GB2218382A

GB2218382A - Shopping trolley with baby carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2218382A
Application number: GB8811108A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Duncan Frederick Flagg
Original assignee: CLARES EQUIP Ltd
Current assignee: CLARES EQUIP Ltd
Priority date: 1988-05-11
Filing date: 1988-05-11
Publication date: 1989-11-15
Anticipated expiration: 2008-05-11
Also published as: FR2631305B3; IT216553Z2; DE8905858U1; FR2631305A3; GB2218382B; GB8811108D0; IT8921005V0

Abstract

The trolley comprises a shopping basket 3 for carrying goods intended to be purchased, a low-level baby cradle 4 having a safety strap 7, a child seat 8 located above the baby cradle also provided with a safety strap 9, both baby cradle and child seat being oriented such that the baby lies and the child sits transverse to the normal pushing direction. For stability, both baby cradle 4 and child seat 8 lie above the area substantially bounded by the trolley wheels. A cover 6 is provided for the baby cradle 4 to prevent injury from falling goods. To enable the trolley to pass through a checkout with a width restriction, two side handles 5 are provided to enable the trolley to be pushed in a direction perpendicular to its normal pushing direction in which it is pushed using handle 2. <IMAGE>

Description

WHEELED TROLLEY The present invention relates to wheeled trolleys for use in supermarkets and other shops.

At present parents can encounter enormous difficulties in shopping when accompanied by babies and small children. Most supermarket trolleys are not provided with means for supporting babies or small children, and this requires babies to be carried by their parents, and attention needs to be paid to small children to prevent them running away and causing a nuisance to fellow shoppers.

It is known to provide means for supporting a baby in a shopping trolley, but in such a trolley the baby is oriented along the normal pushing direction of the trolley, and this is usually achieved by positioning the baby so that at least some of its weight acts outside the perimeter defined by the four wheels of the trolley or by positioning the baby a significant height above the trolley, thereby raising the centre of gravity. Each of these positions is undesirable from the point of view of stability and consequent safety to the baby.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wheeled trolley comprising a frame, first container means mounted on said frame for carrying articles and second container means mounted on said frame for supporting a baby in a lying-down position, said second container comprising a base located in the lower half of said trolley and disposed vertically above an area substantially within the perimeter defined by the wheels of said trolley.

For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the perimeter is defined by the polygon having its corners at the respective positions of the trolley wheels.

Means for covering said second container may be provided so as to protect a baby from injury caused by falling articles. Said second container may also comprise straps for securing a baby in the container.

In addition to the means for supporting a baby, a seat may be provided for supporting a child, this seat being attached to said frame and preferably also disposed vertically above an area substantially within the perimeter defined by the trolley wheels.

The seat may also be provided with safety straps for securing the child to said seat.

For ease of access to the first container, the container is preferably formed from a substantially horizontal base, front and rear vertical walls and two side walls, said rear wall being higher than said front wall and each side wall being in the shape of a trapezium, the upper edge of the first container thereby being continuous.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a wheeled trolley comprising a frame, a handle attached to said frame and first container means for carrying articles, said trolley being adapted to move along a given direction by pushing said handle, said trolley further comprising second container means for supporting a baby such that it lies in a direction transverse to said given direction.

Preferably the trolley comprises a further handle attached to said frame and disposed substantially perpendicular to said handle such that said trolley can be moved along a direction perpendicular to said given direction by pushing said further handle.

In addition to the means for supporting a baby, a seat may be provided for supporting a child, this seat being attached to said frame. The seat is preferably so oriented with respect to the frame that, when seated, the child faces a direction transverse to said given direction. This has the benefit of preventing the child kicking its parent and also of preventing the child's legs being exposed to possible injury from a collision with another trolley, with checkouts, shelving or other obstacles in the store. A compact and stable arrangement for carrying both a baby and a small child together on a shopping trolley is thus obtained.

