초록 ▼

An improved foldable utility cart has a hauling body formed by a floor and a pair of opposite wheel-bearing side panels, and a handle assembly mounted to the side panels, adapting the hauling body for manually-powered push or pulling type of locomotion. Pivot plates fixed at opposite ends of the flo

An improved foldable utility cart has a hauling body formed by a floor and a pair of opposite wheel-bearing side panels, and a handle assembly mounted to the side panels, adapting the hauling body for manually-powered push or pulling type of locomotion. Pivot plates fixed at opposite ends of the floor mount the side panels for pivotal movement between erected transport positions in which the side panels togehter with the floor form a load supporting cavity in the body and mobilize the body and a folded storage position in which the side panels overlie the floor so as to eliminate teh cavity and immobilize the body for storage. Each side panel has a wall member and a longitudinal tube connected along the exterior of the wall member adjacent to its lower longitudinal edge. The tube has opposite ends at which it and thus the side panel is mounted to the floor pivot plates located outside of the load supporting cavity. Also, upturned opposite side edges of the floor snugly fit against the side panel wall members when the side panels are in their erected positions to form closed longitudinal corners in the load supporting cavity. Also, a latching mechanism is disposed outside of the cavity below the floor and adjacent each wheel on one of the side panels. Each wheel is rotatably mounted by an axle to its side panel outside of the cavity. An inner end of the axle underlies the floor and is engaged and locked in place by the latching mechanism when the side panel has been pivoted to its erected transport position. By actuating each of the latching mechanisms to disengage from the respective inner ends of the wheel axles, the side panels and wheels mounted thereto can be pivoted to their folded storage positions.

대표청구항 ▼

A foldable utility cart, comprising: (a) a floor; (b) a pair of opposite side panels; (c) pivot means interconnecting and mounting said side panels to said floor for pivotal movement of each of said side panels relative to said floor between an erected transport position in which said side panels to

A foldable utility cart, comprising: (a) a floor; (b) a pair of opposite side panels; (c) pivot means interconnecting and mounting said side panels to said floor for pivotal movement of each of said side panels relative to said floor between an erected transport position in which said side panels together with said floor form a load supporting cavity and a folded storage position in which said side panels overlie said floor so as to eliminate said cavity, said pivot means being disposed outside of said load supporting cavity where said pivot means is unexposed to matter contained therein; (d) a pair of ground engagable wheels; (e) a pair of axle means attached to said respective side panels and rotatably mounting said ground wheels on said respective side panels at respective sides thereof opposite to said floor and outside of said load supporting cavity such that said ground wheels are movable as a unit with said side panels between said erected transport positions and said folded storage positions; and (f) a pair of latching means disposed outside of said load supporting cavity below said floor and adjacent said respective wheels, each of said latching means being actuatable between unlatching and latching positions for respectively unlocking one of said wheels from said floor to allow pivoting of said side panel mounting said wheel to its folded storage position and locking said one wheel to said floor when said side panel has pivoted to its erected transport position such that said side panel is retained in its erected position; (g) each said axle means extending transversely of its respective one side panel and away from a side thereof adjacent to said floor so as to underlie said floor at an inner end of said axle means when said side panel has pivoted to its erected transport portion; (h) each said latching means including a latch member movably mounted to said floor on an opposite side thereof from said load supporting cavity and movable between said latching position in which a respective one of said axle means inner ends is engaged by said latch member and said unlatching position in which said one axle means inner end is disengaged from said latch member.