SECURED TRANSPORT VEHICLE AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a transport trolley and to a method of using it. Prior art

[0002] When practicing activities on sandy beaches, especially swimming, it is common to part with some of one's belongings. In particular, people leave their keys, paper documents, and all other electronic items behind to avoid damaging them, especially to avoid getting them wet. Rigid or flexible waterproof containers are known to protect keys, a cell phone, or other small objects. However, this solution is not practical for everyday use and does not allow for easy swimming.

[0003] So, when a person leaves their spot to go swimming, they are implicitly relying on the observation of their neighbors to dissuade a thief from stealing their unprotected belongings. Property thefts are regularly reported on beaches. The thieves took the time to rummage through the bathers' belongings or they left with all the belongings to sort through them later.

[0004] Documents US2001013358A1 and US2014077467A1, for example, describe beach carts. Document DE2020080167U1 discloses a cart with a fixing screw to be screwed into the ground. Subject of the invention

[0005] An object of the invention is to provide a transport trolley which provides increased safety compared to prior art configurations. For this purpose, the transport trolley comprises a frame provided with a handle, a pair of wheels and a support.

[0006] The transport trolley includes: a ring fixed to the chassis, the ring defining a first internal diameter value; a fixing screw with a threaded portion intended to be screwed into a ground, the fixing screw having an external diameter greater than the internal diameter of the ring, the fixing screw passing through the ring to fix the transport trolley to the ground.

[0007] According to the invention, the ring is a variable diameter ring. The ring is formed by a cable and a blocker. The blocker has a first position allowing the diameter of the ring to be enlarged or narrowed and a second position allowing only the diameter of the ring to be narrowed or locking the diameter of the ring.

[0008] In a development, the blocker is arranged on the underside of the chassis.

[0009] Preferably, the wheelset is mounted on an axle and the ring is mounted on the axle.

[0010] In a particular embodiment, the transport trolley comprises a secure container provided with a lock closing the secure container, the secure container being integral with the chassis.

[0011] Advantageously, the transport trolley comprises a secure container provided with a lock closing the secure container, the secure container being removable from the chassis, the means for connecting the secure container with the chassis closing inside the secure container to allow the dismantling of the secure container only when the secure container is open.

[0012] In a preferred configuration, the fixing screw has a rod extending from the threaded portion and a canvas arranged to form a parasol. More preferably, the rod is fixed in a hollow part of the threaded portion.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, the rod passes through an additional ring of at least one container fixed to the chassis.

[0014] The invention also relates to a method of using a transport trolley which reduces the risks of theft compared to prior art configurations while remaining simple to use.

[0015] This result is achieved by means of a method of using a transport trolley comprising the following steps: provide a trolley according to any of the preceding configurations, screw the fixing screw into the ground, the fixing screw passing through the ring to secure the trolley to the ground. Summary description of the drawings

[0016] Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments and implementations of the invention given as non-limiting examples and represented in the appended drawings, in which: ] there figure 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a trolley according to the invention; the figure 2 illustrates, schematically, another perspective view of a trolley according to the invention; the figure 3 illustrates, schematically, a perspective view of the chassis of a trolley according to the invention; the figure 4 illustrates, schematically, another perspective view of the chassis of a trolley according to the invention. Description of the embodiments

[0017] THE figures 1 to 4illustrate a transport trolley which has a frame 1 comprising a pair of wheels 2 and a support 3. The frame 1 is made of a rigid material, for example a metal or a metal alloy. The frame 1 may be made of steel or an aluminum alloy to provide it with the desired rigidity while providing limited weight. The frame 1 may also comprise one or more parts made of a plastic material in addition to the metal material.

[0018] The two wheels 2 of the pair of wheels 2 can be mounted to rotate around an axle 4. In an alternative embodiment, the two wheels 2 are mounted independently on the chassis 1. It is preferable that the two wheels are mounted to rotate independently of each other.

[0019] The chassis 1 forms a handle 5 arranged in an upper part of the chassis 1 in order to facilitate the gripping and maneuverability of the trolley. The trolley is mounted to rotate about the axis of rotation defined by the two wheels 2 so as to define a first position, called the rest position where the trolley is supported on the two wheels and the support 3. The trolley is able to hold its position alone. In the illustrated embodiment, the support 3 is formed by a tube of the chassis covered by a protective layer intended to come into contact with the ground. In another embodiment, the support 3 can be formed by one or more wheels.

[0020] The trolley can pivot around the axis of rotation defined by the wheels 2 to reach a rolling position in which the support 3 is at a distance from the ground. By pulling the handle 5, the user sets the wheels 2 in motion and can move the trolley.

