SE538830C2 - A transport container with a chair - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT A transport container (C,|<) is disclosed, which is provided with an upper opening, at leastpartially defined by an upper part of a rigid frame (10,41), and a chair for seating one ormore persons safely within the container, and a flexible cover member (1, 2) covering saidupper opening and serving as a weather protective enclosure when not in use fortransporting persons. The transport container can be arranged e.g. on a bicycle (B), acarriage (CA), a motor-driven vehicle, or a watercraft (K). The fiexible cover member (1,2)has a foldabie, convertible portion (2) which is convertible between a rest position, where itcovers said upper opening of the container, and an active position, where it extendsdownwardiy from said upper part ofthe rigid frame (10,41) so as to form a chair. Thefoldable, convertible portion (2) of the flexible cover comprises a back rest member (Ba),which extends downwardiy from said upper opening in said active position, and an adjoiningrigid seat member (Bb), which adjoins the back rest member and is positioned substantiallyhorizontally in said active position. Pig. 2

Description

The invention relates to a transport container with a chair, especially for transport devices orvehicles, such as bicycles, carriages or watercrafts, e.g. kayaks. En particular, the transportcontainer is of the kind comprising a rigid frame, an upper opening, a chair for seating of atleast one person or animal safely within the container, and a flexible cover member coveringthe upper opening and serving as a weather protective enciosure When the container is notin use for transporting any person or animal. The invention also relates to such a transportcontainer being integrated with a vehicle or a carriage, or being configured as a Watercraft.

The chair ofthe transport container can be used for transporting persons or animals,especially one or more children, elderly or disabled persons, or animals, such as dogs, cats orother pets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART ln recent years it has become quite frequent to transport small children on bicycles in arelatively small transport container. One form of such bicycles or carriages has, at the frontpart thereof, a pair of spaced apart wheels and a transport container being disposedbetween these front Wheels. One or more children can be seated safely on a seat in thecontainer, facing forvvardly. Of course, each child should be secured by a seat belt so as to beprevented from falling or climbing out of the container. lt is previously known to provide a box-like transport container provided with an upperopening, at least partially defined by an upper part of a rigid frame, and a chair for seatingone or more children safely within the container, and a flexible cover member covering theupper opening and serving as a weather protective enclosure, so as to prevent rain or dustfrom reaching the interior of the container, when not in use for transporting children.

Such a box-like container, e.g. for a bicycle, is known from the published UK patentapplication GB 2490308 A. The container can be arranged on a separate carriage or at thefront or the back of a bicycle. The upper opening is closed by a flexible cover member,formed by a coated fabric. lt may be provided with windows so that a child seated on a seattherein is safely accommodated within the container and can look out through the Windows.

However, for such a device, it is necessary to provide a separate member forming an interiorchair or the like, with an associated back rest and a seat being fastened to a frame of thedevice. The chair is thus provided as a separate element, and the total device is thereforerather complicated and expensive to manufacture and assemble.

However, for such a device, it is necessary to provide a separate member forming an interiorchair or the like, with an associated back rest and a seat being fastened to a frame ofthedevice. The chair is thus provided as a separate element, and the total device is thereforerather complicated and expensive to manufacture and assemble.

Another, similar transport container, for use on bicycles, is dísclosed in the US patent4,367,829. Here, a rigid top member is removable from the container and can be moved to asecond position, where it is inverted and partially inserted into the container so as to form aseat and a back rest for a child. The container has two downwardly extending side portions,one for each leg of the child, these side portions being positioned on opposite sides of one ofthe cycle wheels.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive transportcontainer including a protective cover element and a chair that is integrated with thecontainer. The transport container should be light-weight and easy to mount on or beintegrated with a transport device, such as a bicycle, a carriage, a vehicle, or a watercraft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This object is achieved for a transport container of the kind indicated in the openingparagraph, wherein - the flexible cover member has a foldable, convertible portion which is convertiblebetween a rest position, where it covers said upper opening of the container, andan active position, where it extends downwardly from said upper part ofthe rigidframe so as to form a chair, and ~ the foldable, convertible portion ofthe flexible cover member comprises a backrest member, which extends downwardly from said upper opening in said activeposition, and an adjoining rigid seat member, which adjoins the back restmember and is positioned substantially horizontally in said active position.

