Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ERGONOMIC HAND-HELD SHOPPING BASKET
Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to the general field of hand baskets, and
more particularly to stackable hand-held shopping baskets which are used for
5 carrying groceries and other goods in supermarkets and other retail stores.
Background of tl~ Invention
It is common for retail stores to have hand baskets available as
a courtesy to their customers for carrying groceries or other items being
purchased. Shoppers tend to appreciate the convenience of these hand-baskets,
10 particularly when they do not wish to use large shopping carts. However,
hand
gaskets are often uncomfortable and sometimes even painful to use when heavily
leaded.
Hand baskets commonly used in retail settings generally have a
nrctangular crate-like construction. These baskets usually have one or two
15 Pivoting handles which are attached to the long sides of the rectangular
basket
and extend over the opposite sides to permit stacking. The handles are usually
thin strips of wire or plastic) often having a small diameter or a sharp edge
H~hich can cut into or pinch the hand, making them uncomfortable to grip and
c,irry as the baskets become filled and heavy.
20 Most handles do not provide proper balance for carrying a
shopping basket. The manner in which these handles are attached to shopping
briskets, the Iong moment arm of the load, and the small diameter of the grip
allow the basket t~ pivot and sway when the shopper is walking, which may
cause items to shift in the basket or spill from it. Fragile items within the
25 basket may be damaged if shifting causes impact against a hard surface.
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When a basket is carried, and particularly if it is permitted to
swing because of the handle design, the edges and corners of traditional
rectangular baskets impact the user's body. Because the length of these
handles
is largely dictated by the size of the basket (as the handles must fold
completely
5 out of the way to allow stacking), these baskets often hang low and Impact
the
user's legs in the knee or upper shin area.
When a heavy luad is carried in such known baskets, a
c=onsiderable torque is placed on the user's back, elbow and wrist. The
orientation of the handles on existing shopping baskets tends to twist and
lock
10 the user's elbow in an uncomfortable position, typically with the palm of
the
hand facing fore yr aft) rather than the more natural position of the palm
turned
inward facing the user's body.
In addition to the problems related to handles, the traditional
,.hopping baskets are not ergonomically shaped, generally having straight
sides
15 which do not conform to the curve of a user's body. If the basket is held
close
to the body, the straight rigid sides make the baskets awkward and
uncomfortable to carry and walk with.
Some attempts have been made to address the deficiencies and
uncomfortable nature of these hand-baskets and shoppers' displeasure with
20 fUem. Some have fit pieces of tubing, foam) vinyl) etc., over the grip
portion
i:n efforts to make the handles less painful to hold. These attempted
solutions
only slightly increased the diameters of the handles, did little to decrease
pinching between the two handles, and completely failed to address the many
other problems (such as handle length, shape of the basket) point-of-contact
with
25 the body, swinging, ete.). Baskets with traditional plastic handles also
tend to
break at the pivot points where the handles connect to the basket.
There is a need for a hand-held shopping basket that is
comfortable for a user to hold and carry.
There is a need for a hand-held shopping basket that has a handle
3(? of proper thickness and orientation that is comfortable for a user to
carry.
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There is a need for a hand-held shopping basket that is shaped to
conform tn the body of an average adult human) allowing for comfortable
walking while carrying the basket.
There is a need for a hand-held shopping basket that allows a user
S to comfortably hold the weight of the user's groceries closer to the user's
body
to decrease torque on the user's back) and with the palm turned inward to
decrease torque on the user's elbow and wrist.
There is a need for a hand-held shopping basket that has a
~3ividing element projecting from the bottom surface, decreasing the tendency
10 ~af heavy items to slide around in the basket.
'There is a need for a hand-held shopping basket that can be
stacked neatly and easily, without the need to fold away handles that may
otherwise obstruct stacking.
These needs may be satisfied by a novel basket of the present
15 i nvention.
Summary of the Invention
The invention is directed to a stackable ergonomic hand-held
..hopping basket that satisfies the above-identified needs. A shopping basket
having features of the present invention includes a bottom wall having
20 upstanding side and end walls. The proximal side wall (closest to the
user's
body) is inwardly curved in a contour adapted to an adult human user's body.
