Claims
- 1. A folding tote comprising a platform having a width and a depth and a first side and a second side, said platform supporting a carrying bag on said first side and foldable support frame and wheels on said second side, and a pair of inverted U shaped hollow handles, each of said handles having an interior surface, an exterior surface, a horizontal bar and a pair of hollow leg regions, a first of said pair of handles having said leg regions rotatably affixed to a first edge of said platform, said carrying bag having a closed end affixed to said platform and an open end affixed at a first side to one of said pair of handles, the improvements comprising:
at least one locking mechanism, a release mechanism on a first of said handles, said release mechanism being connected, through the interior of said hollow leg regions, to release said at least one locking mechanism.
- 2. The tote of claim 1 wherein said release mechanism comprises:
a release bar, said release bar extending beyond said exterior surface of said horizontal bar of a first of said pair of handles; an inner support member within said interior of said horizontal bar, said inner support member being integral with said release bar; a rigid brace a portion of said rigid brace being within said inner support for reinforcement and a portion of said rigid brace extending beyond said inner support member into each of said hollow leg regions, each end of said rigid brace extending into said hollow leg regions being connected to each of said at least one locking mechanism.
- 3. The tote of claim 2 wherein said at least one locking mechanism is at least one tension loaded locking button within said leg regions of said first handle proximate said exterior surface, each of said at least one locking button being connected to said release mechanism and moving from extending beyond said exterior of said hollow leg regions of said first handle toward an opposing wall upon the application of pressure to said release bar and back toward said exterior upon release of said pressure from said release bar,when said platform is in an open position said locking button is received by at least one receiving hole in a platform flange proximate said leg region, said receiving hole being positioned to receive said locking button to lock said platform at about a 90 degree angle from said pair of handles and when said locking button is released, said platform is free to rotate to about a 270 degree angle from said pair of hollow leg regions, and
when said platform is in a closed position said locking button is received by at least one receiving slot in an angled receiving flange, said angled receiving flange being affixed to said second side of said platform to receive said locking button to lock said platform in a closed position.
- 4. The tote of claim 2 wherein said at least one locking mechanism locks said platform at about a 90 degree angle to said handles.
- 5. The tote of claim 2 wherein said at least one locking mechanism locks said platform adjacent to said handles.
- 6. The tote of claim 2 wherein said at least one locking mechanism locks said platform at about a 90 degree angle to said handles in an open position and said platform adjacent to said handles in a closed position.
- 7. The tote of claim 2 wherein said handle locking mechanism is at least one tension loaded button within a first wall of said first handle and receiving holes in a second wall of a second of said handles, said buttons being connected to said feet of said release mechanism and moving from extending beyond said first wall of said first handle toward an opposing wall upon the application of pressure to said release bar and back toward said first wall upon release of said pressure from said release bar, wherein when said handles are positioned such that when said receiving holes are aligned to receive said buttons, said handles are locked into position.
- 8. The tote of claim 1 wherein a distance from a point of said carrying bag being affixed to said hollow leg regions of a second of said pair of inverted U shaped handles is less than said depth of said platform to enable said platform to close and lock.
- 9. The tote of claim 8 wherein said carrying bag has a cover, said cover having a length greater, when said tote is in the open position, than said distance from the point of said carrying bag being affixed to said hollow leg regions to said horizontal bar but less than said depth of said platform.
- 10. The tote of claim 1 wherein said carrying bag has an elastic member proximate said open end, said elastic member extending from said first side to an opposing third side, said elastic maintaining said third side proximate said first side to facilitate said carrying bag being folded.
- 11. The tote of claim 1 further comprising a pair of slide releases, said slide releases locking said first handle in a position relative to the second handle.
- 12. The tote of claim 11 further comprising a pair of stop members, each of said stop members extending from said exterior surface of said second handle and distanced from an end of each of said hollow leg regions of said U-shaped handle, said stop members contacting said slide releases to enable said slide releases to move simultaneously.
- 13. The tote of claim 1 further comprising rotating spacers, said rotating spacers extending beyond the exterior plane of said platform adjacent to each of said legs and preventing said platform from contacting a surface.
- 14. The tote of claim 5 wherein said locking mechanism is at least one tension loaded locking button with said first handle proximate said exterior surface of at least one of said hollow leg regions of said first handle, said locking button interacting with an angled receiving flange, said receiving flange having a receiving slot positioned to receive said locking button, said angled receiving flange being affixed to said second side of said platform to receive said locking button each of said at least one locking button being connected to said feet of said release mechanism and moving from extending beyond said exterior of said hollow regions of said first handle toward an opposing wall upon the application of pressure to said release bar and back toward said exterior upon release of said pressure from said release bar to engage with said receiving slot to lock said platform in a closed position.
