GB2579787A

GB2579787A - Device for protecting shopping and people from rain and snow

Info

Publication number: GB2579787A
Application number: GB1820317.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Salador Noreen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-12-13
Filing date: 2018-12-13
Publication date: 2020-07-08
Also published as: GB201820317D0

Abstract

A flexible waterproof supermarket trolley cover 1 that fits over a supermarket trolley and its users to protect the contents, the pusher and a child seated in the trolley from rain. The raincover may also have an elasticated rim 2 and have the flexibility to be folded into a small volume. The poncho hoods for the pusher and the child 3 may have flexible ribs to provide additional protection. The raincover may have a panel 4 or a flap as an opening to access the goods compartment of the trolley. This flap may be accessed by a zip or a self-sealing flap around its edges so that it may be opened or closed to load or unload goods within the trolley. The raincover may be multiuse or single use and disposable.

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

OFFICIAL TITLE

Device for protecting shopping and people from rain and snow

SUBJECT

Shopping Trolley Protection

APPLICANTS

Noreen Salador Dennis G Salador Brian J Smith Kandy N Smith Device for Protecting Shopping & People from Rain This invention is a device which provides a convenient, portable and low cost device which prevents from becoming wet in rainy or snowy conditions outdoors, shopping and other goods, seated child or children and the person pushing the shopping trolley in a wheeled trolley, commonly called a supermarket trolley. The device also may protect the trolley pusher's hands. it is a feature of the invention that a portal is provided to allow the transfer of goods from the trolley to a dry vehicle without allowing all the trolley contents to be exposed to falling rain or snow while unloading.

It is a common hazard of shopping activity in most rainy and snowy countries when pushing goods in a trolley from shop to car or other vehicle for the shopping goods and any child or children who may be seated in the trolley to become wet while rain or snow is descending.

This invention provides the convenient means to avoid this problem and enable shoppers to return to their vehicles without waiting for the rain or snow to abate and prevents all or virtually all rain or snow falling on the goods and the child or children and the person pushing the trolley.

Conventional umbrellas particularly large umbrellas do now provide some measure of protection against this hazard but suffer the shortcomings of being difficult to control in windy conditions and one hand is fully committed to holding the umbrella which makes the opening of car doors and transferring the shopping from trolley to vehicle awkward and making it difficult to prevent rain or snow from falling on the goods.

Furthermore a large umbrella must be carried at all times by the well prepared shopper although some stores provide these to customers during rainy or snowy conditions but these also suffer the shortcomings already described. Whereas our device described here packs into a small tight package and will fit conveniently into most bags carried by shoppers and can become a permanent accessory of any shopper's usual equipment and facilities for shopping.

It is recognised that in many countries the weather is unpredictable, it could be brilliant sunshine one minute and then torrential rain the next. Shoppers can go into a supermarket/store in brilliant sunshine and when they come out it is raining.

The present invention provides a complete easily portable crafted sheet of light flexible waterproof and breathable material which can be folded away into a small package and is usually provided with its own bespoke container for this which in turn may be carried easily by the user in any convenient bag or other holder.

All of the device which may be described as an umbrella for trolleys may be fabricated from a large sheet of light, tough waterproof breathable fabric or film cut to the area and size defined by the end use on any standard supermarket trolley and is provided with an elasticated or weighted rim which enables the trolley umbrella to be held or rest tightly in position over the open top loading and unloading area of the trolley while in use to prevent rain or snow wetting the trolley contents.

Furthermore the fabric or film sheet is provided with a flap cut out of the main area of the sheet in a manner which provides an uncut hinge or seam along one edge and the flap itself provides shelter from the rain or snow for the contents of the trolley.There is also flap which opens up to be a rain and snow proof poncho for the child or children seated in the trolley this has an elasticated hood and may have self adhesive free edges fitted with material which adheres to itself like the commercial hook and loop fastener system ( Velcro®) or other self sealing materials or in some designs a zip or ziplock style fastener which allows the poncho to be fixed in the flat position fully or semi-closed which retains the waterproof sheet fully intact as in one piece and fully waterproof or may fit around the child to allow it to breathe safely while remaining dry under the poncho. There is also a flap that when opened reveals a poncho for the person pushing the trolley.

