Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513282-B2
Application number	US-201715676218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 19, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A shopping cart bagging station that couples to a shopping cart is described. The shopping cart bagging station includes a center piece, a first and a second handle arm assembly, and a shopping cart coupler assembly. The center piece includes a bag holder hook that holds at least one shopping bag. The first and the second handle arm assembly each include a handle holder arm that holds the arms of one or more shopping bag. The first and the second handle arm assemblies slidingly insert into a hollow body of the center piece and are adjustably coupled to the center piece. The shopping cart coupler assembly couples the bagging station to a shopping cart. The shopping cart bagging station can be mounted in various locations on a shopping cart, making it easy and convenient for a customer to carry and load a number of shopping bags as they shop.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shopping cart bagging station comprising:
at least one shopping bag;
a center piece comprising:
a hollow body;
a first opening in the hollow body at a hollow body first end;
a second opening in the hollow body at a hollow body second end; and
a bag holder hook for hanging the at least one shopping bag coupled to a hollow body front surface;

a first handle arm assembly for holding a first handle of the at least one shopping bag which comprises:
a first handle arm plate having a first handle arm plate proximal end and a first handle arm plate distal end, wherein the first handle arm plate proximal end extends into the hollow body through the first opening to couple the first handle arm assembly to the center piece; and
a first handle holder arm coupled to the first handle arm plate distal end;

a second handle arm assembly for holding a second handle of the at least one shopping bag which comprises:
a second handle arm plate having a second handle arm plate proximal end and a second handle arm plate distal end, wherein the second handle arm plate proximal end extends into the hollow body through the second opening to couple the second handle arm assembly to the center piece; and
a second handle holder arm coupled to the second handle arm plate distal end; and at least one cart coupling hook coupled to a hollow body rear surface and facing a hollow body bottom edge, wherein the center piece further comprises:

a center piece longitudinal axis extending from the hollow body first end to the hollow body second end;
a first slot opening through a hollow body front side having a first slot length extending along the center piece longitudinal axis; and
second slot opening through a hollow body rear side having a second slot length extending along the center piece longitudinal axis.

2. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second handle arm plates slide into and out of the center piece along the center piece longitudinal axis.

3. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 2 , wherein the first handle arm assembly is adjustably coupled to the hollow body and wherein a first distance between the first handle holder arm and the bag holder hook is adjustable.

4. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 3 , wherein the second handle arm assembly is adjustably coupled to the hollow body and wherein a second distance between the second handle holder arm and the bag holder hook is adjustable.

5. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 4 , wherein a third distance between the first handle holder arm and the second handle holder arm is adjustable.

6. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 2 , wherein a coupler extends through the first slot opening, a first handle arm plate hole, and the second slot opening to couple the first handle arm assembly to the hollow body.

7. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 6 , wherein the coupler slides along the first slot opening and the second slot opening to adjustably couple the first handle arm assembly to the hollow body.

8. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 1 , wherein the hollow body has a cross-section in the shape of a compressed hollow cylinder.

9. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 1 , wherein the hollow body has an oval cross-section.

10. A shopping cart bagging station comprising:
at least one shopping bag;
a center piece which comprises:
a hollow body having a hollow body front side and a hollow body rear side;
a hollow body first end having a first opening in the hollow body;
a hollow body second end having a second opening in the hollow body; and
a bag holder hook for hanging the at least one shopping bag coupled to the hollow body front side;

a first handle arm assembly for holding a first handle of the at least one shopping bag which comprises:
a first handle arm plate having a first handle arm proximal end and a first handle arm distal end, wherein the first handle arm assembly removeably and adjustably couples to the hollow body in response to the first handle arm proximal end being inserted in the hollow body through the first opening; and
a first handle holder arm coupled to the first handle arm plate distal end;

a second handle arm assembly for holding a second handle of the at least one shopping bag which comprises:
a second handle arm plate having a second handle arm proximal end and a second handle arm distal end, wherein the second handle arm assembly removeably and adjustably couples to the hollow body in response to the second handle arm proximal end being inserted in the hollow body through the second opening; and
a second handle holder arm coupled to the second handle arm plate distal end;

a first cart coupling hook coupled to the hollow body rear side and facing a hollow body bottom edge; and
a second cart coupling hook coupled to the hollow body rear side and facing the hollow body bottom edge.

11. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 10 , wherein the first handle holder arm is coupled to a first handle arm plate front surface, and wherein the first handle holder arm faces a hollow body top edge.

12. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 10 , wherein a distance between the first handle holder arm and the second handle holder arm is adjustable.

13. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 10 , wherein the first and the second handle arm assembly slide into and out of the hollow body along a center piece longitudinal axis.

14. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 13 , wherein the hollow body further comprises:
a first slot opening through a hollow body front side having a first slot length extending along the center piece longitudinal axis; and
a second slot opening through a hollow body rear side having a second slot length extending along the center piece longitudinal axis.

15. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 14 , wherein a coupler extends through the first slot opening, a hole through the first handle arm plate, and the second slot opening to couple the first handle arm assembly to the hollow body.

16. The shopping cart bagging station of claim 10 , wherein the hollow body has a cross-section in the shape of a compressed hollow cylinder.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Bacallao Yurgis Mauro

Classifications

• A47F13/085 Primary

  Shopping-bag holders (A47F9/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B67/1266

  specially adapted for storing or dispensing sacks from a supply · CPC title

• B62B3/1464

  Bags or containers specially adapted to the baskets · CPC title

• B62B3/146

  Lockers, hooks, e.g. for personal belongings · CPC title

• B65B67/1205

  collapsible or foldable (B65B67/1216, B65B67/1244, B65B67/1255 take precedence) · CPC title