The present invention relates to a device for rolling transport of a load. For transport of a load it is known to make use of a wheelbarrow. Using a wheelbarrow heavy loads are generally transported by being loaded into the wheelbarrow, lifting the wheelbarrow and subsequently displacing the wheelbarrow in the raised position in rolling manner over a front wheel. This results however in a considerable loading of the person lifting the wheelbarrow. In view of the strict requirements of and enforcement by health and safety inspectorates, there is a need for a wheelbarrow with a lesser load on the user.

Wheelbarrows which do not need to be lifted during transport are known from the prior art. US 2005/0258007 for instance describes a wheelbarrow provided with three wheels which can be moved without having to be lifted. The wheelbarrow is also provided with a braking mechanism for braking the movement, a push bar and two handles. While such a wheelbarrow is an improvement compared to a standard wheelbarrow, this wheelbarrow can also result in undesirably heavy loading of the user. It is therefore the object of the present invention to obviate the above drawbacks, or to provide a suitable alternative for the purpose of rolling transport of a load which has the result, among others, of a reduced loading of a user.

The invention comprises for this purpose a device for transporting a load, comprising a carrier for holding the load to be transported; a frame supporting the carrier; which frame is provided with at least one front wheel; and at least two spaced apart rear wheels; two push handles connected to the frame for pushing the transporting device; which push handles are situated on the side of the carrier remote from the frame and extend in a direction substantially perpendicularly of the support plane defined by the wheels; two lifting handles connected to the frame for tilting the frame around the front wheel, which lifting handles are situated closer to the support plane defined by the wheels than the push handles and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the support plane defined by the wheels; and a push bar connected to the frame for tilting the frame around the rear wheels, which push bar is situated a distance from the support plane defined by the wheels which is greater than the distance between the lifting handles and the support plane defined by the wheels and which is smaller than the distance between the push handles and the support plane defined by the wheels, and which push bar extends substantially parallel to the support plane defined by the wheels.

The transporting device according to the invention is provided with at least three wheels, whereby it is not necessary to lift the frame in order to transport the load. This results in a limited loading of the back of the user during displacement of the device. Provided for the purpose of moving the device forward are push handles extending substantially perpendicularly of the support plane defined by the wheels so that they can be gripped in an ergonomic manner by the user, and lifting of the frame is unnecessary. The push handles can be connected via for instance rods to the frame so as to transmit the force exerted on the push handles by the user to the frame. After a load has been placed on the carrier and the device has been displaced by means of the at least three wheels by pushing against the push handles, the load can be tipped from or out of the carrier by tilting the frame. The frame is provided for this purpose with lifting handles. The lifting handles can be connected via for instance rods to the frame so as to transmit the force exerted by the user on the lifting handles to the frame. The lifting handles can also be used when the frame has to be displaced over a narrow ground surface. A narrow ground surface is a surface part over which only the front wheel can move but which is too narrow for the at least two rear wheels. An example of such a narrow surface is a plank, for instance a plank leading to an elevated or lowered floor. Depending on the position of the frame, the lifting handles and/or the push handles can also be used to raise the front wheel of the device clear of the ground surface. The handles are moved for this purpose in the direction of the ground surface and the frame tilts round the at least two rear wheels, after which the front side, and thereby the front wheel, can move clear of the ground. It is particularly advantageous however that, for the purpose of tilting the frame so as to move the front wheel clear of the ground (for instance in order to pass smoothly over a threshold or other irregularity in the surface), the frame is also provided with a push bar, which push bar is situated at a distance from the support plane defined by the wheels which is greater than the distance between the lifting handles and the support plane defined by the wheels and which is smaller than the distance between the push handles and the support plane defined by the wheels, and which push bar extends substantially parallel to the support plane defined by the wheels. The push bar is for instance coupled to the rods connecting the push handles to the frame. The push bar provides a relatively wide surface area for the user of the device for the purpose of moving the rear side of the frame in the direction of the ground surface and thereby tilting the frame around the rear wheels of the frame. Particularly the placing of the push bar between the lifting handles and the push handles makes it possible for the user to rest a part of his/her body weight in ergonomic manner on the push bar, whereby lifting of the front wheel requires less effort than lifting the front wheel of a prior art wheelbarrow.

The combined presence of lifting handles, push handles and a push bar allows the best possible ergonomic posture for the user in numerous possible uses of the device, in which the physical load on the user remains limited.

In an embodiment of the present invention the lifting handles transpose on the side remote from the carrier into curved coupling rods. The curvature of the lifting handles has the particular advantage that, when the frame is tipped around the front wheel in order to remove the load from the carrier, the contact between the user and the transporting device can be maintained during the tipping. During tipping of the frame the position of the lifting handles relative to the ground surface can change, whereby a less favourable position for lifting of the frame may be formed. In order to counter this the user can change the position in which he/she is holding the frame by grasping the frame at another location on the curved coupling rods.

In a particular embodiment the curved coupling rods have from the lifting handles a U- shape such that they continue until they run parallel to the lifting handles. Changing the grip on the lifting handles hereby becomes unnecessary during tipping. The user can change the position at which he/she is gripping the frame during tipping, and make use of the whole U-shape in order to tip the frame in the most responsible possible manner.

