Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
DEVICE FOR CLEANING HANDLES OF SHOPPING CARTS AND SUPPLYING
ADVERTISING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to shopping carts and more
particularly, to the elongated transversal handles thereof, which are grasped
by
consumers to steer the shopping cart around, for instance, a store, an
airport, etc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is well recognized that, in today's environment, people are
extremely conscious of bacteria and germs, including those left behind after
someone has touched something as, for instance, handrails, door handles,
shopping cart handles. Transference of germs and potentially harmful bacteria
are
very much in our daily awareness. This results from the fact that we have no
idea
of who was touching, just before us, various objects that we are about
ourselves to
touch, including whether they have a cold or have just blown their nose or
have
just come out of the bathroom, etc. Therefore, people now have to consider how
to
protect themselves from bacteria and germs, and ideally with simple solutions.
[0003] Shopping carts are left outdoors where they are subject to the
outdoor air conditions of smog, acid rain, fog, wind, soot and all the other
outdoor
elements that contain contaminants. Such contaminants can thus also find their
way onto the handles of the shopping carts.
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[0004] Furthermore, shopping cart handles can become contaminated
by people who have touched the carts and that may have had a cold or have been
infected with a disease, who have just blown their nose, touched parts of
their
body that carries bacteria or have just sneezed on the handle.
[0005] Also, children may have put their mouth on the handle, placed a
dirty toy on the handle, had their diapers changed and their parents did not
wash
their hands immediately thereafter. The carts may have been left unattended
for a
prolonged period and dust and debris have accumulated on their handles.
[0006] A typical cart handle can be touched by hundreds of individuals
each day. Germs, such as Salmonella and Staph bacteria, can be contaminating
the handles. It can come from drippings from food products, such as egg
containers and [eaky meat packages, which are handled by the customers who
then in turn touch the cart handles.
[0007] Staph bacteria can lead to diarrhea, pneumonia and meningitis.
Staph bacteria can stay alive for weeks on any surface. Staphylococcus may
cause food poisoning within 2 to 3 hours. Staph can get into common cuts and
can
cause severe symptoms such as meningitis and pneumonia.
[0008] A recent U.S. study found more bacteria on shopping trolleys
than in public toilets. In another study, carts tested positive for fecal
coliform. the
bacteria derived from human excrement, fecal strep, e-coli and urine Tested at
retail stores showed that shopping carts can carry thousands of germs. Some of
the total bacteria counts were 1,000 times what humans would encounter in a
normal day, and such counts are dangerous for consumers.
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[0009] Carts can be used by various people who have taken them off
the premises to their homes, and when retrieved these carts are usually put
back
into circulation without decontamination procedures.
[0010] The above conflicts with the current trends where shoppers are
seeking healthy shopping environments. It also seems important to provide and
promote a clean environment when purchasing retailing products that are
themselves reflective of health and healthy life styles.
[0011] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide carts that have
cleaner handles, and also in such a way that the consumers handling the
shopping
carts are confident that the handles are substantially germ-free.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a device
for at least partly cleaning the handles of carts.
[0013] It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a device that
allows handlers, such as consumers using shopping carts, to themselves clean
the
handles of the carts, thereby providing some insurance to the consumers that
the
handles are generally clean.
[0014] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there
is provided a device for cleaning a handle of a cart, comprising a mounting
member for attaching the device to the handle, a container and a cleaning
fluid
adapted to be carried by the container and dispensed onto the handle. whereby
the handle can be cleaned by sweeping the device therealong.
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[0015] Advantageously, the mounting member is adapted to be slidably
mounted on the handle of the cart, and there is provided a wick having a lower
end
thereof located in the container and immersed in fluid, and an upper end
thereof in
contact with the handle when the device is mounted thereon via the mounting
member.
[0016] More particularly, the mounting member includes a curved
portion adapted to be disposed around the handle, and the upper end of the
wick
extends inwardly of the curved portion, whereby the upper end of the wick is
located between the curved portion of the mounting member and the handle when
the device is mounted on the handle.
[0017] Also advantageously, the mounting member includes a clamp
adapted to be releasably secured to the handle of the cart, the curved portion
being part of the clamp.
[0018] Furthermore, the device is adapted to receive advertising media
thereon.
