DE102016010703B4 - Lighting system for shopping trolleys / suitcases - Google Patents

Abstract

Lighting system for a shopping trolley or trolley case, with a shopping bag or an interior space of the trolley case, characterized in that it consists of at least one battery or accumulator-operated lamp installed in the shopping bag (14) or the interior space (13) of the trolley case (32). (11), which is equipped with laser diodes (18) as light sources, which illuminates an interior (13) of the shopping bag (14) of the shopping trolley (2) or the trolley case (32).

Description

The invention relates to lighting that is designed for a shopping trolley or suitcase trolley and can be installed there.

Shopping trolleys, also known as shopping trolleys or trolley bags, are a good aid when shopping. You stuff everything into the shopping bag and with little effort you pull the trolley home. This means that drinks or heavy goods can be bought and taken home. In particular, these are highly valued by older people, but young people also use them. After all, it is much more convenient to simply pull e.g. 12-15 liter drinks or water bottles with a trolley than to carry them by hand in a cardboard box or tote bags. Just as practical are the suitcases or suitcase trolleys.

A shopping trolley consists of a mobile frame that usually has two wheels, a handle that is connected to the frame and a shopping bag that is permanently or detachably connected to the frame or simply slipped over it. The shopping bag has a bag lid that protects the goods against rain, dust or sun. There are also shopping trolleys that have more than two wheels (e.g. four or six) and also those that are designed for climbing stairs. These usually have six, eight or ten wheels installed in two formations, these formations rotating about an axis. This makes it easier to pull the trolley up the stairs.

The shopping bag in a shopping trolley is usually made of a sturdy material (fabric or man-made fibre) in different shapes, colors and designs and should also last a long time. The interior of the bag is of course dark. Black bags in particular are pretty dark inside. After the purchased goods have been emptied at home, it can often happen that there is still something inside, especially if the purchased goods are also dark. It's easy to overlook something like that and what you've bought stays in there until the next time you visit the supermarket. When buying different goods again, the previously purchased items that are still in the shopping trolley are unknowingly dragged back into the shop. If you are checked, then you get problems because what we overlooked when emptying is charged again at the checkout or even reported as theft. Perishable goods can also be overlooked when emptying and then remain in the shopping trolley. All this only happens because the interior of a shopping trolley is too dark and it is difficult for the light to come in from the outside.

There are different variants of shopping trolleys and suitcases. Even those with a motor drive are already known.

DE 203 11 108 describes a suitcase or backpack with an electroluminescent film that serves as a lighting device. The same will also apply to DE202006015495U1 described.

DE10 2008 026 571 A1 describes a device for interior lighting of a portable container with at least one power source and at least one light source that can be controlled by a motion detector.

DE10 2013 010 118A1 describes a bag with an exterior light and an interior light arranged on its interior.

DE 20 2004 009 951 U1 and DE 20 2010 001 559 U1 also describe bags or portable containers with a lighting device.
DE 20 2008 014 999 U1 describes lighting for portable containers with LEDs.

DE 20 2010 008 873 U1 describes a soldering case equipped with practical lighting.

DE 20 2013 003 245 U1 describes a suitcase that is equipped with LED lighting.

DE 20 2013 006 728 U1 describes a trolley case with an integrated energy supply system that can be used for various purposes, including for lighting the case.

Numerous other applications describe various LED lamps that are intended for installation in a rollator.

The invention specified in claims 1 to 9 is based on the problem of providing lighting for a shopping trolley or wheeled suitcase that reliably illuminates the interior of the shopping bag or wheeled suitcase.

This problem is solved with the features listed in claims 1-9.

Advantages of the invention are:

• - the built-in lighting optimally illuminates the interior of the shopping bag or suitcase,
• - goods are no longer overlooked after shopping in the shopping trolley,
• - greater safety even in the dark, thanks to the rear light and front light function,
• - the weight sensor makes it easy to keep track of things.

