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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
LIFT FOR SHOPPING TROLLEY
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2011/145995
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
Basket lift for use at check out desks, which basket lift with a lifting fork lifts the roll provided basket to a work height comfortable for the user when transferring the goods to the conveyor belt when it is the users turn to pass the check out desk. The lifting fork is provided with a sensor that cooperates with identification means on the baskets, and when a basket is in a position supported by the supporting means or sufficiently close to this lifting is initiated. When then the lifted basket is removed the sensor initiates the return of the basket lift to the ready to lift position.

Inventors:
MOELLER BENGT (SE)
JONSSON CONNY (SE)
PETTERSSON DENNIS (SE)
Application Number:
PCT/SE2011/000088
Publication Date:
November 24, 2011
Filing Date:
May 20, 2011
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
MOELLER BENGT (SE)
JONSSON CONNY (SE)
PETTERSSON DENNIS (SE)
International Classes:
A47F10/04; A45C3/04; B65D1/38; B66F9/02
Domestic Patent References:
WO2009151348A12009-12-17
Foreign References:
US3028931A1962-04-10
US20090288917A12009-11-26
GB572873A1945-10-26
US0795147A1905-07-18
US2943707A1960-07-05
EP1449739A22004-08-25
GB1203786A1970-09-03
DE2214763A11973-09-27
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
BERGLUND, Erik (Aspebråten, Sturefors, SE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. Device for shopping baskets, characterized in that it include means for supporting a shopping basket, means to move these supporting means together with a shopping basket from a low position close to the floor up to a position for unloading.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for lifting the shopping basket are inclined approximately corresponding to a side inclination of the basket

3. arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means for supporting the basket grips below a flange or other edge reinforcement on the basket, for instance at its upper edge.

4. Arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sensor is arranged on the supporting means and cooperating with an identification means on the basket when this is in a position supported by the supporting means or close to this to initiate the lifting movement.

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting movement is achieved with a motor driven lifting means provided with a carrier that for lifting can cooperate with a stop bolt on the supporting means.

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the lifting means is a toothed belt that only move in the lifting direction and that when the belt runs over an upper gear its carrier distance itself from the stop bolt so that the basket supporting means is disengaged to fall down towards its lowermost position.

7. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the basket supporting means consist of a fork with two opposed bars for gripping below two opposed flanges or supporting protrusions on the baskets.

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the parallel bars in their inner ends are articulated so that they can be pivoted up, so that no one can get jammed below them at movements downwards.

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a shaft wit U-shaped horizontal cross section surround the movement path of the baskets.

10. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the basket lift has sensed that a basket has been placed in the start position lifting is initiated until the upper end position has been reached, where the driving is stopped until the basket is removed, which initiates supporting means as well as the drive to return to the start position by the breaking of the identification contact between lifting means and basket.

1 1. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the customer activates the basket lift with a control, for instance button.

12. Basket for a basket lift according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with means for the lifting by the supporting means of the lift, for instance in the shape of a reinforced edge flange or collar.

13. Basket for use in a basket lift, characterized in that wheels on the side of the basket that face the basket lift at lifting protrude sufficiently outside the basket so that they can roll on a wall of the lift.

14. Basket for use in a basket lift, characterized in that it on one or several sides is provided with one or several depressions that to their depth are essentially parallel to the side and in the upper end ending with an essentially horizontal shoulder with a cross section that a carrier in the lift can grip below.

15. Device according to any of the claims 1-11, characterized in that the lift wall is more inclined than the wall inclination of the basket.

16. Device according to any of the claims 1-1 1 or 15, characterized in that the identification contact is by means of magnet and contactor.

17. Device according to any of the claims 1-1 1 or 15, 16, characterized in that the identification means are locate shortly below the lifting means.

18. Shopping basket and lift for this, characterized in that the shopping basket has a non pivotable handle arranged on the side of the basket facing the lift at lifting, the side of the lift being more inclined than the side of the basket facing the lift, that a sensor is arranged shortly below the lifting means in the lift and that a marker is arranged at the corresponding height in the side of the basket facing the lift, that when the basket stands on the floor in contact with the basket wall the distance between the lifting means in the lift and the lifting shoulder in the basket is shorter than the required distance for mutual gripping.

