THIS INVENTION relates to a wheelbarrow pan. The invention also relates to a wheelbarrow, and to a method of assembling a wheelbarrow.

It is desirable for wheelbarrows to be light, to make it easier for a person to use the wheelbarrow. At the same time, the wheelbarrow must be strong enough to last a long time and to be fit for purpose.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a wheelbarrow pan which includes a body that defines an open-topped hollow receptacle with a vertical plane of symmetry, the body being predominantly or entirely of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material and defining at least one integrally formed elongate strengthening formation on a bottom of the receptacle, the integrally formed elongate strengthening formation also being predominantly or entirely of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material and extending away from opposite sides of the plane of symmetry.

The elongates strengthening formation may be normal to the plane of symmetry.

Advantageously, as a result of the presence of the integrally formed elongate strengthening formation, it is not necessary to use a cross-bar or support, separate from the wheelbarrow pan or forming part of a frame of a wheelbarrow and located underneath the wheelbarrow pan, in the region where the elongate strengthening formation is located, to support the wheelbarrow pan on a wheelbarrow frame. This renders the wheelbarrow pan or the wheelbarrow frame, and hence a wheelbarrow comprising the wheelbarrow pan, lighter and with fewer separate parts whilst still strong enough to be fit for purpose. As will be appreciated, as a result of the fewer parts, it is also easier, quicker and less costly to assemble a wheelbarrow com prising the wheelbarrow pan of the invention.

Preferably, the body is elongate and defines at least two of said strengthening formations, the strengthening formations being longitudinally spaced (relative to a length direction of the wheelbarrow pan) and transversely extending (also relative to a length direction of the wheelbarrow pan). The plane of symmetry may thus run lengthwise so that a left-hand side of the wheelbarrow pan is a mirror image of a right-hand side of the wheelbarrow pan. One of the strengthening formations may be located in a front end portion of the body and one of the strengthening formations may be located in a rear end portion of the body.

The strengthening formations typically project downwardly from the bottom of the receptacle so that an upper surface of the bottom of the receptacle is free of strengthening formations.

The or each strengthening formation may include a plurality of ribs or fins extending away from opposite sides of the plane of symmetry, i.e. transversely relative to a length direction of the body.

The body is preferably a moulded body and is preferably entirely of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material, with the or each strengthening formation being integrally moulded with the bottom of the receptacle and hence preferably also being entirely of the same synthetic plastics or polymeric material as the receptacle.

The body may be of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, glass-filled polypropylene, glass- filled nylon, glass-filled nylon 6, glass-filled nylon 66, and mixtures of two or more thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, the body is of polyethylene.

As will be noted, in some embodiments of the invention the synthetic plastics or polymeric material may thus include glass fibres or particles, and in some embodiments of the invention the body of the wheelbarrow pan may consist entirely of the synthetic plastics or polymeric material.

Instead of glass fibres or particles, the synthetic plastics or polymeric material may include other fillers or particulate or fibrous material. Thus, the synthetic plastics or polymeric material may include non-glass fillers or non-glass particulate material or non-glass fibrous material. In some embodiments of the invention, the body of the wheelbarrow pan may thus include other components such as carbon fibres, or natural fibres such as corn fibres, sisal fibres or cellulose.

The or each strengthening formation may include or define at least one fastener receiving formation to receive a fastener to fasten the wheelbarrow pan to a frame or to a frame member of a wheelbarrow. Typically, the or each strengthening formation includes or defines a pair of laterally spaced (relative to a length direction of the wheelbarrow pan) fastener receiving formations. The invention extends to a wheelbarrow which includes a wheelbarrow pan as hereinbefore described, mounted to a wheelbarrow frame supported on a wheel.

The wheelbarrow frame may be of unitary construction, or the wheelbarrow frame may include an assembly of frame members.

The wheelbarrow frame may be of metal. The metal wheelbarrow frame may be made up of one or more hollow or tube-like members.

In one embodiment of the invention, the wheelbarrow frame includes a pair of wheelbarrow frame members, one frame member defining a left-hand side of the wheelbarrow frame and one frame member defining a right-hand side of the wheelbarrow frame. The frame members may be mirror images of each other.

