Land vehicles – Wheeled – Nesting vehicles
Patent
1994-10-11
1998-11-17
Camby, Richard M.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Nesting vehicles
280 33992, B62B 1100
Patent
active
058365966
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a shopping cart with a chassis, a device to push it, and a basket-like container to accommodate goods carried by the chassis, the chassis and the basket-like container being designed in such a way that shopping carts of the same kind can be pushed into one another in order to save space and the container being composed of a carrying section which is attached to the chassis and which has a bottom, two side walls, and a back wall and of an end piece or front extension which is connected to and carried by the carrying section and which is located facing the back wall.
A shopping cart of this type is described in French patent specification 1 511 093. In an case of that shopping cart, the end piece is attached to the carrying section so that it can pivot about a horizontal axis in the plane of the bottom from a non-use position, in which the outline of the end piece covers part of the outline of the carrying section, into an in-use position in which the end piece contributes to an increase in the volume of the basket-like container. The said shopping cart is relatively easy to build and no longer meets the requirements demanded today of a modern shopping cart. For example, it can now be expected that the basket of a shopping cart be equipped with a hook for a bag or at least with an advertising surface or with a surface to identify the cart. Other desirable features include bumpers on the basket, which are suitable to absorb harmlessly any shocks incurred during use of the shopping cart. Another feature which is often demanded is that the baskets of the shopping carts be equipped with a partition or with a tray for small articles. Finally, it has recently been proposed that shopping carts be equipped with new electronic information systems in order to be able to provide customers with up-to-date sales information while they are shopping. As a rule, all of these devices are manufactured as individual parts and offered as accessories, which means that they have to be added to the shopping cart in all cases. This method of equipping shopping carts with accessories is expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the invention is to make it possible for the number of accessory parts installed individually on the basket-like container to be produced with shopping carts of the generic type.
In accordance with the invention, this consists of the end piece or front extension being manufactured of plastic, being designed as one piece or a component of several pieces, and being rigidly connected to the carrying section.
The special advantage of the invention is that the end piece is made of plastic. Consequently, it is possible to include a great number of useful devices during injection molding of the plastic part. For example, indentations or guides can be molded into which a page-shaped advertising medium or an identification sign can be inserted. It is also possible to provide a receptacle for a bag hook to be installed on the front side. It is even possible to mold an indentation as a tray for small articles or to provide an opening in order to produce a grip to pull the shopping cart. As well, vertical guides can be molded on the inner walls of the end piece as receptacles for a partition to be installed in the front section of the basket-like container. In addition, the end piece can be provided with deflectors or zones which help to reduce damage to store fixtures. Finally, it is possible, in a very functional manner, to insert in or to mold on the end piece an electronic information system, for example a screen with loud speaker or other electronic structural elements which allow the shopping process or shopping carts to be monitored.
Preferably, the end piece is designed as one piece or front extension. However it is also possible, in a functional manner, to produce the end piece from at least two parts, also made of plastic, these parts being combined into one structural component. For example, such a solution is recommended if the front side of th
REFERENCES:
patent: 3157871 (1964-11-01), Umanoff
patent: 3361438 (1968-01-01), Davis
patent: 3702018 (1972-11-01), Wood
patent: 3706460 (1972-12-01), Thomas
patent: 4273346 (1981-06-01), Rehrig
patent: 4376502 (1983-03-01), Cohen
patent: 4702402 (1987-10-01), Ferri
patent: 4922639 (1990-05-01), Rehrig
patent: 5111604 (1992-05-01), Rehrig
patent: 5210968 (1993-05-01), Rehrig
patent: 5306033 (1994-04-01), Evans
Camby Richard M.
Knoeller William A.
Vanaman Frank
Wanzl GmbH & Co.
LandOfFree
Shopping cart does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Shopping cart, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Shopping cart will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-877377