19. shopping basket and lift for this according to claim 18, characterized in that the maximum sensing distance between sensor and marker is shorter than the required distance for mutual gripping.

Description:
Lift for shopping trolley

This invention concerns shopping baskets and the handling thereof.

At the shopping in different stores in particular food stores, you collect the intended goods at a moderate number of items in a portable basket with a handle. If you want to purchase a bit more you take one that is a bit larger that is provided with rolls and that has a longer handle so that you can pull it behind you. If you are to purchase quite a lot you choose a shopping trolley.

The roller provided, a bit larger baskets has much talking for them since they allow and encourage a buying of more than can be accommodated in a carried basket without the need to haul a heavy and cumbersome trolley. For reasons of stability these baskets must be low and have their rolls at the bottom. This means that you when arriving to the check out desk either has to stretch down to the floor level to take up the last items unless you elect to lift the basket to take out the items that are at the very bottom of it. None of the solutions are appreciated by our backs and an increased changeover to these somewhat larger baskets is therefore curbed as the increase in size of these.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the above problems at baskets provided with rolls.

The above problems are in accordance with the invention solved with a basket lift at the check out desk, which basket lift lifts the rolls provided basket to a comfortable working height for the user for a transfer of the goods to the conveyor belt when it is said user's turn to pass the check out desk.

Since the basket in itself is comparatively light the user can when it is empty lift it away to a stack of used baskets so that the lift is ready for the next user.

The basket need not be lifted into the lift but can be lifted from a position standing on the floor. For reasons of strength baskets of this kind must have a flange or reinforcement at the upper edge and that can be used for the lifting with one or several means that on opposed sides lift respective basket by the flange. When the basket has been removed the lifting means are lowered and may at this, if so desired, in order to reduce the risk of damages temporarily be folded away until they are shortly below the flange level of the next basket.

In order to start the lifting one may consider using a button for the customer to push providing a start signal for the lift. Since it is important that the basket that is to be lifted is in a sufficiently correct position at the lifting in order not to remain on the floor or maybe even turn over, advantageously the basket lift is provided with a device for identifying that a correct position is present. For instance this can be done by means of a switch that is activated when the basket has been pushed in sufficiently towards the lifting means. As long as the switch is not activated it is not sufficient to push the button.

In order to avoid an activation by mistake of switch as well as button the lift may advantageously be provided with one or several sensors that can register that a basket of intended type is correctly located. The sensors can be of different kinds but advantageously each basket (of the right type) is provided with a marker for identification with for instance digital sensors that read a bar-code, colour of the basket or other optical marker, magnetic code or quite simply a magnet. With a magnet as marker it is even possible to use a relay as sensor. By arranging passive or active identification markers on the baskets and sensors in the lift at suitable locations and with short or tuned range the identification device can not only be used for basket identification but can also be used to confirm that a correct position for lifting is present. Preferably identification take place all the time that the basket is in place in the lift so that the sensor also sense when the basket is removed, which can be used to initiate the return of the lift to its lowest position. By letting the lift go back to its lower position when the basket is removed and by that lose the identification contact at least the necessity of its removal is if nothing else brought to the attention of the subsequent customer. The sensor that accompanies the basket supporting means up and down can be connected to a rigidly mounted control unit via for instance a resilient spiral shaped cord.

The identification device together the identification means or markers on the baskets can thus eliminate the need of a customer button as well as a switch on the lifting means.

For instance one can use a magnetic strip and a corresponding reader that require that the strip is close. It is also possible to use an identification chip on each basket, the presence of which can be sensed by sender-receiver for a radio signal with a short reach. The reach can be adjusted corresponding to desired tolerance for the placing of the basket relative the lifting means.

