The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for selectively providing or preventing access of a moving object moving from a first region to a further region. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for allowing access to objects of a certain size whilst preventing access to objects of a larger size.

It is well known that from time to time it is helpful to allow objects having a certain size such as people to access a region, such as an area of a retail environment, whilst preventing objects having a larger size, such as shopping trolleys, from accessing that region. In this sense, an 'object' may encompass a person or shopping trolley, but may also include animals, inanimate objects such as packages, people with child pushchairs, people in wheelchairs, or any other entity for which it is desired to confer selective access to.

It is well known that a particular problem with supermarket-type shopping trolleys or carts (or luggage trolleys in airports) is the removal of these trolleys from designated areas, such as the supermarket or its car park. Removal of trolleys costs supermarkets a great deal of money in retrieval or replacement. Various systems have been proposed to deter or obstruct removal of shopping trolleys from such designated areas. For example, physical barriers can be used such as posts that are spaced slightly closer than the width of a trolley. Alternatively, electrical systems with a transmitter/receiver arrangement installed at a base station and in each trolley can be used such that an alarm sounds or a brake is activated upon crossing a set barrier.

However, electrical systems tend to be costly to install and maintain. Physical barriers such as posts are cheaper, but have the problem that whilst restricting a trolley from leaving the designated area, the post also restricts access to other users or objects such as a shopper in a wheelchair (of similar width to a trolley) from entering or leaving the area.

It is an aim of the present invention to at least partly mitigate the above mentioned problems. It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide or prevent access of objects to a region.

It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to selectively provide access to objects of a certain size, but to prevent access to objects of a larger size.

It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to selectively provide access of people or people in wheelchairs to a region and prevent access of trolleys to the region.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for selectively providing or preventing access of a moving object moving from a first region to a further region, comprising: a first abutment surface arranged to abut with a moving object moving from a first region to a further region; and a further abutment surface arranged to selectively abut with and thereby prevent a moving object moving from the first to the further region; wherein the first and further abutment surfaces are spaced apart to enable a moving object having a footprint less than or equal to a predetermined area to pass unimpeded from the first to the further region.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for selectively providing or preventing access of a moving object moving from a first region to a further region, comprising the steps of: as a moving object moves from a first region to a further region, providing a first abutment surface in the pathway of the object; and as the object moves from the first to the further region, selectively preventing continued progress of the moving object with a further abutment surface when a footprint of the object has an area greater than a predetermined area.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the advantage that, when a moving object having a relatively small footprint, such as a person or a person in a wheelchair, abuts with the first abutment surface, this will cause a change in the position of the further abutment surface. Nonetheless, because of the area of the footprint, the further abutment surface will not abut with and prevent the moving object from moving from the first region to the further region. When a moving object has a relatively larger footprint, such as a supermarket trolley, abuts with the first surface, this again causes a change in the position of the further abutment surface. However, the further abutment surface will be moved to a position in which it abuts with the moving object and prevents it from accessing the further region.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the advantage that the apparatus is a mechanical barrier to act between designated areas that will prevent the removal of trolleys whilst allowing the passage of people and people in wheelchairs.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the advantage that the apparatus is cheaper to manufacture than known physical or electrical systems for trolley removal prevention.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide the advantage that when the first and further abutment surfaces are in direct association, the apparatus can provide the selective access automatically, without human or computerised support.

An example of the present invention will now be described hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a view of an example of apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5A to 5C show views of the apparatus of Figure 1 in operation with a moving object moving through the apparatus from right to left;

Figures 6A and 6B show views of the apparatus of Figure 1 in operation with a different object attempting to move through the apparatus from right to left; and Figures 7A and 7B show view of another apparatus according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown an apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 100 includes a rotatable section 2 having a wing 4 connected to a further wing 6 via a horizontal connecting rod 8. The rotatable section 2 also has a stem 10 (post element) for supporting the wings 4, 6 and the rod 8, the stem 10 being joined to a central point of the rod 8. In plan view, the rotatable section 2 is arcuate or curved, as shown most clearly in the plan view of Figure 2. That is, a cross-section of rotatable section 2 in a plane orthogonal to the stem 10 is arcuate. The stem 10 is hollow, and is coupled with an upstanding post 12 such that the hollow stem 10 locates partly over the post 12. The connection of the stem 10 with the post 12 creates a pivotable coupling from which the rotatable section can rotate relative to the post 12 (described in further detail below). The apparatus also includes a fixed wall 14, which is opposed to the rotatable section 2, and a base plate 16 for connecting the fixed wall 14 at a predetermined distance from the post 12 and rotatable section 2.

With regard to the rotatable section 2, this is formed of a series of ten pieces of steel tube, shaped and welded into the formation shown in Figure 1. The wings 4, 6 are each formed of four pieces of steel tube. They each take the shape of an inverted "U". The wings 4, 6 are connected at their respective ends by the substantially horizontal connecting rod 8. The connecting rod 8 is itself formed of two pieces of steel tube.

The post 12 is cylindrical and also of steel, and in this embodiment is a solid post. It is formed to be upstanding from the base plate 16 at a position generally in the region of the outer edge of the base plate 16, the position to be determined with respect to the fixed wall 14 (see Figure 3). In relation to the connection of the stem 10 and the post 12, the stem 10 is formed to fit partly over the post 12. As shown in Figure 4, the tubular stem 10 has a cut-out 18, and the post 12 has a protrusion 20. The cut-out 18 is sized as a generally rectangular hole and receives the protrusion 20. The width of the cut-out 18 is such that the stem 10 is freely rotatable within an angle range of about 90°, the fixed protrusion 20 defining the furthest degrees of rotation by its abutting contact with the vertical sides of the cut-out 18. The fixed wall 14 is also formed of a series of pieces of steel tube. In this embodiment, the fixed wall is formed by an arched length of tubular steel and two vertical legs, thus taking the shape of an inverted "U". The two vertical legs of the fixed wall 14 are positioned in the region of the outer edge of the base plate 16 at a side of the base plate opposed to the post 12. In this example, the fixed wall is positioned at a distance of about 90cm from the post 12 (that is the measurement between the base of the post 12 and the centre point between the bases of the two legs of the fixed wall 14).

