AU718496B2 - Improved shopping trolley construction - Google Patents

Description

VIUUJ 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT a. a a a.

a a Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: IMPROVED SHOPPING TROLLEY CONSTRUCTION The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us IMPROVED SHOPPING TROLLEY CONSTRUCTION Technical Field The present invention relates to goods trolleys, particularly but not exclusively shopping trolleys for use in supermarkets and the like.

Background Art Conventional shopping trolleys are constructed with wire baskets, and a wire or tubing frame and base. They are in widespread use, but of generally similar construction, with only relatively minor variations in structural details. The handle is attached via special fittings of various types to the basket, and via supporting struts to the frame.

There is a problem apparent in practise due to vandalism of the trolleys. The trolley handles are often removed and misused on people and property. Despite various attempts to make the trolley handle more difficult to remove, the problem persists.

It is an object of one aspect of the present invention to provide a simplified and improved construction for a shopping trolley basket which also increases the difficulty of removing the handle.

Summary of Invention According to one aspect the present invention provides an improved shopping trolley construction, said trolley including a base and a basket, wherein an integral handle member is provided which attaches solely to the upper portion of 0: the basket.

Preferably, the integral handle member is attached by overlaying the ;25 attachment part of each side of the handle member on the exterior of the basket, and permanently attaching an inner portion on each inner side so as to capture part of the basket within the attachment part. Preferably, the inner portion is attached by S• ultrasonic welding of pins integral with the inner portion to the respective o°f attachment part.

Preferably, the construction further includes channel members overlying the upper surface of the basket. Theses members may, for example, be extruded.

These member but against the surface of the handle member.

In one construction, the trolley further includes moulded bumper portions on the front corners of the basket. In an alternative construction, the front portion of the trolley is formed as a separate integral moulded element.

The inventive construction uses only a single element, and is structurally formed so that supporting struts from the base are not required. The handle may be attached such that only complete destruction allows it to be removed from the trolley, and the handle so removed is not useful for any other purpose. This construction also removes the need for ensuring that the upper surface and the sides of the basket are free of sharp edges, as these are covered by the respective members.

Description Various embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a first implementation in an isometric view; Figure 2 illustrates the first implementation in a side view; Figure 3 illustrates in cross-section the nesting arrangement according to the first embodiment; Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of a second embodiment; Figure 5 illustrates rear view of the handle member of the second embodiment; Figure 6 illustrates a side view of the exterior of the handle member according to the second embodiment; Figure 7 illustrates a side view of the interior of the handle member i according to the second embodiment; Figure 8 illustrates a view, partly in section, of a corner member according to the second embodiment; Figure 9 shows a section A-A of the member of figure 8; and Figure 10 illustrates a top view of the corner overlay element according to the second embodiment.

Description

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:30 The present invention will be described with reference to several embodiments. It will be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various alternative ways, without departing from the general inventive concept.

Referring to figures 1 and 2, a first embodiment of the trolley 10 comprises a

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a ri1- 3 basket 12 affixed to a base 11 via side plate 13. The base is of known construction the present invention relates to the basket, and associated structures. Any suitable base or method of affixing basket 12 to base 11 may be used.

Basket 12 comprises a base 14, sides 15, 18, front 16 and top member The base 14 and sides 15, 18 e preferably made as illustrated, from a single piece of welded wire mesh. It will be appreciated that conventional construction techniques for making wire trolley baskets are well known, and so no further detail will be provided about these aspects. The base and sides may be formed from wire as a single part, and bent to shape.

The front 16 is preferably made from injection moulded plastic, but could alternatively be formed from wire mesh. It may be affixed to the sides 15, 18 and base 14 along its periphery, using clips, rivets, or plastic connectors integral with the front 16, or any other suitable means. Preferably, it contains a recess(not shown) or groove along to accommodate at leat partly the adjacent wires, so as to give a neat appearance. Front part preferably includes provision 17 for signage, for example, a cut through having the name of the store operator.

Top member 20 is preferably integrally formed from injection moulded plastic, and includes on its undersurface a groove or cavity to accommodate and retain the adjacent wires of sides 15, 18. It may continue along the front as shown, 20 or could connect to the front part 16 at either side. In the former case, some *0 means for interconnection, for example clips or a bayonet type arrangement, are preferably provided.