7'he opposite or distal side wall may also be curved with a contour that is
symmetrical with the proximate sidc wall. The side walls and end walls have
an outwardly-turned peripheral top edge forming a lip, the lip being extended
25 downward along at least a portion of the proximal side wall to fonn a
cushion
portion. A centrally located handle projects from the bottom wall and defines
a channel through the bottom wall of the basket for stacking baskets. The grip
of the handle is oriented along the longitudinal axis of the basket.
nescription of the Drawings
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Fyg. 1 shows a top isometric view of a hand-held shopping basket
made in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows a bottom isometric view of the hand-held shopping
basket of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows a partial cutaway side view of the hand-held
shopping basket of Fig. 1 shown in an about to be nested position with a
~~ubstantially identical basket.
Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the handle
of a hand-held shopping basket made in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 5 shows a side elevational schematic view of an embodiment
of a hand-held shopping basket made in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 6 shows a top isometric view of an alternate embodiment
vvith additional ventilation slots of a hand-held shopping basket made in
accordance with the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like
elements, the present invention generally comprises a stackable, ergonomic
hand-held shopping basket 10 contoured to the shape of an average adult human
user's natural body curve and having a centrally located handle projecting
from
the bottom. The basket is preferably constructed of thermo-plastic material by
injection molding process.
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shopping basket has a bottom 12
having an inner side 14 and an outer side 16. Extending upwardly from the
Timer side 14 of the bottom 12 are opposed side walls 18, 19 and end walls 20
defining a cavity adapted to receive items. For ease of description and
d ifferentiation, the side wall 18 to the top of Figure 1 is the wal I
intended to be
p:ruxilnate to the user's body when carried, and may be referred to in this
d~.scription and in the claims as the proximal side or proximal side wail 18.
The opposite side wall may be referred to as the distal side or distal side
wall
l'~. The side walls 18, 19 and the end walls 20 slope generally outwardly from
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the center of the basket 10, providing a basket that can be stacked with an
identical basket 10(a) in a nested arrangement, as shown in Fig. 3.
The proximal side wall 18 curves inwardly towards the center of
the shopping basket 10 in a contour adapted to the shape of an adult user's
5 natural body curve) so the basket can be held comfortably against the user's
body. As used in this description and the claims, the term curved is intended
to encompass a smooth curvature such as shown in the drawings, and also to
encompass an effective curvature which can be obtained by straight surfaces
angled inward toward the longitudinal axis of the basket. When the basket is
10 ~~arried by a user with the curved proxanal side wall facing the side of
the
user's body, such orientation shifts the center of gravity of the load closer
to the
user, and spreads the point of contact with the user's body over a larger
surface
;area than contact with a straight side wall. The curvature is adapted to an
adult
user's natural body curve in the sense that the basket will normally be along
the
15 side of the body at the mid to lower thigh region, and must accommodate
fore
and aft movement of the thigh during wallcing. The basket can also be held
against the torso along the upper hip area using the alternative finger grip
described below. These considerations usually result in a relatively long and
~:hellow curvature.
20 The side walls 18, 19 and end walls 20 have an outwardly-turned
F~eripberal top edge to form a liP 22. In one embodiment of the present
invention, as shown in Fig. 2, the lip is extended further downward along the
FEroximal side wall to form a cushion portion 28 to further spread the point
of
contact and make the contact against a yielding surface.
25 The distal side wall 19 may be straight, or also he curved inward,
taut in the depicted embodiment the distal side wall is curved outward away
from the longitudinal axis of the basket. In a preferred embodiment, the
distal
side wall has an outward curvature substantially symmetrical to the inward
curvature of the proximal side wall 18. The lip on the distal side wall may
30 have a short center extension wherein the lip is extended outward along a
center
section of the distal side wall to form a finger grip 29. The finger grip 29
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allows the user an alternative means to grasp the basket, usually while
pressing
the proximal side wail against the torso. The finger grip 29 also acts as a
bumper and shield for advertising material beneath it) as described hereafter.
