Patent Application
20220017135
The present invention relates to disposable sanitary liners and, more particularly, to disposable liners for shopping carts.
A disposable shopping cart liner is not currently commercially available. Existing shopping cart covers made to protect a baby from directly touching germs/viruses on a shopping cart are made from material that is not disposable and must be washed once contaminated by use on a shopping cart. Disposable liners for use with other devices are generally made of light material that rips easily and are not suitable for use on a shopping cart or highchair. Due to the present pandemic crisis, emergency health and safety measures are necessary to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As can be seen, there is a need for a disposable shopping cart liner.
The present invention provides a disposable shopping cart liner. This liner comes in between the user's hand and the shopping cart surfaces to prevent direct contact with a dirty, virus-contaminated shopping cart.
The inventive disposable plastic liners may be used anywhere there is a health and safety restriction in effect and there is a need for additional pandemic precautions. These convenient liners are needed immediately in every store and everywhere else that has shopping carts. For example, the liners may be used at kiosk machines and/or shopping outlets. Once shopping is done, the liners may be easily pulled out of the shopping cart and thrown away, i.e., properly disposed, or reused if cleaned, for example with a disinfectant wipe. The inventive disposable gloves may be used with handheld store baskets.
The invention provides an extra emergency safety and health measure for consumers. The additional protection from viruses and germs allows them to shop with their mind at ease. The presence of visible protection may entice customers to shop more frequently. Consumers may have peace of mind when they leave and may consider coming back where these disposable plastic liners are located and virus free safety measures are implemented.
The liners may also be used as a small trash bag, for example after use in a shopping cart.
In one aspect of the present invention, a disposable cart liner is provided, comprising a sheet of thin material having a perimeter formed by a first longitudinal edge, an opposing second longitudinal edge, a first lateral edge, and an opposing second lateral edge, wherein a tension fastener is woven through apertures in the perimeter.
In another aspect of the present invention, a disposable seat liner is provided, comprising a sheet of thin material having at least one tension fastener at a periphery of the sheet and a cape formed at the periphery, wherein the sheet is configured to fit at least around a handlebar and into a seat portion of a shopping cart.
In another aspect of the present invention, a shopping liner kit is provided, comprising a container; a disposable cart liner contained within the container, comprising a sheet of thin material having at least one tension fastener; and one or more additional liners contained within the container, wherein said one or more additional liners selected from the group consisting of: a pair of disposable gloves with a tension fastener; a baby bottle liner with a tension fastener; and a toilet seat cover with a tension fastener.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
As used herein, directional terms such as upper, lower, upward, downwardly, top, left, right and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, such that the upward direction (or upper) being toward the top of the corresponding figures and the downward direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figures.
As used herein, a cart generally refers to a shopping cart having a cargo portion with a substantially rectangular base, a seat portion with a substantially rectangular base or bottom portion, and a handlebar. The seat portion may also have leg holes to accommodate a child's legs. The cargo portion and the seat portion generally have vertical walls extending from the base and having edges opposite the base.
As used herein, the term “unitary” means a component formed all in one piece (i.e., marked by unity).
Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a disposable cart liner with a tension fastener selected from the group consisting of a plastic drawstring tie, an adhesive tab, elastic, and combinations thereof. The inventive disposable cart liner may be fitted to a shopping cart.
Retail establishments with shopping carts may provide liners as a roll, packaged in bulk, individually packaged, or loose. When provided as a roll, contiguous sheets of plastic may be configured to form additional disposable cart liners. The liners may be handed to the customer, preplaced onto carts, or picked up from store dispensers. The customer may pull the plastic disposable straps under and around the appropriate part of the cart and under the handlebar and may fasten it accordingly. The liners may be used in either direction if no child is placed in the seat.
In some embodiments, the liner may be fitted to the “front part” of the cart having room to seat a child. The liner may cover the handlebar and surroundings (such as the back of the seat) with two holes or slits for the child's legs to safely dangle through. The holes or slits may be aligned with holes in the cart designed for passage of a child's legs. Alternatively, the liner may have no holes or slits, for example with carts that do not have leg apertures, to provide a protected place for your items. The liner may also have bound elastic instead of or in addition to a drawstring tie.
