Cart

• US 8,172,256 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ami Amos Fine
• Original Assignee: Ami Amos Fine
• Inventors: Fine, Ami Amos
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II, J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, BRYAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/382,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20100230934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 280/638, 280/639, 280/38, 280/641, 280/651
• US Class Current: 280/651
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2203/72 means for pushing or pulling the load from/onto the platform
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2205/003 with actuation mechanisms which drive the folding or unfolding operation
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2205/30 Detachable, retractable or collapsible load supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2206/06 adjustable in height
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/027 collapsible shopping trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0003 Adaptations for loading in or on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0006 Bumpers; Safety devices

Abstract

The present invention includes a cart which includes: a chassis connected to a plurality of wheels; a basket mounted on the chassis and adapted to store one or more items therein; and a bridge element which is formed as an integral part of the cart and is adapted to fit onto an edge of a vehicular trunk, wherein the bridge element of the cart is at an area of the cart located between the basket and the wheels.

Claims

1. A cart comprising:

a chassis connected to a plurality of wheels;

a basket mounted on the chassis and adapted to store one or more items therein; and

a bridge element which is formed as an integral part of the cart and is adapted to fit onto an edge of a vehicular trunk, wherein the bridge element of the cart is at an area of said cart located between said basket and said wheels;

wherein the bridge element is suspended from and moveable on one or more rails connected underneath the basket substantially in parallel to a long axis of the basket.

2. The cart of claim 1, wherein the bridge element is moveable on one or more rails connected to the chassis substantially in parallel to a long axis of the basket.

3. The cart of claim 1, wherein a longest dimension of said upside-down-U shaped bridge element is generally perpendicular to a longest dimension of said cart.

4. The cart of claim 1, wherein the basket extends forward relative to the chassis.

5. The cart of claim 4, wherein the bridge element is adapted to reach a position extending beyond the length of the basket.

6. The cart of claim 1, comprising:

one or more wheels connected at a bottom of a front end of the basket, to smoothly glide the basket on a bottom of the vehicular trunk.

7. The cart of claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises:

a first set of one or more collapsible beams, connecting a right side of the basket with a right side of the chassis at a first point located above a lowest edge of the chassis; and

a second set of one or more collapsible beams, connecting a left side of the basket with a left side of the chassis at a second point located above the lowest edge of the chassis.

8. The cart of claim 7, wherein the first set of collapsible beams comprises one or more pivot brackets able to collapse said first set of collapsible beams;

and wherein the second set of collapsible beams comprises one or more pivot brackets able to collapse said second set of collapsible beams.

9. The cart of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second sets of collapsible beams is connected through to a pullable cable adapted to collapse said at least one set of collapsible beams upon pulling of said cable.

10. The cart of claim 9, wherein an end of the cable is connected to a handle adapted to be pulled by a hand of a human being.

11. The cart of claim 10, wherein the cable passes through a one-way roll-up mechanism adapted to maintain the cable partially pulled upon release of said handle.

12. The cart of claim 8, wherein a height of the basket from the ground is user-modifiable by modifying an angle of one or more of the pivot brackets.

13. The cart of claim 12, comprising:

a multi-step locking mechanism adapted to lock the height from the ground of the basket at a particular height set by a user.

14. The cart of claim 13, wherein the multi-step locking mechanism comprises:

a set of ratchets; and

a sliding pole, adapted to be moveable along a downward direction along said set of ratchets, and adapted to be unmovable along an upward direction along said set of ratchets.

15. The cart of claim 14, wherein the multi-step locking mechanism is lockable to disallow folding of the chassis, and is unlockable to allow folding of the chassis.

16. The cart of claim 1, wherein the basket is detachably attached to said chassis through one or more connectors.

17. The cart of claim 16, wherein the chassis comprises an extendable rail;

and wherein the basket is adapted, upon its release from said chassis, to glide along said extendable rail into said vehicular trunk.

18. The cart of claim 17, comprising:

one or more wheels connected at a bottom of a front end of the basket, to smoothly glide the basket on a bottom of said vehicular trunk.

19. The cart of claim 1, wherein one or more rails are connected underneath the basket and are connected to said bridge element;

wherein the basket is detachable from the chassis; and

wherein the basket is forward-movable along said one or more rails and relative to said bridge element when said bridge element is positioned over the edge of said vehicular trunk.