Segmented side wall cart

• US 5,011,240 A
• Filed: 11/28/1989
• Issued: 04/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Milcare, Inc. (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Milcare, Inc. (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kelley, James O., Goodman, Steven F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/442,188
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 312/108, 312/264, 312/250, 312/257, 312/286, 211/186, 211/126, 211/162
• US Class Current: 312/249.12
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/002 Catering trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/003 with drawers, trays or shelves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/005 with movable trays
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/006 Medication carts
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/005 Details of storage means, e.g. drawers, bins or racks
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/006 for stacking objects like trays, bobbins, chains

Abstract

A utility cart with front, back, side, top and bottom walls includes a housing having a pair of U-shaped frames spanning the front and back portions of the cart. Each of the U-shaped frames has a pair of upright legs joined by a bottom bight portion. At least two side wall segments form opposite sides of the cart. Each of the side wall segments has at side edges thereof frame-receiving openings shaped to receive legs of the U-shaped frame member. The side wall segments are spaced apart by the U-shaped frames with the legs of the U-shaped frames retained by the frame-receiving openings. The upper portions of the upright legs of each of the U-shaped frame members are joined together and drawers are slidably mounted to the side wall segments. Integrally molded glides are formed on the inner faces of the side wall segments. The drawers have glide flanges mounted on the sides cooperable with the molded glides slidably mounting the drawers on the glides. Stops are formed on the drawer glides and drawers to retain the drawers in a closed position within the cart and to prevent the drawers from being inadvertently pulled from the cart. Castors are mounted to the bottom of the U-shaped frames at bottom portions thereof to support the cart on wheels. The cart can have a central vertical spine and double-faced walls mounted to the vertical spine to form a vertical partition in the cart for mounting two rows of drawers in side-by-side relationship.

Claims

1. A utility cart having a front, back, side, top, bottom and comprising a housing having a pair of U-shaped frames spanning the front and back portions of said cart, each of said U-shaped frames having a pair of upright legs joined by a bottom bight portion;

at least two side wall segments forming opposite sides of said cart, each of said side wall segments having frame receiving means at side edges thereof and shaped to receive the -legs-.of the U-shaped frame member;

said at least two side wall segments being spaced apart by said U-shaped frames with said legs of said U-shaped frames being retained by said receiving means;

means connecting the upper portions of said upright legs of each of said U-shaped-frame members together; and

a plurality of drawers or trays slidably mounted to said side wall segments.

2. A utility cart according to claim 1 wherein said receiving means comprise vertical channels and said frame legs are slidably received in said channels.

3. A utility cart according to claim 2 wherein said side wall segments have inner faces with integrally molded glides and said drawers have glide flanges mounted on the sides cooperable with said molded glides for slidably mounting said drawers on said molded glides.

4. A utility cart according to claim 3 wherein stop means and retainer means are formed on said glides to restrict removal of said drawers from said cart.

5. A utility cart according to claim 4 wherein said glides are symmetrical about a vertical plane so that said drawers can be withdrawn from and pushed into said cart from the front or back thereof.

6. A utility cart according to claim 1 and further comprising castors mounted to said U-shaped frames at bottom portions thereof.

7. A utility cart according to claim 6 wherein socket means are formed in said U-shaped frame at the bottom of said legs and the castors are retained in said socket means.

8. A utility cart according to claim 1 wherein each side of said cart is formed by a plurality of said side wall segments.

9. A utility cart according to claim 1 and further comprising a central vertical spine in a central portion of said U-shaped frames and double-faced walls mounted to said central vertical spine to form a vertical partition in said cart.

10. A utility cart according to claim 9 wherein each face of said double-faced walls has drawer glides integrally molded therewith and drawers are mounted on each side of said double-faced wall in side-by-side relationship.

11. A utility cart according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means for said leg upper portions include a spanner bar rigidly joining the legs of each U-shaped frame.

12. A utility cart according to claim 11 wherein said connecting means for said leg upper portions include a top wall secured to said spanner bars.

13. A utility cart according to claim 12 wherein upper portions of said side wall segments include a socket for receiving said spanner bar.

14. A utility cart according to claim 1 and further including a back wall having a width substantially equal to the distance between said spaced side wall segments and means for slidably mounting said back wall to said side wall segments to form the back for said cart.

15. A utility cart according to claim 1 wherein said side wall segments have faces with integrally molded glides and said drawers have glide flanges mounted on the sides thereof and cooperable with said molded glides on said side wall segments.

16. A utility cart according to claim 15 wherein stop means are formed on said side wall segment glides and on said drawer glide flanges to prevent said drawers from accidental removal from said cart.

17. A utility cart according to claim 15 wherein said glides on said side wall segments are symmetrical about a vertical plane so that said drawers can be withdrawn from or pushed into said cart from the front or back thereof.

18. A utility cart according to claim 1 and further comprising doors pivotably mounted to one of said U-shaped frames upright legs, forming the front of said cart.

19. A utility cart according to claim 11 wherein the height of the opposite sides of the cart are substantially equal to the length of said legs of each U-shaped frame member;

and the spanner bar bears against the upper portions of the opposite side walls.

20. A utility cart according to claim 19 wherein each side wall segment incorporates openings at the ends of said receiving means to accommodate said spanner bar and the vertical portion of the U-shaped frame member.

21. A utility cart according to claim 19 wherein each side of said cart is formed by a plurality of side wall segments.

22. A utility cart according to claim 21 and further comprising means to interlock the side wall segments on each side of the cart.

23. A utility cart according to claim 22 wherein said interlocking means is a tongue received in a corresponding groove on an adjacent side wall segment.

24. A utility cart according to claim 19 wherein the lower portion of the side wall segment bears against a bight portion of the U-shaped frames.