FOLDABLE SHOPPING BAG WITH GROUND-ENGAGING WHEELS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shopping bag with ground-engaging wheels to assist in carrying the weight of the bag when loaded with goods.

Background of the Invention

There has been proposed a shopping bag in which the base of the bag is fitted with a pair of ground-engaging wheels which carry the weight of the bag and its load whilst the bag is carried by a hand of the user in the conventional way. The wheels are moveable from their in-use position to a stowed position lying substantially flat against the base of the bag and in this mode when the bag is not in use it can be folded into a small volume for ease of transportation and storage. Although the wheels are of some assistance in carrying the weight of the bag and its contents, because there is no substantial rigidity within the overall structure of the main body of the bag it is not particularly convenient to use.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a bag for shopping and the like, the bag being of a flexible construction to enable the bag to be folded for storage purposes and the bag having ground-engaging wheels at the base of the bag and a substantially rigid handle extending from the base and by which the bag can be drawn along the ground while resting on the wheels, the handle being mounted to the base for movement between a collapsed stowed position in which it extends alongside the base for storage purposes and

an extended operative position in which it extends from the base for use.

In one preferred embodiment, the handle is of telescopic construction and is also able to fold into a collapsed configuration in which it can be stowed. The lower end of the handle is attached to the base of the bag and is able to swing from its stowed position in which it lies along the base and its extended operative position. In its extended operative position, the handle is connected to an upper part of a side of the bag to prevent the bag from sagging during use and may also apply a degree of tension to that side of the bag. The handle is releasably lockable in its collapsed configuration and also in its extended configuration and the locking action in both configurations can be achieved by the same locking device operative between adjacent parts of the handle. In practice, the wheels will also be movable to a stowed position for storage in which they lie substantially flat against the base.

Brief Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the base part of a bag in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, with ground-engaging wheels and a handle attached to the base being shown in a stowed position;

Figures 2 and 3 are views showing the bag with the wheels and handle in their

operative positions and the handle supporting the adjacent wall of the bag;

Figures 4 and 5 are views showing the handle unfolded from its stowed position and prior to movement into an upright position;

Figure 6 shows the handle in its upright position but prior to attachment of a connection between an upper part of the handle and an upper part of the wall of the bag;

Figure 7 shows step by step movement of a bag from a stowed configuration to an operative configuration, the bag being in accordance with an example of the present invention; and

Figure 8 is a close-up view of the bag of Figure 7 shown in the stowed configuration.

Detailed Description

The bag in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention is constructed of a flexible fabric or sheeting so that it is able to be collapsed and folded when not in use. The base of the bag incorporates a rigid insert panel of a rectangular shape which corresponds to that of the bag base. The insert panel may be composed of aluminium, steel or a rigid plastics, for example. At its underside the base carries a pair of wheels 2 and associated support legs 4. Each wheel 2 and its associated support leg 4 is carried by a mounting 6 which is secured to the insert panel in the base. Each wheel 2 can be pivoted between a

stowed position shown in Figure 1 in which the wheel 2 and leg 4 lie substantially flat against the underside of the base and an extended position for use in which the wheel and associated support leg project substantially perpendicularly from the underside of the base. The wheel 2 and support leg 4 are shown in the extended position in each of the other Figures. Each wheel 2 and its associated support leg 4 are releasably spring locked or snap-locked in their stowed and extended positions by co-operation with the mounting 6. In the extended positions of the two wheels 2 and associated support legs 4, they can provide a stable 4-point support for the bag when resting on the ground and the bag can be tilted to enable the bag to be moved along the ground with support just from the wheels 2.

The base of the bag also carries a handle 8 which is collapsible to a compact size in which it can be stowed for transportation and storage of the bag (see Figure 1) when not in use. In its operative condition, the handle maintains the main body of the bag against sagging during use and permits the bag easily to be wheeled along the ground by pushing or pulling the bag via a grip at the upper end of the handle (see Figures 2 and 3). The handle preferably prevents sagging by introducing a degree of tension into the wall of the bag and although this is preferred, the tensioning is not essential to achieve that objective.

In the particular embodiment shown, the handle 8 is carried by a bracket 10 which is firmly attached to the insert plate of the base. As shown, the bracket 10 is formed by an L-section of aluminium, steel or other rigid material extending externally along one side of the base and anchored to the insert plate at spaced positions along its length to provide the necessary load distribution. The lower end of the handle 8 is pivotally mounted to the

bracket 10 so that the handle can swing between a collapsed stowed position in which the handle extends along the length of the bracket 10 (as shown in Figure 1) and an extended operative position in which the handle 8 extends upwardly from the bracket 10 at the base of the bag (see Figures 2 and 3). This pivot mounting is shown at 12 in Figures 2 and 4. Although part of the handle is of telescopic construction to permit it to be set to a reduced length for storage and extended for use, the handle also incorporates a folding structure which permits storage in a compact way in which the overall length of the handle in its stowed mode is of the same order as, and not significantly greater than, the length of the corresponding side of the bag so that when the bag is folded for storage the handle will not project to any significant extent beyond the edge of the folded bag.

