Abstract:
A lightweight utility cart for the transportation and/or storage of retail display shelves comprising a thermoplastic base and top, a plurality of rectangular tubular posts and a plurality of wheels. Currently available retail display shelves are placed vertically into such a cart from two opposing sides of the cart and secured within the cart by way of integrated partitions formed in the top and base members providing a method of separation and capture for inserted shelves thus eliminating the likelihood of shelf damage resulting from contact with adjacent shelves while placed in the cart. Upon the loading of shelves into the cart, the shelves can be safely stored in the cart for later use or easily transported throughout a typical retail environment conveniently and securely for placement in a retail shelving system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to utility carts. The present utility cart relates more specifically to utility carts used in the transportation and storage of retail display shelving. 
     Utility carts are used in a variety of retail applications and typically include an upper and lower shelf positioned horizontally, 4 elongated legs or posts and a plurality of wheels or casters attached to the underside of the shelf or base. The shelves are typically attached to the legs by rivets, screws or welds. 
     These types of conventional carts are well know in the art and it can be said that wheeled carts have been in commercial and retail service for hundreds of years. The necessity for the transportation of articles that an individual could not physically or safely perform on ones own is well founded. Normally being comprised of 4 wheels, a frame and a plurality of fixed or removable shelves and often a handle, this standard cart design is vigorously employed in all areas of manufacturing and a staple in the retail service sectors of a modern economy. The basic design of the utility cart has changed little since it&#39;s inception because of it&#39;s ability to be easily produced and it&#39;s overall functionality and simplicity. Not only does the utility cart aid in the production and distribution of manufactured articles in a commercial setting, it provides the individual charged with the relocation of articles a safe method of conveyance for achieving this task. A typical cart of this type is shown in The United States of America Patent to Kern et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,441. 
     For most items transported within retail and commercial environments, the conventional shelf carts are the design of choice primarily because manufactured articles typically present in a predominately planar form or are packaged in a manner to acquire this efficient and serviceable design allowing for the relatively safe and secure placement of individual or multiple articles on a single cart shelf. This cubic structure associated with a majority of packaged articles allows most currently available conventional utility carts to demonstrate their proficiency in this area. Yet there are instances where articles for transport do not present generally in this form and thus render the standard utility cart appreciably inappropriate for use and therefore create a need for article specific utility carts to provide safe and efficient conveyance of these often irregularly shaped or cumbersome items as in the United States of America Patent to Elliot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,219. 
     Most recently 2 U.S. Applications for patent, 20150076779 Lindblom et al and 20150034579 Shawn Michael Kahler et al, have addressed this issue of retail shelf storage and transportation. Although each of these patent application deals with the need for idle shelving storage or the repositioning of shelving, they exhibit a common approach. Most notably the positioning of stored shelves horizontally in each device. This does somewhat remedy the problem of safe shelf storage and transport, but shelves placed in each of these devices would still come in contact with other shelves increasing the possibility of aesthetic damage. These designs also place the stored shelves at varying height positions in relation to the user of the device and thus require the user to, at times, lift shelves from various elevations potentially increasing the risk of operator fatigue or strain. A device wherein all shelves, either inserted or withdrawn, are located in a physically favorable, uniform height relative to the operator would be highly beneficial over the course of normal and extended use. 
     There are also instances wherein products for storage or transport are positioned vertically in carts or similar apparatuses for reasons of efficiency and product protection as well as occasionally providing the cart operator a potentially easier and safer manner in which to load or unload articles from the cart. Furthermore, the use of article dividers that are often constructed of a pliable yet firm material, whether it be for the placement of articles in a horizontal or vertical alignment, as a damage prevention feature for the articles whilst on utility carts, has been employed in the area of product transportation for many years. Typical carts or constructs demonstrating this concept of vertical or horizontal article isolation placement for transport or storage are shown in United States of America Patents to Gessert U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,577, Ferrucci U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,436, and Maurer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,924. Though such carts have successfully dealt with storage and transportation issues of specific articles, there exists an area for improved safety and efficiency in the field of retail display shelf storage and transport. 
