IE910510A1 - Transport trolley with coin lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A trolley has a coin lock and a key for locking trolleys in a parking queue to each other or for releasing the trolley at the end of the column when a deposit coin is inserted in the coin lock. The coin lock locks the deposit coin when the trolley is released. To release the trolley, the deposit coin in the coin lock executes a movement in the direction of its axis of rotation.

Description

The invention relates to a transport trolley with a coin lock and a key used respectively for the connecting together of trolleys standing in a parked gueue and for releasing of the trolley standing at the end of the queue L0 against insertion of a coin in its coin lock, whereby the coin lock holds the token coin fast on releasing of the trolley. To initiate releasing of the trolley, the token coin performs a movement within the coin lock in the direction of its axis of rotation. >5 PATENTS ACT,_1964 COMPLETE SPECIFIC Ατια /1 L 91iW GN¥ 69 NOU-USti Zi / / ‘ ΜΟΙΙΟΧ^?^ °risnrf WTTH c01*-^ ·τυ FUSV^ rUL^aMJcaIIONNO ^ΟΎνΟΗ °t; * ~fc.^-gpectsilTtONfiled, ' W W·· STSTOn AUSBAUSYSTEtTCGMbH, a company organised and existing under the laws of Germany, of Ringstrasse Π, D-803! E i chen.au, Germany.

P 5640 The invention relates to a transport trolley, in particular a shopping trolley, with a coin lock and a key used respectively for the connecting together of trollies standing in a parked queue of trollies and for releasing of the trolley preferably located at the end of the queue on insertion of a coin, in which the coin lock securely holds the coin on release of the trolley and releases the coin on reconnection of the trolley.

Transport trollies with this form of system are known in principle from DE-A 25 54 916 and have in the meantime become known in various embodiments on the market. In this case, each transport trolley is in principle equipped with 15 a coin lock and with a key which is in most cases suspended on a chain. When the trolley is connected up, the key on the penultimate trolley or the key suspended from a collecting point inserts into the coin lock on the trolley, while its own key remains available to connect up the next trolley in sequence.

The general standing at However, it standing at intention is for the particular trolley the end of the queue to be disconnected, is likewise possible to disconnect the trolley the beginning of the queue or, if the trollies are to be distributed by service staff, to unlock the queue of trollies in the middle.

Since a trolley can only be released against insertion of a 5 coin in the coin-in-the-slot meter and the user will only receive back this coin when he once again connects up the trolley to one of the various collecting points, the trollies will no longer stand uselessly about. There is a saving on staff employed to look for, collect and bring 0 back the trollies and a smaller number of the latter will also generally suffice, because unused trollies are at all times concentrated at the points at which they are needed. In order to promote the propagation of this transport trolley with coin lock system, the present invention is based on the problem of reducing the expense of the coin lock and in particular its dimensions. The object of the invention is to have the coin lock better integrated within the trolley, therefore projecting to a lesser degree into the goods space or beyond the outer edge. The coin lock is not least to be characterised by ease of operation and favourable manufacturing costs .

This problem is solved in accordance with the invention in that the coin is movable within the coin lock substantially in the direction of the coin's rotational axis to release the trolley. The invention is based in this case on the following finding: all former systems work on the principle that the coin must be moved in its own plane, for which purpose use is in most cases still made of a slide projecting from the coin lock, into which slide the coin is first inserted and must then travel a fairly long sliding path in order to release the key of the trolley in front. Even with the greatest expenditure of design effort, the sliding path and therefore the length also of the slide projecting from the coin lock can never be less than the diameter of the coin.

In contrast with the foregoing, the coin in the system in accordance with the invention effectively travels in the direction of the coin axis and its path of movement and the resultant dimensions of the coin lock are therefore significantly smaller than in the known systems. It is in most cases sufficient to provide a path of movement which is in the order of magnitude of the thickness of the coin. It is recommended, as a function of the particular design, to provide a path of movement of from 1 mm to about 1 cm.

