Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02958358 2017-02-16
SHOPPING CART BAGGING STATION AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical Field
[00011 This invention relates to retail store fixtures, and, more
specifically, to bagging
stations that couple to a shopping cart.
State of the Art
[0002] A bagging station is a fixture located in a retail store that holds
a stack of shopping
bags, often plastic shopping bags, and dispenses these bags as they are filled
with products a
customer has purchased. The shopping bags are held in a manner and position
such that it is
easy and convenient for a person to open one bag at a time, place purchased
items in the bag, and
then remove the bag and the enclosed products from the bagging station.
Bagging stations have
traditionally been located at checkout stations where customers pay for their
products, because
that is where the products have traditionally been transferred from a shopping
cart to the
shopping bags. With the advent of electronic purchasing and self-checkout,
however, customers
are able to pay for and bag their products as they shop, and these actions can
occur at locations
besides checkout stations. There is a need for bagging stations in locations
in retail stores
besides at the checkout station.
[0003] Accordingly, what is needed is a bagging station that can be mounted
in a shopping
cart, so that customers can bag their purchases as they shop.
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CA 02958358 2017-02-16
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 shows a cutaway view of a shopping cart, with two shopping
cart bagging
stations mounted to the shopping cart;
[0005] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of a shopping
cart bagging
station;
[0006] FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the shopping cart bagging
station of FIG.
2;
[0007] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a plurality of bagging station
elements that make
up the shopping cart bagging station of FIG. 2;
[0008] FIG. 5 shows a front perspective view of one end of a support bar of
the shopping cart
bagging station of FIG. 2, showing a close-up of a rod and rotation stops
coupled to the support
bar, and a front perspective view of a cart mounting hook and a shopping bag
handle holder arm;
[0009] FIG. 6 shows a close-up bottom view of a rotational slot joint of
the shopping cart
bagging station of FIG. 2, showing the placement of two rotation stops;
[0010] FIG. 7 shows a close-up bottom view of the rotational slot joint of
the shopping cart
bagging station of FIG. 2, showing an embodiment with three rotation stops;
[0011] FIG. 8 shows a close-up bottom view of the rotational slot joint of
the shopping cart
bagging station of FIG. 2, showing an additional embodiment with two rotation
stops;
[0012] FIG. 9 shows a close-up bottom view of the rotational slot joint of
the shopping cart
bagging station of FIG. 2, showing an embodiment with no rotation stops;
[0013] FIG. 10 shows a front perspective view of a further embodiment of a
shopping cart
bagging station;
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[0014] FIG. 11 shows a front perspective view of the shopping cart bagging
station of FIG.
10, with the support bar folded at a hinge;
[0015] FIG. 12 shows a rear perspective view of the shopping cart bagging
station of FIG.
10;
[0016] FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of the shopping cart bagging station
of FIG. 10;
[0017] FIG. 14 illustrates a method of forming a bagging station; and
[0018] FIG. 15 illustrates a method of forming a bagging station.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Disclosed herein are embodiments of an invention related to retail
store fixtures, and,
more specifically, to bagging stations that couple to a shopping cart. The
disclosed shopping cart
bagging stations can be used by customers to bag their purchases as they shop.
The shopping
cart bagging stations can be made from recyclable materials and can be
lightweight and portable.
The disclosed shopping cart bagging stations are formed of a plurality of
shopping cart bagging
station elements that fit together using slot joints. In some embodiments, one
or more of the slot
joints are rotational slot joints, which allow rotation of one or more of the
shopping cart bagging
station elements. The rotation of one or more of the shopping cart bagging
station elements
allow the shopping cart bagging station to be folded up into a compact form
when not in use, and
quickly and easily opened for use. In some embodiments, a support bar of the
shopping cart
bagging station has a hinge so that the support bar can be folded to fit in a
corner of the shopping
cart. The shopping cart bagging station can be kept by a customer and brought
into the store for
use. The shopping cart bagging stations can be stored in a folded position and
unfolded and used
when needed. Alternatively, the shopping cart bagging station can be kept at a
retail store and
loaned to customers to use while they are in the store.
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[0020] In a specific embodiment, a disclosed shopping cart bagging station
includes a
plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements, which include a support
bar, a first and a
second cart coupling hook, a first and a second handle holder arm, and a bag
holder hook. The
plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements include a plurality of
slots, which are used to
couple the plurality of shopping cart elements together to form the shopping
cart bagging station.
The slots are used to couple elements together using slot joints. At least one
of the slots includes
a rod within the slot. The rod is used to couple elements together to form a
rotational slot joint.
The rotational slot joint allows rotation of coupled elements so the bagging
station elements can
be folded into a more compact form when not in use. The shopping cart bagging
station holds at
least one shopping bag, and dispenses shopping bags one at a time as products
are placed in a
shopping bag. The first and the second cart coupling hooks are configured to
couple the
shopping cart bagging station to a shopping cart. The bag holder hook extends
from the support
bar, and holds the one or more shopping bags. The first and second shopping
bag handle holder
arms each hold a handle of a shopping bag so the shopping bag is held open and
items can be
placed in the shopping bag.
