# US 5,700,021 A · Mobile cart > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,700,021 A - Document ID: US5700021A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/513,001 - Filed: 1995-08-09 - Granted: 1997-12-23 - Earliest claimed: 1995-08-09 - Assignees: C.C. Leatherbury, Inc. - Inventors: Colin C. Leatherbury; Donavan O. Kerr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5700021A ## CPC - B62B 3/14: characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys {(collapsible shopping trolleys B62B3/027)} - B62B 3/1496: {Assembling of baskets to the wheeled support} - Y10S 280/04: Grocery store cart - B62B: HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS OR PERAMBULATORS; SLEDGES (characterised by animal propulsion B62C; propulsion of sledges by driver or engine B62M) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A mobile cart having particular utility when used as a grocery, or shopping cart. The cart comprises a frame, a basket operable for receiving articles and attached to an upper platform portion of the frame, and a rack vertically spaced from the basket and attached to a lower base portion of the frame. The cart further includes a plurality of swiveling, wheeled casters mounted on the lower base portion thereby permitting the cart to be easily propelled in any direction by the cart operator. The frame is configured to dispose the basket at a comfortable working height for the cart operator and to provide the operator with easy access to the rack. The frame is constructed of hollow metallic tubing so as to provide the required structural rigidity while minimizing weight. The basket may include a generally centrally disposed and downwardly extending depression formed in the basket floor which is effective for receiving articles and lowering the center of gravity of the basket so as to enhance the stability of the cart. The basket and rack are constructed of a rigid metallic wire mesh structure which may be coated with polyvinyl material so as to enhance the maintainability and visual appeal of the cart. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile cart comprising: a frame including a lower base portion, an upper platform portion vertically spaced from said lower base portion, a connecting portion extending between and attached to said lower base portion and said upper platform portion, and a handle portion attached to said upper platform portion, said handle portion including a generally horizontally extending upper tubular member; a basket attached to said upper platform portion and vertically spaced from said lower base portion, said basket being operable for receiving articles from an operator of said cart; and a plurality of casters mounted on said lower base portion; wherein said connecting portion extends upward solely from a first end of said lower base portion and said platform portion is cantilevered from an upper portion of said connecting portion; said lower base portion and said upper platform portion are connected solely by said connecting portion; said connecting portion further includes a substantially vertical riser portion extending between and attached to said lower base portion and said upper portion of said connecting portion; said riser portion is disposed forward of said basket and said upper tubular member of said handle portion is disposed rearward of said basket; said frame is configured so as to dispose said basket at a comfortable working height for the operator of the cart, to provide the operator easy access to said lower base portion, and to maximize a space existing between said basket and said lower base portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile cart as recited in claim 1, wherein: said upper platform portion is substantially perpendicular to said riser portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The mobile cart as recited in claim 2, wherein: said upper platform portion is substantially parallel to said lower base portion; and said lower base portion, said connecting portion and said upper platform portion are made of a metallic tubular construction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The mobile cart as recited in claim 3, wherein: said first end of said lower base portion is discontinuous and includes first and second laterally extending tubular members; said lower base portion further includes a second end comprising a third laterally extending tubular member which is longitudinally spaced from said first end, a first longitudinally extending side member interconnecting one of said first and second laterally extending tubular members of said first end and said second end, and a second, longitudinally extending side member interconnecting the other of said first and second laterally extending tubular members of said first end and said second end; said first end, said second end and said first and second side members are substantially horizontal and combine to form a generally rectangular shape of said lower base portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mobile cart as recited in claim 4, wherein: said riser portion comprises first and second substantially vertical and laterally spaced tubular members, said first substantially vertical member being attached at a lower end thereof to one of said first and second members of said first end of said lower base portion, said second substantially vertical member being attached at a lower end thereof to the other of said first and second members of said first end of said lower base portion; said upper platform portion includes first and second substantially horizontal and laterally spaced tubular members; said upper portion of said connecting portion comprises first and second laterally spaced arcuate tubular members, said first arcuate tubular member being attached to one of said first and second substantially vertical members of said riser portion and to one of said first and second substantially horizontal members of said upper platform portion, said second arcuate tubular member being attached to the other of said first and second substantially vertical members of said riser portion and to the other of said first and second substantially horizontal members of said upper platform portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The mobile cart as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a substantially planar rack attached to said lower base portion, said substantially planar rack comprising a wire mesh structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The mobile cart as recited in claim 6, wherein: said substantially planar rack comprises a generally square-shaped rigid wire mesh structure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The mobile cart as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said casters comprises a swiveling caster. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The mobile cart as recited in claim 1, wherein: said basket includes an open, generally rectangular top, a generally rectangular floor vertically spaced from said top, a pair of longitudinally spaced end walls attached to and extending upward from said floor, and a pair of laterally spaced side walls attached to and extending upward from said floor and attached to each of said end walls. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The mobile cart as recited in claim 9, wherein: said floor is constructed of a rigid mesh and said floor includes a substantially planar portion attached to said end walls and said side walls of said basket; said basket further includes a generally centrally disposed and downwardly extending depression formed in said floor, said depression extending below said substantially planar portion of said floor, said depression being operable for receiving articles from the operator of said cart and being effective for lowering a center of gravity of said basket thereby enhancing the stability of said cart. ### Claim 11 A mobile cart comprising: a frame including a lower base portion, an upper platform portion vertically spaced from said lower base portion, and a connecting portion extending between and attached to said lower base portion and said upper platform portion; a basket attached to said upper platform portion and vertically spaced from said lower based portion, said basket being operable for receiving articles from an operator of said cart; a plurality of casters mounted on said lower base portion; wherein said connecting portion extends upward from a first end of said lower base portion and said platform portion is cantilevered from an upper portion of said connecting portion so as to dispose said basket at a comfortable working height for the operator of the cart, to provide the operator easy access to said lower base portion, and to maximize a space existing between said basket and said lower base portion; said connecting portion further includes a substantially vertical riser portion extending between and attached to said lower base portion and said upper portion of said connecting portion; said upper platform portion is substantially perpendicular to said riser portion; said upper platform portion is substantially parallel to said lower base portion; said lower base portion, said connecting portion and said upper platform portion are made of a metallic tubular construction; said first end of said lower base portion is discontinuous and includes first and second laterally extending tubular members; said lower base portion further includes a second end comprising a third laterally extending tubular member which is longitudinally spaced from said first end, a first longitudinally extending side member interconnecting one of said first and second laterally extending tubular members of said first end and said second end, and a second, longitudinally extending side member interconnecting the other of said first and second laterally extending tubular members of said first end and said second end; said first end, said second end and said first and second side members are substantially horizontal and combine to form a generally rectangular shape of said lower base portion; said riser portion comprises first and second substantially vertical and laterally spaced tubular members, said first substantially vertical member being attached at a lower end thereof to one of said first and second members of said first end of said lower base portion, said second substantially vertical member being attached at a lower end thereof to the other of said first and second members of said first end of said lower base portion; said upper platform portion includes first and second substantially horizontal and laterally spaced tubular members; said upper portion of said connecting portion comprises first and second laterally spaced arcuate tubular members, said first arcuate tubular member being attached to one of said first and second substantially vertical members of said riser portion and to one of said first and second substantially horizontal members of said upper platform portion, said second arcuate tubular member being attached to the other of said first and second substantially vertical members of said riser portion and to the other of said first and second substantially horizontal members of said upper platform portion; said first and second substantially vertical members of said riser portion diverge laterally away from one another from said lower base portion toward said upper platform portion. ### Claim 12 A mobile cart comprising: a frame including a lower base portion, an upper platform portion vertically spaced from said lower base portion, and a connecting portion extending between and attached to said lower base portion and said upper platform portion, said upper platform portion including first and second laterally spaced tubular members; a basket attached to said upper platform portion and vertically spaced from said lower base portion, said basket being operable for receiving articles from an operator of said cart; and a plurality of casters mounted on said lower base portion; wherein said basket includes an open top, a floor vertically spaced from said top, a pair of longitudinally spaced end walls attached to and extending upward from said floor, and a pair of laterally spaced side walls attached to and extending upward from said floor and attached to each of said end walls; wherein said floor is constructed of a rigid mesh and includes a substantially planar portion; wherein said basket further includes a generally centrally disposed and downwardly extending depression formed in said floor, said depression extending below said substantially planar portion of said floor and being disposed laterally between said first and said second tubular members of said upper platform portion, said substantially planar portion extending over said first and said second tubular members of said upper platform portion, said depression being operable for receiving articles from the operator of said cart and being effective for lowering a center of gravity of said basket thereby enhancing the stability of said cart. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, wherein: said depression is shaped as a hollow parallelepiped having an open top. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, wherein: said end walls are inclined longitudinally inward from said top toward said floor; said side walls are inclined laterally inward from said top toward said floor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The mobile cart as recited in claim 14, wherein: said side walls and said end walls are constructed of a first rigid mesh comprising a plurality of spaced, generally vertically extending struts and a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontally extending braces, each of said braces being attached to at least a portion of said generally vertically extending struts so as to maintain said struts in spaced relationship; said floor is constructed of a second rigid mesh comprising a plurality of laterally spaced wires and a plurality of longitudinally spaced wires, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of laterally spaced wires is attached to at least a portion of said plurality of longitudinally spaced wires. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The mobile cart as recited in claim 15, wherein: each of said struts and said braces of said first mesh and each of said wires of said second mesh comprises a metallic wire coated with a polyvinyl material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, further comprising: a rack attached to said lower base portion; wherein said rack is constructed of a metallic, generally square-shaped rigid wire mesh, wherein said rigid wire mesh is coated with a polyvinyl material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, further comprising: a handle portion attached to said upper platform portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited claim 12, wherein each of said casters comprises a swiveling caster. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, wherein: said basket is disposed within an upward projection of said lower base portion of said frame. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, wherein: said connecting portion extends upward solely from a first end of said lower base portion. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The mobile cart as recited in claim 12, wherein: said first and said second laterally spaced tubular members of said upper platform portion are substantially horizontal.