GB2383980A

GB2383980A - Trolley with removable containers

Info

Publication number: GB2383980A
Application number: GB0300389A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Robert Duncan; Michael Edward Gailes
Original assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Current assignee: Numatic International Ltd
Priority date: 2002-01-09
Filing date: 2003-01-08
Publication date: 2003-07-16
Also published as: GB0300389D0; GB0200414D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a compact trolley for the transport of cleaning and like articles which comprises a base of a generally regular shape having at least three casters for translation movement over a surface substantially in any direction and a central column extending upwardly from the base and terminating in handle means, the arrangement being such that the column is disposed substantially equidistant each of said casters and is of a height with respect to the size of the base that any turning moment imparted by a push on the handle is less than the resistance to translation movement of the base over said surface, thereby reducing the tendency of the device to tip. The trolley may be provided with removable semi-circular containers both of its base and further up the central column.

Description

Improvements in and relating to janitorial trolleys.

This invention relates to janitorial trolleys and has particular reference for trolleys, which are capable of being used within a restricted space for cleaning areas such as bathrooms in hotels.

The present janitorial service trolley is usually a large wheeled trolley, which carries cleaning service equipment and fresh linen and other supplies for use by a chambermaid in the servicing of bedrooms in a hotel. In use, these trolleys are fairly massive, with their load of service items; they stand some 1.5 metres high and are sufficiently bulky as to cause a significant obstruction in a hotel corridor. These janitorial service trolleys are relatively inefficient in use, since the operative, cleaning, for example, a bathroom will need to move in and out of the bedroom and bathroom concerned in order to access various items of cleaning equipment and products in order to service the room. Because of its bulk, the average janitorial service trolley is not able to be passed into the bedroom in which the chambermaid is working and it must, therefore, remain in the corridor so that the chambermaid needs to return to it on each occasion that she requires different products and items

in order to service the bedroom and its associated bathroom.

While smaller trolleys can be readily conceived, their capacity is such that it is of"limited"practical use since the bulk of supplies required for servicing rooms will restrict the cleaning aids that can be carried.

Small narrow trolleys have been proposed which can negotiate the restricted access when servicing rooms, but these suffer from the disadvantage that the cannot be moved readily in any direction and they are liable to tip.

According to one aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided a compact vehicle for the transport of cleaning and like articles which comprises a base of a generally regular shape having at least three casters for translation movement over a surface substantially in any direction and a central column extending upwardly from the base and terminating in handle means, the arrangement being such that the column dispose substantially equidistant each of said casters and is of a height with respect to the size of the base that any turning moment imparted by a push on the handle is less than the resistance to translation movement of

the base over said surface, thereby reducing the tendency of the device to tip.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the base is of a generally regular shape such, for example, as a square, a circle or a regular polygon. It is further preferred that the number of casters is four. In a particular aspect of the present invention the central column may be cranked at its upper end to form said handle portion.

The base may be configured to support one or more removable containers that may accommodate cleaning or service materials; typically, each container may be in the form of a bucket. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base is generally circular and each of the lower containers is substantially semicircular and capable of being removed from said base.

In one aspect of the present invention the central column may support an upper pair of removable containers and in order to preserve the stability of the device, it is preferred that the upper containers are dimensionally of less radial extent from the central column than the corresponding dimensions of said base.

In yet a further aspect of the present invention the trolley may be provided with means for attaching it to a janitorial trolley of conventional design for transport therewith.

In use, the device is intended to be sufficiently compact that it can be moved readily into a room or area where an operative is working while providing, close at hand, the cleaning products and aids necessary for rapid completion of the cleaning task. This has the considerable advantage of cutting down the movement to and fro to the main janitorial trolley, which is of such bulk that it cannot normally be brought into a room being serviced. The casters enable the device to move readily in any direction as guided by the operative and the relative dimension of the height of the central column relative to the spacing of the casters ensures that the device will move readily in response to a push from an operative without the risk of tipping.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying informal drawings of methods of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings :-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a janitorial trolley in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view of Figure 1 with two of the containers removed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle without any containers.