• 1 einen Einkaufstrolley mit einem Magnet-System, das den Taschendeckel nachdem Aufklappen offen hält,
• 2 eine Variante mit einem Klettverschluss
• 3 eine Variante mit einem Häkchen und eine Öse
• 4 eine im Griff eingebaute Beleuchtung
• 5 eine drehbare Beleuchtung
• 6 eine Variante mit RGB-LED-s
• 7 eine Lampe, die in drei Richtungen leuchtet,
• 8 den Aufbau eines Drehschalters mit Magnet-Relais
• 9 eine Variante, bei der die Lampe direkt in den Innenraum der Einkaufstasche, in einen dafür konzipierten und aus durchsichtigem Material gebauten kleinen Tasche, sich befindet,
• 10 eine Lampe, die magnetisch befestigbar ist,
• 11 eine Variante mit einem Gewichtssensor für Einkaufstrolley und Rollkoffer,
• 12 den Einbau in einem Rollkoffer,
• 13 und 15 eine Variante mit Lichtleiter in einem Rollkoffer,
• 14 den Einbau von Lichtleitern in einem Einkaufstrolley.

Embodiments of the invention are based on the 1 until 15 explained. Show it:

• 1 a shopping trolley with a magnet system that keeps the bag lid open after opening it,
• 2 a variant with a Velcro fastener
• 3 a variant with a hook and an eyelet
• 4 lighting built into the handle
• 5 a rotating light
• 6 a variant with RGB-LED-s
• 7 a lamp that shines in three directions,
• 8th the structure of a rotary switch with magnet relay
• 9 a variant in which the lamp is located directly inside the shopping bag, in a small pocket designed for this purpose and made of transparent material,
• 10 a lamp that can be magnetically attached,
• 11 a variant with a weight sensor for shopping trolleys and suitcases,
• 12 installation in a trolley case,
• 13 and 15 a variant with a light guide in a trolley case,
• 14 the installation of light guides in a shopping trolley.

Many buyers are bothered by the fact that the bag lid 1 closes immediately when you open it and want to leave it open. It is already necessary that the shopping bag cover 1 remains open when you have bought goods and want to insert them into the shopping trolley 2 . A variant helps with this, in which a magnet 3 is installed in the trolley frame 4 and a small iron body 5 in the form of an iron wire or iron strip is installed in the lid edge 6 . The magnet is built into the frame where the edge of the lid touches when the bag lid is opened or pulled up. In that case, the iron edge or the iron band adheres to the magnet 3 and thus the bag lid remains open. You can also work the other way around: install a magnet in the edge of the bag lid and a small iron plate on the shopping trolley frame to which the edge of the lid sticks. The solution with the magnetic edge or iron edge and the magnet on the frame works wonderfully and is very reliable ( 1 ).

The variant in the 2 has instead of the magnet and the iron edge, a Velcro fastener 7, which is glued to the frame, with the counterpart 8 being glued or sewn into the bag lid edge 6 at the top. As soon as you fold up the cover 1, it sticks to the Velcro and thus remains open.

In the 3 a variant has been shown in which a simple eyelet 9 is built into the bag lid edge, which can be hung on a hook 10 attached to the frame.

The variant in the 4 represents lighting for the shopping trolley. Here a lamp 11 is installed in the trolley handle 12 . The lamp shines downwards, directly on the interior 13 of the shopping bag 14. As soon as you open the shopping trolley 2, you can turn on the lamp 11 and thus optimally illuminate the interior. Because with the help of the solutions from the 1 until 3 , the bag lid remains open, it does not prevent the light beam from the trolley handle from penetrating the interior.

The lamp integrated in the trolley handle can either be activated automatically by a magnetic sensor 15 when the flap (bag lid) is folded up and fixed in a magnet, for example, so that it remains open and the way is cleared for the light , Be switched on, or manually, by a small built-in switch 16 switching on. The lamps have built-in LEDs 17, or in the somewhat expensive variant according to the invention, laser diodes 18.

In the 5 a variant has been presented in which the lamp is rotatable. It can be used both for interior lighting and as a front light in the dark. This lamp is installed in a small piece of pipe 19 which can be rotated around the handle of the shopping trolley. If you turn the lamp downwards, it serves as an interior light. The light then arrives optimally in the interior.

But if you turn it further forward, then it shines forward, as a front light. Turning it up turns the lights off.

In the 6 a lamp has been presented that consists of RGB LEDs, so it can also shine in other colors. This is practical because if you turn the handle so that the lamp faces backwards, it lights up red, which increases safety in the dark.

In the 7 a lamp has been shown that shines in all three directions and is accordingly equipped with LEDs: white LEDs at the front and downwards, red LEDs at the back.

The lamps are constructed in such a way that, at least for the front and rear lighting, the LEDs are arranged on the side of the handle, because they would otherwise be covered by the user's hand.