[0019] Moreover, at least part of the container is translucent so that a
level of the fluid therein can be viewed from outside of the device
[0020] Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention
will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive
description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with
reference
to the accompanying drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] In the appended drawings:
[0022] Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a cleaning device for
cleaning the handles of shopping carts according to an illustrative embodiment
of
the present invention, the device being herein shown mounted on a cart handle,
the cart being shown from a rear or trailing end thereof;
10023] Figure 2 is a schematic right-side elevational view of the
cleaning device of Figure 1; and
[0024] Figure 3 is a top plan view of the cleaning device of Figure 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0025] With references to the appended drawings, a device D for
cleaning the handles of carts, such as shopping carts, according to an
illustrative
embodiment of the present invention will be now described.
[0426] The cleaning device D is adapted to be mounted on a handle H
of a shopping cart (otherwise not shown), as illustrated in Figure 1. The
handle H
is typically of circular cross-section (see Figure 2) such that the present
cleaning
device D is slidably mounted therealong. Generally, the cleaning device D is
provided with an inside configuration that substantially conforms to the
outside
shape of the cart handle H so that the device D can be slidably moved between
the opposed ends of the handle H.
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[0027] Now generally referring to Figure 2, the cleaning device D
comprises an upper C-shaped clamp 10 and a lower container 12. The container
12 defines an inner chamber 14. The cleaning device D also includes a wick 16
(in
the form of a pad) that extends at a lower end 18 thereof into the chamber 14
of
the lower container 12, and at upper end 20 thereof along an inward side of
the
clamp 10 and around the handle H. Basically, the upper end 20 of the wick 16
is
imprisoned between the clamp 10 of the cleaning device D and the outer surface
of the handle H.
[0028) The chamber 14 of the lower container 12 of the present
cleaning device D contains therein a sanitizing fluid 22, an upper level of
which
appearing at 24 of the sanitizing fluid 22. The lower end 18 of the wick 16 is
dipped into the sanitizing fluid 22, which by capillarity is drawn upwardly
along the
wick 16 and to the upper end 20 thereof, such as to wet the handle H with
sanitizing fluid 22 along the area of contact between the wick 16 and the
handle H.
[0029] A lower free end 26 of the wick 16 extends as close to the
bottom of the chamber 14 as possible such that a maximum amount of the
sanitizing fluid 22 can be drawn up by the wick 16 for use on the handle H.
before
a new cleaning device D is installed on the handle H of the cart (of until the
chamber 14 of the cleaning device D is replenished with sanitizing fluid 22.
whenever possible).
[0030] As the upper end 20 of the wick 16 is wet with sanitizing fluid 22,
the consumer can clean the handle H by sliding the cleaning device D afong the
handle, small amounts of sanitizing fluid 22 being dispersed by the wick 16
onto
the length of the handle H along which the cleaning device D is swept, thereby
sanitizing the handle H.
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[0031] The cleaning device D can also be designed with a smaller gap
28, the gap 28 being defined between the opposed upper and lower curved ends
30 and 32, respectively, of the clamp 10. With a larger gap 28, the cleaning
device D can be clamped onto the handle H via the gap 28 and in view of the
resiliency of the clamp 10. If the gap 28 is smaller, the wick 16 contacts a
larger
portion of the periphery of the handle H and thus sanitizes a larger area of
thereof.
[0032] It is noted that any size of gap 28 can be compensated by
passing the cleaning device D more than once along the handle H and with
different orientations of the cleaning device D, such that the longitudinal
portion of
the handle H that has not been wet by the wick 16 in a first pass of the
cleaning
device D, can be wet in a second pass by positioning the cleaning device D
such
that the wick 16 thereof covers this longitudinal portion, thereby covering
the
complete periphery of the handle H with sanitizing fluid 22.
[0033] The sanitizing fluid 22 can be an anti-bacterial liquid or gel
cleaner, typically fast-drying. In fact, the cleaning device D can use any
suitable
solvent, anti-bacterial fluid, etc.. that can be dispersed onto the handle H
and
disinfect the same of most of the germs and contaminants found thereon. The
fluid
22 is intended to make the handle H cleaner for the person now pushing the
cart
and avoid contact with germs left behind by the previous shopper.
