AU672471B2

AU672471B2 - Dual basket shopping trolley

Info

Publication number: AU672471B2
Application number: AU57864/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Craig Caughlan
Original assignee: Metro Products & Co Pty Limite
Current assignee: Metro Products & Co Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1993-03-17
Filing date: 1994-03-16
Publication date: 1996-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-16
Also published as: AU5786494A

Description

I-I /UU/UI11 oI SW1 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT s or o o oorr r o

D

a or oo o Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: DUAL BASKET SHOPPING TROLLEY o or ooro o or o

I

~I

I

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us V i

I

1 Technical Field This invention relates to shopping trolleys for use in supermarkets and the Background Art Shopping trolleys of various kinds are widely used in supermarkets and other retail stores. They allow the customer to conduct shopping with ease and provide advantages for the store proprietor through customers being able to i purchase a maximum number of items with a minimum of handling difficulties.

Customers often require larger capacity trolleys than the store is equipped with. For the store proprietor to provide additional trolleys with increased capacity means providing trolleys with altered basket dimensions.

Adding a few trolleys to the stores inventory with such altered dimensions is not a satisfactory solution for most proprietors as nesting miss matches between the trolleys of various dimensions will occur.

The term "nesting" is used describe the manner in which trolleys are received within each other enabling multiple units to be stacked one within another. Conventionally, in order to allow nesting of the trolleys the rear gate of the basket pivots about an upward rail on the trolley, so as to allow one trolley to be nested within the back of another. The rear gate also generally has a child :0P seat portion associated with it, which generally swings out in a hinged manner from the gate towards the centre of the trolley.

An essential feature of the trolleys from a store proprietors point of view is the trolleys ability to nest. Trolleys which nest neatly can be handled, stored and retrieved in large groups with a minimum of handling demands being placed on 25 staff.

The provision of various trolleys of different basket dimensions within a store will require separate handling for storage and retrieval of the various trolley types. This would increase the amount of handling by staff that is required and hence would increase operating costs and handling time. These drawbacks mean that it is uncommon for a store to updated to larger capacity trolleys which do not nest with the majority of trolleys in the store.

An alternative solution in providing larger capacity trolleys is to replace 1~ 2 the stores entire invetory of trolleys with new trolleys of larger capacity le.

altered dimensions. However the cost of such replacement is generally only economical when the stores trolleys have reached the end of their service life, which is generally many years. This means the demand for larger capacity trolleys may go unanswered by many stores for this period.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a practical solution to the problem of increasing the capacity of shopping trolleys.

Summary of Invention A shopping trolley including a wheeled frame which supports a main basket including a first hinged rear tailgate; an additional basket disposed above said main basket and including a second hinged rear tailgate; said trolley adapted for nesting with a second trolley which includes a main basket of substantially the same dimensions as said first main basket wherein the said main basket of the second trolley is received within the main basket of said 1 5 trolley through said first hinged rear tailgate during nesting, characterised in that S* said additional basket is affixed directly to said main basket.

According to another aspect the invention provides a basket with a hinged rear tailgate operatively adapted to be affixed to the main basket of a shopping trolley so as to form an additional ,asket disposed above a main basket of the trolley which includes a hinged rear tailgate such that said trolley may be nested S with a second trolley including a main basket of substantially the same S dimensions as the first main basket and a hinged rear tailgate wherein one of said main baskets is received within the other main basket through said hinged rear tailgate during said nesting.

It is preferable that said second trolley includes a second additional basket of substantially the same dimensions as the additional basket of said trolley such that second said additional basket is received within said additional basket through said second hinged rear tailgate during nesting.

It is preferable that the additional basket is positioned at a height above said main basket such that the first hinged rear tailgate of said main basket can pivot when a second main basket is received by said first main basket during said nesting.

3 It is preferable that the additional basket is -affixed to upper edge of the main basket of the trolley.

It is preferable that the additional basket is cantilevered from said main basket adjacent the plane of the tailgate of the main basket.

It is preferable that the additional basket is cantilevered from said main basket by a plurality of attachment means positioned on adjacent sides of said trolley.

It is preferable that the attachment means engages the main basket at a first position and a second position displaced from said first position; the 1 0 attachment means engaging the additional basket intermediate the first and second positions.

It is preferable the tail gate on the additional basket pivots adjacent the floor of the additional basket.

0 o i0 Brief Description of Drawings 15 An illustrative embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: :Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the positioning of the additional basket on a conventional shopping trolley; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing in more detail the construction of the additional basket; and Figure 3 is a side view of the inventive basket.

Detailed Description The solution of the present invention involves providing an additional basket spaced above the main basket of a conventional shopping trolley. It will be appreciated that the broad inventive concept of the p'esent invention may be applied to any conventional type of shopping trolley and that the exact Sembodiment shown is intended to be merely illustrative and not limitative.

Referring to Figure 1, conventional shopping trolley 10 includes a top wire 12 forming the upper perimeter of the basket, a rear tailgate 13 and a wire 11 which forms the pivot axis for the tailgate when nesting. Additional basket includes on each side (only one is labelled for the sake of clarity) hook 22 and r 0@

~AIT

K

3a engagement point 23. Hook 22 is looped around wire 11 and engagement 23 is in use crimped around top wire 12 of the basket. It will then be seen that the 46tC I S

I

r C, S 1 #4 #1 C 555

I

C (#51 Cl', I 4 I U 4, #4 444, 44 4 44

S

q

I

oaa o a Sos.

o0 Qr o ooa a 0 00 00 additional basket sits above the main body.