Further features of the invention are included in the dependent claims, and will be explainedfurther below in a detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the invention.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a transport container mounted on a bicycle having two spacedapart front wheels; Fig. la shows the transport container in a position where a foldable, Convertible portion ofan upper cover member is half-open, so that the interior ofthe container is accessible; Fig. 2 shows the transport container, in a similar view, after converting the upper covermember into a chaír; Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view, also showing an upper fence part of a rigid frame; and Fig. 4 shows, also in a perspective view, an embodiment in the form of a carriage that can becoupled to bicycle; and Figs. 5a and 5b show an embodiment in the form of a kayak having an upper openingprovided with a cover member with a foldable, convertible portion, in a passive position andan active position, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOIVIE PREFERRED ElVlBODilVlENTS OF THE INVENTION Fig. 1 illustrates a transport container C for a bicycle B (drawn in dashed lines) where anupper opening ofthe container, formed by an upper part of a frame 10, is covered by acover member 1, 2 made of a flexible material. The flexible material comprises, at a frontpart, a relatively small rectangular top portion 1 which is permanently secured to the rigidframe 10. The container also comprises two side wall portions 11 (see also fig. la and fig. 2),a front wall portion 12, a rear wall portion (the rear wall portion ofthe container C is notvisible on the drawings) and a bottom portion (also not visible on the drawings). At the frontside of the container, the front top portion 1 of the cover member is permanently fastenedto the front wall portion 12 of the box-like container. Aiternatively, it can be made in onepiece with the front wall portion 12. At the front part of the box-like container, the topportion 1 of the cover member may be opened by zippers Z1,Z2 or, alternatively, by hookand loop fasteners or the like (not shown).

A rear, somewhat larger top portion 2 of the cover member will normally cover the rest ofthe upper opening ofthe container C and comprises two integral parts 2A, 23, each beingprovided with an inner rigid sheet member 3a, 3b, respectively. The cover member, or atleast the larger top portion thereof, is composed of at least two layers so as to enclose eachof the rigid sheet members 3a, 3b, in an open or closed pocket. The side edge portions of therear top portion 2 are connected to the frame 10 and the side portions 11 of the containerby means of zippers 23 and Z4. An outer rim part 2C, 2D of the cover member, located oneach side of the rear top portion 2, is folded over the associated part of the frame 10 and issecurely fastened, eg. by sewing or by means of separate fasteners (not shown). ln the illustrated embodiment, the upper part of the frame 10, and the upper opening of thecontainer C, comprises a rear part, being covered by the cover member part 2A, and a frontpart, which is covered by the cover member part 2B and the front top portion 1 of the cover member (see fig. 1). The front part of the opening is inclined somewhat obliquelydownwards, so that a person or child who is seated within the container will be able to movethe legs forwardly and to iook around freely in the forward direction. The inclined front partofthe opening will facilitate for a person or a child to enter or leave the container.

The rigid sheet members 3a,3b , arranged inside the two parts 2A, 2B ofthe top portion 2,between the two layers of the cover member, will make sure that the relatively large reartop portion 2, in its rest position, does not bend down so as to assemble water or snow.Rather, these parts 2A and 2B are substantially planar and will be kept relatively clean anddry. lt is rather easy for the user to wipe off anything that will temporarily find its way ontothe top cover element in this rest or passive position. ln the passive or rest position shown in fig. 1, the box-like container can be used fortransporting objects of any kind, inside the container and under the cover member, theseobjects being protected by the cover member 1,2 during transport. lt is easy and convenientto load the container by simply folding up the front part 2B,3b of the convertible portion 2into the half-open position shown in fig. la, leaving a front opening 13 for easy access to theinterior of the container.

An important aspect of the invention is that the rear top cover portion 2, upon undoing thezippers Z3 and Z4, can easily be folded down (see fig. 2), at its rear edge portion, so as toform a chair where a person, or one or two (or even more) children or animals, can beseated. Here, the rigid sheet member 3a will form a back rest member, whereas the rigidsheet member 3b will form a substantially horizontal seat member for the person, child,children or animals. The seat member, formed by the rigid sheet member 3b, inside theflexible material of the cover member, will be retained in position on each side by a sidestrap 4, which is secured to the upper part of the frame 10 or an upper part ofthe side wall11 of the container and which is provided with a quick coupling member 4a. ln this way, theflexibie cover member 1, 2 can easily be converted between the passive and active positionsshown in figs. 1 and 2. The side strap 4 on the left hand side (seen in a forward direction ofthe bicycle) ofthe container is not visible in fig. 2. ln the active position shown in fig. 2, the back rest member Sa may be oriented substantiallyin a vertical plane or it may be inclined somewhat, at a small angle with a vertical plane. Ahorizontal bar 10a, forming part ofthe frame 10, will ensure that the cover member offlexible material will be uniformly supported along the upper rear portion thereof, as will beseen in figs. 2 and 3.

