IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0916542
(2004-08-12)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
10 인용 특허 :
5 |
초록
▼
Compact carrier devices with stub walls, including wagons, carts and wheelbarrows, are disclosed, which include fixed, stowable and/or pivoting wheels, as well as stowable handles. In various embodiments, simple manually manipulable methods latch each wheel and handle in stowed flat positions within
Compact carrier devices with stub walls, including wagons, carts and wheelbarrows, are disclosed, which include fixed, stowable and/or pivoting wheels, as well as stowable handles. In various embodiments, simple manually manipulable methods latch each wheel and handle in stowed flat positions within the overall perimeter and profile of the devices, which effectively allows the devices to fold to an ultra flat profile without any wheel or component being detached. Associated innovations include unique nesting methods, both unique center push/pull handles and U shaped handle designs, unique handle access panels, device couplers, simple methods to fixate or allow device wheels/axles to rotate, as well as snap on accessories which are designed to hold drink containers, fishing rods and implements.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed: 1. A wheeled carrier device comprising: a base member including a multiplicity of formed, upwardly projecting stub walls with a free upper edge, defining a side elevational profile and an outer perimeter; at least three wheels which provide rolling support to the base member of the
What is claimed: 1. A wheeled carrier device comprising: a base member including a multiplicity of formed, upwardly projecting stub walls with a free upper edge, defining a side elevational profile and an outer perimeter; at least three wheels which provide rolling support to the base member of the carrier device; and a handle defining a formed grasping portion, secured to the carrier device; and at least three separate wheel assembly receiving cavities formed out of the device stub wall thickness, each cavity being defined by open space in the stub wall; at least three wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including a plurality of support surfaces perpendicular to a base, defining a wheel assembly periphery and an interior cavity; the wheel assembly further includes both wheel assembly mounting means and wheel attaching means interconnected to at least one wheel; housed at least partially within the wheel assembly periphery are transversely disposed, oppositely extending mounting elements, which occupy adjacent portions of the carrier device base member, about which the wheel assembly pivots, and the at least one wheel includes an outer rim and a central hub, said hub including a transverse opening therein, and said wheel attaching means for the at least one wheel including at least one elongate wheel support element, said wheel support element including a transverse portion at a first portion received in said opening in said hub and forming an axle about which said wheel rotates, at least one uppermost portion extending orthogonally to said transverse portion and being affixed to the wheel assembly, said uppermost portion terminating in a second end, said wheel assembly including a terminal fixing means disposed proximate to the second end, which terminal fixing means secures said at least one wheel, and said elongate support element to the wheel assembly; and in the first operative position of the wheel assemblies each associated at least one wheel is orthogonal to the device base, the periphery of each wheel assembly substantially occupies one of said wheel assembly receiving cavities and at least one wheel rotates 360 degrees about at least one vertical axis defined by at least one elongate wheel support element supporting said at least one wheel, substantially below the underside periphery of the base, and in a second, stowed position of each wheel assembly, the outer stub wall profile is interrupted revealing a cavity, and each of the at least three wheels and their associated elongate wheel support elements are near to parallel with the device base, located within the device outer perimeter; and latching means which positively latch each wheel assembly against movement when in the first position, which latching means engages a portion of the carrier device base member and a portion of the wheel assembly. 2. A carrier device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one first carrier device base member nests at least partly within at least a portion of a contiguous second carrier device base member periphery when the wheels and handle of the first device are in their stowed positions. 3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said handle is secured to the device base member in a position outside the plane defined by the inner perimeter of the stub walls of the carrier device, said handle including at least one butt end nearest to the end secured to the carrier device which is also movable from a first operative position, to a stowed position closely adjacent to the base member, substantially within the side elevational profile and outer perimeter of the carrier device, and in said stowed position at least part of said handle is positioned within an opening formed within a portion of the elongate stub wall, closest to the handle securing position, which elongate stub wall defines a plane, and said opening has two facing wall portions which are aligned substantially orthogonally to the elongate stub wall plane. 4. A device in accordance with claim 3, including handle retaining means near to said stub wall opening, the retaining means comprising at least one resilient connection between a portion of the handle at least near to the butt end and at least one surface near to said stub wall opening for resiliently retaining the handle in at least one further position, in addition to said first operative position, with a retention force which can be overcome by manual movement of said handle. 