It is preferred that trolleys with additional baskets 20 be adapted to nest with trolleys which have not been provided with the additional baskets. To facilitate this the additional basket is affixed to the main basket by cantilever from adjacent the plane of the tail gate by attachment means 22 23. This cantilever arrangement is necessary as the pivot wire 24 of the rear tailgate of the main basket of the trolley must pass between the additional basket of the other trolley and the main basket of the other trolley during nesting. If the additional basket is not cantilevered then the additional supports must be placed in such a position along the trolley that they do not interfere with the pivot wire 24 during nesting. It is also critical that the additional basket be placed at a height above the main basket that is sufficient to allow the main basket of the other trolley to S pass underneath it during nesting.

0 The additional basket 20 also has a tailgate 21, such that nesting 15 between trolleys with the additional baskets is facilitated. The tail gate in the additional trolley receives the additional basket of the nesting trolley in the same o manner as a main basket receives another main basket during nesting.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate in more detail the additional basket for the trolley. Tailgate 21 pivots relatively simply about wire 24 to wir'E for nesting.

Alternatively, the tailgate 21 could pivot from adjacent the floor of the basket for nesting. A simple biasing mechanism such as a spring could be used return the tailgate to its operating position after disengagement from nesting.

For attachment of the additional basket to the main basket, hook 22 is simply positioned over wire 11 in the assembled position. Attachment point 23 ,25 is attached by, i.e. crimping. It would be appreciated that any other suitable attachment method may be used at points 22 or 23. Similarly, if desired the additional basket could be attached to different portions or at different points any such variation is within this scope of the present invention.

Variations and additions are possible within the general inventive concept as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

000 0000 *000 0 0 00 0* o *00 0 00 0000 #0001

Claims

1. A shopping trolley including a wheeled frame which supports a main basket including a first hinged rear tailgate; an additional basket disposed above said main basket and including a second hinged rear tailgate; said trolley adapted for nesting with a second trolley which includes a main basket of substantially the same dimensions as said first main basket wherein the said mRin basket of the second trolley is received within the main basket of said trolley through said first hinged rear tailgate during nesting, characterised in that said additional basket is affixed directly to said main basket.

2. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second trolley 0 includes a second additional basket of substantially the same dimensions as the 0 additional basket of said trolley such that second said additional basket is received within said additional basket through said second hinged rear tailgate during nesting.

3. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said i additional basket is positioned at a height above said main basket such that the hinged rear tailgate of said main basket can pivot when a second main basket is received by said first main basket during said nesting. *000*6 l°

4. A shopping trolley as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the additional basket is affixed to the upper edge of the main basket of the trolley.

A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 4 wherein the additional basket is cantilevered from adjacent the plane of the tailgate of the main basket.

6. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 5 wherein said additional basket is cantilevered from said main basket by a plurality of attachment means positioned on adjacent sides of said trolley,. I I I I 1 6

7. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 6 wherein each said attachment means engages the main basket at a first position and a second position displaced from said first position; the attachment means engaging the additional basket intermediate the first and second positions.

8. A shopping trolley as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the tailgate on the additional basket pivots adjacent the floor of the additional basket.

9. A basket with a hinged rear tailgate operatively adapted to be affixed to a main basket, the main basket being supported by a wheeled frame of a shopping trolley, so as to form an additional basket disposed above the main basket of the trolley which includes a hinged rear tailgate such that said trolley may be nested with a second trolley including a main basket of substantially the same dimensions as the first main basket and a hinged rear tailgate wherein one of said main baskets is received within the other main basket through said hinged rear tailgate during said nesting.

10. A basket as claimed in claim 9 wherein said second trolley includes an additional basket of substantially the same dimensions as said first additional basket and including a hinged rear tailgate and operatively adapted to be disposed above said second main basket wherein one of said additional baskets receives the other additional basket during said nesting of said first and second trolleys.

11. A basket as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein said basket is positioned at a height above said main basket such that the hinged rear tailgate of said main basket can pivot when a second main basket is received by said first main basket during said nesting.

12. A basket as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wheroin the additional basket is cantilevered from said main basket adjacent the plane of the tailgate ofI the main basket. of 1 i- i arn-,.I- ~r 1-~L*uri- 7

13. A basket as claimed in claim 12 wherein said additional basket is cantilevered from said main basket by a plurality of attachment means positioned on adjacent sides of said basket.

14. A basket as claimed in claim 13 wherein each said attachment means engages the main basket at a first position and a second position displaced from said first position; the attachment means engaging the additional basket intermediate the first and second positions. A basket as claimed in any one of claims 9 through 14 wherein the tail gate of said additional basket pivots adjacent the floor of the additional basket Dated this 12th day of June, 1996. A C 4*0 *9 4 *r 44 *o 4 0 A *090 A,. *r A A A *r A METRO PRODUCTS CO. PTY. LIMITED WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS FLOOR 4, AMORY GARDENS 2 CAVILL AVENUE ASHFIELD N.S.W. 2131 PNF:SMM:JZ (DOC.33) AU5786494.WPC S 41 (I TL _I C I ABSTRACT A dual basket shopping trolley which is nestable with both single basket trolleys and dual basket trolleys is provided. The main basket of the dual basket trolley is received within the main basket of the nesting trolley and the second basket of the dual basket trolley is positioned above the main basket and is affixed to the trolley by a cantilever adjacent the tail gate of the main basket. The second basket is positioned at a height above the main basket which is sufficient to allow the main basket of the nesting trolley to pass beneath the second basket during nesting. ,i i t o 0 6ti *I