# US 8,739,986 B2 · Retail cart > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,739,986 B2 - Document ID: US8739986B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/314,883 - Filed: 2011-12-08 - Published: 2013-06-13 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-08 - Assignees: Effizient, LLC - Applicants: Ludwig Klaus Preidt; Karl Ronald Chapel - Inventors: Ludwig Klaus Preidt; Karl Ronald Chapel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739986B2 ## CPC - A47F 5/0093: {movable in a substantially horizontal direction} - A47F 5/00: Show stands, hangers, or shelves characterised by their constructional features - A47F 5/137: {having wheels} - B62B 3/005: {Details of storage means, e.g. drawers, bins or racks} - B62B 3/025: {Foldable roll containers} - A47B 31/00: Service or tea tables, trolleys, or wagons ({serving trays A47G23/06}; features relating to running gear or to movement by hand B62B) - A47B 47/00: Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features related to dismountability or building-up from elements (A47B43/00, A47B45/00 take precedence; features for adjusting shelves or partitions A47B57/00) - A47B 57/06: with means for adjusting the height of the shelves (A47B57/04, A47B57/30 take precedence) - A47B 2031/003: {with drawers, trays or shelves} - A47B 2031/004: {having four vertical uprights} - A47B 2031/005: {with movable trays} - A47F 5/01: made of tubes or wire ({A47F5/0807 takes precedence} foldable or adjustable A47F5/13) - B62B 2205/006: dismountable - B62B 2207/02: rigidly - A47F: SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS - B62B: HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS OR PERAMBULATORS; SLEDGES (characterised by animal propulsion B62C; propulsion of sledges by driver or engine B62M) - A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B) ## Abstract A retail cart for use in storing and stocking merchandise and, more particularly, to a mobile polymeric retail cart which is easily assembled and disassembled without the need for tools having opposing forces in its construction lending rigidity to the overall structure and a plurality of slideably received shelving units. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A retail cart for use in transporting merchandise, comprising: a polymeric base unit having an upper side and an underside; a plurality of mobile transport rollers coupled to the underside of the base unit; first and second polymeric side attachment members operably coupled to the upper side of the base unit in a generally upright, parallel, laterally spaced-apart relationship, wherein each side attachment member includes an outer frame member comprising an upper crossbar, a lower crossbar and laterally spaced apart front and rear uprights; a plurality of polymeric support members having shelf receiving channels are disposed between the laterally spaced uprights of each side attachment member, each shelf receiving channel including an upright vertical wall and a horizontal landing wall that are connected to form a substantially L-shaped cross section defining an opening that faces outwardly away from a central position of the retail cart; at least one shelving unit slideably and removably received in the shelf receiving channels of the support members, wherein the at least one shelving unit is slideably supported in the shelf receiving channels between a stowed position and forward or rearward extended positions, further wherein the at least one shelving unit extends at least partially beyond the front uprights in the forward extended position, and extends at least partially beyond the rear uprights in the rearward extended position; and a plurality of stabilizers removably and operably coupled to an upright of the first side attachment member at a first end and operably coupled to an upright of the second side attachment member at a second end, wherein the first and second ends of each stabilizer include upper and lower attachment flanges adapted to be received in one of a receiving aperture and a receiving cradle disposed on the uprights of the first and second polymeric side attachment members, wherein each upper attachment flange comprises a downwardly extending retaining member; wherein each receiving cradle protrudes from a respective upright and defines a vertical channel which receives a corresponding lower attachment flange; wherein each retaining member of said upper attachment flanges defines a hook that clamps on to a bottom wall of a corresponding receiving aperture of a corresponding upright; and further wherein the upper and lower attachment flanges impart opposing forces on the upright as coupled thereto. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A retail cart as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the shelving unit is a wire shelving unit having a plurality of parallel spaced wire members defining a landing area, and further wherein the wire members define retaining walls having top crossbars. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A retail cart as set forth in claim 2, wherein: the shelving unit further comprises a plurality of support rails having shelving unit supports adapted to engage the shelf receiving channels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A retail cart as set forth in claim 3, wherein: the top crossbars of the retaining walls of the shelving unit impart a first lateral force on the front and rear uprights of the first and second side attachment members, and further wherein shelving unit support guides impart a second lateral force on the upright vertical walls of the shelf receiving channels in an opposing direction relative to the first lateral force when the shelving unit is in the stowed position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A retail cart as set forth in claim 3, including: a plurality of dividers adapted to engage the support rails of the shelving unit to divide the landing area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A retail cart as set forth in claim 1, wherein: the uprights of the first and second side attachment members comprise a generally U-shaped cross section with a channel having a plurality of reinforcement members disposed therein. ### Claim 7 A retail cart for use in transporting merchandise, comprising: a polymeric base unit having an upper side and an underside; a plurality of mobile transport rollers coupled to the underside of the base unit; first and second polymeric side attachment members operably coupled to the upper side of the base unit in a generally upright, parallel, laterally