5. A wheeled carrier device comprising: a base member including a multiplicity of formed, upwardly projecting stub walls with a free upper edge, defining a side elevational profile and an outer perimeter; at least two wheels which provide rolling support to the base member of the carrier device; at least two separate wheel assembly receiving cavities formed out of the device stub wall thickness, each cavity being defined by open space in the stub wall; and at least two wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including a plurality of walls perpendicular to a lower base portion, defining a wheel assembly housing periphery and an interior cavity; and each wheel assembly further includes both wheel assembly mounting means and wheel attaching means interconnected to at least one wheel; housed at least partially within the wheel assembly periphery are transversely disposed, oppositely extending mounting elements which occupy adjacent portions of the carrier device base member, about which the wheel assembly pivots; in the first operative position of the wheel assemblies each associated wheel is orthogonal to the device base providing rolling support, and the periphery of each wheel assembly housing substantially occupies the wheel assembly receiving cavity; in a second, stowed position of each wheel assembly, the outer stub wall profile is interrupted revealing a cavity, and the wheel attaching means and the interconnected at least one wheel of each wheel assembly are near to parallel with the device base, located within the device outer perimeter; and latching means which positively latch each wheel assembly against movement when in the first position, which latching means engages a portion of the carrier device base member and a portion of the wheel assembly. 6. A carrier device in accordance with claim 5, which includes a handle. 7. A carrier device in accordance with claim 5, wherein at least a portion of one first carrier device base member nests at least partly within at least a portion of a contiguous second carrier device base member periphery when the wheels of the first device are in their stowed positions. 8. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the latch includes at least one finger actuated latch which engages a portion of each wheel assembly and the contiguous carrier device base member to selectively permit movement of the wheel assembly from said first operative position to the second, stowed position. 9. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 5, wherein each of the at least two wheel assemblies include wheel attaching means with an uppermost vertical wheel support axle with means for fixating the uppermost vertical wheel support axle to the wheel assembly housing so as to prevent axial rotation of the vertical wheel support axle. 10. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the wheel attaching means of each wheel assembly include an uppermost vertical wheel support axle and a shaped surface of the vertical wheel support axle is of size and shape relative to at least one fixed surface of the wheel assembly, whereby axial rotation of said uppermost vertical wheel support axle portion is prevented. 11. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein a vertically disposed portion of the wheel attaching means, in at least the first, operative position, include terminal fixing means attaching the wheel attaching means to the wheel assembly housing, the terminal fixing means being of size and shape relative to at least one fixed surface of the wheel assembly housing so as to prevent the wheel attaching means rotation, whereby axial rotation of said vertically disposed wheel attaching means is prevented and thus said at least one wheel is prevented from rotation about said vertically disposed uppermost portion. 12. A carrier device in accordance with claim 5, wherein not less than two of said carrier devices couple by virtue of interconnectors, each such interconnector being mounted to a respective carrier device, and one such carrier device handle controls rolling movement of at least two coupled carrier devices. 13. A carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the handle is secured to the carrier base member at a position at least partly outside the plane formed by inner facing stub walls proximate thereto, and at least one handle receiving cavity is formed from said stub walls forming said plane, and at least a part of the handle is positioned within said opening in said stub walls in a second stowed position of said handle. 14. A wheeled carrier device comprising: a base member including a multiplicity of formed, upwardly projecting stub walls, defining a side elevational profile and an outer perimeter; at least three wheels which provide rolling support to the base member of the carrier device; a rigid, elongate push and pull handle defining a formed grasping element, secured to the carrier device in a position outside the plane defined by the inner perimeter of the stub walls of the carrier device, said handle including at least one butt end nearest to the end secured to the carrier device which is also movable from a first operative position, to a stowed position wherein at least part of said handle is positioned within an opening between facing portions of said stub walls, closely adjacent to the base member, substantially within the side elevational profile and outer perimeter of the carrier device and when occupying the said stowed position, at least a part of the handle being positioned within at least one opening formed within a portion of the elongate stub wall, closest to the said handle securing position, which elongate stub wall defines a plane, and said opening has two facing wall portions which are aligned substantially orthogonally to the said elongate stub wall plane; and handle retaining means near to said stub wall opening, the retaining means comprising at least one resilient connection between a portion of the handle at least near to the butt end and at least one surface near to said stub wall opening for resiliently retaining the handle in at least one further position, in addition to said first operative position, with a retention force which can be overcome by manual movement of said handle; and at least one of the at least three wheels occupy a first operative position orthogonal to the device base and rotate 360 degrees about at least one vertical axis defined by a support axle supporting the at least one wheel; and the periphery of said at least three wheels in the operative position are substantially below the device base, and in a second, stowed position each of the said wheels and their associated support axles are near to parallel with the device base, located within the device outer perimeter. 