BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a wheelbarrow, and in particular to a collapsible and steerable wheelbarrow.

Wheelbarrows are a well-known type of load carrying device and are used in a wide variety of industries and applications to move loads from one place to another. On residential properties wheelbarrows are commonly used to move material such as soil, compost, sand, fertiliser, garden refuge, leaves, plants and so forth. Although conventional steel wheelbarrows are commonly used to move these materials effectively there are disadvantages to them.

Conventional steel wheelbarrows are heavy, which makes them difficult to operate for some users. As a result, these users often do not use a wheelbarrow and instead are forced to transport less material on multiple trips. Another disadvantage of conventional steel wheelbarrows is that they are bulky and therefore difficult to manoeuvre, particularly in constrained spaces. Their size also makes them difficult to store as they take up a lot of storage space. For example, it is inconvenient and in many instances impractical to store a conventional steel wheelbarrow in a garage. To address this problem it has been suggested to store the wheelbarrow by suspending it from hooks located on the wall of the garage. However, many people are again not able to lift a wheelbarrow in order to attach it to the hook. This proposed solution is therefore far from ideal.

In an attempt to address the abovementioned disadvantages of conventional steel wheelbarrows, it has been suggested to use collapsible wheelbarrows which have a collapsible or foldable load bin. In some instances the load bin is manufactured from a pliable material, which reduces the weight as well as the spatial requirements for storage of the wheelbarrow significantly. However, the collapsible wheelbarrows currently available on the market have shortcomings. For example, a user often experiences difficulty in dumping the load being carried by the wheelbarrow. When dumping the contents by tipping the wheelbarrow over its wheel some of the content falls onto the wheel and shaft on which the wheel is mounted. Another problem experienced with known collapsible wheelbarrows is with their lack of manoeuvrability. It is at times difficult to get the wheelbarrow into the desired position. Fixed wheel wheelbarrows are steered by leaning the wheelbarrow into the turn. When loaded this becomes difficult, which results in a large turning circle and, accordingly, a lack of manoeuvrability. In an attempt to address this problem, it has been suggested to replace the fixed wheel with a pivot wheel on non-collapsible wheelbarrows. This has been largely unsuccessful in that the pivot wheel pivots uncontrollably in use and often locks in an undesired position transverse to the direction of travel. For example, when leaning into a corner the pivot wheel pivots uncontrollably and too far, thereby rendering the wheelbarrow unsteerable. A similar problem is experienced when pulling the wheelbarrow up stairs, steps or the like. To address this problem of uncontrollable pivot wheels on non- collapsible wheelbarrows it has been suggested to add steering controls such as steering cables. This is undesirable as it complicates the designs of the wheelbarrow significantly and its usage. Another problem with known collapsible wheelbarrows is that the depth of their load bin is compromised due to the positioning of the wheel to the frame. As a result of the frame’s position to the wheel the load bin is typically very shallow, which limits the amount of content that can be carried by the wheelbarrow. This problem is exacerbated where the frame of the wheelbarrow is connected at or near the axle of the wheel. This causes the front end of the load bin to be shallow, which in turn moves the centre of gravity towards the rear of the wheelbarrow. This makes the wheelbarrow heavier to lift and again detracts from the manoeuvrability and therefore the steerability of the wheelbarrow.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a wheelbarrow, particularly a collapsible wheelbarrow, that will, at least partially, address the above disadvantages.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a wheelbarrow, particularly a collapsible wheelbarrow, which will be a useful alternative to existing wheelbarrows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention there is provided a collapsible wheelbarrow including a chassis, at least one frame element being removably connectable to the chassis such that the at least one frame element forms a frame when connected to the chassis, a flexible load bin carried, in use, by the frame, and a wheel assembly carried by the chassis, wherein the wheel assembly includes a steerable wheel.

The wheel may be carried pivotally by the chassis such that the wheel is pivotal about a pivot axis extending transversely to the axis of rotation of the wheel. The pivot axis preferably extends perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the wheel. The pivot axis may be angled such that, in use, when the wheelbarrow is being used the pivot axis is substantially upright.

The wheel assembly may include a limit stop to limit the degree of rotation of the wheel about its pivot axis. The limit stop may include a detent and channel, and wherein the detent and channel allow for relative movement between them between two limits defined by opposite ends of the channel.

