luggage up and down a flight of stairs.

Chou's suitcase places the rollers on the bottom of the suitcase so the suitcase can be easily wheeled over a flat surface but has no means for towing the suitcase up a flight of stairs.

Again such use of additional wheels does not permit towing the suitcase up a flight of stairs.

1. If the embodiment uses only bare rollers:A. The movement of the suitcase over the steps will be ratty cause of the grooves between two rollers.B. Depending on the size and spacing of the rollers the edge of the steps may get lodged in the groove formed between adjacent rollers.C. Because of the grooves between two adjacent rollers a higher initial force will be required to begin the accent and whenever the user stops on the stairs. The article will have to be kept in rapid motion over the flight of stairs to avoid using the extra force.D. The grooves will cause a higher wear of rollers and thereby the life and reliability of such a roller arrangement will be shorter. The reliability will be compounded by the weight of the article.E. The size and weight of the roller arrangement can reduce the overall payload.F. Since the rollers are affixed to the suitcase housing it will slam against the steps, when pulled in an upright position, as it leaves one step and engages with the next. This will further worsen the wear and tear of the rollers.

2. If the embodiment uses rollers with endless belt;A. The belt will have to be maintained at correct tension throughout the life of the suitcase due to aging and normal wear else the belt will start to develop some slack. This can lead to dragging of the luggage over the steps instead of neatly rotating over the steps.B. The part of the endless belt between two wheels will be subjected to pressure by the steps edge causing the belt to loose tension over time.C. The endless belt will thus need frequent replacements and maintenanceD. The dimensions and weight of the such a roller arrangement with circumscribed endless belt can reduce the overall payloadE. Again since the rollers are affixed to the suitcase housing even with a circumscribed belt the slamming against the steps, when pulled in an upright position, as it leaves one step and engages with the next, now the belt will be subjected to a greater wear and tear.

W.O. Pat. No. 2006 / 045107 to Michael Yang, Sadow et al. discloses a collapsible spider wheel assembly that could be used on a suitcase and could be used to move the luggage up the stairs but has drawbacks in that the movement will be slow and rattly.

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