Shopping cart with positioning function and wheels

Abstract

The utility model discloses a shopping cart and wheels with a positioning function, which comprise a cart frame, a storage basket is arranged on the cart frame, three or four wheels are arranged at the bottom of the cart frame, one of the three or four wheels is the wheel with the positioning function, each wheel comprises a wheel body, a mounting structure used for being rotatably mounted on a wheel carrier is arranged in the center of the wheel body, and the wheels are arranged on the cart frame. A positioning module, a communication module and a power supply are arranged in the wheel body, and the communication module is provided with an antenna for sending signals outwards. According to the shopping cart with the positioning function and the wheels, the positioning function is configured in the wheels, the shopping cart can be directly suitable for various shopping carts, a positioning device does not need to be additionally arranged on the basis of the original structure of the shopping cart, the original structural form of the shopping cart is not changed, and the original appearance and functionality of the shopping cart can be kept; the wheels serve as basic function parts for pushing the shopping cart, the shopping cart cannot be used after being detached, and the situation that the shopping cart cannot be positioned and found due to the fact that a thief removes the positioning function can be effectively avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of shopping cart positioning technology, and relates to the technology of how to determine the location of a shopping cart, specifically the positioning of a wheeled, pushable shopping cart. Background Technology

[0002] Shopping carts used in supermarkets and similar establishments are often left haphazardly by customers after use, either in non-designated collection points or even pushed outside the supermarket grounds, to places far away, such as the roadside. This leads to cart theft and other problems. All of these issues result in direct losses for supermarket operators, or force them to incur significant costs to recover carts that have been pushed outside the supermarket or stolen.

[0003] To facilitate the retrieval of shopping carts that have been pushed out of the supermarket, some businesses install individual positioning devices on the carts. These devices consist of a positioning module housed within a casing and a communication module that transmits location information. The casing also features a mounting structure for securing the cart to the frame. When a shopping cart is pushed out of the supermarket, staff use the location information from the device to pinpoint its location and then retrieve it.

[0004] This method of installing independent positioning devices on shopping carts can solve most shopping cart loss problems. However, it also has drawbacks: 1. It increases the installation cost for businesses. 2. There are no pre-designed installation locations or structures for the positioning devices on the shopping cart frame, and the addition of the positioning devices damages the original appearance and integrity of the shopping cart. 3. The positioning device is an add-on to the shopping cart; removing it does not affect the normal use of the shopping cart. Therefore, shopping cart thieves can remove the positioning device without damaging the normal function of the shopping cart, making it difficult to prevent losses in this situation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to construct a shopping cart and its wheels with positioning function based on existing shopping cart positioning technology and the need to prevent shopping cart loss.

[0006] A shopping cart with positioning function includes a frame, a storage basket on the frame, and three or four wheels at the bottom of the frame, one of which is a wheel with positioning function.

[0007] The wheel includes a wheel body, and a mounting structure for rotatably mounting on a wheel frame is provided at the center of the wheel body. The wheel body is characterized by having a positioning module, a communication module for transmitting the position information output by the positioning module, and a power supply for powering the positioning module and the communication module. The communication module is equipped with an antenna for transmitting signals to the outside.

[0008] Furthermore, as an alternative wheel and axle mounting structure, a wheel and axle is fixedly disposed at the center of the wheel body, and the wheel and axle is mounted on the wheel frame via bearings.

[0009] As another option for the wheel and axle structure, the wheel body has a shaft mounting hole at its center, and the wheel and axle can be rotatably mounted in the shaft mounting hole through a bearing. The wheel and axle is fixedly mounted on the wheel frame.

[0010] Specifically, the axle passes through the inner ring of the bearing and is interference-fitted with it. The length of the axle is greater than the width of the wheel body. The two ends of the axle are located on both sides of the wheel body. The wheel is mounted on the shopping cart via a wheel frame. The two ends of the axle are fixedly connected to the wheel frame.

[0011] Furthermore, as an alternative to the internal structure of the wheel, the wheel body is provided with a cavity, the positioning module and the communication module are mounted on a circuit board, and the circuit board, antenna and power supply are located within the cavity.

[0012] The cavity has an opening, and the wheel body has a cover plate that covers the opening of the cavity.

[0013] Optionally, the opening of the cavity is located on the surface of the wheel body, and the cover plate is fixed to the wheel body by screws. The screws for fixing the cover plate are located on the wheel body in a position that is always covered by the wheel frame.

[0014] By using the shopping cart's wheel frame to cover the fixing screws of the cover plate, it is impossible to remove the positioning module and communication template installed inside the wheel without disassembling the wheels.

[0015] Preferably, the cover plate is non-detachably connected to the wheel body, effectively preventing the positioning function from being removed without damaging the wheel.

[0016] Furthermore, the cover plate is sealed to the wheel body via ultrasonic welding. This provides good waterproofing, preventing water damage to internal electronic components. It also effectively prevents the positioning function from being removed without damaging the wheel.

