GB2303588A

GB2303588A - Trolley for carrying baskets

Info

Publication number: GB2303588A
Application number: GB9608907A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gregg Hazelgrove; Debbie Foreman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-07-25
Filing date: 1996-04-30
Publication date: 1997-02-26
Also published as: GB9608907D0

Abstract

A carrier for carrying baskets such as shopping baskets 9 has an inverted U-shaped frame 1 defined by a pair of elongate arms 4,5 of hollow circular cross-section. Hooks 6,7 are provided on the arms 4,5 to removably support one or more baskets 9. The U-shaped frame 1 is constructed of detachable interconnecting sections 14,15,16, with the handle 3 at the closed portion of the frame and wheels 2 and a support foot 13 mounted at the other end. The interconnecting sections 14,15,16 are connected by cylindrical lugs 17,18 such as hard plastics bungs having a friction fit with the frame 1. The handle 3 may project at right angles to the frame 1.

Description

A CARRIER FOR CARRIABLE BASKETS This invention relates to a carrier for manually movable baskets particularly for use in supermarket type retail outlets. Carriable baskets are small baskets having two handles to carry the baskets by hand.

In supermarkets such as for food or for do-ityourself products it is common to have supplied large basket trollies having a single very large wire basket having a handle and four wheels, one at each corner of the basket. The front two wheels generally swivel to aid manoeuvrability of the trolley. Alternatively, there are provided much smaller individual carriable baskets with two handles for carrying the basket by hand. These manually handled baskets are used, often by the elderly, when only a relatively small number of food products for example are required.However, it is also often the case that two such baskets are carried either because as people walk around the supermarket they purchase more produce than intended or alternatively they do not like to use the basket trolleys because they are large, cumbersome and often very difficult to manoeuvre because of the wheels having been damaged or become stiff.

Consequently, many people struggle with nearly two full individual baskets carried by hand.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier for carriable baskets by which the above mentioned disadvantages are substantially eliminated.

According to the present invention there is provided a carrier for carrying one or more carriable baskets thereon, comprising a frame having a pair of spaced elongate substantially parallel arms, a handle portion at an uppermost end thereof, moveable means on each arm at a lowermost end thereof for moving the frame along a surface, and basket support means mounted on the arms for removably supporting the one or more baskets to hang the baskets on the frame.

In one preferred embodiment of a carrier according to the present invention the frame and handle portion are formed by an inverted U-shaped frame which may comprise a plurality of detachable sections. Conveniently, the detachable sections are interconnectable by lugs locatable between the individual sections to secure them together.

Preferably, the lugs are bungs of a hard plastics material locatable with a tight functional fit within a hollow in the end of each opposed section. The basket support means may comprise metal hooks welded to the arms of the U-shaped frame. Conveniently four such hooks are provided, with two hooks spaced longitudinally along each arm of the frame so that each corresponding pair of hooks between the two arms form a support for a basket at one level along the length of the U-shaped frame.

Preferably, the moveable means is a wheel mounted on a free end of each arm of the arms on inverted U-shaped frame remote from the closed end which constitutes a handle for the frame. The wheels are preferably mounted on a common axle extending between the free ends of the arms of the frame.

Conveniently, another embodiment requires the handle portion to be displaced to one side of a longitudinal axis of the elongate parallel arms, opposite to that side from which the carriable basket extend. The handle portion may extend at right angles to the elongate arms or uppermost ends of the arms are curved to define a displaced handle portion.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a carrier according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the carrier of Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a connecting lug for interconnecting sections of the carrier frame of Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a wall mountable hook on which the carrier of Figures 1 to 3 can be stored, Figure 5 is a side elevational view of an alternative form of handle portion in which a part of the U-shaped arms extend in an opposite direction to that of the basket, Figure 6 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 5 but illustrating a joint along the arms of the carrier, Figure 7 is a side elevational view illustrating an alternative form of the handle portion.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the carrier; Figure 9 is a side elevational view of yet another embodiment of the carrier; and Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the carrier of Figure 9.

Referring specifically to the drawings there is shown in Figure 1 a carrier for carriable baskets comprising an inverted generally rectangular U-shaped frame 1 having a wheel 2 at each free end of the frame and a handle 3 formed at the closed end of the Ushaped frame. Each arm 4, 5 of the frame has U-shaped support hooks 6, 7 welded to and spaced longitudinally along the length of the respective arm. The support hooks project outwardly from a front face 8 of the Ushaped frame and are used to support carriable wire baskets 9 so that two wire baskets are supported on each frame, the wire baskets are indicated in Fig. 1 in broken lines. Similar support hooks 10 as the hooks 6, 7 are also provided back to back with the support hook 6, on a rear surface 11 of the carrier frame for supporting such bulky items having their own handle such as nappies etc.