Each frame member may be predominantly or entirely of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material. A major portion of each frame member may be hollow. In other words, the frame member may be hollow over more than half of the entire length of the frame member. The hollow frame members may be produced by gas-assist moulding or, preferably, water injection moulding, also known as water-assist injection moulding.

Each frame member may be of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material selected from the group consisting of glass-filled polypropylene, glass-filled nylon 6, glass-filled nylon 66, and mixtures of two or more thereof. Instead of glass fibres or particles, the synthetic plastics or polymeric material of the frame members may include other fillers or particulate or fibrous material. Thus, the synthetic plastics or polymeric material of the frame members may include non-glass fillers or non-glass particulate material or non-glass fibrous material. In some embodiments of the invention, the frame members may thus include other components such as carbon fibres, or natural fibres such as corn fibres, sisal fibres or cellulose.

The body of the wheelbarrow pan typically defines a front wall and a rear wall. Each frame member may be fastened to the front wall and to the rear wall, e.g. by fasteners.

The wheelbarrow pan may be mounted to the wheelbarrow frame by fasteners passing through said fastener receiving formations of the or each of said strengthening formations and through or into or at least partially around the wheelbarrow frame or wheelbarrow frame members.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a wheelbarrow, the method including

mounting a wheelbarrow pan which includes a body which is predominantly or entirely of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material and which defines at least one integrally formed strengthening formation on a bottom of the wheelbarrow pan to a wheelbarrow frame or a wheelbarrow frame member, without a cross-bar or support under the wheelbarrow pan in the region where said at least one strengthening formation is located.

The wheelbarrow pan may be as hereinbefore described.

The wheelbarrow frame and/or the wheelbarrow frame member may be as hereinbefore described.

The wheelbarrow pan may be mounted to the wheelbarrow frame or the wheelbarrow frame member by fasteners, as hereinbefore described. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which

Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional, partially transparent view of a wheelbarrow which includes a wheelbarrow pan in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the wheelbarrow of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional view of a portion of a bottom of the wheelbarrow pan of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows a section taken at I - 1 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a section taken at II - II in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 20 generally indicates a wheelbarrow which includes a wheelbarrow pan 26 in accordance with the invention. The wheelbarrow 20 further includes an axle 10, a pair of wheelbarrow frame members 22 which are mirror images of each other, and a wheel 34.

The wheelbarrow pan 26 is defined by an elongate body 19 which is entirely of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the body 19 is of polyethylene. The body 19 defines an open-topped receptacle with a vertical plane of symmetry running lengthwise centrally through the body 19.

The body 19 of the wheelbarrow pan 26 defines a pair of integrally formed transversely extending longitudinally spaced (relative to the rest of the body 19) strengthening formations 40. The body 19 of the wheelbarrow pan 26 is a moulded body and each of the strengthening formations 40 is thus integrally moulded with a bottom 21 of the body 19 and is thus also entirely of the same synthetic plastics or polymeric material as the rest of the body 19. The strengthening formations 40 project downwardly from a lower surface of the bottom 21 . An upper surface of the bottom 21 is thus planar and free of strengthening formations.

Each of the strengthening formations 40 includes three spaced parallel ribs 42 which extend transversely across the bottom 21 of the body 19. Each of the ribs 42 is tapered as can be clearly seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, being wider where they merge with the bottom 21 of the body 19 and narrower remote from the bottom 21 of the body 19.

Each strengthening formation 40 includes or defines a pair of fastener receiving formations 44 to receive a fastener (not shown) to fasten the wheelbarrow pan 26 to the frame members 22. Each fastener receiving formation 44 defines a passage 46 extending through the bottom 21 of the body 19, and also defines a plurality of tapered gear tooth-like formations 48, as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

Each wheelbarrow frame member 22 defines a socket 24, or more accurately described a socket defining formation 24. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the wheelbarrow frame members 22 are of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material, e.g. glass-filled nylon 6 and each wheelbarrow frame member 22 is hollow over most of the entire length of the wheelbarrow frame member 22. Typically, the wheelbarrow frame members 22 are produced by water-injection moulding, also known as water-assist injection moulding. The socket defining formations 24 are integrally moulded with the wheelbarrow frame members 22 and thus form part of the wheelbarrow frame members 22. Accordingly, as will be appreciated, the socket defining formations 24 are also of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material, e.g. glass- filled- nylon 6.

