Locking device for retractable handle of luggage

Abstract

A handle assembly of luggage comprised of a handle grip with a push button, two first sliding tubes, at least one pair of second sliding tubes, two supporting tubes, two first locking devices, each provided below each first sliding tube, at least one pair of second locking devices, each provided below each second sliding tube, a pair of first connecting means attached between the handle grip and the first locking devices, and at least one pair of the second connecting means for controlling the second locking devices. The length of the fully extended handle is expected to be longer than the height of the luggage body so as to provide the user with a luggage handle which can be extended to a sufficient height to meet the user's various towing needs.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A handle assembly of wheeled luggage provided on a back portion of the luggage, the luggage having: 
 a handle with a handle grip ( 90 ) having opposing ends and a push button ( 91 ) located between the ends and operable at a first position and a second position;    a pair of first sliding tubes ( 10 ) connected to the respective ends of the handle grip;    a pair of second sliding tubes ( 40 ), slidably engaged with the first sliding tubes ( 10 ) for allowing the respective first sliding tubes to slide therein; and    a pair of supporting tubes ( 70 ), slidably engaged with the second tubes ( 40 ) for allowing the second tubes to slide therein when the handle is pulled upward to a used position and pushed downward to a stored position, said assembly comprising: 
 a pair of first locking devices ( 20 ) operatively connected to the push button ( 91 ); and  
 a pair of second locking devices ( 50 ), engaged with the respective supporting tubes ( 70 ), for securing the second tubes ( 40 ) to the respective supporting tubes ( 70 ) in a locked position when the handle is operated in the stored position, wherein the second locking devices ( 50 ) are operatively connected to the respective first locking devices ( 20 ) for allowing the first locking devices ( 20 ) to release the respective second locking devices ( 50 ) from the locked position when the push button is operated in the first position.  
   
     
     
         2 . The handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the supporting tubes ( 70 ) has a hole ( 74 ) and each of the second locking devices ( 50 ) has a locking pin ( 541 ) for engaging with the hole ( 74 ) in the respective supporting tube when the second locking devices are operated in the locked position, and disengaged from the hole ( 74 ) when the second locking devices are released from the locked position.  
     
     
         3 . The handle assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each the second locking devices ( 50 ) further comprises a sliding block ( 55 ) located adjacent to and operatively engaged with the respective locking pin ( 541 ), and wherein the sliding block ( 55 ) is connected to the respective first sliding tube ( 10 ) by a connecting means ( 56 ) for pulling the sliding block away from the respective locking pin ( 541 ), thereby causing the locking pin ( 541 ) to disengaged from the hole ( 74 ) when the handle is pulled upward to the used position.  
     
     
         4 . The handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first locking devices has a guiding pin ( 240 ) which can be engaged with an aperture ( 47 ) on the respective second sliding tube ( 40 ) in a securing position to prevent the handle from being pulled upward when the push button is operated in the second position, and wherein the guiding pin ( 24 ) is disengaged from the aperture ( 47 ) when the push button is operated in the first position.  
     
     
         5 . The handle assembly of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first locking devices is operatively connected to the push button by a further connecting means ( 22 ) for disengaging the guiding pins ( 24 ) from the respective aperture ( 47 ) when the push button is operated in the first position.  
     
     
         6 . The handle assembly of  claim 5 , wherein each of the second sliding tubes ( 40 ) further having a further aperture ( 45 ) for engaging with the respective guiding pin ( 240 ) to secure the first sliding tube ( 10 ) to the respective second sliding tube ( 40 ) when the handle in operated in the used position.  
     
     
         7 . The handle assembly of  claim 4 , wherein each of the supporting tubes ( 70 ) further having a further hole ( 73 ) for engaging with the respective locking pin ( 541 ) to secure the second sliding tube ( 40 ) to the respective supporting tube ( 70 ) when the handle is operated in the used position.  
     
     
         8 . The handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first locking devices has a guiding pin ( 240 ) which can be engaged with an aperture ( 46 ) on the respective second sliding tube ( 40 ) in a securing position to have the handle used as a carry-on handle and prevent the handle from being further pulled upward when the push button is operated in the second position, and wherein the guiding pin ( 24 ) is disengaged from the aperture ( 46 ) when the carry-on handle is not used and the push button is operated in the first position.  
     
     
         9 . The handle assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each of the second locking devices ( 50 ) further comprises a sliding block ( 55 ) located adjacent to and operatively engaged with the respective locking block ( 54 ), and wherein the sliding block ( 55 ) has a rectangular recess and two V-shaped recesses located on two opposing sides of the rectangular recess, each V-shaped recess having an upper slope and a lower slope, and wherein the locking block ( 54 ) has two triangular projections, each triangular projection having a lower slope and an upper slope, which are provided on the two opposing outer surfaces of the locking block ( 54 ), for laterally coupling with the upper slope and the lower slope of the V-shaped recesses of the lower portion of the longitudinal sliding block, when the push button is operated in the first and second positions.