CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORTING BEACH SUPPLIES

Abstract

A container for transporting beach supplies includes a container body, a handle and wheel assembly. The body includes a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a front wall, and a curved rear wall defining a chamber that is open at its upper end. A top wall is removably connected with the side, front or rear walls, and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The handle is attached to the front, side or bottom walls of the body, and the wheel assembly includes at least one wheel that is connected with the body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a container for transporting and storing beach supplies, and more specifically to a container that can be pulled on both hard and soft surfaces with ease.

Beach containers for holding and transporting supplies have been used for quite some time. Such containers come in a variety of forms, such as shoulder bags and backpacks. These traditional carriers have compartments for storing and securing beach supplies.

More recently, two types of wagon/cart-like devices have been developed that include either large or small rubber wheels for hauling all of the necessities for spending a day at the beach. These wagons and carts have been tried by many for use in a beach environment but discarded by most because the rubber wheels cannot be pulled through sand without extensive and exhaustive efforts.

Though meant to improve the hauling of materials, these devices can quickly become a nuisance. The wheels provided do not roll well through sand even when empty, and when they are filled with all of the much-needed beach supplies, the added weight greatly increases the effort required to move them. Though someone with sufficient strength and persistence will be able to get these wagons to and from the beach, the difficulty in doing so leads many to steer away from them altogether. A device is needed that will provide for storage of beach supplies that can be pulled across the sand but without the difficulty of the devices described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a container for transporting beach supplies including a container body, handle and wheel assembly. The body includes a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a front wall, and a curved rear wall defining a chamber that is open at its upper end. There is a top wall that is removably connected with the side, front or rear walls, and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The handle is attached to the front, side or bottom wall of the body, and the wheel assembly includes at least one wheel that is connected with the body.

In one embodiment, the container top wall includes a mesh covering that is connected with the front, rear or side walls. Further, the side walls each contain a side edge recess which is located at an interface between the side wall and the curved rear wall. A pair of parallel spaced wheels are arranged within the recesses.

In another embodiment, the wheel assembly includes a pair of parallel spaced rotatable arms for the wheels, each having a first end connected with a side wall, a pair of side edges configured for alignment with an interface between a side wall and the curved rear wall, and a second end. Each arm is pivotable between a retracted and extended position and includes a wheel connected with the second end. Preferably, the rotatable arm second end is configured at an angle relative to the first end which positions the second end within a width of the container body.

In yet another embodiment, the top wall includes a rigid wall connected at a lower edge with the curved rear wall to pivot between an open and closed position. A latch is arranged at an upper edge of the top wall for securing it with the front wall.

In a further embodiment, the top wall includes a flexible shell containing a central opening connected with the front, rear and side walls, and a mechanism for closing the central opening. The mechanism is preferably a zipper.

In another embodiment, the top wall includes a first wall portion integrally connected with the curved rear wall and the side walls and a second wall portion removably connected with the side walls, front wall or first wall portion. The wheel assembly is connected with the container body first wall portion. Preferably, the second wall portion is connected via buckles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are front and side views, respectively, of a first embodiment of the container according to the disclosure;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and side views, respectively, of a second embodiment of the container;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are front and side views, respectively, of a third embodiment of the container;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are front and side views, respectively, of a fourth embodiment of the container;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are front and side views, respectively, of a fifth embodiment of the container;

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the container;

FIG. 12 is a front bottom perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 11; and