In order to realize this principle, it is recommended to arrange at least one actuator in the coin lock, moveable in the direction of the coin axis, this actuator being in effective connection with the coin on one side and the key on the other side and alternatively releasing the key while retaining the coin or releasing the coin while retaining the key.

Constructional formation can be effected in such way that the coin lock exhibits a coin holder which is preferably incorporated rigidly within the coin lock and exhibits the shape of a cup taking the coin with a slight clearance and in that at least one spring-loaded slide moveable approximately in parallel with the coin axis under the protection of projections, projects its cross section so far into the cross section of the coin holder that it can be pressed down by the coin, but not by the next smallest coin, whereby when not pressed down it engages to hold fast in recesses in the key inserted in a cavity of the coin lock, but releases the key when pressed down and is itself simultaneously held fast against springing back by a means restrained against spring pressure by the key when it is held fast and thus seizes the coin in the coin holder.

The slide is appropriately designed as a cylindrical stud with two snap ring grooves, the topmost of which serves to positively hold the coin in the coin holder, while the bottom one serves both to release the key and to have itself held fast by the means provided for the purpose. It I is therefore possible to manage with very few, easily manufactured parts.

The means used to hold the slide fast in its pressed-in position can be composed of a bolt guided inside the aforesaid cavity for the key, which, on withdrawal of the key, engages by spring force in recesses in the slide, but, on insertion of the key, releases the slide, so that it will move the coin into its uppermost releasing position.

To eliminate any form of misuse of the coin-in-the-slot meter, it is recommended to work not just with one slide, but with severally spatially separated slides which must be simultaneously pressed down in order that the key of the adjacent trolley can be released. Further characteristics in this respect are to be found in Claims 6 to 8.

Another development of the invention is designed on the basis that the user is not prescribed the use of a particular coin, but can choose between two different coins. This is particularly to be recommended in areas close to national borders, in which different currencies are in use. For this purpose and in accordance with the invention, two differently sized coin holders are incorporated in the coin lock and act together with the same slide or slides. The coin holders are appropriately arranged on edge and on both sides of the cavity for the key in this case. Accordingly, in this case, the coin lock is no longer fed with coins from above, but from the left or from the right.

Since, where the coins are of different sizes, the slides must exhibit correspondingly offset effective surfaces for contact with the coins, it can be appropriate for production engineering reasons to make up the slide out of three longitudinally succeeding part sections, the middle one of which corresponds to the key and the outer two of which respectively correspond to a particular coin, in which case the part sections are fastened together with one another under spring force in both axial directions.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are disclosed in the following description, by way of example only, of two embodiments with reference to the drawings, which show the following: Fig. 0 is a queue of shopping trollies connected together; Fig. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of the coin lock from above with one partial section along line E in Fig. 8; Fig. 2 is a section along line A in Fig. 6; Fig. 3 is a section along line C in Fig. 7; Fig. 4 is a section along line B in Fig. 6; Fig. 5 is a section along line D in Fig. 7; Fig. 8 is a section along line F in Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but in an inadmissible attempt to unlock; Fig. 10 is a different design for two coins in vertical section; Fig. 11 is the same view as Fig. 10, but with the coin held fast; Fig. 12 is a vertical section through Fig. 10 along line G; and Fig. 13 is a side view of Fig. 11 in the direction of arrow H.

It should further be noted that Figs. 6, 7 and 9 are sections in the parting plane of the coin-lock housing, and that Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6 and the left half of fig. 8, then Figs. 3, 5, 7 and the right half of fig. 8 respectively represent the same states of operation.

The principle of interconnection is first explained in Fig. 0, which shows a number of shopping trollies A pushed one into the other, each of them having a coin lock B and being connected thereby through a flexible element 5 to the respective adjacent trolley or to a stationery collecting point C. When a trolley - generally the trolley standing at the end of the queue - is to be disconnected, a coin must be inserted in its coin lock, on which the coin lock will release the connection to the trolley standing in front. In reverse, the user receives back his coin on renewed connection of the trolley.

The design and method of operation of a first embodiment of the invention is explained hereinafter with reference to Figs. 1 to 9.

