Patent Application
20170341556
The present invention relates to the field of vehicle cabin accessories. More particularly, the invention relates to a vehicular mobile storage cart.
Relatively small cars have become increasingly popular, due to road congestion and the maintenance cost of vehicles. In order to save space, the trunks of smaller cars are appreciatively small as well, and furthermore, some such cars have no trunks at all.
A trailer is a well known solution to the object of increasing the carrying ability of a car.
The trailer comprises a platform 94 with two wheels 92. The chassis 93 at the front side thereof outstands from the platform in order to allow a user to connect it to a car hitch (not illustrated in this figure).
US20060228201 is considered by the Applicant as the closest prior art. It discloses a portable cart which has an extendable base to elevate the cart to a proper height in order to mount it in the receiver or a trailer hitch. The extendable base is retracted, pulling up the cart wheels. This allows the cart to be towed by a vehicle. Once at the desired location, the vehicle is parked. The extendable base is extended to support the weight of the cart, which is removed from the vehicle. The cart may then be lowered and wheeled to its user site. The cart may be designed to hold baseball equipment, act as a sports training cart with first aid supplies, or material spill cleanup equipment. It may also carry food and supplies for catering, contain an outdoor mobile grill, act as a service company cart, a construction cart, an equipment cart for first responders, a pet show cart, a trade show cart, or be armored to carry ammunition and military supplies.
US20080100076 A1 is also considered by the applicant as close prior art. It discloses a cargo carrying system for use with a vehicle. The system includes a platform having roller members on an underside thereof to facilitate movement of the platform along the ground. Also included is a connection assembly which serves to permit the attachment of the platform to a vehicle. In one embodiment, both a first height adjustment mechanism and a separate, finely adjustable height mechanism are included between the connection assembly and the platform. Further included is an intermediate, slidable member used between the platform and connection member to facilitate the connection of the platform to the vehicle.
All the solutions described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of the required space between the car and the trailer, in order to allow a user to connect and disconnect the trailer from the car.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a vehicular mobile storage cart, for a car having a hitch (21, 22), the cart comprising:
According to one embodiment of the invention, the locking mechanism is combined with the handle (14) of the cart, thereby allowing placing the locking mechanism in a locked state thereof by the handle.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the handle (14) is pivotally connected to the wheel cart (10), thereby allowing changing the orientation of the handle to lock the studs (15) to the hooks (44), thereby implementing the locking mechanism.
Preferably, the hitch gripping mechanism (30) comprises:
According to one embodiment of the invention, the hitch gripping mechanism is adapted to be used with a car hitch element (22) is a form of a ball.
The vehicular mobile storage cart according to claim 3, further comprising a lock (35), for preventing an unauthorized person from releasing a connection between the hitch gripping mechanism (30) and the hitch.
The vehicular mobile storage cart may comprise a motor (17), for rotating one or more of the wheels of the wheel cart.
The vehicular mobile storage cart may further comprise a hook (18) into which a pin of the lifting mechanism (40) can be placed, for safer towing of the wheel cart than without the pin.
The vehicular mobile storage cart may further comprise a mechanism for securing the studs (15) to the hooks (44), thereby preventing the wheel cart (11) from disconnecting from the hooks (44).
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a vehicular mobile storage cart, for a car having a hitch (21, 22), the cart comprising:
The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.
Preferred embodiments, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:
Each of
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It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The present invention will be understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments (“best mode”), which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting.
For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail.
Each of
The wheel cart 10 illustrated in this figure is not mounted on the car.
The volume of the cabin of the wheel cart 10 is about the volume of a shopping cart. It comprises front and rear wheels, and a handle. The wheels of the wheel cart 10 are as of a supermarket shopping cart, i.e., a pair of rear wheels, and a pair of front wheels. The front wheels are pivotally connected to the wheel cart 10 by vertical hinges (not illustrated) which allows 360 degrees rotation.
The user may take the wheel cart to the supermarket, use the wheel cart as a shopping cart, and then return to his vehicle, mount the wheel cart on his car by lifting mechanism 40, and drive home with the wheel cart connected to the vehicle in the lifted situation thereof. At home he can lower the wheel cart 10, and take it to his house, where he unloads the groceries.
Of course the use of the wheel cart as a shopping cart is merely an example, and the wheel cart may be adapted for many other implementations, such as an external tools box, a food cooler, a food heater, and so on.