[0021] Disclosed herein is a shopping cart bagging station that in a
particular embodiment
includes a means to hold a plurality of shopping bags, and a means to
rotatably couple a first and
a second handle holder arm to the means to hold the plurality of shopping
bags. In some
embodiments, the shopping cart bagging station also includes a means to
rotatably couple a first
and a second cart coupling hook to the means to hold the plurality of shopping
bags. The means
to hold the plurality of shopping bags, the means to rotatably couple a first
and a second handle
holder arm to the means to hold the plurality of shopping bags, and the means
to rotatably couple
a first and a second cart coupling hook to the means to hold the plurality of
shopping bags can
take many different forms. The examples shown and described in this document
are not meant
to be limiting, and many other variations are possible in light of the
teachings in this document.
[0022] In another specific embodiment, the shopping cart bagging station
includes a hinged
support bar. The hinged support bar allows the shopping cart bagging station
to be folded at the
hinge. A first and a second shopping cart mounting assembly is coupled to the
support bar. The
first and the second shopping cart mounting assembly each include a handle
holder arm that
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holds a handle of at least one shopping bag. The first and the second shopping
cart mounting
assembly each also include a cart coupling hook that couples the shopping cart
bagging station to
a shopping cart. The shopping cart bagging station can also include a bag
holder assembly that
holds a stack of shopping bags and can include a third cart coupling hook. The
shopping cart
bagging station holds at least one shopping bag, and dispenses the shopping
bags one at a time as
products are placed in a shopping bag. The cart coupling hooks are configured
to couple the
shopping cart bagging station to a shopping cart. The bag holder hook extends
from the support
bar, and holds at least one shopping bag. The handle holder arms each hold a
handle of a
shopping bag so the shopping bag is held open and items can be placed in the
shopping bag.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a cutaway perspective view of a shopping cart 713 with
two shopping
cart bagging stations 710 and 910 mounted to shopping cart 713. Shopping cart
bagging stations
710 and 910 can be mounted in various locations on shopping cart 713, making
it easy and
convenient for a customer to carry and load a plurality of shopping bags 712
as they shop.
Shopping cart bagging stations 710 and 910 can be provided by the retail store
for customer use,
much like the use of shopping cart 713. Or, in some embodiments, shopping cart
bagging station
710 or 910 is brought into the store by the customer. The disclosed shopping
cart bagging
stations 710 and 910 provide a means for a customer to load purchases into
bags as they shop,
instead of having to bag their purchases at a checkout station. Shopping cart
bagging stations
710 and 910 can be made from a lightweight material such as cardboard,
plastic, wood, or other
lightweight material, and can be made from recyclable material so that
shopping cart bagging
stations 710 and 910 are lightweight, easily carried, and can be recycled at
end of life.
[0024] FIG. 2 through FIG. 9 show details of shopping cart bagging station
710. FIG. 2
shows a front perspective view of shopping cart bagging station 710. FIG. 3
shows an additional
perspective view of shopping cart bagging station 710. FIG. 4 shows a
plurality of shopping cart
bagging station elements 784 which comprise the elements of shopping cart
bagging station 710.
FIG. 5 shows a close-up view of a first end 728 of a support bar 722 of
shopping cart bagging
station 710, and a close-up view of a cart coupling hook 714 and a handle
holder arm 750. FIG.
6 shows a close-up bottom view of one embodiment of a rotational slot joint
766 of shopping
cart bagging station 710, showing one possible placement of rotation stops 792
and 793. FIG. 7
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shows a close-up bottom view of an alternate embodiment of rotational slot
joint 766 of
shopping cart bagging station 710, showing a possible placement of an
additional rotation stop
794. FIG. 8 shows a close-up bottom view of a further embodiment of rotational
slot joint 766
of shopping cart bagging station 710, showing the use of rotation stops 792
and 794. FIG. 9
shows a close-up bottom view of one more embodiment of rotational slot joint
766 of shopping
cart bagging station 710, where rotational slot joint 766 in this embodiment
does not use any
rotation stops.
[0025] Shopping cart bagging station 710 includes plurality of individual
shopping cart
bagging station elements 784 (see FIG. 4) coupled together using a plurality
of slot joints 719, as
shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. In this embodiment, plurality of shopping cart
bagging station
elements 784 includes six elements, which include a support bar 722, a bag
holder hook 748, a
first and a second shopping cart coupling hook 714 and 716, and a first and a
second handle
holder arm 750 and 752.
[0026] Bag holder hook 748 is coupled to support bar 722 at slot joint 797,
as shown in FIG.
2 and FIG. 3. First and second cart coupling hooks 714 and 716 are removeably,
and, in some
embodiments rotatably, coupled to support bar 722 at rotational slot joints
766 and 768, as
shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. First and second handle holder arms 750 and 752
are removeably
and, in some embodiments, rotatably coupled to support bar 722 at rotational
slot joints 766 and
768, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. In some embodiments, shopping cart bagging
station 710
includes more or less than six elements.
[0027] Plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements 784, when
coupled together using
plurality of slot joints 719, form shopping cart bagging station 710 (FIG. 1
through FIG. 3).