The basket bottom 12 may be provided with ventilation slots 24,
us shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to prevent the trapping of air between adjacent
baskets while nesting and allow drainage from the basket. The side walls 18 or
f;nd walls 20 may also have ventilation slots 25) as shown in the embodiment
in Fig. 6. 'These slots 24, 25 also reduce the amount and weight of plastic
material, and hence the cost of the basket.
lU In one of the embodiments of the present invention, shown in
l?ig. 5, the distal side wall 30 has a display panel 32. In the depicted
Embodiment, the display panel 32 is a smooth surface (no ventilation slots)
where advertising may be displayed. A transparent cover (not shown) may be
placed over the display panel 32, creating a pocket for receiving advertising
~;heets. Alternatively, the owner (such as a supermarket chain) may have its
name printed or embossed on the panel to reduce theft and to promote the
:core's name. The finger grip 29 previously described acts as a bumper and
~;hield for display panel, transparent cover) and advertising material.
Standoff fins 27 are located along the periphery of the basket,
between the side walls I8 and the lip 22) and the end walls 20 and the lip 22.
~~lthough shown primarily at the corners in the depicted embodiments, the
standoff fins may be located at other spaced intervals. The standoff fins act
as
points of contact with the lip of a lower nested basket when the baskets are
<.,tacked, and thus can be placed at many combinations of regular locations.
however, these standoff fins 27 are not provided beneath the cushion portion
8, thus allowing the cushion portion 28 to flex and cushion impact with the
user's body.
A centrally located handle 34 extends upwardly from the bottom
wall 12. The handle 34 comprises a first upstanding post 36) a second
upstanding post 38, and a grip portion 40. The grip portion 40 extends between
and connects the upstanding posts, defining a hand-receiving opening 42 so
that
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a. user may grasp the grip portion. The handle 34 is oriented so that the
longitudinal axis L8 of the grip portion 40 is substantially aligned with,
herein
parallel to and above, the longitudinal axis I,e of the basket, as shown in
the
Fig. 5. This orientation provides for a more natural and comfortable grip by
5 the user) much like carrying a suit case.
The first upstanding post 36 and second upstanding post 38 are
generally rounded at their top edge, as shown in Fig. 4. The handle 34 may
also be formed so that the first upstanding post 36 and second upstanding post
?.8 slope outwardly toward the bottom waal 12 (i.e. narrow as they rise from
10 bottom to top). This provides an inherent tendency to self align as one
basket
i,s nested on top of another basket.
The handle 34 defines a channel 44 which extends through the
t~ottom 12 of the basket and is open to the outer side 16 of the bottom 12. As
shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this channel 44 is adapted to receive the handle 34 of
15 a substantially identical shopping basket 10 when the baskets are stacked
in a
r,~esting condition.
As shown in Fig 4, the grip portion 40 comprises a hollow
channeled body portion 46 having a longitudinal center beam crossed by lateral
reinforcing webs 48, and a lower portion 50 contoured to provide a gripping
20 surface 52. The body portion 46 has slots 54 located adjacent the first
upstanding post 36 and the second upstanding post 38. A detachable cover 56
is provided with flanges 58 adapted to removably engage through the slots 54.
When the gripping portion 40 is assembled, it produces a robust, thick)
ergonomically shaped and comfortable handle that provides the user substantial
25 control of basket movement.
Because the handle need not be folded away for stacking, it is
kept to a relatively short vertical dimension above the cavity of the basket
to
raise the basket higher on the user's body when carried and give the user more
control with less torque. Preferably the handle should extend above the lip of
30 the basket, but not more than about eight inches above the lip of the
basket.
T'he handle also serves as a dividing element, decreasing the tendency of
heavy
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items to slide around. In a preferred scaling, the areas in front and behind
the
handle (between the handle and the end walls) are each the approximate sire of
a one gallon plastic milk cornainer.
As also shown in Fig. 4) a display plate 60 may be disposed in
the: grip betw~n the hollow channeled body portion 46 and the cover 56, and
is ;supported by the reinforcing webs 48. The display plate 60 is adapted to
support or contain advertising material. In this embodiment, the cover 56 is
made of a transparent material, so that the advertising may be viewed.
Tie basket 10 may be injection molded in a one-piece or two-
piea:e injection mold thermo-plastic construction.
The present invention may be embodied in other specif c forms
without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and)
accordingly,
refe:renee should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing
spe<:ification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
