Cargo transport system and method
An electronic cart with an electronic cart body including one or more internal compartments. The cart includes one or more wheels and/or a track assembly supporting the electronic cart body. One or more batteries are carried by the electronic cart body. The cart has a drive system to drive the one or more wheels and/or the track assembly, which is powered, at least in part, by the one or more batteries. One or more hand-operated cart controls are provided on the cart to adjust at least a speed with which the drive system drives the one or more wheels and/or the track assembly.
1 . An electronic cart comprising:
an electronic cart body including one or more internal compartments;
one or more wheels and/or a track assembly supporting the electronic cart body;
one or more batteries carried by the electronic cart body;
a drive system to drive the one or more wheels and/or the track assembly, wherein the drive system is powered, at least in part, by the one or more batteries;
one or more hand-operated cart controls to adjust a speed with which the drive system drives the one or more wheels and/or the track assembly;
wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls are extendable from a recessed area of a rear wall of the electronic cart body;
wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls comprises at least one handle that is movable between a retracted position fully within the recessed area and an extended position in which at least a portion of the at least one handle extends outside the recessed area; and
wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls are configured to disable the drive system in response to the at least one handle moving to the retracted position.
2 . The electronic cart of claim 1 , wherein the electronic cart body includes a front wall, side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, further comprising one or more doors on the top wall and/or one or more side walls to access one or more internal compartments.
3 . The electronic cart of claim 2 , wherein the one or more doors on the top wall are configured to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis between an open position to access one or more internal compartments and a closed position to prevent access to the one or more internal compartments.
4 . The electronic cart of claim 2 , wherein the one or more doors on the side walls is movable between an open position to access one or more internal compartments and a closed position to prevent access to the one or more internal compartments.
5 . The electronic cart of claim 4 , wherein the door on one or more of the side walls is a roller-style door that slides between open and closed positions.
6 . The electronic cart of claim 2 , wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls actuate one or more of forward/reverse movement control and/or brake control.
7 . The electronic cart of claim 2 , further comprising a platform extending from the rear wall, wherein the platform is configured to support a user in a ride-behind position.
8 . The electronic cart of claim 7 , wherein the platform is movable between an extended position and a retracted position.
9 . The electronic cart of claim 2 , wherein the track assembly is pivotally connected with the electronic cart body.
10 . The electronic cart of claim 9 , further comprising a linear actuator to pivot the track assembly with respect to the electronic cart body.
11 . The electronic cart of claim 10 , further comprising a stabilizer leg movable between a retracted position retained within the track assembly and an extended position extending out of the track assembly.
12 . The electronic cart of claim 11 , further comprising a linear actuator to move the stabilizer leg between the retracted position and the extended position.
13 . The electronic cart of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizer leg pivots in a first direction and the track assembly pivots in a second direction opposite from the first direction.
14 . The electronic cart of claim 1 , wherein the at least one handle pivots between the extended position and the retracted position about a pivot point that has a fixed position within the recessed area.
15 . The electronic cart of claim 1 , wherein the electronic cart body includes both one or more wheels and the track assembly, wherein the drive system is configure to switch between driving (i) the one or more wheels or (ii) the track assembly.
16 . The electronic cart of claim 15 , wherein the track assembly is movable between an extended position in which at least a portion of the track assembly contacts a ground and a retracted position in which the one or more wheels contact the ground.
17 . The electronic cart of claim 16 , wherein the drive system is to switch between driving (i) the one or more wheels or (ii) the track assembly by moving the track assembly between the retracted position and the extended position.
18 . The electronic cart of claim 16 , wherein the track assembly includes an end that is angled to traverse a curb or step.
19 . The electronic cart of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls are configured to electronically move the at least one handle between the extended and retracted positions.
20 . The electronic cart of claim 19 , wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls are configured to automatically move the at least one handle to the extended position in response to detecting a keyfob within a terminal wireless range.
21 . The electronic cart of claim 20 , wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls are configured to automatically move the at least one handle to the retracted position in response to detecting the keyfob has moved outside the terminal wireless range.
22 . The electronic cart of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature control system to control a temperature within one or more of the internal compartments, wherein the one or more hand-operated cart controls include a temperature control to adjust the temperature within one or more of the internal compartments.