Abstract:
A convertible toy wagon includes a plastic body with side walls that define a passenger space and a bottom portion that defines a storage compartment. Horizontal seating surfaces are located fore and aft of the opening of the storage compartment. Seatbacks are pivotally attached to the wagon body and close to cover the horizontal seating surfaces and the storage compartment. A handle is pivotally attached to the front of the wagon body by a handle bracket that includes a pair of arms and an arcuate locking surface positioned therebetween. A ridge is formed on a cylindrical lower portion of the handle and interacts with the locking surface of the handle bracket so that the handle may be locked into an upright position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to toy wagons, and, more particularly, to a convertible toy wagon with folding seats and a locking handle arrangement. 
   A standard toy wagon for a child generally consists of a wagon body having a horizontally disposed surface or floor for supporting a child and upstanding front, rear and side walls formed around the periphery of this surface. Four wheels are attached to the bottom of the body and a handle is typically attached to either the front of the wagon body or to a pivoting bolster to which the front wheels of the wagon are attached. 
   In the past, wagon bodies and handles have been formed of wood, metal or combinations thereof. Recently, however, wagon bodies and handles have been made from molded plastic, such as high density polyethylene or some similar material. Such wagons are becoming increasingly popular because of their light weight, durability, corrosion resistance, lower manufacturing cost and safety. 
   Constructing wagon bodies from molded plastic also provides for greater flexibility in terms of product design. For example, additional storage spaces, coolers or seating may be molded into the wagon body. Examples of such wagons are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,740 to Nappo and commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,267 to Pasin et al. 
   The Pasin et al. &#39;267 patent illustrates a wagon having a storage space molded in the bottom of the plastic body. A removable panel separates the storage space from the passenger space and provides the passenger space with a flat floor. When the panel is removed, the storage space may serve as a foot well with the remaining portion of the passenger space floor serving as a seat. U.S. Pat. No. 1,771,813 to Norman shows an earlier wagon constructed of metal or wood that employs a similar concept. A disadvantage of the Pasin et al. &#39;267 and Norman &#39;813 patents is that the removable panel, when not in use, must be stored. In additional to taking up storage space, it may become lost. Furthermore, the wagon of the Norman &#39;813 patent fails to provide the passenger with a back rest while the wagon of the Pasin et al. &#39;267 patent illustrates a back rest that only provides support to a passenger&#39;s lower back. 
   The Nappo &#39;740 patent also illustrates a plastic wagon with a storage space molded into the bottom of its body with a removable panel that separates the storage space from the passenger space of the wagon. Coolers are also formed on the front and rear ends of the wagon. When the panel is removed, the storage space serves as a foot well for a pair of passengers facing one another with the coolers serving as back rests. The passengers sit on the portions of the passenger space floor that remain after the panel is removed. In addition to the disadvantages associated with a removable panel described above, the back rests of the Nappo &#39;740 patent only support the lower backs of the passengers. In addition, the provision of coolers at each end of the wagon reduces the size of the wagon passenger space. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,426 to McConnell illustrates a wagon that provides full back rests for the wagon passengers. This wagon, however, fails to provide foot wells for the passengers. In addition, the seats must be removed from the wagon when not in use. The seats are cumbersome and, as a result, are difficult to remove and store. 
   As a result, it is desirable to provide a wagon with a storage space that may be quickly and easily configured to either comfortably seat passengers or carry cargo in the storage and passenger spaces. 
   Wagons featuring plastic bodies and handles have been provided where the handle folds under the wagon body for ease of storage and transport. An example of such a wagon is presented in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,617 to Pasin et al. A metal wagon having this feature is illustrated in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,493 to Pasin et al. The wagons of these two patents, however, do not provide a feature whereby the handle may be locked in the upright position. Such a feature is desirable in that it locks the handle in a position that is easy for a standing individual to access and grasp. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wagon that may be easily and quickly configured to either carry passengers or cargo. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a wagon that may comfortably carry passengers. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a wagon that has a handle that locks in the upright position. 
