GB2469675A

GB2469675A - A wheel ball

Info

Publication number: GB2469675A
Application number: GB0906988A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sami Ansari
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-23
Filing date: 2009-04-23
Publication date: 2010-10-27
Also published as: GB0906988D0

Abstract

A wheel ball which allows manual movement of an object in any direction, especially laterally on a surface, and which includes an inner ball 2, encapsulated by a hollow outer ball 1.The inner ball 2 touches the ground. The hollow outer ball 1 is truncated below its equator so that that inner ball 2 cannot escape. Smaller balls 3, 4 and 5 help free rotation, in any direction of the inner ball 2 by reducing friction with the inner surface of the hollow outer ball 1 to the inner ball 2. The hollow outer ball 1 can be unscrewed 6, 7 at the equator or above this circumference so that the inner ball 1 can be easily cleaned as well as the inside of the hollow outer ball 1 and smaller balls 3, 4 and 5.

Description

WHEEL BALL

This invention allows an object to move in a truly lateral (sideways) motion and thus can be used in a multitude of products that use manual motion.

For anyone who has pushed a pram, shopping trolley, lifting trolley or even a wheel barrow it is obvious that no truly lateral (sideways) motion is possible. One can go straight reverse and undertake circular motion but lateral (sideways) movement is not possible due to resistance of current wheel design. The wheel ball invention overcomes this limitation in lateral motion.

Different cushioning possibilities allow the Wheel Ball to have an internal suspension if required.

The invention will now be solely described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIgure 1 shows a vertical section of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a horizontal section through the invention below the equator.

FIgure 3 shows a section showing how the different balls interact with each other.

Figure 4 shows a possible option for suspension with a spring sitting above a snJ1 bail placed in the hallow ball Figure 5 shows a further option for suspension with a spring fixed to a semi-bat How then to solve this problem of truly non-sideways movement in for example a shopping trolley, pram, wardrobe.

Well in figure 1 the hollow outer ball 1 would encapsulate the inner ball 2 so that it could not escape but would allow enough surface area for the inner ball to rotate freely on a given surface.

The smaller balls 3, 4, 5 and 8 shown in figure 1, figure 2 and a close up in figure 3 would sit inside the hollow outer bali 1. This would allow the inner ball 2 easier movement due to decreased friction. The smaller balls 3, 4, 5 and 8 are also free to rotate. The inner ball 2 is therefore capable of moving freely in any axis and especially sideways.

The hollow outer ball in figure 1 can be attached to an e.g. Pram, trolley, TV stand, wardrobe by various standard methods that already exist.

Figure 3 shows a close up of one of the smaller ball's 3 and in this case there is no internal suspension although one could have standard external suspension which already exists.

Figure 4 shows a possible adaptation of figure 3 with the smaller ball 3, resting on a spring 9 and thus allowing suspension and also ensuring that the smaller balls 3,4,5,8 are in contact with the inner ball 2. This configuration allows the smaller inner ball 3 to rotate as the spring/suspension system 9 is not permanently attached to the smaller ball 3.

Figure 5 shows a further variation but in this case you have a half-smaller 10 ball permanently attached to a spring/suspension system 11. Therefore you would have suspension capability ii but the half-smaller ball 10 would not be free to rotate.

Figure 1 also shows the screw-thread 6 and 7 so that the hollow outer ball which would be made of two sections can be unscrewed for ease of cleaning of the inner ball 2 and the other smaller balls 3,4,5 as well as the inside of the hollow outer ball 1. cmts

Claims

1. A wheel ball that allows movement of a pram, shopping trolley, lifting trolley, cabinet stand, TV stands, cupboards, sofas and other objects, that may need manual motion, in any direction on a given surface.

2. A wheel ball according to cbthn 1, that has the option of an internal suspension system to dampen shock..

3. AwheelballaccordingtocWml,inwhichaballresidesina hollow outer ball which therefore allows sideways movement which would benefit any object that would otherwise not have the ease of the movement that current wheels supply.

4. A wheel ball according to claim!, which can be attached to an object by different standard methods as are available today.