In another embodiment of the present invention the front wheel has a diameter larger than the diameter of the rear wheels. The rear wheels can have an identical diameter. The front wheel is generally larger since a device will generally often have one front wheel and two rear wheels, and the one front wheel must bear the same load as the two rear wheels.

In an embodiment of the invention the handles are situated on the rear side of the carrier relative to the front wheel. When a user is transporting the device, he/she can hereby see the direction of the device and steer the frame so that the device moves in the desired direction.

In another embodiment the device is also provided with a brake engageable on the front wheel. The brake can block the front wheel. A blocked front wheel is for instance advantageous when the frame is tipped around the front wheel, so that the front wheel remains in place during tipping. A blocked front wheel is also particularly favourable when the device has to be stationary (for instance during loading and unloading) on a sloping surface. During functional use the brake is not in the way of the user.

The brake is for instance a foot brake connected on the side of the rear wheels to the frame. The brake is for instance connected rotatingly to the frame, wherein the user steps on the brake and the part on the side of the front wheel engages through rotation on the front wheel. The brake can then for instance be moved by the user beyond a position with the highest resistance relative to the front wheel, wherein the brake continues to block the front wheel. In order to move the brake back to its rest position in which the front wheel is not blocked, the brake has to be moved in opposite direction. The front wheel can be moved for this purpose in the direction which, because the brake engages on the front wheel, carries the brake beyond the point of highest resistance and returns the brake to the rest position.

In an embodiment of the present invention the carrier is a container. The container can for instance be an open container in order to transport the load in a partially enclosed state, but can also be a closed container when for instance the load has to be protected from the elements. It is also possible to envisage a flat carrier instead of a container, for instance when a heavy or large load or a pallet has to be transported, wherein it is undesirable to have to place the load into and remove it from a carrier. The container can be made from a plastic, a metal, wood or from the same material from which (a part of) the frame is manufactured.

In an embodiment the carrier is integrated with the frame. Integration of the carrier with the frame imparts extra strength to the carrier and the frame and prevents the carrier and frame being able to detach from each other in undesirable manner.

In an embodiment of the present invention the push handles are located at a distance of [0.50 - 1.25] m and preferably 0.8 m from the support plane defined by the wheels. This distance ensures the best possible ergonomic movement of the device, wherein the user can move the device in the most natural manner possible by pushing against the push handles.

In another embodiment the lifting handles are located at a distance of [0.35 - 1.00] m from the support plane defined by the wheels. The lifting handles are preferably located at a height of 0.65 m from the support plane defined by the wheels in order to allow lifting of the frame to take place in the most ergonomic possible manner, wherein the load on the lower back of the user is limited. In an embodiment of the present invention a projection of the push bar onto the support plane defined by the wheels lies on the side of the rear wheels remote from the front wheel. This location of the push bar provides a lever when the frame has to be tilted around the rear wheels, so that the force required for tilting is limited. In an embodiment the device is provided with a longitudinal plane of symmetry. A plane of symmetry ensures that the load to be transported is distributed in a uniform manner over the device, and a well distributed loading of the device takes place.

In another embodiment of the present invention the push bar extends substantially in a direction lying perpendicularly of the direction in which the lifting handles extend. In order to use the device in the most ergonomic possible manner the directions in which the different components extend are adapted to the use thereof In an embodiment the transporting device is also provided with an electric drive. In order to further limit the loading of the user, the forward movement of the device can also be facilitated. An electric drive, which for instance drives the rear wheels of the transporting device, can here relieve the loading of the user necessary to move the loaded device. The electric motor can also be an electric motor integrated into the front wheel with operating means located close to at least one of the handles for at least switching the electric motor on and off

The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to the figures,

- Figure 1 shows a device according to the present invention; and

- Figure 2 shows a device with foot brake.

Figure 1 shows a device 1 for transporting a load, comprising a carrier 2 for holding the load to be transported, a frame 3 supporting the carrier, which frame is provided with at least one front wheel 4 and at least two spaced apart rear wheels 5, two push handles 6 connected to frame 3 for pushing transporting device 1; which push handles 6 are situated on the side of the carrier remote from the frame and extend in a direction substantially perpendicularly of the support plane A defined by the wheels, two lifting handles 7 connected to frame 6 for tilting frame 3 around front wheel 4, which lifting handles 7 are situated closer to the support plane A defined by the wheels than the push handles and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the support plane A defined by the wheels; and a push bar 8 connected to frame 3 for tilting frame 3 around rear wheels 5, which push bar 8 is situated at a distance from the support plane A defined by the wheels which is greater than the distance between lifting handles 7 and the support surface A defined by the wheels and smaller than the distance between push handles 6 and the support plane A defined by the wheels, and which push bar 8 extends substantially parallel to the support plane A defined by the wheels.

Figure 2 shows a device as in figure 1, wherein lifting handles 7 transpose into curved coupling rods 9, wherein the curved coupling rods 9 have from lifting handles 7 a U- shape such that they continue until they run parallel to lifting handles 7. Figure 2 also shows a brake 10 which can engage on the front wheel. The brake engages on front wheel 4 following rotation about rotation point 11.