In the preferred embodiment the channel is arcuate.

The channel may be carried by a swivel head carrying the wheel and the detent may project from the chassis, thereby allowing the swivel head carrying the channel to move relative to the detent between the two limits.

The degree of rotation of the wheel may be limited to about 40 degrees both ways, i.e. 40 degrees in a first direction of rotation and 40 degrees in a second direction of rotation. Preferably the degree of rotation of the wheel is limited to about 30 degrees, in particular 28 degrees, both ways.

The chassis may carry connecting formations for connection with complementary shaped connecting formations carried by the frame elements, wherein the connecting formations are arranged such that the frame elements connect to the chassis at a position that is vertically off-set from or raised above an axis of rotation of the wheel, thereby increasing the depth of the load bin at a front end of the load bin.

The chassis may include a first, front section, a second, central section and a third, rear section, wherein the third, rear section is angled relative to at least the second, central section and wherein the connecting formation on the chassis are carried by the third, rear section.

The connecting formations on the chassis may include a number of securing means for securing the at least one frame element in different positions to the chassis. The number of securing means may be offset by about 90 degrees thereby allowing the at least one frame element to be connected to the chassis in different positions in which the handles are rotated by 90 degrees.

The at least one frame element may include a number of sections that are removably connectable to one another to form the assembled frame element, wherein the sections each carries complementary shaped securing means for securing the sections to one another.

The chassis may include an engaging formation in the form of a groove in which a portion of the flexible load bin is received, and wherein the groove is closed off by means of a retaining formation that is arranged such that the portion of the flexible load bin is movable in a first direction along the longitudinal length of the groove but constrained in a second direction transverse to the groove.

The first, front section of the chassis may be in the form of a ground engaging member. The front section may be substantially U-shaped.

The third, rear section may carry connecting formations for connection with the frame elements. The connecting formations are preferably shaped complementary to connecting formations carried by the frame elements.

The chassis is preferably manufactured from tubing or piping. The first, second and third sections are preferably integrally formed, more preferably by bending the tubing. Alternatively, the chassis may be manufactured from metal or any other suitable material.

The chassis may include a shield. Preferably, the shield is in the form of a plate connected to at least one of the first, second and third sections of the chassis. The plate may be made from steel or plastic.

In the preferred embodiment the at least one frame element may be manufactured from tubing. The frame elements may each include a number of tubing sections that are connectable to one another to form the assembled frame elements. Each tubing section may carry a connecting formation at a first end thereof that is shaped complementary to a connecting formation at a second end thereof, thereby allowing the first end of one section to be connectable to the second end of another section.

Alternatively, the at last one frame element may be manufactured from plastic or any other suitable material.

The connecting formation carried by the third, rear section of the chassis is substantially similar to the connection formation carried by the first end of the at least one frame element.

Each pair of connecting formations have corresponding securing means which is operable between a first, locked position wherein the connecting formations may be locked to each other and a second, free position wherein the connecting formation may be disconnected from one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a collapsible wheelbarrow in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a front perspective view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 in which its flexible load bin is removed;

Figure 3 shows a front view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows a rear view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 shows a side view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 ; Figure 6 shows a top view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 ; Figure 7 shows a rear view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 ; Figure 8 shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 in which a load bin retaining formation can be seen;

Figure 9 shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 in which the loan bin retaining formation engages the load bin;

Figure 10 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a wheelbarrow in accordance with the invention in which the wheelbarrow is disassembled;

Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 10 fully assembled;

Figure 12 shows a side view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 10; Figure 13 shows a bottom perspective view of a wheel assembly of the wheelbarrow of Figure 10; and

Figure 14 shows a bottom plan view of a wheel assembly of the wheelbarrow of Figure 10 in which the axle and wheel are removed for the sake of clarity. DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted", "connected", "engaged" and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings and are thus intended to include direct connections between two members without any other members interposed therebetween and indirect connections between members in which one or more other members are interposed there between. Further, "connected" and "engaged" are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. Additionally, the words "lower", "upper", "upward", "down" and "downward" designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words or similar import. It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the," and any singular use of any word, include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocally limited to one referent. As used herein, the term “include” and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like features, a non- limiting example of a wheelbarrow in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The wheelbarrow 10 of the invention is collapsible or foldable. The wheelbarrow 10 has a flexible or pliable load bin 12 for carrying loads, such as soil, compost, sand, fertiliser, garden refuge, leaves, plants and the like. The load bin 12 is typically made from a flexible material so that it is collapsible or foldable from an expanded configuration in which it defines a load carrying volume 14 to a collapsed or folded configuration in which the load bin is substantially flattened. In its collapsed configuration the space occupied by the load bin is significantly reduced compared to its expanded configuration. When completely removed the load bin 12 can be folded for easy storage or transport.

