FR3110830A1 - Protective device for supermarket trolley and method of installation - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a protective device for a supermarket cart and a method of installation. Said supermarket trolley (94) comprises a mesh basket (96) having on the one hand a bottom wall (95) and on the other hand, a front edge (106) opposite a rear edge (108) and two side edges. opposites (110, 112). It further comprises a transverse handling handle (114). The device comprises a recessed web (84) having a bottom (75) and an anterior edge (35) opposite a posterior edge (25), the posterior and anterior edges being adapted to fit respectively on said posterior edges (108). and anterior (106) of said wire basket (96), while said bottom (75) is applied to the interior of said wire basket (96); and, an envelope (80) integral with said rear edge (25), for enveloping said transverse handling handle (114). Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 5

Description

Shopping cart guard and installation method

The present invention relates to a protection device capable of being installed on a supermarket trolley to protect the users of said trolley against pathogenic microorganisms that it could have accommodated.

Also, the present invention relates to a method of installing a protection device on a supermarket trolley.

Supermarket means a retail establishment offering self-service products or consumer goods, whatever they may be. Also, a supermarket trolley is designed to facilitate the transportation of those products or goods specifically purchased in the supermarket.

Populations are weakened both from an economic and health point of view when a pathogenic micro-organism circulates and is easily transmitted from one human to another.

Some populations, having experienced epidemiological accidents during their history, have acquired reflexes to protect themselves against them. For example, when individuals from these populations feel contagious, for example in the event of a winter flu epidemic, they naturally adopt the wearing of masks. The latter makes it possible to avoid contaminating the other individuals of the population.

Also, micro-organisms are transmitted by the hands and it is therefore recommended to wash them regularly.

Some human activities implement tools successively taken in hand by a plurality of individuals. This is the case with interlocking supermarket trolleys, which are stored near supermarkets, nested one inside the other, so that they can be used by customers between the supermarket itself and their car in order to transport their shopping effortlessly. .

The supermarket trolleys include a mesh basket mounted on handling wheels and a transverse handling handle to be able to drive them.

Also, the supermarket trolleys are successively borrowed by customers who grab the transverse handling handle, so that the pathogenic microorganisms with which they are infected easily land on the transverse handling handle of the trolleys and on the basket in particular, and can contaminate a large number of customers.

To be able to avoid such contamination, it has been devised to carry out a systematic washing of the trolleys after each of their use. Such washing requires a suitable installation and also consumes large quantities of water.

It was also imagined to cover the handling handle with removable protective tubular screens that are adjusted on the handle and then removed. Reference may be made to document FR2935243A1. These tubular screens apply only to the handle and their implementation requires, for assembly or disassembly, to rest on the carriage.

Also, a problem which arises and which the present invention aims to solve is to provide an economical protection device, which allows customers to avoid any contact of the trolley with their hands.

For this purpose and according to a first object, there is proposed a protection device capable of being installed on a supermarket trolley, said supermarket trolley comprising a mesh basket mounted on handling wheels, said mesh basket having on the one hand a bottom wall and on the other hand, a front edge opposite a rear edge and two opposite side edges, said carriage further comprising a transverse handling handle located in the extension of said rear edge. The device comprises: a recessed sheet having a bottom and a front edge opposite a rear edge, the rear and front edges being adapted to be adjusted respectively on said rear and front edges of said mesh basket, while said bottom is applied to the inside of said wire basket; and, a casing secured to said rear edge, to wrap said transverse handling handle.

Thus, a characteristic of the invention resides in the implementation of a hollow sheet which lines the interior of the basket of the trolley, from the rear edge to the front edge, and of an envelope connected to the rear edge of the sheet in hollow and which comes to wrap the reverse handling handle. In this way, the envelope shields the transverse handling handle so that the protective device installed for each new customer protects him from any microorganisms deposited on the handle. In addition, the hollow sheet installed in the basket protects the foodstuffs or products that the customer or user loads into his basket during his shopping, against any micro-organisms that may adhere to the internal wall of the basket.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said front edge comprises drive tabs. As will be explained below, these drive tongues make it possible to drive the sheet hollow in the basket without bringing the hands there directly. Advantageously, said drive tabs extend laterally from said front edge, opposite one another. Thanks to this characteristic, the implementation of the hollow ply is made easier.

