Folding Shopping Cart With Rolling Basket And Rotating Framework
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shopping carts require unloading and reloading of groceries when transporting them from a vehicle to home, posing difficulties for individuals who struggle with lifting packages, and prior collapsible carts cannot be folded while loaded.
Innovation Solution
A folding shopping cart assembly with a basket and framework that allows the cart to be compacted and loaded into a vehicle without unloading, featuring rollers for movement and a rotating framework for compact storage, enabling the cart to remain full during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the shopping cart is made collapsible to fit in a vehicle, then the storage space efficiency is improved, but the cart cannot be folded while loaded with groceries
Solution Approach 1:
The shopping cart is divided into separable components: the basket assembly (containing groceries) and the framework assembly. The basket can be detached from the framework, allowing the framework to be collapsed for storage while the basket with groceries remains intact and can be independently handled.
Solution Approach 2:
The basket assembly is extracted as a separate functional unit from the framework. This allows the framework to be folded and collapsed for compact storage in the vehicle, while the basket with groceries can be separately managed, eliminating the need to fold the entire cart while loaded.
2Ease of operation
If the entire basket is lifted and placed into a vehicle (as in prior art), then the cart can be transported, but persons who have trouble lifting packages find it nearly impossible
Solution Approach 1:
Rollers are introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the basket and the vehicle. The rollers enable the basket to be rolled into the vehicle along the interior surface, converting a lifting operation into a rolling operation that requires significantly less force and is feasible for persons with limited lifting capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual lifting mechanism is replaced with a rolling mechanism. Instead of vertically lifting the heavy basket against gravity, the rollers allow the basket to be horizontally rolled along the vehicle's interior surface, substituting a high-force vertical motion with a low-force horizontal motion.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the cart is designed with fixed legs for stability, then the structural stability is improved, but the cart cannot be compacted for storage in a vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The framework legs are designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing them to be extended to a stable configuration during use and collapsed to a compact configuration for storage. The legs can be positioned at different angles and lengths depending on whether the cart is in use or being stored, providing both stability and compactness as needed.
4Ease of operation
If the basket is extended into the vehicle in a cantilevered position, then the loading process is simplified, but the framework must be rotated up and around the basket requiring sufficient space
Solution Approach 1:
The framework rotation operation is moved from a two-dimensional horizontal plane to a three-dimensional space that utilizes vertical clearance. By rotating the framework upward and around the basket in a vertical arc, the operation exploits the vehicle's interior height rather than requiring extensive horizontal maneuvering space.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the cart to be loaded and unloaded from a vehicle without lifting, maintaining the basket's contents, simplifying the transportation process and reducing manual labor for users.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of rollers are coupled to the basket, wherein said basket is capable of rolling upon those rollers
Implementation Method 2
Wheels are coupled to the framework so that the framework and the basket can be rolled together as a cart
Data Source
AI summary
A folding shopping cart assembly having a basket with a bottom surface and side walls. A plurality of rollers are coupled to the basket. A framework is provided for supporting the basket at an elevated height. The basket is capable of moving on rollers relative the framework between a retracted position, where most of the rollers are in contact with the framework, and a cantilevered position, where most of the rollers are not in contact with the framework. Wheels are coupled to the framework so that the framework and the basket can be rolled together as a cart. The framework can be rotated about the basket to a stowed position that enables the cart assembly to be placed in a vehicle.