[0017] If a thief steals a shopping cart, they need to remove the wheels to disable its location tracking function. However, removing the wheels renders the cart unusable, thus eliminating its value to the thief. If the thief steals the shopping cart without removing the wheels, the cart can be located and retrieved.

[0018] Furthermore, the cover plate is seamlessly connected to the wheel body. The cover plate is not visible on the surface, thus preventing it from being opened to some extent.

[0019] As an alternative to the internal structure of the wheel, the wheel is made of a plastic or rubber body, and the circuit board, antenna, and power supply are injection molded into the plastic or rubber body.

[0020] Furthermore, a rubber outer ring is provided on the circumferential surface of the wheel body, a flange protruding radially from the circumferential surface of the wheel body is provided on the first side, and a side cover is provided on the second side, with the opening of the cavity facing the side cover. The edge of the side cover protrudes from the circumferential surface of the wheel body, and the rubber outer ring is located between the flange on the first side and the side cover on the second side.

[0021] Alternatively, the side cover serves as a cover plate to seal the opening of the cavity. Alternatively, a cover plate is provided on the inner side of the side cover to seal the cavity opening. The cover plate and the wheel body are sealed together by ultrasonic welding.

[0022] Furthermore, the positioning module is a satellite positioning module (GNSS), and the communication module is a LoRa communication module, an NB-IoT communication module, or an LTE-M communication module.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. By integrating the positioning function into the wheels, there is no need to install a special positioning device on the shopping cart, making it directly applicable to various shopping carts; 2. It does not require adding an additional positioning device to the original structure of the shopping cart, thus preserving its original appearance and functionality; 3. As the wheels are a fundamental functional component for pushing the shopping cart, removing them renders the cart unusable, effectively preventing thieves from removing the positioning function and making the shopping cart unrecoverable.

[0024] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a specific example of the shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wheel body in a specific example of the shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a specific example of the shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a specific example of the shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The right view;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit board structure in a specific example of a shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a second specific example of the shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a third specific example of the shopping cart wheel of this utility model;

[0034] In the diagram: 101, middle ring body; 103, rubber outer ring; 104, outer ring cover; 106, bearing; 107, sealed battery cover; 108, inner ring cover; 109, circuit board; 110, antenna; 111, power supply; 112, satellite positioning module; 113, LoRa communication module; 201, first cover plate; 202, first sector-shaped cover plate; 301, second cover plate; 302, second sector-shaped cover plate. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the technical problems solved, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0036] The present invention provides a shopping cart with positioning function and wheels, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] A shopping cart with positioning function includes a frame, a storage basket on the frame, and three or four wheels at the bottom of the frame, one of which is a wheel with positioning function.

[0038] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the wheel in this embodiment includes a wheel body, a rubber outer ring 103 disposed on the circumferential surface of the wheel body, and a bearing 106 disposed at the center of the wheel body.

[0039] The wheel body includes a middle rim body 101, an inner rim cover 108, and an outer rim cover 104. The middle rim body 101 includes a flange and a mounting part. The rubber outer rim 103 is fitted onto the middle rim body 101. On the mounting part, the flange of the middle ring body 101 is located on its left side, and the flange of the middle ring body 101 protrudes radially from the circumferential surface of the mounting part of the middle ring body 101. An inner ring cover 108 is provided on the right side of the middle ring body 101. The inner ring cover 108 and the middle ring body 101 are connected by ultrasonic welding. An outer ring cover 104 is provided on the right side of the inner ring cover 108. The outer ring cover 104 is fixed to the middle ring body 101 by screws passing through the inner ring cover 108. The edge of the outer ring cover 104 protrudes from the circumferential surface of the mounting part of the middle ring body 101. The rubber outer ring 103 is located between the flange of the middle ring body 101 and the outer ring cover 104, and the rubber outer ring 103 is limited by the flange of the middle ring body 101 and the outer ring cover 104.

[0040] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the middle ring body 101 has a cavity inside, and the opening of the cavity faces the inner ring cover 108. The inner ring cover 108, which is located on the right side of the middle ring body 101, is used to close the cavity opening.

[0041] The inner ring cover 108 is provided with a battery hole for removing and installing the battery, and a sealing battery cover 107 is provided at the battery hole.

[0042] The cavity of the middle ring body 101 is equipped with a circuit board 109. The circuit board 109 is equipped with a satellite positioning module (GNSS) 112 and a LoRa communication module 113 for transmitting the location information output by the satellite positioning module. The cavity of the middle ring body 101 is also equipped with an antenna 110 for transmitting signals to the outside. The antenna 110 is connected to the LoRa communication module 113.

[0043] The cavity of the central body 101 is also equipped with a power supply 111 for supplying power to the satellite positioning module 112 and the LoRa communication module 113.