A trolley according to the invention thus enables a baby to be carried in a position such that its weight acts totally within the perimeter defined by the trolley wheels and also permits the baby to be carried at a lower level than in the conventional trolley, thus increasing the stability of the trolley.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which represents a wheeled trolley according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the wheeled trolley is provided with a frame 1 to which is attached an elongate handle 2 by which the trolley is pushed along. Also attached to the frame is a first container means comprising a shopping basket 3 for containing various items purchased. Below the handle 2, with at least its base and, as shown, its entirety located in the lower half of the trolley, is provided a second container means comprising a baby cradle 4 which is so oriented that, when the baby is in the lying-down position, the baby lies along a direction parallel to the handle 2. The cradle is located vertically above an area within the perimeter defined by the trolley wheels. The trolley is also provided with one or more secondary handles 5 for pushing the trolley in a direction perpendicular to the normal direction.This enables the trolley to be moved past a checkout point where there may be a width restriction. The baby cradle 4 is provided with a clear and shatter-proof cover made of Makrolan attached to the frame 1 via a hinge.

A child seat 8 is further provided above the baby cradle and also vertically above the area within the perimeter defined by the trolley wheels, enabling a small child to be carried. Both baby cradle 4 and child seat 8 are provided with safety straps 7, 9 for securing the baby or child respectively.

The shopping basket has front and rear walls of different height thereby giving a cashier easy access to the goods in the basket. The upper section of the side walls is triangular, thereby giving these walls an overall trapezoidal shape; this gives additional support to the goods contained in the basket.

The structure of the trolley is such that the centre of gravity is low, thereby ensuring stability even when the shopping basket is empty. The weight distribution is within the area bounded by the four wheels fixed at each corner of the trolley, these wheels being swivel casters.

The child seat 8 is set in from the side of the handle so that the child's head is protected from damage on shelving, walls, doors, etc., and both seat and baby cradle are made from polythene or similar thermoplastics material and have slots moulded therein to assist in cleaning.

The trolley is designed to pass through normal checkouts with a minimum of 600 mm gangway, the normal pushing width being 700 mm.

The trolley is fitted with buffers or rubbing strips for protecting both children and store fittings and checkouts. Buffers may also be fitted to wheels for added protection.

Coloured play beads may be fitted in front of the child seat for the child's amusement.

The wheeled trolley may be manufactured from mild steel wire and tube, clear-coated with nylon or thermoplastics material or electro-plated zinc. The wheels are conveniently pressed steel casters with rubber tiled wheels of 4 to 5 inches (10.16 to 12.70 cm) diameter and roller bearings may be fitted. The seat and baby cradle are conveniently manufactured in thermoplastics material. Along the main handle 2 can be conveniently disposed a label to suit customer requirements, this label being protected from water ingression and damage by the provision of clear PVC sleeving.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A wheeled trolley comprising a frame, first container means mounted on said frame for carrying articles and second container means mounted on said frame for supporting a baby in a lying-down position, said second container comprising a base located in the lower half of said trolley and disposed vertically above an area substantially within the perimeter defined by the wheels of said trolley.

2. A wheeled trolley as claimed in claim 1 further comprising cover means for covering said second container means so as to protect a baby from injury caused from falling articles.

3. A wheeled trolley as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said second container means comprises straps for securing a baby in said container.

4. A wheeled trolley as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising a seat for supporting a child, said seat being attached to said frame.

5. A wheeled trolley as claimed in claim 4 wherein the seat is disposed vertically above an area substantially within the perimeter defined by the wheels of said trolley.

6. A wheeled trolley as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said seat is provided with safety straps for securing a child to said seat.

7. A wheeled trolley as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the first container means is formed from a substantially horizontal base, front and rear vertical walls with respect to said given direction, and two side walls, said rear wall being higher than said front wall and each side wall being in the shape of a trapezium, the upper edge of the first container thereby being continuous, thus facilitating access to the first container.

8. A wheeled trolley comprising a frame, handle means attached to said frame and first container means for carrying articles, said trolley being adapted to move along a given direction by pushing said handle, said trolley further comprising second container means for supporting a baby such that the baby lies in a direction transverse to said given direction.

9. A wheeled trolley as claimed in claim 8 comprising a further handle attached to said frame and disposed substantially perpendicular to said elongate handle such that said trolley can be moved along a direction perpendicular to said given direction by pushing said further handle.

10. A wheeled trolley as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 further comprising a seat for supporting a child, said seat being attached to said frame.

11. A wheeled trolley as claimed in any one of claims 8, 9 or 10 wherein the seat is so oriented in respect of the frame that, when seated, the child faces a direction transverse to said given direction.

12. A wheeled trolley substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.