Wheeled luggage with extendable supportive tongue

Abstract

Wheeled luggage including an extendable tongue permits use as a hand-truck to transport an additional piece of luggage supported on the extended tongue. The wheeled luggage may be similar to conventional wheeled luggage, but further includes a tongue movable between an inactive and active positions. In the inactive position, the tongue is positioned within a footprint of a bottom of the luggage. In the active position, the tongue extends beyond an outer edge of a bottom of the body to provide supportive structure on which the additional luggage may be placed. The structure of the extendable tongue may have various suitable configurations. A mechanism may be provided for moving the tongue between the inactive and active positions while the user and luggage are in an upright position. An optional strap and/or strap retraction mechanism may be provided to securing the additional luggage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Wheeled luggage, comprising:
 a rigid frame comprising a rigid upright member fixedly connected to a rigid base member;   a soft luggage body supported on said frame, said luggage body comprising at least one flexible panel and a closure operable to secure the panel to substantially enclose said frame and to define an interior space for receiving objects to be carried by the luggage;   a collapsible handle supported on said upright member of said frame, said handle being extendable from a compact stored position to an extended operable position;   a pair of wheels fixedly supported on said frame in position to rotate about a common axis to provide rolling support for said luggage;   a tongue movably supported on said base member of said frame, said tongue being movable between an inactive position, in which said tongue is positioned within a footprint defined by said body of said luggage, and an active position, in which said tongue extends beyond the footprint of said body to provide supportive structure on which an additional piece of luggage may be placed.   
     
     
         2 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said soft luggage body comprises a plurality of flexible panels, and wherein said soft luggage body defines a generally rectangular volume and comprises a bottom wall adjacent said base member, a top wall opposite said bottom wall, a back wall fixed to said top and bottom walls, a pair of opposing side walls fixed to said top, bottom and back walls, and a front wall securable to said top, bottom and side walls by said closure to define said interior space. 
     
     
         3 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said base member is a substantially flat, plate-like member. 
     
     
         4 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said upright member is joined to said base member to form an angle therebetween of approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said upright member is joined to said base member to form an angle therebetween of approximately 45 to approximately 75 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said tongue comprises a substantially flat plate supported on a bushing located centrally to said base member, said bushing supporting said substantially flat plate for pivotal movement about an axis normal to a plane of said base member. 
     
     
         7 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said tongue comprises a pair of bars supported on bushings located eccentrically to said base member on said base member, each bushing supporting a respective one of said pair of bars for pivotal movement about an axis normal to a plane of said base member. 
     
     
         8 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 7 , wherein each of said bars has a length greater than a distance between said bushings. 
     
     
         9 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 8 , wherein each bushing is disposed intermediate the length of a respective one of said pair of bars. 
     
     
         10 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said base member comprises an upper portion and a lower portion spaced from said upper portion to define a pocket therebetween beneath said body, said tongue comprising a rigid substantially flat member slidably retained in said pocket. 
     
     
         11 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 10 , wherein said tongue comprises an elongated slot, and wherein said base member comprises a guide pin fixed to said upper and lower portion and extending through said elongated slot. 
     
     
         12 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 10 , wherein said base member comprises an upper portion and a lower portion spaced from said upper portion to define a pocket therebetween beneath said body, said tongue comprising a pair of rigid substantially flat plates joined by a hinge, said tongue being slidably retained in said pocket, said tongue being slidable to a point at which said hinge is housed within said pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , wherein said tongue comprises a rigid substantially flat plate joined by a hinge to said base member, said wheeled luggage further comprising a rigid support member slidably mounted on said base member, said support member being slidable between a passive position, in which the support member does not interfere with pivoting of the tongue, and an active position, in which a portion of the support member extends beyond the hinge in underlying relationship to the tongue to interfere with pivoting of the tongue. 
     
