Hose reel cart with sides having a flat outer surface.

Abstract

 The hose reel cart comprises a hose-winding drum (11) having a horizontal axis rotationally supported by a pair of lateral sides (1) which act as connecting elements for a support shaft (2) of a pair of wheels (4) and for two U-shaped tubular elements (5, 7), with the top tubular element (7) acting as a maneuvering handle and the bottom tubular element (5) acting as a support base on the ground. Each side (1) is shaped as a box-like plate (15) made of plastic material having an outer side (16) with a smooth surface and an inner side (17) with a recessed surface defined by a plurality of inner ribs (18) of said box-like plate (15). (Fig. 3).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a hose reel cart having the main feature of including drum supporting sides with flat outer surfaces.

[0002] Hose reel carts for gardening are known, which include a rotating drum having a horizontal axis consisting of a pair of side flanges and of horizontal cross members to connect the aforesaid flanges, on which a flexible hose intended for irrigation can be wound.

[0003] The drum is rotationally supported by a pair of lateral sides made of plastic material which also act as connecting elements for the support axis of the wheels and for two U-shaped tubular elements, with the upper tubular element acting as a maneuvering handle and the lower tubular element acting as a support base on the ground.

[0004] The two sides may be variously shaped, both for aesthetic reasons and for saving on cost and weight. For the latter reason, they are usually provided with through holes and/or lightening cavities, while having appropriate reinforcing ribs. This results in a quite complicated shape which is difficult to be molded.

[0005] It is the object of the present invention to provide a hose reel cart having light but robust sides which are simultaneously easy to be molded.

[0006] Such an object is achieved by means of the cart according to the invention, comprising a hose-winding drum having a horizontal axis rotationally supported by a pair of lateral sides which act as connecting elements for the support shaft of a pair of wheels and for two U-shaped tubular elements, with the top tubular element acting as a maneuvering handle and the bottom tubular element acting as a support base on the ground, characterized in that each side is shaped as a box-like plate made of plastic material having an outer side with a smooth surface and an inner side with a surface which is recessed by a plurality of inner ribs of said box-like plate.

[0007] A practical embodiment of the cart according to the invention is shown by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a front view of the cart;

figure 2 shows a rear view of the cart;

figure 3 shows the cart from the left with respect to figure 1;

figure 4 shows the cart from the right with respect to figure 1;

figure 5 shows the top plan view of the cart;

figure 6 shows a perspective view of one of the two lateral sides of the cart in the previous figures;

figure 7 shows the outer side of said side;

figure 8 shows the inner side of said side;

figure 9 shows a section view of said side according to the line IX-IX in figure 7.

[0008] The hose reel cart shown in the drawings comprises two sides 1 made of plastic material connected to each other by a metal drum 2 having a horizontal axis, the two ends of which are inserted into respective seats 3 of sides 1, and which acts as a support for a pair of wheels 4. From the two sides 1, a U-shaped tubular metal element 5 extends downwards to act as a support base on the ground, which has its ends inserted into respective seats 6 of sides 1. Moreover, from the same sides 1, a handle 7 extends upwards, which consists of a pair of metal tubes 8 inserted into respective seats 9 of sides 1 and of a U-shaped grip element 10 made of plastic material, for example.

[0009] Sides 1 also act as a support for a rotating hose-winding drum 11 consisting of two side flanges 12 and connecting cross members 13. A crank arm 14 has a stud 19 which rotationally passes through a hole 20 of one of sides 1 and is firmly connected to drum 11 to allow the drum itself to manually rotate when the hose is being wound thereon.

[0010] Each side 1 is as shown in figures 6-8, i.e. is shaped as a box-like plate 15 having an outer side 16 with a flat, smooth surface and an inner part 17 with a recessed surface defined by a plurality of substantially perpendicular, straight inner ribs 18, which form together a plurality of cavities 19.

[0011] As shown, the sides are light but robust, and can be obtained by molding the plastic material in an easy and cost-effective manner due to the presence of a flat, smooth outer side and of an inner side with cavities which can be easily accessed and which alternate with straight inner ribs.

Claims

1. A hose reel cart comprising a hose-winding drum (11) having a horizontal axis rotationally supported by a pair of lateral sides (1) which act as connecting elements for a support shaft (2) of a pair of wheels (4) and for two U-shaped tubular elements (5, 7), with the top tubular element (7) acting as a maneuvering handle and the bottom tubular element (5) acting as a support base on the ground, characterized in that each side (1) is shaped as a box-like plate (15) made of plastic material having an outer side (16) with a smooth surface and an inner side (17) with a recessed surface defined by a plurality of inner ribs (18) of said box-like plate (15).

2. A cart according to claim 1, characterized in that said inner ribs (18) are straight and substantially perpendicular to one another.

3. A cart according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said box-like plate (15) comprises a seat (3) for receiving said support shaft (2) of the wheels (4), a hole (20) for the stud (19) of a crank arm (14) to pass, which crank arm drives the rotation of the drum (11), a receiving seat (6) for one end of said bottom tubular element (5) and a receiving seat (9) for one end of said top tubular element (7).

Drawing