Collapsible trunk-accessible carts

摘要

A collapsible trunk-accessible cart includes a basket that is supported by a set of wheels, and which can be rolled forward and backward on the wheels. The wheels are in turn supported by a pair of cantilever horizontal support arms to which both front and rear legs are attached. The front and rear legs can be folded up over respective sides of the basket. The front legs extend forward at an angle to allow some of the lower portions of the front legs to pass under the rear of a vehicle so that the basket can then be moved into the trunk or cargo area of the vehicle. The basket can be rolled forward into the trunk, while a lift assist mechanism retains the legs to the basket, which can then be folded over the sides of the basket.

主权项

1. A collapsible trunk-accessible cart, comprising:
a basket having a bottom, and front, back, left, and right sides that rise vertically from the bottom; a pair of cantilever horizontal support arms disposed on the right and left sides of the basket, with one of the cantilever horizontal support arms on each of the left and right sides of the basket; each cantilever horizontal support arm having at least a front wheel and a rear wheel attached at a front portion and a rear portion, respectively, of the cantilever horizontal support arm, wherein the wheels support the basket when the collapsible trunk-accessible cart is in an open configuration, and wherein the basket can roll forward and backward on the wheels; a pair of front legs, each including an upper portion pivotally attached to a respective one of the cantilever horizontal support arms at a point behind a midpoint of the respective cantilever horizontal support arm and extending downward to a lower portion that is pivotally connected to a lower end of the upper portion and which extends down and forward at an angle, each lower portion terminated with a respective wheel; a pair of rear legs, each including an upper portion pivotally attached at area point of a respective one of the cantilever horizontal support arms and extending downward and pivotally connected to a respective lower portion that extends further downward and terminates with a respective wheel; a pair of slotted lift arms, each mounted on a respective side of the basket, and having first end pivotally attached to a track wheel disposed in a horizontal track on the respective side of basket, and having a second end including a slot through which an axle for the front wheel attached to the respective cantilever horizontal support arm passes; and a pair of springs, each one mounted in a respective horizontal track on one of the left and right sides of the basket, and having a respective sliding block mounted at a forward end of each spring; and a pair of lift assist assemblies, each respectively disposed on one of the left and right sides of the basket, and which are attached by a respective cable system that extends around the respective slotted lift arm to the respective sliding block and to a respective one of the cantilever horizontal support arms; wherein the cantilever horizontal support arms, slotted lift arms, springs, and lift assemblies are configured to allow the basket to be rolled forward over the front wheel of the cantilever horizontal support arms while retaining the cantilever horizontal support arms and the front and rear legs with the basket, and wherein the front and rear legs fold their respective lower portions over their respective upper portions horizontally over the respective sides of the basket.