Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02882685 2015-02-20
WO 2014/029844 Al
HANDLE FOR A SHOPPING TROLLEY
The invention relates to a handle for a shopping trolley,
wherein a deposit lock is secured to the handle, said
deposit lock having an opening for inputting the deposit,
and wherein the handle comprises a receptacle for a
telecommunications terminal. The invention furthermore
relates to an arrangement for covering an opening for
inputting a deposit.
Manually movable shopping trolleys are commonly used in a
store, thus in a public space and are provided there at
collection points. They are used by constantly changing
persons, who utilize them so as to be able to transport the
goods selected in the store. After shopping and reloading
the purchased goods into transport bags or into the motor
vehicle, which is used to drive, they no longer need the
shopping trolley and could simply leave it behind
thoughtlessly.
To prevent that the shopping trolleys are not returned to
one of the collection points after shopping or are even
used for transporting the purchased goods home, the handles
of the shopping trolleys are provided with a deposit lock.
In the case of a handle, which is equipped in this manner,
the customer must insert a deposit into the deposit lock.
Only then can the key, which is secured in the deposit
lock, be removed and the shopping trolley can be removed
from the collection point. The customer gets his deposit
back only if he returns the shopping trolley back into the
collection point after finishing his shopping and connects
the deposit lock to one of the chained keys again. The
customers have accepted this procedure and have become used
to it.
In the meantime, many people almost always carry a modern
mobile telecommunications terminal, a so-called smartphone.
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Many functions, which are available via the smartphone, are
also useful for shopping. In addition to the desire for
always being able to be reached, various applications,
which run on said smartphones, can support the customer
when shopping. Apps are available, which replace shopping
lists, compare prices, list ingredients of certain products
or even support the payment process. The selected goods can
thereby be scanned very easily via barcode by means of the
camera of the smartphone.
It goes without saying that the customer also always wants
his smartphone within reach or operate it, respectively,
while shopping. At the same time, however, he needs both
hands for taking goods, which are of interest to him, from
the shelf or for being able to place them into the shopping
trolley, respectively. In addition, he must also steer and
move the shopping trolley again and again while shopping.
To make it easier for the customer to operate his
smartphone while shopping, handles are known, to which a
holder for the smartphone is fastened. The customer thus
has his hands free and can at the same time always reach
his smartphone, which is located in the holder. However,
this solution, which is good per se, however, has a
disadvantage, because the customer is constantly subject to
being distracted by the actions required by him while
shopping and while loading the goods.
It is not unusual that a customer forgets goods in the
shopping trolley or leaves his key on the roof of the car
during loading. It also does happen that, when returning
the shopping trolley, the customer forgets to remove his
smartphone, which is located in the holder. In addition to
the loss of the device, which is still quite expensive, one
thus also suffers the loss of the personal data stored on
the smartphone.
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It is the task of the instant invention to propose a handle
for a shopping trolley, which provides a person using the
shopping trolley with an additional incentive to remove his
smartphone, which is secured to the handle, after shopping
again.
This task is solved by means of a handle according to claim
1. Advantageous embodiments of the handle are cited in the
subclaims. Claim 10 provides an arrangement of handle
according to the invention and mobile telecommunications
terminal.
A significant basic idea of the invention is to use the
returning of the shopping trolley to the collection point
for removing the deposit, which the customer has meanwhile
gotten used to and has internalized, so as to encourage the
customer to remove his smartphone from the receptacle on
the handle. For this purpose, the receptacle for the mobile
telecommunications terminal is positioned on the handle in
such a manner that said receptacle is arranged on the side
of the handle facing away from the shopping trolley, in
front of the deposit lock. On the side of the handle facing
away from the shopping trolley, the deposit lock has the
opening for the deposit, so that the receptacle for the
mobile telecommunications terminal is arranged in front of
the opening, from the perspective of the customer using the
handle to push the shopping trolley. From the perspective
of the customer taking hold of the handle, a mobile
telecommunications terminal secured in the receptacle is
thus positioned between deposit lock and customer. It thus
covers the opening of the deposit lock. In this position,
the mobile telecommunications terminal prevents or at least
obstructs access to the deposit. By means of the
arrangement according to the invention of the receptacle in
front of the deposit lock, the customer is encouraged to
remove his mobile telecommunications terminal, which is
located in the receptacle, so as to also be able to remove
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the deposit. The removal of the deposit, which the customer
is used to, is thus linked to the removal of the smartphone
from the holder on the handle.
It is advantageous, if the receptacle for the mobile
telecommunications terminal is embodied by means of a
depression formed in the handle. The depression can already
be embodied in response to the shaping of the handle. The
walls, which form the receptacle, are thus an elementary
part of the handle. A subsequent assembly of the receptacle
on the handle, which would otherwise be required, can thus
be forgone.