The load bin 12 is carried by a frame, including a pair of elongate frame elements 18, a wheeled chassis 16. The elongate frame elements 18 are removably connectable to the chassis 16 such that they extend from the chassis when connected thereto so as to define the frame. The frame elements 18 are connectable to the chassis 16 at one end and carry handles 20 at their opposite end. In use, the handles 20 may be gripped by a user in order to manoeuvre or steer the wheelbarrow 10. The handles 20 are shaped to define portions 22 that are angled relative to the major portion of the elongate frame elements 18. In use, when the wheelbarrow is placed flat on a support surface the angled portions 22 act to lift the elongate frame elements 18, in particular their rear ends, off of the support surface. The front end of the elongate frame elements 18 are connected to and, accordingly raised off the support surface by the wheeled chassis 16. More about this is said below. By raising the elongate frame elements 18 off the support surface, the load bin 12 is allowed to remain substantially in its expanded configuration when the wheelbarrow 10 is put down. In other words, the portions 22 together with the wheeled chassis 16 prevent the loading bin 12 from being squashed or flattened when the wheelbarrow 10 is laid down on the support surface. It should be understood that this makes it easier to load materials into the volume 14 of the load bin 12 in the working position.

Probably best seen in Figure 1 , the end of the load bin 12, which is in use its rear end 24, is open to facilitate ground level loading. In use, the load bin 12 can be levelled with the support surface such that the material can be loaded into the volume 14 with ease. The handles 20 are also spaced apart to create an opening between them to facilitate loading of the materials.

Referring now to Figure 2, the elongate frame elements 18 comprise multiple sections that are connectable to one another. In the illustrated embodiment each frame element 18 comprises two sections 26.1 and 26.2, which are connectable to one another to create the assembled frame elements. As shown in Figure 2, the first section 26.1 is connectable at its front end 28 to the chassis 16 and at its rear end 30 to the second section 26.2. In turn, the second section 26.2 is connectable at its front end 32 to the rear end 30 of the first section 26.1 and terminates at its second end 34 in the handle 20.

The first and second sections 26.1 , 26.2 define complimentary shaped connecting formations which connect to one another when the frame elements are assembled. In the illustrated embodiment the sections 26.1 , 26.2 are manufactured from tubing, particularly round tubing. The ends 30, 32 of the sections 26.1 , 26.2 that engage one another are dimensioned such that one is received inside the other. In the illustrated embodiment of the wheelbarrow 10 the connecting formation carried by the end 32 is dimensioned to be received inside the connecting formation defined by the end 30. In particular, the connecting formation carried by the end 32 has a reduced diameter compared to the connecting formation carried by the end 30.

The pair of connecting formations carried by the ends 30, 32 carries a securing means which is operable between a first, locked position wherein the connecting formations may be locked to each other and a second, free position wherein the connecting formation may be disconnected from each another. The securing means of the connecting formation at the end 32 is in the form of a pin 36, which is preferably biased toward its locked position. The securing means of the connecting formation at the end 30 is in the form of a complementary shaped hole 38 in which the securing pin 36 is located when the connecting formations engage one another. In use, the securing pin 36 is depressed in order to fit the end 32 inside the end 30 and automatically locks the ends together by locating in the hole 38. In order to disconnect the ends 30, 32 the securing pin 36 is depressed while the sections 26.1 and 26.2 are moved apart.

The ends 28 of the sections 26.1 are connectable to the wheeled chassis 16 using connecting formations that are substantially similar to those carried by the ends 32 of the sections 26.2. The wheeled chassis 16 has a first, front portion 40, a second, central portion 42 and a third, rear portion 44. The front portion 14 a substantially U-shaped and acts as a ground engaging member about which the wheelbarrow 20 may be pivoted or rolled when, for example, emptying the load bin 12. The front portion 40 further acts as a brace to strengthen the chassis 16.

