Abstract:
A shopping cart is provided with an undercarriage frame mounted upon wheels. The frame supports a basket and at least two seating sections for children. The seating sections are aligned such that both children, when seated, face backward and are positioned in line with one another. Each seating section is mounted upon an end wall, one of which is located at the rear of the cart and the second of which is located at an intermediate point along the cart proximate the rear end. Each seating section is formed with collapsible bottom and back member. When collapsed, the shopping cart affords primary and secondary basket regions with the secondary region located below the rearmost seat and serving the dual purpose of a leg area for the forwardmost child. In the first embodiment, both end walls are pivotally mounted to the basket and rotatable upward to allow multiple carts to be interconnected.

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/740,027 filed Oct. 22, 1996 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/292,098 filed Aug. 17, 1994 now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a shopping cart which is constructed to provide seats for at least two children arranged in a front to back relationship. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the past, shopping carts have been provided which include a single baby seat, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,670 (Goldman); U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,344 (Young); U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,953 (Berger et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,227 (Davis); U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,845 (Thompson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,234 (Schray); U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,622 (Romero); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,782 (Mills). 
     For instance, the patent to Davis discloses a wheeled shopping cart with a nesting type seat having an article carrying basket with an end gate swingably supported along a rear end thereof. The child seat is collapsible and includes a hanging member which is pivotally supported by the end wall for movement about an axis parallel to the horizontal axis. The seat further includes bottom and back portions which are pivotally secured along one end of each to the hanging member for movement about a second axis parallel to the horizontal axis. An opposite end of the seat is engaged with a guide to limit the pivotal movement of the seat. The seat structure is easily collapsible and the rear end wall is pivotal upward to allow multiple carts to be combined. 
     The patent to Mills discloses a second type of shopping cart, also with, a baby seat. The cart of Mills includes a wheeled frame, a basket and a rear seat portion. The seat portion includes an upright rear wall having leg holes therethrough and a seat back upstanding from the rear seat portion. The basket is pivotally connected proximate the seat back and is rotated upward to interconnect multiple parts for storage. 
     The patent to Romero (incorporated herein by reference) discloses an alternative style shopping cart which includes a fixed rear seat mounted upon an upright support  11 . A movable basket/receptacle forwardly projects from the seat and is hingedly mounted to the upright support. The basket rotates between a horizontal working position and a vertical storage position. 
     However, heretofore, these conventional shopping carts only offer seating for a single child. Thus, if a parent desired to shop with more than one child, the second child must either walk or ride within the basket. The former option was undesirable if the child is too small or disruptive. The latter option limited the amount of groceries which could be placed within the basket and proved quite unsafe as the child often fell out of the basket. 
     A need remains within the industry for an improved shopping cart. It is a primary object of the present invention to meet this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a shopping cart with safe seating for at least two children. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a shopping cart with two seats, whereby both children ride while facing backward without unduly limiting the space within the basket for carrying groceries. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide seating for a second child within the shopping cart without requiring the cart to be overly enlarged and still providing a collapsible cart for storage. 
     In summary, a shopping cart is provided with an undercarriage frame mounted upon wheels. The frame supports a basket and at least two seating sections for children. The seating sections are aligned such that both children, when seated, face backward and are positioned in line with one another. Each seating section is mounted upon an end wall, one of which is located at the rear of the cart and the second of which is located at an intermediate point along the cart proximate the rear end. Each seating section is formed with collapsible bottom and back members. When collapsed, the shopping cart affords a primary basket region and a secondary region located proximate the rearmost seat and serving the dual purpose of a leg area for the forwardmost child and a secondary area to store groceries. Both end walls are pivotally mounted to the basket and rotatable upward to allow multiple carts to be interconnected. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the invention noted above are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a side planar view of a shopping cart according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an elevational view of a shopping cart according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a side sectional view of a shopping cart according to the present invention, while in an open position; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a side sectional view of a shopping cart according to the present invention with both seats in a collapsed position; and 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a side sectional view of a shopping cart according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 generally illustrates the present invention designated by reference numeral  1 . The shopping cart  1  includes an undercarriage frame  2  having cross support brackets extending thereacross. The undercarriage frame  2  is supported upon caster-type front wheels  6  rotatably mounted to casters  8  which are pivotally attached to, and extend downward from, the front of the undercarriage frame  2 . The rear wheels  10  are rotatably mounted to the undercarriage frame  2  through rigid legs  12 . Optionally, a mechanical brake may be installed upon one or more wheels to prevent movement of the cart. Such a brake might include a cantilever braking arm having a pedal on one end for the user to step on to engage the brake. The user would lift the pedal with his/her foot to disengage the brake. The cantilever would include an intermediate pad to engage the wheel and biasing means (such as a spring) to hold the brake in place. The undercarriage frame  2  is further connected, on its top side, to at least one handle bar shaped underpinning  14  which curves upward and forward, and which extends across the width of the frame  2 . The underpinning  14  and frame  2  are connected to, and support, a basket  16  (generally outlined in shadow lines) through side mounting brackets  18 . The underpinning  14 , front casters  8  and rear legs  12  may be secured to the frame  2  in any conventional manner, such as soldering and the like. The mounting brackets  18  may similarly be affixed in a conventional manner, such as rivets, bolts, soldering and the like. 
