Claims:We Claim:

1. A power assist apparatus (10) for improved mobility of a cart (1), the power assist apparatus (10) comprising:
a fork (105) with two prongs at a bottom portion (110) of the fork (105);
a wheel (115) fitted between the two prongs of the fork (105);
a handle bar (120) fitted to a top portion (125) of the fork (105), the handle bar (120) having a throttle member (130) and a brake (135);
a power unit (140) coupled to the wheel (115) through a power transfer mechanism;
an electronic control unit (145) connected to the throttle (130) and to the power unit (140) to enable varying the amount of power transferred to the wheel (115); and
a fastening member (150) to enable fastening the power assist apparatus (10) with the cart (1).

2. The power assist apparatus (10) for improved mobility of the cart (1) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the power unit (140) is an electric motor.

3. The power assist apparatus (10) for improved mobility of the cart (1) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the power unit (140) is an engine operating on a fuel.

4. The power assist apparatus (10) for improved mobility of the cart (1) as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the fuel is any one of diesel, petrol and compressed natural gas.

5. The power assist apparatus (10) for improved mobility of the cart (1) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the brake (135) is any one of a mechanical brake and an electric brake.
6. The power assist apparatus (10) for improved mobility of the cart (1) as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising a support frame (155) extending orthogonally from the fork (105) from the top portion (125) of the fork (105) and opposite the handle bar (120) and connected to the fastening member (150), the fastening member (150) arranged to be higher than a holding base (160) of the cart (1) from ground level, such that the cart (1) is lifted upwards on a side to which the power assist apparatus (10) is connected.

7. An assist apparatus (20) for improved maneuverability of a cart (1), the assist apparatus (20) comprising:
a fork (105) with two prongs at a bottom portion (110) of the fork (105);
a wheel (115) fitted between the two prongs of the fork (105);
a handle bar (120) fitted to a top portion (125) of the fork (105);
a support frame (155) extending orthogonally from the fork (105) from the top portion (125) of the fork (105) and opposite the handle bar (120);
a fastening member (150) connected to the support frame (155), the fastening member (150) arranged to be higher than a holding base (160) of the cart (1) from ground level, such that the cart (1) is lifted upwards on a side to which the assist apparatus (20) is connected.
, Description:Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to an arrangement for improving the mobility and maneuverability of a cart, and specifically refers to a power assist apparatus and an assist apparatus for the same.

Background of the invention
[0002] Carts selling vegetables, fruits and other common use items are quite popular in countries like India and other developing countries. The carts generally are loaded with produce and products and pushed or pulled by the vendor. The roads and pavements on which they are pushed may be flat or may be sloped, which adds to the difficulty. In upward slopes, heavy carts are difficult to be pushed and in downward sloped, it is more than difficult to control their downward movement. There is thus a requirement for reducing the effort of the vendor who pushes or pulls the cart.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0003] Figure 1 shows a power assist apparatus connected to a cart for improving mobility of the cart;

[0004] Figure 2 shows a side elevational view of the power assist apparatus for improving mobility of the cart;

[0005] Figure 3 shows an isometric view of the power assist apparatus for improving mobility of the cart;

[0006] Figure 4 shows a front elevational view of the power assist apparatus for improving mobility of the cart;

[0007] Figure 5 shows an assist apparatus connected to the cart for improving manoeuvrability of the cart;

[0008] Figure 6 shows a side elevational view of the assist apparatus for improving manoeuvrability of the cart;

[0009] Figure 7 shows an isometric view of the assist apparatus for improving manoeuvrability of the cart; and

[0010] Figure 8 shows a front elevational view of the assist apparatus for improving manoeuvrability of the cart.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0011] The first aspect of the disclosure is described below. Figure 1 shows a power assist apparatus 10 connected to a cart 1 for improving mobility of the cart 1. Mobility in the context of this instant application refers to the movement of the cart along any suitable pathway for the cart. Figure 2 shows a side elevational view of the power assist apparatus 10 for improving mobility of the cart 1. Figure 3 shows an isometric view of the power assist apparatus 10 for improving mobility of the cart 1. Figure 4 shows a front elevational view of the power assist apparatus 10 for improving mobility of the cart 1. The power assist apparatus 10 comprises a fork 105 with two prongs at a bottom portion 110 of the fork 105, a wheel 115 fitted between the two prongs of the fork 105. The wheel 115 provides support to the cart 1 and the power assist apparatus 10 during mobility of the cart 1. Further uses of the wheel 115 will be described hereinafter. The wheel 115 can have any standard and suitable type of a tyre over the same for traction on the road. The apparatus 10 further comprises a handle bar 120 fitted to a top portion 125 of the fork 105, the handle bar 120 having a throttle member 130 and a brake 135. The function and working of the throttle member 130 and the brake 135 are described hereinafter.

[0012] The power assist apparatus 10 further comprises a power unit 140 coupled to the wheel 115 through a power transfer mechanism. The power transfer mechanism can be any conventionally available transfer mechanism which is understood by a person skilled in the art. The power assist apparatus 10 further comprises an electronic control unit 145 connected to the throttle 130 and to the power unit 140 to enable varying the amount of power transferred to the wheel 115 and a fastening member 150 to enable locking the power assist apparatus 10 with the cart 1.