     All of the examples of prior art thus far have provided solutions for articles characteristically presenting in planate form. Each of the carts referenced are constructed with the use of parallel channels, ruts or guides to accept and contain goods which are manufactured with consistent dimensional attributes. Items for storage in these types of carts that do not present in planate form are often mounted to panel subassemblies (Maurer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,924) to then be placed into the carts parallel channels. Each of these carts maintains a nonvarying channel width and therefore can only effectively accept goods or mounting subassemblies that are uniform in, what would be normally be considered, the thickness of the item or subassembly. Gessert&#39;s cart, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,577) is approached in much the same manner as Maurer&#39;s (U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,924). Each cart&#39;s channels are dependent upon straight parallel goods or backing plates to allow insertion into the cart. For this reason, carts of this type construction would be unusable with one piece wire welded display shelving. Today a substantial amount of retail shelving is constructed as a one piece welded unit with end bracket profiles that can be referred to as multi-sided irregular polygons. Therefore a cart with channels or containment areas designed to effectively accommodate these non-parallel items would be advantageous and as a result would be employed exclusively for the transporting or storing of these irregularly shaped shelves. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As this consideration relates to the current invention, it is common in retail environments for employees to reposition and replace display shelving. Currently, retail display shelf transportation within a retail setting is customarily achieved by the somewhat improvisational use of the aforementioned standard utility cart. These carts commonly used in retail settings fail to sufficiently address the need for the safe and secure transport of retail display shelving because typical end bracket profiles on a variety of retail display shelves are commonly fabricated in, what can be viewed as, a multi-sided irregular polygonal shape more reflective of a triangle and as a consequence make it very difficult to stack. Most retail display shelf manufacturers offer this asymmetrical, structurally advantageous design which has proven to be very effective when addressing load bearing issues but unintentionally present a problem when the stacking or laying down of display shelves is attempted. The predominate use of this anomalously shaped end bracket for retail display shelf support in the manufacture of retail shelves has created a need for a dedicated utility cart that can proficiently store and transport these types of shelves. By not only providing a safe and secure method of transport for the previously described irregularly shaped retail display shelves, a retail display shelf specific utility cart will invariably assist in reducing display shelf damage and as a result lessen the operating costs associated with equipment replacement. 
     An additional concern for retailers is the storage of auxiliary display shelving. In a typical calendar year many retailers alter displays based on seasonal or cultural interests as defined by consumers, thus causing the quantity of shelves in use to fluctuate. For this contributory reason, most retailers maintain a discretionary number of extra retail display shelves in their place of business but unfortunately typical retail store environments invariably have limited storage space for supplemental equipment due to the stocking requirements of products intended for sale. As a result, a designated area for display shelving is occasionally non existent or precarious at best. With this lack of dedicated retail display shelf storage, display shelves are often placed perilously on top of one another with little regard and as a consequence periodically create damaged shelves which then must be replaced immediately for reasons of safety and functionality. Therefore an undamaged supply of surplus display shelves is essential and must be maintained as the need for display shelves fluctuates. With this continuous oscillation of the total number of shelves in use, auxiliary shelving must be maintained and stored in a safe manner that allows them to be conveniently and readily accessible by employees. 
     Thus it would be advantageous for a utility cart that addresses the current shortcomings of the conventional utility carts presently available in the area of retail display shelf transportation and/or storage. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent and better understood as the following detailed description is considered in connection with accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1 . shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2 . is a perspective view of the top and base members of the cart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3 . is a partial exploded perspective view of the application of rectangular tubular posts into the base member, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4 . is a perspective view of the application of the top member onto rectangular tubular posts for completion of assembly of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5A . and  5 B. are enlarged fragmentary perspective views of rectangular tubular post securement, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6 . is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating the insertion of shelves into the cart, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7 . shows a perspective view illustrating a plurality of shelves inserted into the cart, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8 . is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the cart illustrating the arrangement of shelves once positioned in the cart, according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 9 . is an exploded perspective view of the cart shown in  FIG. 1 , according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a light weight modular utility cart which is easy to manufacture and assemble. Ease of manufacture and assembly is accomplished by way of the carts structural design and simplicity of its components. 
     The term “shelf, shelves or shelving”, as used herein shall refer to one piece welded retail display shelves manufactured using multi-sided irregular polygonal shaped end bracket profiles. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the foregoing limitations of prior utility carts have been overcome by the present invention in it&#39;s various embodiments, in which, according to one embodiment, a utility cart  10  is provided having a one piece moulded base member  20 , corresponding one piece moulded top member  21 , 4 rectangular tubular elongated corner posts  30  and a plurality of rotatable casters  50 . 
     Along with providing a rigid yet lightweight apparatus, there are numerous advantages for the use of a moulded thermoplastic polymer material in the composition of the devices&#39;  10  upper  21  and lower members  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The fundamental reason being the ability to incorporate shelf positioning and securing partitions  40 , establishing divaricately shaped containment areas, into the base member  20  and top member  21 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , during the casting process achieving enhanced structural integrity of the partitions  40  and the resultant consistency of partition  40  spacing. The use of a non marring thermoplastic polymer in the creation of the top  21  and base  20  members of the device  10  reduces the incidence of aesthetic damage to shelves  80  during the insertion of shelves  80  into the device 10  and, conversely, the retrieval of shelves  80  from the device 10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the moulded base member  20  and complimentary moulded top member  21  of the present invention include corresponding positioning and securing partitions  40  rising perpendicularly from said base member  20  and, correspondingly, emanating downwardly from said top member  21 , when the device  10  is assembled, creating vertically protuberant boundaries reflecting multi-sided irregular polygonal shaped end profiles  42  of retail display shelving  80  which is intended for insertion into the device  10  for storage or transport. These shelf positioning and securing partitions  40  create a plurality of upper and lower aligned apertures, which as a result, define access points  41 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , to which the individual shelves  80  could be inserted or withdrawn. These partitions  40 , which as well as acting as guide members, would also limit the shelf s depth of insertion into the device  10  and thus position the shelves  80  optimally within the device  10 . The integration of these partitions  40 , within the top  21  and bottom  20  members, provides a mechanical separation between inserted shelves  80  as well as positive shelf detention. Due to the fact that a considerable number of shelf manufacturers produce a variety of proprietary shelf end profiles  42  as well as an assortment of shelves  80  with varying dimensions, numerous shelf specific moulds would need to be manufactured in order to produce an assemblage of top  21  and base  20  members ensuring accurate mating between the shelf contemplated for insertion into the device  10  and the device  10 . 
