Abstract:
A child&#39;s wagon having a generally flat floor surrounded by upstanding rear and sidewalls defining central triangularly-shaped seating positions having three corners and in which three children may sit while directly facing each other.

Description:
Applicants claim the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/995,099 filed Sep. 24, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a child&#39;s wagon, that is, the type of wagon in which children sit and are pulled along by parents or other caregivers. While there are many variants of such wagons both in function and seating arrangement, such known wagons are shaped so as to restrict the seating of children therein to either a face-to-face, direct opposite, i.e., back-to-back, configuration or to a linearly aligned side-by-side configuration. 
     Accordingly when three children are transported in such wagons, not all the children can face each other and are most often forced into cramped positioning. Especially in their early years, children delight in observing each other especially other children with whom they are already familiar. Thus in introducing a new activity such as transportation via a wagon to such children, it would be supportive to provide positioning such that the children can directly see each other. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a child&#39;s pull wagon that would facilitate such face-to-face positioning with three children. The above comment and observation is believed especially relevant with three to children of closely spaced ages including triplets. 
     This and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a child&#39;s wagon having a generally flat floor surrounded by upstanding rear and side walls defining central triangularly-shaped seating positions having three corners and in which three children may sit while directly facing each other. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a child&#39;s wagon incorporating the novel features of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  with an entry step pivoted to a lowered use position; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of  FIG. 1  with the pull handle shown to in a storage position; 
         FIG. 5  shows the perspective view of  FIG. 1  with three children seated therein in the desired face-to-face position; and 
         FIG. 6  shows the perspective view of  FIG. 1  with a modification, namely, the inclusion of a table. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings, the device of the present invention comprises a child&#39;s pull wagon  10  having a body  12  preferably formed of a molded plastic or of metal, wood and the like. The body  12  includes a flat bottom wall  14  that serves as the wagon&#39;s supporting floor. Upright walls extend from the periphery of the bottom wall and include a back wall  16  and a pair of sidewalls  18  that cooperatively provide an overall triangular shape to the body and floor of the wagon. Such triangular shape is unique to children&#39;s wagons and enables the desired face-to-face seating for two or three children and is a key feature of the present invention. 
     Generally, the walls  16 ,  18  are of similar length such that the overall shape of the body when viewed in plan is that of an equilateral triangle with three corner positions  20  formed by the intersection of such walls. The corner positions  20  each include a seating area  22  which is preferably raised above the surface of the bottom floor and preferably integrally formed therewith as in the case of the illustrated drawings where an elevated seat  24  including a support wall  26  and a top wall seating surface  28  is depicted. The wagon body portions adjacent such seats  24  may be elevated, that is, portions of the walls  16 ,  18  may upwardly extend in the three corners of the body so as to form backrests  30  for the children sitting on the seats  24 . Backrests  30  preferably are configured with an elevated top rail  32  that is highest at its central point and gradually curves downwardly at each side thereof to merge with the main portions of the walls  16 ,  18  adjacent thereto. In the above-described manner, comfortable and safe seating for three children is provided in such a way that each of the children faces the other two occupants of the wagon so that they all may socialize, interact and observe each other while seated in the wagon. 
     The front  34  of the wagon  10  is provided with an elongated handle  36  having a shaft  38  and a hand grasp  40  whereby an adult or other caregiver can pull the wagon. The shaft  38  includes a bifurcated lower end  40  which, in turn, is pivotally connected to the sides  18  of the body as by an axle passing through an axle housing  42 . The lower ends  40  may include trunnions  44  that are adapted to receive the opposite ends of the axle. The axle may also support a front wheel  46  as shown in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. The rear  48  of the wagon includes a pair of wheels  50  mounted at opposite ends of a rear axle  52  extending through the axle housing  52  formed in the underside of the bottom wall of the wagon body. 
     The back wall  16  of the wagon may include a break or opening  54  defined by opposed edge walls  56  of the back wall  16  so as to receive an access door  60  preferably centrally located along the wall  16 . The door  60  comprises an upright panel  62  having an upper end  64  preferably contiguous with the top of the back wall and a lower end including a pair of pivot pins  66  in turn adapted to be received in the edge walls  56  such that the door may be pivoted downwardly. 
     When the door panel  62  is pivoted downwardly, the door panel  62  serves as a support surface  70  onto which the children may step, kneel or otherwise be supported to aid them in accessing the wagon interior. The door panel upper end  64  may also include a rearwardly extending shelf  72  having a recessed upper surface  74  for receipt of crayons and other child-related objects and a front edge  76  which when the panel is downwardly pivoted to its access position will contact the ground or other supporting surface to, in effect, stabilize the wagon and provide a more conventional step-type access thereto. The front edge  76  may include a high friction surface provided by an attached layer of rubber or by integral protuberances, etc. 
     The shelf may also include cup holder depressions as may portions of the top edges of the walls  16 ,  18 . The handle  36  is adapted to fold under the wagon with the grasp  38  overlying and/or contacting the lower surface of the door panel  62 . In addition, the front wheel may alternatively be of a freely rotatable type that is supported by a vertically-oriented housing that is free to rotate about the vertical axis, e.g., a supermarket or shopping cart type front wheel. 
     A further modification of the invention is shown in  FIG. 6 . Therein, a small table  80  is disposed centrally of the floor, that is, the body bottom wall  14 . Accordingly when the table is assembled in place, the table is equally accessible to each occupant of the wagon up to a maximum of three children. The table  80  is readily removable from the wagon and includes a generally circular or triangular top  82  from which a supporting post  84  downwardly extends and is received in an opening  86  disposed in the wall  14 . Alternatively, the wall  14  may include an upwardly extending stud (not shown) so as to facilitate the temporary but firm connection of the post to the wagon wall  14 . The children may grasp the edges  88  of the table or place their hands on top of the table for added support while they are being transported. 
     While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.