Shopping cart bagging station 710 can be mounted in a shopping cart and used
by a customer as
they shop to bag their purchases. In the embodiment shown in the figures, bag
holder hook 748
coupled to support bar 722 is a means to hold a plurality of shopping bags,
but this is not meant
to be limiting. First cart coupling hook 714 and second cart coupling hook 716
are means to
couple the means to hold the plurality of shopping bags to a shopping cart,
but this is not meant
to be limiting. First and second handler holder arms 750 and 752 are means to
hold one of the
plurality of shopping bags open for insertion of items, but this is not meant
to be limiting. The
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means to hold a plurality of shopping bags, the means to couple the means to
hold the plurality
of shopping bags to a shopping cart, and the means to hold one of the
plurality of shopping bags
open can take many different forms.
[0028] Shopping cart bagging station 710 holds and dispenses a plurality of
shopping bags
712, as shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, plurality of shopping bags 712
are plastic
shopping bags, but this is not meant to be limiting. Bag holder hook 748 holds
plurality of
shopping bags 712. Often, plurality of plastic shopping bags 712 is hung onto
bag holder hook
748 by a hole through the stack of bags. First and second shopping bag handle
holder arms 750
and 752 hold the handles of one or more than one of plurality of shopping bags
712 to hold one
shopping bag open to be filled with items. When a user wishes to fill a first
one of plurality of
shopping bags 712, a bag is pulled open from bag holder hook 748 and the
handles held by first
and second shopping bag handle holder arms 750 and 752. This leaves the
shopping bag open
and hanging from first and second shopping bag handle holder arms 750 and 752.
First and
second handle holder arms 750 and 752 support the bag and the items placed in
the bag. Once
the user is done filling the bag, the bag is removed from shopping cart
bagging station 710, and
the process is repeated with a next one of plurality of shopping bags 712
until all items are
bagged. Once all purchased items are in bags, shopping cart bagging station
710 can be removed
from shopping cart 713 and stored or carried. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
2 and FIG. 3,
first and second handle holder arms 750 and 752 can be rotated to fold them
against support bar
722, in order to keep shopping cart bagging station 710 small in size and
configuration, for
storage and carrying. First and second cart coupling hooks 714 and 716 also
rotate to fold up
against support bar 722.
[0029] Support bar 722 of shopping cart bagging station 710 includes a
front surface 724, a
rear surface (not shown), a first end 728 and a second end 730 opposing first
end 728, as shown
in FIG. 2 through FIG. 4. Support bar 722 also includes a top edge 770 (FIG. 2
and FIG. 4) and a
bottom edge 772. Support bar 722 in this embodiment also includes a first
support bar slot 776,
a second support bar slot 778, and a third support bar slot 774, as shown in
FIG. 4. Third support
bar slot 774 extends into support bar 722 from top edge 770 (FIG. 4). First
and second support
bar slots 776 and 778 extend into support bar 722 from bottom edge 772, as
shown in FIG.4.
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[0030] First support bar slot 776 includes a first rod 738, as shown in
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.
Second support bar slot 778 includes a second rod 742, as shown in FIG. 4.
First support bar slot
776 with first rod 738, and second support bar slot 778 with second rod 742
are used to rotatably
couple first and second cart coupling hooks 714 and 716, and first and second
handle holder
arms 750 and 752, to support bar 722, as explained herein.
[0031] First rod 738 is positioned inside first support bar slot 776 so
that first rod 738 and
first support bar slot 776 are collinear, with first rod 738 extending along
the length of first
support bar slot 776, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. First rod 738 is coupled
to support bar 722
at first rod first end 739 (FIG. 5). First rod 738 is divided by a rod slot
737. Rod slot 737 allows
first rod 738 to expand and contract to receive and hold first cart coupling
hook 714 and first
handle holder arm 750. First rod 738 is used to rotatably couple first cart
coupling hook 714 and
first handle holder arm 750 to support bar 722. First cart coupling hook 714
includes a hollow
sleeve 736, as shown in Fig. 4 and FIG. 5. First handle holder arm 750
includes a hollow sleeve
744, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Hollow sleeves 736 and 744 are slid over
first rod 738 to
form rotational slot joint 766 (FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 through FIG. 9).
Rod slot 737 allows
first rod 739 to flex in diameter, and makes it easier to slide hollow sleeve
736 and hollow sleeve
744 onto first rod 738. First handle holder arm 750 and first cart coupling
hook 714 are rotatably
coupled to first rod 738 to form first rotational slot joint 766. First handle
holder arm 750 is
rotatably coupled to first rod 738 by sliding hollow sleeve 744 over first rod
738. First cart
coupling hook 714 is rotatably coupled to first rod 738 by sliding hollow
sleeve 736 over first
rod 738. In this embodiment, rotational slot joint 766 allows first handle
holder arm 750 to
rotate through angle 788, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
[0032] Second rod 742 is positioned inside second support bar slot 778 so
that second rod
742 and second support bar slot 778 are collinear, and second rod 742 extends
along the length
of second support bar slot 778, as shown in FIG. 4. Second rod 742 is coupled
to support bar
722 at a second rod first end (similar to first rod first end 739 shown in
FIG. 5). Second rod 738
is divided by a rod slot (similar to rod stop 737 of first rod 738 shown in
FIG. 5). Second rod
742 is used to rotatably couple second cart coupling hook 716 and second
handle holder arm 752
to support bar 722. Second cart coupling hook 716 includes a hollow sleeve
740, as shown in
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Fig. 4. Second handle holder arm 752 includes a hollow sleeve 746, as shown in
FIG. 4. Hollow
sleeve 740 and 746 are slid over second rod 742 to form rotational slot joint
768 (FIG. 2 and
FIG. 3). Second handle holder arm 752 and second cart coupling hook 716 are
rotatably coupled
to second rod 742 to form second rotational slot joint 768. Second handle
holder arm 752 is
rotatably coupled to second rod 742 by sliding hollow sleeve 746 over second
rod 742. Second
cart coupling hook 716 is rotatably coupled to second rod 742 by sliding
hollow sleeve 740 over
second rod 742. In this embodiment, rotational slot joint 768 allows second
handle holder arm
752 to rotate through an angle 790, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
[0033] Support bar 722, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 through FIG 5,
also includes
rotation stops 792, 793, 795 and 796, as shown in FIG. 2 through FIG. 6.