S• It can therefore be seen that the basket structure is held together by the top member. This reduces the need for structural supports and connections in the remainder of the basket, and greatly simplifies construction.

The top member 12 also includes handle 23, cross bar 24 for supporting tail gate 35, and side panels 21 to line the trolley at the child seat portion, which will be discussed further below. External flanges 22 allow for the display of store a identification. Another identifier may be place into the recess 25 in cross bar 24.

30 The tail gate is suspended by hooks 28 at either end, seated in a recess within cross bar 24. This has the advantage over conventional shopping trolley, in which the hooks have some lateral movement, of preventing mis-alignment of the tail gate.

The child seat arrangement comprises seat member 30 and back member 31 joined by hinge 34 (see figure The hinge 34 may be a separate part, formed by mating recesses and spigots, comprise several short hinges, or be formed in any other suitable manner.

The seat member 30 is attached to the tail gate 28 so as to allow pivoting and sliding movement. This is illustratively achieved by recesses on the rear edge receiving some of the tail gate wires, which are then retained by a wire along the rear of the seat. Any suitable alterative arrangement could be used. The tail gate has openings provided for the legs of a child using the seat. The back and seat may be moulded to present a comfortable interior for a user. The seat member may include a hinged flap, which can be folded up to cover the holes if the seat is to be used only for small goods. The generally continuous construction of the seat make it much more satisfactory for such uses than existing seats.

The seat requires an support and guide arrangement to be provided on either side, engaged for example by a pin 37 at either side of back member 31.This includes, on either side (only one side is visible in the figure) an upper guide 26, a pivoting guide 27, a recess 29, and a lower guide 36. In the operative seat position, pins 37 rest in recess 29. If the user wishes to fold the seat down, the back member 31 is moved towards the tail gate 28, pins 37 slide across pivoting guide 27, onto guide 36, and so the seat member 30 and back member 31 rest adjacent to the tail gate, and folded flat across hinge 34.

•As a trolley is nested with the seat folded in the operative position, the tail gate is pushed in, pins 37 slide across the upper guides, and the position shown in figure 3 is attained. If the seat is folded down, pins 37 slide along lower guides 36, engage pivoting guide 27 which pivots upwards and allows the pins onto upper guides 26, and again into the position of figure 3.

As a nested trolley is removed, and tail gate 28 begins to pivot down, the pins 37 engage the upper guides 26, and come to rest in recesses 29, so that the seat is opened, ready for use. This is a feature which to the inventor's knowledge a :30 no conventional trolley can provide. It will be appreciated thatalternative guide arrangements could be used to provide the functionality, and so fall within the scope of the present invention.

It will be understood that the inventive seat arrangement may be used with trolleys of conventional type, if desired. Similarly, the inventive top member construction is equally applicable to all wire baskets, or all plastic baskets, whether with or without the integral handle feature.

A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to figure 4. In this implementation, the inventive child seat arrangement and separately constructed front panel are not included the basket construction is largely conventional, with additional features added, and the use of an integral handle member.

Trolley 40 includes a base 41 with wheels, a basket generally labelled as and a handle member 70. Basket includes a tail gate 51 of conventional construction, front panel 55, and side panels 52, 53 all formed preferably as an integral structure. Tail gate 54 tilts to allow nesting of trolleys as is conventional, about wires 72. Wire 72 is of relatively thick construction to provide rigidity to the basket.

Handle member 70 is formed so as to be operatively a single unit. The conventional mounting parts and separate handle elements are formed integrally.

The handle is preferably formed by a gas injected plastic moulding procedure, which leaves the handle hollow. This allows for high strength, and the structural arrangement allows the removal of the conventional handle support struts extending from the base across the basket to the handle. The detail of the handle will be described further below.

The trolley further includes top members 61, 62, 63 overlying the wire.

S These provide improved safety in use, by acting to stop inadvertent contact with the °wire surfaces, and enable the baskets wires to be left sharp and not filed smooth as 25 in use the members 61, 62, 63 cover the surface. Corner bumpers 64, 65 serve to protect the trolley and structures in the store from impact with the trolley, and again cover underlying join structures. Cover overlays 66, 67 are provided to join the respective top members. It will be appreciated that that this embodiment could include the front panel construction of the first embodiment, and so avoid the need 30 for members 63, 64, 65, 66, 67.

