shopping cart

Abstract

To achieve an increase in the number of basket setting portions and execution of nesting and smooth cancellation thereof without damage by structuring so that keys hung from a coin lock device 40 do not penetrate through bottom face parts of the basket setting portions of another shopping cart to be nested.SOLUTION: A shopping cart 1 includes: a plurality of basket setting portions 6-9 with different setting heights; a handle 5 extending in the horizontal direction at a higher position than a top basket setting portion 9; and a coin lock device 40 mounted on the handle 5. The top basket setting portion 9 is set so that a vertical interval Y from a bottom face of the handle 5 to a the highest position of a bottom face part 30 of the top basket setting portion 9 is smaller than a vertical length K from the bottom face of the handle 5 to the lower end of a key 45 when being hung. At a prescribed position through which the hung key 45 passes fore and aft while coming into contact, of the bottom face part 30, there is provided a face bar 34 through which the key 45 does not pass downward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shopping cart used when shopping at stores such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and shopping centers.

Background Art

[0002] After a user moves a shopping cart to a parking lot and transfers purchased items to their own car, it often happens that the shopping cart is left near the car without being returned to a predetermined storage location. Therefore, store staff collect the shopping carts left scattered around the large parking lot and return them to the storage location at regular intervals, but this collection work is labor-intensive and costly in terms of labor costs.

[0003] Therefore, in recent years, so-called coin-lock type shopping carts have become widespread (see Patent Document 1, etc.). This involves attaching a coin-lock device, which consists of a coin-lock body having a key insertion part and a coin insertion part and a key connected via a chain, to a shopping cart. (1) By inserting the key of one coin-lock device of the shopping carts before and after nesting at the storage location into the key insertion part of the other coin-lock device and locking it, the two shopping carts are connected via a chain. (2) When a coin is inserted into the coin insertion part of one coin-lock device, the lock is released, the connection between the two shopping carts is released, and one shopping cart becomes available for use. (3) After returning the one shopping cart after use to the storage location and nesting it with the other shopping cart, and inserting the key of the other coin-lock device into the key insertion part of one coin-lock device and locking it, the coin comes out of the coin insertion part and is returned. That is, it is expected that the user will return the shopping cart to the storage location.

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, the preferred mounting location for the coin lock device on a shopping cart is the handle of the shopping cart, in terms of ease of handling keys and coins. In this case, the key and chain are suspended below the handle, but the suspended key and chain do not interfere with the top basket holder of another nested shopping cart. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-011909 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6796341 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, shopping carts are equipped with multiple basket-holding sections at different heights. While it was once common to have two basket-holding sections (the so-called two-basket type), in recent years, in response to the trend of bulk buying, the number of carts with three basket-holding sections (the so-called three-basket type) has increased, and even those with four basket-holding sections have appeared (Patent Document 2).

[0007] When the above-mentioned coin locking device was attached to the handle of a two-cart or three-cart shopping cart, the suspended key and chain did not interfere with the top basket of another nested shopping cart, as described above.

[0008] However, when the inventors prototyped a shopping cart designed to hold four baskets and attempted to attach a coin lock device to its handle, they found that the suspended key and chain interfered with the top basket holder of another nesting shopping cart. This is because the top basket holder is positioned considerably higher than that of the three-basket type.

[0009] If the interference is simply the suspended key touching the basket support, there is no particular problem. However, since the basket support is generally made of metal wires woven into a coarse mesh for reasons of basket stability, it is possible that the suspended key may penetrate the bottom surface (mesh) of the basket support. If nesting or unnesting is performed with the suspended key penetrating the bottom surface of the basket support, the key or chain and the basket support may become entangled, making nesting or unnesting difficult, and forcing the process may damage these entangled parts.

