Shopping cart

Claim 1

A collapsible shopping cart comprising: a rear frame member describing an inverted U and having an axle spanning its lower ends, with wheels at the extremities thereof, and wire wicker work in at least the lower area defined by said rear frame member; a forward frame member shorter than said rear frame member describing an inverted U and having wire wicker work in the area defined by said forward frame member, said wicker work including two laterally extending guide elements at the lower corners thereof; side walls comprised of spaced horizontal wires pivotally mounted for rotation in a vertical plane in said rear and front frames; a bottom wall comprised of wicker work including wire members pivotally mounted for rotation in a vertical plane on said axle and on the lower horizontal member of the wicker work on said forward frame; a handle frame member describing an inverted U, its cross leg comprising the handle for said cart at the upper rear thereof, positioned at an angle to the vertical and extending forwardly and downwardly on the outside of the sides of said cart, said handle frame member being rotatably connected at both sides thereof to the upper wires forming the side walls of said cart and having a guide means along upper surface of its lower legs for receiving said guide elements associated with the said forward frame wicker work; means for supporting casters at both lower ends of said handle frame member, including casters positioned so that the said bottom wall of said shopping cart is substantially parallel with the ground when said cart is supported on its said wheels and casters; and a completely detachable, collapsible, auxiliary carrying section comprising a bottom wall which in its assembled position is supported by the top of said forward frame member and a front and two side walls hingedly attached to said bottom and adapted to be attached to one another at their common intersections when in an upright position wherein said auxiliary carrying section includes a rear wall hingedly connected to said bottom wall, said rear wall, in its upright position, closing off the space in the upper area defined by said rear frame member and an intermediate rear wall hingedly connected to said bottom wall, said intermediate rear wall being positioned so that in its upright position it is attached to and supported by said side walls and provides a rear upright to a child''s seat formed by the rear of said auxiliary carrying section.