Similarly, the seat member Bb extends from the lower edge of the back rest member 3a andwill be positioned substantially in a horizontal plane, or it may be inclined at a small angle,preferably upwardly, from the lower edge ofthe back rest member 3a.

Fig. 3 illustrates two further, optional features of the invention, i.e. a seat belt 5a, 5b foreach one of two children, and an upper protective and rigid frame member 10A serving as a fence member to protect the person or children in case the bicycle falls over accidentally. Ofcourse, the upper frame or fence member should be configured so as to reach above theperson's or children's heads when they are seated in the respective belts 5a, 5b.

The transport container with the chair 3a, 3b is light-weight. The frame is preferably made ofaluminum or some other rigid and light-weight material, and the wall and top portions ofthecontainer are also made of a light, flexible material, e.g. of a textile or plastic material,possibly being reinforced by synthetic fiber materials. ln spite of the light weight, the bicycleB and the container C provided with the chair 3a, 3b is reasonably safe and very easy tohandle, and it is also easy to convert it between a rest position, as shown in fig. 1, and anactive position, as shown in figs. 2 and 3.

Preferably, the wall and bottom portions 11,12 of the container C are constituted by a textilematerial, possibly being reinforced by plastic threads or webs.

The material ofthe cover member 1,2 may be ofthe same kind. The rigid sheet members3a,3b may be made of wood, plywood, a rigid plastic material, a light-weight sheet metalmaterial, e.g. of an aluminum alloy, or a combination of such materials. lt will be understood that the transport container is easy to manufacture at low cost. Thechair is simply formed by the parts 2A, 3A and 2B, 3B ofthe cover member, and thecontainer itself is composed of a box-like frame 10 and a flexible material having side wallportions, a front wall portion, a rear wall portion and a bottom wall portion.

The transport container with a chair may be arranged on or be integrally mounted on anyvehicle, carriage or watercraft, two further examples being shown in figs. 4 and 5a,5b. ln fig. 4, there is shown a simple carriage CA, with a transport container C ofthe same kindas shown in figs. 1,2,3, two wheels, and a handle 20 that can be coupled to a motor-drivenvehicle (not shown), a motor cycle (not shown), or a regular bicycle (not shown). Of course,the handle may be provided with a standard coupling member (not shown) for this purpose.

Of course, especially on bicycles or carriages, as shown in any one of figs. 1, 2, 3,4, it is alsopossible to orient the container so that the person's or child's chair faces backwards, e.g.being located behind the seat of a bicycle, possibly between two rear wheels thereof, or on acarriage of the kind shown in fig. 4, with the container turned around.

The bicycle, as shown in fig. 1, or being equipped to pull the carriage shown in fig. 4, mayhave an engine to facilitate easy transportation, especially over large distances.

A somewhat different embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in figs. 5a and 5b, where akayak K is provided with a regular opening or cockpit 30 (drawn in dashed lines) for seating apaddler, and a further upper opening 40 for another paddler or a ”passenger” (a grown upperson or a one or more children). The further upper opening 40 is defined by an elongatedrigid frame 41. A flexible cover member 1,2A,2B is fixed to the rigid frame 41 and comprises a front portion 1 and a Convertible, foldabie portion 2, just as the flexible cover member 1,2in fig. 1. The only difference is that the upper opening and the upper part of the frame, inthe container shown in fig. 1, is divided into a rear, substantially horizontal part and a frontpart which is inclined. in fig. 5a and 5b, on the other hand, the upper opening and the rigidframe 41 extends in one plane, being flush with or slightly elevated in relation to the upperclosed deck 50 of the kayak. Like in fig. 1, the Convertible, foldabie portion 2 of the flexiblecover member 1,2A,2B in figs. 5a and 5b is convertible between a passive or rest position, asshown in fig. 5a, and an active position, as shown in fig. 5b. ln the latter position, the backrest member 3a extends down into the interior of the kayak (which is now regarded as a”container”, whereas the rigid seat member 3b is positioned in a substantially horizontalposition, held in place by side straps 4.

Of course, the rear opening 30 may be configured in exactly in the same way as the fullydrawn front opening 40. There may also be more than two such upper openings, withassociated flexible cover members 1,2, on the closed upper deck of the kayak.