[0010] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to increase the number of basket holders with different installation heights on a shopping cart (for example, to four), and to prevent the key suspended below the handle from penetrating the bottom surface of the top basket holder of another shopping cart being nested, thereby enabling smooth and damage-free nesting or unnesting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] [1] Multiple basket mounting sections with different installation heights, The handle extends horizontally at a point higher than the top basket mounting section, A shopping cart comprising a coin lock device attached to the handle, the coin lock body having a key insertion part and a coin insertion part, to which the key is connected via a chain, The uppermost basket rest is positioned such that the vertical distance from the underside of the handle near the coin lock device to the highest point of the bottom surface of the uppermost basket rest is smaller than the vertical length from the underside of the handle near the coin lock device to the lower end of the key when suspended. A shopping cart characterized in that a surface material is provided on the bottom surface of the uppermost basket-holding section, at least at a predetermined location where a key suspended from another shopping cart passes back and forth while making contact during nesting, to prevent the key from penetrating downwards.

[0012] [2] The shopping cart according to [1], wherein the handle is a single bar connecting the left and right frames of the shopping cart, and a coin lock device is attached to the center of the handle in the left-right direction.

[0013] [3] The shopping cart described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the multiple basket-holding sections are four basket-holding sections.

[0014] [4] The shopping cart described in any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the surface material is a surface material without holes, or a surface material with holes that do not allow a portion of the key to pass through.

[0015] [5] A shopping cart according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the entire bottom surface of the uppermost basket-carrying section is formed of metal wires assembled in a mesh pattern, and the surface material is attached to the predetermined location on the bottom surface.

[0016] [6] The shopping cart according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the entire bottom surface of the uppermost basket-holding section is formed of a surface material with holes that do not allow a portion of the key to pass through. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, the number of basket holders with different installation heights on a shopping cart can be increased (for example, to four), and the key suspended below the handle of the shopping cart will not penetrate the bottom surface of the top basket holder of another shopping cart to be nested, thereby enabling smooth and damage-free nesting or unnesting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shopping cart of Example 1, seen from the front. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the top basket compartment of the shopping cart. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shopping cart as seen from the back side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the shopping cart. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the shopping cart with a shopping basket placed thereon. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial side view, where (a) is a state when the shopping cart is nested and the coin lock device is locked, and (b) is a partial side view when the coin lock device is unlocked. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial side view, where (a) is a state during the pulling out of the shopping cart, and (b) is a partial side view when the pulling out is completed. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial side view, where (a) is a state at the start of nesting of the shopping cart, and (b) is a partial side view during the nesting. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a partial side view, where (a) is a state during further nesting of the shopping cart, and (b) is a partial side view when the nesting is completed and before the coin lock device is locked. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial side view during the nesting of the shopping cart of the comparative example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] 1. Handle The handle is preferably a single bar-shaped one connecting the left and right frames as described above in terms of handling property and balance, but it may also be two separate bar-shaped ones extending from the left and right frames in the left and right inner directions respectively. In the latter case, the coin lock device is attached to either one of the two bars.

[0020] 2. Coin Lock Device The coin lock device is not particularly limited as long as it consists of a coin lock body having a key insertion part and a coin insertion part, to which the key is connected via a chain. The length of the chain can be set to an appropriate length depending on the model (nesting width) of the shopping cart. Generally, the nesting width is 120 to 300 mm.

[0021] 3. Basket mounting section While it is preferable to have four basket-holding sections with varying heights, as mentioned above, there may also be three or five basket-holding sections. In the case of three sections, only three shopping baskets can be placed, but the vertical spacing between the sections becomes larger, making it easier to put items into the baskets. In the case of five sections, the vertical spacing between the sections becomes smaller, but five shopping baskets can be placed, making bulk shopping easier. The case of four sections offers the best balance of these factors.

[0022] Each basket-holding section may be designed to hold shopping baskets with the depth direction oriented front to back, or with the width direction oriented front to back. Furthermore, the bottom basket-holding section may be designed to hold shopping baskets with the depth direction oriented front to back, while the other basket-holding sections may be designed to hold shopping baskets with the width direction oriented front to back, and so on; these can be combined as appropriate.

[0023] The installation structure for the cage support section is not particularly limited, but an example is one in which the lowest cage support section is fixed to a base frame equipped with casters, and the other cage support sections are fixed to left and right support columns that extend upward from the base frame.

