MXPA99005486A - Compact shopping cart - Google Patents

Abstract

Un carrito de supermercado diseñado para transportar un volumen de pequeño a mediano de productos, más fácil de manejar que los carritos de supermercado de gran tamaño;tiende a consumir un menor espacio tanto durante su uso como en la configuración de almacenamiento;el carrito tiene canastillas superior e inferior que se conectan giratoriamente a un marco para tener movimiento entre una configuración hacia abajo, de uso, y una configuración hacia arriba, de almacenamiento;las canastillas están interconectadas mediante varillas de unión, las cuales proveen un movimiento simultáneo a las canastillas entre sus configuraciones de uso y de almacenamiento.

Description

COMPACT SUPERMARKET CART RELATED REQUESTS This is a request for continuation of part of the application of E.U.A. of the series number 08 / 747,188 filed on November 12, 1996 (November 12, 1996). The only character of invention with respect to this application and each of the claims correspond to the applicant hereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention of the applicant refers to non-mechanized conveyors, and in particular shopping carts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The supermarket trolleys have only one standard configuration, and all the trolleys of this inventor share a common characteristic, they are relatively large for the volume of products that a "fast cash" user probably buys in a supermarket. People who enter supermarkets "just for a few things" often do not take a cart. Such customers will prefer not to deal with the large and uncomfortable supermarket trolleys of the prior art for the small volume of things they are trying to buy. A frequent problem encountered by customers who refuse to use supermarket carts is that they choose more things than they thought. This leads to one of the results: (1) the client makes a "juggling act" trying to take all his things to the cash register; or (2) the customer (now upset) returns to the store entrance to take a cart. As every supermarket manager knows, customers who try to do their shopping without a cart often leave items poorly accommodated. These items may include gallons of milk, bags of sugar, egg cartons, and other similar items that create a substantial mess (and a safety risk) when they fall on the supermarket floor. These problems have been addressed to a limited degree with the arrival of hand baskets that are now at the entrance of some supermarkets. These hand baskets are good in theory. However, anyone who has used one of these baskets, even for a relatively short time, can attest to how annoying it is for the hands. What is needed is an article that covers the space between the large supermarket trolleys and the hand baskets. This cart would ideally be a bit smaller than existing standard supermarket trolleys, would be convertible between a useful configuration and a highly compact storage configuration, so supermarket managers (and other basket users) would probably not resist adding the carts to their usable space, and these would reliably and firmly transport a moderate amount of cargo.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a new supermarket cart. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new supermarket cart that is useful particularly for a small to medium volume of products that will be purchased in a supermarket. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new supermarket cart smaller than existing supermarket carts, and that can be converted to a storage configuration where the cart is substantially smaller. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new supermarket cart that obviates the need for customers who make limited purchases from using a large supermarket cart, or use a hand basket, or carry in their hands all items that will buy. To meet these and other related objectives, the applicant's present invention provides designs for unique compact supermarket carts. The carts of the applicant are designed to transport a small to medium volume of products, to have a simpler handling than the existing large supermarket carts, to consume a smaller space both during use, as well as in the storage configuration , and due to the convenience and ease of use, to encourage the use of customers who would otherwise avoid using any supermarket cart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the supermarket cart design of the inventor of the present invention with the cart in the usage configuration. Figure 2 is a front top plan view of the cart of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the cart of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the cart of the figure 1. Figure 5 is a side elevation view of some trolleys as in Figure 1, said trolleys being in the storage configuration. Figure 6 is a description of range of movement showing the dynamic relationship between the upper and lower baskets as performed by the connecting rods.