Referring to figure 5, the handle can be seen more clearly. The lines on the surface are simply contour lines to better illustrate the shape. Panel 74 is recessed in the handle surface, and is designed to receive a store indicia. The indicia may be printed on, for example, a plastic sheet, and a lens placed over the sheet which is contoured to the shape of the handle, and glued or welded into position. This provides a name panel embedded within the handle. A preferred alternative is to print the material directly onto the rear surface of the lens, which is then affixed in place.

Figure 6 shows the exterior of the handle at the region 76 where it is joined to the basket. Raised bosses 81 have a central opening to receive a pin from a mating part, so that the pins pass through the wire frame and affix the handle at three points. The pins are then permanently affixed, preferably by ultrasonic welding so that the handle is effectively a single structure enclosing part of the basket side. The mating part (not shown) also allows the supporting wires 71, 72 to pass through. The shape of the mating part can be seen from the excluded part 77 where no contour lines are drawn in figure 7. Note that figure 7 is the opposite side of the handle from figure 6, and shows the view from inside looking out. Thus, the structural wires which support tail gate 51 and hold the frame rigid also pass into the handle structure.

From figure 7 can also be seen hook 78, which passes over the top wire 72 to further affix the handle in place.

Figure 8 shows a side view of the corner bumper 64. Hooks 66, 67, 68, 69 pass over respective wires in the frame to retain the bumper 64 in position.

Corresponding hooks, of course, are provided on the other inside surface. The shape can be better understood from figure 9. Recesses 70 allow the major frame *too*: *wires for the basket to pass these are visible in figure 4. It will be understood that i the other bumper 65 is a mirror image.

P"02 5 Figure 10 shows the corner overlay element 66 This functions to join top Smembers 61 and 63, using pins 67, 68 which are received within the hollow underside of the members, and to complete the upper edge covering for the basket. Again, element 67 is a mirror image.

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It is preferred that members 61, 62, 63 are formed by an extrusion process.

3° 30 Elements 64, 65, 66, 67 are suitably injection moulded. The elements are

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preferably formed from a suitable plastic material.

It will be appreciated that variations and additions are possible withn the scope of the present invention.

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Claims (12)

1. An improved shopping trolley, said trolley including a base and a basket, wherein a handle of unitary construction is provided which attaches solely to the upper portion of the basket.

2. A trolley according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes an attachment part at each side of the handle and coupling elements adapted to be received in each of said attachment parts, such that the coupling element is inserted through the upper portion of said basket and mated with the attachment part.

3. A trolley according to claim 2, wherein the coupling element is mated using a plurality of pins, and said pins are welded once the coupling element and handle are mated.

4. A trolley according to any one of claims 2 or 3 wherein each of said attachment 0• parts has a channel for receiving a part of the upper portion of the trolley basket for 0. 0 attachment thereto by said coupling element. .00

5. A trolley according to claim 1, wherein the trolley further includes channel members adapted to overlie the top surfaces of said basket.

6. A trolley according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said trolley :0.00. :0o further includes corner bumper elements on the front corners of said basket.

7. A trolley according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said handle is formed by gas injection moulding.

8. A trolley handle including a handle portion and attachment portions at each end of said handle portion, wherein said handle portion and said attachment portions are formed integral to each other, to form said handle as a unitary construction and wherein said handle is, in use, able to be attached to a trolley by connection of said attachment portions solely to an upper portion of a basket of said trolley.

9. A trolley handle according to claim 8 wherein each of said attachment portions includes a channel for receiving said upper portion of said basket. A trolley handle according to any one of claims 8 or 9 wherein each of said attachment portions is adapted to receive at least one coupling element to effect, in use, the connection of said handle to said basket.

11. A trolley handle according to claim 10 wherein said coupling element is mated to said attachment portion by way of a plurality of pins, and said pins are welded once the coupling element and attachment portion are welded.

12. A trolley handle according to any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein said handle is formed by gas injection moulding. .0 13. A trolley handle substantially as described with reference to figures 5, 6 and 7 of the description. •1 .DATED this 21st day of January 2000 METRO PRODUCTS CO PTY LTD WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS UNIT 1, THE VILLAGE RIVERSIDE CORPORTE PARK

39-117 DELHI ROAD NORTH RYDE NSW 2113 PNF:MP:RM P11268AU00