Support shelf for a shopping cart and associated shopping assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016339937-A1
Application number	US-201514718888-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A shopping assembly includes a shopping cart and a support shelf. The shopping cart includes a basket and a handle. The basket includes a rear wall having a top end, and the handle is spaced from the top end of the rear wall defining a space between the handle and the top end of the rear wall. The support shelf includes a cuff and a platform. The cuff is wrapped at least partially around the handle of the shopping cart to couple the support shelf to the shopping cart. The platform is positioned below and extends forwardly relative to the cuff toward the rear wall of the shopping cart. The platform has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface and rigidly extends between a front edge and a rear edge thereof. The cuff is positioned on a rear side of the rear edge of the platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A shopping assembly comprising:
a shopping cart including a basket and a handle, the basket including a rear wall having a top end, and the handle being spaced from the top end of the rear wall defining a space between the handle and the top end of the rear wall; a support shelf comprising:
a cuff wrapped at least partially around the handle of the shopping cart to couple the support shelf to the shopping cart, and
a platform positioned below and extending forwardly relative to the cuff toward the rear wall of the shopping cart, the platform having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface and rigidly extending between a front edge and a rear edge thereof, wherein the cuff is positioned on a rear side of the rear edge of the platform,

2 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the bottom surface of the platform rests on the top end of the rear wall of the shopping cart.

3 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cuff and the platform are formed together as a single piece, and the front edge of the platform is positioned adjacent the rear wall of the shopping cart.

4 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cuff of the support shelf is configured to flex to receive the handle of the shopping cart and is biased to return to an unflexed position to grasp the handle.

5 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support shelf includes at least one securement mechanism depending from the platform near the front edge of the platform and interacting with the rear wall of the shopping cart to further couple the support shelf to the shopping cart.

6 . The shopping assembly of claim 4 , wherein the at least one securement mechanism includes a curvilinear protrusion that fits immediately adjacent the rear wall along a side of the rear wall facing the handle.

7 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support shelf includes a sidewall extending around at least three sides of a perimeter of the platform.

8 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the support shelf includes a bridge extending between the platform and the cuff coupling the platform to the cuff, and the cuff extends upwardly from the bridge curving rearwardly and downwardly as the cuff extends further away from the bridge to terminate in a free cuff end.

9 . The shopping assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the bridge includes an interior aperture, and the cuff extends through the interior aperture such that the free cuff end is positioned on a front side of the bridge.

10 . The shopping assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the free cuff end is a top free cuff end of the cuff, and the cuff includes a lower cuff wall curving rearwardly and upwardly from a rear surface of the bridge toward the top free cuff end to form a second free cuff end.

11 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the platform includes an elongated groove near and extending substantially parallel to the rear edge of the platform, and the elongated groove is sized to receive an edge of a mobile device.

12 . The shopping assembly of claim 11 , wherein the elongated groove interrupts the top surface of the platform dividing the top surface of the platform into a front portion in front of the elongated groove and a back portion behind the elongated groove.

13 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support shelf includes a means for enhancing friction overlaying at least a portion of the top surface of the platform.

14 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the means for enhancing friction includes a pad adhered to the top surface of the platform.

15 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support shelf is readily coupled to and uncoupled from the shopping cart without the use of tools.

16 . The shopping assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shopping cart includes a child seating area within the basket on a front side of the rear wall opposite the handle.

17 . A support shelf for use with a shopping cart including a basket rear wall and a handle spaced rearwardly from the basket rear wall, the support shelf comprising:
a cuff sized and shaped to wrap at least partially around the handle of the shopping cart to couple the support shelf to the shopping cart, and a platform positioned below and extending forwardly relative to the cuff, the platform including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, a front edge, and a rear edge opposite the front edge, wherein:
the cuff is positioned on a rear side of the rear edge of the platform, and
the platform is sized to extend forwardly from the cuff to the front edge in a manner positioning a portion of the bottom surface of the platform over a top end of the basket rear wall of the shopping cart.

18 . The support shelf of claim 17 , wherein the platform is substantially planar and defines an elongated groove extending across the platform near the rear edge of the platform configured to receive an edge of a planar consumer item.

19 . The support shelf of claim 16 , further comprising, at least one securement mechanism depending downwardly and forwardly from the bottom surface of the platform and configured to interface with the basket rear wall of the shopping cart when the cuff is wrapped around the handle of the shopping cart.

20 . A method of enhancing a shopping cart, the method comprising:
providing a support shelf, the support shelf including:
a curvilinear cuff, and
a platform positioned below and extending forwardly relative to the cuff, the platform including a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface and extending between a front edge and a rear edge thereof, wherein the rear edge is closer to the cuff than the front edge;
coupling the cuff of the support shelf to a handle of the shopping cart, wherein:
the shopping cart further includes a basket and a basket rear wall, and
the handle is positioned rearwardly from the basket rear wall,
the platform extends from the handle of the shopping cart toward the basket rear wall of the shopping cart such that the support shelf bridges a space between the handle and the basket rear wall of the shopping cart and the top surface of the support shelf faces upwardly.

Assignees

• Target Brands Inc

Inventors

• Dyer Nicholas John
• Abel Stacy Lee

Classifications

• B62B3/1468 Primary

  Additional trays · CPC title

• B62B3/144

  Adaptations for transporting children; Mounting of toys for the children · CPC title

• B62B2501/065

  Plastics · CPC title

• B62B3/1428 Primary

  Adaptations for calculators, memory aids or reading aids · CPC title