Abstract:
A utility cart of adjustable height having a top tray with integrated wheels to be rolled into the cargo area of a vehicle as it is detached from the base of the cart—with the base of the cart having its own integrated wheels for use as a separable dolly—and with the top tray being dimensioned to fit flat within the cargo area of the vehicle in transporting cargo loads, and to fit through standard doorway widths when coupled with the base as a display cart of the cargo load.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     NONE 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     NOT APPLICABLE 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the use of utility carts, in general, and to the utilization of such carts for transporting heavy loads to and from a vehicle cargo area—oftentimes of a type to be displayed for sale. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As will become clear from the following description, the present invention results from a desire to be able to transfer heavy or multiple objects to and from the cargo area or rear of a sport utility vehicle, a minivan or a pick-up truck in a manner which avoids heavy lifting, and/or the disassembly of the objects before transfer. Manufacturers&#39; representatives and sales engineers, for example, oftentimes are called upon to bring computers, keyboards, monitors, projectors and others of their wares, to sales presentations—where the equipments are unloaded from their vehicle&#39;s cargo area onto a utility cart, brought to the meeting, and then taken off the cart for storage back in the cargo area of the vehicle after the presentation is completed; as will be appreciated, many of these equipments are heavy and/or bulky, and not otherwise easy to transport about. The same will be understood to be the case as well for just simply transporting groceries from a supermarket to its parking lot for loading, or for the similar purchase and loading of television sets, air-conditioners, microwaves and like appliances purchased from department stores. And, as will be understood, the problem in lifting heavy or bulky loads into the cargo area of one&#39;s vehicle becomes all the more of a chore with the increasing advent of sport utility vehicles built higher off the ground. As a result, the ability to transfer these types of loads into, and then out from the rear cargo area of the vehicle becomes all the more difficult. 
     Utility carts for transporting equipment about are, of course, known: 
     a. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,640,263, for example, a two cart combination is disclosed for transporting baggage, mail and other merchandise to a car or truck. The larger cart is height adjustable so that the smaller cart aligns with, and can roll off the larger cart into the rear of the vehicle. In addition to the front and rear wheels, a pair of large central wheels are present which permit the easy rotation of the cart about its axis; 
     b. U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,731 sets out a particular design for a transportation cart, utilizable for mail baggage loading, specifically into trains; 
     c. U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,795, on the other hand, adds an ability for the cart to act as a storage system, such as for food trays as seen in airplane usage; 
     d. U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,553 attempts to go further by adding an ordinary shopping cart to the carrying cage portion of a cart so that a user does not have to unload and reload the shopping bags in bringing them home, while at the same time keeping the parcels organized during their transportation; 
     e. U.S. Pat. No. 3,305,117 describes a double-hand truck comprised of an upper and lower rolling platform which are separable when the items are placed in their desired location, in order that the parcels can still be moved without the need to have a large truck available so to do; 
     f. U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,052 goes further in describing a cart for loading oven components, whereby a tray having rollers on its bottom is loaded with items to be cooked, and then the tray itself is rolled into the open oven; 
     g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,195 describes a rolling lift-jack type assembly which enables large hand trucks to be lifted and rolled into the back of a truck; 
     h. U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,022 illustrates a trunk loading device for business equipment, including a carrying cart with wheels, a top cart with wheels and a mating trunk mechanism to which the tray cart is rolled onto; and 
     i. U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,424 shows a design of a collapsible shopping cart which collapses for easy storage in the rear of a vehicle, and which has wheels which permit it to be moved about while in its collapsed state. 
     However, by and large, the utility carts of these prior art designs are quite bulky, in making it difficult for a user not only to transfer the load to and from the vehicle cargo area, but to store the utility cart itself. Even where this might be able to be done, furthermore, provision is absent to prevent the carts and the equipment they carry from being tossed or thrown about as the vehicle is being driven from place-to-place. Moreover, one need only have to spend a few minutes standing in a parking lot to observe how items being transported by these carts shift about just in being rolled to the vehicle, and how oftentimes the user has to stop the cart to center the items once again, if not to lift them back up from the ground onto which they have fallen. Even putting aside the weight and bulkiness of the items being loaded into the cargo area of the vehicle, the problems arise anew once the vehicle arrives back home, where the process of removing, lifting, and carrying begins again. Those utility carts described in the prior art and/or generally available do not provide a collapsible utility cart which allows a user to efficiently transfer a load both into, and out from, the vehicle&#39;s cargo area without having to lift the load and secure it in place. Nor do such carts provide any degree of protection to the floor of the cargo area from the contents of the load being carried. If used by a manufacturer&#39;s representative for presentation at a sales show, for example, such utility carts also fail to allow for a ready display of the contents, along with product advertising where desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As will be seen from the following description, the utility cart of the invention comprises a dolly having a generally planar top surface, an underside and a first plurality of wheels at the underside for rolling the dolly about. A tray having a generally planar top surface is also included, having an underside and a second plurality of wheels at such underside for rolling the tray about as well. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of legs are employed which, when coupled between the top surface of the dolly and the underside of the tray form a 2-shelf movable utility cart of the dolly and tray operating together, and such that when detached therefrom, allows the dolly and tray to be independently movable. To enable the utility cart to be loaded into, and unloaded from, a motor vehicle, the tray is of a width and depth to slide into the cargo area of a sport utility vehicle or minivan, for example, when the plurality of legs are detached. Such legs are of a first length when the combination is utilized with the cargo area of a sport utility vehicle, which will be seen to be greater than a second length when the combination is utilized in loading and unloading the cargo area of a minivan. In accomplishing this, the legs are adjustable in length in controlling the separation between the dolly and the tray when coupled together, as where the legs are telescopically extendible. In this manner, a 2-shelf movable utility cart is formed. 