In this embodiment the central section 42 is integrally formed with the front section 40. The central section 42 extends from the front section 40 such that they are substantially in the same plane. The rear section 44 is, in turn, angled relative to the front 40 and central 42 sections. The rear section 44 is angled such that, in use, it extends upwardly at an angle while the front 40 and central 42 sections are substantially horizontal.

In this illustrated embodiment, the first 40, second 42 and third 44 sections are integrally formed, preferably from tubing, more preferably from round tubing. The tube ends 46 of the rear section 44 terminates in connecting formations which are substantially similar to the connection formations carried by the ends 30 of the sections 26.1. Accordingly, the connecting formations carried by the ends 28 of the sections 26.1 are received inside the connecting formations at the ends 46 of the chassis 12. The connecting formations are again securable to one another by securing means in the form of a pin 48 that locates in corresponding hole 50 in order to secure the frame element 18 to the chassis 16.

The tube ends 46 further carries secondary securing means in the form of a second hole 45 which is shaped complementary to the securing pin 48 of the fame elements 18, particularly the first end 28 of the section 26.1. The secondary securing means 45 allow for the frame elements 18 to be secured to the chassis 16 in a second position. The secondary securing means 45 are angled about 90 degrees relative to the primary securing means 50, thereby allowing the frame elements 18 to be connected to the chassis 16 in a position in which the handles 20 are rotated by 90 degrees. It is envisaged that this position would be suitable for storing the wheelbarrow 14 seeing that the handles 20 are facing inwardly towards each other in this position. The handle portions 22 are therefor allowed to lie flat against the resting surface, thereby reducing the space taken up by the wheelbarrow 10 when stored.

The wheeled chassis 16 further includes a plate 52. The plate 52 is typically connected to the front 40 and central 42 portions of the chassis 16. In one embodiment the plate 52 is made from metal, such as steel, and is welded to the tubing of the chassis 16. However, in an alternative embodiment in which the chassis 16 is made from another material, such as injection moulded plastic for example, the plate 52 could be made from such other material, for example plastic. In this alternative embodiment the frame elements 18 may also be made from plastic. It is believed that this alternative embodiment would have weight advantages over the embodiment manufactured from metal, such as steel.

Best seen in Figures 8 and 9, the plate 52 provides a mounting platform for mounting a wheel assembly 54 to the chassis 16. The wheel assembly 54 is typically mounted to the underside 56 of the plate 52 using fasteners such as bolts 57, for example. In the illustrated embodiment the wheel assembly is similar in construction to a castor. The wheel assembly 54 has a mount 58, a swivel head 60, a yoke 62, an axle 64 and a wheel 66. The advantage of the wheel assembly 54 is that the wheel 66 is pivotally carried by the chassis 16, thereby making the wheelbarrow 10 more steerable and therefore manoeuvrable. The wheel 66 is pivotal about a pivot axis 68 extending transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the axis of rotation 70 of the wheel. In use, the pivot axis 68 may be arranged such that, in use, when the wheelbarrow is being used the pivot axis is substantially upright. In this description the word “steerable” is used to describe the action of directing or manipulating the direction of travel of the wheelbarrow by allowing the wheel 66 to rotate, particularly pivot, about its pivot axis 68 in controlled manner. The word “steerable” does not imply the use of positive steering controls that require active input from the user in order to manipulate the direction of travel of the wheelbarrow.

In order to improve the steerability or manoeuvrability of the wheelbarrow 10 the axis of rotation 70 is offset to the pivot axis 68. In other words, the axis of rotation 70 is not vertically aligned with the pivot axis 68. In the illustrated embodiment the axis of rotation 70 is located in front of the pivot axis 68. This is achieved by angling the yoke 62 forward. As shown in Figure 5 the yoke 62 extends forwardly so as to create an angle a with the chassis 16, particularly the front 40 and central 42 portions of the chassis.

The angle a is carefully designed such that the steerability of the wheelbarrow 10 is optimised while at the same time allowing the plate 52 to act as a shield to prevent material from falling onto the wheel 66 and axle 64 when emptying the load bin 12.

Although in the preferred embodiment the wheel 66 is steerable, i.e. rotatable or pivotable about the axis 68 in a controlled manner, it is envisaged that in an alternative embodiment the wheel could be fixed, i.e. not pivotal about the axis 68.

