초록 ▼

This application discloses a fold flat wheeled carrier/wagon/cart, adaptable for a wide array of carrying purposes, including but not limited to cargo, luggage, people, and supplies, featuring optional fold flat retaining walls, handle and wheels. The wagon/cart/carrier wheel assemblies may include

This application discloses a fold flat wheeled carrier/wagon/cart, adaptable for a wide array of carrying purposes, including but not limited to cargo, luggage, people, and supplies, featuring optional fold flat retaining walls, handle and wheels. The wagon/cart/carrier wheel assemblies may include simple manually manipulable grips, which the user simply moves to release the wheel assembly and tires, and upon release the wheel assembly and tire is pivoted by spring biasing preferably, and/or is movable to a fold flat profile within the wheeled carrier perimeter and side elevational profile. The application provides for simple internal mechanisms for the wheel assemblies as well as unique faceplates with finger grips. In the stowed, fold flat profile; the wheel assembly may serve to retain the optional retaining walls. Manufacturing construction methods are also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wheeled carrier device including at least a hand grasp, comprising: a carrier base, defining at least a partial floor and a plurality of upright stub walls forming a side elevational plane and profile, the partial floor and walls are formed from a planar sheet of material having a pattern,a ser

1. A wheeled carrier device including at least a hand grasp, comprising: a carrier base, defining at least a partial floor and a plurality of upright stub walls forming a side elevational plane and profile, the partial floor and walls are formed from a planar sheet of material having a pattern,a series of slits are created in the pattern to permit bending of predetermined portions of the planar sheet of material; andwherein the predetermined pattern of the planar sheet of material is folded upwards near a peripheral edge of the carrier base, the upright stub walls forming a substantially vertical plane with free upper edges orthogonal to a substantially horizontal floor plane; andat least two wheel assemblies, each of the at least two wheel assemblies including a housing defining a substantially vertical plane, with at least one wheel interconnected to the housing by a wheel axle, and wherein the at least one wheel is movable between an operative position where the at least one wheel is oriented substantially parallel with the housing vertical plane, and a stowed position where the at least one wheel is oriented substantially orthogonal to the assembly housing vertical plane, and one of each of the at least two wheel assemblies are affixed to opposing sides of the carrier device; andin the operative position the at least two wheel assemblies, and their associated wheels, provide rolling support of the carrier device, and in a second, stowed position, each of the at least one wheel's of each of the at least two wheel assemblies are located within the interior carrier space, substantially within the side elevational profile of the stub walls, and wherein at least one movable retaining upright wall is formed with a shaped angle which corresponds to shaping of at least part of a receiving slot formed in the base near the carrier perimeter so that the shaping of the retaining upright wall is retained within the receiving slot when the upright wall is placed in a first, operative position, substantially vertical to a rolling surface, and in a second, stowed position of the movable retaining upright wall it is stowed within the side elevational profile and perimeter of the base. 2. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the device includes a movable handle, which in a first, operative position is angularly disposed upwards for use, and in a second, stowed position, is pivotably movable to a parallel configuration with the partial floor of the wheeled carrier device. 3. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the latch includes at least one shaped portion providing a finger grip, and manual movement of the at least one latch finger grip releases a male-female connection between each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies and the carrier base. 4. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the partial floor and a plurality of upright stub walls with free upper edges interlock together by male female connections between the partial floor and the upright stub wall components. 5. A wheeled carrier device including a hand grasp, comprising: a base defining a side elevational profile and a perimeter; andat least two pivoting wheel assemblies mounted on opposite sides of the base, each including at least one wheel; and each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies includes at least one substantially horizontal support pivot, at least one substantially vertical tire support axle affixed to the substantially horizontal support pivot near a first end and near a second end the axle is interconnected to at least one wheel, at least one latch which retains each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies to the base in a first operative position, and the latch is interconnected at least partly to the wheel assembly, and a spring is mounted at least partly to one of the at least two wheel assemblies, wherein a spring biasing urges one of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies the latch into releasable retention to the base by at least one male-female connection, and;each of the at least two wheel assemblies are movable from the first, operative position wherein each of the at least two wheel assemblies provide rolling support to the carrier device and a second, inoperative position wherein the latch is released from the male-female connection, and the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies and their associated at least one wheels are folded so as to overlie the base and are situated substantially within the perimeter and side elevational profile of the carrier device; and a spring biasing of at least one wheel assembly toward a flat surface of the base causes one of the at least wheel assemblies to be swept from the operative position, to the stowed position, when the latch is released from the first operative position, and including a face plate component, defining at least one latch connector connecting the face plate to the latch, and at least one retaining means connecting the face plate to at least one surface of each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies and also including at least one shaped face plate grip portion, and manual movement of the at least one face plate shaped finger grip portion releases the male-female latch connection between the wheel assembly and the carrier base, at least in the said first, operative position. 