The invention relates to a utility cart , for storing and displaying articles .

Such utility cart is known for the regular user as a transportable cabinet compri sing a plurality of drawers and trays , Such as a tools storage system, library shelves , j ewelry shelves or medical shelves . A user of the known utility carts doesn' t have comfortable access to all the trays or drawers of the utility cart at once . In the case a tool storage system, the user loses time looking for the right tool in the right drawer . Furthermore , when using a conventional tool storage system, a user is required to spend additional time and attention for returning a tool back into the right drawer . Most users skip this step which leads to tools being pile-up on top of the utility cart at the end of the day .

It is an obj ect of the current invention to correct the shortcomings of the prior art and to provide the user with a utility cart wherein all trays/drawers can be comfortably accessed at once . This and other obj ects which will become apparent from the following disclosure , are provided with a utility cart having the features of one or more of the appended claims .

According to a f irst aspect of the invention, the utility cart comprises a base , a plurality of storage trays and at least two vertical shafts wherein each tray of the plurality of storage trays is attached to at least one of the at least two vertical shafts via at least one fastener, wherein the utility cart comprises at least one hori zontal rail mounted on the base , wherein the at least two vertical shafts are movably mounted on the at least one hori zontal rail via rail-wheels so as to increase or decrease hori zontal spacing between at least some trays of the plurality of trays , and wherein the at least two vertical shafts are telescopically extensible so as to increase vertical spacing between at least some trays of the plurality of trays . These features allow the user to move the trays sideways and upwards in order to facilitate access to said trays and to improve the visibility of articles stored inside said trays .

In addition, the trays are stackable in at least one column on top of the base wherein said plurality of trays are alternatingly attached to either one of the at least two vertical shafts . Being alternatively attachable basically means that when a tray is attachable to the first shaft , a first following tray is attachable to the second shaft , a second following tray i s attachable to the first shaft again and the third following tray is attachable to the second shaft again, and so on, and so forth .

In order to improve the stability of the utility cart , the width of the base is larger than the total width of the stacked plurality of trays .

Advantageously, the at least two vertical shafts comprise vertical struts arranged for providing a tensile pull or push force for bringing the at least two vertical shafts from a contracted position into an extended position and vis-versa . Such vertical struts provide support for upwards movement of the trays even when they are ful ly loaded . For improved safety and ease o f use , said vertical struts are arranged for providing a dampening force for controlling the speed of extension and/or contraction of the at least two vertical shafts .

For further improving the structural rigidity of the utility cart , said utility cart comprises at least one hori zontal shaft wherein the at least two vertical shafts are attachable on said at least one hori zontal shaft , and wherein said hori zontal shaft is telescopically extensible .

The base and/or the at least one hori zontal shaft comprise hori zontal struts attached to the at least two vertical shafts for moving said at least two vertical shafts on the at least one rail and/or for supporting the telescopic movement of the at least one hori zontal shaft by providing a tensile pull or push force on the at least two vertical shafts . Such hori zontal struts provide support for hori zontal movement o f the trays even when they are fully loaded . For improved safety and ease of use , said hori zontal struts are arranged for providing a dampening force for controlling the speed of motion of the at least two vertical shafts on the at least one rail of the base .

Accessing the inside of a tray can be further improved by slanting and/or by moving said tray toward the user . Therefore , the utility cart comprises at least one perpendicular rai l attached at a distal end of said perpendicular rail to the at least one fastener of at least one storage tray, wherein said at least one storage tray is movably mountable on said at least one perpendicular rail via rail-wheels . Additionally, the perpendicular rail is attachable to the at least one fastener of the at least one storage tray via a rotatable j oint for slanting the at least one storage tray .

Suitably, the struts are at least one of gas struts , hydraulic struts , mechanical struts , spring-loaded struts , and electrically controlled struts .

The base comprises wheels , such as swivel caster wheels , for facilitating the movement of the utility cart , wherein said wheels compri se locking means , such as swivel Locks and caster pads , for immobili zing the utility cart .

For improving the user friendliness of the utility cart according to the invention, said util ity cart comprises at least one electrical socket connectable to an electrical source . The utility cart comprises an air reel fluidly connectable to a source of pressuri zed air or to an air vacuum. The utility cart comprises a light source mountable on the base and/or on the at least one horizontal shaft for illuminating an area surrounding the utility cart . The utility cart comprises a plurality of light sources mountable on the plurality of storage trays for illuminating said storage trays .

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a utility cart according to the invention that i s not l imiting as to the appended claims .

In the drawing : figure 1 shows an apparatus of the invention in a front view; figure 2 shows an apparatus of the invention in a back view; figure 3 shows an apparatus of the invention in a front view; figure 4 shows an apparatus of the invention in a front view; and figure 5 shows an apparatus of the invention in a side view .

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts .

Figures 1 and 2 show the utility cart 1 according to the invention in a folded position . A user can bring the utility cart 1 into an unfolded position by moving the trays 3 upwards and sideways . The hori zontal struts 7 , better seen in figure 2 , support the s ideways movement o f the trays 3 by supporting the telescopic extension of the hori zontal shaft and by pushing the two vertical shafts sideways , while the vertical struts 7 support the upwards movement of the trays 3 by supporting the telescopic extension of the two vertical shafts . Once unfolded, as seen in figure 3 , the util ity cart 1 stands stable on the floor due to the base 2 having a width larger than the total width of the trays 3 . The user can bring back the utility cart 1 to a folded position by pushing the trays 3 downwards and towards the center of the base 2 . The hori zontal and the vertical struts dampen the speed of motion of the trays so that the user may gently bring back the utility cart into a folded position .

In a second embodiment of the invention, the trays of utility cart 1 may be arranged in one column as shown in figure 4 . The trays 3 are then alternatively attached to the two vertical shafts 4 . When said vertical shafts 4 move sideways , a comfortable access space is created between the trays 3 such that no need for the two vertical shafts 4 to extend . I f more space is stil l needed between the trays 3 , the vertical shafts 4 can still be extended .

As seen in figure 5 , slanting the trays 3 downwards and moving them forwards towards the user further eases the accessibil ity of said trays , and improves the visibility of the stored articles inside said trays 3 . For that purpose , the trays 3 are movably mounted on perpendicular rails 5 for allowing forward and backward movement of the trays 3 , and said perpendicular rails 3 are attached to the vertical shafts via rotatable j oints for allowing downwards and upwards slanting of the trays 3 .

A light source 15 may be installed on the utility cart 1 to il luminate a surrounding area . Smaller light sources 16 can be installed on the bottom of upper trays to illuminate lower trays . An air reel 14 may be installed on the utility cart 1 in order to provide vacuum suction and/or air pressure for the user .

An electrical socket 13 may be installed on the utility cart in order to provide high and/or low voltage electrical power to the user .

For ease of transportation, the utility cart 1 may be equipped with wheels 12 such as lockable caster wheels .

The utility cart 1 of the current invention may be at least one of a tools storage system, library shelves , j ewelry shelves and medical shelves .

Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention . The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the append-ed claims strictly in accordance therewith . On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment . The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment .