Patent Publication Number: US-2021171084-A1

Title: Sled for sandy terrain

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to sleds. More particularly, it relates to sleds utilized on sandy terrains. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from a dray or wagon, which is a heavy transport vehicle with four wheels and typically two or more horses, or a carriage, which is used exclusively for transporting humans. 
     A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across the surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners similar in principle to skis. This reduces the amount of friction, which helps to carry heavy loads. 
     Some designs are used to transport passengers or cargo across relatively level ground. Others are designed to go downhill for recreation, particularly by children, or competition. (Compare cross-country skiing with its downhill cousin.) Shades of meaning differentiating the three terms often reflect regional variations depending on historical uses and prevailing climate. 
     Sleigh refers to a moderate to large-sized, usually open-topped vehicle to carry passengers or goods, and typically drawn by horses, dogs, or reindeer. 
     In American usage sled remains the general term but often implies a smaller device, often for recreational use. Sledge implies a heavier sled used for moving freight or massive objects. 
     Sleds are especially useful in winter but can also be drawn over wet fields, muddy roads, and even hard ground if one helps them along by greasing the blades with oil or alternatively wetting them with water. For an explanation of why sleds and other objects glide with various degrees of friction ranging from very little to fairly little friction on ice, icy snow, wet snow, and dry snow, see the relevant sections in the articles on ice and ice skating. The traditional explanation of the pressure of sleds on the snow or ice producing a thin film of water and this enabling sled to move on ice with little friction is incorrect. 
     Carts and sleds both have problems while be taken over a sandy location such as a beach. The wheels of the carts may become lodged into the sand and thus unable to move, specially when weight is added to the cart. Sleds are difficult in sandy areas because when weight is added it becomes more difficult to pull to a desired location and animals to pull the sled are normally not allowed in the sandy locations. 
     In light of the above, it would be desirable to have an apparatus the combines the beneficiary aspects of a sled and a cart for transporting items across sandy locations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustrated view of an exemplary sled. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list. 
     “Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise. 
     Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an illustrated view of an exemplary sled  100  for transporting items across difficult terrain is presented. The sled  100  is useful for providing a means to transport belongings across a sandy beach to a desired location in an efficient and easy manner. 
     The sled  100  preferably has a height of eighteen (18) inches, however other heights are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, fifteen (15) inches, twenty (20) inches, etc. The sled  100  preferably has a length of three (3) feet, however other lengths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, two and one-half (2.5) feet, four (4) feet, etc. The sled  100  preferably has a width of two (2) feet, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, one and one-half (1.5) feet, three (3) feet, etc. 
     The sled  100  preferably has a shape being rectangular, however other shapes are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, trapezoidal, square, oblong, etc. The sled  100  is preferably made of a plastic material, however other materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, metal, such as aluminum, steel, etc., poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), etc. 
     The sled  100  has a body  200 , a wheel assembly  300  and a assembly  400 . 
     The body  200  of the sled  100  has a bottom  202 , an interior  204 , a front  205 , a top  206 , an edging  207  and a back  208 . 
     The interior  204  of the body  200  is useful for storing and carrying items for later use at a desired location. The interior  204  of the body  200  is substantially hollow. The items are preferably beach items, however other items are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, garden equipment, plants, etc. The beach items are preferably a cooler, swim wear, scuba equipment, towels, etc. 
     Optionally and/or additionally, an umbrella  500  is coupled to the edge  207  substantially near the back  202  of the body  200  of the sled  100 . The umbrella  500  is removably coupled to the body  200  of the sled  100  by a coupling device, such as an umbrella hole, a clamp, a clip, Velcro® straps, etc. The umbrella  500  is useful for providing shade for the items stored in the interior  204  of the body  200 . The umbrella  500  can further be removed from the sled  100  for use outside of the use of the sled  100 . The umbrella  500  is preferably a beach umbrella, however other types of umbrellas are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, foldable, storm, golf, etc. 
     The wheel assembly  300  has one or more wheels  301  and an axle  302 . The wheel  301  is preferably a solid wheel, however other types of wheels are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, air-filled wheel, traction belt wheel, etc. The axle  302  is preferably made of an aluminum material, however other materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), plastic, steel, etc. 
     The wheels  301  of the wheel assembly  300  is coupled to the axle  302 . The wheel assembly  300  is further securely coupled to substantially near the back  208  on the bottom  202  of the sled  100 . The wheel assembly  300  is useful for providing a rolling of the sled  100  over a flat hard terrain, thereby providing an efficient and a lessening of effort to move the sled  100 . 
     The assembly  400  has one or more harnesses  401  and one or more couplings  402 . Each of the one or more harnesses  401  is coupled to one of the one or more couplings  402 . The harnesses  401  have a strap  403  and a shoulder harness  404 . The shoulder harness  404  is coupled to a first end  405  of the strap  403 . A second end  406  of the strap  403  is securely coupled to the couplings  402 . The couplings  402  are preferably a ring coupling, however other types of couplings are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, clips, locking, Velcro® straps, etc. 
     The couplings  402  are further removably and securely coupled to the front  205  of the body  200  of the sled  100  substantially near the edge  207  of the body  200  of the sled  100 . 
     Thus to move the sled  100  after storing items into the interior  202  of the body  200  of the sled  100 , the person would take the shoulder harness  404  of the assembly  400  and pull the sled  100 , where the assembly  400  eases the pulling effort necessary to move the sled  100  over the sandy terrain. 
     Thus, to move the sled  100  after storing items into the interior  202  of the body  200  of the sled  100 , the person would take the handle  501  of the sled  100  and pull the sled  100 , where necessary to move the sled  100  over the flat hard terrain. 
     Thus, to secure items into the interior  202  of the body  200  of the sled  100 , the person would secure items in the interior  202  of the body  200  of the sled  100 , the person would secure items into the interior  202  of the body  200  of the sled by attaching bungee cords or a cargo net  502  which has six (6) holes, three (3) on each side of the top exterior lip  200  of the sled  100 . 
     In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application. 
     The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.