Suspensions for wheeled transport devices
AssigneeUmagination Labs, L.P.
InventorsDouglas Dayton, Florian Altmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wheeled transport device, such as luggage, a trash can, a garden cart or other hand cart configured to be manually wheeled in an inclined position by a pedestrian user, includes a collapsible handle at one end and wheels at the other end. The wheels are independently connected to the device by respective suspensions that exhibit a compliance, in response to forces applied to their respective wheels by the surface in a direction opposing wheel motion, selected to sufficiently alter suspension geometry to temporarily change an attitude, such as toe, camber or caster, of their respective wheels to counter a tendency of the device to overturn in response to the applied forces.
Claims19
A wheeled transport device configured to be manually wheeled in an inclined position by a pedestrian user, the transport device comprising
- a main body defining a compartment therein for containing goods to be transported;
- a handle disposed at an upper end of the body when the transport device is in an operative, inclined position, the handle manually graspable by the pedestrian user while walking;
- and
- at least two wheels disposed at a lower end of the body when the transport device is in an operative, inclined position, each of the two wheels secured to the body by respective suspensions for independent rotation along a surface upon which the user is walking;
- wherein each suspension exhibits a compliance, in response to forces applied to its respective wheel by the surface in a direction opposing wheel motion, selected to sufficiently alter a geometry of the suspension to temporarily change an attitude of its respective wheel with respect to the main body to counter a tendency of the wheeled transport device to rotate about its axis of inclination in response to the applied forces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.