On the side facing away from the shopping trolley, the
depression has an indented recess in a preferred
embodiment. The indented recess provides for the operation
of the buttons, which are arranged in the lower area of the
control panel of the smartphone. When the smartphone is
inserted into the depression, it would not be possible to
access this part of the control panel.
It is particularly advantageous, when the indented recess
is arranged centrically in the wall of the depression. In
this case, the smartphone is secured reliably in the
depression, but the indent provides for the operation of
the button, which is arranged on the bottom and centrally
in the case of most smartphones.
It is advantageous, when the two longitudinal walls of the
receptacle are arranged at an angle to the vertical, so
that a mobile telecommunications terminal, which is secured
in the receptacle, is tilted towards the user of the
shopping trolley, who stands in front of the handle. A
smartphone, which is oriented in this manner, can be
operated and read particularly easily.
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Preferably, the receptacle is arranged at a horizontal
distance of between 1 and 2 cm to the deposit lock. In the
case of this small distance between receptacle and deposit
lock, a removal of the deposit is only possible, if the
customer first removes the mobile telecommunications
terminal. However, the proposed distance is be dimensioned
so as to be sufficient for being able to form the wall of
the receptacle on the deposit lock so as to be stable,
which also takes the durability of the handle into account.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the receptacle and
the deposit lock are integrated into a formation, which is
provided on the handle for at least one functional element,
in particular an advertising display. In addition to the
actual grip, many handles have separate areas, which are
embodied specifically for receiving functional elements.
These areas can already be formed in response to the
production of the handle or can be fastened thereto
subsequently. Advertising displays are flat functional
elements, which are readily provided on handles, so as to
be able to present the customer with new or particularly
attractive offers. The arrangement according to the
invention of deposit lock and receptacle can be integrated
into such a formation without further effort.
Preferably, the receptacle comprises a displaceably
supported limiting element, which is arranged laterally in
the receptacle. The displaceably supported limiting element
provides for the secure lateral securing of smartphones of
varying widths in the receptacle. The receptacle, which is
embodied in this manner, is thus not only suitable for a
certain model of a smartphone, but can accommodate and
secure models of varying sizes.
It is advantageous, if the displaceably supported limiting
element is a spring-loaded slide. Such a slide pushes the
smartphone, which is inserted into the receptacle, against
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the opposite lateral wall of the receptacle and because the
smartphone rests against the lateral wall of the
receptacle, said slide provides the reliable securing of
said smartphone even in response to impacts directed
laterally against the slide.
In a preferred embodiment, the receptacle encompasses a
fastening element on its longitudinal side, by means of
which a mobile telecommunications terminal, which is
inserted into the receptacle, is secured. The fastening
element acting on the longitudinal side, makes it possible
to adapt the receptacle to smartphones of varying size or
height, respectively. It is advantageous, if the fastening
element can be locked in its closed position, for example
via a latching mechanism. Preferably, a lockable fastening
element has a button for unlocking the element and thus for
enabling the smartphone.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fastening
element is an eccentrically supported roller. Such a
roller, which protrudes on the longitudinal side of the
receptacle, is set into rotation in response to inserting
the smartphone into the receptacle. Its eccentric support
has the result that the roller is displaced into the
receptacle by means of the rotation. The smartphone is
thereby pushed against the longitudinal side of the
receptacle opposite the roller and is secured reliably in
this manner. It is advantageous, if the rotation of the
roller takes place against a spring force. The spring force
then supports the enabling of the smartphone in response to
removing it from the receptacle.
The arrangement according to the invention for covering an
opening for inputting a deposit comprises a mobile
telecommunications terminal, which is secured in the
receptacle of a handle according to one of the described
embodiments.
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A preferred embodiment of the handle according to the
invention and an arrangement with this handle and a
smartphone will be explained in more detail by means of the
following figures.
In the figures:
- Figure 1 shows a perspective schematic illustration
of the handle before the smartphone is
inserted into the receptacle thereof,
- Figure 2 shows a perspective schematic illustration
of the handle with smartphone, which is
inserted into the receptacle, and
- Figure 3 shows a partial
section through the
arrangement according to Figure 2 along line
A
Figure 1 shows a handle 1 comprising two grip sections 2,
which are in each case arranged laterally on the outside. A
formation 3, in which functional elements, which are
assigned to the handle 1, are accommodated, is located
between the two grip sections 2. The recess 3 is formed in
such a manner that, when mounted on the shopping trolley,
it has a surface, which is tilted towards the user of the
shopping trolley. An advertising display 4, which, due to
the tilted surface, can be read well by the user, is
arranged centrally in the formation and integrated into the
external form thereof. A coin deposit lock 6 is fastened to
the formation 3 in an area between a lateral edge 5 of the
advertising display 4 and the lateral limitation of the
formation 3. On the side facing the user, the coin deposit
lock 6 has an opening for inputting a deposit, a so-called
coin slot 7. Accordingly, the coin slot 7 is arranged on
the side of the coin deposit lock 6 facing away from the
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shopping trolley. The coin deposit lock 6 is partially
integrated in the formation 3, the coin slot 7, however, is
freely accessible.