Rotation stops 792,
793, 795 and 796 are coupled to support bar 722 alongside support bar slots
776 and 778 as seen
in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Rotation stop 792 and 795 are coupled to front surface
724. Rotation stops
793 and 796 are coupled to the back surface of support bar 722. Rotation stops
792, 793, 795
and 796 are used to control the direction and amount of rotation of cart
coupling hooks 714 and
716, and handle holder arms 750 and 752. Rotation stops 792, 793, 795, and 796
block rotation
of an element when they are present, and allow rotation when they are absent.
Rotation stops
792 and 793 are used with first support bar slot 776 to control the rotational
amount and
direction of first handle holder arm 750 and first cart coupling hook 714, as
shown in the figures
and described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 6. Rotation stops
795 and 796 are
used with second support bar slot 778 to control the rotational amount and
direction of second
handle holder arm 752 and second cart coupling hook 716.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a bottom close-up view of rotational slot joint 766,
including first rod
738 with hollow sleeve 736 of cart coupling hook 714 and hollow sleeve 744 of
handle holder
arm 750 slid over first rod 738 (hollow sleeve 744 is not visible in FIG. 6).
Rotation stops 792
and 793 are used to control the amount and direction of rotation of first cart
coupling hook 714
and first handle holder arm 750. First handle holder arm 750 rotates through
rotation angle 788,
with rotation angle 788 limited in direction and extent by rotation stop 792
and by support bar
722. First handle holder arm 750 in this embodiment can rotate through
rotation angle 788 until
first handle holder arm 750 is laying against support bar 722 in one
direction, but is prevented
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from a full 180 degree rotation by rotation stop 792. Similarly, first cart
coupling hook 714
rotates through rotation angle 789, limited in direction and extent by
rotation stop 793 and
support bar 722. First cart coupling hook 714 in this embodiment can rotate in
angular rotation
angle 789 until first cart coupling hook 714 is laying against support bar 722
in one direction, but
is prevented from a full 180 degree rotation by rotation stop 793. In the
embodiment shown in
FIG. 6, both first cart coupling hook 714 and first handle holder arm 750 can
rotate such that
they are laying against support bar 722 in a folded up position. This allows
shopping cart
bagging station 710 to be put in a folded position for storage or transport.
Rotation angles 788
and 789 are limited in extend to between about 90 and 120 degrees, in this
embodiment.
Rotation stops 795 and 796 are used to similarly limit the directions and
extent of second cart
coupling hook 716 and second handle holder arm 752 of rotational slot joint
768.
[0035] Rotation stops 792, 793, 795 and 796 can take many different
embodiments, or be
eliminated. FIG. 7 through FIG. 9 show additional embodiments of the use of
rotation stops to
control the direction and extend of the rotation of first cart coupling hook
714 and first handler
holder arm 750. Additional embodiments of rotational slot joint 768 are
similarly envisioned.
[0036] FIG. 7 shows a bottom view of an additional embodiment of rotational
slot joint 766.
In this embodiment, support bar 722 is replaced with a support bar 721.
Support bar 721 is the
same as support bar 722, except support bar 721 includes a rotation stop 794
in addition to
rotation stop 792 and 793. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, rotation stop
792 limits the
amount and extent of rotation of first handle holder arm 750 through rotation
angle 788. First
handle holder arm 750 in this embodiment can rotate in angular rotation angle
788 until first
handle holder arm 750 is laying against support bar 721 in one direction, but
is prevented from a
full 180 degree rotation by rotation stop 792. Rotation stops 793 and 794 keep
first cart coupling
hook 714 from rotating against support bar 721 in this embodiment. Rotation
stops 793 and 794
restrict the rotation of first cart coupling hook 714 in both directions. In
this embodiment, first
cart coupling hook 714 is prevented from rotating to a position where first
cart coupling hook
714 is laying against support bar 722. Rotation stops 793 and 794 restrict the
extent and
direction of rotation of cart coupling hook 714 such that cart coupling hook
714 cannot be made
to lay against support bar 721 in either direction.