Such openings and associated cover members may be arranged also on other kinds ofwatercrafts, such as sailing boats or motor-driven boats.

Those skilled in the art can modify the transport container within the scope ofthe appendedclaims. The sheet members 3a, Bb may form integral parts ofthe cover member 2, ratherthan separate members inside a closed or open pocket of the cover member. The sheetmembers may alternatively be composed of a multitude oftransversal stiff members eachhaving an elongated rectanguiar shape, or a grid of stiff members forming rectangular unitswith an outer shape corresponding to the illustrated sheets Sa and 3b.

In case the cover member 1, 2 is formed as a unitary, integrated member it can be providedwith a hinge portion at the transition between the two rigid or stiff parts corresponding tothe sheets 3a, 3b. Such a hinge portion can be a thinner portion, which is easily bendable orfoldabie, or a mechanical hinge structure with interconnected, mutually movable portionssecured to the respective parts 3a, 3b. lvloreover, the container may be constituted by a rather rigid shell structure, e.g. molded ina plastics or a synthetic resin material, or a composite structure composed of different,preferably light-weight materials.

Claims (1)

1. CLAWlS A transport container (C, K) comprising a rigid frame (lilflil), an upper opening,and a flexibla cover men1ber(1,2)covering said upper opening and serving as aWeather protective enclosure when the container is not in use for transporting anyperson or animal, characterized in thata chair is formed, when needed, by said fiexibie cover member (1,2),the flexibie cover member (1,2) has a foldable, Convertible portion (2) which isConvertible between a rest position, where it covers said upper opening of thecontainer, and an active position, where it extends downwardly from said upperpart of the rigid frame (10) so as to form said cbair, for seating at least oneperson or animal safely Within the container andthe foldable, Convertible portion (2) of the flexibla cover member comprises afirst rnember (ša), which extends downwardly from said upper opening in saidactive position, so as to form a back rest member of said chair, and a rigid secondmember (Bb), which adjoins said first member and is positioned substantiallyhorizontally in said active position, so as to form a seat member of said chair. The transport container as defined in claiin 1, whereiii said first member (3a),when being converted into said active position, is located entirely belovv said upperopening of the container, so that at least the lower half of a person or an anirnalbeing seated in the chair is enclosed all around within said transport container,from all sides and from below. The transport container as defined in clairn 2, wherein said rigid frame (10) bas anupper part that defines said upper opening and is obliquely inclined downwardsfrom a rear part, located adjacent to said first member (3a), to a lower front partlocated at a distance from said second member (3b) in the active position of saidfoldable, convertible portion (2). The transport container as defined in claim 3, wherein said rear part of said frame(10) cornprises a transversal rear element (lila), from which said back rest memberdepends in said active position, and a transversai front eiement (lila) at said lowerfront part. The transport container as defined in claim 2, wherein said transport container issubstantially box-iike and comprises side, front and back walls (11, 12) and abottom wall, all these walls being made of a flexibla lightaweight material andbeing supported by said rigid frame (10). 3.0. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. The transport container as defined in ciaim 2, wherein said second rneniber (Bb), insaid active position, is Secured to said rigid frame (10) by means of straps (4) andassociated quick coupling members (flia). The transport container as defined in ciaim 1, wherein said rigid frame (10)cornprises an upper fence part (10A)serving as a mechanical protection for aperson or animal seated in said chair. The transport container as defined in ciairn 1, Wherein said first member (3a) andsaid second member (Ešb) are formed by two rigid sheet members which areattached to said foidable, convertible portion (Z) of said flexibla cover member. The transport container as defined in claim S, wherein said rigid sheet members(Baßb) are spaced apart from each other, so that the fiexíbie material betweenthese rigid sheet members (šaßb) is foidabie. The transport container as defined in claim 1, wherein said foldabie, convertibieportion (2) of the flexibie cover member is at least partiaily detachable from saidcontainer, eg. by means of zippers (ZQZD) or hoolt and loop fasteners. The transport container as defined in ciaim 1, wherein said fiexibie cover membercomprises at ieast two portions (1, 2) which are detachable from each other, one ofthem (2) forming said foldable, Convertible portion. The transport container (C) as defined in claím 1, wherein the transport containeris integrated with a vehicle. The transport container (C) as defined in ciairn 12, said vehicle being a bicycle. The transport container (C) as defined in claim 12, said vehicle being a carriage. The transport container (K) as defined in ciaim 1, wherein the transport containeris configured as a watercraft, eg. a kayak.