From the perspective of the user, a receptacle 7 for a
smartphone 8 is located upstream of the coin deposit lock
6. The receptacle 9 is embodied in the formation 3 as a
depression, which is formed rectangular as a whole. Due to
the tilted surface of the formation 3, the upstream
receptacle 9 is thus not only arranged in front of the coin
deposit lock 6, but also below the coin slot 7. The wall 10
of the depression 9 facing away from the coin deposit lock
6 has an indented recess 11.
An arrow P shows the movement, with which the smartphone 8
is inserted into the receptacle 9.
Figure 2 shows the smartphone 8, which is inserted into the
receptacle 9. The smartphone 8 covers the coin slot 7, the
removal of a deposit is not possible without removing the
smartphone 8 from the receptacle 9. The indented recess al,
which is arranged centrically in the longitudinal wall 10
of the receptacle 7 facing away from the coin deposit lock
6 provides the access to the central operating switch 12 of
the smartphone 8, which would otherwise be covered by the
receptacle 7.
The partial section of Figure 2 along line A shown by
Figure 3 shows that the receptacle 7 is formed such that
the smartphone secured therein is not secured vertically,
but at an angle to the vertical. The angle lines up the
smartphone, so that it can be operated or read better,
respectively. Provision is made on the bottom of the
receptacle 9 for an opening 13, through which liquids can
flow out of the receptacle 9.
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A cup holder can also be provided as a functional element
on a handle, in particular on a handle, which is embodied
according to the invention. Such a cup holder has a mostly
circular opening, in which only a certain size of cups can
typically be held securely. To eliminate this disadvantage,
an adjusting element is inserted into the opening in a
known manner. The adjusting element makes it possible to
flexibly adapt the radius of the cup holder opening across
a certain area to the diameter of the cup, which is
inserted into the cup holder. The adjusting element is
secured on a location of the wall of the cup opening. It is
spring-mounted and pushes the cup, which is inserted into
the cup holder, against the wall of the opening opposite
the adjusting element. The inserted cup is secured reliably
in the opening in this manner. A back and forth pivoting in
an opening, which is actually too large for the cup, and
the danger associated therewith that the liquid contained
in the cup spills out is prevented.
A cup holder on a handle of a shopping trolley is located
in a public area and is also entrained, because it is
fastened to the handle, when the user of the shopping
trolley does not have a beverage when shopping. The
mechanism of the adjusting element is freely accessible in
the non-used cup holder and invites the user to play, for
example while waiting at the cash register. It can happen
thereby that the spring is not only spread apart or
compressed again and again by means of a back and forth
movement of the adjusting element, but is also
overstretched by pushing the adjusting element down too
strongly. It can even happen thereby that the adjusting
element is pushed all the way to the bottom of the cup
holder and that the spring breaks. This thoughtless
behavior of the shopping trolley user is nothing out of the
ordinary, when people handle objects, which are not owned
by them.
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An overstretched or even broken spring, however, can no
longer fulfill its task, the shopping trolley needs to be
separated out extensively and the spring or, if applicable,
the entire adjusting element, needs to be replaced. To
solve this problem it is proposed to equip the adjusting
element with an overstretch protection for the spring. A
pin-shaped appendage, which is guided in a groove in the
cup wall, is suitable for this purpose on the adjusting
element. The pin is arranged on the side of the adjusting
element, which faces away from the cup. In response to
inserting the adjusting element into the cup opening, said
pin is threaded into the groove, which is open on the top
on the cup edge and which is oriented in the direction of
the cup bottom. In response to a movement of the adjusting
element, the pin now slides through the groove. A head, the
width or diameter, respectively, of which exceeds the width
of the groove, is located on an end of the pin, which faces
away from the adjusting element. The length of the pin is
dimensioned sufficiently, so as to provide for the
permitted movement of the adjusting element. Only in
response to the danger of an overstretching of the spring,
the pin prevents a further movement of the adjusting
element in that the head strikes against the side walls of
the groove. The spring can thus not be overstretched any
longer.