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[0037] FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of rotational slot joint 766. In
this embodiment,
support bar 721 is replaced with a support bar 723. Support bar 723 is the
same as support bar
721, except in this embodiment, rotation stop 793 has been eliminated as
compared to the
embodiment shown in FIG. 7. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, first handle
holder arm 750
rotates through rotation angle 788, with rotation angle 788 limited in
direction and extent by
rotation stop 792 and by support bar 723, as described above in connection
with FIG. 6 and FIG.
. 7. Similarly, first cart coupling hook 714 rotates through rotation angle
790, limited in extent
and direction by rotation stop 794 and support bar 723. In the embodiment
shown in FIG. 8,
both first cart coupling hook 714 and first handle holder arm 750 can rotate
such that they are
laying against support bar 722 in a folded up position. Rotation angles 788
and 790 are limited in
extent to between about 90 and about 120 degrees in this embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of rotational slot joint 766. In
this embodiment,
support bar 723 is replaced with a support bar 720. Support bar 720 is the
same as support bar
723, except in this embodiment of rotational slot joint 766 shown in FIG. 9,
no rotation stops are
used, which allows rotation of first handle holder arm 750 in rotation angle
788, and allows
rotation of first cart coupling hook 714 in rotation angle 789. Rotation angle
788 and rotation
angle 789 are both about 180 degrees in this embodiment. Both first cart
coupling hook 714 and
first handle holder arm 750 can rotate through approximately 180 degrees. Both
first cart
coupling hook 714 and first handle holder arm 750 can rotate such that either
side is laying
against support bar 720.
[0039] It is to be understood that the examples shown and described of
the use of rotation
stops 792, 793, 794, 795 and 796 are examples only. Many other combinations of
the use or lack
of rotation stops is possible to allow or prevent the direction and extent of
rotation of handle
holder arms 750 and 752 and/or cart coupling hooks 714 and 716.
[0040] Referring back to FIG. 2 through FIG. 4, first cart coupling hook
714 also includes a
cart hook 732 and a post 760, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Second cart
coupling hook 716
includes a cart hook 734 and a post 762. Cart hooks 732 and 734 hook cart
coupling hooks 714
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and 716, and shopping cart bagging station 710, to shopping cart 713. Posts
760 and 762 help
keep hooks 732 and 734 coupled to shopping cart 713.
[0041] Shopping cart bagging station 710 also includes bag holder hook 748.
FIG. 2 and
FIG. 3 show bag holder hook 748 coupled to support bar 722. FIG. 4 illustrates
bag holder hook
748 separated from support bar 722. Bag holder hook 748 includes a bag holder
hook slot 749,
as shown in FIG. 4. Bag holder hook 748 couples to support bar 722 by sliding
bag holder hook
slot 749 into third support bar slot 774, forming third slot joint 797, as
shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
3. In this way, bag holder hook 748 is removeably coupled to support bar 722
using third
support bar slot 774, and bag holder hook slot 749. Bag holder hook 748, in
this embodiment,
includes an elongate bag arm 758, which points towards top edge 770 of support
bar 722 so that
plurality of shopping bags 712 can be hung on bag holder hook 748 (FIG. 1).
Bag arm 758, in
this embodiment, extends from front surface 724 approximately halfway between
first end 728
and second end 730 of support bar 722. Bag holder hook 748 can take many
different forms.
Any form that allows bag holder hook 748 to hold a plurality of shopping bags
can be used. In
some embodiments, bag holder hook 748 also includes a means to couple bag
holder hook 748 to
a shopping cart. When bag holder hook 748 includes a means to couple bag
holder hook 748 to a
shopping cart, bag holder hook 748 helps couple shopping cart bagging station
710 to the
shopping cart. In some embodiments, the means to couple bag holder hook 748 to
a shopping
cart is a cart coupling hook.
[0042] With first and second cart coupling hooks 714 and 716 coupling
shopping cart
bagging station 710 to shopping cart 713, shopping cart bagging station 710
can be used by a
customer to dispense bags as needed while the customer shops. Shopping cart
bagging station
710 can be coupled to many different location on shopping cart 713. Shopping
cart bagging
station 710 can be coupled to the interior or exterior of shopping cart 713.
Shopping cart
bagging station 710 can be coupled to the front, sides, rear, edges, or bottom
of shopping cart
713.
[0043] Support bar 722 can take many different forms. In some embodiments,
support bar
722 includes a first support bar portion and a second support bar portion,
where the first and the
second support bar portions are coupled together using a hinge. This allows
support bar 722 to
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fold at the hinge and store in a smaller space. FIG. 10 through FIG. 13 show
an example
embodiment of a shopping cart bagging station with a support bar that has a
hinge.
[0044] FIG.10 through FIG. 13 show details of shopping cart bagging station
910. Shopping
cart bagging station 910 has a support bar 922 that is formed of two parts, a
first support bar
portion 920 and a second support bar portion 921 coupled together with a hinge
954, which
allows support bar 922 to fold at hinge 954. FIG. 10 shows a front perspective
view of shopping
cart bagging station 910. FIG. 11 shows a front perspective view of shopping
cart bagging
station 910 with support bar 922 folded at hinge 954. FIG. 12 shows a rear
perspective view of
shopping cart bagging station 910. FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of shopping
cart bagging
station 910, showing a plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements 984
which comprise
the elements of shopping cart bagging station 910.
