Child support for attachment to shopping cart

Abstract

A child carrier attachable to a shopping cart having a basket mounted to a frame supported by a plurality of caster wheels for contacting a ground surface. The child carrier comprises a support member having at least one stabilizing wheel connected thereto for contacting the ground surface. The support member has a bottom member, with a seat disposed on the support member; and an attachment fixture is connected to the support member for connecting the support member to the cart.

1 . A child carrier attachable to a shopping cart having a basket mounted to a frame supported by a plurality of caster wheels for contacting a ground surface, the shopping cart capable of use without the child carrier, said child carrier comprising: 
 a support member having at least one stabilizing wheel connected thereto for contacting said ground surface;    the support member having a bottom member, and further comprising a seat disposed on said support member; and    an attachment fixture connected to said support member for connecting said support member to said cart.    
     
     
         2 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said attachment fixture includes a channel member connected to said support member, said channel member having a channel configured to receive a top edge of said cart basket.  
     
     
         3 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said channel member is adjustable to place said channel at a height suitable to receive an edge of said cart basket in said channel.  
     
     
         4 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said attachment fixture creates a rigid connection between said cart and said carrier.  
     
     
         5 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said rigid attachment fixture includes bolts extending through said channel, said channel member and said basket.  
     
     
         6 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said attachment fixture includes a channel member connected to said support member, said channel member having a channel configured to receive said cart frame.  
     
     
         7 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said channel member is adjustable to place said channel at a height suitable to receive said cart frame in said channel.  
     
     
         8 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said attachment fixture creates a rigid connection between said cart and said carrier.  
     
     
         9 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said rigid attachment fixture includes bolts extending through said channel, said channel member and said frame.  
     
     
         10 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said attachment fixture comprises at least one channel member formed on said bottom member, said channel member having at least one channel configured to receive at least one caster wheel of said cart.  
     
     
         11 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 10 , wherein all of said cart wheels are received by said attachment fixture thereby supporting said cart above the ground.  
     
     
         12 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising a safety device to prevent said cart from inadvertently disengaging from said at least one channel member.  
     
     
         13 . The child member as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said safety device includes a wedge member having a high side, said wedge member provided adjacent at least one of said at least one channel member with said high side of said wedge positioned to prevent a cart from disengaging from said channel without being lifted over said high side of said wedge.  
     
     
         14 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a nesting means connected to said support member, said nesting means being configured to engage a second nesting means connected to a second support member of a second child carrier when said second nesting means is horizontally aligned with said first carrier nesting means.  
     
     
         15 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said first and second nesting means each includes a male member and a female member, said male members being configured to engage said female members and said female members configured to receive said male members.  
     
     
         16 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said male members are a bumper having a notch extending therefrom and said female members are grooves having an upward ledge for engaging said notch.  
     
     
         17 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said male members are tapered front regions of said base member and said female members are an opening in a rear portion of said base members configured to receive said tapered front regions.  
     
     
         18 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said nesting means is also capable of being said attachment fixture for connecting said carrier to a cart when said carrier is not nested with a second carrier.  
     
     
         19 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said support member comprises an interior cavity comprising a front wall and a rear wall, said seat being adjacent to said rear wall.  
     
     
         20 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 19 , further comprising a roof member extending substantially perpendicular from a distal end of said rear wall.  
     
     
         21 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising an open air gap between said roof and said front wall.  
     
     
         22 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising solid side walls connecting said front and rear walls, said side walls partially extending from said bottom member to said roof member.  
     
     
         23 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said roof member fully extends between said rear and front walls, an opening is provided in said front wall for a child to see through and said structure has open air sides for a child to enter and exit said structure.  
     
     
         24 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 23 , further comprising a translucent cover placed over said opening in said front wall.  
     
     
         25 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 24 , further comprising doors pivotally mounted to said front or rear wall for selectively covering said sides of said structure.  
     
     
         26 . The child carrier of  claim 19 , further comprising a shelf extending from said front wall for providing a storage area.  
     