spaced-apart relationship, wherein each side attachment member includes a frame member comprising upper and lower crossbars and laterally spaced apart front and rear uprights having a plurality of support members disposed between the laterally spaced uprights, each support member including a shelf receiving channel having an upright vertical wall and a horizontal landing wall that are connected to form a substantially L-shaped cross section defining an opening that faces outwardly away from a central position of the retail cart; a plurality of stabilizers operably coupled to an upright of the first side attachment member at a first end and operably coupled to an upright of the second side attachment member at a second end; a plurality of removable shelving units slideably received in the shelf receiving channels of the support members, wherein the shelving units further include; a landing surface disposed between laterally spaced apart retaining edges having upper cross bars, wherein the upper crossbars are positively captured between an upright of the first side attachment member at a first end and an upright of the second side attachment member at a second end when the shelving unit is in a fully stowed position thereby imparting a first lateral force on the first and second side attachment members; and a plurality of downwardly extending; U-shaped shelving unit support guides disposed on the plurality of removable shelving units for engaging the vertical walls of the shelf receiving channels of the support members; further wherein the shelving unit support guides impart a second lateral force on the upright vertical walls of the shelf receiving channels in an opposing direction relative to the first lateral force when the shelving unit is in the stowed position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A retail cart as set forth in claim 7, including: a plurality of dividers adapted to engage the shelving unit to divide the landing area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A retail cart as set forth in claim 7, wherein: the uprights of the first and second side attachment members comprise a generally U-shaped cross section with a channel having a plurality of reinforcement members disposed therein. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A retail cart as set forth in claim 7, wherein: the mobile rollers comprise casters. ### Claim 11 A retail cart for use in transporting merchandise, comprising: a base unit having an upper side and an underside; a plurality of mobile transport rollers coupled to the underside of the base unit; first and second side attachment members detachably coupled to the upper side of the base unit in a generally upright, parallel, laterally spaced-apart relationship, wherein each side attachment member includes a one-piece polymeric frame member comprising an upper crossbar, a lower crossbar and laterally spaced apart front and rear uprights; wherein the front and rear uprights each comprise receiving apertures and receiving cradles that protrude from the respective uprights; a plurality of stabilizers operably coupled to an upright of the first side attachment member at a first end and operably coupled to an upright of the second side attachment member at a second end, wherein the first and second ends of each stabilizer include upper and lower attachment flanges adapted to be received in one of the corresponding receiving apertures and one of the corresponding receiving cradles disposed on the uprights of the first and second polymeric side attachment members, wherein each upper attachment flange comprises a downwardly extending retaining member; wherein each receiving cradle defines a vertical channel which receives a corresponding lower attachment flange; wherein each retaining member of said upper attachment flanges defines a hook that clamps on to a bottom wall of a corresponding receiving aperture of a corresponding upright; and further wherein the upper and lower attachment flanges impart opposing forces on the upright as coupled thereto; a plurality of support members disposed between the laterally spaced uprights of each of the side attachment members having outwardly facing shelf receiving channels disposed thereon, and at least one removable shelving unit slideably supported on the shelf receiving channels of the support members between stowed and forward and rearward extended positions, wherein the at least one shelving unit extends at least partially beyond the front uprights in the forward extended position, and extends at least partially beyond the rear uprights in the rearward extended positions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A retail cart as set forth in claim 11, wherein: the shelving unit is a wire shelving unit having a plurality of parallel spaced wire members defining a landing area, and further wherein the wire members define retaining walls having top crossbars. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A retail cart as set forth in claim 12, wherein: the shelving unit further comprises a plurality of support rails having shelving unit support guides adapted to engage horizontal landing walls of the shelf receiving channels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A retail cart as set forth in claim 13, wherein: the top crossbars of the retaining walls of the shelving unit impart a first lateral force on the uprights of the first and second side attachment members, and further wherein the shelving unit support guides impart a second lateral force on upright vertical walls of the shelf receiving channels in an opposing direction relative to the first lateral force when the shelving unit is in the stowed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A retail cart as set forth in claim 11, including: at least one handle member operably coupled to an upright of the first side attachment member at a first end and operably coupled to an upright of the second side attachment member at a second end. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A retail cart as set forth in claim 11, including: at least one connecting bracket adapted to couple the retail cart to one or more additional retail carts, thereby forming a chain of retail carts. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A retail cart as set forth in claim 16, including: at least one divider adapted to divide the landing area of the shelving unit, wherein the at least one divider comprises a first laterally opening clip and second horizontally opening clip adapted to engage the support rails of the shelving unit.