Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 11/807,842, which was filed on May 30, 2007. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to an adapter for a wheel barrow handle and more particularly to an extendable wheel barrow handle adapter. 
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
       [0003]    Wheel barrows are well known and have been used for many years. However, in most instances, a wheel barrow&#39;s handles are fixed to the body of the wheel barrow and can be awkward for some users. 
         [0004]    Because of height differences and differences in arm lengths, some people find a conventional wheel barrow difficult to use. In particular, when moving a wheel barrow on an incline or decline, many users have to stoop or bend awkwardly to create an effective grip on the wheel barrow. Doing so, especially for long periods of time, can lead to a sore back, sore hands and other infirmities. 
         [0005]    Also, the leverage for lifting a wheel barrow is sometimes difficult to provide using handles which extend straight away from the body of the wheel barrow. Thus, there exists in this field a need for wheel barrow with handles that are adjustable in height and that can be arranged to help provide additional leverage for lifting the wheel barrow. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to an adapter that fits over a wheel barrow handle that is extendable. By way of this extension, the height of a handle portion of the adapter may be changed so as to change the effective height of the wheel barrow handle. In this way, a user of the wheel barrow can lift the wheel barrow from a more comfortable height. Other embodiments relate to a wheelbarrow with such an adapter integrally manufactured into the handles. 
         [0007]    It is understood that other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only various embodiments of the invention by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  Depicts a handle adapter in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  depicts another view of the handle adapter of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  depicts the handle adapter of  FIG. 1  with adjustment holes in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  depicts a detailed view of the rotatable receiver and sleeve of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  depicts a locking pin through the sleeve that prevents rotation of the sleeve relative to the receiver. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  depicts an alternative coupling of the sleeve and the receiver. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  depicts an embodiment of the present wheelbarrow handle adapter. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  depicts a handle adapter that includes rotatable portions to provide ergonomic benefits to the gripping portion of the adapter. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 9 and 10  depict the handle adapters installed on a typical wheelbarrow. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0017]    The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the invention. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  depicts a wheelbarrow handle adapter in accordance with the principles of the present invention. In particular, a sleeve  102  is provided in which a wheel barrow handle is inserted (from the left in this figure). The sleeve  102  is shown separately from the remainder of the adapter for purposes of clarity. However, in operation, the sleeve  102  is fixed to a receiver portion  108  during manufacture. 
         [0019]    As shown, the sleeve  102  is a hollow cylinder and fits over the receiver  108 . The receiver  108  includes a main body  104  that fits over a handle. The handle includes a vertical portion  110  that connects to a horizontal portion  112  and then to another vertical portion  114 . As explained later, the main body  104  can slide up and down the vertical portion  110  so that the relative height of the horizontal (handle) portion  112  can be adjusted. 
         [0020]    Although shown as circular in this figure, one of ordinary skill will recognize that the handle portions of the present invention are not limited to any particular shape and neither is the shape of the main body  104  or receiver  108 . Square, oval, and cylindrical material can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. As for the materials, the adapter can be made of any strong material such as steel that will withstand the rigors of use and the environment in which wheel barrows are traditionally used. Mild to heavy gauge steel for example may be used to provide different levels of durability. Also, the different portions of the handle are depicted at nearly right angles to one another. However, such an angle is provided by way of example only and the handle portions may have different relative angles, or have rounded transitions, without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0021]    The sleeve  102  is designed so that it can accept about 6 to 8 inches of a wheel barrow handle. Such a size allows for a secure and strong connection between the wheel barrow handle and the adapter. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  provides a front view of the adapter of  FIG. 1  that more clearly shows the opening of sleeve  102  that accepts the wheel barrow handle. Although the size of the adapter may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention, one advantageous size is for the vertical portion  110  to be around 8 to 10 inches, the horizontal portion  112  to be about 4 to 6 inches and the second vertical position to be around 6 to 8 inches. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the horizontal portion  110  can include holes  302  that are arranged at, for example 1 inch spacing (although other spacings may be utilized). The different holes  302  align with hole in the main body  104  as the vertical portion  110  is moved up and down relative to the main body  104 . A pin  304  is removable in an out of the main body hole and the aligned hole  302  such that the handle adapter can be adjusted to different heights and can be locked into a particular height. 
         [0024]    Also shown in  FIG. 3  is a hole  306  that allows a screw or bolt or some other fastener to securely hold the sleeve  102  to the wheel barrow handle. One of ordinary skill will recognize that more than one such fastener may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  depicts the arrangement by which the sleeve  102  and the receiver  108  may rotate relative to one another. A channel  402  may be present in the receiver  108  so that a set pin  404  extends from the inside of the sleeve  102  into the groove  402 . The sleeve  102  is thereby prevented from lateral movement relative to the receiver  108  but is free to rotate about the receiver  108 . To prevent the sleeve from rotating at all times, however, a pin  502  can be inserted through a hole  506  in the sleeve  102 . With the pin  502  engaged in such a hole  506 , the sleeve  102  remains stationary. By having more than one hole spaced around the sleeve  102 , the handle adapter can be rotated and locked in different positions. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the pin  502  is arranged to some type of spring or lever that allows a user to engage and disengage the pin  502 . The precise mechanism that engages or disengages the spring is not critical to the practice of the present invention. It may be through a throttle cable, a lever, a spring actuated switch, or any of a variety of functionally equivalent means. The critical feature is that the user can easily (with one hand and preferably a thumb) engage and disengage the pin  502  so as to allow/prevent rotation of the main body  104  relative to the sleeve  102 . 
         [0026]    As one alternative to the groove  402  and the pin  404 ,  FIG. 6  depicts one variation in which the sleeve  102  has a fixed pin that fits inside a groove of the receiver  108 . The groove is wide enough to allow the pin to move within the groove (so as to allow rotation) but thin enough to prevent unwanted lateral movement between the receiver  108  and the sleeve  102 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the pin  706  that prevents rotation is affixed to some type of which or lever  704  that is accessible to a user&#39;s hand on the adapter. As mentioned before, the exact spring, lever or cable  702  that is used to manipulate the pin  702  is not critical to the practice of the present invention. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment the handle or grip portion of the adapter has an outside sleeve  802  that rotates about an inner portion. Also, the handle portion, although not shown in the drawings clearly, may include knurling so as to improve a user&#39;s grip on the adapter. When the adapter is rotated, the second vertical portion  114  may be used as a handle and such a rotating sleeve  804  and optional knurling may be used there as well. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 9 and 10  depict the adapter in use with a wheel barrow.  FIG. 10  shows the handle adapter fully rotated horizontally so that a user can utilize them to provide more leverage for lifting. Because of the design described earlier, the adapters may be rotated inwardly as shown in  FIG. 10  or outwardly as shown by arrows  1002  and  1004 . Also, the rotation does not necessarily have to be a full 90 degrees but can be anywhere in-between. Also, although it has been implied until now, there is an adapter for each handle of the wheel barrow as shown in the drawings. Thus, in operation, two adapters are used and not the single adapter shown in the earlier figures. 
         [0030]    The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with each claim&#39;s language, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”

Technology Category: 4