FIGS. 13 and 14 are side plan views, respectively, of the embodiment of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments disclosed herein provide details for containers that are preferably used for carrying supplies to and from a beach. Each container has elements that provide improved sliding of the container across sand, storage of supplies within the container, and rolling of the container across a hard surface.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a container 2 having a body 4, handle 6 and wheel assembly 8. The body 4 includes a bottom wall 10, a pair of side walls 12, a front wall 14, and a curved rear wall 16 defining a chamber 18 that is open at its upper end. There is a top mesh wall 20 connected with the side 12, front 14 and rear 16 walls, which can be detached from any wall to provide access to the inner chamber. The mesh is preferably secured over the container opening by pulling it tight and curling it about edges of each side 12, front 14 and rear 16 wall. It will be understood by those with ordinary skill in the art that the mesh could be removably attached to the other walls in alternative ways, such as with a zipper, elastic cords, buckles, or other similar mechanisms. Further, one, two, or three of the mesh wall side edges could be permanently attached to the other walls with the remaining edge(s) configured to be removable from the body. The handle 6 is arranged at a lower edge 22 of the front wall 14 near the interface between the front and bottom 10 walls. In this embodiment, the wheel assembly 8 includes a pair of wheels 24, each of which is arranged within and connected to a sidewall recess 26. The recess 26 and position of the wheels 24 is such that the container can be pulled along its bottom wall 10 on sand at an angle that minimizes any resistance from the wheels 24, but that allows the wheels to properly contact and roll on the ground when pulled across a hard surface.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a second embodiment of a container 102 having a container body 104, handle 106 and wheel assembly 108. The body includes a bottom wall 110, a pair of side walls 112, a front wall 114, a curved rear wall 116, and a top wall 120. The bottom wall 110 extends past a lower edge 122 of the front wall 114, and the handle 106 extends out from the bottom wall 110. A pair of parallel spaced rotatable arms 128 are connected with the container body. The arms 128 include a first end 130 connected with the side walls and a second end 132 to which a wheel 124 is attached. As shown in FIG. 4, the arms pivot between first and second positions such that when the arms are in the first position, a side edge 134 of each arm is configured for alignment with an interface between a side wall and the curved rear wall. This reduces any friction that would otherwise be associated with the arms dragging in sand when the container is being pulled along its bottom and rear walls.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second end 132 of each arm 128 extends inward at an angle toward the center of the container body, which results in the wheels being arranged within the width W of the container body. There is further a central axle 136 which adds stability to the wheels 124 and arms 128. The body top wall is made of a flexible material, such as canvas or a synthetic fabric. A zipper 138 is arranged along a central length L of the top wall which provides a central opening to the container for storing and securing supplies. There are three retainer webs 140 mounted on a side wall 112 which can be used for multiple purposes, including securing a chair or umbrella to the container via straps.

When the rotatable arms are in their first retracted position, the container can be easily pulled along the sand on its bottom wall 110, or the container can be flipped over and rolled along a hard ground surface on its wheels 124. Alternatively, when the arms are rotated to their second, extended position, the container can be rolled across a hard surface on its wheels 124. Preferably, the arms are rotatable to any position between the first and second position.

A similar embodiment to that of FIGS. 3 and 4 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Again, there is a container body 204, handle 206 and wheel assembly 208. The body includes a bottom wall 210, a pair of side walls 212, a front wall 214, a curved rear wall 216, and a top wall 220 with a central zipper. FIG. 6 shows that the curved rear wall 216 is configured such that the majority of the wall extends along a plane arranged at a 90-degree angle relative to the bottom wall 210, as opposed to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 which includes a more gradual curve. The curved bottom wall 216 of FIG. 6 results in a surface area in contact with the sand that is less than the surface area in contact with the sand in the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4. The embodiment in FIGS. 5 and 6 also allows for the rotatable arms 228 to rotate between two positions that are 180-degrees from one another and perpendicular to the bottom wall when in their respective first and second positions. This allows for a different rolling angle than with the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment of a container 302 according to the present disclosure. There is a container body 304 having a bottom wall 310, side walls 312, a front wall 314, a curved rear wall 316, a top wall 320, a handle 306 and a pair of wheels 324. The top wall is made of a rigid material such as hard plastic, fiberglass, or metal. The lower edge 342 of the top wall 320 is rotatably connected with an edge of the curved rear wall 316 and is secured to the front wall via a latch 344. To open the container when resting on its bottom wall, the latch is released, and the top wall is rotated up about a lower edge horizontal axis. The top wall 320 contains two lower end openings 346 configured to house a portion of the wheels, which allows the top wall 320 to pivot open without any friction between the wheels 324 and top wall 320. In use, the container is pulled across sand at the interface between the rear curved wall 316 and the bottom wall 310 and is flipped over and rolled on its wheels 324 when being pulled across a hard surface.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown yet another embodiment of a container 402 having a body 404, handle 406 and a wheel arrangement 408. The body includes a bottom wall 410, side walls 412, a front wall 414 and a curved rear wall 416. There are two top walls 420a, 420b. The first top wall 420a is integral with the side 412 and rear walls 416, and the second top wall 420b covers the inner compartment of the container 402 and is removable. The removable wall 420b is secured in place via three straps and buckles 448. The wheel arrangement 408 includes two wheels 424 and an axle 436 connected with the integral top wall 420a. The handle 406 in this embodiment includes a single shaft 406a extending from a lower edge 422 of the front wall 414, and a second shaft 406b extending from the upper end of the first shaft 406a. In place of the top wall shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a chair, table or similar object could be placed over the container opening and secured via the strap and buckles 448. Alternatively, the removable wall 420b could be left off of the container, and the materials within the container compartment would then be secured via the integral wall 420a and strap and buckles 448.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show another example of an embodiment of the container 502 of the present disclosure. There is a container body 504 with a horizontal convex bottom wall 510, a pair of parallel vertical side walls 512, a vertical front wall 514, a vertical rear wall 516, and a top wall 520. The bottom, side, front, and rear walls are all integral with one another to define an inner compartment for storing beach supplies. The top wall 520 is detachably connected with one side wall 512 via two hinges 550 for pivotal movement between open and closed positions.