[0024] 4. Positional relationship between the coin locking device and the top basket holder. As described above, positioning the uppermost basket rack such that the vertical distance from the underside of the handle near the coin lock device to the highest point of the bottom surface of the uppermost basket rack (Y in Figure 5) is smaller than the vertical length from the underside of the handle near the coin lock device to the lower end of the key when suspended (K in Figure 5) is because it raises the position of the uppermost basket rack, allowing for an increase in the number of basket racks (for example, to four), and also creates the possibility of the suspended key penetrating the bottom surface of the uppermost basket rack, with the facing material preventing such penetration.

[0025] Therefore, there is no particular limit to how much smaller Y is than K (the difference), but the effect becomes greater when Y is 30 mm or more smaller than K, and the effect becomes more pronounced when Y is 60 mm or more smaller than K. Also, there is no particular upper limit to this difference, but if we were to tentatively choose one considering the length of the chain corresponding to the nesting width, it would be 250 mm.

[0026] 5. Bottom surface and facing material of the top basket support section The bottom surface of the basket support section has several functions, including its primary function of supporting the bottom of the shopping basket, preventing rainwater and drips from accumulating for hygiene reasons, and preventing small items (placed directly on the basket support section without a shopping basket) from falling off. For this reason, the bottom surface of the basket support section is often formed from metal wires arranged in a coarse mesh pattern. However, since the keys can penetrate this coarse mesh, it is preferable that the surface material is attached to the predetermined locations on the bottom surface, or that the entire bottom surface is formed from a surface material with holes that prevent some of the keys from penetrating.

[0027] The surface material with holes that do not allow some of the keys to pass through is not particularly limited, but examples include perforated metal and fine-mesh metal mesh. [Examples]

[0028] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the structure, shape, quantity, etc., of each part described are illustrative and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0029] The shopping cart 1 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9 is composed of a base frame 3 equipped with casters 2, left and right support columns 4 extending upward from the base frame 3, handles 5 extending from the upper ends of the left and right support columns 4, the lowest first basket support section 6, a second basket support section 7 located above and behind the first basket support section 6, a third basket support section 8 located above and in front of the second basket support section 7, and the uppermost fourth basket support section 9 located above and behind the third basket support section 8. The first basket support section 6 is fixed to the base frame 3, and the second to fourth basket support sections are fixed to the left and right support columns 4.

[0030] The base frame 3 is made of bent metal pipe and includes a front frame portion 10 and left and right side frame portions 11 that extend rearward from the ends of the front frame.

[0031] Each of the left and right support columns 4 is made of a bent metal pipe and consists of a lower section 12 that extends vertically from bottom to top, an intermediate section 13 that extends diagonally forward and upward from the upper end of the lower section 12, and an upper section 14 that extends diagonally backward and upward from the upper end of the intermediate section 13.

[0032] The handle 5 is made of a metal pipe continuous with the support column 4, and is bent inward from the upper ends 14 of the left and right support columns 4, extending in the left and right directions to connect the upper ends at a point higher than the uppermost fourth basket mounting section 9. Resin grips 5a are fitted over the left and right sides of the handle 5.

[0033] The first basket support section 6 consists of a rear section 16 made of metal wire fixed to the rear of the base frame 3, a bottom section 17 made of metal wire fixed to the rear section 16 and extending forward, a front section 18 bent upward from the front end of the bottom section 17, and parts of the side frame sections 11 of the base frame 3 that function as left and right sides 19. The first basket support section 6 places the shopping basket B on the bottom section 17 with the depth direction in the front-to-back direction, and the rear section 16, side sections 19 and front section 18 surround the bottom of the shopping basket B to prevent it from shifting or falling.

[0034] The second basket support section 7 consists of a bottom section 20 made of metal wires arranged in a mesh pattern, a rear section 21 (located higher than the rear end of the bottom section 20) made of metal wires curved into a rectangular ring shape and fixed to the middle section 13 of the support column 4, left and right side sections 22 and a front section 23. The bottom section 20 is for supporting the bottom of the shopping basket B, and in this example, the rear end of the bottom section 20 is made of rear end wires 20a that extend left and right in the mesh. The second basket support section 7 places the shopping basket B on the bottom section 20 with the width direction in the front-to-back direction, and the rear section 21, side sections 22 and front section 23 surround the bottom of the shopping basket B to prevent it from shifting or falling.

