Patent Application
20060138737
The present invention relates generally to fluid transportation devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a water caddy with a hinged fluid container to enhance use.
It is well known that water, and fluids in general, are relatively heavy. A single gallon of water, for example, weighs about 8.35 pounds, which makes the task of collecting, containing, and transporting fluids difficult. A variety of fluid handling devices are available to help contain and move fluids. Unfortunately, many such devices are uniquely configured for specific applications and have little if any utility in applications for which the device was not intended. U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,621 to Drayer, for example, describes a wheeled water caddy designed for lifting and transporting a specific type of closed water container. While the Drayer water caddy may simplify the process of transporting closed water containers, it has essentially no utility in applications where an open-top container is needed for capturing, containing, transporting, and emptying water. A filled mop bucket, for example, could not be easily transported or emptied with the Drayer water caddy. Nor would the Drayer water caddy be of much use to institutional care facilities that have a need to capture, transport, and empty waste water from shower chairs.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved water caddy that eliminates or improves upon one or more disadvantages of existing water caddy devices.
The present invention achieves its objections by providing a water caddy having a cabinet with a cabinet bottom, a cabinet top, and a cabinet interior intermediate the cabinet top and bottom. An open top fluid container pivotally attached to the cabinet is pivotable between a fill position in which the container receives fluid through its open top and an empty position in which fluid is emptied from the container through the open top without having to lift any portion of the cabinet. The water caddy is preferably set on wheels to enhance its mobility.
To assist a user in emptying fluid, one or more mechanical storage devices, such as a pneumatic actuator, interconnect the cabinet and fluid container and urge the container toward its empty position.
Other features that may employed include a brake to inhibit rotation of one or more of the wheels, a container latch for latching the fluid container to the cabinet, and a caddy latch for latching the water caddy to an existing shower apparatus.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in further detail. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings (which are not to scale) where:
Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or similar parts throughout,
The fluid container 14 has an open top 26 and is pivotally attached to the cabinet 12 by a hinge 28 or other such pivoting device, thus enabling the fluid container 14 to be pivotable between a fill position (as shown in
In use, the fluid container 14 captures or otherwise receives fluid 11 from a fluid source, such as a water faucet or other form of fluid supply. After filling, the water caddy 10 may be rolled or otherwise transported to a location where the contained fluid 11 is to be dumped. In a preferred embodiment, the cabinet 12 and fluid container 14 are dimensioned to enable captured fluid 11 to be emptied into an existing floor toilet. Alternatively, captured fluid 11 may be emptied into a floor drain or other disposal means. To dump the fluid 11, the user lifts upwardly on the latch handle 31 with sufficient force to pivot the fluid container 14 about hinge 28. As shown in
It will be appreciated that the water caddy 10 provides a highly stable and mobile platform for use and transport of fluids. Hinge 28 acts to support much of the weight of the fluid 11 and provides leverage for emptying of the fluid container 14. Hinge 28 also provides lateral stability to the fluid container 14 as it is being emptied, which simplifies the process of emptying the fluid container 14 and reduces the likelihood of spillage.
To further reduce the amount of effort required to empty the fluid container 14, one or more mechanical energy storage devices 34 may be employed to assist the user in pivoting the fluid container 14. In a preferred embodiment, device 34 is a pneumatic actuator interconnecting the cabinet 12 and fluid container 14 in a way that urges the fluid container 14 upwardly toward its empty position. Mechanical energy storage device 34 also functions to enhance lateral stability of the fluid container 14.
Between filling and emptying of the fluid container 14, the fluid 11 may be used or otherwise worked as desired. For example, the fluid 11 may be in the form of a cleaning solution that is used for mopping floors. Or the fluid 11 may be mixed with other fluids or materials to form a desired mixture. In such applications, the water caddy 10 provides a highly stable, easy to use mobile platform from which the fluid 11 may be used or worked.
The foregoing description details certain preferred embodiments of the present invention and describes the best mode contemplated. It will be appreciated, however, that changes may be made in the details of construction and the configuration of components without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the description provided herein is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined by the following claims and the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled.
