Foot actuated wheel brake

摘要

A foot actuated wheel brake for shopping carts and other wheeled equipment is disclosed. The wheel brake is designed for at least one wheel in a wheeled cart where each wheel is rotatably supported on a yoke at a lower end of a leg support in the wheeled cart. The wheel brake includes a first foot pedal that extends above and is movably mounted to the yoke. Preferably, the first foot pedal has a red colored stop sign shape. A second foot pedal extends laterally outwardly beyond the yoke and is movably mounted to the first foot pedal. Preferably, the second foot pedal has a green colored non-stop sign shaped element that extends outwardly beyond the red colored stop sign shape. Operating engaging/disengaging structure is associated with the first and second foot pedals for moving the brake shoe into braking engagement with the wheel when the first foot pedal is engaged and for releasing the brake shoe from the wheel when the second foot pedal is engaged. For nesting of shopping carts, the first foot pedal is mounted on an angularly offset upper wall at the rear of the yoke below a substantially horizontally directed upper wall that is connected to a lower end of a shopping cart leg support. The second foot pedal extends laterally outwardly beyond and below the first foot pedal. The foot actuated wheel brake of the present invention may be used on existing shopping carts as well as on original equipment.