A bottom housing section 1 of the coin lock B is connected by rivets 2 with a top housing section 3 and is itself secured by means of a screw 4 to the handle bar 6 of a shopping trolley, with a flat belt 5 being clamped in between. A key 8 is attached by rivets 7 to the free end of the flat belt 5. This key is not shown in the drawings, but the key 8 of identical type which is attached to the end of flat belt 5', pertaining to the trolley coming next in direction of travel in the parked queue.

Drilled holes 9 and 9', which end like a blind hole under projections 27 of housing section 3, contain movable cylindrical studs 10 and 10' subject to the action of pressure springs 11. The studs 10, 10' exhibit snap ring grooves 12 and 13.

The housing sections 1 and 3 form between one another a cavity 14 of sufficient height to allow the key 8, which is manufactured from sheet metal of approximately the thickness of a coin, to be easily inserted. The cavity 14 contains two bolts 15 and 15' with catches 16 and a bridge 17 which is subject to the action of a pressure spring 18.

The system is initially in the condition represented in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, left half, in which the trolley which has the illustrated device fitted on its handle bar 6 is connected together with the next trolley by the flat belt 5'.

It can easily be seen from Fig. 6 that the key 8 cannot be pulled out, since the studs 10 and 10' are partially engaged in recesses 19 which the key exhibits on its sides. With its front edge 20, the key at the same time holds back the bridge 17 against the action of the spring 18 and also keeps the bolts 15 and 15' disengaged by means of their catches 16.

The top side of housing section 2 is provided with a surface 21 into which is sunk the cup-type coin holder 22 in the region of the projections 27. The coin holder is designed in such way that space is provided in it for the coin with a tight clearance and its centre axis is located in approximately the same plane as the axes of the studs 10 and 10'. The drilled holes 9, 9' are further so arranged that their cross section projects into the coin holder 22 by somewhat less than the difference in radii between the coin and the next smallest coin. A limit stop 23 is furthermore provided at the edge of the coin holder.

If a coin is now inserted over surface 21 (from the left in Fig. 1) until it rests against the limit stop 23, the edge area of the coin introduces itself in the process, as can be seen in the left half of fig. 8, into the snap ring grooves 13 of studs 10 and 101.

When the coin is subsequently pressed downward into the coin holder 22, it simultaneously moves the studs 10 and 10' downward against the action of springs 11 by about its own thickness, until the latter assume the position shown at the right in fig. 8. In this process, the snap ring grooves 12 reach the level of the cavity 14, so that, as can be seen in Fig. 7, the key 8 can be pulled outward to the right, thereby leaving the trolley equipped in accordance with the invention free for use. At the same time, however, the spring 18, acting through the bridge 17 and the catches 16, moves the bolts 15 and 15' partially into the snap ring grooves 12, before the key 8 has left this latter position. The studs 10 and 10' can therefore neither rise upward again under the action of the springs 9, nor be lifted upward in any manner from above, as a result of which the coin, while for the greater part visible, remains positively held in place.

When the trolley is pushed back into the queue following use and the key 8 of the next trolley in front is again introduced into the cavity 14, the front edge 20 of the key 8 pushes both the bridge 17 and, through their catches 16, the bolts 15, 15' back into their initial position, whereby the recesses 19 come to coincide with the cross section of the drilled holes 9, so that the studs 10, 10' move rapidly into their top position under the action of the springs 11. In doing so, they simultaneously hold the key 8 fast against withdrawal and lift the coin 24 to the level of surface 21, so that it can be moved outward to the left without further difficulty.

It can easily be seen from Fig. 8 that, because of the projections 27, the studs 10, 10' cannot be reached with the fingers. To unlock the key, it would also be necessary to press both studs at the same time. Due to the continued visibility of the coin, the temptation to outsmart the system is not in any case particularly great for the normal user.