Furthermore, said recessed ply is advantageously divided into a large compartment bordered by said rear edge and a small compartment bordered by said front edge. In this way, the hollow web adapts perfectly to compartmentalized supermarket trolleys having a large receptacle at the rear and a small receptacle in front, the two receptacles being separated from each other by a mesh wall.

Also, said mesh basket further comprising two opposite side edges, said recessed ply advantageously further has two opposite side edges adapted to be adjusted respectively on said two opposite side edges. In this way, not only the front and rear edges are respectively covered with the front and rear edges of the recessed ply, but also the side edges are also covered with the side edges of the recessed ply. In this way, all the edges of the basket are covered by the hollow web, so that the user can reach there with his hand without risk of being contaminated.

Moreover, said recessed ply and said envelope are made in one piece from a film of polymer material. Such a film is thus very flexible and it can be easily shaped to fit the internal walls of the mesh basket. And moreover, it is perfectly hermetic to micro-organisms. In other words, the microorganisms adhering to the basket and/or to the transverse handling handle cannot pass through the film of polymer material which covers them.

According to another object, there is proposed a method for installing a protective device as described above on a supermarket trolley comprising a mesh basket mounted on handling wheels, said mesh basket having on the one hand a bottom wall and on the other hand, a front edge opposite a rear edge and two opposite side edges, said carriage further comprising a transverse handling handle located in the extension of said rear edge. Said method comprises, in order, the following steps: a) providing a recessed lap and a longitudinal pocket having two closed opposite ends and a transverse opening, said lap having a bottom and a front border opposite a rear border, said border posterior being connected to said pocket, while said recessed lap is folded inside said pocket; b) said pocket containing said folded hollow ply is carried resting on said transverse handling handle; c) said pocket is turned upside down to form an envelope enveloping said transverse handling handle, while releasing said hollow ply; and, d) fitting the rear and front edges respectively to said rear and front edges of said mesh basket, while applying said bottom inside said mesh basket.

Thus, by providing a hollow sheet as described above, folded inside a pocket with a transverse opening and of which it is integral, the assembly can be installed on a supermarket trolley without having to carry the hands directly in contact with it. Indeed, as will be explained in more detail later in the entry, the user first of all brings his two hands inside the pocket under the folded sheet and respectively in the two ends. He then comes to carry the pocket resting on the transverse handling handle by placing his two hands thus inserted in the pocket on the handle. Then, resting on both ends, he turns the bag upside down on the transverse handling handle, still without bringing his hands into direct contact with the handle, and releasing the folded hollow sheet. Then, he grasps the front edge of the hollow ply in order to be able to extend the latter inside the basket as far as the front edge of the latter. In addition, it pushes the bottom of the sheet hollow inside the basket to the bottom wall. In this way, the pocket forms an envelope enveloping the handle while the hollow web extends inside the basket.

Preferably, said front edge of said recessed web includes drive tabs, and in step d) said drive tabs are grasped to be able to adjust the rear and front edges respectively on said rear and front edges of said mesh basket. In this way, as soon as the pocket is turned over, the two opposite tabs appear and they can then be grasped to deploy the sheet formed in the hollow without having to put their hands on the basket.

In addition, in step a) said recessed sheet is advantageously provided divided into a large compartment and a small compartment, and in step d), said large compartment is bordered by said rear edge, while said small compartment is bordered by said front edge. Thus, when the hollow sheet is deployed by dragging the front edge towards the front edge of the carriage, the large compartment fits inside the large receptacle of the basket, while the small compartment fits inside the inside the small receptacle.

In addition, in step a), a hollow ply and a pocket made in one piece in a film of polymer material are provided. The film of polymer material has for example a thickness of between 18 μm and 60 μm. Advantageously, the thickness of the film of polymer material is less than or equal to 50 μm. The polymer material is for example polyethylene. Also, the polymer material is preferably made with corn starch or any other biosourced and biodegradable material. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the polymer material is compostable.

Other particularities and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the description given below of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:
is a schematic top view of a blank making it possible to produce a protection device according to the invention;
is a schematic view in vertical longitudinal section of the protection device according to the invention in an active state;
is a schematic side view of a protection device according to the invention in a storage state;
is a schematic front view of the protective device in the storage state as shown in Figure [Fig. 3]; And,
is a schematic side view of a supermarket trolley equipped with a protective device as shown in Figure [Fig. 2].