[0045] Shopping cart bagging station 910 includes plurality of individual
shopping cart
bagging station elements 984 (see FIG. 13) coupled together using a plurality
of slot joints 919
(FIG. 12 and FIG. 13). In this embodiment, plurality of shopping cart bagging
station elements
984 includes five elements, which includes support bar 922 made up of a first
support bar portion
920 and a second support bar portion 921, a bag holder assembly 902, and a
first and a second
shopping cart mounting assembly 904 and 906.
[0046] Support bar 922 includes hinge 954. Support bar 922 folds at hinge
954 as shown in
FIG. 11. Support bar 922 folds at hinge 954 so that shopping cart bagging
station 910 can fit in
a corner of shopping cart 713, as shown in FIG. 1, and so that shopping cart
bagging station 910
can fold to be compact for transport and storage. Support bar 922 includes
first support bar
portion 920 and second support bar portion 921, which are coupled together
using hinge 954.
Referring to FIG. 13, first support bar portion 920 includes a first support
bar portion first end
929, and a first support bar portion second end 931. First support bar portion
920 includes a
hinge post 955 coupled to first support bar portion second end 931. Second
support bar portion
921 includes a second support bar portion first end 933, and a second support
bar portion second
end 935. Second support bar portion 921 includes a hinge sleeve 956 coupled to
second support
bar portion first end 933. Hinge sleeve 956 slides over hinge post 955 to form
hinge 954. Hinge
sleeve 956 rotates on hinge post 955. Hinge sleeve 956 slides over hinge post
955 to couple first
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support bar portion 920 to second support bar portion 921 and form support bar
922. Support bar
922 folds at hinge 954.
[0047] Support bar first portion 920 of shopping cart bagging station 910
has a support bar
first portion front surface 924, a support bar first portion rear surface 926
(FIG. 12), a support bar
first portion top edge 970 and a support bar first portion bottom edge 972.
Support bar first
portion 920 also has a first support bar slot 976 at support bar first portion
first end 929. First
support bar slot 976 extends into support bar first portion 920 from support
bar first portion
bottom edge 972. Support bar second portion 921 of shopping cart bagging
station 910 has a
support bar second portion front surface 925, a support bar second portion
rear surface 927 (FIG.
12), a support bar second portion top edge 971 and a support bar second
portion bottom edge
973. Support bar second portion 921 also has a second support bar slot 978 and
a third support
bar slot 974. Second support bar slot 978 is at support bar second portion
second end 935. Third
support bar slot 974 is at support bar second portion first end 933. Second
support bar slot 978
extends into support bar second portion 921 from support bar second portion
bottom edge 973.
Third support bar slot 974 extends into support bar second portion 921 from
support bar second
portion top edge 971.
[0048] Referring back to FIG. 10 through FIG. 12, bag holder assembly 902
is removeably
coupled to support bar 922 at slot joint 997 (FIG. 11). First and second
shopping cart mounting
structures 904 and 906 are removeably coupled to support bar 922 at slot
joints 998 and 999, as
shown in FIG. 11. In some embodiments, shopping cart bagging station 910
includes more or
less than five elements. Plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements
984, when coupled
together using plurality of slot joints 919, form shopping cart bagging
station 910 (FIG. 10
through FIG. 13). Plurality of slot joints 919 includes slot joints 997, 998,
and 999. Shopping
cart bagging station 910 can be mounted in shopping cart 713 as shown in FIG.
1, and used by a
customer as they shop to bag their purchases. FIG. 1 shows shopping cart
bagging station 910
mounted to shopping cart 713 in a folded configuration, showing how hinge 954
allows shopping
cart bagging station 910 to fit on the corner of shopping cart 713. Shopping
cart bagging station
910 can be mounted to shopping cart 713 in a folded or an unfolded
configuration. FIG. 1 and
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FIG. 11 show shopping cart bagging station 910 in a folded configuration. FIG.
10 and FIG. 12
show shopping cart bagging station 910 in an unfolded configuration.
[0049] Bag holder assembly 902 is removeably coupled to support bar 922 as
shown in the
figures. Bag holder assembly 902 is a means to hold a plurality of shopping
bags, but this is not
meant to be limiting. In some embodiments, shopping cart bagging station 910
does not include
bag holder assembly 902. First shopping cart mounting assembly 904 and second
shopping cart
mounting assembly 906 are means to couple the means to hold the plurality of
shopping bags to
a shopping cart, but this is not meant to be limiting. The means to hold a
plurality of shopping
bags and the means to couple the means to hold the plurality of shopping bags
to a shopping cart
can take many different forms.
[0050] Shopping cart bagging station 910 holds and dispenses a plurality of
shopping bags,
similar to shopping cart bagging station 710 as shown in FIG. 1. Shopping cart
bagging station
910 can hold plurality of shopping bags 712 similar to what is shown for
shopping cart bagging
station 710. Shopping cart bagging station 910 is shown in FIG. 1 in a folded
position.
Shopping cart bagging station 910 can be used folded or unfolded, as shown and
described
herein.
[0051] Bag holder assembly 902 holds a plurality of shopping bags. Often,
the plurality of
plastic shopping bags is hung onto bag holder assembly 902 by a hole through
the stack of bags.