[0021] The frame 1 defines a ring 6, i.e. a closed shape. Preferably, the ring 6 is mounted irremovably from the frame 1. If the ring 6 is mounted removably relative to the frame 1, the disassembly of the ring 6 is carried out using tools to avoid too easy disassembly of the ring 6. Preferably, the frame 1 forms the ring 6. In an alternative embodiment, an additional element is mounted on the frame 1 and the additional element forms the ring 6. The additional element is mounted removably relative to the frame 1.

[0022] The carriage comprises a fixing screw 7. The fixing screw 7 has a threaded external section. The fixing screw 7 can be made of any material, for example plastic, metal or wood. The material or materials forming the fixing screw 7 are chosen to adapt to the difficulty of driving the fixing screw 7 into the ground. If the fixing screw 7 is intended to be driven into sand, it is possible to make at least the threaded part of the fixing screw 7 from one of the aforementioned materials. If the fixing screw 7 is also intended to be driven into a harder material, for example earth, it is preferable to have the threaded part made of a metal material, for example aluminum.

[0023] To ensure the trolley is fixed to the ground and thus prevent its theft, the fixing screw 7 is inserted into the ring 6 and driven into the ground. In a particular embodiment, the ring 6 has a through hole for the passage of the fixing screw 7. The through hole can have an internal section of any shape. The terminal portion of the fixing screw 7 has a dimension greater than the dimension of the internal section to prevent the complete passage of the fixing screw 7 through the ring 6. When the fixing screw 7 is inserted into the ground through the ring 6, it is no longer possible to extract the chassis 1. The fixing screw 7 must be removed from the ground to then leave with the chassis 1.

[0024] Once installed in the ground, the fixing screw 7 can be fixed to the ring to prevent it from being unscrewed independently of the chassis 1, for example by means of a padlock or any other element of the chassis 1 allowing the fixing screw 7 to be secured to the ring 6. Under these conditions, to unscrew the fixing screw 7, it is necessary to rotate the chassis 1 around the axis of the fixing screw 7. This operation is not discreet and is therefore dissuasive.

[0025] When the ring 6 is formed by the additional element, the additional element is not removable from the chassis when the fixing screw 7 is screwed into the ground. For example, the additional element is on one side of the chassis 1, the ring 6 passes through the chassis 1 and the fixing screw 7 is arranged on the other side of the chassis 1 and passes through the ring 6.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the fixing screw 7 has a threaded portion which is extended by a rod which extends over the entire height of the chassis 1. The fixing screw 7 is fixed to the chassis 1 by means of the ring 6 and a second fixing point 12. The separation of the chassis 1 and the fixing screw 7 requires lifting the chassis 1 to extract the ring 6 from the rod. This operation is not discreet and is therefore dissuasive.

[0027] In another alternative embodiment, the fixing screw 7 has a threaded part which is extended by a rod which extends over at least the entire height of the frame 1 and which is terminated by a canvas to form a parasol. The ring 6 having an internal section smaller than the section of the parasol canvas, the separation of the frame 1 and the fixing screw 7 involves the dismantling of the fixing screw 7 to separate the threaded part and the parasol part. As in the previous cases, this operation is not discreet and is therefore dissuasive. Preferably, the canvas has a folded position and an unfolded position. It is advantageous if in these two positions, the diameter of the canvas is greater than the internal diameter of the ring 6.

[0028] It is advantageous for the fixing screw 7 to have a hollow threaded portion to allow the insertion of the rod terminated by the parasol canvas. It is then possible to have a fixing screw 7 which is removable with a threaded portion mounted removable from the parasol part. Multiple configurations of a hollow threaded portion are known and in particular some intended to receive a parasol.

[0029] According to the invention, it is proposed to secure the chassis 1 of the transport trolley to the ground by means of the fixing screw 7 which is inserted at least into the ring 6. Once the chassis 1 is fixed to the ground by means of the fixing screw 7, it becomes very difficult or even impossible to discreetly seize the chassis which contains the belongings of the person who has gone to bathe.

[0030] To take hold of the frame 1, it is necessary to completely unscrew the fixing screw 7 or to disassemble the fixing screw 7 for example to remove the parasol part. This operation is not complicated, but it requires getting close to the ground to then unscrew the fixing screw. The operation takes time which allows to alert the surrounding people. For its part, the removal of the parasol part must be done in front of everyone.

[0031] The operation is all the longer and more visible as the two methods of securing are used with a threaded part having a section greater than the section of the ring and the rod of the fixing screw which passes through an additional connection point. It is then necessary to remove the parasol part and then unscrew the threaded part of the fixing screw 7.

