Collapsible cart and storage compartment system

A collapsible cart apparatus comprising:

• an upper platform, the upper platform having a front side and a back side positioned opposite each other, a bottom side and a top side of the upper platform extending between the front side and the back side, a pair of lateral sides of the upper platform extending between the front side and the back side and between the bottom side and the top side, the upper platform comprising a base wall and a perimeter wall coupled to the base wall, the upper platform defining a cavity surrounded by the base wall and the perimeter wall;
• a pair of linkages coupled to the upper platform, the pair of linkages being laterally spaced from each other with respect to the upper platform, each linkage of the pair of linkages comprising:
• a top front link mounted to the bottom side of the upper platform at a front platform pivot, the top front link being pivotable alternately forward and backward with respect to the upper platform about the front platform pivot;
• a bottom front link coupled to the top front link opposite the upper platform at a front leg pivot, the bottom front link being pivotable forward and backward with respect to the upper platform about the front leg pivot;
• a back link mounted to the bottom side of the upper platform at a back platform pivot, the back platform pivot being spaced backwardly of the front platform pivot with respect to the upper platform, the back link being pivotable alternately forward and backward with respect to the upper platform about the back platform pivot;
• and
• a bottom link coupled to and extending between the back link and the bottom front link, the bottom link being pivotable with respect to the bottom front link at a bottom pivot, the bottom link comprising a slider positioned distally from the bottom pivot, the slider being slidable along a length of the back link between a proximal position and a distal position with respect to the upper platform;
• wherein each linkage of the pair of linkages is positionable in a deployed configuration, the deployed configuration of each linkage including:
• the top front link extending downwardly from the upper platform;
• the bottom front link extending downwardly from the top front link with respect to the upper platform;
• the back link extending downwardly from the upper platform;
• and
• the slider of the bottom link being positioned in the distal position;
• wherein each linkage of the pair of linkages is positionable in a collapsed configuration, the collapsed configuration of each linkage including:
• the top front link lying along the bottom side of the upper platform, the top front link extending backwardly with respect to the upper platform from the front platform pivot to the front leg pivot;
• the bottom front link lying closely to the upper platform, the bottom front link extending forwardly with respect to the upper platform from the front leg pivot to the bottom pivot;
• the back link lying closely to the bottom front link, the back link extending forwardly with respect to the upper platform from the back platform pivot to a distal end of the back link with respect to the upper platform;
• and
• the slider of the bottom link being positioned in the proximal position;
• a plurality of wheels, each wheel of the plurality of wheels being coupled to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, the plurality of wheels including:
• a pair of back wheels, each back wheel of the pair of back wheels being mounted to the distal end of the back link of the associated linkage;
• and
• a pair of front wheels, each front wheel of the pair of front wheels being mounted to a distal end of the bottom front link of the associated linkage with respect to the top front link of the associated linkage;
• a pair of bias assemblies, each bias assembly of the pair of bias assemblies being operatively coupled to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, each bias assembly being configured to bias the associated linkage toward the deployed configuration, each bias assembly of the pair of bias assemblies comprising:
• a front torsion spring mounted at the front platform pivot of the associated linkage to bias the top front link of the associated linkage forwardly with respect to the upper platform;
• and
• a back torsion spring mounted at the back platform pivot of the associated linkage to bias the back link of the associated linkage backwardly with respect to the upper platform;
• a locking mechanism operatively coupled to the pair of linkages, the locking mechanism being configured to selectively fix the pair of linkages in place, the locking mechanism comprising:
• a pair of front locks, each front lock of the pair of front locks being mounted to the upper platform adjacent to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, each front lock of the pair of front locks being engageable with the top front link of the associated linkage to fix the top front link with respect to the upper platform, each front lock of the pair of front locks being biased to lockingly engage the top front link of the associated linkage;
• a pair of back locks, each back lock of the pair of back locks being mounted to the upper platform adjacent to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, each back lock of the pair of back locks being engageable with the back link of the associated linkage to fix the back link with respect to the upper platform, each back lock of the pair of back locks being biased to lockingly engage the back link of the associated linkage;
• and
• an actuator input operatively coupled to the pair of front locks and the pair of back locks;
• a handle coupled to and spaced forwardly of the front side of the upper platform, the handle being elongated and extending laterally with respect to the upper platform, the actuator input of the locking mechanism being mounted on the handle;
• and
• a lower platform being coupled to and extending between the bottom links of the pair of linkages, the lower platform defining a recess in a top surface thereof, the lower platform being integrally formed with the bottom links of the pair of linkages.

A material handling system comprising:

• a cart comprising:
• an upper platform, the upper platform having a front side and a back side positioned opposite each other, a bottom side and a top side of the upper platform extending between the front side and the back side, a pair of lateral sides of the upper platform extending between the front side and the back side and between the bottom side and the top side, the upper platform comprising a base wall and a perimeter wall coupled to the base wall, the upper platform defining a cavity surrounded by the base wall and the perimeter wall;
• a pair of linkages coupled to the upper platform, the pair of linkages being laterally spaced from each other with respect to the upper platform, each linkage of the pair of linkages comprising:
• a top front link mounted to the bottom side of the upper platform at a front platform pivot, the top front link being pivotable alternately forward and backward with respect to the upper platform about the front platform pivot;
• a bottom front link coupled to the top front link opposite the upper platform at a front leg pivot, the bottom front link being pivotable forward and backward with respect to the upper platform about the front leg pivot;
• a back link mounted to the bottom side of the upper platform at a back platform pivot, the back platform pivot being spaced backwardly of the front platform pivot with respect to the upper platform, the back link being pivotable alternately forward and backward with respect to the upper platform about the back platform pivot;
• and
• a bottom link coupled to and extending between the back link and the bottom front link, the bottom link being pivotable with respect to the bottom front link at a bottom pivot, the bottom link comprising a slider positioned distally from the bottom pivot, the slider being slidable along a length of the back link between a proximal position and a distal position with respect to the upper platform;
• wherein each linkage of the pair of linkages is positionable in a deployed configuration, the deployed configuration of each linkage including:
• the top front link extending downwardly from the upper platform;
• the bottom front link extending downwardly from the top front link with respect to the upper platform;
• the back link extending downwardly from the upper platform;
• and
• the slider of the bottom link being positioned in the distal position;
• wherein each linkage of the pair of linkages is positionable in a collapsed configuration, the collapsed configuration of each linkage including:
• the top front link lying along the bottom side of the upper platform, the top front link extending backwardly with respect to the upper platform from the front platform pivot to the front leg pivot;
• the bottom front link lying closely to the upper platform, the bottom front link extending forwardly with respect to the upper platform from the front leg pivot to the bottom pivot;
• the back link lying closely to the bottom front link, the back link extending forwardly with respect to the upper platform from the back platform pivot to a distal end of the back link with respect to the upper platform;
• and
• the slider of the bottom link being positioned in the proximal position;
• a plurality of wheels, each wheel of the plurality of wheels being coupled to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, the plurality of wheels including:
• a pair of back wheels, each back wheel of the pair of back wheels being mounted to the distal end of the back link of the associated linkage;
• and
• a pair of front wheels, each front wheel of the pair of front wheels being mounted to a distal end of the bottom front link of the associated linkage with respect to the top front link of the associated linkage;
• a pair of bias assemblies, each bias assembly of the pair of bias assemblies being operatively coupled to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, each bias assembly being configured to bias the associated linkage toward the deployed configuration, each bias assembly of the pair of bias assemblies comprising:
• a front torsion spring mounted at the front platform pivot of the associated linkage to bias the top front link of the associated linkage forwardly with respect to the upper platform;
• and
• a back torsion spring mounted at the back platform pivot of the associated linkage to bias the back link of the associated linkage backwardly with respect to the upper platform;
• a locking mechanism operatively coupled to the pair of linkages, the locking mechanism being configured to selectively fix the pair of linkages in place, the locking mechanism comprising:
• a pair of front locks, each front lock of the pair of front locks being mounted to the upper platform adjacent to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, each front lock of the pair of front locks being engageable with the top front link of the associated linkage to fix the top front link with respect to the upper platform, each front lock of the pair of front locks being biased to lockingly engage the top front link of the associated linkage;
• a pair of back locks, each back lock of the pair of back locks being mounted to the upper platform adjacent to an associated linkage of the pair of linkages, each back lock of the pair of back locks being engageable with the back link of the associated linkage to fix the back link with respect to the upper platform, each back lock of the pair of back locks being biased to lockingly engage the back link of the associated linkage;
• and
• an actuator input operatively coupled to the pair of front locks and the pair of back locks;
• a handle coupled to and spaced forwardly of the front side of the upper platform, the handle being elongated and extending laterally with respect to the upper platform, the actuator input of the locking mechanism being mounted on the handle;
• and
• a lower platform being coupled to and extending between the bottom links of the pair of linkages, the lower platform defining a recess in a top surface thereof, the lower platform being integrally formed with the bottom links of the pair of linkages;
• a receiver for storing the cart, the receiver comprising a bottom wall and a pair of lateral walls coupled to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the receiver further comprising a pair of top flanges, each top flange of the pair of top flanges being coupled to an associated lateral wall of the pair of lateral walls opposite the bottom wall, the pair of top flanges defining a gap therebetween, the receiver defining a bay bounded by the bottom wall, the pair of lateral walls, and the pair of top flanges;
• and
• wherein the cart is positionable in a storage position in which the cart is positioned in the bay of the receiver, each linkage of the pair of linkages of the cart being positioned in the collapsed configuration when the cart is in the storage position, the upper platform of the cart being positioned adjacently under the top flanges of the receiver when the cart is in the storage position.