Abstract:
In accordance with the present invention, a shopping bag carrier is described which is light in weight, easily portable by collapsing to a very small foot print and is simple to manufacture and use without complex mechanisms and linkages.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to carts designed to carry shopping bags while shopping continues after the first purchase. More specifically, this invention relates to a unique collapsible shopping bag carrier that that can be collapsed into a very small shape for easy portability when not in use.  
         [0003]     2. Prior Art  
         [0004]     Perez and Farr Utility Patents are both directed at bag carriers where the bag is a built-in part of the carrier.  
         [0005]     Hsieh, Tsai, Tsai and Gregory basically are two wheel carts with a shelf pivotally attached to a vertical support member with a collapsible handle and fold-in wheels for easy transportation or storage.  
         [0006]     The Salzberger design is targeted at a simple three piece snap together, disposable cart for grocery or shopping bags supplied by the merchant with each purchase as shopping bags are today. Wallick discloses a two wheel cart with a front rest bar so that when bags are hanging from the top bar pegs, the cart does not need to be attended to remain upright as would Salzberjer. A rear handle can be pushed down behind the axis of the wheels lifting the front rest off the ground and allowing the cart to be either pushed or pulled. Although the Wallick vertical support bar and the rear handle are adjustable the system is not collapsible for optimum consumer convenience.  
         [0007]     Hook has a very similar collapsing mechanism to the standard golf cart with a pivoting frontward protruding bar with hooks for suspending bags, two pivoting large wheels and a pivoting handle all of which collapse axially and can be strapped together for storage. Hook is a heavy, complex large wheeled system.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     An object of the present invention is to provide a reusable shopping bag carrier that is collapsible into a compact shape, which is light in weight and easy to open. A further object is for the carrier to have an extendable vertical handle, fold out bag carrier arms and fold out axles with small diameter wheels to minimize collapsed dimensions yet allow for ease in pulling from store to store. The handle is extended in use and for storage is telescoped down along its shaft with the two fold out arms with hooks for securing shopping bag handles pivotally attached just below the handle. In the preferred embodiment the shopping bag carrier has a kick stand type of leg that is unclipped and extended away from the frame allowing the shopping bag carrier to remain upright while unattended, but is closed and clipped to the frame when moving from store to store.  
     
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0000]     In order that the invention may be more fully understood it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a shopping bag carrier with stabilizer leg extended.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of a shopping bag carrier with bag holder arms and wheel axle assemblies unfolded and handle extended.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side view a shopping bag carrier with the stabilizer leg clipped to main frame.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of a shopping bag carrier with bag holder arms and axle wheel assemblies folded to their storage positions and the handle telescoped to its shortest position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a shopping bag carrier collapsed for storage or transportation to site of use.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a shopping bag carrier collapsed for storage and inserted into its storage sleeve. 
     
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS  
       [0015]     The same reference numbers are used to refer to the same or similar parts in the various views. 
     10 —shopping bag carrier      12 —axle pivot pin      14 —T-frame      16 —axle      18 —wheel      20 —stabilizer leg      22 —stabilizer leg foot      24 —stabilizer leg pivot      26 —bag holder arms      28 —handle shaft      30 —bag holder arm pivot      32 —handle      34 —axle pivot flats      36 —storage sleeve      38 —stabilizer leg clip      40 —wheel assembly      42 —wrist strap    
 
       DESCRIPTION  
       [0033]     In order that the invention may be more fully understood, shopping bag carrier  10  will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which  FIG. 1  illustrates in a side view, telescoping handle shaft  28  extended to its full height by pulling on handle  32  until it clicks into its open detent position. It also shows bag holder arms  26  pivoted into their latched bag carrying position. This view shows T-frame  14  with axle  16  and wheel assemblies  40  pivotally mounted and lowered and latched into their use positions. It also shows a stabilizer leg  20  pivotally mounted to the top of T-frame  14  at stabilizer leg pivot  24  and extended to a vertical attitude when shopping bag carrier  10  is inclined to approximately a 30 degree angle from vertical for temporary unattended shopping bag retention.  FIG. 1  also illustrates stabilizer leg clip  38  which holds stabilizer leg  20  against T-frame  14  when it is in its moving position but is easily disengaged for temporary stops. This view also shows stabilizer leg foot  22  mounted over the end of stabilizer leg  20  providing a no-skid pad to assure that shopping bag carrier does not slip, slide or mark the floor when extended and left unattended. The shopping bag shown in phantom lines is for illustration only and is not part of this invention.  
         [0034]      FIG. 2  shows a rear view of shopping bag carrier  10  with handle  32  mounted onto handle shaft  28  which has been telescoped out of T-frame  14  to its full height. Two bag holder arms  26  are mounted to handle shaft  28  at bag holder arm pivots  30 . This view also shows two axles  16  attached to T-frame  14  with axle pivot pins  12 . Mounted on axles  16  are wheel assemblies  40  which are made of small diameter (approximately 13/16 inch) wheels  18  to minimize the overall collapsed dimension yet wide enough (approximately 3 inches in width) to roll smoothly with a numerous shopping bag load.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3  discloses a side view of shopping bag carrier  10  with wheel assemblies  40 , bag holders  26 , handle shaft  28  and stabilizer leg  20  all in the move positions of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 4  shows a rear view of shopping bag carrier  10  with wheel assemblies  40  folded up along side of T-frame  14 , bag holder arms  26  folded down along side T-frame  
         [0037]     Bag holder arms  26  are preferably formed from a 3/16 inch diameter by approximately 10 inch long rod with hooks or notches to retain bag handles at their distal ends and have a flat at the proximal end and a through hole for a pivot pin.  
         [0038]     Storage sleeve  36  can be made from plastic or a wear resistant cloth with a snap detail as in umbrella sleeves and may include a wrist strap  42  for carrying convenience.  
       OPERATION  
       [0039]     To utilize this invention, Shopping bag Carrier  10  is carried to a store or mall in its collapsed state in storage sleeve  36 . Its collapsed state dimensions are approximately 26 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter and as such could be carried with a wrist strap or in a large hand bag or other shopping bag. At the store, shopping bag carrier  10  is removed from storage sleeve  36 ; handle  32  pulled out until handle shaft  28  reaches its extant detent position; wheel assemblies  40  are folded down into their snap lock positions; and bag holder arms  26  lifted into their snap latch positions. Multiple bags may be hung from bag holder arms  26  as shopping continues. Each time the shopper wants to stop and look at other potential purchases, stabilizer leg  20  can be detached from the stabilizer leg clip  38  and used to prop shopping bag carrier  10  in a stable condition to be left momentarily unattended. When the shopper is ready to move to the next store or department, stabilizer leg  20  is simply clicked back into stabilizer leg clip  38 . When returning to the car, the shopper removes her shopping bags from bag holder arms  26 , pushes the handle shaft  28  down into T-frame  14 , pushes bag holder arms  26  down parallel to the T-frame  14 , lifts wheel assemblies  40  up parallel to the T-frame  14  and slides collapsed shopping bag carrier  10  back into its protective storage sleeve  36 .  
         [0040]     As will be apparent to one skilled in this art and in light of the previous disclosure, optional accessories could coupled to hooks on T-frame  14  as desired. For example a book bag or brief case attachment (not shown) would be within the scope of this invention. Many alterations in materials and scaling are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is to be construed in accordance with the following claims and not limited by the exemplary embodiment described above.