As will be detailed hereinafter, the mechanisms used by the wheel cart allow connecting the cart to a vehicle without the need of a user presence between the wheel cart and the vehicle.
The gripping mechanism 30 comprises two arms 32, each pivotally connected to a chassis 31, as in pliers.
To each of the arms is connected a gripping terminal 34, for gripping a ball coupler of a car hitch (not illustrated in this figure). The object of the gripping terminals 34 is to increase the gripping on a gripped object. For example, if the gripped element is a hitch ball coupler, a gripping terminal in a form of a cylinder provides a ring that grips the ball coupler.
The pivotal connection is between the upper side of the arms and the gripping terminals. This generates a moment which can be taken for planning the gripping power applied on a gripped object.
When the upper side of the arms 32 approaches each other, the gripping terminals 34 move away from each other, and vice versa. Thus, for applying gripping mechanism on a ball coupler of a car hitch, a force has to be applied on the arms to keep away from each other. This purpose is performed by a foldable rod 33.
The foldable rod 33 is connected to the arms 32. In the straight form of the foldable rod 33, the foldable rod applies force on the arms 32 such that the gripping terminals 34 apply force on the gripped object, thereby tightly holding the gripping mechanism 30. When a user folds the foldable rod 33, the gripping mechanism 30 can be removed from the car.
Reference numeral 35 denotes a lock, for retaining the foldable rod 33 straight, thereby preventing removing the gripping mechanism from the gripped object, such as a ball coupler of a car hitch.
Each of
In
When the foldable rod 33 is straight, the arms 32 apply force on the gripping terminals, thereby gripping the ball coupler 22 of a car hitch 21.
When the foldable rod 33 is collapsed, a user can separate the arms 32 from the car hitch ball.
The hidden part of the ball coupler is marked by dashed line.
Numeral 36 denotes a screw as an example of a connector for connecting the gripping mechanism to the lifting mechanism.
Each of
The lifting mechanism according to this embodiment of the invention comprises two major parts: a stationary part and a vertically slideable part.
The stationary part comprises a chassis 41, which is connected to the chassis 31 of the gripping mechanism. Two vertical shafts 42 are connected to the chassis 41.
Also connected to the chassis is a motor 43, such as a step motor, electric motor, and the like. The motor 43 rotates a linear actuator 45, which is connected to the vertically slideable part.
The vertically slideable part comprises a horizontal bar 46, and two hooks 44. The linear actuator 45 is pivotally connected to the horizontal bar 46. Each of the hooks 44 is connected to the horizontal bar 46. Each of the hooks 44 is also pivotally connected to one of the vertical shafts 42.
Thus, upon rotating the linear actuator 45 by the motor 43 in one direction, the vertical bar 46 along with the hooks 44 move up, and vice versa.
Each of
The wheel cart 10 comprises a cabin 11, two front wheels 12, two rear wheels 13, and a handle 14. The handle 14 is pivotally connected to the cabin by axles 16.
To each side of the wheel cart is attached a stud 15, corresponding with hooks 44.
Element 18 is a female element corresponding to a male element (not illustrated) of the lifting mechanism, for safer towing of the wheel cart.
The motor 17, which is seen in
As can be seen from these figures, in
As illustrated, the hooks 44 slide vertically, and when they move up, they lift studs 15, which are connected to the sides of wheel cart 10. Thus, when connecting the wheel cart to a car, a user does not have to be present between the car and the wheel cart, thereby allowing designing the vehicular mobile storage cart of the present invention to be as close to the rear side of the car as possible (i.e., without touching the car).
In most cases, the weight of the wheel cart is adequate to keep wheel cart 10 on hooks 44. Nevertheless, in order to make sure of no unintentional separation of wheel cart 10 from hooks 44 (e.g., as a result of shaking), a use of a locking mechanism (not illustrated) can be made.
Each of
According to this embodiment of the invention, the lifting mechanism is based on a parallelogram frame 50, whose bars are pivotally connected by hinges 51. The lower horizontal bar of frame 50 is connected to the gripping mechanism. The angle between the bars of the parallelogram frame 50 is changed by a linear actuator 45.
In
The linear actuator can be motorized, as well as manual. For the sake of brevity, the motor is not illustrated in these figures.
The advantage of the lifting mechanism illustrated in these figures over the lifting mechanism illustrated in
In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:
In the description herein, the following references have been mentioned:
The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.
Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.
The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 245896 | May 2016 | IL | national |