     
         14 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 1 , further comprising a strap having a pair of ends, a first of said ends being secured to said body, a second of said ends comprising a fastener for releasably securing said second end of said strap to said body. 
     
     
         15 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 13 , further comprising a self-winding mechanism capable of extending and retracting said strap, said self-winding mechanism being attached to said body in a position to allow the strap to be extended around any additional luggage supported on said tongue. 
     
     
         16 . Wheeled luggage, comprising:
 a rigid frame comprising a rigid upright member fixedly connected to a rigid base member, said rigid base member defining a socket;   a soft luggage body supported on said frame, said luggage body comprising at least one flexible panel and a closure operable to secure the panel to substantially enclose said frame and to define an interior space for receiving objects to be carried by the luggage;   a collapsible handle supported on said upright member of said frame, said handle being extendable from a compact stored position to an extended operable position;   a pair of wheels fixedly supported on said frame in position to rotate about a common axis to provide rolling support for said luggage;   a rigid tongue having a leg dimensioned for receipt in said socket of said base member, said tongue being releasably mountable in said socket.   
     
     
         17 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 16 , where said leg and said socket having complementary cross-sections configured to prevent rotation of said leg within said socket. 
     
     
         18 . A piece of wheeled luggage, comprising:
 a rigid assembly comprising:
 a rigid frame comprising a rigid upright member fixedly connected to a rigid base member; 
 a rigid handle supported on said upright member of said frame, said handle being extendable from a collapsed stored position to an extended operable position; 
 a pair of wheels fixedly supported on said frame in position to rotate about a common axis to provide rolling support for said luggage; 
 a tongue movably supported on said base member of said frame, said tongue being movable between an inactive position and an active position; and 
   a soft luggage body supported on said frame, said luggage body comprising a plurality of flexible panels and a closure operable to secure the panels to define an interior space for receiving objects to be carried by the luggage;   wherein said body defines a footprint of said luggage, and wherein said tongue extends beyond said footprint to provide supportive structure on which an additional piece of luggage may be placed when in said active position.   
     
     
         19 . The piece of wheeled luggage of  claim 18 , wherein said base member is a substantially flat, plate-like member. 
     
     
         20 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 19 , wherein said tongue comprises a substantially flat plate supported on a bushing located centrally to said base member, said bushing supporting said substantially flat plate for pivotal movement about an axis normal to a plane of said base member. 
     
     
         21 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 19 , wherein said tongue comprises a pair of bars supported on bushings located eccentrically to said base member on said base member, each bushing supporting a respective one of said pair of bars for pivotal movement about an axis normal to a plane of said base member. 
     
     
         22 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 21 , wherein each of said bars has a length greater than a distance between said bushings. 
     
     
         23 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 22 , wherein each bushing is disposed intermediate the length of a respective one of said pair of bars. 
     
     
         24 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 18 , wherein said base member comprises an upper portion and a lower portion spaced from said upper portion to define a pocket therebetween beneath said body, said tongue comprising a rigid substantially flat member slidably retained in said pocket. 
     
     
         25 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 24 , wherein said tongue comprises an elongated slot, and wherein said base member comprises a guide pin fixed to said upper and lower portion and extending through said elongated slot. 
     
     
         26 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 24 , wherein said base member comprises an upper portion and a lower portion spaced from said upper portion to define a pocket therebetween beneath said body, said tongue comprising a pair of rigid substantially flat plates joined by a hinge, said tongue being slidably retained in said pocket, said tongue being slidable to a point at which said hinge is housed within said pocket. 
     
     
         27 . The wheeled luggage of  claim 18 , wherein said tongue comprises a rigid substantially flat plate joined by a hinge to said base member, said wheeled luggage further comprising a rigid support member slidably mounted on said base member, said support member being slidable between a passive position, in which the support member does not interfere with pivoting of the tongue, and an active position, in which a portion of the support member extends beyond the hinge in underlying relationship to the tongue to interfere with pivoting of the tongue.