The wheels 2 are located at a free end of each arm respectively and are mounted on a common axle 12 extending between the two arms, the common axle 12 being located approximately half an inch from the extreme outer free ends of the inverted U-shaped frame. Conveniently, the axle 12 ensures that the free end of each arm 4,5 remain tied together by a fixed distance.

A support foot 13 is mounted on the free end of each arm 4,5 and these extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of each arm so that when the trolley is situated in an upright "rest" position the foot rests against the surface or floor of the supermarket and holds the carrier in a stable upright substantially vertical position irrespective of the weight of produce within baskets mounted on the carrier.

The handle 3 is constituted by the closed and portion of the U-shaped arm and this portion is divided into a straight tubular central portion 14 and two curved end portions 15 and 16 integral with arms 4 and 5, respectively, between which the central portion extends. An interconnecting lug 17 connects the two portions 14 and 15 and a similar but separate lug 18 interconnects the portions 14 and 16.

The frame is of a substantially circular hollow cross section and the lug 17, 18 is in the form of a cylindrical bung of hard plastics material which fits tightly inside hollow end of the frame thereby providing a substantial frictional fit. Each connecting lug 17,18 is of a cylindrical construction and has a centrally located raised or increased radius portion 19. When the portions 14, 15 for example are interconnected by the lug the open ends of the portions 14, 15 abut against the increased radii portion 19 thereby to prevent the lug 17 disappearing within the frame.

The breakdown of the frame 1 into various sections, three in all, has the advantage of allowing the carrier to be manufactured and transported to the site at which the carrier is to be used. The carrier is easily assembled preferably with a sleeve 20 around the central handle portion 14. The sleeve 20 may conveniently have a logo of the particularly company which owns the supermarket where the carrier is being used, and may be of an opaque or transparent material.

The U-shaped carrier frame may be of a high tensile steel coated with zinc and lacquer, or alternatively, may be produced from a hard plastics material. Other metals such as aluminium may also be used. Moreover, whilst the frame has been described as being of a circular cross-section it may have other cross-sectional configuration such as oval or rectangular, that is for example square.

Preferably the hooks 6 are located approximately 6" from the handle 3 whilst the hooks 7 are located 13" from the base or open end of the U-shaped frame.

The arms 4, 5 of the inverted U-shaped frame are conveniently spaced by approximately 12". The wheels located on the frame are preferably of a 2" diameter and the carrier rests are of a hard rubber or plastics material although of course they may also be made from metal.

Figure 4 illustrates a separate elongate wall mounted hook arrangement 21, sloping downwardly as shown in use, and on which the basket carrier can be located together with other carriers for storage purposes. A rubber stopper 22 is located on the inside surface 23 of hook end 24 of the hook arrangement 21.

Figure 5 illustrates one alternative form of the handle 3 in which the arms 4, 5 are bent at right angles at 30 in the region of the closed end or handle 3 so that the handle extends transversely from the arms 4, 5 in an opposite direction to the direction in which a basket would extend when attached to the hooks 6, 7.

One alternative form of the handle 3 as just described with reference to Figure 5 is handle 31 as shown in Figure 6. Here the arms 4, 5 are each separated into two parts along their length, which parts are interconnected in the assembled carrier by a lug similar to that shown in Figure 3, inserted into the separated ends of each arm 4, 5. In Figure 6 the lower separated part is defined by the arms 4, 5 and the upper separated part by the handle 31. The handle 31 is mounted on arms 4, 5 by insertion of the lug in each arm 4, 5 into corresponding recesses within the handle 31. The handle 31 is preformed with a right angle 32 so that the handle 31 extends outwardly from the arms 4, 5 in a direction opposite to the direction in which a basket extends when attached to the carrier.

In yet a further embodiment, shown in Figure 7, the carrier is similar in shape the embodiment of Figure 6. However, in this embodiment the arms 4, 5 are each shown to have a permanent right angle 33 at their uppermost ends in the drawings to define a horizontal handle 34 which is joined at 35 by lugs 36 enabling interconnection between the arms 4, 5 and handle 34 in a similar manner to that described with reference to Figure 3.