The battery compartment 20 for the lamp is in the tube, directly in the handle. A screw cap 21, which is attached to the side and closes watertight, can serve as a cover for the battery compartment.

the 8th Figure 1 shows the construction of a rotary switch 22 which can be built into the handle and which controls the lamp. A magnetic relay 23, which can assume three electrical states when a magnet approaches, is built into the handle. A magnet ring 24 is statically installed in the handle. When the handle is turned, the relay also turns and passes the magnetic poles of the ring. The relay can be designed and electrically switched so that when a north pole of the magnet is approached, the white LED's forward and red LED's backward in the handle turn on, while when a south pole is approached, the white LED's turn on downward . In the absence of the magnetic field, it turns off the lighting. In this way, you can control the lighting simply by turning the trolley handle.

The variant in the 9 shown is the simplest. Here a lamp 11 is placed in a transparent pocket 25 located inside the shopping bag. The bag can be closed with a Velcro or zipper at the top. It does not necessarily have to be firmly sewn into the interior of the shopping bag. It can also be fastened inside with a fastener or Velcro. The lamp shines downwards and sideways and can thus optimally illuminate the entire interior. It can be equipped with a sensor 26 that turns it on as soon as you open the bag lid. The sensor can be an IR sensor or a magnetic sensor, but in this case there would have to be a magnet in the bag lid, which can also be used optimally for keeping the lid open when shopping. As soon as the magnetic field weakens, it means that the bag lid has been opened and in that case the lamp will turn on automatically. The magnetic sensor can be a semiconductor element or a simple magnetic relay. You can also install a mechanical switch, but this is more convenient due to the automatic control.

In the 10 a similar variant is shown, with the difference that here the lamp sticks inside the bag on an iron part 27, which is built into the interior of the shopping bag, via its own magnet 28, which is coupled to the lamp.

The variant with a magnetic relay 23 is also very reliable. A magnetic ring 24, which is installed statically on the side and is placed in the immediate vicinity of the magnetic relay, is used to switch the magnetic relay. E.g. when approaching the north pole, the relay will turn on the white light, when there is no magnetic field (this is the state when the relay is between the two poles), turn off the light, and when approaching the south pole, turn on the red light. The light color can be controlled via RGB LEDs, which can be done with simple electronic circuits. In the case of the laser diodes 18 according to the invention, only the red laser diode can be switched on with red light and the other two, ie the green and the blue, can be deactivated.

In order to generate white light, all three laser diodes must be switched on with the same beam direction. Of course, if the light is to be emitted to the front or to the rear, then the lamps should be installed on the side of the handle, otherwise they would be covered by the hand.

With the automated variant, the light goes on automatically as soon as you open the shopping trolley. It can also optionally be equipped with a light sensor that monitors the ambient light and only switches on when the light is weak.

The invention is advantageous because after shopping you can see the contents with the help of the built-in lighting, whether there is anything left in it. Because if you don't look closely, you run the risk of taking the item back to the shop and then you can be reported for alleged theft. In addition, there is also Items that perish easily, and they stay in there because you haven't seen them.

In the 11 a variant has been presented in which one or more weight sensors are installed below. The values are determined via an evaluation unit and the weight of the contents in the shopping trolley is determined. The total weight of the trolley case 32 should be recorded. This is important if you want to fly, because it calculates the total weight and the passenger can see after packing whether the weight is under the maximum weight or not. To record the total weight of the trolley case, a weight sensor should be attached to every point that touches the floor. That would be the wheel axles (roller axles) 36 and, if present, also the supports 35 that touch the ground. The sum of all four sensor values results in the total weight. This data can be transmitted to a small display 37 (eg built into the handle) or, even better, directly to a smartphone via a standard wireless interface such as Bluetooth. A wireless interface 38 would only be activated briefly when the weight was recorded. This can be done, for example, by pressing a button on the trolley case or shopping trolley. Once that's done and the data is transferred to a smartphone, the system shuts down to save power.

A light system, similar to that in a shopping trolley 2, can also be installed in a suitcase trolley 32 (wheeled suitcase), e.g. in the suitcase lid 40 on the inside. Magnetic switches or IR sensor systems could be coupled with the lamp 11 in the trolley case, so that the light comes on automatically when the case is opened and illuminates the contents.

All of these variants can also be manufactured and sold as accessories that can be retrofitted to a shopping trolley or suitcase trolley.

