초록 ▼

A shopping cart has a wheeled base, a rear frame projecting upwardly from the rear end of the base with a handle at its upper end, and a basket having a rear end secured to the frame and projecting forwardly from the frame at a spacing above the base. The basket is closed by a pivoted rear gate at i

A shopping cart has a wheeled base, a rear frame projecting upwardly from the rear end of the base with a handle at its upper end, and a basket having a rear end secured to the frame and projecting forwardly from the frame at a spacing above the base. The basket is closed by a pivoted rear gate at its rear end. A fixed child seat is secured to the cart adjacent the upper end of the rear frame so as to project forwardly from the rear frame above the basket. Two or more carts can be nested together by pushing the front wall of the basket of a first cart through the rear frame beneath the fixed child seat of a second cart, simultaneously pivoting the rear gate upwardly to allow the basket of the first cart to enter the basket of the second cart. Removable caster lifts may be located on the base such that the rear wheels of a forward cart are lifted when two carts are nested.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A shopping cart, comprising:a wheeled base having a front end and a rear end;a rear frame projecting upwardly from the rear end of the base and having a handle at its upper end;a single basket having a rear end secured to the frame and projecting forwardly from the frame at a spacing above the ba

1. A shopping cart, comprising:a wheeled base having a front end and a rear end;a rear frame projecting upwardly from the rear end of the base and having a handle at its upper end;a single basket having a rear end secured to the frame and projecting forwardly from the frame at a spacing above the base, the basket having a front wall, spaced side walls, and a lower wall together defining an enclosure for articles to be purchased, the basket being open at its rear end;each side wall of the basket having a rear portion extending forwardly from the rear frame up to a forward end, a downward step at the forward end of the rear portion, the downward step having a lower end, and a forward portion of reduced height extending from the lower end of the downward step to the front wall of the basket;a fixed child seat secured between the rear portions of the side walls of the basket adjacent the upper end of the rear frame so as to project forwardly from the rear frame, the child seat having a base spaced above the forward portion of the basket; anda rear gate pivoted at the rear frame below the child seat to close the open end of the basket, whereby two or more carts can be nested together by pushing the front wall of the basket of a first cart through the rear frame beneath the fixed child seat of a second cart, simultaneously pivoting the rear gate upwardly to allow the basket of the first cart to enter the basket of the second cart.2. The cart as claimed in claim 1, wherein the basket extends to the front end of the cart.3. The cart as claimed in claim 1, including a hook member rotatably mounted at the rear end of the cart for rotation between a stored, downwardly extending position resting against the rear wall of the child seat, and an upwardly rotated, deployed position projecting upwardly from the handle, the hook member having a shaft portion and a hook portion projecting at an angle to the shaft portion, the shaft portion projecting rearwardly from the handle at a location spaced above the handle in the deployed position, whereby items can be hung from the hook portion at the rear of the cart.4. The cart as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheeled base of the cart comprises an outer frame, wheels secured to the outer frame, and a tray secured to the outer frame so as to provide a support for items placed on the tray.5. The cart as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tray has at least two horizontal steps of progressively lower height from the rear end to the front end of the base.6. The cart as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tray has a series of horizontal steps of progressively lower height from the rear end to the front end of the base.7. The cart as claimed in claim 1, wherein the child seat has a rear wall secured at the rear frame of the cart beneath the handle, a base, and a front wall spaced forwardly from the base, the rear wall having leg openings.8. The cart as claimed in claim 7, wherein the front and rear walls of the child seat are secured between opposite side walls of the basket.9. The cart as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rear frame has spaced side bars, the rear wall of the child seat is secured between the side bars, and the front wall of the child seat has hooks for snap engagement over the side walls of the basket.10. The cart as claimed in claim 7, including a latch mounted on the front wall of the child seat for latching engagement over the rear wall of the child seat of a second cart when two carts are nested together.11. The cart as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheeled base of the cart has a pair of rear wheels and a pair of forward wheels, and a removable caster lift mechanism is releasably secured to the base for lifting the rear wheels of a forward, first cart when a second, rear cart is nested into the forward cart.12. The cart as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wheeled base comprises a generally U-shaped frame and a tray secured across the frame, the U-shaped frame having opposite side rails, and the tray having a raised rear end secured across the rear frame, the caster lift mechanism comprising a pair of lift members releasably secured to the raised rear end of the tray adjacent opposite sides of the base frame, the lift members each projecting downwardly from the raised rear end of the tray, and a pair of sleeve members removably mounted on opposite side rails of the U-shaped frame at a predetermined location spaced forwardly from the raised rear end of the tray, such that when a forward and rear cart are nested together, the sleeve members of the rear cart engage beneath the lift members of the forward cart to raise the rear wheels of the forward cart from the ground.13. The cart as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wheeled base has opposite side rails and a rear support rail extending across the rear frame, at least one removable caster lift member being mounted on one of said rails.14. The cart as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one first removable caster lift member is mounted on said rear rail to project downwardly from said rear rail, whereby the lift member of a forward cart will engage the base of a rear cart to lift the rear wheels of the forward cart as the rear cart is nested into the forward cart.15. The cart as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one second caster lift member is removably mounted on one of said side rails for engaging said first lift member when two carts are nested.16. The cart as claimed in claim 14, wherein a pair of first caster lift members are removably mounted on said rear support rail adjacent opposite sides of said base.17. The cart as claimed in claim 16, wherein a pair of second caster lift members are removably mounted on said opposite side rails at a predetermined position for engagement with said first caster lift members of a forward cart when two carts are nested together.18. The cart as claimed in claim 17, wherein said caster lift members are of plastic material.19. The cart as claimed in claim 17, wherein the side rails are inclined downwardly at said predetermined position.20. The cart as claimed in claim 19, wherein said second caster lift members comprise slit sleeves each having a rounded upper surface for engagement with the respective first caster lift member of a forward cart.21. A shopping cart, comprising:a wheeled base having a front end and a rear end;a rear frame projecting upwardly from the rear end of the base and having a handle at its upper end;a single basket having a rear end secured to the rear frame and projecting forwardly from the frame at a spacing above the base, the basket having a front wall, spaced side walls, and a lower wall defining an enclosure for carrying items to be purchased in the shopping cart, and being open at its rear end;each side wall of the single basket having a raised rear portion extending from the rear frame and an integral, lowered forward portion of reduced height extending up to the front wall;a fixed child seat secured between the raised rear portions of the side walls of the basket adjacent the upper end of the rear frame so as to project forwardly from the rear frame; anda rear gate pivoted at the rear frame below the child seat to close the open end of the basket, whereby two or more carts can be nested together by pushing the front wall of the basket of a first cart through the rear frame beneath the fixed child seat of a second cart, simultaneously pivoting the rear gate upwardly to allow the basket of the first cart to enter the basket of the second cart.22. The cart as claimed in claim 21, wherein the child seat has a base spaced above the forward portion of the side walls.23. The cart as claimed in claim 21, wherein the rear portion of each side wall has a forward end of a first height, the forward portion has a rear end of a second height less than the first height, and an integral downward step in the side wall connects the forward end of the rear portion to the rear end of the forward portion.