Land vehicles – Wheeled – Nesting vehicles
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-30
2001-07-24
Olszewski, Robert P. (Department: 2167)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Nesting vehicles
C188S005000, C280S043240
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264217
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a trolley and to a wheel assembly for such a trolley. More particularly, it relates to trolleys of the type that are used by customers in supermarkets or other self-service shops or by passengers at airports, which are provided with means for discouraging their removal from a defined area.
According to the invention there is provided a trolley having a support wheel on which in use the trolley bears down, the trolley comprising an immobilising mechanism for immobilising the trolley, the arrangement of the immobilising mechanism being such as to be triggered to come into effect when the trolley ceases to bear down on the support wheel.
The defined area may then have a barrier in the form of a low ridge along the periphery thereof, the barrier requiring the trolley to be lifted in order to move it over the barrier. When this is done the immobilising mechanism comes into effect, immobilising the trolley.
By an immobilising mechanism is meant a mechanism that is capable of impeding or otherwise interfering with the normal movement of the trolley on its support wheels.
The support wheel may have a collapsible wheel mounting, the immobilising mechanism comprising a displaceable member (herein also referred to as a toggle) which is displaceable between a cocked position in which it operates to keep the wheel mounting from collapsing, and an un-cocked position in which it allows the wheel mounting to collapse.
The toggle may be spring-loaded by means of a spring, the spring biasing the toggle to the un-cocked position.
The immobilising mechanism may further comprise a latch and a catch cooperating with the latch once the wheel mounting has moved to the collapsed condition, to keep the wheel mounting in the collapsed condition.
The support wheel may be mounted in a housing having an opening therein through which the support wheel protrudes when the wheel mounting is in the normal, trolley-supporting condition, the arrangement being such that the wheel is withdrawn into the housing when the wheel mounting collapses.
The collapsible wheel mounting may comprise a pivotally mounted wheel bracket.
Said support wheel may be a rear wheel of the trolley, the trolley having a laterally spaced pair of such rear wheels, and further a laterally spaced pair of front support wheels, the front support wheels being offset with respect to one another in the front-to-rear direction of the trolley.
Alternatively, or in addition, the front support wheels may be cambered.
The invention extends to a wheel assembly for a trolley, the wheel assembly comprising a support wheel, a support frame, and a wheel mounting via which the support wheel is mounted on the support frame, the wheel mounting being collapsible with respect to the support frame, the wheel assembly further comprising a toggle which is displaceable between a cocked position in which it operates to keep the wheel mounting from collapsing, and an un-cocked position in which it allows the wheel mounting to collapse.
The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3090470 (1963-05-01), Abrams
patent: 3186728 (1965-06-01), Turlington
patent: 3217839 (1965-11-01), Watkins et al.
patent: 3356185 (1967-12-01), Isaacks
patent: 3366201 (1968-01-01), Pesta
patent: 3892295 (1975-07-01), Hahto
patent: 4199043 (1980-04-01), Lankester et al.
patent: 4494271 (1985-01-01), Perlin et al.
patent: 5720079 (1998-02-01), Yang
Fischer Andrew J.
Ladas & Parry
Liebenberg Neil
Olszewski Robert P.
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