Figure 1 shows a top view of a cutout 10 in a film of polymer material extending in the same plane and making it possible to produce a protection device according to the invention. The polymer material is for example polyethylene and its thickness is close to 60 μm. Also, other polymer materials can be used, and in particular biodegradable polymer materials. Examples include corn or pea starch, which are both biosourced and biodegradable.

These films made of polymer material are flexible and can be bent as will be explained in more detail in the following description.

The cutout 10 extends longitudinally between a rear end 12 and an opposite front end 14. Thus, the cutout 10 comprises a large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16 and in a transverse direction, two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20, respectively secured to the two opposite lateral sides of the central part 16 and symmetrical to each other with respect to the central part 16. The two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20 have two large opposite free edges 19, 21. The large trapezoidal central part isosceles 16 is extended towards the rear end 12 by a first substantially rectangular part 22, which has a rear edge 25 is itself extended by a rectangular transverse part 24. The rectangular transverse part 24 thus has a free edge 23 opposite to the posterior border 25.

The cutout 10 further comprises, in the extension of the isosceles trapezoidal central part 16 and opposite the first rectangular part 22, two second identical successive rectangular parts, a first 26 and a second 28, followed by a small part central trapezoidal isosceles 30 then a third rectangular part 32 terminated by a free end 35. Also, the cutout 10 further comprises two small opposite quadrilateral sections 34, 36 respectively integral with the two opposite lateral sides of the small central trapezoidal isosceles part 30 These two small opposite quadrilateral sections 34, 36 are respectively substantially parallel to the two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20 and they end in two small opposite free edges 33, 37. Also, the front end 14 of the cutout 10 has two opposite side bands 38, 40 projecting from the third rectangular part 32.

Furthermore, the first rectangular part 22 has two opposite first side edges 42, 44 and the rectangular transverse part 24 has two opposite end edges 43, 45. The two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20 have two large rear edges 46 , 48 and two respectively opposite large front edges 50, 52. The first second rectangular part 26 has two first opposite second side edges 54, 56, while the second second part 28 has two second opposite second edges 58, 60. The two small opposite quadrilateral sides 34, 36, have two small rear edges 62, 64 and two small front edges respectively opposite 66, 68. Also, the third rectangular part 32 has two third opposite side edges 70, 72.

The cutout 10 is then put in volume to be able to form a protection device according to the invention.

Thus, the first rectangular part 22 and the two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20 are erected with respect to the large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16, while the first two opposite side edges 42, 44 are respectively connected to the two large rear edges 46 , 48. For example, the edges are joined by heat welding, or even by gluing.

In addition, the first second rectangular part 26 is raised with respect to the large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16, while the second second part 28 is raised with respect to said small isosceles trapezoidal central part 30, the two second rectangular parts 26, 28 then coming back to back. Also, the first two opposite second side edges 54, 56 are connected to the two respectively opposite large front edges 50, 52 so as to form a large compartment 55 which is found schematically in the figure . Moreover, the two small opposite quadrilateral sections 34, 36 and the third rectangular part 32 are erected with respect to the small isosceles trapezoidal central part 30. The two small rear edges 62, 64 are then respectively connected to the two second opposite second edges 58 , 60, while the two opposite third lateral edges 70, 72 are respectively connected to the two opposite small front edges 66, 68. A small compartment 65 is then formed backing onto the large compartment 55 and which is found in figure [ Fig. 2]. Also, the large and small isosceles trapezoidal parts 16, 30 then form a bottom 75.

In addition, the first rectangular part 22 is folded on itself opposite the large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16 along a fold line 74, forming two facing folds, a first fold 76 secured to the first rectangular part 22 and a second free fold 78. The folds 76, 78 are then connected laterally together by their two opposite end half edges 43, 45 forming an envelope 80 which is found in the figure . The envelope 80 thus has a concave surface 79 and an opposite convex surface 81. The concave surface 79 corresponds to an internal surface, while the convex surface 81 corresponds to an external surface.

Thus, the figure illustrates in vertical longitudinal section a protection device 82 according to the invention. In addition to the envelope 80 formed by the two folds 76, 78, we find in the figure, the rear edge 25 of the first rectangular part 22, which is erected with respect to the large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16.

Also, the sheet formed in hollow 84 comprises the two second rectangular parts 26, 28 leaning against each other, the first 26 drawn up with respect to the large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16, the second 28 drawn up with respect to the small isosceles trapezoidal central part 30. It also comprises the third rectangular part 32 erected it, with respect to the small isosceles trapezoidal central part 30 and finally, the free end 35 which it extends by forming an anterior edge.

