Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040469-B2
Application number	US-201715703307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Described is a shopping cart bagging station. The shopping cart bagging station is a bagging station that couples to a shopping cart. The shopping cart bagging station described is used by customers to bag their purchases as they shop, or by employees bagging items for a customer. The shopping cart bagging station is designed to be heavy-duty so that it can be used in pick-up areas and other areas that require a bagging station that can withstand temperatures and handle heavy loads. The shopping cart bagging station includes a support structure and three shopping cart coupling hooks. The shopping cart coupling hooks couple the bagging station to a shopping cart, and they hold and dispense the shopping bags. The support structure and the three shopping cart coupling hooks are formed of metal rod that can withstand extremes in temperature and hold heavy loads.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station comprising:
at least one shopping bag;
a support structure comprising a top support bar and a bottom support bar, wherein the top support bar and the bottom support bar are parallel to each other; and
at least one cart coupling hook fixedly attached to the support structure, wherein the at least one cart coupling hook comprises an elongate rod comprising:
a helical hook, wherein the helical hook is in the shape of a cylindrical helix, and wherein the helical hook extends from an elongate rod first end to a helical hook end; and
a rectangular hook coupled to the helical hook, wherein the rectangular hook extends from the helical hook end to a shank first end of a shank, and wherein the rectangular hook includes a 90 degree bend;

wherein the shank is coupled to the rectangular hook, wherein the shank is coupled to the support structure, wherein the shank extends from the shank first end to a shank second end, wherein the shopping cart bagging station is coupled to the shopping cart, wherein the at least one cart coupling hook comprises a first cart coupling hook attached to a support structure first end, a second cart coupling hook attached to a support structure second end, and a third cart coupling hook attached to the support structure between the support structure first end and the support structure second end, and wherein the at least one shopping bag is coupled to the first cart coupling hook, the second cart coupling hook and the third cart coupling hook.

2. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cart coupling hook further comprises an end loop coupled to the shank second end.

3. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 1 , wherein the rectangular hook comprises:
a helix extension, wherein the helix extension is straight and extends from the helical hook end to the 90 degree bend; and
a rectangular bend coupler, wherein the rectangular bend coupler is straight and extends from the 90 degree bend to the shank first end, and wherein the rectangular bend coupler is perpendicular to the helix extension.

4. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 3 , wherein the shank is perpendicular to the rectangular bend coupler.

5. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 4 , wherein the shank is straight.

6. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 4 , wherein the shank has a shank bend that separates a shank top portion from a shank bottom portion, wherein the shank bend forms a shank angle of less than about 180 degrees between the shank top portion and the shank bottom portion.

7. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 6 , wherein the shank bend forms a shank angle of about 175 degrees between the shank top portion and the shank bottom portion.

8. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 7 , wherein the shank bend is located at a bottom support bar shank couple.

9. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 7 , wherein the shank bend is located between the bottom support bar shank couple and the shank second end.

10. A combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station comprising:
at least one shopping bag;
a support structure comprising a top support bar and a bottom support bar, wherein the top support bar and the bottom support bar are parallel to each other; and
at least one cart coupling hook fixedly attached to the support structure, wherein the at least one cart coupling hook comprises an elongate rod comprising:
a shank with a shank first end and a shank second end opposing the shank first end;
a rectangular hook coupled to the shank first end, wherein the rectangular hook comprises a right angle bend; and
a helical hook coupled to the rectangular hook, wherein the helical hook is in the shape of a cylindrical helix, wherein the shopping cart bagging station is coupled to the shopping cart, wherein the at least one cart coupling hook comprises a first cart coupling hook attached to a support structure first end, a second cart coupling hook attached to a support structure second end, and a third cart coupling hook attached to the support structure halfway between the support structure first end and the support structure second end, and wherein the at least one shopping bag is coupled to the first cart coupling hook, the second cart coupling hook and the third cart coupling hook.

11. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 10 , wherein the at least one cart coupling hook further comprises an end loop coupled to the shank second end.

12. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 11 , wherein the shank is straight.

13. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 12 , wherein the shank has a shank bend that separates a shank top portion from a shank bottom portion, wherein the shank bend forms an angle of less than about 180 degrees between the shank top portion and the shank bottom portion.

14. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 13 , wherein the shank bend forms an angle in the range of between about 170 degrees to about 180 degrees between the shank top portion and the shank bottom portion.

15. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 14 , wherein the first shank bend forms an angle of about 175 degrees between the shank top portion and the shank bottom portion.

16. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 13 , wherein the shank bend is located at a bottom support bar shank couple.

17. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 13 , wherein the shank bend is located between the bottom support bar shank couple and the shank second end.

18. The combination shopping cart and shopping cart bagging station of claim 13 , wherein the shank is coupled to both the top support bar and the bottom support bar.

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Bacallao Yurgis Mauro
• Baareman Megan
• Phillips Diane

Classifications

• B65B2067/1294

  Holders for multiple sacks · CPC title

• B65B67/1227

  only by a part of the periphery, e.g. by single points or handles, or by one side or two opposite sides only (B65B67/1244 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62B2202/26

  Handbags, e.g. shopping bags · CPC title

• B62B5/00

  Accessories or details specially adapted for hand carts ({B62B3/1404} , B62B9/00 take precedence; wheels, axles, or axle bearings for vehicles B60B; castors for vehicles, castors in general B60B33/00) · CPC title

• B62B3/1464 Primary

  Bags or containers specially adapted to the baskets · CPC title