Specifically, the lower part 14 of the handle 8 is of channel section, for example of aluminium or steel, and it is this part that is pivoted to the bracket 10 by pivot 12. The adjacent part 16 of the handle is of telescopic construction, for example of aluminium or steel, and that is pivoted to the outer end of the channel section 14 (its upper end in the operative condition of handle) by a pivot 18. In the stowed condition, the telescopic part 16 has pivoted about the pivot 18 into the channel section 14 to extend along the length of the channel section and be retained therein. It will be seen from Figures 1, 4 and 5, that in the stowed position the channel section 14 extends over slightly more than half of the length of the base from its pivotal connection at 12 to the bracket 10 midway along the length of the base, to its outer end at which it is pivotally connected at 18 to the telescopic part 16 of the handle. The length of the telescopic part in its collapsed state is itself approximately the same as the length of the base so that when it is swung about the pivot

18 to He within the channel section 14 it will then be approximately coextensive with the corresponding side of the base. In its fully stowed position a slidable locking collar 20 on the telescopic part 16 is engageable with the inner end of the channel section 14 (its end closest to the pivot mounting 12 to the bracket) in order to lock the telescopic part to the channel section in this mode and thereby prevent unintended pivotal movement about the pivot 18. In one preferred form the collar 20 includes a projecting locking web which can wedge between the external surface of the telescopic part 16 and the internal surface of the channel section 14, although in an alternative the collar could lock onto the external surface of the channel section.

To extend and displace the handle for use, the following steps are taken (in either order): a) the locking collar 20 is released from engagement with the channel section 14 so that the telescopic part 16 can be swung outwardly about the pivot 18; b) the channel section 14 is swung about the pivot 12 until the edge of the channel section 14 abuts against the edge of a stop 24 projecting from the bracket 10 to define the upright position of the handle; the face of this stop also acts to locate the side of the channel section 14 in the storage mode as shown in Figure 1.

The telescopic part 16 consists of an outer section and one, or possibly more than one, inner section telescopically mounted within the outer section and carrying a hand grip 26 which can thereby be extended from the outer section for use. Towards its upper end, the outer section has a hook 28 (see Figure 6) or other fastening to engage the upper end of the side of the bag and the connection between the hook and the bag is preferably made with

the telescopic part 16 is angled relative to the channel section 14, Accordingly, when the telescopic part is moved into its fully deployed position in axial alignment with the channel section with the connection between the telescopic part and the bag established, the side of the bag can be tensioned somewhat between the base of the handle and the connection. In its fully deployed position, the lower end of the telescopic part is then locked against pivotal movement relative to the upper end of the channel section 14 by sliding the collar 20 against the upper end of the channel section 14 so that its projecting web engages into the channel section and wedges against the inner surface of the channel section. The inner section of the telescopic part to which the hand grip is attached can then be extended to a required height from the outer section and secured in that position although alternatively the inner section may be extendible to a predeteπnined, non-adjustable, position in which it is snap-locked.

Although the use of a single slidable collar 20 which is able to lock the telescopic part to the channel section in both its stowed and extended positions is preferred, it is to be understood that other locking means, particularly for locking the telescopic part to the channel section in its extended position, could be used.

The construction of the handle from a lower channel section and an upper telescopic part which folds into the channel section for storage provides a robust structure capable of stowage in a quite compact manner. It is however conceivable that alternative handle configurations capable of being deployed between a compact stowed configuration and an extended configuration could alternatively be used.

The use of the handle which effectively "rigidifies" the bag against downward collapse in its deployed state, in conjunction with the wheels effectively converts the bag into a product similar to a shopping trolley and is extremely convenient to use as it can be pushed and pulled in the manner of a shopping trolley; when the bag is stood vertically so that it is supported at the base by the wheels and the supporting feet it will stand without the sides of the bag sagging or collapsing even if the bag is relatively empty. However the presence of the handle does not affect the collapsible and foldable characteristics of the bag for storage and transportation purposes when not in use.

Conveniently, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the bag is able to be folded into a compact stowed configuration in which the base of the bag is folded within the flexible fabric of the bag. The dimensions of the bag in the stowed configuration are small so as to facilitate storage of the bag when not in use. In the example shown, the dimensions of the bag in the stowed configuration are approximately 38cm (15") length, 20cm (8") width, and 5cm (2") thickness. Advantageously, despite such small dimensions in the stowed configuration, the bag stands at approximately 102cm in height when in the operative configuration (see final step in Figure 7) with the handle extended so as to facilitate carting by a user.

The bag has been described by way of examples only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.