The basket lift may also be connected to the check out desk, the conveyor or a weight sensor to remind the customer to remove the basket.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are apparent from the patent claims as well as from the following embodiments with reference to the enclosed drawings. In the drawings fig. 1 depicts the lift mechanism from the side, fig. 2 the lift in fig. 1 seen from the front, fig.3 a basket in accordance with the invention and fig. 4 a second embodiment of the lift.

The basket lift shown in the drawings include a lift shaft 1 open on one side and also upwards and downwards towards the floor 2 so that a roll provided shopping basket 3 easily can be rolled in there. The lift shaft is inclined backwards with essentially the same angle as the inclination of the corresponding side of the respective shopping baskets or somewhat more. (In order to be possible to stack the shopping baskets must have inclined sides.) Behind the inclined side of the shaft there is a guide parallel to the shaft (not shown) for a horizontal lifting fork 4 that through a central slot 5 in the inclined shaft side

6 extends into the shaft 1. The part of the lifting fork that extends into the shaft follows with its outer side the inner cross section of the shaft. The outermost legs 7 of the lifting fork are sufficiently wide to extend in below the edge flange of the shopping basket and sufficiently long to extend well past the centre of the baskets, but without extending outside the shaft. The legs 7 of the lifting fork may on the upper side be provided with a material giving a high friction against the bottom side of the basket flange 8. Alternatively upwards directed projections 9 may be arranged for contact with transversely arranged reinforcements in a channel below the flange, so that the risk of baskets sliding off is reduced. It is also conceivable to allow the legs of the lifting fork to be somewhat inclined backwards towards the lift to reduce the risk of baskets falling off.

Close to the lifting fork and its guide runs in this embodiment a toothed belt 10 parallel with the guide between two gears, of which the lower 11 via a reduction gearing is connected to a motor 12. The toothed belt is provided with a protruding driver 13 that can grip into a corresponding protrusion 14 on the lifting fork for a lifting of the lift fork and a thereon hanging shopping basket 3 up to a comfortable level for removal of goods.

On the lifting fork a sensor is arranged to react on the presence of identification means on the basket when these are in the correct position for lifting. If you wish you can even place the identification means on the handle of the shopping carriage so that this has to be lowered or pushed down for identification. When the sensor has registered the presence of an allowable basket a signal is delivered to a not shown control unit that activates the lifting movement by starting the motor. Possibly a minor delay may be arranged between identification and lift activation. When the fork and the basket have reached the correct level, which is sensed by a position sensor, possibly in the shape of a switch, the motor is stopped, the reduction gear of the motor preferably being self supporting so that the basket does not sinks down again.

When the basket has been emptied it is taken away by the customer (or the next customer) and placed in a stack of baskets. The presence sensor for baskets detect that no basket is present, a corresponding signal is delivered to the control unit that start the engine so that the toothed belt lifts the lifting fork a small additional distance before the belt passes over the upper gear so that the carrier is pivoted out of grip with the protrusion of the lifting fork. At this the lifting fork falls down to a stop corresponding to the starting position for a new basket lift. The basket supporting parts 7 are pivotable and can be pivoted to a position vertically straight up if they bump into an obstacle during the down falling movement, this to avoid damages.

Concurrent with the lifting fork falling down the toothed belt is driven on until its carrier is located slightly below the protrusion on the lifting fork. This little distance compensate for possible unevenness in floor as well as variations in wear and possible deformation of the baskets. Furthermore a small detention of the basket lift is achieved.

In a similar way the movement for the freeing in the top end result in a certain delay of the falling down of the lifting fork. If so is desired a damping can be arranged for the downfall of the lifting fork. At hydraulic or pneumatic lifting the damping can be integrated in this.

If the basket for one or another reason fall or is removed before it has got up to the position for unloading this is detected and the belt drive will continue up and past the position for unloading so that the lifting fork falls down for a new try. Alternatively one can consider the drive stopping for a number of seconds so that the buyer can push the basket right, alternatively that the customer has to push a reset button for continued movement or a new lift.

If so desired one can consider the basket when lifted swinging away the shelf on which one normally place carried baskets when unloading these.

Instead of achieving the lift movement in the above described way one can consider using pneumatic, hydraulic, screws or other mechanics.