Along with the hinges, a locking assembly 552 is provided for locking the top wall 520 when it is in its horizontal closed position. The locking assembly 552 can be arranged on either side of the container. A handle 506 is attached to the top wall 520 at the end adjacent to the front wall 514. There are a pair of parallel spaced hooks 554 arranged within the top wall for carrying a beach chair or other beach supplies. The hooks can extend outwardly from the top wall at an angle perpendicular to the top wall to provide more space to secure additional chairs to the container. The hooks 554 are shown in their retracted state. An elongated roller 524 for rolling the container on hard surfaces is arranged within a recess 556 of the top wall 520. There are also a pair of rings 558 arranged on a side wall through which an umbrella can be stored.

The handle 506 shown in FIG. 11 has a pair of telescoping arms 506a which allows the handle head 506b to be stored within a second recess 560 of the top wall 520 when not in use. The handle also includes a pivot assembly 562 for pivotal movement about a horizontal pivot axis allowing the handle to pivot to different pulling angles.

Preferably, the containers described herein are made of a plastic or another similar durable material to provide rigidity that will withstand wear-and-tear and also to provide a container that is light and easily transported. The bottom wall of the containers may be formed of material that is different from the other walls to allow for better sliding across sand or other soft terrain. For instance, the bottom can be formed of materials such as fiber glass, carbon fiber, epoxy or plastic. Such materials, in combination with the curved rear wall or convex bottom wall, provide for a beach container that easily slides across sand and similar surfaces with a reduced effort over containers known in the art.

Preferably, the container bodies described herein are large enough to fit most standard beach chairs within the inner compartments, but not so large that the containers would be challenging to maneuver or pull to and from the beach. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the size of the container body and inner compartment can be configured to fit different needs. Also, the container can include a single compartment or multiple compartments for storing any number of beach materials, for instance, toys, towels, books, speakers, sandals, or food, to name a few. The container may also be insulated to store a variety of items such as perishables or cold drinks.

As shown in the embodiments described above, the container handle extends from the front wall, from an interface between the front and bottom wall, from the bottom wall, or from the top wall. The arrangement of the handle is important to the pulling force and angle that will be applied with each embodiment. Preferably, the handle is located at one of the positions shown in FIGS. 1-10. Those have proven to provide the most efficient pulling angle and in turn pulling force.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised and employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A container for transporting beach supplies comprising: (a) a container body including: (1) a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a front wall, and a curved rear wall defining a chamber that is open at its upper end; and(2) a top wall removably connected with at least one of said side, front and rear walls, said top wall being movable between a closed position and an open position;(b) a handle connected with one of said front, side and bottom walls; and(c) a wheel assembly including at least one wheel connected with said container body.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes a mesh covering connected with said front, rear and side walls.

3. A container as defined in claim 2, wherein said side walls each contain a side edge recess located at an interface between said side wall and said curved rear wall, said wheel assembly including a pair of parallel spaced wheels arranged within said recesses.

4. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said wheel assembly includes: (1) a pair of parallel spaced rotatable arms pivotable between first and second positions, each having: i. a first end connected with a side wall;ii. a pair of side edges configured for alignment with an interface between one of said side walls and said curved rear wall when said rotatable arms are in their first position; andiii. a second end; and(2) a wheel connected with each said rotatable arm second end.

5. A container as defined in claim 4, wherein each rotatable arm second end is configured at an angle relative to said first end to arrange said second end within a width of said container body.

6. A container as defined in claim 5, wherein said rotatable arms first and second positions are normal to said bottom wall.

7. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes: i. a rigid wall lower edge rotatably connected with an edge of said rear wall for pivoting said top wall between an open and closed position; andii. a latch arranged at an upper edge of said top wall for securing said top wall with said front wall.

8. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes: i. a flexible shell containing a central opening connected with said front, rear and side walls; andii. a mechanism for closing said central opening.

9. A container as defined in claim 8, wherein said mechanism comprises a zipper.

10. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall includes a first wall portion integrally connected with said curved rear wall and a portion of said side walls and a second wall portion removably connected with one of said side walls, said front wall and said first wall portion.

11. A container as defined in claim 10, wherein said top wall second wall portion is connected via buckles.

12. A container as defined in claim 11, wherein said wheel assembly is connected with said top wall first wall portion.

13. A container as defined in claim 1, wherein said handle extends outwardly from one of said front wall, said bottom wall and an interface between said front and bottom wall.

14. A container as defined in claim 13, wherein said wheel assembly is connected with one of said top wall, said rear wall and the interface between said top and rear wall.

15. A container as defined in claim 1, and further comprising one of a hook and a retainer web mounted on at least one of said side walls.