First and second shopping cart mounting assemblies 904 and 906 hold the
handles of one or
more than one of the plurality of shopping bags to hold one shopping bag open
to be filled with
items. When a user wishes to fill a first one of the plurality of shopping
bags, a bag is pulled
open from bag holder assembly 902 and the handles held by first and second
shopping cart
mounting assemblies 904 and 906. This leaves the shopping bag open and hanging
from first
and second shopping cart mounting assemblies 904 and 906. First and second
shopping cart
mounting assemblies 904 and 906 support the bag and the items placed in the
bag. Once the user
is done filling the bag, the bag is removed from shopping cart bagging station
910, and the
process is repeated with a next one of the plurality of shopping bags until
all items are bagged.
Once all purchased items are in bags, shopping cart bagging station 910 can be
removed from
shopping cart 713 and stored or carried. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10
through FIG. 13,
CA 02958358 2017-02-16
shopping cart bagging station 910 can be folded at hinge 954 in order to keep
shopping cart
bagging station 910 small in size and configuration for storage and carrying.
In some
embodiments, both first and second shopping cart mounting assemblies can
rotate to fold up
against support bar 922 as explained above for shopping cart bagging station
710.
[0052] First and second shopping cart mounting assemblies 904 and 906 are
removeably
coupled to support bar 922. First shopping cart mounting assembly 904 has a
first mounting
assembly slot 915, as shown in FIG. 13. First mounting assembly slot 915
couples to first
support bar slot 976 to form first slot joint 998, and to removeably couple
first shopping cart
mounting assembly 902 to first support bar portion 920 of support bar 922.
Second shopping
cart mounting assembly 906 has a second mounting assembly slot 917, as shown
in FIG. 13.
Second mounting assembly slot 917 couples to second support bar slot 978 to
form second slot
joint 999, and to removeably couple second shopping cart mounting assembly 906
to second
support bar portion 921 of support bar 922.
[0053] Bag holder assembly 902 is removeably coupled to support bar 922. In
this
embodiment, bag holder assembly 902 is removeably coupled to first end 933 of
second support
bar portion 921, but this is not meant to be limiting. In some embodiments,
bag holder assembly
902 is removeably coupled to second end 931 of first support bar portion 920.
Bag holder
assembly 902 has a bag holder hook 948, a bag holder assembly slot 949, a cart
coupling hook
918 and a post 964, as shown in FIG. 13. Bag holder assembly slot 949 couples
to third support
bar slot 974 to form third slot joint 997, and to removeably couple bag holder
assembly 902 to
second support bar portion 921 of support bar 922. Bag holder assembly 902, in
this
embodiment, couples to support bar 922 approximately halfway between a first
end 928 and a
second end 930 of support bar 922. Bag holder hook 948 holds one or more
shopping bags. Bag
holder hook 948 extends in a direction towards top edge 971 of second support
bar portion 921
so that one or more shopping bags hung on bag holder hook 948 stay on bag
holder hook 948.
Bag holder assembly 902 can take many different forms. Any form that allows
bag holder
assembly 902 to hold a plurality of shopping bags can be used.
[0054] Bag holder assembly 902 also includes cart coupling clip 918, which
is a means to
couple bag holder assembly 902 and shopping cart bagging station 910 to a
shopping cart. Cart
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coupling clip 918 couples shopping cart bagging station 910 to the shopping
cart. Bag holder
assembly 902 also includes a post 964 that helps keep cart coupling clip 918
coupled to the
shopping cart.
[0055] First shopping cart mounting structure 904 is removeably coupled to
support bar 922.
In this embodiment, first shopping cart mounting structure 904 is removeably
coupled to first
end 929 of first support bar portion 920. First shopping cart mounting
structure 904 has a
handle holder arm 950, a mounting assembly slot 915, a cart coupling hook 914,
and a post 960,
as shown in FIG. 13. Mounting assembly slot 915 couples to first support bar
slot 976 to form
slot joint 997, and to removeably couple first shopping cart mounting
structure 904 to first
support bar portion 920 of support bar 922. First shopping cart mounting
structure 904, in this
embodiment, couples to support bar 922 at first end 928 of support bar 922.
First shopping cart
mounting structure 904 includes handle holder arm 950, which extends in a
direction towards top
edge 970 of first support bar portion 920 so that one or more shopping bag
handles hung on
handle holder arm 950 stay on handle holder arm 950. First shopping cart
mounting structure
904 can take many different forms. Any form that allows first shopping cart
mounting structure
904 to hold one or more shopping bag handles can be used.
[0056] First shopping cart mounting structure 904 also includes a cart
coupling clip 914,
which is a means to couple first shopping cart mounting structure 904 and
shopping cart bagging
station 910 to a shopping cart. Cart coupling clip 914 couples shopping cart
bagging station 910
to the shopping cart. First shopping cart mounting structure 904 includes post
960 that helps
keep cart coupling clip 914 coupled to the shopping cart.