Although having a handle which extends transversely to the direction in which the arms 4, 5 extend is preferred, the arms 4, 5 as is shown in Figure 8, may be curved 37 over at least a part thereof or otherwise shaped in their longitudinal direction to achieve substantially the same displacement of the handle as is achieved in the embodiments of Figures 5 - 7. Such displacement of the handle from the direction in which the arms 4, 5 extend in the region of the wheels of the carrier has the specific advantage, when the carrier is in use, of ensuring that the arms of the carrier and hence a basket or baskets attached to the arms are held in a more upright position so that goods in a basket remain in the basket.

The alternative embodiments disclosed with reference to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 as well as the embodiment just described are otherwise constructed similarly to and of the same materials as the embodiments of Figure 1-4. In particular the handle and frame are of circular cross-section and are preferably of a high tensile steel coated with zinc and lacquer. The handle itself will in each case be constructed as described for the embodiment of Figures 1-4 as far as a gripping part of the handle is concerned with or without a plastic sleeve which may contain a company logo, for example.

In one further alternative embodiment, Figures 9 and 10, similar to the embodiment of Figure 8, an enlarged solid balancing foot 40, preferably of stainless steel, is used to replace the foot 13. The balancing foot 40 has two side arms 41, 42 interconnected by a cross-bar 43 at one end thereof to define a substantially U-shape with a slight inward taper of the side arms thereof, which are fixed to the frame 1 in the region of the wheels 2 at their free ends, towards the crossbar 43. The weight of the solid foot serves to establish the balancing of the carrier whether loaded or unloaded The foot 40 lies at an obtuse angle to the main frame 1 and has the effect of balancing the carrier with its curved outwardly extending handle to leave the carrier in a stable upstanding slightly forward leaning state when loaded or unloaded.

In one further embodiment of the carrier the main outer frame is constructed from a substantially continuous length of stainless steel tube, preferably of circular cross-section defining the handle, side arms and a curved balancing foot 40. Such a construction is illustrated also in Figure 8. The wheel axle is located in the region of a sharp bend from the side arms 4, 5 to the arms 41, 42 respectively of the balance foot 40.

Although the tube may be of circular crosssection it. can of course be of any suitable crosssection for example, elliptical or square. The tubing may alternatively be formed from a hard plastics (poly-vinyl chloride), or rubber material of a type which is commonly known.

Conveniently, the open ends of the looks can be provided with plastics,(poly-vinyl chloride) to avoid physical damage to users, and predominantly children.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A carrier for carrying one or more carriable baskets thereon, comprising a frame having a pair of spaced elongate substantially parallel arms, a handle portion at an uppermost end thereof, moveable means on each arm at a lowermost end thereof for moving the arms along a surface, and basket support means mounted on each arm for removably supporting the one or more baskets on the frame.

2. A carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame and handle portion are formed by an inverted Ushaped frame.

3. A carrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle portion extends at an angle to an elongate axis of each arm of the carrier.

4. A carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the angle is a right angle.

5. A carrier as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the right angle is defined by an integral moulding formed in the arms of the carrier.

6. A carrier as claimed in claim 5, wherein the handle portion is connected to each arm along the length of each arm extending at right angles to the remainder of the arms.

7. A carrier as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the right angle is formed in the handle.

8. A carrier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the arms of the carrier are straight and the handle portion is connected to the ends of the arms remote from the ends having the movable means.

9. A carrier as claimed in claims 6 or 8, including a lug for interconnecting the handle and arms.

10. A carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the arms are curved to displace the handle to one side of the frame.

11. A carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame is formed of detachable sections.

12. A carrier as claimed in claim 11, including lugs for interconnecting the sections of the frame.

13. A carrier as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lugs comprise a bung of a hard plastics material.

14. A carrier as claimed in claim 13, wherein the frame is of a hollow cylindrical cross-section and the bung comprises two cylindrical end pieces separated by an increased radius portion, the end pieces being arranged to be a tight frictional fit with the internal surface of the frame.

15. A carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the basket support means comprises metal hooks extending from the arms of the frame.

16. A carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable means comprises a wheel mounted on a free lowermost end in use of each arm.

17. A carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including a carrier rest for maintaining the carrier in an upright position when not being moved.

18. A carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main frame including handle and side arms are a substantially continuous length of tube.

19. A carrier as claimed in claim 18, wherein the balancing foot is of a solid construction mountede on the end of the side arms.

20. A carrier as claimed in claim 18, wherein the tube is of a circular, elliptical or square crosssection.

21. A carrier as claimed in claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein the balancing foot is in a substantially Ushaped configuration extending outwardly from the side arms of the main frame with an inward taper towards the closed end thereof.

22. A carrier as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier is of stainless steel tubing.

23. A carrier for carrying one or more carriable baskets substantially as herein before described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.