Method and apparatus for holding containers open

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9694840-B2
Application number	US-201615134593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein that are useful for holding containers open. For example, in some forms a cart accessory and cart are disclosed herein with an apparatus for holding open a receptacle or container. In one form, the apparatus is an accessory including an elongated body having a cart attachment mechanism for securing the cart accessory to at least a portion of a cart, a receptacle securing mechanism connected to the elongated body via a tether, the receptacle securing mechanism being movable between a retracted position wherein the securing mechanism is positioned proximate the elongated body and an extended position wherein the securing mechanism is spaced apart from the elongated body closer to at least a portion of a receptacle to assist in holding open the receptacle when connected thereto. In another form a cart is disclosed having such a container holding apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cart accessory for holding open a receptacle comprising:
an elongated body having a cart attachment mechanism for securing the cart accessory to at least a portion of a cart; and
a receptacle securing mechanism connected to the elongated body via a tether, the receptacle securing mechanism being movable between a retracted position wherein the securing mechanism is positioned proximate the elongated body and an extended position wherein the securing mechanism is spaced apart from the elongated body closer to at least a portion of a receptacle to assist in holding open the receptacle when connected thereto;
wherein the cart attachment mechanism comprises an elongated channel for receiving the at least a portion of the cart and the receptacle securing mechanism comprises a plurality of receptacle securing mechanisms, with the elongated body further defining a plurality of recesses for receiving respective receptacle securing mechanisms when in the retracted position.

2. The cart accessory of claim 1 wherein the receptacle securing mechanisms are hooks or clasps and the plurality of recesses are sockets corresponding in shape to the hooks or clasps so that when the hooks or clasps are moved to the retracted position the hooks or clasps are secured within the sockets to hinder inadvertent removal of the hooks or clasps from the sockets.

3. The cart accessory of claim 2 wherein the tether comprises a plurality of tethers each having a respective hook or clasp from the plurality of receptacle securing mechanisms, the tether being of elastic or expandable material that is resilient in nature and the hooks or clasps being normally biased in the retracted position due to the resilient nature of the elastic or expandable material.

4. A cart accessory for holding open a receptacle comprising:
an elongated body having a cart attachment mechanism for securing the cart accessory to at least a portion of a cart; and
a receptacle securing mechanism connected to the elongated body via a tether, the receptacle securing mechanism being movable between a retracted position wherein the securing mechanism is positioned proximate the elongated body and an extended position wherein the securing mechanism is spaced apart from the elongated body closer to at least a portion of a receptacle to assist in holding open the receptacle when connected thereto;
wherein the elongated body forms a rail and an elongated channel of the cart attachment mechanism forms a friction or snap-fit grooved structure into which the at least a portion of the cart is disposed, the friction or snap-fit grooved structure having a generally U-shaped or C-shaped cross section with distal ends of the grooved structure flexing between a normally biased first position wherein the grooved structure may be secured to or closed around an item and an extended position wherein the distal ends of the grooved structure are spaced apart from one another to allow access to or from an interior of the grooved structure.

5. The cart accessory of claim 1 wherein the cart attachment mechanism is adjustable to connect the cart accessory to carts of different shape or size.

6. The cart accessory of claim 5 wherein the cart attachment mechanism has a first jaw and a second jaw and at least one of the first and second jaw is movable with respect to the other of said first and second jaw in order to adjust to fit carts of different shape or size.

7. A cart accessory for holding open a receptacle comprising:
an elongated body having a cart attachment mechanism for securing the cart accessory to at least a portion of a cart; and
a receptacle securing mechanism connected to the elongated body via a tether, the receptacle securing mechanism being movable between a retracted position wherein the securing mechanism is positioned proximate the elongated body and an extended position wherein the securing mechanism is spaced apart from the elongated body closer to at least a portion of a receptacle to assist in holding open the receptacle when connected thereto;
wherein the cart attachment mechanism includes at least one fastener movable between a first unlocked position wherein the cart accessory may be connected to or removed from the at least a portion of the cart, and a second locked position wherein the at least one fastener and cart attachment mechanism secure the cart accessory to the at least a portion of the cart.

8. A cart accessory for holding open a receptacle comprising:
an elongated body having a cart attachment mechanism for securing the cart accessory to at least a portion of a cart; and
a receptacle securing mechanism connected to the elongated body via a tether, the receptacle securing mechanism being movable between a retracted position wherein the securing mechanism is positioned proximate the elongated body and an extended position wherein the securing mechanism is spaced apart from the elongated body closer to at least a portion of a receptacle to assist in holding open the receptacle when connected thereto;
wherein the elongated body having the cart attachment mechanism for securing the cart accessory to the at least a portion of the cart and the receptacle securing mechanism connected to the elongated body via the tether collectively comprise a first attachable accessory and the cart accessory further comprises:
a second attachable accessory having a second elongated body with a second cart attachment mechanism for securing the second cart accessory to at least a second portion of the cart and a second receptacle securing mechanism connected to the second elongated body via a second tether and movable between the retracted position wherein the second securing mechanism is positioned proximate the second elongated body and the extended position wherein the second securing mechanism is spaced apart from the second elongated body closer to at least a portion of the receptacle to assist in holding open the receptacle when connected thereto.

9. The cart accessory of claim 8 further comprising a cart having at least two side walls defining a cavity for receiving and transporting items, with the first attachable accessory connected to at least a first portion of the first side wall and the second attachable accessory connected to at least a portion of the second side wall so that the respective receptacle securing mechanisms extend toward one another and the cavity when in the extended position to assist in holing open the receptacle when connected thereto.

10. The cart accessory of claim 9 wherein the first and second side walls are on opposite sides of the cavity and the cart further comprises a bottom wall extending between the first and second side walls forming a floor of the cavity, the first and second attachable accessories positioned opposite one another so that the respective receptacle securing mechanisms extend toward one another and into the cavity when in the extended position, the tethers being of sufficient elastic or expandable material to allow the receptacle to rest on the floor of the cavity.

11. The cart accessory of claim 10 wherein the first and second walls have upper portions of a specified length and the first and second attachable accessories are of respective lengths sufficient to extend along at least a majority of the specified lengths of the first and second walls.

12. A cart comprising:
a cart body having at least two side walls defining a cavity for receiving articles and having a plurality of wheels coupled to the cart body to mobilize the cart body; and
first and second receptacle securing mechanisms coupled to the cart body via tethers and extendible between retracted positions w

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Hendrick Christopher J
• Caution Stephen

Classifications

• B62B3/1464 Primary

  Bags or containers specially adapted to the baskets · CPC title

• B62B3/18

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

• A45C3/04 Primary

  Shopping bags; Shopping nets · CPC title