[0035] The third basket support section 8 consists of a bottom section 25 and a front section 26, which are fixed to the front side of the upper section 14 of the support column 4 and are made of metal wire assembled in a mesh pattern and bent into an L shape; left and right side sections 27, which are fixed near the boundary between the middle section 13 and the upper section 14 of the support column 4; and a rear section 28 made of metal wire that is installed between the upper sections 14 of the support column 4. The third basket support section 8 places the shopping basket B on the bottom section 25 with the width direction in the front-to-back direction, and the rear section 28, side sections 27 and front section 26 surround the bottom of the shopping basket B to prevent it from shifting and falling.

[0036] The fourth basket support section 9 consists of a bottom section 30 and a front section 31 made by assembling metal wires in a mesh pattern and bending them into an L-shape, a part of the upper section 14 of the support column 4 which functions as the left and right side sections 32, a rear section 33 made of metal wires installed between the upper sections 14 above, and a surface material 34 which will be described later. The bottom section 30 is for receiving the bottom of the shopping basket B, and in this example, the rear end of the bottom section 30 is made of rear end wires 30a that extend left and right in the mesh. The fourth basket support section 9 places the shopping basket B on the bottom section 30 with the width direction in the front-to-back direction, and the rear section 33, side sections 32 and front section 31 surround the bottom of the shopping basket B to prevent it from shifting or falling.

[0037] Furthermore, the rear end of the bottom surface 20 of the second basket support section 7 (the rear end of the rear end wire 20a) is located 152 to 180 mm behind and 350 to 402 mm below the rear end of the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9 (the rear end of the rear end wire 30a). This positional relationship is not limited, but it is within a preferred range. This positional relationship provides the widest possible gap between the upper end of the shopping basket B placed on the second basket support section 7 and the lower end of the shopping basket B placed on the fourth basket support section 9, allowing for easy loading of goods into the shopping basket B on the second basket support section 7. Although the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9 is mesh-like, it does not hinder the loading of goods into the shopping basket B on the second basket support section 7 through the aforementioned gap.

[0038] Now, a coin lock device 40 is attached to the upper part of the center of the handle 5 in the left-right direction. The coin lock device 40 consists of a housing-shaped coin lock body 41 having a key insertion part 42 at the front and a coin insertion part 43 at the rear, and a key 45 connected to the rear of the coin lock body 41 via a chain 44. The lower part of the coin lock body 41 is attached to the handle 5 with screws so that it cannot be easily removed.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the fourth basket support section 9 is positioned such that the vertical distance Y from the lower surface of the handle 5 near the coin lock device 40 to the highest point of the bottom surface of the uppermost fourth basket support section 9 is 60 to 120 mm smaller than the vertical length K from the lower surface of the handle 5 near the coin lock device 40 to the lower end of the key 45 of the coin lock device 40 when suspended. In the illustrated example, the nesting width is 160 to 200 mm.

[0040] Furthermore, a facing material 34 is provided on the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9 at a predetermined location where, during nesting, the keys 45 suspended from other shopping carts pass back and forth while making contact with it, preventing the keys 45 from penetrating downwards. As the entire bottom surface 30 is formed by assembling metal wires in a mesh pattern as described above, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the facing material 34 is placed and attached on a predetermined width range (for example, 150 to 250 mm in width) that includes the predetermined location in the left-right center of the bottom surface 30. In this embodiment, the facing material 34 is also bent into an L-shape and extends to the back of the front part 31 of the fourth basket support section 9. In Figures 5 to 9, the facing material 34 is shown by a dashed line. The facing material 34 in the illustrated example is perforated metal with holes that prevent some of the keys 45 from penetrating.

[0041] The shopping cart 1 of this embodiment, configured as described above, provides the following advantages and benefits. (1) As shown in Figure 6(a), the two shopping carts 1,1 nested at the storage location are connected via a chain 44 by inserting the key 45 of the coin lock device 40 of one of the coin lock devices 40 into the key insertion part 42 of the other coin lock device 40 and locking them.

[0042] (2) As shown in Figure 6(b), when a user inserts a coin 46 into the coin insertion part 43 of one of the coin lock devices 40, the lock is released and the key 45 detaches from the key insertion part 42 and hangs down, the connection between the two shopping carts 1,1 is released and one of the shopping carts 1 becomes usable.