[0057] Second shopping cart mounting structure 906 is removeably coupled to
support bar
922. In this embodiment, second shopping cart mounting structure 906 is
removeably coupled to
second end 930 of support bar 922. Second shopping cart mounting structure 906
has a handle
holder arm 952, a mounting assembly slot 917, a cart coupling hook 916, and a
post 962, as
shown in FIG. 13. Mounting assembly slot 917 couples to second support bar
slot 978 to form
slot joint 999, and to removeably couple second shopping cart mounting
structure 906 to second
support bar portion 921 of support bar 922. Second shopping cart mounting
structure 906
includes handle holder arm 952, which extends in a direction towards top edge
971 of second
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support bar portion 921 so that one or more shopping bag handles hung on
handle holder arm
952 stay on handle holder arm 952. Second shopping cart mounting structure 906
can take
many different forms. Any form that allows second shopping cart mounting
structure 906 to
hold one or more shopping bag handles can be used.
[0058] Second shopping cart mounting structure 906 also includes a cart
coupling clip 916,
which is a means to couple second shopping cart mounting structure 906 and
shopping cart
bagging station 910 to a shopping cart. Cart coupling clip 916 couples
shopping cart bagging
station 910 to the shopping cart. Second shopping cart mounting structure 906
includes post 962
that helps keep cart coupling clip 916 coupled to the shopping cart.
[0059] With one or more of cart coupling hooks 914, 916, and 918 coupling
shopping cart
bagging station 910 to a shopping cart, shopping cart bagging station 910 can
be used by a
customer to dispense bags as needed while the customer shops. Shopping cart
bagging station
910 can be coupled to any location of the shopping cart. Shopping cart bagging
station 910 can
be folded at hinge 954 to allow shopping cart bagging station 910 to be
mounted to a corner of a
shopping cart, as shown in FIG. 1 with shopping cart bagging station 910
coupled to a corner of
shopping cart 713. Shopping cart bagging station 910 can be coupled to the
interior or exterior
of shopping cart 713, including an exterior corner using hinge 954. Shopping
cart bagging
station 910 can be coupled to the front, sides, rear, edges, or bottom of
shopping cart 713.
[0060] FIG. 14 illustrates a method 800 of forming a bagging station.
Method 800 includes
an act 810 of coupling a first support bar portion to a second support bar
portion using a hinge.
Coupling the first support bar portion to the second support bar portion with
a hinge forms a
support bar that folds at the hinge. The hinge can include a hinge post and a
hinge sleeve.
[0061] Method 800 also includes an act 820 of coupling a first shopping
cart mounting
assembly to a first support bar slot in the first support bar portion. In some
embodiments, the
first support bar slot extends into the first support bar portion from a
bottom edge of the first
support bar portion. In some embodiments, the first shopping cart mounting
assembly includes a
first mounting assembly slot. The first mounting assembly slot couples to the
first support bar
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slot to couple the first shopping cart mounting assembly to the first support
bar portion of the
support bar.
[0062] Method 800 also includes an act 830 of coupling a second shopping
cart mounting
assembly to a second support bar slot in the second support bar portion. In
some embodiments,
the second support bar slot extends into the second support bar portion from a
bottom edge of the
second support bar portion. In some embodiments, the second shopping cart
mounting assembly
includes a second mounting assembly slot. The second mounting assembly slot
couples to the
second support bar slot to couple the second shopping cart mounting assembly
to the second
support bar portion of the support bar.
[0063] Method 800 can includes many other acts. In some embodiments, method
800
includes coupling a bag holder assembly to a third support bar slot in the
second support bar
portion. In some embodiments, the bag holder assembly includes a bag holder
assembly slot,
which couples to the third support bar slot to form a slot joint. In some
embodiments, the third
support bar slot is in the first support bar portion and the bag holder
assembly couples to the first
support bar portion instead of the second support bar portion.
[0064] In some embodiments, method 800 includes using a plurality of slot
joints to form the
shopping cart bagging station.
[0065] FIG. 15 illustrates a method 900 of forming a bagging station.
Method 900 includes
an act 910 of cutting a support bar slot in a support bar. In some
embodiments, method 900
includes coupling a first support bar portion to a second support bar portion
to form the support
bar. Method 900 also includes an act 920 of positioning a rod inside the
support bar slot, where
the rod is collinear with the support bar slot. The rod is used to rotatably
couple elements to the
support bar. Method 900 also includes an act 930 of rotatably coupling a cart
coupling hook to
the rod. The cart coupling hook is used to couple the shopping cart bagging
station to a shopping
cart. Method 940 also includes an act 940 of coupling a bag holder hook to the
support bar.
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[0066] Method 900 can include many other acts. In some embodiments, method
900
includes rotatably coupling a handle holder arm to the support bar. In some
embodiments,
method 900 includes rotatably coupling a handle holder arm to the rod.
[0067] In some embodiments, method 900 includes coupling a first hollow
sleeve to a cart
hook to form the cart coupling hook. In some embodiments, method 900 includes
sliding the
rod through the first hollow sleeve to couple the cart coupling hook to the
rod. In some
embodiments, method 900 includes coupling a second hollow sleeve to a handle
holder arm. In
some embodiments, method 900 includes sliding the rod through the second
hollow sleeve to
couple the handle holder arm to the support bar.
[0068] The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in
order to best
explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby
enable those of ordinary
skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, those of ordinary
skill in the art will
recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for
the purposes of
illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to
be exhaustive or to
limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and
variations are possible
in light of the teachings above.