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the supermarket cart design of the inventor of the present invention with the cart in use configuration. Figure 8 is a description of the range of movement of the cart of Figure 7 showing the dynamic relationship between the upper and inner baskets (and the lower frame section affected) as performed by the connecting rods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY With reference to Figure 1, the preferred embodiment of the supermarket cart of the inventor of the present invention is generally identified by the reference number 10. The cart 10 includes a frame 12 with a vertical handle section 14 and a chassis section 16. The cart 10 advances on rear wheels 18 and front wheels 20. The front wheels 20 can rotate in accordance with the conventional design, or they can be fixed in view that each with a slight downward pressure allows the user to make the cart 10 rotate on an axle to change direction by moving the cart 10 only on the rear meditators 18. An upper basket 22 and a lower basket 24 are rotatably fixed to the vertical handle section 14 of the frame 12 as shown in figure 1 The baskets 22 and 24 are fixed to the vertical handle section 14 by rotating supports 26. In the preferred embodiment, the sopor 26 are located in relation to the baskets 22 and 24, where the baskets 22 and 24 rotate near a point that is approximately one quarter of the length of each baskets from the respective rear 28 and 30. In addition, the supports 26 are located, in relation to the upper basket 22, at points approximately close to the lower lateral margins 34, and in relation to the lower basket 24, approximately half the distance between the margins of the upper part 36 and the margins of the lower part 38. The rods 40 are rotatably attached to the baskets 22 and 24 at the opposite ends of the rods, on the opposite sides to the baskets 22 and 24. In the preferred embodiment of the cart 10, the rods 40 are attached to the upper ends of the rod to the anterior and upper points towards the points of connection between the basket 22 and the handle section 14, as shown in the figures. At the lower ends of the rods, the rods 40 are attached to the lower basket 24 at points on both sides of the basket 24, at the respective lateral connections between the upper margins 36 and the upper rear margin 42. The spatial relationship between junction points between the baskets 22 and 24 and the vertical handle section 14 on the one hand, and the junction points between the baskets 22 and 24 and rods 40, creates a mechanical relationship where the rotation of a basket 22 or 24 (by example, lifting it from a downward position, as shown in Figure 1, to an upward position as shown in Figure 5) necessarily causes a corresponding and equivalent action in the other basket. This dynamic relationship is described in the description of the range of movement of Figure 6. The cooperating linked movement between the upper and lower baskets 22 and 24 makes the conversion between the storage configuration of the cart very easy., which is shown in figures 5 and 6, and the usage configuration, which is shown in the other figures. From the practical point of view, if this were not the case, the cart 10 should have only one basket 22, having to raise or lower the baskets 22 and 24 independently, this would constitute a considerable practical impediment to the acceptance of the design by part of the client and the owner. At the time, this situation would reduce the capacity of the car 10 which, despite its compact configuration and ease of use, is very firm, being a product that has both baskets 22 and 24. With reference to figure 5, it can easily be seen how the design of the layette 10 works to preserve the floor surface when it is in the storage configuration described. With reference to Figures 7 and 8, an alternative embodiment (cart 50) of the design of the inventor of the present invention is shown. However, the cart 10 is preferred over the cart mode 50 because the section of the chassis 16 provides it with greater stability, which, unlike the corresponding component of the cart 50, remains firmly on a floor surface both in the useful configuration as in the storage. However, the cart 50 is clearly incorporated in the present invention. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not intended to have a limited meaning.

Various modifications of the embodiments described, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. Therefore, it is contemplated that the appended claims will cover those modifications that may fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims (1)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A supermarket trolley comprising: an elongated support frame having a handle at an upper end and a subframe pivotally attached at a rear end toward a lower end of the elongated support frame; a member of upper basket; a lower basket member; said upper basket member is pivotally attached to said support frame at a point of attachment to the front of said elongated support frame; said lower basket member pivotally attached to said support frame at a second point of attachment to the front of said elongated support frame separated from said first attachment point; the joining means attached to the opposite joining means terminate in the aforementioned upper and lower baskets further characterized in that the rotational movement of one of the mentioned upper or lower baskets near the aforementioned attachment points to the said elongated support frame effects a rotational movement corresponding to the mentioned upper or lower basket between the extended and retracted positions; and a pair of wheels that contact the floor rotatably attached to the lower end of the elongate support frame, at least one wheel rotatably attached to an upper end of the said subframe to make contact with the floor when the members of the basket rotate toward its extended position and at least one wheel rotatably connected to a rear end of the said lower basket member to make contact with the floor when the basket members are turned towards their retracted position.