Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Composite having voids in a component
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-22
2001-10-30
Kopec, Mark (Department: 1751)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Composite having voids in a component
C428S314400, C297S485000, C297S488000, C297S219100, C297S219120, C297S256170, C297S250100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309741
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to shopping carts, and more particularly, to a shopping cart having a shelf pad designed to reduce bruising and other damage to fruits and vegetables, baked goods and other damage sensitive items while in the shopping cart and also to provide additional comfort to young children while sitting on the same shopping cart shelf, which can also function as a seat.
Shopping carts are produced by a variety of manufacturers in a variety of different sizes and configurations. They are generally made of steel or other metal with nickel-chrome plating and possibly an acrylic coating. They are also made of high impact plastic combined with steel or other metal components. Such shopping carts generally feature a collapsible rear shelf designed to seat small children and which can also function to hold fruit, vegetables and other damage sensitive items which could be damaged if placed in the main body of the shopping cart.
The use of a suitable shelf/seat pad would not only reduce damage to fruits, vegetables, baked goods and other delicate and damage sensitive items but also provide additional comfort to young children sitting on the shelf/seat. It is desirable for the padded material to be sanitary and clean looking. However, at the present time, no cushioning or padded material is used to cover the shopping cart shelf/seat area.
Accordingly, it is desirable to improve shopping carts by making them more comfortable for small children to ride in and to provide greater damage protection for sensitive items.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a shopping cart shelf/seat pad is provided that exhibits the following characteristics: 1) the pad should have high shock absorption to reduce damage to fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and other delicate and damage sensitive items as well as provide additional comfort to young children sitting on the shelf/cat; 2) the pad should be 100% closed-cell foam construction, so as not to absorb any water, fungus or bacteria; 3) the pad should be fully-covered on all surfaces by a tough skin highly resistant to impact forces caused by dropping items onto the pad and to ensure that any liquid or other substances spilled onto the pad does not enter the padding or somehow remain on the surface and therefore can be cleaned with soaps, steam or other disinfectants to meet the strict sanitary guidelines of supermarkets and grocery stores; 4) the pad should display high weather resistance and also be resistant to ultraviolet light since the shopping carts are frequently taken outdoors to the customers' cars for unloading and left in the shopping cart corrals for variable lengths of time in all weather conditions; 5) the padding should have FDA approval for contact with fruits and vegetables since it is envisioned that the great majority of shoppers would not have young children sitting on the shelf/seat but would use such shelf/seat to hold bruise and damage sensitive fruits, vegetables, baked goods and other damage sensitive items; and 6) the pad can display an indicia, such as a character or advertisement.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4316297 (1982-02-01), Geist
patent: 4588224 (1986-05-01), Hill, Jr.
patent: 4655502 (1987-04-01), Houllis
patent: 5106155 (1992-04-01), Luehring
patent: 5238293 (1993-08-01), Gibson
patent: 5678888 (1997-10-01), Sowell et al.
patent: 5855412 (1999-01-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5967607 (1999-10-01), Waldroup
Boyer Charles
Kopec Mark
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
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