Shopping cart with folding legs

摘要

A four-wheel shopping cart includes a substantially rectangular base surrounded by vertical side, front and rear walls to form an open-topped, cargo basket. The front wall opens fully to provide access to the cargo area, while the rear wall is shorter than the others to allow easy access from behind while shopping. A transverse axle mounted below the rear wall supports hinged legs that fold upwards alongside the side walls so the cart can be placed conveniently into a vehicle for transportation. The legs unfold and lock to support the cart on castors for shopping, and may include height adjustment means for lowering the basket to a comfortable level for usage and for raising it to place it into the shopper's vehicle. A pair of small, adjustable wheels mounted on opposite front corners of the base pivot partially to facilitate maneuvering the cart within the vehicle.

主权项

1. An improved shopping cart comprising
a cargo basket having
a floor panel having side edges disposed parallel to and on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis and extending between transverse front and rear edges;basket walls disposed atop said floor panel and extending upward therefrom to surround and define an interior cargo space;a transverse leg axle coupled to said floor panel adjacent said rear edge; two collapsible legs coupled to said leg axle and adapted to articulate between a folded position alongside said basket walls and an extended position disposed below said floor panel, wherein each of said collapsible legs further comprises
a mast rotatably coupled to one end of said leg axle;a footer coupled to said mast at a mast end distal said leg axle;castors disposed on opposite ends of said footer; andreleasable locking means disposed between said footer and said mast for locking said footer into a predetermined angle relative to said mast, wherein said releasable locking means comprises
a latch coupled between said footer and said mast and surrounding and defining a notch;a latch lever bearing a latch pin and coupled by its proximate end to said latch and adapted to articulate between an unlocked position with its distal end disposed atop said footer and a locked position with its distal end a spaced distance above said footer and said latch pin engaging said notch; anda keeper disposed on an end of said latch lever distal said latch and adapted alternately to release said latch lever and to retain said latch lever in said locked position.