     The basket  16  includes front, side and bottom sections ( 20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26 ), each of which are constructed from a plurality of grid-like longitudinal and transverse bars extending in directions substantially perpendicular to one another. The longitudinal bars extend along a substantial length of the basket, while the transverse bars extend across a width thereof (such as in the front and bottom sections) and vertically along the side sections  22  and  24 . Pads  32  are provided proximate the front corners of the basket to prevent denting and injuries. The basket  16  includes rear and intermediate seat sections  17  and  19  for seating two children in a front to back (in line) relation. 
     Rear and intermediate vertical support rods  34  and  36  are provided on opposite sides of the basket, in addition to the longitudinal and transverse bars forming the basket. The rear and intermediate vertical support rods  34  and  36  afford additional support for the seat sections. Rear and intermediate diagonal support rods  38  and  40  are provided proximate the rear and intermediate vertical support rods  34  and  36 . The vertical and diagonal support rods  34 ,  36 ,  38  and  40  extend upward along opposite sides of the basket  16  at differing angles to enhance the rigidity thereof. Lower ends of the support rods  34 - 40  are secured to the side mounting brackets  18 . Upper ends of the vertical support rods  34  and  36  are flattened to provide flanges  42  and  44  having holes therethrough. The flanges  42  and  44  receive axles  46  and  48  (FIG.  2 ), respectively, which extend across a width of the shopping cart. Upper ends of the diagonal support rods  38  and  40  are connected to a curved horizontal bracket  39  directed toward the rear end of the cart  1 . The curved bracket  39  extends from the front seat  19  beyond a rearmost end of the cart  1  and downward to be secured to the cart  1 . The curved bracket  39  receives a handle  50  (FIG.  1 ). 
     As illustrated in FIG. 2, the axles  46  and  48  rotatably support rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54 , respectively. The rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54  are constructed from vertical and horizontal bars  56  and  58  which are arranged perpendicular to one another to form a grid-like structure. The rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54  each include one or more openings  60  and  62  therethrough which receive the legs of a child placed in the rear and intermediate seat sections  17  and  19 . 
     The rear and intermediate axles  46  and  48  extend through the corresponding flanges  42  and  44  and include end caps thereon. The rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54  include cross beams  64  and  66  proximate the bottom thereof and extending across a width thereof. The cross beams  64  and  66  pivotally support corresponding truss members  68  and  70  which extend upward therefrom. The truss members  68  and  70  extend upward at an angle with respect to the rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54  and are formed integral with back supports  72  and  74  for each seat  17  and  19 . The back supports  72  and  74  are constructed from horizontal and vertical bars  76  and  78 , with the outer horizontal bars being formed integrally with the truss members  68  and  70 . 
     The rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54  further include rear and intermediate upper cross beams  80  and  82  located proximate the lower ends of the openings  60  and  62  therethrough. The upper cross beams  80  and  82  pivotally support one end of rear and intermediate seat rests  84  and  86 . Each seat rest  84  and  86  is constructed to pivot from a horizontal position (at which it receives a child) to a substantially vertical position adjacent and parallel to corresponding end walls  52  and  54 . The seat rests  84  and  86  are constructed from a plurality of longitudinal and transverse bars  88  and  90 . The longitudinal bars  88  are constructed in a U-shape, with the outermost ends  89  of each leg being curled to hinge about the upper cross beams  80  and  82 . The base of each U-shaped bar  88  receives a free spinning plastic tubular padding  91  thereabout to facilitate movement of the seat rests  84  and  86  between horizontal and vertical positions. 
