Shopping cart

Claim 2

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when not in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket carrying cart for applying push and pull forces to the cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, releasable means operatively connecting the handgrip to the basket upon a downward force being applied to the handgrip, and means on the basket adapted to be engaged by another basket for effecting release of the releasable means and for effecting movement of the handgrip upwardly away from its operative position to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket.

Claim 3

A cart as in claim 1 wherein the basket has a forward end of reduced size relative to the upright rear wall of the basket and the lower wall of the basket is substantially horizontal to facilitate counter-level discharge of the basket''s contents, the basket being mounted to pivot about a transverse axis adjacent the rear end of the basket so as to permit the front end of the basket to raise a mall amount to facilitate telescoping of each basket with another basket.

Claim 4

A cart as in claim 1 wherein the handgrip is spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and is linked to a pivot carried by the basket.

Claim 5

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when noT in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket carrying cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, means on the basket for effecting movement of the handgrip to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket, the handgrip being spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and being linked to a pivot carried by the basket, a releasable means operatively connecting the handgrip to the basket for transmitting control forces from the handgrip to the basket, the releasable means including a first abutment fixed on the basket, a second abutment located between the handgrip and its pivot and adapted to engage the first abutment for transmitting substantially only push forces from the handgrip to the basket, and interconnecting elements separate from said abutments for transmitting substantially only pull forces from the handgrip to the basket.

Claim 6

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when noT in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket carrying cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, means on the basket for effecting movement of the handgrip to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket, the handgrip being spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and being linked to a pivot carried by the basket, a releasable means operatively connecting the handgrip to the basket for transmitting control forces from the handgrip to the basket, the releasable means including a first abutment fixed on the basket, a second abutment located between the handgrip and its pivot and adapted to engage the first abutment for transmitting substantially only push forces from the handgrip to the basket, and interconnecting elements separate from said abutments for transmitting substantially only pull forces from the handgrip to the basket.

Claim 7

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when not in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket-carrying cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, means on the basket for effecting movement of the hand grip to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket, the handgrip being spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and being linked to a pivot carried by the basket, releasable means operatively connecting the handgrip to the basket for transmitting control forces from the handgrip to the basket, the releasable means including a first pair of elements arranged to transmit substantially only push forces from the handgrip to the basket, and a second pair of elements arranged to transmit substantially only pull forces from the handgrip to the basket.

Claim 8

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when not in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket-carrying cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, means on the basket for effecting movement of the hand grip to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket, the handgrip being spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and being linked to a pivot carried by the basket, releasable means operatively connecting the handgrip to the basket for transmitting control forces from the handgrip to the basket, the releasable means including a first pair of elements arranged to transmit substantially only push forces from the handgrip to the basket, and a second pair of elements arranged to transmit substantially only pull forces from the handgrip to the basket.

Claim 9

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when not in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket carrying cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, means on the basket for effecting movement of the handgrip to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket, the handgrip being spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and being pivotally connected to the basket, a first means exterior of the basket for transmitting forces in one direction between the hand grip and cart, a second means interior of the basket for transmitting forces in a second direction between the handgrip and the cart, and connecting means interconnecting said first and second means to provide for complete control of the cart by the handle means.

Claim 10

A shopping cart for counter-level discharge from the basket thereof and for telescoping storage of the carts and baskets when not in use, comprising, in combination: a cart with an elevated basket support, an elongated basket on the basket support having rear and front ends and provided with a movable upright rear wall that permits telescoping of baskets, handle means operatively associated with the basket carrying cart for controlling movement of the cart, the handle means including a handgrip that is normally positioned at a level between the upper and lower boundaries of the upright rear wall of the basket so as to be located at a convenient level for the user of the basket, but which is at a position to normally obstruct telescoping of the baskets, means on the basket for effecting movement of the handgrip to a position that permits telescoping of the baskets when the forward end of one basket begins to move toward a telescoping relationship with another basket, the handgrip being spaced rearwardly of the rear wall of the basket and being pivotally connected to the basket, a first means exterior of the basket for transmitting forces in one direction between the hand grip and cart, a second means interior of the basket for transmitting forces in a second direction between the handgrip and the cart, and connecting means interconnecting said first and second means to provide for complete control of the cart by the handle means.

Claim 11

A cart as in claim 6 wherein the connecting means is positioned to be automatically engaged by another basket moving into telescoping relationship with the basket and moved to a position which releases the interconnection of said first and second means and provides that the handgrip is pivoted away from its operative position to permit telescoping of the carts.

Claim 12

A cart as in claim 6 wherein the upright rear wall of the basket is foraminous and the connecting means includes at least one elongated rigid link extending through said foraminous rear wall.

Claim 13

A cart as in claim 6 wherein the second means includes shoulder means defined on the rear wall of the basket and abutment means on the connecting means for engaging the shoulder means on the rear wall of the basket.

Claim 14

A cart as in claim 9 including gravity biased means in the basket for normally preventing separation of the abutment means and shoulder means.