NZ527871A - - Google Patents

Abstract

The carrier has a moulded body with an opening 11 and optionally a hinged lid 17. A tank 20 for storing liquid is integrally moulded to the body.

Description

52787 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFRCE OF N.Z 2 4 AUG 2004 RECEIVED No: 527871 Date: 29 August 2003 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A CARRIER WE, C-DAX SYSTEMS LIMITED a New Zealand company of 145 Harts Road, Tiritea, Palmerston North, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement 2 Title of the Invention "A Carrier" Background to the Invention This invention relates to a carrier.

More particularly, the invention relates to a carrier which is intended for mounting on a vehicle, typically a farm vehicle such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The carrier is intended for carrying all manner of things. For example, it can function as a tool box whereby a farmer can convey in the carrier tools required for on-farm work. However, as often is the case with farm equipment, the carrier is versatile in its end use.

ATV carriers of various forms are known. The carriers can provide a carrier area in which items to be conveyed can be placed. The carrier may be in the form of a shallow or deep open topped body. The carrier may include a cover or lid.

There are situations where the farmer may need to also carry flowable material or a liquid or it would be desirable for the farmer to have a ready supply of water (say for washing purposes or mixing chemicals etc). While Spec4 91p.z COM? SPEC 2C August 2004 3 such flowable materials/liquid can be carried in a separate container located within the carrier, this means that valuable storage space within the carrier is lost. This in part depends on the size of the container for the flowable materials/liquid. However, there is also the problem of stowing the container against movement during passage, often over rough ground, of the vehicle on which the carrier is located.

Summary of the Invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a carrier which incorporates a receptacle for flowable material or liquid.

According to one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a carrier including a moulded body with an opening via which, in use, items to be conveyed in the carrier can be placed in the body, the carrier being characterised in that a receptacle, for a flowable material or liquid, is integrally moulded into the body.

Preferably, the moulded body has a floor and an upwardly extending peripheral wall which defines at its upper extremity the said opening. In a preferred construction, Spec4 91nz COM? SPEC August 2004 4 a rim form is provided at said upper extremity at least to in part define the periphery of the opening.

In a preferred embodiment, a lid or cover is provided to close the opening. Preferably, the lid or cover is hinged to the body.

According to a preferred embodiment, the receptacle includes a closable opening. More preferably, the receptacle has an upper portion which includes the closable opening and a lower portion which includes an outlet. The outlet can be closed by a removable closure. The outlet or the removable closure can be provided with a valve or tap.

In a preferred form, the receptacle is partially covered by the lid or cover for closing the opening. When the lid or cover is hingedly connected to the body a portion of the lid or cover at its non-hinged side partially covers at least part of the receptacle.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the following more detailed description of one form of the carrier according to the invention, reference will be Spec4 9lnz COMP SPEC August 2004 made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a carrier able to be conveyed on a farm vehicle and more particularly an ATV, in which drawings:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carrier, Figure 2 is a similar perspective view but with the lid of the carrier in the raised/open position, Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the carrier, Figure 4 is a further end elevation view but with lid in the raised position, Figure 5 is a front elevation view of the carrier, Figure 6 is a rear elevation view of the carrier, Figure 7 is a top plan view of the carrier, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectioned elevation view of the carrier on line A-A of Figure 7.

Spec491nz COMP SPEC August 2004 6 Detailed Description of a Preferred Form of the Invention The carrier according to the present invention includes a moulded body 10. The body 10 can be moulded from any suitable plastics material. In a preferred form of the invention, the body 10 is able to be constructed using a rotational moulding technique, though it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other techniques such as injection and blow moulding could be used.

The body 10 incorporates an opening 11 which, in the preferred form of the invention, is positioned in the uppermost part of the body 10.

The body 10 provides a floor 12 and a peripheral side wall 13. As shown in the drawings, the peripheral side wall 13 effectively provides a front wall 14, a rear wall 15 and end walls 16.

In the preferred form of the invention a lid or cover 17 is provided in order to close off the opening 11. Once again, the lid or cover 17 can be of moulded plastic material and can be moulded using a rotational or other plastic moulding technique.

Spec4 91nz COM? SPEC August 2004 7 The cover 17 is preferably hingedly coupled to the body 10. Thus, in the illustrated form of the invention, the cover includes two somewhat bulbous portions 18 which are coupled by pivot pins, spigots or the like (not shown) to the respective side walls 16 of the body 10. Figure 8 shows what appears to be an opening but is the hollow interior of a spigot moulded in the side wall 16 projecting outward from the side wall to form a pivot pin. An opening in the adjacent portion 18 of the cover can pivotally engage on the pivot pin 19.

Integrally moulded with the body 10 is a receptacle or tank 20. In the preferred form of the invention, it is moulded with the "rear" wall 15. It will be appreciated that the terms "front" and "rear" are arbitrary terms simply for the purposes of description.

The tank 20, in the preferred form of the invention, is contained within and extends over the majority of the length of the rear wall 15. It could equally extend at least partially around and be in part contained within one or both of the end walls 16. However, the configuration of the tank 11 is preferably such that the floor 21 of the tank slopes down toward an outlet 22.

Spec4 9inz COMP SPEC August 2004 8 In the illustrated form of the invention the outlet 22 is located centrally in the length of the tank 20. It is preferably formed with an annular wall 23 which, in the preferred form, is threaded so as to enable a cap 24 to be threaded thereon so as to close the outlet 22.

In Figure 8 the cap is not shown. However, in Figures 1-6, the cap 24 is shown threaded in place and is also shown in a preferred form, as a valve cap whereby a portion 25 of the cap can be manipulated so as to open and allow say liquid in the tank 20 to flow therethrough or closed. The user of the carrier can thus readily control flow of flowable material or liquid from the tank via the valve closure cap 25.