15. A device in accordance with claim 14, including an opening within the plane and side elevational profile of said stub walls in near proximity to the handle securing position; an access covering, removably mounted to a portion of the carrier device, in near proximity to the handle securing position; said access covering is movable between a first, operative position substantially occupying said opening, within the side elevational profile of the device stub walls; said covering is of a shape to substantially emulate the side elevational profile of the adjacent stub walls when occupying said operative position; a second, stowed position of said covering which permits movement of said handle to a stowed handle position at least partly through said stub wall opening and substantially within the side elevational profile of the device. 16. A wheeled carrier device comprising: a base member including a multiplicity of formed, upwardly projecting stub walls, defining a side elevational profile and an outer perimeter; each stub wall defining a plane, and including a free upper edge; at least two wheels which provide rolling support to the base member of the carrier device; and at least two separate wheel assembly receiving cavities formed in the device stub wall thickness, each cavity being defined by open space in the stub wall which substantially comprises the thickness and plane of the stub wall; at least two wheel assemblies with a first, operative position, each wheel assembly mounted to the base member within the wheel assembly receiving cavity, incorporating oppositely extending mounting means recessed within portions of the carrier device side elevational profile and stub wall thickness adjacent the wheel assembly receiving cavity, and also incorporating wheel attaching means interconnected to at least one wheel; the at least one wheel associated with the wheel assembly includes an outer rim and a central hub, the hub including a transverse opening therein, and the wheel attaching means for the at least one wheel including at least one elongate wheel support element, the wheel support element including a first transverse portion received in the opening in the hub and forming an axle about which the at least on wheel rotates, and at least one second uppermost portion extending orthogonally to the first transverse portion and being affixed to the wheel assembly entering into the bottom portion of the wheel assembly recessed substantially within the plane defining the stub wall incorporating the wheel assembly, and terminating in a second end by terminal fixing means disposed proximate to the second end, substantially recessed within the thickness and plane of the stub wall, which terminal fixing means secure said at least one wheel, and said elongate support element to the wheel assembly, at least one releasable latching means incorporated into, and substantially recessed within the wheel assembly, which positively latches each wheel assembly against movement when in at least the first position by movement of a portion of the latch between the wheel assembly and a portion of the carrier device base member adjacent to the wheel assembly; in the first, operative position the at least one wheel of each wheel assembly provides rolling support, and in a second, stowed position of the wheel assembly the outer stub wall profile is interrupted revealing a cavity, and the wheel attaching means and the interconnected at least one wheel are located within the device outer perimeter. 17. A wheeled carrier device comprising: a base member including a multiplicity of formed, upwardly projecting stub walls with a free upper edge, defining a side elevational profile and an outer perimeter; at least two wheels which provide rolling support to the base member of the carrier device; at least two separate wheel assembly receiving cavities formed out of the device stub wall thickness, each cavity being defined by open space in the stub wall; and at least two wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including a plurality of support surfaces perpendicular to a lower base portion, defining a wheel assembly housing periphery with interconnected components substantially recessed within said housing periphery; and each wheel assembly's interconnected components further include both wheel assembly mounting means and wheel attaching means interconnected to at least one wheel; housed at least partly within the wheel assembly housing periphery are transversely disposed, oppositely extending mounting elements, which occupy adjacent portions of the carrier device base member, about which the wheel assembly pivots, the wheel attaching means enter the lower base portion of the wheel assembly housing periphery and interconnect to at least part of the oppositely extending mounting elements thereby at least partly providing structural support to the at least one wheel; in the first operative position of the wheel assemblies each associated wheel is orthogonal to the device base providing rolling support, and the periphery of each wheel assembly housing substantially occupies the wheel assembly receiving cavity; in a second, stowed position of each wheel assembly, the outer stub wall profile is interrupted revealing a cavity, and the wheel attaching means and the interconnected at least one wheel of each wheel assembly are at least near to parallel with the device base, located within the device outer perimeter; and latching means which positively latch each wheel assembly against movement when in the first position, which latching means engages a portion of the carrier device base member and a portion of the wheel assembly.
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