In contrast, the idea could occur, following use of the trolley, to induce the system to issue the coin through use of some form of improvised tool, so that the trolley would not have to be pushed back into place. If the bridge 17 were moved back through approximately central application of such a tool, the bolts 15, 15' would not follow and the coin would remain caught. If, in contrast, the bridge 17 were struck forcibly at the side, or if the tool were applied in approximately the direction of arrow 25 to the catch 16 of bolt 15, the parts 15, 17, 15' would jam against the side walls of the recess 14 well before bolt 15 were disengaged. If an attempt were made, with a rectangular plate the width of the recess 14, to disengage both bolts at the same time and thus without jamming the bridge 17, the plate itself would engage in the snap ring grooves 12 and firmly hold the studs 10, 10'. It would therefore require an actual false key to outsmart the system.

The fastening screw 4 is already incorporated at time of assembling the device. It can be tightened through an opening 26 in the top section of the housing 3, for which purpose the bridge 17 must be moved back by means of a suitable tool. Subsequently, the means of access to the screw is always blocked either by the coin 24 or the key 8, so that the device cannot be screwed off by unauthorised third parties. The screw can then best be made accessible when necessary through use of a key 8 with corresponding drilled hole.

The use of a flat belt 5 and the fastening of same by means 15 of screw 4 under the housing section 1 does not constitute an essential characteristic of the invention. Use could also be made of some other flexible, semi-flexible or rigid element instead of the flat belt.

The following should further be mentioned by way of completing the present instruction. It goes without saying that such a device may not be designed in such way that the coin can be withdrawn with the key attached to the device which is itself in question. In state of the art devices, their own size renders the length of the chain required to IE 91510 - 14 tie the trollies together so short that it will not pass round the device. In the subject matter of the invention, it can in contrast be necessary to incorporate stiffened sections into the flexible element using a technique well known to the expert.

A second embodiment of the invention is represented in Figs. 10 to 13. This embodiment allows the alternative use of two different coins.

To simplify understanding, corresponding parts have in so far as possible been given the same reference numbers as in the preceding figures, in which case the reference numbers referring to the smaller coin have been supplemented with the letter a, while the reference numbers referring to the larger coin have been supplemented with the letter b.

As is seen in Figs. 10 and 11, money holders 22a and 22b are respectively incorporated in the coin lock to left and right of the cavity 14 for insertion of the key 8 and each coin holder exhibits moveable slides 10a and 10b respectively at its edge perpendicular to the plane of the coin, so that the coin lock can be operated from each of the coin holders.

The slides 10a and 10b respectively operate in accordance with the same principle as the embodiment described beforehand, with the sole exception that they are in this case adapted to the different diameters of the available coins and are therefore offset in relation to one another.

For production engineering reasons, the slides 10a and 10b are not designed as single-piece units as in the preceding embodiment, but are separated from one another by a separate intermediate piece 10c and 10c' respectively.

This intermediate piece 10c or 10c' is gripped spring born between the two slides 10a and 10b or 10a' and 10b' respectively and, when no coin is inserted, engages in the recesses 19 of the key 8, see Fig. 12.

The intermediate pieces 10c and 10c' also correspond to the bolts 15 and 15' already described, which are themselves in effective connection through the catches 16 with the bridge 17.

When the transport trolley is connected up and the key 8 of the trolley in front is accordingly located in the coin lock, bolts 15, 15' together with their bridge 17 are pressed against the action of the spring 18 into the housing of the coin lock and the bolts 15, 15' are accordingly no longer engaged with the intermediate pieces 10b and 10b'. This condition is represented in Figs. 10 and 12.

If a coin 24 is now inserted into the coin lock (perpendicular to plane of drawing in fig. 11) until it is located over the coin holder 22b, it engages in the grooves 13 of slides 10b and 10b'. The subsequent active path of movement of the coin, which is appropriately effected directly by hand, but can also be initiated mechanically, then moves all parts of the slide to the same extent and in the same direction that the coin is moved. This condition is represented in Fig. 11.