   It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wagon that is lightweight, durable and economical to construct. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a toy wagon featuring a body supported by wheels with a handle bracket attached to the body. The handle bracket includes a pair of arms with an arcuate locking surface positioned therebetween. A handle having a cylindrical lower portion is pivotally attached between the pair of arms with a gap between the handle cylindrical lower portion and the locking surface. A ridge having an arcuate cross-section is positioned on the cylindrical lower portion of the handle. The ridge is sized slightly larger than the gap between the locking surface and the cylindrical lower portion of the handle so that the handle may be rotated between a locked position where the ridge is on a first side of the locking surface and the handle is in an upright position and an unlocked position where the ridge is on a second side of the locking surface. The handle is free to rotate into a storage position beneath the wagon body when the handle is unlocked. 
   The wagon body has front, rear and side walls defining a passenger space and a bottom portion defining a storage compartment beneath the passenger space. Horizontal seating surfaces are positioned fore and aft of an opening of the storage compartment. Seatbacks are pivotally attached to the wagon body so that they may be rotated between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the seatbacks cover the horizontal seating surfaces and the opening of the storage compartment while their backs serve as a bottom for the passenger space of the wagon. In the open position, the seatbacks support the backs of children sitting on the horizontal seating surfaces with their legs in the storage compartment. 
   The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings, provide a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top side perspective view of an embodiment of the wagon of the present invention with the handle in the locked position and the seat backs in the open position; 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the wagon of  FIG. 1  with the seats folded into the closed position; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded bottom front perspective view of the wagon of  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing a portion of the wagon handle separated from the wagon body; 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are partial sectional views of the front portion of the wagon body and the lower portion of the wagon handle taken along line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 2  showing the wagon handle in the locked and unlocked positions, respectively; 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the wagon body and handle taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 2  illustrating the locked and unlocked handle positions; 
       FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the wagon of  FIGS. 1-5  with the handle pivoted into the storage position and the seat backs folded into the closed position; 
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the wagon of  FIG. 2  with the seat backs folded into the closed position. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   An embodiment of the wagon of the present invention is indicated in general at  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The wagon features a body, indicated in general at  12 , that is preferably molded from high density polyethylene plastic so as to be inexpensive to manufacture and smoothly safe for a child. The wagon body features an opposing pair of side walls  14   a  and  14   b  as well as an opposing pair of front and rear walls  16   a  and  16   b . The front, rear and side walls form the periphery of the wagon body so that a passenger space  22  is defined therebetween. The side walls may be molded with lowered portions  24   a  and  24   b  to permit ease of entry and exit by a child to and from the passenger space  22 . 
   A pair of rear wheels  26   a  and  26   b  are attached to one another and the bottom of the back portion of the wagon body by a steel axle (not shown). A front pair of wheels  28   a  and  28   b  are attached to the front portion of the wagon body by metal members  30   a  and  30   b  so that a caster arrangement is formed. As a result, the front wheels turn independently of one another but in the same direction when the wagon is pulled on a surface so that the wagon may be steered. 
   A handle  32 , preferably also molded from high density polyethylene plastic, is pivotally attached to the front wall  16   a  of the wagon body by a metal rod  34 , illustrated in phantom in FIG.  2 . The handle  32  is received by a handle bracket  36  molded onto the front wall  16   a  of the wagon body. The handle bracket is indicated in general at  36  in FIG.  3 . The bottom portion of the handle is also indicated in general at  32  in FIG.  3 . The handle bracket  36  features a spaced pair of arms  42   a  and  42   b  that are joined by an arcuate locking surface  44  (see also FIGS.  4 A and  4 B). Channels  46   a  and  46   b  and molded in each arm  42   a  and  42   b.    
   As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the lower portion of the handle is configured as a cylindrical portion  52 . A pair of bosses  54  are formed on opposing ends of the cylindrical portion  52  of the handle and are sized to be received in the channels  46   a  and  46   b  of the handle bracket arms  42   a  and  42   b . A rod opening  56  is formed through the bosses  54 . Corresponding rod openings are also formed in channels  46   a  and  46   b . The handle  32  is pivotally joined to the wagon by inserting the handle bosses  54  into the handle bracket channels  46   a  and  46   b  so that the handle rod opening  56  is aligned with the openings in arms  42   a  and  42   b . The metal rod  34  is then inserted through the aligned openings as illustrated in FIG.  2 . End caps  58   a  and  58   b  are then placed over the ends of the metal rod. As described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,750 to Michelau, the bosses  54  of the handle and the channels  46   a  and  46   b  of the handle bracket prevent the metal rod from tearing into the openings formed therethrough. 