     Within the moulded base  20  and top  21  members of the device  10 , there would exist 4 cavities  70 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , generated during the injection casting process for acceptance of 4 rectangular tubular elongated supporting corner posts  30 . After firmly urging the 4 post ends into the 4 complimentary bores  70  of the base member  20 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , the top member  21  would be positioned over top of the 4 now inserted rectangular tubular corner posts  30 , as shown in  FIG. 4  to which one can one can now begin firmly engaging the post ends into the receiving cavities  70  formed on the underside of the top member  21 . Once positioned in the complimentary bores  70  of the moulded top  21  and bottom  20  members, screws  60  would be driven laterally first through the moulded top  21  and base  20  members, as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B , and then continuing into the portion of the rectangular tubular corner posts  30  which are now residing in the post cavities  70 . The introduction of screws  60  inhibits the inserted posts  30  from being removed from the device  10  accidentally as well as augmenting the structural integrity of the device  10 . The dimensional lengths Y of the 4 rectangular tubular corner posts  30 , and the resultant space that would exist between the upper member  21  and lower member  20  once the device  10  was assembled, would be determinate upon width W of the display shelves  80 , selected to be inserted into the device  10 . Plate type casters  50  are secured in each of the four corners of the underside of the lower member  20  of the device  10  allowing the device portability. 
     With the present invention assembled, as shown in  FIG. 6 , an individual can now begin to insert retail display shelves  80  into the device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . As an individual faces one of the devices&#39; 2 longest sides, also acknowledged as the width A of the device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , he or she can now insert vertically oriented shelves  80 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , into the device  10  by way of an insertion access point  41  as defined by the partition  40  spacing created on the base  20  and top  21  members. Advancing the shelves  80  into the device  10  until the shelves  80  achieve a consolidated fit with the partitions  40  in the device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     To achieve the maximum number of retail display shelves  80  capable of being inserted into the device  10 , one half the total number of retail display shelves  80  the device  10  is capable of storing would be inserted from one side of the of the device  10 , as in  FIG. 7 , and the other half of the total number of retail display shelves  80  the device  10  is capable of storing, would be inserted from the opposing side of the device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . This loading of retail display shelves  80  from opposing sides of the device  10 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , allows for the most efficient use of space within the devices&#39;  10  dimensional parameters as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     Once the retail display shelves  80  are inserted into the device  10 , an individual can now move the device  10  safely and securely to a desired location within a retail or commercial environment and then extract the shelves  80 , currently positioned in the device  10 , for the installation of shelves  80  into a retail shelving system or, furthermore, loaded shelves  80  may remain in the device  10  for future use. 
     By reason of the foregoing description, in the utility cart  10  disclosed successfully solves the ongoing problem of storing and transporting one piece welded retail shelving  80  in an economical, safe and space saving manner. The advent of dedicated shelf positioning and securing partitions  40 , that are integrated into each base  20  and top member  21  during fabrication, provide a positive glove like fit for vertically oriented shelves as they effectively mimic multi-sided irregular polygonal shaped shelf end bracket  42  profile characteristics. Consequently, it is the bulkier dimensional proportions and shape of these types of retail shelves which render the prior art cited as unsuitable even with minor modifications. Consequently, it is a utility cart fashioned exclusively to this form of shelf fabrication by reason of the partition patterning described and illustrated. As an added benefit, this component like construction allows for replacement parts to be easily obtained and incorporated into the cart  10  with minimum effort and instruction in the event the cart  10  experiences accidental damage. Therefore a cart that successfully stores and transports one piece welded retail shelves with minimum effort and maximum efficiency would be advantageous and appreciated in a retail or commercial setting. 
     The above description is not intended to limit the meaning of the words used or in the scope of the following claims that define the invention. Rather it is contemplated that future modifications in structure, function or result will exist that are not substantial changes in what is claimed are intended to be covered by the claims. Thus while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the claimed invention.