US 12,311,992 B2
Method and apparatus for protecting walls from damage by wheeled carts
Michael McIntyre, Wilmington, NC (US); and Anthony Gentile, Jr., Wilmington, NC (US)
Assigned to MCGEN ENTERPRISES, LLC, Wilmington, NC (US)
Filed by MCGEN ENTERPRISES, LLC, Wilmington, NC (US)
Filed on Oct. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/502,220.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/092,187, filed on Oct. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0119026 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. B62B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC B62B 5/0006 (2013.01) 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
an arm including;
a first end configured to be attached to a frame of a wheeled cart comprising a platform and a plurality of first wheels configured to move over a floor surface, and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the second end is positioned between the platform and the floor surface at a first height above the floor surface upon attaching the first end to the frame; and
a bumper that is a second wheel rotatably attached to the second end of the arm such that the bumper is positioned between the platform and the floor surface at the first height above the floor surface;
wherein the arm is detachable to the frame of the wheeled cart adjacent to the platform such that the arm is configured to be attached and detached to the frame of the wheeled cart adjacent to the platform;
wherein the arm is configured such that upon attachment of the first end to the frame of the wheeled cart;
a second angle between the arm and a transverse axis along a width dimension of the wheeled cart and orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the wheeled cart is in a range from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees,
the first height of the second end above the floor surface is in a range from about 1 inch to about 3 inches and the second end is positioned below the platform in a range from about 8 inches to about 18 inches such that the second end is more proximate to the floor surface than the platform upon attaching the first end to the frame, and
the first height of the second end above the floor surface is less than or equal to a second height of a baseboard above the floor surface such that upon the wheeled cart coming within a threshold distance of the wall, the arm is configured such that the bumper only impacts the baseboard and does not impact the wall above the baseboard.