Stackable carts with electronic apparatus and spacer for stackable carts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780486-B2
Application number	US-202217830900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2022
Priority date	Sep 3, 2021
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A cart has a wheeled base unit with a first frame portion on one side and a second frame portion on another. The frame portions are coupled by a frontend part. A handle unit connects the frame portions at a backside of the cart and also connects the base unit to a basket. An inner frame portion is between the frame portions and extends to the frontend part of the base unit. The inner frame portion includes a front contact portion and a stopper portion. A spacer portion is attached to the inner frame portion closer to the backside of the base unit than the stopper portion. The spacer portion is positioned to contact a front contact portion of another cart when carts are nested. A coupling portion is sandwiched between the inner frame portion and a frontend part of another cart when carts are nested.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cart, comprising:
a base unit with a wheel position at each of four corners and including a first frame portion and a second frame portion, the first frame portion connecting a pair of wheel positions on a first side, the second frame portion connecting a pair of wheel positions on a second side opposite the first side, the first and second frame portions coupled to each other by a frontend part;
a basket unit above the base unit;
a handle unit connecting the first frame portion to the second frame portion at a backside of the base unit and connecting the base unit to the basket unit;
an inner frame portion between the first and second frame portions and extending to the frontend part of the base unit, the inner frame portion including a front contact portion and a stopper portion at a position closer to the backside of the base unit than the front contact portion;
a spacer portion attached to the inner frame portion at a position closer to the backside of the base unit than the stopper portion, a back end of the spacer portion being positioned to contact a front contact portion of another cart when carts are nested together front-to-back; and
a coupling portion on the spacer portion and extending towards the backside of the base unit, the coupling portion being positioned to be between the inner frame portion and a frontend part of another cart when carts are nested together front-to-back.

2. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer portion is detachable from the inner frame portion.

3. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion is integrally formed with the spacer portion.

4. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion is attached to the spacer portion with screws.

5. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion is a thin plate member.

6. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer portion comprises an upper thin plate, a thick plate, and a lower thin plate.

7. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion is attached to the lower thin plate.

8. The cart according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support pole attached to the handle unit; and
an electronic apparatus attached to the support pole.

9. The cart according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a battery housing, wherein
the electronic apparatus is electrically connected to a battery inside the battery housing.

10. The cart according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a contactless power receiving unit attached to the base unit, wherein
the contactless power receiving unit is electrically connected to the battery.

11. The cart according to claim 10 , wherein the contactless power receiving unit is integrated with the spacer portion.

12. The cart according to claim 8 , wherein the electronic apparatus is a merchandise registration device.

13. The cart according to claim 1 , wherein the basket unit comprises a fixture permitting a hand-carriable basket to be attached.

14. A shopping cart for retail stores, the shopping cart comprising:
a base unit with a wheel position at each of four corners and including a first frame portion and a second frame portion, the first frame portion connecting a pair of wheel positions on a first side, the second frame portion connecting a pair of wheel positions on a second side opposite the first side, the first and second frame portions coupled to each other by a frontend part;
a basket unit above the base unit;
a handle unit connecting the first frame portion to the second frame portion at a backside of the base unit and connecting the base unit to the basket unit;
an inner frame portion between the first and second frame portions and extending to the frontend part of the base unit, the inner frame portion including a front contact portion and a stopper portion at a position closer to the backside of the base unit than the front contact portion;
a spacer portion attached to the inner frame portion at a position closer to the backside of the base unit than the stopper portion, a back end of the spacer portion being positioned to contact a front contact portion of another cart when carts are nested together front-to-back;
a coupling portion on the spacer portion and extending towards the backside of the base unit, the coupling portion being positioned to be between the inner frame portion and a frontend part of another cart when carts are nested together front-to-back;
a support pole attached to the handle unit;
an electronic apparatus attached to the support pole;
a battery housing; and
a contactless power receiving unit attached to the base unit, wherein
the electronic apparatus is electrically connected to a battery inside the battery housing, and
the contactless power receiving unit is electrically connected to the battery.

15. The shopping cart according to claim 14 , wherein the spacer portion is detachable from the inner frame portion.

16. The shopping cart according to claim 14 , wherein
the spacer portion comprises an upper thin plate, a thick plate, and a lower thin plate, and
the coupling portion is attached to the lower thin plate.

17. The shopping cart according to claim 14 , wherein the electronic apparatus is a merchandise registration device.

18. The shopping cart according to claim 14 , wherein the contactless power receiving unit is integrated with the spacer portion.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Ogishima Takuya

Classifications

• H02J7/855

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• B62B3/18 Primary

  nestable by means of pivoted supports or support parts, e.g. baskets {(B62B3/1476 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62B3/1416

  mounted on the handle · CPC title

• B62B5/06

  Hand moving equipment, e.g. handle bars (for cycles B62K11/14, B62K21/12) · CPC title

• H02J7/0063

  Electricity · mapped topic