Patent Application
20080169620
The present invention is directed to baby strollers, shopping carts, carriages, and the like, in particular the present invention relates to an improved connection means that allows a user to simultaneously control both a stroller and a shopping cart.
Parents with small children frequently have to run errands and must take the child along. These trips can include several stops. It is not uncommon that once the child is placed in the car seat and the car starts traveling that the gentle motion of the car causes the child to fall asleep. One problem has been that once you arrive at the destination, the sleeping child must be removed from the car seat and as a result, the child awakens. To solve this problem, some stroller manufacturers have designed strollers where the car seat can be easily removed from the car and combined with the stroller or shopping cart so as not to wake the child. When the destination is a supermarket or retail store where shopping carts are used, the parent must remove the child from the stroller and place him or her in the shopping cart's child seat. This frequently wakes the child and in many instances the child cries for an extended period because of the change of position.
In other instances when a child is in a stroller at a mall with a number of stores, the child may also fall asleep in the stroller. When the parent reaches the supermarket or other store with a shopping cart, the child may or may not be asleep, but is usually comfortable. In order to use the shopping cart, the parent currently must disturb the child and remove him or her from the stroller and place them in the shopping cart's child seat. The end result is the same for the sleeping child. The child awakens and is either unhappy at being awoken or becomes a shopping assistant pleading with the parent for inappropriate purchases that have caught his eye.
One of the problems with the traditional shopping cart has been safety. The child seat of many shopping carts does not secure the child well. There is usually no strap or if there is one, the strap has been worn. Hygiene is also an issue with these carts as well. Small children mouth the handle and other parts adjacent to the child seat, which is not necessarily the cleanest area. As a result, many parents would like to use their stroller while shopping.
In order to use a shopping cart and keep the child in the stroller, it has traditionally required that there be two people available, one to operate the shopping cart and the other to handle the stroller. In view of these difficulties, there is a need for a combination shopping cart and stroller or a clip to combine a stroller and a cart that will permit the child to remain in the stroller while the parent can operate the shopping cart.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system whereby a stroller can be connected to a shopping cart so that a child need not be removed from the stroller while a parent is shopping.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a system whereby a stroller can be combined with a shopping cart so that the two may be operated by a single individual.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved stroller shopping cart combination that may be used together or separately.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a means for securing a stroller and shopping cart together so that the two may be operated together by a single individual.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a clip or device to secure a shopping cart and stroller together so that a parent does not have to remove a child from a stroller while using a shopping cart.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a clip or device that is part of a stroller to permit the stroller to be secured to a cart.
It is another object of the invention to provide a clip or device that is part of a cart to permit the cart to be secured to the stroller.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a clip or device that is separate and independent from a stroller and a cart that permits a stroller and cart to be joined together.
It is still a further object of the invention that there be a safer seat for a child than the traditional shopping cart child seat.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a clip or device that permits a hand held type shopping basket to be secured to the handle or other part of a stroller or shopping cart.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a clip that is part of a stroller that permits a hand held type basket to be secured to the handle or other part of a stroller.
The apparatus of the present invention allows a user to connect a stroller to a shopping cart. The shopping cart can be any of the traditional carts with a set of three or more wheels. Usually there are four wheels on many carts. Frequently, at least one or more of the wheels swivels to permit the cart to turn easily in the tight confines of a store aisle. The cart usually has a basket for receiving items to be purchased. The basket can be made of a wire mesh or can be a plastic material or other suitable configuration. There is frequently a second storage area under the basket and directly above the wheels where large bulky items can be placed. The cart is typically steered by a horizontal handle at the rear of the cart where there is generally a smaller basket for seating a child or for holding goods.
The stroller portion of the configuration can be any stroller device. The strollers typically have a sitting area for a child and are supported usually by four or more wheels. Two of the wheels, most frequently the front, swivel for easy maneuverability. At least the rear wheels are usually double wheeled. Many of the strollers used today fold to a reduced size after use. For example, there can be the so called “umbrella strollers” that collapse so that one side contacts the other side. Another type of stroller is one that has a horizontal handle. These strollers typically fold down. In this stroller, the base and handles usually fold toward each other.
In the present invention, the stroller is designed so that it can be removably attached to the front of the shopping cart. In this embodiment, the handle(s) or the frame of the stroller is secured to a device which can be secured to the shopping cart so that the stroller can maneuver with the shopping cart. In a preferred embodiment, the stroller has four wheels or wheel assemblies whereby all four are rotatable. In another embodiment, the stroller's rear wheels are lifted off the ground so that the rear wheels of the stroller do not interfere with the movement of the combination stroller and cart assembly.
The stroller can be secured to the shopping cart by any suitable means including but not limited to a clip, a velcro type hook and eye fastener, by magnets or by any other suitable means. One preferred means of securing the shopping cart to the stroller is the presence of one or more, usually two clips or connecting means. These connecting means have a first section which is generally in the form of generally an inverted “U”. The inverted U can have curved side walls if desired. The inverted U is positioned over the top edge of the front portion of the shopping cart. Extending downwardly from the outside of the inverted U is a body member. The body member has a first end connected to the inverted U. The second end has a J or U shape. The J shaped portion is to receive a horizontal bar on a stroller and hold it connected to the shopping cart. Although the clip has been described as generally U shaped, it will be appreciated that the clip does not need to have a curved shape. The individual portions of the U shaped portion may be at right angles to each leg of the U. The body member or shank can be any suitable length. In one embodiment, the body member can be capable of telescoping to adjust the length of the body member.