[0013] The power unit 140 can be an electric motor running a battery. The battery can be a rechargeable one or a non-rechargeable one as well. An exemplary specification of the motor can be a BLDC motor with 480 rpm and a rated torque of 15 Nm, dimensions of 12 inch and with electric braking. The power unit 140 can be an engine operating on a fuel. The fuel can be any one of diesel, petrol and compressed natural gas. The fuel can be any other similar type of fuel as well. The brake 135 on the handle bar 120 can be a mechanical brake or an electric brake as well. The brake 135 is used for stopping the cart 1 or reducing the speed of the cart 1. For example, if the cart 1 is going down a slope and if the speed needs to be reduced, then the brake 135 needs to be applied.

[0014] As illustrated in Figure 5, the power assist apparatus 10 for improved mobility of the cart 1 further comprises a support frame 155 orthogonally from the fork 105 from the top portion 125 of the fork 105 and opposite the handle bar 120 and connected to the fastening member 150, the fastening member 150 arranged to be higher than a holding base 160 of the cart 1 from ground level, such that the cart 1 is lifted upwards on a side to which the power assist apparatus 10 is connected. The power assist apparatus 10 can be connected to either longitudinal side of the cart 1, depending on the vendor’s desire and provided the holding base 160 is available at both ends.

[0015] The difference between the arrangements of Figure 1 and Figure 5 is the lifting of the cart 1 with the fastening of the fastening member 150 in the arrangement of Figure 5. To elaborate, the arrangement of Figure 1 connects the cart 1 to the power assist apparatus 10 such that the cart 1 is not lifted. The fastening member 150 and the holding base 160 is generally at a same height from the ground level such that there is no lifting of the cart. This is purely for assisting the vendor or owner of the cart to push the cart or pull the cart using power assist. A fully loaded cart can be difficult to push or pull, and especially along slopes. The vendor or the owner of the cart can use the throttle 130 of the power assist apparatus 10 to use more power assist to push the cart. The throttle 130 is to be used as a two-wheeler throttle by the vendor or the owner. Once the throttle 130 is rotated, the electronic control unit 145 reads the signals and instructs the power unit 140 to deliver the required amount of power to the wheels 115. By adjusting the throttle 130, the user can vary the amount of power going to the wheels 115, based on the slope on which the cart 1 is moving. If the upward slope is steeper, then higher power is needed to move the cart 1 and if the upward slope is less steeper, then lesser power is required to move the cart 1 upwards.

[0016] Whereas, in the arrangement of Figure 5, the support frame 155 provides additional rigidity to the fork 105 and the fastening member 150 as the cart 1 is lifted when the power assist apparatus 10 is fastened to the same. The arrangement shown in Figure 5 provides both the power assist function for improved mobility of the cart and assist function for improved manoeuvrability of the cart 1. By way of lifting the side of the cart 1 to which the power assist apparatus 10 is connected, the vendor of the cart can turn the cart 1 with reduced effort. To elaborate, for any cart with all four wheels on the ground, by virtue of the design and structure of the cart, turning the cart imposes hardship and increased effort on the part of the vendor or the user of the cart. By lifting one longitudinal end of the cart 1, two of the four wheels are lifted off the ground, which results in reduced effort on the part of the user or vendor of the cart 1 to turn or manoeuvre the cart 1. In a cart with three wheels, lifting the longitudinal end of the cart with two wheels enables expenditure of reduced effort by the vendor or owner to turn the cart. In this arrangement, the fastening member 150 in the power assist apparatus 10 is higher than the holding base 160 of the cart 1, from the ground level, such that fastening the fastening member 150 and the holding base 160 results in the lifting of the cart 1. The vendor or the user of the power assist apparatus 10 and the cart 1 needs to insert the power assist apparatus 10 underneath a longitudinal end of the cart 1 and make contact between the fastening member 150 and the holding base 160 so that, as the power assist apparatus 10 is straightened vertically, the cart 1 is lifted up.

[0017] The longitudinal end of the cart 1 refers to ends along a length of the cart 1. The fastening of the fastening member 150 to the holding base 160 is done by using common and conventional fastening components such as anyone of a nut and bolt and a hook system or a combination of both. Any similar fastening arrangement can also be used.

[0018] A second aspect of the disclosure is described hereinafter with reference to Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8. Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8 have already been used to describe the first aspect above and since the second aspect has some overlapping components the same set of Figures is used. An assist apparatus 20 for improved manoeuvrability of the cart 1 is disclosed, comprising a fork 105 with two prongs at a bottom portion 110 of the fork 105, a wheel 115 fitted between the two prongs of the fork 105, a handle bar 120 fitted to a top portion 125 of the fork 105, a support frame 155 extending orthogonally from the fork 105 from the top portion 125 of the fork 105 and opposite the handle bar 120, a fastening member 150 connected to the support frame 155, the fastening member 150 arranged to be higher than a holding base 160 of the cart 1 from ground level, such that the cart 1 is lifted upwards on a side to which the assist apparatus 20 is connected. This aspect is similar to the arrangement explained in the first aspect with respect to Figure 5. To elaborate, the second aspect is merely an assist apparatus without any powering mechanism. Therefore, this is used only for purposes of lifting the cart 1 for improved manoeuvrability and not for powered assist for pushing or pulling the cart. This can be applied to three wheeled or four wheeled carts.

[0019] The advantage provided by the aspects of the disclosure is to reduce the effort imparted by the vendor or the user of the cart. This can be applied to three wheeled and four wheeled carts.

[0020] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.