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The disclosure and prior art relates to creeper devices and more particularly pertains to a new creeper device for that can be strapped to a user's back for rolling on the ground.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a panel that can be worn on a user's back. A first belt is slidably coupled to the panel and the first belt can be wrapped around the user to retain the panel on the user's back. A second belt is slidably coupled to the panel and the second belt can be wrapped around the user to retain the panel on the user's back. A pair of wheel mounts is each of the wheel mounts is coupled to opposite sides of the panel and each of the wheel mounts has a plurality of engagement points thereon. A pair of wheel units is provided and each of the wheel units is removably coupled to a respective one of the wheel mounts for rolling along the ground. Each of the wheel units engages a selected one of the engagement points in the respective wheel mount thereby spacing each of wheel units a selectable distance below the panel.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A first belt 30 is slidably coupled to the panel 12 and the first belt 30 can be wrapped around the user. The first belt 30 is matable to itself to form a closed loop to retain the panel 12 on the user's back. The first belt 30 has a first end 32 and a second end 34, and a first mating member 36 is coupled to the first end of the first belt 30. A second mating member 38 is coupled to the second end 34 of the first belt 30 and the second mating member 38 releasably engages the first mating member 36 for retaining the first belt 30 in the closed loop. Each of the first 36 and second 38 mating members may be buckles, clasps or other type of releasable fastener.
A second belt 40 is slidably coupled to the panel 12 and the second belt 40 can be wrapped around the user. The second belt 40 is matable to itself to form a closed loop to retain the panel 12 on the user's back. The second belt 40 has a primary end 42 and a secondary end 44, and a primary mating member 46 is coupled to the primary end 42 of the second belt 40. A secondary mating member 48 is coupled to the secondary end 44 of the second belt 40 and the primary mating member 46 releasably engages the secondary mating member 48 for retaining the second belt 40 in the closed loop. Each of the primary 46 and secondary 48 mating members may be buckles, clasps or other type of releasable fastener.
A set of first bridges 50 is each coupled to the top surface 14 of the panel 12 and each of the first bridges 50 is aligned with an intersection between the central portion 20 and the outer portion 22. Additionally, each of the first bridges 50 is spaced from a respective one of the first 26 and second 28 lateral sides of the peripheral edge 18 of the panel 12. Each of the first bridges 50 has the first belt 30 slid therethrough for retaining the first belt 30 on the panel 12. A set of second bridges 52 is each coupled to the top surface 14 of the panel 12 and each of the second bridges 52 is aligned with an intersection between the central portion 20 and the outer portion 22. Each of the second bridges 52 is spaced from a respective one of the first 26 and second 28 lateral sides of the peripheral edge 18 of the panel 12. Moreover, each of the second bridges 52 has the second belt 40 slid therethrough for retaining the second belt 40 on the panel 12.
A pair of wheel mounts 54 is provided and each of the wheel mounts 54 is coupled to opposite sides of the panel 12. Each of the wheel mounts 54 has a plurality of engagement points 56 thereon. Each of the wheel mounts 54 comprises a plate 58 that is coupled to the peripheral edge 18 of the panel 12 having the plate 58 lying on a vertical plane. The plate 58 has a bottom edge 60, a top edge 62, a front edge 64 and a back edge 66.
The plate 58 has a pin aperture 68 extending therethrough and the pin aperture 68 is positioned adjacent to an intersection of the front edge 64 and the bottom edge 60. The plate 58 has a plurality of engagement apertures 70 extending therethrough to define the plurality of engagement points 56. The engagement apertures 70 are arranged to form an arc curving upwardly between the bottom edge 60 and the front edge 64 of the plate 58. A fender 72 is coupled to the top edge 62 of the plate 58 and the fender 72 is concavely arcuate with respect to the top edge 62.
A head rest 74 is coupled to and extends forwardly from the panel 12 to support the user's head when the user lies on the panel 12. The head rest 74 is positioned on the front side 24 of the peripheral edge 18 of the panel 12 and the head rest 74 has a downwardly facing surface 76. A roller 78 is rotatably and removably coupled to the head rest 74 for rolling along the ground when the user wears the panel 12 and lies on the ground. The roller 78 is positioned on the downwardly facing surface 76 of the head rest 74.
A pair of wheel units 80 is included and each of the wheel units 80 is removably coupled to a respective one of the wheel mounts 54 for rolling along the ground. Each of the wheel units 80 engages a selected one of the engagement points 56 in the respective wheel mount 54 thereby spacing each of wheel units 80 a selectable distance below the panel 12. In this way each of the wheel units 80 can space the panel 12 a selectable distance from the ground according to the user's preferences.
Each of the wheel units 80 comprises an axle 82 that has a first end 84 and a second end 86. A wheel 88 is provided and the axle 82 extends therethrough such that the wheel 88 is rotatably coupled to the axle 82. The wheel 88 may have a diameter of at least 5.0 inches thereby facilitating the wheel 88 to roll over uneven ground and ice or snow. A coupler 90 is releasably coupled to the second end of the axle 82 for retaining the wheel 88 on the axle 82. The coupler 90 may be a ball that has a well therein for insertably receiving the axle 82 and the ball may inhibit the second end 86 of the axle 82 from posing an injury risk to the user.
Each of the wheel units 80 includes an arm 92 that has a first end 94 and a second end 96, and the arm 92 has a first aperture 98 extending therethrough and a second aperture 100 extending therethrough. The first aperture 98 is aligned with the first end 84 of the arm 92 and the second aperture 100 is aligned with the second end of the arm 92. The first aperture 98 insertably receives the first end 84 of the axle 82 for retaining the wheel 88 on the arm 92. Each of the wheel units 80 includes a pin 102 that extends through the second aperture 100 and engages the pin aperture 70 in the plate 58 of the respective wheel mount 54. Additionally, the first end 84 of the axle 82 engages a selected one of the engagement apertures 70 in the plate 58. In this way the wheel 88 extends a selectable distance downwardly from the panel 12.
In use, the panel 12 is positioned on the user's back and each of the first 30 and second 40 belts is wrapped around the user to retain the panel 12 on the user's back. Thus, the user can lie on the ground to perform mechanical work on a machine and roll on the panel 12 in the convention of a mechanic's creeper. Additionally, each of the wheels 18 can be adjusted to lift the panel 12 a selected distance from the ground. In this way the panel 12 can more easily be rolled over hills and depressions in the ground. Moreover, the wheels 18 can space the panel 12 higher than snow that may be present on the ground thereby inhibiting the user from lying in the snow.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20200331140 A1 | Oct 2020 | US |