Usually there would be at least two clips for a horizontal hand held stroller. The clip may be in the form of a circular rod or a thin flat strip. Usually the clip will be made of metal and preferably have a plastic coating over it so that it does not mar the surface it contacts. The clip may have an orifice through each of the U shaped members so that a threaded member can be inserted to secure the clip to the stroller and on the shopping cart. The threaded member can be used to prevent the cart or stroller from becoming free of the clip. It will be appreciated that other securing means can be used to secure the clip to the stroller and to the cart.
Where the stroller hand hold has a different configuration, an alternate clip arrangement can be used. For example, where the stroller is an umbrella type stroller, the handles for these strollers are hook shaped or an inverted U, the clip can be of a different configuration. In one embodiment of this configuration, the handles of the strollers go over the top edge of the shopping cart. In order to restrain the stroller while it is in position over the cart, there is a clip that is connected to the end of the stroller arm and which has an open end which rests on a top surface of the edge of the cart. In an alternative embodiment the end of the clip opposite the stroller can pass through an orifice in the shopping cart and is secured to the cart. The clip can be secured to the cart and the stroller by a variety of means. For example, the clip can have a spring that snaps shut on the cart, or a gripping means that secures the stroller to the cart. Alternatively, there can be a coating on the inside to hold it the clip in place on the cart as well as other suitable securing means. These configurations and others restrain the stroller and prevents it from being dislodged.
The clip in this configuration can include a main body having a first end and a second end. The main body may be a thin rod or strip that is flat on a top and body surface. At one end there is a ring or hook that is secured to one part of the handle of the stroller. There is a second ring or hook on the opposite side of the main body that is used to secure the clip to the stroller arm. The ring or hook can be in any configuration as long as it secures the clip to the stroller or the cart. For example, the clip can be in the form of a rod that goes around a substantial portion of the handle. A hinged member can swing inwardly so that the ring can receive the handle of the stroller. Once the handle is in place, the hinged member swings back into position and prevents the handle from being released. In order to remove the stroller handle from the ring, the hinged member is pushed inwardly and the handle can be removed.
It will be appreciated that other arrangements are possible.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a review from the description provided below.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
All citied references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Citation of any reference is not an admission regarding any determination as to its availability as prior art to the claimed invention.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the present invention. The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For a definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to the appended claims.
As seen in
In another embodiment, as seen in
In the embodiment represented by
In either of the aforementioned embodiments, as represented by
Drawing one's attention to
Bracket 310 can include a top surface 311 and a side surface 312. Top surface 311 can extend outwardly and in a generally perpendicular direction from holder 320. Side surface 312 and top surface 311 can be generally perpendicular to each other and form a right angle at a top corner. Side surface 312 can extend in a generally downward direction, parallel to holder 320. In an alternative embodiment top surface 311 and side surface 312 of bracket 310 can merge at a peak 331, as seen in
Drawing one's attention again to
Mentioned previously, bracket 310 and holder 320 can be one machined unit or two separate and attachable units. In the latter embodiment rear surface 324 of holder 320 can have one or multiple slots or grooves and bracket 310 can have one or multiple tabs or tongues. These slots and tabs can be easily connected and removed from each other. The utility of this embodiment becomes evident where the stroller is of unconventional nature and/or dimensions. This embodiment allows the user to adjust clip 300 to an appropriate position.
Other embodiments can include brackets that are smaller. With these embodiments there can be one or multiple brackets that can be attached to the shopping cart.
In normal operation, of the embodiments represented by
The above joint types are only but a few of the numerous types of joints available in the art. In addition to the numerous types of joints that can be implemented, there can be a plethora of different joint arrangements. For instance, joint 23 can be a ball joint and joint 25 can be a universal joint, or vice-a-versa. In yet another embodiment joints 23 and 25 can be of the same type, that is, two universal joints. In still yet another embodiment joints 23 and 25 can both be ball joints.
In an alternative embodiment shanks 21 and 22 can be machined to a fixed angle. For example, shank 22 can be attached to shank 21 by any suitable means known in the available art, including, but not limited to soldering, welding, brazing and the like. In addition, shank 22 can be attached to shank 21 at an angle between 0 and 180°, this will depend on the manufacturer's specific needs.
Also, in a different type of embodiment shank 22 can be attached to shank 23, via a tongue and groove system. For example, shank 23 can have two opposing slots, located on the front face of shank 23 that traverses upwards and extends towards each other. With this type of embodiment, shank 22 might have a tongue that extends in a generally perpendicular direction and can be positioned inside of the grooves of shank 23. This would allow shank 22 to move in the vertical axis. Also included with this embodiment is a locking means. For example, there can an aperture that extends from a first side of the tongue portion of shank 22 to a second side of the tongue portion of shank 22. This same type of aperture can be located on shank 23. Any suitable type of securing means known in the available art can be used, including, but not limited to a nut and bolt and the like. A different locking means can include apertures on shank 22 and 23 that are threaded, in which case a simple threaded screw can be used to secure shank 22 to shank 23.
In an alternative embodiment a portion of the tongue can have teeth and the front face of shank 23 can have grooves that mesh with the teeth of the tongue portion of shank 22. This configuration can of course be reversed, that is, shank 22 can have grooves and shank 23 can have teeth.
In normal operation the user will insert the tongue of shank 22 into the grooves of shank 23. Once the desired height is achieved the user will then secure shank 22 to shank 23 via one of the aforementioned securing methods.
While the embodiments have shown the retaining means marching on both sides of the shank, it will be appreciated that different combinations are possible.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. In the view above it will be seen that several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained, as defined by the scope of the following claims.