     In accordance with the invention, the legs, when detached, may be stored at the underside of either the dolly or the tray, as by a plurality of clamps. When forming the utility cart for use, the legs include a first end which fits within a socket in the top surface of the dolly, and a second end which slides within a track in the underside of the tray in coupling the combination together. Such second end of the legs may include a transfer ball which slides within the tray track so as to be captured within a groove at a remote end of the track. Once in place, the transfer balls are captured within the grooves by an appropriate locking arrangement. To ease the loading and unloading of the tray into the cargo area of the motor vehicle, a pair of handles are provided on opposite sides of the tray, substantially flush therewith. Such handles, however, are adjustable outwardly from, and inwardly toward, the tray in maneuvering the tray about, and in inserting the tray into the cargo area to obtain maximum clearance from its closure lid. Once inserted, the handles are tied-down within the cargo area to secure the tray against movement as the vehicle proceeds in motion. 
     Various attachments and accessories are employable with the cart, according to the invention, to enhance its usefulness in product display and presentation. For example, a lip can be included, extending upwardly from edges defining the generally planar top surface of the tray to prevent any articles thereon from falling to the ground. Extensions can be detachably coupled to the tray for increasing its ability to carry and display items, and a variety of caster wheels can be employed to ease the cart&#39;s maneuverability. In a preferred embodiment, swivel caster wheels are utilized at the underside of the dolly, while rigid caster wheels are employed at the underside of the tray. Such wheels may be “colored” to enhance appearance—although experience has shown that such “colorization” is of a more meaningful effect when utilized only for the swivel caster wheels, rather than for the rigid caster wheels. Testing has shown that a lightweight durable aluminum is highly desirable for the legs which couple the dolly and tray together; and when fabricated to support a weight upwards of 275 pounds, the cart of the invention is particularly useful not only as a product display cart, but as a utility cart also usable in transporting heavy items (such as appliances) from a storage area to a counter area—or, further, out to a vehicle in a parking lot. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 are rear and left side views of a first embodiment of the invention, their front and right side views being mirror images; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are rear and left side views, respectively, of a second embodiment of the invention—with their front and right side views likewise being mirror images; 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are front and side views helpful in an understanding of the telescoping legs which couple the dolly and tray of the cart together; 
     FIGS. 7-9 are top, underside and edge views of the tray of the utility cart, respectively; and 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 are top and front views of the dolly of the cart, respectively. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the Drawings, the utility cart  10  for transporting heavy loads to and from a vehicle cargo area according to the invention includes a dolly  12  having a generally planar top surface  14 , an underside  16 , and pairs of front and rear wheels  18 ,  22 . Such wheels preferably comprise swivel caster wheels for ease of movement, of a grey or other color. Such wheels may be of 4 inch diameter, and couple to the dolly  12  by a socket  20  in well known manner. Preferably, the rear wheels  22  are provided with a brake, while the front wheels  18  are provided without a brake. This allows forward movement in the direction of the arrow A (FIGS.  2  &amp;  4 ). 
     The utility cart  10  also includes a tray  24  having a generally planar top surface  26 , an underside  28  and a second plurality of wheels— 30  at its forward edge and  32  rearwardly thereof. Such wheels  30 ,  32  may be of smaller diameter—such as 3 inch—, rigid, and preferably of a grey color. With the dolly  12  and tray  24  coupled together by a plurality of legs  34 , the tray  24  essentially comprises a table top for the utility cart  10  while the dolly forms its base. As will be appreciated, various equipments can be wheeled about, carried on the dolly  12  and tray  24 , individually. Such legs  34 , when coupled between the top surface  14  of the dolly  12  and the underside  28  of the tray  24 , thus forms a 2-shelf movable utility cart, and when detached therefrom, allow the dolly  12  and tray  24  to be independently movable. As will be appreciated, the wheels  30 ,  32  may be secured to the underside  28  of the tray  24  by carriage bolts along with flat washers and lock nuts (not shown). 
