Brakes – To retard rolling of caster
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-15
2003-01-07
Rodriguez, Pam (Department: 3613)
Brakes
To retard rolling of caster
C188S019000, C280S033994, C016S03500D
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502669
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a security device and method which restricts motion of a transport device, and in particular to a security device and method that controllably restricts the vertical, axial rotation or pivoting of a swivel caster about a vertical pivot axis correlative to, inter alia, a user defined range of motion for restricting the path of the transport device to which the security device is attached, thereby securing the transport device such as a shopping cart, stroller or the like, in a restricted area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art devices for restricting the rotation of wheels attached to transport devices, such as carts, are known. These devices are especially well known in the retail industry where cart theft by customers and vagrants is prevalent and cart replacement by the retailer is costly. In this environment, it has been found that the prior art devices are plagued by a variety of problems. Foremost, the very nature of prior art devices mechanically locking up wheel rotation has been found to result in the destruction of the devices themselves and in the destruction of the associated wheels as a consequence of the cart being continually pushed or pulled long after the occurrence of mechanically locking up wheel rotation. Extreme occurrences of this type of destruction has been found to be prevalent with carts that have been collected after being wrongfully removed from a retailer's premise and continually pushed or pulled long after the occurrence of mechanically locking up wheel rotation. The collection of carts, often in a train like structures, from the premise itself is also problematic in that some carts are continually pushed long after the occurrence of mechanically locking up wheel rotation thereby causing damage and ultimate destruction to the prior art devices and wheels.
Ultimately, customer service satisfaction suffers as a result of the customer having to deal with the laborious, time consuming, and costly maintenance associated with known prior art devices.
Additionally, known prior art devices have been known to abruptly lock up wheel rotation and thus, violently lock up the cart under normal customer use. This places the customer pushing the cart, a person in the cart and bystanders in harms way. And, at the very least, it has been found that customers abandon carts that abruptly locked up wheel rotation under normal customer use and walk out the retailer's store thereby resulting in a lose of sales ultimately damaging the reputation of not only of the known prior art devices but the retailer's reputation as well.
Moreover, the known prior art devices generally mechanically complicated and are prone to failure under the predations of certain weather conditions, such as snow slush, freezing and the like.
Thus, in general, know prior art devices do not provide systems which take into account, inter alia, wear on the device parts and the associated wheels, mechanical simplicity, and device failure in certain weather conditions such as snow, slush, freezing and the like.
For example, the patent to French, et al, teaches a security device for a shopping cart that includes a braking member rotatably mounted on a wheel axle of one of the wheels. The braking member is movable between a raised position spaced above the ground surface and an operative position contacting the ground surface, and has a portion projecting radially outwardly from the outer peripheral rim of the wheel at least in the operative position so as to lift the wheel from the ground and impede rotation of the wheel. A locking device releasably locks the braking member or shell in the raised position, and is released by a trigger device in response to a signal from a signal system extending around an area in which carts are to be retained, at which point the braking member rotates into the operative position. The device is activated by a buried perimeter loop antenna system which extends around a predesignated area in which the carts are to be retained, and is connected to a signal generator.
Hence, the device of French, et al, is, inter alia, mechanically complicated and is prone to failure under the predations of certain weather conditions, such as snow, slush, freezing and the like wherein, for example, the braking shell can freeze into a lock position or become jammed by snow and slush clogging the braking shell thereby preventing it from moving from a raised to a lowered position. Moreover, the buried perimeter loop antenna is expensive to install, requires that the perimeter of the predesignated area (i.e., the perimeters of a retail establishment's parking lot) be torn open so the loop antenna can be installed and is easily defeated by the consumer by simply “snipping” or “cutting” the loop antenna thereby deactivating the system.
The patent to Schweninger teaches a toggle brake assembly which can be automatically actuated by an audio frequency signal when a shopping cart is taken out of a designated area. When actuated, as the wheel rotates in either direction, the toggle wedges or hooks to brake the wheel. To unlock the brake, a special reset key must be inserted into the brake assembly and turned.
Hence, the assembly of Schweninger is, inter alia, prone to both wear on the assembly parts and the associated wheel and is also prone to failure under the predations of certain weather conditions, such as snow, slush, freezing and the like wherein, for example, the braking wedges can freeze into a lock position or become jammed by snow and slush thereby preventing the toggle wedges or hooks from braking the wheel.
The patent to Harris, et al, chronicles applicant's efforts in the field of security devices for shopping carts. The patent to Harris et al, teaches a security device for a shopping cart utilizing a housing that is mounted to the cart in the vicinity of the wheel. A locking element supported to the housing and is selectively movable into positions engaging the cart wheel or being disengaged from the cart wheel. A motor is employed to move the element in such reciprocal motion and is operated by a controller. The controller includes a counter to determine the number of revolutions completed by the wheel, and a trigger for starting the motor upon receipt of a signal from the counter representing a preselected number of revolutions completed by the wheel.
Hence, the device of Harris, et al, is prone to both wear on the device parts and the associated wheel and is also prone to failure under the predations of certain weather conditions.
In light the foregoing, there is a need for a security device and method for transport d devices such as shopping carts, strollers or the like, that does not destroy itself nor destroy the wheel to which it is coupled under operating conditions. Additionally, there is a need for a security device and method that does not abruptly and violently lock up the transport device. Furthermore there is a need for a security device and method that is generally impervious to the predations of certain weather conditions and that substantially eliminates the problems associated with the mechanical complexities of know prior art devices.
Specifically, there is a need for a security device and method that can be repeatedly used to restrict carts to a restricted area while remaining undamaged. Additionally, there is a need for a security device and method that eliminates wheel lock up and the mechanical damages associated therewith. Furthermore, there is a need for a security device and method that eliminates the mechanical complexities associated with the known prior art devices thereby eliminating the expense unreliability and time consumption associated with maintaining these devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is distinguishable over the known prior art in a multiplicity of ways. For one thing, the present invention provides a security device and method that does not destroy itself nor destroy the wheel to which it is coupled under operating conditions t
Bielen, Jr. Theodore J.
Rodriguez Pam
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