     
         27 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 26 , further comprising a handle connected to said shelf for a child to grasp.  
     
     
         28 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said handle includes at least one steering wheel.  
     
     
         29 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising at least three wheels connected to said support member for contacting said ground.  
     
     
         30 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 29 , further comprising a basket provided on a top side of said roof.  
     
     
         31 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said support member is configured to resemble an automobile, a truck, a boat, a train or any other form contributing entertainment value to a child.  
     
     
         32 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 31 , further comprising fake wheel protrusions on the perimeter of said support member to act as stabilizing contacts if said support member is destabilized from its center and to further contribute to forming an appearance of a vehicle.  
     
     
         33 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the support member is attachable to the front of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         34 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the support member is attachable to the rear of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         35 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the seat is integral with the support member.  
     
     
         36 . The child carrier as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a back member connected to said bottom member and wherein the back member is adapted to be disposed adjacent said cart.  
     
     
         37 . A method of attaching a child carrier to a shopping cart having a basket mounted to a frame supported by a plurality of caster wheels for contacting a ground surface, the shopping cart capable of use without the child carrier, said child carrier comprising: 
 a support member having at least one stabilizing wheel connected thereto for contacting said ground surface;    the support member having a bottom member, and further comprising a seat disposed on said support member; and    an attachment fixture connected to said support member for connecting said support member to said cart, wherein said method comprises:    aligning said attachment fixture with a desired portion of said cart; and    attaching said support member to said desired portion of said cart with said attachment fixture.    
     
     
         38 . The method for attaching said carrier to said cart as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said desired portion includes a top edge of the front of a shopping cart basket for connecting said carrier to a front of said cart.  
     
     
         39 . The method for attaching said carrier to said cart as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said desired portion includes a front portion of said frame for connecting said carrier to a front of said cart.  
     
     
         40 . The method for attaching said carrier to said cart as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said desired potion of said cart includes at least one of said cart wheels, and wherein said attachment fixture includes a channel member in said bottom member configured to receive at least one wheel of said cart for attaching said carrier to a rear of said cart.  
     
     
         41 . The method for attaching said carrier to said cart as recited in  claim 37 , wherein the support member has a back member connected to said bottom member and further comprising attaching said support member to said desired portion of said cart with the attachment fixture and wherein the back member is adjacent to said cart.  
     
     
         42 . A method for nesting a child carrier attachable to a shopping cart having a basket mounted to a frame supported by a plurality of caster wheels for contacting a ground surface, the shopping cart capable of use without the child carrier, said child carrier comprising: 
 a support member having at least one stabilizing wheel connected thereto for contacting said ground surface;    the support member having a bottom member, and further comprising a seat disposed on said support member;    an attachment fixture connected to said support member for connecting said support member to said cart; and    a nesting means connected to said support member, said nesting means being configured to engage a second nesting means connected to a second base member of a second child carrier when said second nesting means is horizontally aligned with said first carrier nesting means, wherein said method comprises:    aligning horizontally said first carrier nesting means with said second nesting means; and    engaging said first and second nesting means.    
     
     
         43 . The method of nesting as recited in  claim 42 , further comprising the step of repeating said aligning and engaging as desired.  
     
     
         44 . The method of nesting as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said first and second nesting means each includes a male member and a female member, said male members being configured to engage said female members and said female members configured to receive said male members.  
     
     
         45 . The method of nesting as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said male members are tapered front regions of said support member and said female members are an opening in a rear portion of said support members configured to receive said tapered front regions.  
     
     
         46 . A combined child carrier and shopping basket holder comprising: 
 a support member having at least three wheels connected thereto for rolling on a ground surface;    the support member further comprising a seat disposed on the support member for seating a child;    a support location on the support member for supporting a shopping basket; and    a handle attached to the support member for allowing a user to push the combined child carrier and shopping basket holder.    
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , further comprising a shopping basket disposed on the support location.  
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , further comprising a top structure above the seat; and wherein the support location comprises a surface of the top structure.  
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the combined child carrier and shopping basket holder has a mechanism for connecting it to a shopping cart.