[0034] The container 12 can be made of clear plastic for allowing easy
viewing of the level 24 of sanitizing fluid 22 therein, and assessment of an
empty
container 12, there by allowing the stores to timely replace the cleaning
device D
with a new unit when the cleaning device D is of the disposable type, or
refill the
empty one in the case where the container 12 is designed so that it can be
refilled
with sanitizing fluid 22. The cleaning device D can have various suitable
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dimensions, for instance an overall height of 4-00 inches (10.2 cm) and an
overall
width of 3-50 inches (9.9 cm).
[0035] It is noted that the plastic components of the cleaning device D
may be advantageously provided with MicrobanTM, which is an anti-microbial
inhibitor added during the manufacturing of plastic products. This would help
prevent the users themselves from contaminating the cleaning device D and thus
the cart handle H.
[0036] The sanitizing fluid 22 can be equal or similar to PurellT"'which
is made by Pfizer and includes Ethyl Alcohol 62% w/w Antiseptic. PurellTll is
said
to kill 99.99% of most common germs that may cause illness and does not leave
a
sticky residue. Its inactive ingredients include water, isopropyl alcohol,
glycerin,
carbomer, fragrance, aminomethyl propanol, propylene glycol, isopropyl
myristate.
and tocopheryl acetate.
[0037] The present cleaning device D can be adapted for use on items
other than shopping cart handles, and for example on handles of bathroom
statis;
handrails of moving escalators; handrails of subway stations, buses, office
buildings, public buildings, etc.
[0038] Customers will feel greater security when they can perform
themselves the task of cleaning and disinfecting the shopping cart handles H,
and
the like. Furthermore, this task is easily carried out, i.e. via a simple
sweep of the
cleaning device D across the handle H of the cart. Signage would be placed by
the
retailer at..the entrance- of his/her store and above the carts storage area
to advise
the customers that the carts have been installed with the cleaning device D to
protect them from germs and with visual instructions on the process of
sweeping
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the device D across the cart handle H to cleanse it of germs.
[0039] The cleaning device D can also be used for advertising (e g
advertising message, slogan, brand name, in- store special, etc.). (ndeed,
advertising can be provided on the front and/or top faces (Figures 1 and 3) of
the
cleaning device D. All or most customers in a retail store that has shopping
carts,
uses one to pick up merchandise. By putting an advertisement on the cart
handle,
it assures the advertiser that it is getting the exposure of it brand to the
customer.
[0040] Each product in a retail store wishes to be placed in the best
location for the best visibility. By placing an ad on the handle of the cart,
the
advertiser is assured that the consumer will notice its product and the
location
where it may be found. Indeed, advertisers are subject to placement of their
products according to the layout of each store. Their advertising banners are
usually placed near their products, either on the same shelf or above them, On
the
other hand, by placing their ads on the cleaning devices D located on the cart
handles, they are assured that each customer will have visibility of their
products
no niatter where they are in the store.
[0041] By having cleaning devices D carrying advertisement on the
shopping carts of a retailer's store, the retailer is provided with an
additional
source of revenue resulting from selling this significant advertising media to
his/her
suppliers. By using this advertising media on each cleaning device D,
consumers
become a captured audience for such advertising media.
[0042] This form of advertising media is both flexible and cost efficient.
The cost of manufacturing the ad and the placement of same would be relatively
inexpensive compared to large banners, larger printed flyers, or hundreds of
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thousands of stickers or leaflets. The device D would have its own proprietary
manner of inserting an ad therein and this can be done either "in-house or
through a relatively simple printing media and be limited to the number of
carriages available. The advertising media is not limited to print, as it can
also be.
for instance, in LED format.
[0043] The replacement of such ads can be relegated to in-store staff if
the retailers wish to control their own "in-house" ads, or it can be done
through
representatives of the advertiser, who can come to the stores and change the
ads
for the retailer.
[0044] The cleaning device D could be provided with a snap-on
advertising banner that can easily be changed by the store employees or
managed by the representative of the advertising agency or corporation
promoting
their products.
[0045] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its
application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the
accompanying
drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be
understood
that the phraseoiogy or terminology used herein is for the purpose of
description
and not limitation. Hence, although the present invention has been described
hereinabove by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, it can be modified.
without
departing from the spirit, scope and nature of the subject invention. Indeed,
various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art
without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
