Patent Publication Number: US-2017369088-A1

Title: Hand truck brake stabilizer

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/355,785, which was filed on Jun. 28, 2016, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to implementations of a hand truck brake stabilizer. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Existing hand trucks do not include a mechanism to prevent the hand trucks from rolling. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a multi-positionable hand truck in a vertical position having a brake stabilizer according to an implementation of the present disclosure thereon. 
         FIG. 2A  is a side elevation of the hand truck of  FIG. 1  in a horizontal position. 
         FIG. 2B  is a side elevation similar to  FIG. 2A  with the brake stabilizer deployed. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged end elevation taken along lines  3 A- 3 A in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged end elevation taken along lines  3 B- 3 B in  FIG. 2B ; 
         FIG. 5  is a bird&#39;s eye exploded isometric view of a brake stabilizer according to an implementation of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a bird&#39;s eye exploded isometric view showing the opposite side of a portion of the brake stabilizer shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7A  is a lateral cross-section showing a foot pedal of a brake stabilizer in a first position according to an implementation of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7B  is a lateral cross-section showing a foot pedal of a brake stabilizer in a second position according to an implementation of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Implementations of a hand truck brake stabilizer are provided. In some implementations, a hand truck stabilizer comprises a main stationary body having a hollow guide. In some implementations, the main stationary body further comprises a front panel, a back panel, one or more top blocks, and one or more corresponding bottom blocks. In some implementations, each of the top blocks and bottom blocks is configured to rest on a top and bottom portion, respectively, of a beam of the hand truck and configured to attach to the front panel and back panel of the main stationary body. 
     In some implementations, the stabilizer further comprises a foot pedal having a foot pedal bar attached to the foot pedal. In some implementations, the foot pedal bar is configured to move along the hollow guide of the main stationary body. In some implementations, the main stationary body and the foot pedal bar are attached to each other using a compression spring. In some implementations, a proximal end of the compression spring is attached to the main stationary body at a rod extending across the opening of the hollow guide and a distal end of the compression spring is attached to the foot pedal bar at a rod extending across the foot pedal bar. In some implementations, the foot pedal bar comprises a ledge wherein the hollow guide is configured to rest on the ledge in a first position. 
       FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B  illustrates an example hand truck  100  having a brake stabilizer  110  according to an implementation of the present disclosure. In some implementations, the brake stabilizer  110  may be attached to an existing or further developed hand truck. In some implementations, the hand truck may be a folding or dual purpose hand truck that can be positioned in an horizontal or vertical position for carrying loads. In some implementations, the hand truck  100  may have front wheels  200   a  and back wheels  200   b . As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the brake stabilizer  100  may be used to lift the back heels  200   b  off a surface  200   c  to prevent the hand truck  100  from moving. Accordingly, a hand truck brake stabilizer  110  according to present disclosure may be mounted to a hand truck to provide a braking function that may help eliminate unintentional movement of the hand truck. 
     As shown for example in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in some implementations, the hand truck brake stabilizer  110  comprises a main stationary body  110   a  and a foot pedal  110   b  having a foot pedal bar  110   b   1  attached thereto that moves inside and outside the main stationary body  110   a  along a hollow guide  120  to engage and disengage the braking functionality of the hand truck brake stabilizer  110 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , in some implementations, the main stationary body  110   a  comprises a front panel  140   a , a back panel  140   b , one or more top blocks  150   a , and one or more corresponding bottom blocks  150   b , and a guide  120 . 
     In some implementations, a rod or beam (e.g.,  310 ,  510 ) of the hand truck is positioned between the front panel  150   a  and back panel  140   b . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in some implementations, the rod  310 ,  510  is a rod near the back wheel  300 ,  400  that extends from one side of the hand truck to the other side of the hand truck. In some implementations, the main stationary body  110   a  may be attached to the hand truck by positioning one or more top blocks  150   a  on top of the rod and one or more corresponding bottom block  150   b  on the bottom of the rod so as to encompass the rod and then attaching the top block(s)  150   a  and bottom block(s)  150   b  to the front panel  140   a  and back panel  140   b . In some implementations, the top blocks  150   a  and bottom block  150   b  comprise cutouts  150   a   1 ,  150   b   1 , respectively, so that the block fit around the rod. 
     In some implementations, the blocks  150   a ,  150   b  may be attached to the front panel  140   a  and back panel  140   b  using screws or bolts and nuts and opening  150   a   2 ,  150   b   2  in the blocks and openings  140   a   1 ,  140   b   1  in the front panel  140   a  and back panel  140   b , respectively. In some implementations, the blocks  150   a ,  150   b  may be attached to the front panel  140   a  and back panel  140   b  using any suitable attachment hardware. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , in some implementation, the guide  120  may be attached to the front panel  140   a . In some implementations, the guide  120  may be attached to the front panel  140   a  using screws or bolts and nuts. In some implementations, the guide  120  may be attached to the front panel  140   a  using any suitable attachment hardware. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , in some implementations, the main stationary body  110   a  and the foot pedal bar  110   b   1  are attached to each other via a compression spring  130 . In some implementations, the proximal end  130   a  of the compression spring is attached to the main stationary body and the distal end  130   b  of the compression spring is attached to the foot pedal bar  110   b   1 . 
     In some implementations, the proximal end  130   a  of the compression spring  130  is attached to the main stationary body at a rod  120   a  extending across the opening of the hollow guide  120  at the proximal end of the hollow guide (see  FIG. 7A ). In some implementations, the distal end  130   b  of the compression spring  130  is attached to the foot pedal bar  110   b   1  at a rod  110   b   2  extending across the foot pedal bar  110   b   1  (see  FIG. 7A ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 7B , when the brake stabilizer  110  is engaged (i.e., when the foot pedal  110   b  makes contact with a surface (e.g., ground/floor) (collectively, referred to as “ground”)), the wheels on the end of the hand truck in which the stabilizer is installed are lifted from the ground. This may help to prevent unintentional movement of the hand truck. 
     In some implementations, the bottom surface of the foot pedal  110   b  that makes contact with the ground (thereby creating friction) also may help to prevent unintentional movement of the hand truck. In some implementations, the bottom surface of the foot pedal  110   b  may comprise rubber to help prevent scratching of a surface. 
     In some implementations, to convert the hand truck from an upright, vertical position to a horizontal position, a handle is pulled down until the wheels make contact with the ground. To engage the braking functionality of the stabilizer  110 , a user may place his/her foot on the foot pedal  110   b  and lift up on the hand truck (thereby causing the foot pedal bar  110   b  to move outwardly from the main stationary body  110   a  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 7A and 7B )) until the stabilizer locks into place (as discussed below). 
     In some implementation, the foot pedal bar  110   b   1  may comprise a ledge  110   b   3  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) on which the main stationary body (more specifically the guide  120 ) may rest (see  FIG. 7B ) thereby locking the stabilizer  110  in place. In some implementations, push down on the foot pedal while the hand truck is in the upright position to engage the braking functionality; thereafter, the handle may be pulled to place the hand truck in a horizontal position. 
     To disengage the braking functionality, a user may place his/her foot on the foot pedal  110   b  and lift up on the hand truck until the stabilizer unlocks (e.g., by clearing the ledge  110   b   3 ). In some implementations, when the stabilizer is unlocked, the compression spring will cause the foot pedal bar to automatically retract inside the main stationary body  110   a  (e.g., as shown in  FIG. 7A ). 
     Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “implementation” or words of similar import means that a particular described feature, structure, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrase “in an embodiment” or a phrase of similar import in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. 
     The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the above description, numerous specific details are provided for a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail.