Shopping cart and container apparatus

The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the rack comprises a lattice-work of wires and the pin is formed from an inverted U-shape piece of wire.

Shopping cart and container apparatus, for transporting merchandise within and to and from a store, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of containers dimensioned for containing merchandise, wherein the containers comprise a bottom, two pairs of opposed walls extending upwardly from the bottom to provide an open top, and a lip extending laterally outwardly from the upper edges of the walls,
• (b) cart means for transporting the containers, comprising an elongated wheeled base, a frame extending upwardly from the base, handle means coupled to the frame for handling the cart, and at least one rack carried by the frame, the rack including shelving means for supporting at least one of the containers, and
• (c) securing means wherein the securing means comprises at least one pin extending generally upwardly from the rack, at least one aperture in the lip of the container dimensioned to mate with the at least one pin, at least one lug spaced forwardly of the pin and extending upwardly from the rack, and an aperture in the bottom of each of the containers dimensioned to mate with the lug.

A shopping cart for use with a plurality of containers having at least two spaced apertures therein, comprising an elongated wheeled base, a frame extending upwardly form the base, handle means coupled to the frame for handling the cart, lower rack means coupled to the frame for supporting at least one container, upper rack means coupled to the frame and spaced above the lower rack means by a distance greater than the height of the container for supporting at least one container, and securing means carried by the upper and lower rack means for releasably securing the containers to the upper and lower rack means, respectively, wherein the securing means comprises at least one pin extending generally upwardly from each of the upper rack means and the lower rack means, dimensioned to fit within one of the apertures, and at least one lug carried by each rack means spaced forwardly of the at least one pin, dimensioned to fit within the other of the two apertures.

A container for use with a shopping cart including at least one rack having at least one pin projecting upwardly therefrom, comprising a bottom, a pair of opposed end walls extending form the bottom, a pair of longer side walls extending from the bottom and having a height equal to the end walls, and a lip extending laterally outwardly form upper edges of the side walls and the end walls, wherein the lip is provided with at least one aperture in a portion thereof adjacent the end walls dimensioned for mating with the pin, and at least one aperture in a portion thereof adjacent the side walls dimensioned for mating with the pin.