Shopping cart shelf assembly

A shopping cart shelf assembly dimensioned and adapted for attachment to a conventional shopping cart resulting in a horizontally oriented elongated surface in vicinity of the cart push handle which can be utilized for checking off a grocery list or writing checks thereon while standing in a checkout line. The shelf mounting assembly is coupled to the shelf and the cart in a manner for adapting to a standard type of shopping cart.

PRIOR ART 
The following patents were cited by the Examiner in the prosecution of U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,912,291 for a Shopping Cart Shelf Assembly granted to the 
instant applicant: 
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UNITED STATES PATENTS 
Pat. No. Date Patentee Class Subclass 
______________________________________ 
3,251,543 5/1966 Bush et al. 
280 33.99A 
2,888,761 6/1959 Miller 280 33.99A 
3,539,204 11/1970 Keller 40 10R 
3,265,297 8/1966 Behrens 280 33.99A 
3,026,122 3/1962 Young 280 33.99H 
905,737 12/1908 McCombe 211 135 
FOREIGN PATENT 
Pat. No. 
Date Country Name Class Subclass 
______________________________________ 
252,120 2/1967 Austria Keitler 
280 33.99H 
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a shopping cart shelf assembly and, more 
particularly, to a shopping cart assembly having built-in mounting 
hardware adapted for mounting to an existing shopping cart. 
According to the invention, a shopping cart shelf is provided for 
attachment to an existing shopping cart at the push-handle portion of the 
shopping cart and the back region thereof, which serves as a surface for 
writing checks while standing in a checkout line or checking off grocery 
lists, etc. The type of cart that the instant shelf assembly is 
particularly adapted to is the substantially horizontally rectangular 
cross-sectioned basket cart having a back portion for carrying small 
childern and a forward portion which tilts upwardly ninety degrees 
(90.degree.) when in a standby or stacked condition. The mounting bracket 
assembly has a pair of mounting straps or rods coupled underneath thereof 
and extending downwardly therefrom. One end of the rods terminates in a 
hook portion for coupling to a handle portion which is located on the back 
of the marketbasket and toward the top thereof. The other end of the 
mounting rods is bent around a rigid horizontal bar at the rear top 
portion of the back portion of the shopping cart after placement thereon, 
securing the shelf assembly to the shopping cart. 
An object of the present invention is the provision of a shopping cart 
shelf assembly with self-contained mounting hardware. 
Another object of the invention is the provision of a shopping cart shelf 
assembly which is extremely simple to install. 
A further object of the invention is the provision of a shopping cart shelf 
assembly which is inexpensive to manufacture and extremely convenient in 
use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
Referring to FIG. 1, the shelf assembly of the present invention is shown 
generally at 11 having a shelf portion 12 carrying two U-shaped mounting 
bosses 13 at opposite ends of said shelf. Bosses 13 have a pair of 
apertures 16 and 17 rotatably carrying L-shaped mounting rods 18 through 
their horizontal section. Each vertical section of mounting rod 18 
terminates in a hook portion 19 and each horizontal section terminates in 
a lock portion 21. Hook portions 19 cooperate with handle assembly bracket 
32. U-shaped mounting bosses 13 are attached to shelf member 12 as by 
riveting. 
Referring to FIG. 2, a shopping cart is shown generally at 22 of the type 
having a front portion 23 and a back portion 24. Front portion 23 rotates 
counterclockwise with respect to back portion 24 until it is ninety 
degrees (90.degree.) removed from the position shown at pivot point 26. 
Back portion 24 has a horizontal structural frame member 27 fixedly 
attached to vertical members 28 (only one of which is shown). Back section 
24 of shopping cart 22 terminates in a handle mounting bracket 31 which 
together with handle bracket 32 carries handle 33. Hook portion 19 of 
mounting rod 18 is shown snapped onto one end of handle 33. Locking 
portion 21 of mounting 18 is shown via broken arrow 21A adapted for 
bending around crossbar member 27 for locking shelf assembly 11 into place 
between the handle 33 and crossbar member 27 of shopping cart 22. 
Referring to FIG. 3, shopping cart 22 is shown with back portion 24. 
Crossbar member 27 and handle 33 carry shelf member 12 thereon. 
Countersunk rivets 25 are shown on the top surface of shelf member 12 
which fixedly couple U-shaped mounting bosses 13 to shelf member 12. 
Referring to FIG. 4, shelf portion 12 has mounting holes 25A. Mounting 
strap 18A has mounting apertures 36 which cooperate with Dzus fasteners 36 
through apertures 25A in shelf member 12. Mounting strap 18A has a lower 
mounting hook portion 19A for coupling to a handle portion of a shopping 
cart such as shown at 33 in FIG. 2 and portion 21A of mounting strap 18A 
is bent around a crossbar member as shown at 27 in FIGS. 1 and 2 locking 
mounting strap 18A together with shelf member 12 in place. 
Referring back to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, it can be seen that if shelf assembly 
11 is rotated counterclockwise (FIG. 2) hook portions 19 of mounting rods 
18 can be disengaged and the shelf assembly removed. The opposite is true 
on assembly. Mounting the shelf assembly 11 merely involves setting hook 
portions 19 at the ends of handle assembly 33 and rotating the shelf 
clockwise until the front portion 15 of U-shaped mounting bosses 13 is in 
front of crossbar member 27 of marketbasket 22. At this point the two 
locking portions 21 of mounting rods 18 are bent in the direction of arrow 
21A until they lock over crossbar member 27. The shelf assembly is now 
locked in place and ready for use. It can be further seen that the 
child-carrying back portion 24 of market-basket 22 has not been blocked to 
the point where a child will not fit therein, with shelf assembly 11 
giving a child a small table on which to rest. It can also be seen that 
the mounting rods 18 having a circular cross-section will rotate around an 
axis perpendicular to the length of the shelf portion 12 and as shown by 
dotted arrows 19A and to a central flat position for shipping purposes. 
Ring 20 can be received by an aperture in boss 13 for locking crossbar 
member 27 therein as an alternative to bending mounting rod lock portion 
21. In this case, portion 21 would be straight and, hence, trapped between 
the curved edges of shelf 12. 
Referring back to FIG. 4, an alternate construction is shown whereby the 
U-shaped mounting boss is eliminated and the mounting strap 18A is 
connected directly to shelf member Dzus fittings 37. Here, after initial 
assembly, curved portion 21A is bent around the crossbar resulting in a 
fixed installation. When it is desired to remove shelf 12, either curved 
portion 21A or curved portion 19A is straightened and the entire assembly 
removed. 
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates 
to only preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to 
cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein 
chosen, for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute 
departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.