6. A wheeled carrier device including a hand grasp, comprising: a base defining a side elevational profile and a perimeter; andat least two pivoting wheel assemblies mounted on opposite sides of the base, each including at least one wheel; and each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies includes at least one substantially horizontal support pivot, at least one substantially vertical tire support axle affixed to the substantially horizontal support pivot near a first end and near a second end the tire support axle is interconnected to at least one wheel, at least one latch which retains each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies to the base in a first operative position, and the latch is interconnected at least partly to each vertical tire support axle, and a spring is mounted at least partly to the vertical tire support axle, which spring biasing urges each pivoting wheel assembly and at least one latch of each pivoting wheel assembly into releasable retention to the base by at least one male-female connection, and;the at least two wheel assemblies are movable from the first, operative position wherein the wheel assemblies provide rolling support to the carrier device and a second, inoperative position wherein the latch of each pivoting wheel assembly is released from the male-female connection, and the wheel assemblies and their at least one associated wheel are folded so as to overlie the base and are situated substantially within the perimeter and side elevational profile of the carrier andwherein manual pivoting movement of each of the at least two wheel assemblies from the stowed position to the operative position alignment, depresses the spring of the spring biased wheel assembly latch, thereby latching the wheel assembly in the operative position by male-female connection between the wheel assembly latch and the base. 7. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said plurality of foldable walls are supported on said base and movable between a first operative, erected position wherein said walls define a carrier space and a second, stowed collapsed state wherein the walls are folded on top of said base, and are retained in their stowed status by the at least two stowed wheel assemblies. 8. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the wheel assembly includes at least one shaped portion providing a finger grip, and manual movement of the finger grip releases the male-female connection between each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies and the carrier base. 9. A wheeled carrier in accordance with claim 6, which includes a hanging rack with a first, operative position where the rack is elevated and hung between a pair of vertical uprights wall portions of the carrier when the vertical upright wall portions are in their operative position, and in a second, stowed position the rack is stowed along the base of the carrier. 10. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one of the foldable upright walls is retained in the first, operative position by at least one male female connection between the foldable upright wall and the base, and a manually releasable latch is mounted to the base which latch, in a first, operative latch position prevents movement of the foldable upright wall to the second, stowed position by preventing release of the male female connection, and the latch is manipulable to a second, inoperative latch position which permits disconnection of the said male female connection, and movement of the upright wall to the said stowed position. 11. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the device includes a handle with an elongate portion, and the handle is pivotably mounted to the carrier base by a pivot, and in near proximity to the handle mounting pivot is a vertical slot formed out of at least one wall of the carrier base, and the elongate handle portion, when in the operative position, partially occupies the vertical slot, and a keeper latch is mounted along said wall, and the keeper latch in a first, operative position is moved to a position at least partly in contact with the handle, and retains part of the elongate handle portion angularly disposed upwardly in relation to the carrier base, and in a stowed position of the keeper latch, the latch is moved to a position that permits the handle to occupy a handle stowed position parallel with the floor. 12. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein a spring biasing means act between the horizontal support pivot and a base surface, and when at least one wheel assembly latch is released from the releasable engagement status of the first position, the spring biasing causes the wheel assembly to be swept through an angle to the second, stowed position. 13. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the latch includes at least one shaped portion providing a finger grip, and manual movement of the at least one latch finger grip releases the male-female connection between each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies and carrier base. 14. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein at least one surface of each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies includes an access area, and at least one latch is recessed at least partly within the wheel assembly periphery and includes at least one shaped portion providing a finger grip, and also includes a face plate component, defining at least one latch connector connecting the latch to the face plate component and at least one retaining means connecting the face plate to a surface of the wheel assembly and also including at least one shaped face plate grip portion, and manual movement of the at least one face plate shaped finger grip portion releases the male-female latch connection between the wheel assembly and carrier base, at least in the said first, operative position. 15. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein a spring biasing means interact between the substantially horizontal support pivot of the wheel assembly, and at least one other carrier surface, and release of at least one wheel assembly latch from engagement status of the first position causes the wheel assembly to be swept through an angle to the stowed status of the second, stowed position. 16. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, including a face plate component, defining at least one latch connector connecting the face plate to the latch, and at least one retaining means connecting the face plate to at least one surface of each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies and also including at least one shaped face plate grip portion, and manual movement of the at least one face plate shaped finger grip portion releases the male-female latch connection between the wheel assembly and the carrier base, at least in the said first, operative position. 17. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein manual movement of each of the at least two pivoting wheel assemblies, from the second, stowed position, to the first, operative position, positioning the wheel assembly in orthogonal and contiguous orientation to the carrier base in the first, operative position, provides the automatic engagement of the male-female connection between the latch and the carrier base. 18. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein a partial floor and a plurality of upright stub walls with free upper edges interlock together by male female connections between the floor and the upright stub wall components. 19. A wheeled carrier device in accordance with claim 6, wherein a spring biasing means of at least one wheel assembly to at least one other surface of the carrier causes the wheel assembly to be swept from the operative, to the stowed position, when the said latch of the wheel assembly is released from the first, operative position.