- 15. The tote of claim 1 further comprising a spring release, said spring release being positioned on said second side of said platform to be in contact with said leg regions when said tote is in a closed position to push said platform away from said leg regions when said locking mechanism is released.
- 16. The tote of claim 1 wherein said second side of said platform further comprises structural support members.
- 17. The tote of claim 4 wherein one of said at least one locking mechanism is at least one tension loaded locking button within said first handle proximate said exterior surface of at least one of said leg region that is received by at least one receiving hole in a platform flange proximate said leg region, said receiving hole being positioned to receive said locking button, each of said at least one locking button being connected to said feet of said release mechanism and moving from extending beyond said exterior of said hollow regions of said first handle toward an opposing wall upon the application of pressure to said release bar and back toward said exterior upon release of said pressure from said release bar to engage with said receiving hole in said platform flange, wherein when in a locked position said platform is at about a 90 degree angle from said pair of handles and when said locking button is released, said platform is free to rotate to about a 270 degree angle from said pair of hollow leg regions.
- 18. The tote of claim 1 further comprising a friction pad, said frication being braced within said platform adjacent to the rotation point of said leg region to prevent side-to-side movement of said leg region.
- 19. A folding tote comprising a platform having a width and a depth and a first side and a second side, said platform supporting a carrying bag on said first side and foldable support frame and wheels on said second side, and a pair of inverted U shaped hollow handles, each of said handles having an interior and an exterior surface, a horizontal bar and a pair of leg regions, a first of said pair of handles having said leg regions rotatably affixed to a first edge of said platform, said carrying bag having a closed end affixed to said platform and an open end affixed at a first side to one of said pair of handles, the improvements comprising:
a release mechanism on said horizontal bar of a first of said handles, said release mechanism having:
a release bar, said release bar extending beyond said exterior surface of said horizontal bar of a first of said pair of handles; an inner support member within said interior of said horizontal bar, said inner support member being integral with said release bar, a rigid brace a portion of said rigid brace being within said inner support for reinforcement and a portion of said rigid brace extending beyond said inner support member into each of said leg regions, at least one locking mechanism, a first of said at least one locking mechanism being at least one tension loaded locking button proximate an end of one of said leg regions and connected to said rigid brace, a first receiving area, said first receiving area being a receiving hole in a platform flange to receive said locking button to lock said platform at about a 90 degree angle to said handles, a second receiving area, said second receiving area being a receiving hole in receiving hole in an angled receiving flange, said angle receiving flange being affixed to said second side of said platform to receive said locking button to lock said platform adjacent to said leg regions, a spring release, said spring release being position on said second side of said platform to be in contact with said leg regions when said tote is in a closed position.
- 20. The tote of claim 18 further comprising a pair of slide releases to lock said leg regions of said first handle in a position relative to said leg regions of said second handle and a pair of stop members, each of said stop members extending from said exterior surface of said second handle and distanced from an end of each of said leg regions, said stop members contacting said slide releases to enable said slide releases to move simultaneously.
- 20. A folding tote comprising a platform having a width and a depth and a first side and a second side, said platform supporting a carrying bag on said first side and foldable support frame and wheels on said second side, and a pair of inverted U shaped hollow handles, each of said handles having an interior and an exterior surface, a horizontal bar and a pair of leg regions, a first of said pair of handles having said leg regions rotatably affixed to a first edge of said platform, said carrying bag having a closed end affixed to said platform and an open end affixed at a first side to one of said pair of handles, the improvements comprising:
a release mechanism on said horizontal bar of a first of said handles, said release mechanism having:
a release bar, said release bar extending beyond said exterior surface of said horizontal bar of a first of said pair of handles; an inner support member within said interior of said horizontal bar, said inner support member being integral with said release bar, a rigid brace, a portion of said rigid brace being within said inner support member for reinforcement and a portion of said rigid brace extending beyond said inner support member into each of said leg regions, each end of said rigid brace having feet within said leg regions.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/315,577 filed Dec. 10, 2002, which is a continuation in part of provisional 60/339,009 filed on Dec. 10, 2001, which are incorporated herein as through recited in full.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60339009 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10315577 |
Dec 2002 |
US |
Child |
10841864 |
May 2004 |
US |