   As illustrated at  62  in  FIG. 3 , a ridge is formed on the cylindrical portion  52  of the handle. The ridge features an arcuate cross-section. The interaction between the arcuate locking surface  44  of the handle bracket and the ridge  62  of the handle provides the wagon of the present invention with a locking handle feature. More specifically, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the size of ridge  62  is slightly larger than the gap  63  between the arcuate locking surface  44  and the cylindrical portion  52  of the handle  32 . As a result, the handle  32  is retained or “locked” in the upright position illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  when the ridge  62  is in the locked position illustrated in FIG.  4 A. The handle in the upright position corresponding to  FIG. 4A  is also illustrated at  32   a  in FIG.  5 . When in the position  32   a  illustrated in  FIG. 5 , and in the position illustrated in  FIG. 4A , the handle is free to move slightly through the shaded area  64  and may be conveniently accessed and grasped by an individual while standing. 
   When it is desired to pull the wagon, the handle is lowered by the individual to the position illustrated at  32   b  in FIG.  5 . The ridge  62  and arcuate surface  44  of  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are both slightly compressed as the ridge  62  travels through the gap  63  between the cylindrical portion  52  and the arcuate locking surface  44  while the handle travels through the arc illustrated by arrow  66  in FIG.  5 . As a result, the position  32   b  of the handle in  FIG. 5  corresponds to the unlocked position illustrated in FIG.  4 B. 
   Once the handle is unlocked (FIG.  4 B), it may be pivoted in the direction of arrow  72  in  FIG. 5  into the storage configuration illustrated in  FIG. 6. A  cut out, indicated at  74  in  FIG. 3 , is formed in the bottom of the wagon and receives the handle  32  when the wagon is configured as in FIG.  6 . When so configured, the wagon may be easily stowed, loaded into a vehicle (such as the trunk of a car) or otherwise lifted and handled. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a storage compartment  80  is molded into the bottom portion  81  of the wagon body  12 . The storage compartment is open to the top. Horizontal seating areas  82   a  and  82   b  are positioned fore and aft of the storage compartment. Seat pin holes  84   a  and  84   b  are formed in sides walls  14   a  and  14   b  of the wagon as are seatback closed locking holes  86   a  and  86   b . A pair of seatbacks, illustrated at  92   a  and  92   b  in  FIGS. 1 and 7 , are pivotally connected to the wagon body. More specifically, the bottom edges  93   a  and  93   b  of the seatbacks are provided with pins, illustrated in phantom at  94   a ,  94   b ,  96   a  and  96   b  in  FIG. 7 , that engage the seat pin holes  84   a  and  84   b  of the wagon body. As a result, the seatbacks may pivot between the “open” position illustrated in FIG.  1  and the “closed” position illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  7 . 
   When the seatbacks are in the open position illustrated in  FIG. 1 , passengers may sit on the seating areas  82   a  and  82   b  in FIG.  5  and place their legs and feet in the storage area  80 . As a result, the storage area  80  becomes a foot well when the seats are in the open position. When the seatbacks are in the closed position, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the seatbacks become covers for seating areas  82   a  and  82   b  and storage space  80  so that cargo stored in the latter may be covered. The passenger space  22  is also provided with a flat floor via the folded seatbacks  92   a  and  92   b  so additional cargo may be carried therein. The seatbacks are locked in the closed position via rounded nubs, illustrated in phantom at  102   a ,  102   b ,  104   a  and  104   b  in  FIG. 7 , that engage the seatback closed locking holes  86   a  and  86   b  of FIG.  5 . When the seatbacks are in the open position, the rounded nubs engage the seatback open locking holes  105   a  and  105   b  of FIG.  5 . 
   Arm rests  106   a ,  106   b ,  108   a  and  108   b  are molded into the wagon body and fit flush with the backs  110   a  and  110   b  of the seatbacks  92   a  and  92   b  when they are folded into the closed position. Cup holders  112  and  114  may be molded into the arm rests. 
   It should be noted that the handle locking feature described above with reference to  FIGS. 3-5  could be incorporated into a plastic wagon having a front bolster, such as the wagon illustrated by commonly owned U.S. Design Pat. No. D458,648 to Chiappetta et al. 
   While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.