     Such legs  34 , are of a type to be adjustable in length in controlling the separation between the dolly  12  and the tray  24  when coupled together. Telescopically extendable as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a series of snap buttons  36  on the inside tube  38  fit within aligned apertures  40  on the outside tube  42  of the legs  34 . 
     In operation, the legs  34  are extended to a first length when dolly  12  and tray  24  are joined for loading and unloading the cargo area of a sport utility vehicle, and are of a shorter length when extended to utilize the dolly 12-tray  24  combination in loading and unloading the cargo area of a minivan built closer to the ground. 
     In accordance with the invention, a plurality of clamps  50  are provided at the underside  16  of the dolly  12  or at the underside  28  of the tray  24  for storing the legs once detached from between the dolly  12  and the tray  24 . The clamps  50  may be of a spring-action-hold shown at the underside  16  of the dolly  12  in FIG.  4 —but preferably, at the underside  28  of the tray  24  in FIG.  1 . The combination of the clamps  50  for storing the legs  34  may be secured in place through a series of button head screws. As will be appreciated, such clamps extend along the length of the underside of the dolly or tray, from front-to-back, in holding the opposing ends of the legs  34 —so that eight sets of such clamps are employed. 
     FIGS. 5-6,  8 - 9 ,  10  and  12  are helpful in understanding the manner by which the legs  34  couple between the dolly  12  and tray  24  in forming the 2-shelf movable cart of the invention. As FIGS. 10 and 12 illustrate, the dolly  12  includes 4 apertures  52  through which one end of the legs  34  pass in resting upon the caster socket  20  of FIGS. 1-4. As illustrated in FIG. 6 (as well as in FIGS.  2  and  4 ), a round tee-joint fastener  54  seats within the upper end of the inner tube  38  of the extendable leg  34  in coupling to a stud mount transfer ball  56 , the ball portion  58  of which fits within a track  59  in the underside  28  of the tray  24 —and slides within the track  59  until captured within a groove  60  at the remote end to couple therewith (FIGS.  8  and  9 ). Once within the groove  60 , the leg  34  is secured in position by a latch  62  and extension spring  64  or other appropriate securement lock (FIGS.  1  and  3 ). The left side of FIG. 9 shows the leg  34  in secured position, with the right side showing the latch  62  and spring  64  prior to complete securement. FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the tray  24 , with the section shown by the dotted line  70  representative of a lip extending upwardly from the edge surfaces of the tray  24  in defining the generally planar top surface of the tray. FIGS. 5 and 6 are also helpful in understanding how, with the tray  24  removed, the utility cart of the invention can be moved about by pushing or pulling on the legs  34  wherein only the dolly  12  serves in transporting carried items from place to place. 
     Once the tray  24  is decoupled from the utility cart—by uncoupling the latch  62  and sliding the transfer ball  56  from the groove  60  and track  59 , the tray  24  can be slid into the cargo area of a sport utility vehicle or minivan by means of the wheels  30 ,  32 . (Because the movement is over a short distance within the cargo area only, these wheels  30 ,  32  may be of the rigid variety, as noted previously.) To facilitate the insertion into the cargo area, a pair of handles  72  are secured on opposite sides of the tray  24 , adjustable outwardly from, and inwardly toward, the tray  24  so as to lay substantially flush when fully inserted (FIGS.  2  and  4 ). By having flush fitting handles, less cargo area is required. By having the handles  72  adjustable outwardly, straps can be employed extending between the handles  72  and tie-downs within the cargo area of the vehicle to secure the tray against movement when the vehicle is driven about. The decoupled legs may be placed between the spring action clamps  50  at the underside of the tray, as in FIG.  1 —or, if the utility cart be one in which the spring action clamps are located on the underside of the dolly  12  as in FIG. 4, the legs  34  are there placed in position before lifting the dolly and likewise placing it for storage in the cargo area. Various extensions can be coupled to the tray  24 , as at  80  in FIG. 7, to provide room for carrying additional items and/or displaying various manners of advertisement that might be applicable. In a preferred construction of the invention, the tray  24  was constructed of a 35 inch width and a 30 inch depth so as to not only slide easily within the cargo area of the sport utility vehicle or minivan, but to be able to fit through the opening of standard doorways in transporting the cart about through offices, storage areas, hallways, etc. 
     While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. For example, whereas the utility car of the invention has ben described of a construction wherein the legs  34  are preferably fabricated of a lightweight durable aluminum, and of a strength to support a weights upwards of 275 pounds, it will be understood that other fabrications are possible as well, in still allowing the cart to transport various vehicle loads from place to place, and for displaying equipments carried thereon. For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.