[0032] When the fixing screw 7 has one end formed by a canvas to form a parasol, it is possible to use a ring which is not fixed directly to the frame 1 but a ring 6 which is made irremovable from the frame as long as the fixing screw 7 is fixed in the ground. For example, the ring is formed by a container mounted removably from the frame 1. The container is mounted on one side of the frame 1, the ring passes through the frame and the fixing screw 7 is mounted on the other side of the frame 1. In this configuration, when the fixing screw 7 is fixed to the ground, the container and the frame 1 are also fixed to the ground. Here, the additional element is formed by the container.

[0033] The ring 6 may be a rigid ring with a fixed diameter. The ring 6 is formed, for example, by a tube or a rod. Alternatively, the ring may be flexible with a fixed perimeter and a modular shape. The ring 6 is advantageously formed by a cable, for example made of a metallic material, preferably steel.

[0034] As indicated above, it is preferable that the diameter of the ring 6 be configured to allow the insertion of the fixing screw 7 from top to bottom. The trolley is placed then, the screw is inserted through the ring 6 to sink into the ground to fix the chassis 1 to the ground. It is preferable that the internal diameter of the ring 6 be greater than the external diameter of the threaded part of the fixing screw 7 to ensure that the chassis is locked as close as possible to the threaded part. The external diameter of the upper part of the fixing screw 7 is greater than the internal diameter of the ring 6 to prevent the trolley from being extracted from the top of the fixing screw and thus ensure effective protection against theft of the chassis 1.

[0035] In order to increase safety, it is advantageous to form the ring 6 in the lower part of the trolley, for example in a horizontal plane which contains the wheels 2 of the trolley when the trolley is standing on its two wheels 2 and its support 3. The closer the ring 6 is to the ground, the more visible the extraction of the fixing screw 7 by a person is.

[0036] Depending on the configurations, the ring 6 can be mounted fixed or mobile relative to the chassis 1. In a particular embodiment, the ring 6 is mounted mobile in rotation between a first folded position which prohibits the installation of the fixing screw 7 and a second unfolded position which allows the installation of the fixing screw 7 in the ground. The first position is advantageous because it makes it possible to reduce the spatial size of the trolley by eliminating the size of the ring 6 which is folded towards the central part of the chassis 1. The second position is used to fix the chassis 1 to the ground. The ring 6 can be mounted mobile in rotation, in translation or according to any other movement.

[0037] According to the invention, the ring 6 has a variable diameter in order to adapt to the external diameter of the fixing screw 7. The ring 6 is formed by a wire element, for example a metal cable preferably covered with a layer of plastic material. The carriage has a blocker having a first position allowing the movement of the wire element to enlarge and shrink the diameter of the ring and a second position which only allows the shrinking of the diameter of the ring or which blocks the diameter of the ring, that is to say which prevents shrinking and enlarging.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the blocker is difficult to access when the trolley is fixed to the ground. For example, the blocker is arranged under the chassis 1 and preferably between the wheels 2. Once the fixing screw 7 is fixed to the ground and the ring 6 is tightened to fix the chassis 1 to the fixing screw 7, it is necessary to remove the fixing screw 7 in order to be able to separate the fixing screw 7 and the chassis 1. The operation takes a few minutes and requires, if necessary, removing the parasol part in order to be able to easily remove the fixing screw 7 from the ground. Such an operation is not discreet.

[0039] The use of the fixing screw 7 makes it much more difficult to steal the chassis 1 once it is fixed to the ground. In order to increase security, it is advantageous to have a trolley that has a secure container 8 that can contain valuables. Since the theft of the chassis 1 is more complicated, it is also advantageous to prevent an individual from searching the container(s) of the trolley.

[0040] The secure container 8 may be formed with rigid walls, for example, made of wood, plastic, or metal material, or a mixture thereof. The secure container 8 may include a lock 9 that is configured to securely close a door or cover of the secure container 8. The lock 9 may be a key lock or a code lock. The secure container 8 is made of an impact-resistant material to withstand the use of the trolley and possible falls. It is not made to form a safe resistant to brute force, which makes the trolley considerably heavier. The use of a lock 9 on a secure container 8 makes it possible to delay unintentional opening of the container, which makes the operation more risky by a thief who has not succeeded in stealing the chassis 1.

[0041] In an alternative embodiment, the secure container 8 is formed by one or more flexible walls which are preferably made of a material which resists lacerations, for example a poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) (PPD-T) marketed under the name Kevlar. The container is closed by means of a zipper with two actuators fixedly mounted to each other by means of a padlock.

[0042] If the secure container 8 is mounted removably relative to the chassis 1, the means for fixing the secure container 8 to the chassis 1 open into the interior of the secure container 8 so as to only allow the extraction of the secure container 8 once the latter is open. In another embodiment, the container is mounted irremovably relative to the chassis 1.

[0043] It is advantageous to install the blocker in the secure container 8 so that the ring 6 and the fixing screw 7 can be separated when the secure container 8 is open. Security is enhanced.

