Utility cart

A laundry cart adapted for use in the laundering of clothing and other articles, said laundry cart comprising:

• a generally rectangular open topped upper laundry basket and an open lower laundry supply shelf, with said upper basket and said lower shelf being disposed in a substantially vertical array;
• a rear panel extending between said upper container and said lower shelf, said rear panel having opposite lateral edges, each of said lateral edges including a wide generally semicircular stiffening flange;
• said lower shelf having a floor disposed in a substantially horizontal plane when said cart is in a substantially vertical rest position, with said floor of said lower shelf serving as a base support for said cart when said cart is in a rest position, and;
• said floor of said lower shelf having a raised rearward portion, with a lateral axle having a pair of wheels thereon disposed beneath said raised rearward portion of said floor and defining a lower rear edge for said cart, and with said wheels each having a lowermost circumferential portion disposed substantially coplanar with said base support of said cart when said cart is in a substantially vertical rest position, whereby;
• a user of said laundry cart places laundry articles within said upper basket and laundry supplies upon said lower shelf as desired, and transports said cart and any laundry articles and supplies therein by tilting said cart rearwardly to raise said lower shelf floor above the underlying surface and to position the center of mass of said cart substantially vertically over said wheels, thereby precluding need for significant support of any of the mass of said cart and any articles therein during transport, and places said cart in a substantially vertical rest position with the center of mass of said cart being disposed over said base support of said cart and with said cart resting thereon.