[0044] To make the antenna 110, satellite positioning module 112, and LoRa communication module 113 difficult to disassemble, they are housed in a single cavity and sealed with a non-removable inner cover 108. To facilitate power supply 111 replacement, it is housed in a separate cavity and sealed with a removable sealed battery cover 107. A power-conducting connection channel is provided between the two cavities.

[0045] The wheels are mounted on the shopping cart via wheel frames. The two ends of the wheel axle are fixedly connected to the wheel frame. The wheel axle passes through the inner ring of the bearing 106 and is interference-fitted with it. The length of the wheel axle is greater than the width of the wheel body. The two ends of the wheel axle are located on both sides of the wheel body.

[0046] like Figure 7 As shown, the wheel body is composed of a first cover plate 201 and a middle ring body 101. A rubber outer ring 103 is disposed on the mounting part of the middle ring body 101 and located between the edge of the middle ring body 101 and the first cover plate 201. The middle ring body 101 has a cavity for installing a positioning module, a communication module, an antenna, and a power supply. The opening of the cavity faces the first cover plate 201. The first cover plate 201 has a fan-shaped mounting hole. A first fan-shaped cover plate 202 is fixedly connected to the first cover plate 201 at the fan-shaped mounting hole. The first fan-shaped cover plate 202 is detachably disposed on the first cover plate 201 by screws. The screws for fixing the first fan-shaped cover plate 202 are located on the first cover plate 201 at a position that is always covered by the wheel frame.

[0047] like Figure 8 As shown, the wheel body is composed of a second cover plate 301 and a middle ring body 101. A rubber outer ring 103 is disposed on the mounting part of the middle ring body 101 and is located between the edge of the middle ring body 101 and the second cover plate 301. The middle ring body 101 has a cavity for installing a positioning module, a communication module, an antenna and a power supply. The opening of the cavity faces the second cover plate 301. The second cover plate 301 has a fan-shaped mounting hole. A second fan-shaped cover plate 302 is fixedly connected to the second cover plate 301 at the fan-shaped mounting hole. The second fan-shaped cover plate 302 is seamlessly connected to the second cover plate 301.

[0048] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A shopping cart with positioning function, comprising a frame, a basket arranged on the frame, and three or four wheels arranged at the bottom of the frame, wherein one of the three or four wheels is a wheel with positioning function. The wheel comprises a wheel body, a mounting structure arranged at the center of the wheel body for rotatably mounting the wheel body on a wheel frame, a positioning module, a communication module for transmitting the position information output by the positioning module, and a power supply for the positioning module and the communication module, wherein the communication module is provided with an antenna for transmitting signals. The wheel body is provided with a cavity, the positioning module and the communication module are arranged on a circuit board, the circuit board, the antenna, and the power supply are arranged in the cavity, the cavity is provided with an opening, the wheel body is provided with a cover plate covering the opening of the cavity, and the cover plate is fixedly connected with the wheel body.

2. The shopping cart with positioning function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cover plate is fixedly connected with the wheel body by ultrasonic welding.

3. A shopping cart wheel with positioning function, comprising a wheel body, a mounting structure for rotatably mounting the wheel body on a wheel frame is arranged at the center of the wheel body, characterized in that, The wheel body is provided with a cavity, the positioning module and the communication module are arranged on a circuit board, the circuit board, the antenna, and the power supply are arranged in the cavity, The cavity is provided with an opening, the wheel body is provided with a cover plate covering the opening of the cavity, The cover plate is fixedly connected with the wheel body. The wheel body is provided with a cavity, the positioning module and the communication module are arranged on a circuit board, the circuit board, the antenna, and the power supply are arranged in the cavity, 4. The shopping cart wheel with positioning function according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cavity is provided with an opening, the wheel body is provided with a cover plate covering the opening of the cavity, The cover plate is fixedly connected with the wheel body by ultrasonic welding. The wheel body is provided with a cavity, the positioning module and the communication module are arranged on a circuit board, the circuit board, the antenna, and the power supply are arranged in the cavity, 5. The shopping cart wheel with positioning function according to claim 3, wherein, The cavity is provided with an opening, the wheel body is provided with a cover plate covering the opening of the cavity, The opening of the cavity is arranged on the surface of the wheel body, the cover plate is fixed on the wheel body by screws, and the screws for fixing the cover plate are always covered by the wheel frame. The wheel body is made of a plastic body or a rubber body, and the circuit board, the antenna, and the power supply are injection molded in the plastic body or the rubber body.

6. The shopping cart wheel with positioning function according to claim 3, wherein, The circumferential surface of the wheel body is provided with a rubber outer ring, the first side of the wheel body is provided with a radial protruding flange protruding from the circumferential surface of the wheel body, and the second side of the wheel body is provided with a side cover, wherein the opening of the cavity faces the side cover, the edge of the side cover protrudes from the circumferential surface of the wheel body, and the rubber outer ring is located between the flange of the first side and the side cover of the second side.

7. A shopping cart wheel with a positioning function according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, ​

Images