     The seat sections  17  and  19  further include C-shaped guides  92  and  94  which interconnect the back supports  72  and  74  in a sliding relation to the seat rests  84  and  86 . The C-shaped guides  92  and  94  include outermost ends  93  (FIG. 1) which are curled about at least one transverse bar  90  within each seat rests  84  and  86 . The guides  92  and  94  project forward from the seat rests  84  and  86  and surround the back supports  72  and  74 . The guides  92  and  94  enable the seat rests  84  and  86  to be pivoted from a horizontal to a vertical position while the back rests  72  and  74  move therewith. Specifically, the C-shaped guides  92  and  94  are pivotally secured to a transverse bar  90  of each seat rest  84  and  86  and rotate from a horizontal position (FIG. 1) (while the seat rests are in an open working position) to a position directed downward (FIG. 4) (while the seat rests are in a closed position). 
     When in an open working position (FIGS.  1  and  2 ), the back supports  72  and  74  are folded outward until the seat rests  84  and  86  are oriented in a horizontal position and the guides  92  and  94  contact cross members  96  and  98  traversing the back supports  72  and  74 . As the back supports  72  and  74  are pulled backward (to a closed position), they force the seat rests  84  and  86  upward. As the seat rests move upward, the guides  92  and  94  pivot downward to prevent binding engagement with the back supports  72  and  74 . As shown in FIG. 3, both seats are pivotal upward to provide for interlocking carts during storage. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the seats  17  and  19  are closed, the intermediate wall  54  produces a partition within the basket  16 , thereby creating separate compartments. These separate compartments may be desirable to prevent more delicate items from being crushed (e.g. eggs, bread and the like) and to allow one person to shop for him/herself and a second person while keeping their groceries separate. When the seat rests  17  and  19  are in an open position, the chamber between the rear and intermediate walls  52  and  54  serves as leg room for the child located in the forwardmost seat. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment in which the forwardmost seat section  119  may be constructed to collapse against the rearmost seat section  117 . Each seat section  117  and  119  includes rear and intermediate axles  146  and  148  which are pivotally mounted on rear and intermediate support rods  134  and  136 . The axles  146  and  148  support rear and intermediate walls  152  and  154 . Each wall  152  and  154  includes upper and lower cross beams ( 164 ,  166 ,  180  and  182 ) which pivotally support the seat rests  184  and  186  and the truss members  168  and  170 . Each truss member  168  and  170  is integrally formed with the back supports  172  and  174  which are slidably connected to the seat rests  184  and  186  through the guides  192  and  194 . In this embodiment, the intermediate axle  148  is supported within flanges  144  upon upper ends of pivotal support rods  198 . The pivotal support rods  198  include lower ends which are pivotally hinged to the rearmost mounting brackets  118 . The pivotal support rods  198  are rotatable from a position immediately adjacent the rear vertical support rods  134  to a position remote therefrom (as illustrated in FIG.  5 ). The pivotal support rods  198 , when extended to a working position, rotate outward into a position contacting the diagonal support rods  140 . 
     When in a collapsed position, the support rod  198  pivots in a clockwise manner (relative to FIG. 5) to a position immediately adjacent the support rod  134 . As the support rod  198  rotates, it carries the rear wall  154  and the seat section  119  therewith. The lowermost end of the rear wall  154  disengages the floor of the basket as the support rod  198  is rotated to a collapsed position. When in a working position, the lower end of the rearmost wall  154  engages the floor of the basket  116  and abuts against a transverse support rod  155  (FIG.  5 ). 
     While the foregoing invention has been illustrated with respect to a single type of shopping cart, it is to be understood that the claimed invention is not so limited. Instead, the inventive concept of providing multiple child seats within a single shopping cart may be utilized within any conventional shopping cart. For instance, the inventive concept of providing multiple in-line child seats may be included within those types of shopping carts (such as in Romero) having a basket section pivotally connected to the front end of the child seat section and a horizontal support. The basket section rotates upward about this pivot point to a vertical position during storage. Clearly, the present invention may be implemented within with such a shopping cart by providing a second child seat between the first existing child seat and the hinge point of the basket. In such a cart, the second child seat would include side, back and bottom walls similar to those of the first seat. Holes would be provided through the bottom of the second child seat section proximate the back of the first seat for the child&#39;s legs. The first and second child seats and the basket section would be supported upon a horizontal support bar fixedly mounted upon a base having wheels thereon. The basket section would be hingedly mounted from a point upon the support bar proximate the front of the second or forwardmost child&#39;s seat. The second child seat would be constructed consistent with the advantages and objects of the present invention as described in connection with the preferred embodiments. 
     From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. 
     It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. 
     Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.