Also, do not appear in the figure, on the one hand the two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20 which extend opposite one another and connected on each side, to the first rectangular part 22, to the large isosceles trapezoidal central part 16 and the first second rectangular part 26, forming the large compartment 55, and on the other hand the two small opposite quadrilateral sections 34, 36 extending opposite one another and connected on each side, to the second second rectangular part 28, to the small isosceles trapezoidal central part 30 and to the third rectangular part 32 by forming the small compartment 65. The two opposite side ribbons 38, 40 do not appear either, which extend respectively projecting away from each other at the junction between the third rectangular part 32 and the free end 35.

Thus, the casing 80 is also hollow-formed, but unlike the hollow-formed ply 84.

Also, it will be explained with reference to the figures and [Fig. 3] the mode of conditioning of the protection device 82 before describing in detail its mode of implementation.

First, starting from the protection device 82 in a deployed mode as shown in the figure , the casing 80 is turned upside down, so that the internal surface 79 becomes external, while the external surface 81 becomes internal. A pocket 86 is thus formed, which can be found in the figure [Fig. 3] and inside which the ply formed in the hollow 84 is folded over. Care is then taken to keep the two opposite side strips 38, 40, represented in the figure [Fig. 1], directly accessible.

Thus, in Fig. the pocket 86, seen from the side, contains the sheet formed in the hollow 84 folded back on itself, while the internal surface 79 has become external. We find the second ply 78 delimited by the free edge 23, and the first ply 76 connected to the ply formed in the hollow 84 via the rear edge 25.

Pocket 86 is shown from the front in FIG. and it extends from a first end 88 to a second end 90, while the free edge 23 and the rear edge 25 define a transverse opening 92 which extends from the first end 88 to the second end 90. formed in hollow 84 is thus folded between the two folds 76, 78, and it can then be stored flat inside the pocket 86. Also, a plurality of sheet formed in hollow 84 folded respectively inside their pocket 86 can be stacked and thus stored together.

We will now describe with reference to Fig. and also in the figure [Fig. 5] illustrating in particular in vertical longitudinal section a supermarket trolley 94 or supermarket Caddy ©, the mode of implementation of the protection device 82 according to the invention.

The shopping cart 94 comprises a wire basket 96 mounted on a wheeled frame 98. The wire basket 96 has a bottom wall 95 and is divided into a large receptacle 100 located towards the rear and a small receptacle 102 located towards the rear. front, by a mesh wall 104. Also, the mesh basket 96 has a front edge 106 opposite a rear edge 108 and two opposite side edges 110, 112. And the carriage 94 further comprises a transverse handling handle 114 located in the extension of the posterior edge 108.

The supermarket trolley 94 thus described, we will now describe the implementation of the protection device 82 precisely on the trolley without the hands of the user who implements it coming directly into contact with the trolley 94 itself. .

Thus, the user first of all slides his two hands inside the pocket 86 between the second fold 78 and the sheet formed in the hollow 84 folded respectively towards the first 88 and second ends 90. In other words the user places the palms of his hands against the second fold 78 while the backs of his hands are in contact with the debossed sheet 84 folded. The user can then transport the pocket 86 applied to the transverse handling handle 114 of the supermarket trolley 94. Therefore, the second fold 78 then forms a screen between the palms of the user's hands and the transverse handling handle 114.

Then, the user then grasps the transverse handling handle 114 through the second fold 78 and then causes the reversal upside down of the pocket 86 around the transverse handling handle 114 without ever bringing his hands directly into contact with it. while extracting the folded debossed web 84. Then, the two opposite side strips 38, 40 appear deployed and they form two tabs that the user grasps immediately after the pocket 86 has been turned over to drive the free end 35 of the third rectangular part 32 onto the front edge 106 of the basket 96 as the debossed web 84 expands. The pocket 86 then turned inside out forms the aforementioned envelope 80 and it covers the transverse handling handle 114. In this way, the sheet formed in the hollow 84 remains held to the handle 114 when the tabs are stretched to the leading edge 106 of basket 96.