[0044] The trolley may comprise at least one additional container 10 which is unsecured, i.e. which can be opened without deactivating a lock.

[0045] It is advantageous to provide that the trolley has a first means for storing the fixing screw 7 to the chassis 1 which is different from the ring 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the chassis 1 has one or more receptacles 11. The receptacle(s) are arranged to support, for example, a beach mat 14 and / or a fixing screw 7 forming a parasol. In the particular embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 , a fixing screw 7 forming a parasol and a beach mat 14 are mounted on the two receptacles 11.

[0046] Depending on the embodiments, the fixing screw 7 forming a parasol can be formed in one piece, that is to say that the canvas cannot be separated from the threaded part. Alternatively, the fixing screw 7 can be made of several parts that can be dismantled from each other, for example two or three parts.

[0047] In the embodiment illustrated in the figure 2 , the additional connection point between the fixing screw 7 and the chassis 1 is formed by an additional ring 12 which is fixed to a container 10 mounted removably relative to the chassis 1. In this configuration, the installation of the fixing screw 7 in the ring 6 and in the additional ring 12 makes it possible to ensure the attachment of the removable container to the chassis 1 and to make its theft more complex.

[0048] When the additional container 10 is mounted removable, the latter can be provided with straps 13 to facilitate its transport outside the chassis 1.

[0049] In a particular mode of use, the frame is installed on the ground in the first position. The fixing screw 7 is inserted into the ground by passing through the ring 6. Screwing the fixing screw 7 into the ground makes it possible to fix the frame 1 to the ground. Preferably, the threaded part is screwed into the ground and then, once screwed, the rod topped with the canvas forming the parasol part is installed in the threaded part. Preferably, the rod passes through an additional ring to form a second securing point between the fixing screw 7 and the frame 1 and / or a container 10 mounted on the frame 1.

[0050] Valuables are placed in one of the trolley's containers, preferably in the secure container 8. When the secure container is closed with a code lock, the user can bathe without the risk of losing the key to the lock.

[0051] The trolley cannot be detached from the ground without removing the fixing screw or partially dismantling the fixing screw 7, which is not discreet.

[0052] When leaving, the parasol part can be dismantled if necessary, the fixing screw 7 is unscrewed. The fixing screw 7 with its parasol part is installed in one of the receptacles.

[0053] Advantageously, the trolley comprises a single pair of wheels 2. Preferably, the trolley is higher than it is long and wide. In a particular embodiment, the fixing screw 7 is mounted irremovably relative to the chassis 1.

Claims

1. Transport trolley comprising: - a frame (1) equipped with a handle (5), a pair of wheels (2) and a support (3); - a ring (6) attached to the frame (1), the ring (6) defining a first internal diameter value; - a fixing screw (7) with a threaded portion intended to be screwed into a ground, the fixing screw (7) having an external diameter greater than the internal diameter of the ring (6), the fixing screw (7) passing through the ring (6) to fix the transport trolley to the ground; transport trolley characterised in that the ring (6) is a variable diameter ring and in that the ring (6) is formed by a cable and a blocker, the blocker having a first position allowing the diameter of the ring (6) to be enlarged or reduced and a second position allowing only the diameter of the ring (6) to be reduced or the diameter to be blocked.

2. Transport trolley according to claim 1, wherein the fixing screw (7) has an end portion presenting a dimension larger than the dimension of the internal cross-section of the ring (6) to prevent the fixing screw (7) from passing completely through the ring (6).

3. Transport trolley according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the blocker is disposed on the underside of the frame (1).

4. Transport trolley according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of wheels (2) is mounted on an axle (4) and wherein the ring (6) is mounted on the axle (4).

5. Transport trolley according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a secure container (8) equipped with a lock (9) closing the secure container (8), the secure container (8) being integral with the frame (1).

6. Transport trolley according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising a secure container (8) equipped with a lock (9) closing the secure container (8), the secure container (8) being removable from the frame (1), the means for connecting the secure container (8) to the frame (1) closing inside the secure container (8) to allow the secure container (8) to be removed only when the secure container (8) is open.

7. Transport trolley according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fixing screw (7) has a stem extending from the threaded portion and a fabric arranged to form a parasol, the fabric having an external diameter greater than the internal diameter of the ring (6) and preferably wherein the stem is fixed in a hollow part of the threaded portion.

8. Transport trolley according to claim 7, wherein the stem passes through an additional ring (12) of at least one container fixed to the frame (1).

9. Method of using a transport trolley comprising the following steps: - providing a transport trolley according to any of the preceding claims, - screwing the fixing screw (7) into the ground, the fixing screw (7) passing through the ring (6) to fix the transport trolley to the ground.