Land vehicles – Wheeled – Stable vehicles – handle-propelled
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-01
2003-11-18
Vanaman, Frank Bennett (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Stable vehicles, handle-propelled
C280S079200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648349
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to utility carts, and more particularly pertains to a multi-purpose utility cart that can store and safely transport a plurality of items which allows the user to easily gain access to these items and which also makes available a flat work space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many people enjoy recreational activities. However, many of these recreational activities seem to require that various accessories must be brought along so that one can further enhance that particular recreational activity being enjoyed. One common experience shared by nearly everyone is the recreational activity of spending a day at the beach. Many that do enjoy a day at the beach seem to bring with them all sorts of accessory items. Some of these beach accessories usually include beach towels, paperback books, extra dry clothes, umbrellas, coolers filled with food and drinks, suntan lotion, etc. The burden of transporting all of these accessories to the beach can quickly become an unenjoyable task when more than one trip is required. Furthermore, it is often assumed that the task of transporting all of these accessories usually requires that none of these items are to be damaged in anyway during this transportation process. For example, it is usually assumed that suntan lotion is not to be spilled or leaked onto clean dry clothes or onto any one of the paperback books. Conventional prior art solutions used to accomplish this task of transporting these types of accessories are the use of bags, backpacks and even utility carts. One common disadvantage shared with nearly all of these conventional prior art solutions is that the accessories are not conveniently stored in an organized manner. This lack of organized storage in the conventional prior art solutions is likely to prevent the user from gaining quick access to any one of these accessories. As a consequence of the absence of organized storage, the user must resort in rooting through this common hodgepodge collection until the user happens upon the particular desired accessory. This common disadvantage of a lack of organized storage is that it may also lead to another commonly shared disadvantage. That is, the use of these conventional prior art strategies that allow storage of all of the accessories in a common compartment may lead to an increase in the chances of damaging or even breaking any fragile accessories. Furthermore, as a result of any breakage, contamination from the contents of any of the broken accessories onto the other non broken accessories, as well as, contamination of the common storage area is enhanced. Still yet another disadvantage with the use of these conventional prior art strategies is that they may be difficult to clean or to decontaminate. Yet another disadvantage shared by these conventional prior art strategies in transporting accessories is that non offer a stable workspace to work on.
These common problems experienced in safely transporting, organizing, and accessing various items are not exclusively experienced in recreational activities. For example, when a gardener initiates a particular gardening project, the gardener must decide which particular items are required to accomplish that particular chosen gardening project. Some of these gardening items which a gardener would likely require in order to accomplish any given gardening project would include items such as tools, equipment, accessories and gardening chemicals. Many lawn and garden projects also require the use of bulk materials such as mulch, manure, seed and transplanted plants to that they must be hauled to the site. Therefore, the gardener must make several trips back-and-forth to gather these items. Depending upon the projected duration of the project, the gardener may also include refreshments, such as food and beverages to be included in the list of items to be taken to the gardening project.
As a result of initiating a garden project, a gardener must round up a wide variety of items from their various respective storage sites and eventually transport this diverse collection of items to the particular garden project work site. Some of the common gardening tools likely to be required by a gardener would include shovels, hoes, rakes, shears, hoses, electrical cords, trimmers, gloves etc. Some of the common pieces of gardening equipment likely to be required by a gardener would include items such as planting pots, potted plants, seedling racks, and watering cans. Some of the common gardening accessories that a gardener may wish to transport to a project site are potting soil, mulch or manure. Some of the common gardening chemicals that a gardener may wish to transport to a project site are various chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and various poisons, such as gopher poisons. Since many of these common gardening chemicals are hazardous, the gardener is likely to desire that these chemicals are to be safely sequestered so that they do not subsequently contaminate the gardener himself, nor contaminate his tools, equipment, accessories or refreshments.
Furthermore, as a result of completing a given garden project, a gardener is likely to gather up any garden refuse such as weeds, grass, limbs and litter to be cleaned up. Moving the garden refuse from the project site to a storage or disposal site is likely to require additional time, as well as equipment and supplies such as trash containers, lawn bags or a wheelbarrow. The conventional prior art solution has been that when the project is completed, all of the tools and equipment must be moved back to the storage facility and put away. Some pieces of equipment, such as rakes and shovels are stored on wall racks or just stacked against a wall. Some paraphernalia, such as gloves, and tools or small pots, may be placed on a shelf or stored in a drawer. In any event, the conventional prior art strategy has been largely to return each tool or item back to their respective storage sites after the project is complete.
Conventional carts have rectangular bodies with four walls configured to carry items and materials therein. A set of wheels rollingly supports the conventional cart. A handle is typically provided so that the cart can be rolled manually by pulling on the handle. It is also commonly known to rotatably mount the front wheels on an axle that is rotatably mounted to the bottom of the cart body. The handle is then mounted to the axle and the cart can be steered by pulling the handle in any desired steering direction, thereby rotating the front axle and aligning the front wheels in that direction. The conventional cart, however, presents a number of problems and shortcomings.
Conventional carts fail to provide a means for organizing the various accessories transported by these carts so that the user may conveniently and safely gain access to each accessory. Carts often have little more than one open chamber where all of the items to be transported are placed, and as a result cross contamination is likely to occur. For example, dirt from shovels may contaminate clean gloves when both are stored in the common chamber. A more serious problem may occur in the event that a garden chemical container breaks and subsequently contaminates the cart and its contents with the hazardous chemical.
Conventional carts also fail to provide a convenient means for decontaminating or cleaning the cart other than the means of flooding the storage chamber with soap and water and turning the cart upside down so that the cart may drain.
Conventional carts also fail to provide an adequate surface on which a user can arrange and manipulate certain items and materials. Working in the field or the garden, the gardener often needs a flat work area so that the he may perform a number of chores such as preparing seeds, seedling and potted plants for transplantation. In addition, a modern gardener is likely to need a flat work area so that the gardener may safely handle and manipulate the mixing of various garden chemicals. The conventional p
Carey Gloria Ann
Waller Melissa J.
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