As is apparent from the above description the lift is comparatively simple and need therefore not be particularly cost increasing per check out counter, in particular not in view of the considerable increase in comfort for the customers. One can also expect the customers to increase the use of the larger roll baskets and with this the sale. Furthermore it will be easier to use larger roll baskets than what is usual today. Since the basket lift is simple one can also expect a good reliability and it is comparatively easy to adapt to different basket heights by a simple relocating of position sensor and stops.

In order to guarantee a good function and endurance of the shopping baskets advantageously the baskets in connection with the invention may be made with a reinforced edge or collar in order to withstand the strain and wear that the lift use may lead to. The reinforced edge or collar may be reinforced with a reinforcing part that from below is inserted into the collar that normally exist on shopping baskets to give these a stable shape.

If so desired basket collar and basket supporting means may be given a similar contour (convex, concave or like a roof or an inverted roof) in order to prevent the basket from sliding out from the lifting means. For instance one can consider the baskets seen from sides, the sides that the supporting means grip, having a contour that have an upwards facing convexly arched contour as well as the supporting means. A roof, angle or wave shape may also be considered for locating the basket in the supporting means and do not prevent the stacking of the baskets.

One can also consider a similar cross section (convex, concave or angle shaped) for the upper side of the supporting means and the bottom side of the basket edges so that the baskets are also laterally localized relative the supporting means at the lifting. In this way one does not even at substantial wear risk that a basket with a great load is pressed past the supporting means.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention one can consider a carrier 41 for the lifting of the basket being arranged centrally in relation the lift and that the carrier extends through a slot 42 in the lift wall 43 to a vertically displaceable element that is guided between two U-profiles, alternatively two tubes that extend through holes in the displaceable element. The movement up and down can be achieved with a drive with a toothed belt 46, where the toothed belt 46 at the same time covers the slot on the inside. For instance a toothed belt with one belt end may be fastened on top of the displaceable element and with the other end on the bottom of the displaceable element. The belt runs over an upper and a lower gear and one of them is connected to a motor.

The lifting movement can, as in the preceding embodiment, be initiated by the placing of a basket in the basket lift. The recognition of a basket can be obtained by a sensor recognizing the colour of the basket when it is in the correct distance for focusing. Instead of registering the correct lift position by means of focusing, the colour recognition can be supplemented by a position sensor that can be electronic, optical or mechanical.

The carrier grips below the edge of the basket facing the lift and the basket is drawn up along the inclined wall 43 of the lift, against which wall the basket is supported with its lower end. The inclined wall preferably has the same inclination as the wall of the basket when it stands on the floor. Alternatively the lift wall may be inclined a bit more than the proximate wall of the basket. Advantageously the wheels in the corners facing the wall may protrude somewhat towards the wall outside the basket contour, so that they at the lifting roll against the wall and thus reduce the wear on the wall and on the basket.

Since the basket support at lifting result in a force that try to pivot the wall towards the basket the inclined wall may be provided with two lateral walls that further these pivoting forces down to the floor and guides the basket laterally. If it is possible to fasten the basket lift so stable that the supporting lateral walls can be left out the basket guiding in the lower end may instead be achieved by the support wheels being allowed to run in grooves in the lift wall. This also has the advantage that several grooves can be arranged so that differently wide baskets can be guided. Also the lift in this case will take up a minimal space.

If so desired the basket lift can be placed so that the wall in which the lifting means move is parallel to conveyor on the check out desk.

The used, in fig. 3 shown, basket has on one of its sides two wheels 36 directed perpendicular to the side and protruding some mm outside the contour of the basket so that they can be in contact with the inclined side 43 of the lift during the lifting of the basket.

The basket is in the shown case on two opposite sides provided with depressions 35 extending from the bottom up to the vicinity of the of the upper end of the basket where said depressions end with a shoulder with a downwards facing V-shaped horizontal transverse grove 33. The depressions and the grip shoulders of the lift have a width corresponding roughly to half the width of the basket. In order to secure at fabrication and stacking secure release the depressions taper off upwards. The corresponding gripping flange 44 on the carrier 21 is also somewhat more narrow than the shoulders in the basket.