In the course of this sliding movement, the intermediate pieces 10c and 10c' of the slides are disengaged from the key 8. This allows the pressure spring 18 to engage the bolts 15 and 15' with the slide intermediate-pieces 10c and 20 10c'. This condition is represented in Fig. 11. It can also be seen therein that the intermediate pieces 10c and 10c' exhibit two recesses 10e and 10f or 10e' and 10f' offset in the direction of movement, in order that the intermediate pieces 10c and 10c' can be arrested by the bolts 15 both in the left-side limit position as in fig. and in the unillustrated right-side limit position. The coin 24 is then secured against removal until the key 8 is inserted into cavity 14 on renewed connection of the transport trolley and the bolt 15 is pushed back.

Both described embodiments share the advantage that the effective actuating path of the coin is in the direction of the coin axis and therefore allows very minimal actuating paths and particularly compact design of the coin lock.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS :

1. A transport trolley, in particular a shopping trolley, with a coin lock and a key used respectively for the 5 connecting together of trollies standing in a parked queue and for releasing of the trolley preferably located at the end of the queue on insertion of a coin, in which the coin lock securely holds the coin on release of the trolley and releases the coin on reconnection of the trolley, the coin 10 being movable within the coin lock substantially in the direction of the coin's rotational axis to release the trolley.

2. A transport trolley as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the 15 movement of the coin is in the order of magnitude of the thickness of the coin.

3. A transport trolley as claimed in any of Claims 1 or 2, wherein at least one actuator moveable in approximately the 20 direction of the coin axis is in effective connection on one side with the coin and on the other side with the key and that said actuator alternatively releases the key while retaining the coin or releases the coin while retaining the key.

4. A transport trolley as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein the coin lock includes a coin holder in the form of a cup which takes the coin with a tight clearance and at least one spring-loaded slide, movable 5 approximately in parallel with the coin axis under the protection of projections, projects its cross section so far into the cross section of the coin holder that it can be pressed down by the coin, but not by the next smallest coin, whereby when not pressed down it engages to hold fast 10 in recesses in the key inserted into a cavity of the coin lock, whereas when pressed down, it releases the key and is itself simultaneously locked against springing back by a means restrained against spring pressure by the key when it is held fast and holds the coin in the coin holder. 5. A transport trolley as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the slide is designed as a cylindrical stud with two snap ring grooves, the upper one of which serves to positively hold the coin in the holder while the bottom one serves both to 20 release the key and to allow itself to be held fast by the means provided for the purpose. 6. A system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the means for holding fast the slide is designed as a bolt guided within 25 the cavity provided to take the key, which, on withdrawal - 20 Γ\ | of the key, engages by spring force in recesses in the slide, but releases the slide and therefore the coin on insertion of the key. 5 7. A transport trolley as claimed in Claim 6, wherein two opposingly located slides are provided and in that the means for holding fast the slides are two bolts on opposite side walls of the cavity with an intervening bridge engaged with the bolts, whereby the bridge presses the bolts into 10 recesses in the slides on removal of the key when the slides are pressed down, against which the bolts and the bridge release the slides on insertion of the key, so that they move along with the coin into their topmost releasing position. 8. A transport trolley as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the bridge exhibits such a ratio between length and width at its points of contact with the bolts that, in an attempt to disengage one of the bolts, it will jam between the bolts 20 in such way as to cause seizure. 9. A transport trolley as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 8, wherein the coin lock includes two differently sized coin holders which alternatively operate together 25 with the same slide or slides. 10. A transport trolley as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the coin holders are arranged on edge and on both sides of the cavity for the key. 11. A transport trolley as claimed in any of Claims 9 or 10, wherein the slides are composed of three longitudinally succeeding part sections, the centre section of which corresponds to the key and the two outer sections of which each correspond to a coin. 12. A transport trolley as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the part sections of the slides are fastened together under spring force in both axial directions. 13. A transport trolley as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein a screw provided for fastening of the housing of the coin lock to the trolley, itself accessible with a tool through a drilled hole in the top section of the housing, is always concealed either by the coin or by the key when in operation. 14. A coin lock for a transport trolley in accordance with any of the preceding Claims. 15. A coin lock for a transport trolley substantially in accordance with either of the embodiments herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.

5. 1

6. The features described in the foregoing specification or any obvious equivalent thereof, in any novel selection.