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A trolley, comprising a retractable wheel assembly (31, 32) movable between stored and in-use positions. The wheel assembly comprising an assembly support; at least one wheel arm (35) operably-connected to a wheel hub, in us the wheel hub receiving a wheel; at least one control arm (36, 37) operably

A trolley, comprising a retractable wheel assembly (31, 32) movable between stored and in-use positions. The wheel assembly comprising an assembly support; at least one wheel arm (35) operably-connected to a wheel hub, in us the wheel hub receiving a wheel; at least one control arm (36, 37) operably-connected to the wheel hub, for affecting the orientation of the wheel hub with respect to the wheel arm as the retractable wheel assembly is moved between the stored position and the in-use position; and drive means (34) connected to the assembly support and operably connected to the at least one wheel arm and the at least one control arm, for providing rotation of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm about a common axis between the stored position and the in-use position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A trolley comprising a retractable wheel assembly movable between stored and in-use positions, the wheel assembly comprising: an assembly support;at least one wheel arm operably-connected to a wheel hub, in use the wheel hub receiving a wheel;at least one control arm operably-connected to the whe

1. A trolley comprising a retractable wheel assembly movable between stored and in-use positions, the wheel assembly comprising: an assembly support;at least one wheel arm operably-connected to a wheel hub, in use the wheel hub receiving a wheel;at least one control arm operably-connected to the wheel hub, for affecting the orientation of the wheel hub with respect to the wheel arm as the retractable wheel assembly is moved between the stored position and the in-use position;at least one drive spindle rotatably connected to the assembly support on a first axis and operably connected to the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm, for providing rotation of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm about the first axis between the stored position and the in-use position; anddrive means connected to the assembly support and operably connected to the at least one drive spindle; wherein the at least one wheel arm is also pivotally-connected to the at least one drive spindle about a second axis to provide for pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm about the second axis, such that both a rotational movement of the at least one wheel arm about the first axis and a pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm about the second axis result in movement of the retractable wheel assembly between the stored position and the in-use position. 2. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one wheel arm and the at least one control arm are connected to the wheel hub and the at least one drive spindle in a cross-wise, or ‘x’-shaped, manner, providing an intersect of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm at all states of operation of the wheel assembly and wherein the intersect is caused to move in use along the lengths of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm, following rotation of those arms, to affect the orientation of the wheel hub. 3. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive means is manually or electro-mechanically rotatable; and wherein the at least one drive spindle comprises a portion of a cog for receiving an input drive from the manual or electro mechanical rotation means; and wherein the manual or electro mechanical rotation means includes a cog, for driving the at least one drive spindle. 4. A trolley as claimed in claim 3, wherein the drive means comprises a locking cam for interacting with portions of the at least one wheel arm, to lock that wheel arm in the in-use position, wherein the locking cam is arranged to interact with an end of the at least one wheel arm, remote from the wheel hub and wherein the locking cam is arranged to be rotatable together with the cog, to provide for both a rotational and pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm between stored and in-use positions, and a locking of the at least one wheel arm in the in-use position. 5. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one control arm is also pivotally-connected to the at least one drive spindle about a third axis, such that both a rotational movement of the at least one control arm about the first axis and a pivotal movement of the at least one control arm about the third axis result in movement of the retractable wheel assembly between stored and in-use positions. 6. A trolley as claimed in claim 5, wherein the assembly support comprises one or more surfaces which interact with the at least one wheel arm and/or the at least one control arm, providing for both a rotational movement of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm about the first axis and a pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm about the second axis and at least one control arm about the third axis between stored and in-use positions and wherein the one or more surfaces comprise one or more complex surfaces having various planar, ramped, conical, convex and/or concave surface, with respect to the plane of rotation of the wheel arm, for providing both the rotational and the pivotal movement. 7. A trolley as claimed in claim 5, wherein the assembly support comprises one or more surfaces which interact with the at least one wheel arm and/or the at least one control arm, providing for both a rotational movement of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm about the first axis and a pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm about the second axis and at least one control arm about the third axis between stored and in-use positions and wherein the surface is a continuously varying surface, described by the path of the wheel arm where a point on the wheel hub is constrained to be at a constant radial distance from a central axis of the assembly support. 8. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel assembly comprises a pair of wheel arms, each operably-connected to a respective wheel hub and a respective drive spindle; and wherein the wheel assembly comprises at least one control arm for each wheel arm; and wherein the drive spindles are synchronously-connected to the drive means; and wherein the pair of wheel arms are disposed at 180 degrees separation with respect to each other on a plane of rotation normal to the first axis, at all times; and wherein the pair of wheel arms rotate in a common direction. 9. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel assembly comprises a pair of wheel arms, each operably-connected to a respective wheel hub; and wherein the wheel assembly comprises at least one control arm for each wheel arm; and wherein the pair of wheel arms are synchronously-connected to the drive means; and wherein each of the pair of wheel arms are arranged to rotate in opposite directions; and wherein, in a stored position of the retractable wheel assembly, the wheel arms, control arms and wheel hubs are arranged to be positioned one on top of the other or to be positioned side by side. 10. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, arranged such that, in the stored position, the plane of the wheel (or the wheel hub) is oriented substantially parallel with a plane of rotation normal to the first axis and, in the in-use position, the plane of the wheel (or the wheel hub) is oriented substantially at right angles to the plane of rotation. 11. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, comprising a third wheel, for enabling support of the trolley in three locations. 12. A trolley as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a locking means, the locking means comprising: a first locking portion engagable with at least one part of the assembly support;a second locking portion connected to the drive means; the first and second locking portions, when the locking means is locked, interact with the assembly support and drive means respectively and prevent relative rotation of the drive means with respect to the assembly support, thereby locking rotation of the retractable wheel assembly, wherein, the second locking portion, when the locking means is unlocked, interacts with the drive means, the first locking portion being disengaged by an unlocking action from the at least one part of the assembly support, and is rotatable with the drive means with respect to the assembly support until the first locking portion is again brought in to engagement with the at least one part of the assembly support, such that the locking means is self-locking in both stored and in-use positions. 13. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel assembly comprises a pair of wheel arms each operatively connected to a respective wheel hub, and wherein the wheel hubs are operably-connected by a member between points of constant radial distance from a central axis of the assembly support, through all angles of orientation of the wheel arms; and wherein the wheel hubs are connected by an axle and drive shaft to provide powered drive means for the trolley. 14. A trolley as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel assembly comprises a pair of wheel arms each operatively connected to a respective wheel hub, and wherein the wheel hubs are operably-connected by a member between points of constant radial distance from a central axis of the assembly support, through all angles of orientation of the wheel arms; and wherein the wheel hubs are connected by a tie-rod or anti-splay device. 15. A golf trolley comprising a trolley as claimed in claim 1. 16. A trolley as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one drive spindle has an L-shaped configuration. 17. A trolley comprising a retractable wheel assembly movable between stored and in-use positions, the wheel assembly comprising: an assembly support;at least one wheel arm operably-connected to a wheel hub, in use the wheel hub receiving a wheel;at least one control arm operably-connected to the wheel hub, for affecting the orientation of the wheel hub with respect to the wheel arm as the retractable wheel assembly is moved between the stored position and the in-use position; anddrive means connected to the assembly support and operably connected to the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm, for providing rotation of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm about a first axis between the stored position and the in-use position, wherein the at least one wheel arm is also pivotally-connected to the drive means about a second axis, such that both a rotational movement of the at least one wheel arm about the first axis and a pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm about the second axis result in movement of the retractable wheel assembly between the stored position and the in-use position,wherein the drive means comprises, for each wheel arm, a rotatably mounted drive spindle, for receiving the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm; and wherein the rotatably mounted drive spindle is manually or electro-mechanically rotatable; and wherein the rotatably mounted drive spindle comprises a portion of a cog for receiving an input drive from the manual or electro mechanical rotation means; and wherein the manual or electro mechanical rotation means includes a cog, for driving the rotatably mounted drive spindle, andwherein the drive means comprises a locking cam for interacting with portions of the at least one wheel arm, to lock that wheel arm in the in-use position, wherein the locking cam is arranged to interact with an end of the at least one wheel arm, remote from the wheel hub and wherein the locking cam is arranged to be rotatable together with the cog, to provide for both a rotational and pivotal movement of the at least one wheel arm and at least one control arm between stored and in-use positions, and a locking of the at least one wheel arm in the in-use position.