The front wall of the basket is slightly higher than the rear one since the basket when it is drawn with an extendable handle fastened in the front wall will have the front side a little lowered. The basket may also have the same height all around. In the shown basket the handle/tiller is arranged bent and diagonal, allowing a long and steady tiller in one piece. The tiller may also be pushed down in straight tubes in the same corners as the wheels, which is the design that is described below.

Since the basket only has two wheels it is pivoted towards the side of the wheels when it is to be moved. When the basket stands by itself it rests firmly on the floor and when it is moved it rolls stable since the wheels only roll without having to be pivotable. This allows a freedom from play for the wheel journaling at a reasonable cost and a silent rolling with somewhat larger wheels than what is customary.

As the basket is rolled in to the lift it is important that it ends up right for the lifting flange to grip the basket. Since the gripping grove on the bottom side of the grip shoulder of the basket is about 2 cm the upper edge of the lifting means protruding roughly the same amount from the lift wall receive a corresponding tolerance in the pulling direction of the basket. Since the grip groove is V-shaped the lifting means at lifting automatically locates itself in the middle of the groove and with a good grip and with a distance between basket and lift wall so that the basket runs free from the wall but for the slightly towards the wall protruding wheels.

The lateral walls take care of the required lateral precision but precision in the roll direction is also required, the basket must come close enough and preferably the customer should place the basket automatically. In order to achieve this the lift wall is inclined somewhat more than the side inclination of the basket so that this can be pulled all the way to the wall. By not inclining the wall too much the customer will have to lift the handle when the basket comes closer to the wall resulting in the basket getting a tendency to turn itself in towards the wall with the wheels, in particular if it is loaded. The lift wall does not have to extend further up than to shortly below the tillers handle.

The presence sensor in the shape of a contactor is placed shortly below the lifting flange in the carrier and a magnet is arranged in the basket at the same level as the lower end position of the contactor and contactor and magnet are given a sufficient range in direction towards each other to register the presence of the basket when this slightly inclined abuts the lift wall above the presence sensor. If the customer with his foot or in another way push the basket against the lift wall the basket also reach the lift position and the presence sensor its registration position and the basket is lifted. This provided that the inclination of the lift wall is not larger than allowing the lifting flange to reach out to the V-shaped grove on the grip shoulder of the basket and that the presence sensor get in contact with the transmitter in the basket. By the use of a magnet in the basket and a contactor or relay in the lifting means the sensed area can by means of suitably shaped pieces of metal sheet at magnet and/or relay be given the desired shape.

When the basket lift is to be activated the basket is drawn forward slightly inclined forwards until the wheels abut against the inclined ramp of the lift. The ramp is inclined a little bit more than the sides of the basket so that one can pull the basket forward until the wheels come in contact with the ramp and does not have to be pulled any further. After identifying the basket this is lifted up for emptying on a more comfortable height. In a similar way the basket can be lifted in the opposite wall if it so to say is reversed in towards the lift. If so desired one can allow the identification present also on this side indicate that the basket is to be lifted some centimetres more since the raised front wall is not in the way.

Possibly one can even arrange a stop for the handle so that the lift push down the handle.

In order to ensure that the customers are satisfied and get their baskets lifted you can let the lift signal with light and/or sound when the basket has reached the lifting position so that the customers get used to placing their basket right. The lift can also signal when it is ready for a new basket even if this is indicated by the lifting means being in their lowermost position.

When the basket has been emptied it is taken away, which disrupts the connection between magnet and contactor or other corresponding presence sensing means and this signals to the lift that the carrier is to return to the start position for the next lift.

The upper end of the lift is advantageously lower than the upper end of the handle so that the basket can be pulled up to the lift freely.

In the embodiments above a basket with two wheels and a non hinged tiller has been described. The invention is however also applicable at basket lifts for other trolleys with four wheels that are drawn with an articulated arm, at this one can consider the basket being pulled forward along the lift.