In some embodiments, the disposable liner may be configured to fit a baby highchair with two holes or slits for the child's legs to safely dangle through. The liner may have elastic bound to the perimeter to provide a more tailored fit.
In some embodiments, the liner may cover the front seat portion and the entire back cart cargo portion as a one-piece form-fitting liner. The liner may be positioned by pushing the liner down into seat cavity, tucking it down over the back of the seat into the four corners of the cargo bucket, and pressing the liner into the base of the cart.
In some embodiments, the liner may be configured to fit the entire cart cargo portion with the seat pulled in (i.e., closed) or absent.
In some embodiments, stitches may be added to better fit the form of the cart with the liner shape and to give extra support to keep liners down in place. The liner may be fitted to a child seat portion of a cart, with two rows of stitches on the right and left of the front and back (vertically) of the seat sides. A rectangular shape may be stitched into the liner for the bottom of the seat. Similarly, the cart liner may be fitted to the entire cart cargo portion with supporting lining stitches in four corners to guide the liner in place. The liner may be made to fit over the external sides of the cart for tension fastening.
The inventive liner may be held in place with a pull tie (also referred to herein as a drawstring tie). The liner may be provided with multiple holes to accept the drawstring tie, such as about 4 to about 18, e.g., about 9. Disposable shopping cart liners wrap gently in place with a simple tug on the plastic drawstring tie. The drawstring tie may either be woven through the perimeter of the disposable liner around the selected part of the shopping cart or the drawstring may be pre-attached to the liner using an adhesive tape tab. The tie is generally pulled snug during use to affix around the cart. In other embodiments, the liner may be secured with adhesive tabs or may be elastic bound.
The inventive liner and pull tie may be manufactured of a sheet of any suitable material. The material may be sturdy, yet thin enough to either dispose or wipe and reuse. The term “thin material” refers to a material that is less than about 2.0 mil thick. Preferably, the liner is manufactured from a plastic sheet and cut to the dimensions of a shopping cart. The drawstring tie is preferably manufactured from plastic as well. Alternatively, the liner may be manufactured from paper or another nonwoven material. Liners are preferably soft, yet hefty enough to support purchases, a child, or personal valuables while shopping without easily ripping. The inventive disposable shopping cart liners may fit the average shopping cart measurements, or they may be custom made to fit shopping carts. For example, the liners may be sized to fit a cart about 24 inches long by about 19 inches deep. The liner has a periphery; a unitary, substantially rectangular liner may have a periphery formed by a first longitudinal edge, an opposing second longitudinal edge, a first lateral edge, and an opposing second lateral edge, for example.
In some embodiments, the inventive shopping cart liners may have a watermark for marketing or instruction purposes. For example, in some embodiments, the term “handlebar” may be printed or water-marked on the liner as an indicator for proper alignment.
In some embodiments, the liner may include a cape at a periphery of the liner positioned opposite leg holes or slits. A hood may also be provided, colocated with the cape at the periphery of the liner.
In some embodiments, the cart liner may be accompanied by additional liners and/or accessories in a container to form a kit. The additional liners may include articles selected from the group consisting of: a pair of disposable gloves with a tension fastener; a baby bottle liner with a tension fastener; a toilet seat cover with a tension fastener; and a combination thereof. For example, the kit may include one size fits all disposable gloves with an adhesive tab or elastic for tension around the user's wrist. Disposable gloves may be used for hand baskets. Also, an elastic-bound baby bottle liner may help protect baby from germs on bottles. Accessories in the kit may include but are not limited to a crown and an eyemask.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides toilet covers for placement on top of a toilet seat. Generally, the inventive toilet covers are not flushable. The toilet covers may have adhesive tabs on the perimeter to securely hold the covers during use. The toilet covers may have the shape of a toilet seat stitched into the material to help the cover better fit the seat.
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It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/705,875, filed Jul. 20, 2020, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62705875 | Jul 2020 | US |