Returning to Figures 8 and 9, the chassis 16 carries an engaging formation 72 for engaging a portion 74 of the flexible load bin 12. The engagement formation 72 is shaped to receive the portion 74 of the load bin 12 therein and to grip it so as to hold it captive. The engagement formation 72 is in the form of a bent channel section which defines a groove or slot 76 that is closed off by means of a retaining formation in the form of a lip 78. The lip 78 is arranged such that the portion 74 of the load bin 12 is movable in a first direction but constrained in a second direction. The first direction is substantially in line with the longitudinal length of the groove 76 while the second direction is transverse, particularly perpendicular, to the groove. As a result, the portion 74 of the load bin 12 may be inserted into the engaging formation 72 by sliding it along the groove 76. Once located in the groove 76 the lip 78 holds it captive in the groove so as to prevent it from being removed from the groove. In use, the force generated by the load of material inside the load bin 12 will act in a direction substantially in line with the second direction and, accordingly, the portion 74 of the load bin will be prevented from escaping the retaining formations 72. However, the load bin 12 may be easily removed by simply sliding the portion 74 along the groove and ultimately out of it. The flexible load bin 12 can therefore be easily removed from and attached to the chassis 16.

Referring now to Figures 10 to 14 a non-limiting example of a second embodiment of the collapsible wheelbarrow in accordance with the invention will now be described. In Figures 10 to 14 the wheelbarrow in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 210. Where features of the second embodiment correspond to features of the first embodiment the same reference numeral is used but preceded by the numeral 2.

The second embodiment of the wheelbarrow 210 is substantially similar to the first embodiment 10 and, accordingly, only the most significant differences will be described. In particular, the second embodiment 210 is substantially identical to the first embodiment 10 apart from the wheel assembly 54. The second embodiment 210 aims to improve the manoeuvrability and steerability of the wheelbarrow by means of a different wheel configuration. Instead of offsetting the axis of rotation 70 to a position in front of the pivot axis 68 as in the first embodiment 10, in the second embodiment 210 a limit stop 280 is included to limit the movement of the wheel 266 about the pivots axis 268.

The limit stop 280 is best seen in Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 shows a bottom plan view in which the axle 264 and wheel 266 are removed for the sake of clarity. In this figure the yoke 262 is shown in solid lines in a first configuration in which it is at zero degrees, i.e. in the position in which the wheel 266 travels in a straight line. This position in which the yoke 262 is at zero degrees is also referred to as the neutral position. The yoke 262 is shown in broken line at one extreme position in which it is rotated about the pivot axis 268 by an angle b.

The limit stop 280 includes a detent and channel arrangement defining the limits of the rotational movement of the yoke 262, and accordingly the wheel 266, about the pivot axis 268. The arrangement includes a detent 282 and channel 284, which allow for limited relative movement between them in order to define the range of allowable movement of the yoke 262. In this second embodiment the detent 282 is carried by and projects from the mount 258. The channel 284 is, in turn, carried by the swivel head 260 to which the yoke 262 is connected. The channel 284 is arcuate in order to allow rotational movement of the swivel head 260 about the pivot axis 268. It should be understood that, in use, the swivel head 260 (and accordingly the channel 284) is allowed to rotate relative to the detent 282 between its two limits or extremes defined by opposite ends 286 and 288 of the channel. Using the bottom plan view of Figure 13 as reference, the end 286 of the channel 284 defines the first limit in a clockwise direction while the end 288 defines the second limit in an anti-clockwise direction. In Figure 13, the position of the swivel head 260 and yoke 262 at the second limit is illustrated in broken lines. In the extreme position the detent 282 abuts the end 288 of the channel so as to obstruct further rotation movement in the anti-clockwise direction. The same applies to the end 286 when the swivel head 260 and yoke 262 are at the first limit when the rotated in a clockwise direction.

In this second embodiment 210 of the wheelbarrow the maximum angle of rotation b in either the clockwise or anti -clockwise direction is about 40 degrees, preferably 30 degrees, in particular 28 degrees, either side of the neutral position. In other words, the total degree of allowable rotation between the two limits or extremes is about 60 degrees. It should be understood that the above arrangement is only one example of a limit stop that may be used to limit the degree of rotational movement of the wheel 266 about the pivot axis 270. In other embodiments, other variations may be used. For example, the detent 282 may be carried by the swivel head 260 while the channel 284 may be carried by the mount 258. An important aspect of the limit stop 280 is that limited rotational movement of the wheel 266 is allowed between two extreme positions defined by the limit stop.

