Luggage bottom frame

Abstract

Provided is a bottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage. The bottom frame includes four corner units each comprising an inner wheel skeleton, an outer wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton, a link unit releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton, and a luggage body layer sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton and the outer wheel skeleton. The invention can simplify components of the bottom frame and carrying out highly adaptable molds so as to be cost effective and increase production efficiency.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to luggage structure and more particularly to a modular, highly adaptable frame mounted on bottom of luggage such that advantages including manufacturing flexibility and cost effectiveness can be obtained.

2. Description of Related Art

Luggage is a case for storing personal belongings while traveling. Conventionally, bottom frame is adapted to support the whole weight of luggage and is connected to wheels. Typically, bottom frame is molded and mold for bottom frame is very expensive. Also, bottom frames of different luggage cases are molded by different molds due to different sizes of bottom frames. As a result, the manufacturing cost is increased. In other words, different molds are required for different luggage bottom frames. Such structure of bottom frame inevitably not only increases the cost of preparing molds but also causes problems associated with mold management, manufacturing time delay, etc. Hence, a need has arisen for an improved luggage bottom frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a luggage bottom frame having simplified components and highly adaptable molds so as to be cost effective.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular luggage bottom frame for ease of assembly. Also, the assembly is fast when different luggage bottom frame sizes are required, thereby increasing production efficiency by causing no manufacturing time delay.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a bottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage, the bottom frame including four corner units each comprising an inner wheel skeleton; an outer wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; a link unit releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; and a luggage body layer sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton and the outer wheel skeleton. By utilizing the present invention, advantages including cost reduction, cost effectiveness, and production efficiency increase are obtained.

In one aspect of the present invention the inner wheel skeleton includes a board including a first connection section extended toward a first direction, and a second connection section extended toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the first and the second connection sections is adapted to connect to a link.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one of four corner units of a preferred embodiment of luggage bottom frame according to the invention;

FIG. 2 a sectional view of the assembled bottom frame according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the complete bottom frame according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom frame shown in FIG. 3 mounted under a luggage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a luggage 1 incorporating a bottom frame 100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The bottom frame 100 comprises four corner units 101 each including an inner wheel skeleton 10, an outer wheel skeleton 20, a link unit 30, a wheel unit 40, and a luggage body layer 50. The inner wheel skeleton 10 comprises a board 11, a flange 12 formed around an outer wall of the board 11, a first connection section 13 extended from the board 11 toward a first direction the first connection section 13 having a bore 131, a second connection section 14 extended from the board 11 toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second connection section 14 having a bore 141, and a plurality of holes 15. The outer wheel skeleton 20 comprises a board 21, a plurality of threaded holes 22 aligned with the holes 15 of the inner wheel skeleton 10, a central recess 23 on the board 21, a through hole 24 on the recess 23, and a bottom cavity 25 in communication with the recess 23 through the through hole 24. The link unit 30 comprises first and second links 31 and 32. Each of the first and second links 31 and 32 is implemented as a tube (as shown in FIG. 1) or bar. The wheel unit 40 comprises a wheel mount 41 having a vertical hole 411, a wheel 42, a pivot 43 fitted in the vertical hole 411 and extended through the through hole 24 into the recess 23, a ring 44 (or C clamp in another embodiment) lockingly put on an upper portion of the pivot 43 so as to secure the wheel unit 40 to the cavity 25 on the bottom of the outer wheel skeleton 20, a bearing 45 fitted between the wheel mount 41 and the outer wheel skeleton 20 for facilitating the swiveling of the wheel unit 40, and a wheel core 46 fitted onto the wheel 42 rotatably mounted at bottom of the wheel mount 41. The luggage body layer 50 is implemented as a flexible layer formed of fabric or plastics.

Assembly of the luggage bottom frame will be described in detailed below. Insert first and second links 31 and 32 of predetermined length into the bore 131 and 141 of the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 respectively prior to fastening. Thus, the link unit 30 is fastened at two adjacent sides of the inner wheel skeleton 10. The fastening of the first and second links 31 and 32 at the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 can be implemented by snappingly coupling, riveting, threading, or any of other known techniques. Alternatively, projections are provided in the first and second links 31 and 32 and conformed cavities are provided in the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 such that the first and second links 31 and 32 and the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 can be fastened together by matingly engaging the projections and the cavities. Note that the first and second connection sections 13 and 14 of the inner wheel skeleton 10 are required to facilitate connecting to the first and second links 31 and 32 respectively. Thus, there is no restriction to the shapes of the first and second connection sections 13 and 14. Hence, in another embodiment the link unit 30 and the inner wheel skeleton 10 can be integrally formed.

The luggage body layer 50 is sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton 10 and the outer wheel skeleton 20. A plurality of screws 16 are driven through the holes 15 of the inner wheel skeleton 10 and the threaded holes 22 of the outer wheel skeleton 20 to fasten the inner wheel skeleton 10, the luggage body layer 50, and the outer wheel skeleton 20 together for forming the bottom frame 100 mounted under the luggage 1 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

Only molds of the inner wheel skeleton 10 and the outer wheel skeleton 20 are required to prepare for forming the luggage bottom frame as contemplated by the invention. Both the wheel unit 40 and the link unit 30 are well known devices. Thus, suitably cutting finished links into required link units 30 can form the bottom frame 100 by mass production when molds of different sizes are prepared. As a result, advantages such as cost reduction, assembly speed increase, cost effectiveness, and production efficiency increase are obtained.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A bottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage, the bottom frame including four corner units each comprising:

an inner wheel skeleton;

an outer wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton;

a link unit releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton; and

a luggage body layer sandwiched between the inner wheel skeleton and the outer wheel skeleton.

2. The bottom frame of claim 1, wherein the inner wheel skeleton is threadedly secured to the outer wheel skeleton.

3. The bottom frame of claim 1, wherein the inner wheel skeleton comprises a first connection section extended toward a first direction, and a second connection section extended toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The bottom frame of claim 3, wherein each of the first and the second connection sections includes a bore.

5. The bottom frame of claim 1, wherein the link unit comprises a first link and a second link each being formed as a tube or bar.

6. The bottom frame of claim 1, further comprising a wheel unit rotatably secured to a bottom of the outer wheel skeleton.

7. The bottom frame of claim 1, wherein the luggage body layer is formed of fabric or plastics.

8. A bottom frame mounted on a bottom of a luggage, the bottom frame comprising four corner units each comprising an inner wheel skeleton and an outer wheel skeleton releasably secured to the inner wheel skeleton, wherein the inner wheel skeleton comprises a board having a first connection section extended toward a first direction, and a second connection section extended toward a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The bottom frame of claim 8, wherein each of the first and the second connection sections includes a bore.

10. The bottom frame of claim 8, wherein the board of the inner wheel skeleton further comprises a flange formed around its outer wall and one or more holes through the board.

11. The bottom frame of claim 10, wherein the outer wheel comprises a board, a plurality of threaded holes aligned with the holes of the inner wheel skeleton, a central recess on the board, a through hole on the recess and a bottom cavity.

12. The bottom frame of claim 2, wherein the outer wheel comprises a board, a plurality of threaded holes aligned with the holes of the inner wheel skeleton, a central recess on the board, a through hole on the recess and a bottom cavity.

13. The bottom frame of claim 6, wherein the outer wheel comprises a board, a plurality of threaded holes aligned with the holes of the inner wheel skeleton, a central recess on the board, a through hole on the recess and a bottom cavity.