The wheelbarrow pan 26 is bolted to the wheelbarrow frame members 22. Typically, four bolts, each one near an associated bottom corner of the body 19 of the wheelbarrow pan 26, extend through the passages 46 defined by the fastener-receiving formations 44 and are received in bolt-receiving formations 28 defined by the wheelbarrow frame members 22. Advantageously, as a result of the presence of the integrally formed strengthening formations 40, one located in a front end portion of the body 19 of the wheelbarrow pan 26 and one located in a rear end portion of the body 19 of the wheelbarrow pan 26, it is not necessary to use a separate cross-bar or support, underneath the wheelbarrow pan 26, in the region where the strengthening formations 40 are located, to support the wheelbarrow pan 26 on the wheelbarrow frame members 22. The bolts for the wheelbarrow pan 26 extend into and through the bolt- receiving formations 28 and are fastened by means of nuts in conventional fashion. In addition, a front of the wheelbarrow pan 26 is bolted to the wheelbarrow frame members 22 by means of lugs 30 and nut and bolt arrangements (not shown), and a rear of the wheelbarrow pan 26 is bolted to the wheelbarrow frame members 22 by means of lugs 32 and nut and bolt arrangements 27 (see Figure 1 ).

Assembly of the wheelbarrow 20 includes connecting together, by means of the axle 10, the wheelbarrow frame members 22. This is achieved by inserting an end portion of the axle 10 into one of the sockets defined by the socket defining formations 24 and inserting another end portion of the axle 10, into the other of the sockets defined by the socket defining formations 24. The axle 10 is then locked in position by inserting retainers or fasteners through passages 25 (only one of which is visible in Figure 2), transverse to the sockets defined by the socket defining formations 24 and through passages 18 in the axle 10.

As will be appreciated, the wheelbarrow wheel 34 can be fitted to the axle 10 prior to any end portion of the axle 10 being inserted into an associated socket. Alternatively, one end portion of the axle 10 can be inserted into an associated socket first, before the wheel 34 is fitted to the axle 10, whereafter the other end portion of the axle 10 is then inserted into its associated socket.

Each socket defining formation 24 advantageously also functions as a spacer to space the wheel 34 from the wheelbarrow frame members 22.

It is also possible to mount the axle 10 to a wheelbarrow frame or to wheelbarrow frame members, without making use of sockets such as the sockets defined by the socket defining formations 24. Fasteners, e.g. a nut and bolt arrangement, can be used to fasten the axle 10 to portions of the wheelbarrow frame or to portions of wheelbarrow frame members, with the fasteners extending through the passages 18 and through the portions of the wheelbarrow frame or through portions of the wheelbarrow frame members. If required, spacers on the axle 10 may then be used to space the wheel 34 from the wheelbarrow frame or from the wheelbarrow frame members, as the case may be. Assembly of the wheelbarrow 20 is completed by fastening the wheelbarrow pan 26 to the wheelbarrow frame members 22 as hereinbefore described. It is in principle possible to fasten the wheelbarrow pan 26 to the wheelbarrow frame members 22 first, before the axle 10 is inserted into the sockets defined by the socket defining formations 24, due to the slight flexibility provided by the plastics wheelbarrow frame members 22. It is however expected that it would be easier first to fit the axle 10 and the wheel 34 to the wheelbarrow frame members 22, before the wheelbarrow pan 26 is fastened to the wheelbarrow frame members 22.

The use of a wheelbarrow pan 26 defined by a body 19 of a synthetic plastics or polymeric material, with strengthening formations 40, as illustrated, renders a wheelbarrow 20 which includes the wheelbarrow pan 26, lighter and with fewer separate parts than a conventional wheelbarrow, whilst still strong enough to be fit for purpose. The wheelbarrow 20, as illustrated, thus has fewer parts than a wheelbarrow requiring separate cross-bar supports for the wheelbarrow pan and is thus also easier, quicker and less costly to assemble. It is also not necessary for the frame of a wheelbarrow such as the wheelbarrow 20 to define a transversely extending support underneath the wheelbarrow pan in the region where the elongate strengthening formation is located, rendering the frame lighter and possibly easier to assemble.