[0043] (3) As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b) in order of displacement (arrows indicate the direction of displacement), the user unnests (pulls out) one of the shopping carts 1 to use it. When unnesting, since the facing material 34 is provided at least at the predetermined location on the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9, the suspended key 45 only slides on the facing material 34 and does not penetrate the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9. Therefore, the key 45 or chain 44 and the fourth basket support section 9 do not become entangled, and unnesting can be performed smoothly and without damage.

[0044] (4) As shown in the order of displacement in Figures 8(a)(b) and 9(a)(b) (arrows indicate the direction of displacement), the user moves one shopping cart 1 back to the storage area after use and nests it on the other shopping cart 1. During this nesting, since the facing material 34 is provided at least at the predetermined location on the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9, the suspended key 45 only slides on the facing material 34 and does not penetrate the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9. Therefore, the key 45 or chain 44 and the fourth basket support section 9 do not become entangled, and nesting can be performed smoothly and without damage.

[0045] (5) From the state shown in Figure 9(b), the user inserts the key 45 of the other coin lock device 40 into the key insertion part 42 of one coin lock device 40 to lock it, returning it to the state shown in Figure 6(a), which causes the coin 46 to be released and returned from the coin insertion part 43 of the coin lock device 40.

[0046] [Comparative Example] Figure 10 is a partial side view of the comparative example shopping cart during the nesting process, in which the surface material 34 is not provided on the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9. In this comparative example, the suspended key 45 penetrates the mesh-like bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket support section 9, causing the key 45 or chain 44 to become entangled with the fourth basket support section 9, making nesting difficult, and forcing the process to continue may damage these entangled parts.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments and modified examples, and can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the invention, for example, as follows. (1) In addition to placing and attaching the facing material 34 on a predetermined width range of the bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket mounting section 9, it is also possible to form the predetermined width range with facing material 34 and the remaining range with mesh-like metal wire (differentiated construction). (2) The entire bottom surface 30 of the fourth basket mounting section 9 can also be formed from the surface material 34. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Shopping cart 5 handles 6. First basket mounting section 7. Second basket mounting section 8. Third basket mounting section 9. Fourth basket mounting section 30 Bottom part 34 facing material 40 Coin Lock Device 41 Coin lock body 42 Key insertion section 43 Coin insertion section 44 chain 45 keys 46 coins

Claims

1. Multiple basket mounting sections (6-9) with different installation heights, The handle (5) extends horizontally at a point higher than the uppermost basket mounting section (9), A shopping cart comprising a coin lock body (41) having a key insertion part (42) and a coin insertion part (43), to which a key (45) is connected via a chain (44), and a coin lock device (40) attached to a handle (5), The uppermost basket rest (9) is positioned such that the vertical distance (Y) from the lower surface of the handle (5) near the coin lock device (40) to the highest point of the bottom surface (30) of the uppermost basket rest (9) is smaller than the vertical length (K) from the lower surface of the handle (5) near the coin lock device (40) to the lower end of the key (45) when suspended. A shopping cart characterized in that a surface material (34) is provided on the bottom surface (30) of the uppermost basket-holding section (9) at a predetermined location where a key (45) suspended from another shopping cart passes back and forth while in contact with it during nesting, preventing the key (45) from penetrating downwards.

2. The shopping cart according to claim 1, wherein the handle (5) is a single bar-shaped piece connecting the left and right frames (4,4) of the shopping cart, and a coin lock device (40) is attached to the center of the handle (5) in the left-right direction.

3. The shopping cart according to claim 1, wherein the multiple basket-holding sections consist of four basket-holding sections (6 to 9).

4. The shopping cart according to claim 1, wherein the surface material is a surface material without holes, or a surface material (34) with holes that do not allow a part of the key to pass through.

5. A shopping cart according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the entire bottom surface (30) of the uppermost basket-holding section (9) is formed of metal wires assembled in a mesh pattern, and the surface material is attached to the predetermined location on the bottom surface (30).

6. The shopping cart according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the entire bottom surface (30) of the uppermost basket-holding section (9) is formed of a surface material (34) through which part of the key (45) does not penetrate.

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