Wheel assembly for transportable carton

Abstract

A transportable carton assembly is disclosed that includes a carton defining a bottom rear corner edge portion having a pair of longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed therein, and an elongated shield retained within the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton and including a pair of longitudinally spaced apart wheels positioned to extend through the longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed in the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton for transporting the carton over a surface.

1 . A wheel assembly for a transportable carton, comprising:
 a) an elongated shield having a planar base portion defining upper and lower surfaces, opposed front and rear edges, opposed side edges and a central axis, and a pair of support flanges extending upwardly from the opposed front and rear edges of the base portion at opposed angles to one another relative to the upper surface of the base portion, each support flange having a respective interior and exterior surface; and   b) a pair of longitudinally spaced apart wheel wells formed within the shield, wherein each wheel well is adapted and configured to accommodate a respective wheel mounted on an axle, and wherein struts extend outwardly from the exterior surfaces of each support flange along peripheral edges of the wheel wells formed therein.   
     
     
         2 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each support flange extends upwardly from a respective edge of the base portion at an angle of about between 40 and 45 degrees relative to the upper surface of the base portion. 
     
     
         3 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pair of support flanges includes a front support flange extending upwardly at an angle from the front edge of the base portion and a rear support flange extending upwardly at an angle from the rear edge of the base portion. 
     
     
         4 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the front support flange is wider than the rear support flange. 
     
     
         5 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each wheel well has an arcuate wheel housing associated therewith that extends between the respective interior surfaces of the support flanges. 
     
     
         6 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each wheel well has an elongated axle channel associated therewith, which is formed in the base portion aligned with the central axis thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 6 , wherein each axle channel opens through the lower surface of the base portion, and includes an enclosed hub area projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein opposed side walls extend from side edges of the interior surfaces of each support flange and from the upper surface the base portion along the side edges thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a wheel mounted on an axle is accommodated within each of the wheel wells. 
     
     
         11 . A wheel assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the lower surface of the base portion and the exterior surface of rear support flange includes a plurality of spaced apart outwardly projecting rounded nubs. 
     
     
         12 . A transportable carton assembly, comprising:
 a) a corrugated cardboard carton defining a bottom rear corner edge portion having a pair of longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed therein; and   b) an elongated thermoplastic shield retained within the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton and including a pair of longitudinally spaced apart wheels positioned to extend through the longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed in the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton for transporting the carton over a surface, wherein the elongated shield has a planar base portion with opposed front and rear edges, and a pair of support flanges extending upwardly from the opposed front and rear edges of the base portion at opposed angles to one another relative to the base portion, and wherein struts extend outwardly from exterior surfaces of the support flanges adjacent each of the longitudinally spaced apart wheels to protect the wheels.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A transportable carton assembly as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the pair of support flanges includes a front support flange extending upwardly at an angle from the front edge of the base portion and a rear support flange extending upwardly at an angle from the rear edge of the base portion. 
     
     
         15 . A transportable carton assembly as recited in  claim 14 , wherein an exterior surface of the rear support flange is positioned against an interior surface of a rear panel of the carton, and an interior surface of the front support flange is positioned against an exterior surface of a first bottom panel of the carton. 
     
     
         16 . A transportable carton assembly as recited in  claim 15 , wherein an exterior surface of the front support flange is positioned against an interior surface of a second bottom panel of the carton, and an interior surface of a third bottom panel of the carton is positioned against an exterior surface of the second bottom panel of the carton, so as to retain the shield within the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A transportable carton assembly as recited in  claim 14 , wherein opposed side walls extend from side edges of interior surfaces of the front and rear support flanges and from side edges of an upper surface the base portion. 
     
     
         19 . A transportable carton assembly as recited in  claim 14 , wherein a lower surface of the base portion and an exterior surface of the rear support flange includes a plurality of spaced apart outwardly projecting rounded nubs. 
     
     
         20 . A method of constructing a transportable carton assembly, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a corrugated cardboard carton defining a bottom rear corner edge portion having a pair of longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed therein;   b) providing an elongated shield having front and rear support flanges extending upwardly from opposed front and rear edges of a base portion at opposed angles to one another relative to the base portion and including a pair of longitudinally spaced apart wheels, wherein opposed side walls extend from side edges of interior surfaces of the front and rear support flanges and from side edges of an upper surface the base portion; and   c) retaining the elongated shield within the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton so that the longitudinally spaced apart wheels of the shield extend through the longitudinally spaced apart apertures in the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton and the side walls prevent the shield from moving within the bottom rear corner edge of the carton.   
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein the step of retaining the elongated shield within the bottom rear corner edge of the carton includes positioning an exterior surface of the rear support flange against an interior surface of a rear panel of the carton, and positioning an interior surface of the front support flange against an exterior surface of a first bottom panel of the carton. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , further comprising the step of folding a second bottom panel of the carton over an exterior surface of the front support flange and the first bottom panel of the carton. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising the step of folding a third bottom panel of the carton over an exterior surface of the second bottom panel of the carton, to retain the shield within the bottom rear corner edge portion of the carton.