Probably best seen in Figure 12, in this second embodiment 210 of the wheelbarrow the axis of rotation 270 define by the axle 264 is off-set rearward with respect to the pivot axis 268. In other words, the yoke 260 angles backward with respect to the pivot axis 268.

The inventor has identified that the wheel mounting configuration of the second embodiment 210 of the wheelbarrow allows for improved manoeuvrability and steerability of the wheelbarrow. The rearward angled yoke 260 allows the wheel 266 to pivot about the pivot axis 268 when cornering or turning the wheelbarrow in use. Byway of example, in use, when turning to the right the user will cause the wheelbarrow to lean towards the right. This, in turn, causes the wheel 266 to pivot about the pivot axis 266 in a clockwise direction, thereby reducing the turning circle of the wheelbarrow 210. The degree by which the wheel 266 pivots can be controlled accurately and easily by controlling the degree by which the wheelbarrow is tilted, i.e. the degree by which the wheelbarrow leans into the corner. The limit stop 280 acts to prevent the wheel 260 from pivoting too far, thereby preventing reducing the turning circle too drastically to cause the wheel to lock or the wheelbarrow to become unstable. The limit stop 280 therefore allows for a sufficient amount of forward momentum to be retained to allow for controllable manoeuvring and steering of the wheelbarrow 210.

The wheel mounting configuration of the second embodiment 210 further allows for controlled pulling of the wheelbarrow up stairs, steps or the like. The combination of the rearward angled yoke 260 and the limit stop 280 allows wheelbarrow to be pulled up stairs, steps or the like even while carrying a load. The limit stop 280 prevents the wheel 266 from pivoting into a position wherein it is substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel . The limit stop 280 therefore addresses the problem of the pivotable wheel locking perpendicular to the direction of travel under the weight of a load.

The wheelbarrow 10,210 in accordance with the invention has the advantage of being collapsible while providing improved manoeuvrability and steerability compared to fixed wheel wheelbarrows. The improved manoeuvrability and steerability are achieved through the wheel mounting configuration and without the need for additional steering controls. Although this wheel mounting configuration is described above with reference to a collapsible wheelbarrow it is envisaged that it could also be used on non- collapsible wheelbarrows, such as those where the load bin is made from a substantially rigid material like steel or hard plastics material.

Another advantage of the wheelbarrow 10, 210 of the invention is that the frame elements 18, 218 carrying the load bin 12, 212 connect to the chassis 16, 216 at a raised position, particularly above the wheel 66, 266, thereby increasing the depth of the load bin at the front. This increased depth allows for a greater volume of material to be loaded at the front of the wheelbarrow so as to shift the centre of gravity towards the wheel 66, 266. By shifting the centre of gravity forward towards the fulcrum about which the wheelbarrow pivots when the handles 220 are lifted, the lifting force required to lift the wheelbarrow is reduced. Another advantage of the forward position of the centre of gravity is that it assists with improved control and, accordingly, manoeuvrability and steerability.

Yet another advantage of the wheelbarrow 10, 210 is that it allows for compact storage and/or shipment and transport. The wheelbarrow 10, 210 is completely collapsible by dismantling it as shown in Figure 10. Also, the multiple positions of the handles 22, 222 allow for flat storage against a wall or similar surface by rotating the handles inwardly toward one another. Yet another advantage of the wheelbarrow 10, 210 is that the wheel assembly 54 is shielded from falling material when emptying the load bin.

It will be appreciated that the above description only provides example embodiments of the invention and that there may be many variations without departing from the spirit and/or the scope of the invention. It is easily understood from the present application that the particular features of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged and designed according to a wide variety of different configurations. In this way, the description of the present invention and the related figures are not provided to limit the scope of the invention but simply represent selected embodiments.

The skilled person will understand that the technical characteristics of a given embodiment can in fact be combined with characteristics of another embodiment, unless otherwise expressed or it is evident that these characteristics are incompatible. Also, the technical characteristics described in a given embodiment can be isolated from the other characteristics of this embodiment unless otherwise expressed.