Instead of installing the lamp in the trolley bag or suitcase, you can also install it outside or at the top and then guide the light into the interior of the bag / suitcase via built-in light guides 30 . The light guides can be built into the edges 41 of the bag/suitcase and then emit the light into the interior. Clear light guides can be installed, which direct the light from an LED or laser diode lamp to the interior of the trolley bag / interior and then e.g. emit it on the floor, or also slightly diffuse / milky light guides. The latter also emit the light laterally along their length and not only at the end. This would illuminate not only the bottom area of the trolley bag but also the entire interior.

Installation in a trolley case is just as easy as in a shopping trolley. The same principle is also applied here ( 12 and 13 ). Either as a compact flashlight or as a combination of LED or laser diode and light guide. The activation of the lamp on the trolley case is also carried out automatically by a magnetic switch when the lid is opened or manually via a switch. Because the trolley case can have several compartments 42, LEDs should also be integrated into the compartments, which also illuminate them. In the variant with light guides, light guides can also be integrated in the compartments, which take the light from a central light source and emit it in the compartments and interior. The light guide can be partly diffuse / slightly milky and run all the way around the edge of the case so that it can completely illuminate the contents of the case. In order not to dazzle the user, it can be partially covered by the inner fabric of the case, so that the light does not reach the user directly, but only illuminates the contents. Colored lines 43 or a mirror layer 44 can also be provided along the longitudinal axis of partly diffuse/slightly milky light guides, which reflect the light in the direction of the contents of the case and protect the user from direct light. The same method can be used for the variant with LEDs 17, or they can each be provided with a small aperture 45 or a mirror element that reflects the light towards the content and does not dazzle the user.

The power source 33 for the lamp 11 is of course rechargeable and should not be too heavy. A lithium-ion battery would be ideal for this. Solar cells 31 can also be installed on the suitcase or trolley, in which case the energy source would be charged with them ( 13 ).

A few light guides can also end on the outside and thus serve as a kind of ambient light, or shine red to the rear (signal light) ( 15 ).

reference list

1

Bag cover / shopping bag cover

2

shopping trolley

3

magnet

4

trolley frame

5

Iron body in the form of an iron wire or iron strip

6

Bag Lid Edge

7

Velcro

8th

counterpart

9

eyelet

10

checkmark

11

lamp

12

trolley handle

13

inner space

14

shopping bag

15

magnetic sensor

16

counter

17

LEDs, RGB LEDs

18

laser diodes

19

piece of pipe

20

battery compartment

21

screw cap

22

rotary switch

23

magnetic relay

24

magnetic ring

25

clear bag

26

sensor

27

Iron part in the inner wall of the shopping bag

28

magnet on the lamp

29

weight sensor

30

light guide

31

solar cell

32

trolley case

33

energy source

34

window

35

Support

36

wheel axles (roller axles)

37

screen

39

wireless interface

40

case lid

41

edge

42

subjects

43

paint strokes

44

mirror layer

45

small LED bezel

Claims (9)

Lighting system for a shopping trolley or trolley case, with a shopping bag or an interior of the trolley case, characterized in that it consists of at least one battery or accumulator-operated lamp installed in the shopping bag (14) or the interior (13) of the trolley case (32). (11), which is equipped with laser diodes (18) as light sources, which illuminates an interior (13) of the shopping bag (14) of the shopping trolley (2) or the trolley case (32). lighting system after Claim 1 , characterized in that the lamp (11) can be coupled to the inner wall of the shopping bag (14) or the trolley case (32) via a built-in magnet (28) and an iron part (27) or in a small, transparent inner pocket (25 ), which is attached to the interior (13) in an inner wall of the shopping bag (14) or the trolley case (32). lighting system after patent claim 2 , characterized in that the small, transparent inner pocket (25) is permanently installed or is attached to the inner wall of the shopping bag (14) or the trolley case so that it can be removed by a fastener, preferably a Velcro fastener. Lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the lamp (11) can be switched on manually by a switch (16) or automatically via a sensor (26) as soon as the shopping trolley bag lid (1) or the case lid (40) is opened, concerns. Lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the lamp (11) can emit several light colors. lighting system after claim 5 , characterized in that the laser diodes (18) can emit at least the primary colors of light, red, green and blue. Lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the lighting is coupled to a magnetic switch. Lighting system according to one of the preceding patent claims, characterized in that the lamp (11) is designed in such a way that light can be emitted simultaneously in at least two directions, preferably red light to the rear as a rear light function and white light to the front as a front light -Function. lighting system claim 4 , characterized in that it is equipped with a rotary switch (22) integrated in a tubular part of a handle (12) that controls the illuminant.

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