In the upper wall 26 of the tank 20 is formed an inlet 27. Once again, this is preferably formed by an annular wall 28 which is threaded so as to enable a threaded cap 29 to be placed thereon. This therefore functions as the filler for the tank 20, whereby flowable material/liquid can be loaded into the tank 20.

In the preferred form of the invention, the lid or cover 17 engages over a rim portion 30 which is formed by or at Scec4 91nz COM? SPEC 2u August 2C04 9 the upper part of the peripheral wall 13. At its non-hinged side the lid or cover 17 incorporates an area 32 of increased dimensions so that the non-hinged edge of the lid or cover can not only locate with or adjacent the upper wall 26 of the tank 20, but also project over the outer surface of tank 20. A recess or cutaway portion 31 is incorporated in area 32 to provide a clearance for the closure lid 29 of the tank inlet.

By being integrally formed with the body 10, the tank 20 is not readily obvious, especially when the lid 17 is in the closed position. The aesthetic appearance of the carrier is thus not impaired by the presence of the tank. Nevertheless, the outlet of the tank is readily available for the user to manipulate in order to achieve a flow of materials/liquid from the tank. Thus, for example, if the tank 20 is filled with water, the user can readily obtain a flow of water from the tank for say washing purposes. Alternatively, the water could be used for say mixing with chemical which may need to be water diluted for on-farm use.

While the foregoing description has tended to indicate on-farm use of the carrier, the carrier is not restricted to such end usage. The carrier has a wide range of Spec491nz COM? SPEC August 2004 applications and not only for ATV mounting. The carrier can be mounted on other vehicles as may be required by the end user.

The carrier is preferably attached by straps or hooks (not shown) to the vehicle. Openings 35 can be provided in each end wall 16 for this purpose.

The invention as described and illustrated herein is only a preferred example of a construction which incorporates the invention. Thus, the invention as disclosed herein is open to alteration/modification as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the tank 20 could be positioned in the underside of the body 10.

In a modified form of the invention the carrier can be provided with one or two removable trays 37 (shown in dotted detail). The tray(s) 37 can be moulded in the material removed to create the opening 11 when the body is of a rotational moulded form. The tray(s) 37 can be placed at one or each end (as the case may be) of the opening 11 and supported by the lip 36 (see Figures 2 and 8) .

The present invention thus provides a carrier and receptacle combination whereby flowable materials/liquid Spec491nz COM? SFEC August 2004 11 can be conveniently carried without impacting on the available space for carrying items within the carrier.

Spec491nz COMP SPEC August 2004

Claims (23)

12 What We Claim Is:-

1. A carrier including a moulded body with an opening via which, in use, items to be conveyed in the carrier can be placed in the body, the carrier being characterised in that a receptacle, for a flowable material or liquid, is integrally moulded into the body.

2. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the moulded body has a floor and an upwardly extending peripheral wall which defines at its upper extremity the said opening.

3. A carrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein a rim form is provided at said upper extremity at least to in part define the periphery of the opening.

4. A carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the receptacle includes a closable opening.

5. A carried as claimed in claim 4 wherein the receptacle has an upper portion which includes the closable opening and a lower portion which includes an outlet. Spec491n: COM? SPEC 20 August 20C4 13

6. A carrier as claimed in claim 5 wherein the outlet can be closed by a removable closure.

7. A carrier as claimed in claim 6 wherein the outlet or the removable closure can be provided with a valve or tap.

8. A carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a lid or cover is provided to close the opening.

9. A carrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lid or cover is hinged to the body.

10. A carrier as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the receptacle is partially covered by the lid or cover.

11. A carrier as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lid or cover is hingedly connected to the body and a portion of the lid or cover at its non-hinged side partially covers at least part of the receptacle.

12. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the moulded body has a floor and an upwardly extending Spec491nz COM? SPEC 20 August 2004 14 peripheral wall which defines a pair of opposed side walls and end walls therebetween.

13. A carrier as claimed in claim 12 wherein the receptacle is contained within and extends for substantially the length of one of the opposed side walls.

14. A carrier as claimed in claim 13 wherein the receptacle extends into and is in part contained within at least part of one or both of the end walls.

15. A carrier as claimed in claim 12 wherein the receptacle is positioned in an underside of the body.

16. A carrier as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15 wherein the receptacle includes a floor which slopes toward an outlet.

17. A carrier as claim in claim 16 wherein the outlet is formed with a valve. Spec49inz COMP SPEC 20 August 2004 15

18. A carrier as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17 wherein the receptacle has, in an upper part thereof relative to the floor, an inlet.

19. A carrier as claimed in claim 18 wherein the inlet is obscured from view by a lid when in a closed position on the carrier to close the opening.

20. A carrier as claimed in claim 19 wherein the lid is hingedly coupled to the body.

21. A carrier as claimed in claim 19 or 20 wherein the lid engages over a rim form provided at an upper extremity of the peripheral wall.

22. A carrier as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21 wherein the body is rotationally moulded and a portion of the body, as moulded, which is cut out to form said opening is in a form which provides a removable tray locatable in the interior of the body. Spec4 91nz COMP SPEC 20 August 2004 16

23. A carrier substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. C-DAX SYSTEMS LIMITED By its Attorney DON HOPKINS & ASSOCIATES Spec4 9ir.z COMP SPEC 20 August 2004 Abstract A carrier of a type intended for a farm vehicle such as an ATV. The carrier includes a moulded body (10) with an opening (11) via which, in use, items to be conveyed in the carrier can be placed in the body. The carrier has a receptacle (20) for a flowable material or liquid, integrally moulded into the body (10) . INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OP N.Z 24 AUG MM