This flap also may serve as an access portal to remove goods in the trolley into a dry vehicle or other point without the necessity to remove the entire device before all goods have been transferred. Alternately a second self sealing flap of similar design and function may be fitted into the device to act as the unloading portal described here.

Furthermore a second or third flap may be cut and fitted with self adhesive edges like the child flap and access portal and positioned so that the trolley pusher's hands are covered and remain dry or alternatively the hand cover flap may remain fully sealed down retaining the full cover-all waterproof properties of the trolley umbrella.

The design of the trolley umbrella may be further refined by tailoring with additional joined or sewn panels and the rims may be optionally weighted by suitable heavy trim in the manner of curtain weights instead of or in addition to being elasticated. Other options may include trolley umbrellas made for specific trolley dimensions. Also the device in a more bulky design may be provided with more sophisticated child protection with for example reinforced flexible ribs in the manner of some childrens' push chairs with weather protection or poncho style hoods built into the design with or without draw strings or elasticated rims to keep the child well protected and without danger from suffocation..

After use in wet conditions the re-usable device may be dried by any convenient method and refolded and packed again in its original container ready for further use or the single use type may be discarded and may be fully recyclable.

DRAWINGS KEY

1. Plastic Weatherproof Sheeting -Transparent, Translucent or Opaque 2. Elasticated Rim to Hold Trolley Cover in Place 3. Child Protection Panel with poncho for a child and the pusher-Edge Seals and Openable 4. Goods Protection Panel -Sealable and Openable to remove goods S. Corner Fasteners to Anchor Cover to Trolley Handle Stems

Claims

A complete device comprising a flexible waterproof sheet fitted out to cover a supermarket trolley to prevent the trolley contents and optionally a child or children seated in the trolley and also optionally the pushers hands and the pusher from become wet during rainy or snowy conditions when transferring goods between shop and vehicle 2. A device as in Claim 1 which is an easily portable lightweight tough waterproof sheet with elasticated edges capable of being folded into a small volume.
3. A device as in Claims 1 and 2 above which is optionally fitted with a flap with self sealing properties or zip fastener closing facilities at its edges designed to allow a child or children and the pusher to be protected from the rain.
A device as in Claims 1,2 and 3 in which the flap may be provided with reinforcing flexible ribs or a poncho style hood to afford more convenient child protection.
A device as in Claims 1,2, 3 and 4 above which is optionally fitted with a second flap with self sealing properties or zip fastener facilities at its edges designed to allow trolley contents to be removed and transferred into dry vehicle for example without the necessity to remove the entire trolley umbrella device to unload the trolley.
A device as in Claims 3 and 4 above which is optionally fitted with a single opening flap with self sealing properties or zip or ziplock style fastener facilities at its edges which serves both purposes of keeping goods and a child or children dry and the same flap allows the removal of trolley contents to be transferred into a dry vehicle without the necessity to remove the entire trolley umbrella device to unload the trolley.
A device as in all claims above and contained for added portability in a small closable package or bag.
8. A device as in all the Claims above made from transparent, semi-transparent or opaque material including amongst others polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene films or woven fabrics and other film making or reinforcing materials with a strength capable of rendering it suitable for re-use many times by the careful user.
9. A device as in Claims 1,2 and 3 made from any suitable lightweight waterproof film or fabric which may be used once and then discarded or recycled
10. A device as in all the Claims above in which the hinges and the self sealing or closing edges of the flap or flaps is achieved by any or all of the methods including simple sheet fold, sewn or glued or heat sealed joins, edge self sealing properties or zip or ziplock fastener facilities.
11. A device as in all the Claims above which may be dried by any convenient method and refolded and packed again in its original container ready for further use or the single use type may be discarded and may be fully recyclable.160 165 170 175