Then, still without bringing his hands directly into contact with the mesh basket 96, the user brings them against the bottom 75 of the large and small compartments 55, 65 of the sheet formed in the hollow 84, so as to deploy the latter at the inside the large receptacle 100 and the small receptacle 102 respectively. Furthermore, the user can adjust the free edges 19, 21 and 33, 37 of the two large opposite quadrilateral sections 18, 20 and of the two small opposite quadrilateral sections 34, 36 on the two opposite side edges 110, 112 of the mesh basket 96 In this way, the essential parts of the mesh basket 96 that the user is likely to grasp during his shopping are completely screened by the envelope 80 and the sheet formed in the hollow 84. In this way, he runs no risk of wearing the hands in contact with the parts of the supermarket trolley 94 possibly contaminated.

Furthermore, when the supermarket trolley 94 must be carried again in its park, it is easy to remove the protective device 82, still without bringing the hand in contact with the trolley by grasping the bottom 75 of the sheet formed hollow 84. The protection device 82 can then be thrown into a container provided for this purpose.

Furthermore, it will be observed that the protection device 82 according to the invention can also be adapted to a supermarket trolley provided with a single compartment. Also, we are then freed from the two second successive rectangular parts, from the small isosceles trapezoidal central part and from the two small opposite quadrilateral sections, the third rectangular part being directly connected to the large isosceles trapezoidal central part.

Claims (10)

Protective device suitable for being installed on a supermarket trolley, said supermarket trolley (94) comprising a mesh basket (96) mounted on handling wheels, said mesh basket (96) having on the one hand a bottom wall ( 95) and on the other hand, a front edge (106) opposite a rear edge (108) and two opposite side edges (110, 112), said carriage (94) further comprising a transverse handling handle (114) located in the extension of said rear edge (108);
characterized in that it comprises:
- a recessed sheet (84) having a bottom (75) and a front edge (35) opposite a rear edge (25), the rear and front edges being adapted to be adjusted respectively on said rear (108) and front edges (106) of said mesh basket (96), while said bottom (75) is applied inside said mesh basket (96); And,
- an envelope (80) secured to said rear edge (25), to envelop said transverse handling handle (114). Protective device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said front edge (35) comprises drive tongues (38, 40). Protective device according to Claim 2, characterized in that the said drive tongues (38, 40) extend laterally from the said front edge (35), opposite one another. Protective device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the said hollow ply (84) is divided into a large compartment (55) bordered by the said rear edge (108) and a small compartment (65) bordered by said leading edge (106). Protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, said mesh basket (96) further comprising two opposite side edges (110, 112), said recessed sheet (84) further has two edges opposite side edges adapted to be fitted respectively on said two opposite side edges (110, 112). Protective device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the said hollow ply (84) and the said envelope (80) are made in one piece from a film of polymer material. A method of installing a protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 on a shopping cart (94) comprising a mesh basket (96) mounted on castors, said mesh basket (96) having on the one hand a bottom wall (95) and on the other hand, a front edge (106) opposite a rear edge (108) and two opposite side edges (110, 112), said carriage (94) further comprising a transverse handling handle (114) located in the extension of said rear edge (108);
characterized in that it comprises the following steps in order:
- a) there is provided a hollow ply (84) and a longitudinal pocket (86) having two opposite ends (88, 90) closed and a transverse opening (92), said ply (84) having a bottom (75) and a leading edge (35) opposite a trailing edge (25), said trailing edge (25) being connected to said pocket (86), while said recessed sheet (84) is folded inside said pocket (86) ;
- b) carrying said pocket (86) containing said hollow ply (84) folded resting on said transverse handling handle (114);
- c) turning said pocket (86) upside down to form an envelope (80) enveloping said transverse handling handle (114), while releasing said hollow ply (84); And,
- d) the rear (25) and front (35) edges are adjusted respectively to said rear (108) and front (106) edges of said mesh basket (96), while said bottom (75) is applied inside said mesh basket (96). Installation method according to Claim 7, characterized in that the said front edge (35) of the said recessed ply (84) comprises drive tabs (38, 40), and in that in step d) gripping said drive tabs (38, 40) to adjust rear (25) and front (35) edges respectively to said rear (108) and front (106) edges of said wire basket (96). Installation method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that in step a) said hollow sheet (84) is provided, divided into a large compartment (55) and a small compartment (65), and in that that in step d), said large compartment (55) is bordered by said rear edge (108), while said small compartment (65) is bordered by said front edge (106). Installation method according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterized in that in step a), a recessed sheet (84) and a pocket (86) made in one piece in a film of polymeric material.