Figure 4 is a detailed view of figure 2 showing the attachment means of the upper containers to the central column.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the janitorial trolley of figure 1.

Referring to Figure 3, the trolley illustrated in accordance with the present invention comprises a base indicated generally at 10 being generally circular and having a central upstanding pedestal 11. The base 10 has a circular platform 12 with a peripheral pedestal upstand 13. The underside of base 10 is provided with four casters 14 (only two of which are visible in Figure 3).

The central pedestal 11 accommodates the lower portion of a central column 15 which is cranked towards its upper end at 16 to define a generally horizontal handle portion 17 finished in a serrated cover 18 for ease of handling in service. The column 15 carries towards the cranked portion 16 a block 20 which is of generally rectangle section and which tapers from its lower end 21 towards its upper end 22. Each side face 23 of block 20 carries an outwardly extending projection 24 (see Figure 4) that terminates in an upwardly extending tongue 25 extending upwardly of upper surface 22 of block 20.

The projection 24 provides an abutment upon which a container indicated generally at 30 can be hung. The outer surface of container 30 is generally semi-circular at 30 and is provided with a return lip 32 as a finished to the upper portion. As shown in Figure 4, the container 30 is provided with a central partition 33 which extends upwardly to terminate in a handle portion 34 thereby defining two receptacles 35 and 35-the diametric face 36 is recessed at 37 and is contoured to fit closely with the corresponding surface of block 20, while the tongue 25 is adapted to engage under the lip portion 32 juxtaposed the central column 15 to engage thereunder while the sloping surface of the block 20

serves to guide the container 30 to lock it firmly into position against the block 20 and to retain it there against localised movement.

The lower receptacle 40 (see Figure 2) is constructed so that the diametric surface of container 40 is configured to engage closely with the taper of pedestal 11 while the base of container 40 is constrained against further movement by upstand 13. The lower container 40 is subdivided into two compartments by means of a central division 41, which also terminates in an upper handle portion 42.

From the plan view in Figure 5 it will be seen that the diameter of the upper containers is significantly less than those of the lower in order to confer the stability on the resulting structure.

It will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that such a device is of a compact construction and is capable of being moved in any direction by an operative without first manipulating, negotiating or turning the device prior to such movement. The regular dimension of the device and its overall size can be selected in order to provide the optimum utility within confined spaces.

In one aspect of the invention, brackets (not shown) may be arranged to engage with a traditional janitorial trolley for movement between floors or groups of rooms to be cleaned or serviced within a hotel, entertainment or office complex. In this way greater functionality is achieved while the selection of the relative height of the handle to the dimensions of the base is such that accidental tipping of the device is reduced to a minimum by reducing the potential turning moment applied to the handle when moving the device from place to place.

Claims

Claims 1. A compact trolley for the transport of cleaning and like articles which comprises a base of a generally regular shape having at least three casters for translation movement over a surface substantially in any direction and a central column extending upwardly from the base and terminating in handle means, the arrangement being such that the column is disposed substantially equidistant each of said casters and is of a height with respect to the size of the base that any turning moment imparted by a push on the handle is less than the resistance to translation movement of the base over said surface, thereby reducing the tendency of the device to tip.
2. A trolley as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base is of a generally regular shape.
3. A trolley as claimed in claim 2 wherein the regular shape is selected from a square, a circle or a regular polygon.
4. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the number of casters is four.

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5. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the central column is cranked at its upper end to form the handle portion.
6. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base is configured to support one or more removable containers.
7. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base is generally circular and each of the lower containers is substantially semicircular and capable of being removed from said base.
8. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the central column supports an upper pair of removable containers which are dimensionally of less radial extent from the central column than the corresponding dimensions of said base.
9. A trolley as claimed in any preceding claim, further provided with means for accommodating or attaching to a janitorial trolley of conventional design for transport therewith.

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10. A compact trolley as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.