The base plate 16 is simply a sheet of steel enabling the post 12 and fixed wall 14 to be spaced at the required positions. The base plate 16 is about 5mm in thickness so as to provide some rigidity to the structure whilst allowing people step on to it or the wheels of a vehicle to roll on to it.

The operation of the apparatus 100 will now be described. Herein, the apparatus 100 will be described in relation to the selective provision of access to people, wheelchairs and supermarket trolleys between a first region, in this case the interior of a supermarket, and a further region, in this case the exterior of the supermarket. In this example, the apparatus 100 is designed to allow the access of people and wheelchairs, whilst preventing access of a supermarket trolley from the interior to the exterior of the supermarket. For brevity, the people, wheelchairs and trolleys shall be collectively termed "moving objects". It should be noted that the apparatus 100 is provided in the doorway of the supermarket, and all other access between the interior and exterior is blocked (by the walls of the supermarket) so that the apparatus 100 provides the only point of access into/out of the supermarket. In other embodiments there could be two or more of the apparatus 100 located adjacent each other to provide the only access points between first and further regions.

Figures 5A to 5C show the apparatus 100 in operation, as used by a person in a wheelchair 22. Having approached the apparatus 100 from the region on the right hand side of the page, the wheelchair 22 moves in the direction of arrow 'A', onto the base plate 16, and will come into contact with the wing 4 of the rotatable section 2. The whole or a part of the wing 4 acts as a first abutment surface, and can be pushed by the wheelchair operator into the positions shown in Figure 5B and then Figure 5C, the whole of the rotatable section 2 pivoting anticlockwise. The movement of the wing 4 is permitted within the bounds of the relative pivoting movement of the stem 10 upon the post 12, as restricted by the protrusion 20 striking the vertical side edges of the cut-out 18 (shown in Figure 4). Pivot point P indicates the location of the stem 10/post 12. As shown in Figure 5B, the wheelchair is free to move to a position in the region between the rotatable section 2 and the fixed wall 14. The wheelchair continues to abut with the wing 4 to push the rotatable section 2 to the position as shown in Figure 5C, and the wheelchair is free to move to the further region outside of the supermarket. The wing 6 is termed a further abutment surface, though in this case does not abut with the moving object.

Figures 6A and 6B illustrate the same apparatus 100 when a shopping trolley 24 is moved (by an operator) between the fixed wall 14 and the rotatable section 2. Having approached the apparatus 100 from the region on the right hand side of the page, the shopping trolley 24 moves in the direction of arrow 'B', onto the base plate 16, and will come into contact with the wing 4 of the rotatable section 2. Again the whole or a part of the wing 4 acts as a first abutment surface, and the shopping trolley operator can push the first abutment surface using the trolley 24. However, as the rotatable section 2 pivots anticlockwise, the wing 6 acts as a further abutment surface, abutting with and pushing the trolley 24 into the fixed wall 14. This causes the trolley 24 to be lodged in the position shown in Figure 6B. Further pushing of the trolley 24 cannot enable the trolley to move beyond this position, no matter which angle the trolley 24 is pushed from. This is because the trolley jams between the first wing 4 at its front, and the second wing 6 and fixed wall 14 at its sides.

From the above, it will be appreciated that it is the dimensions of the moving object in relation to the dimensions of the opening between the fixed wall and the rotatable section at the applicable height (in this case the height of the wings 4, 6) that determines whether the object can pass freely therebetween. Specifically, it is the dimensions of the cross-sectional area presented by the moving object at the height above the floor surface where the first and further abutment surfaces exist that determine whether an object can pass through. Herein, the dimensions of the moving object at the applicable height (where the first and further abutment surfaces exist) can be referred to as the "footprint" of the moving object. Thus, if a moving object has a footprint less than or equal to predetermined dimensions (a predetermined area), it can pass unimpeded from the first region to the further region. However, if the moving object has a footprint larger than the predetermined dimensions (predetermined area), the moving object will be prevented from accessing the further region. In addition to the abovementioned relative dimensions, the maximum amount of pivotal movement of the rotatable section 2 will affect whether an object can pass freely from the first region to the further region. However, in this example, the maximum amount of pivotal movement, and the dimensions of the opening between the fixed wall and the rotatable section, are both fixed.

Use of the apparatus 100 by any object with a footprint equal to or less than the footprint of the wheelchair shown in Figures 5A to 5C will thus be able to pass through the apparatus without being impeded by the action of the further abutment surface 6. Therefore, a single person will also be able to access the further region.

The distance between the fixed wall 14 and the post 12, the maximum pivotal movement of the rotation member 2, and the arcuate spread of the wings 4, 6 are pre- designed specifically to accept a wheelchair, but not accept a shopping trolley.

As described above, the apparatus 100 can be used to selectively permit or prevent access of a moving object from a first region (denoted generally as the region on the right side of the apparatus 100 in Figure 5A or 6A) to a further region (denoted generally as the region on the left side of the apparatus 100 in Figure 5A or 6A). It should be noted that in this example, the same apparatus will also permit access of a wheelchair or single person or other moving object with a footprint equal to or less than the area of the wheelchair 22 from the further region on the left side of the apparatus 100 to the first region on the right side of apparatus 100.

From the above description, it can be seen that access of a moving object can be selectively permitted or prevented by provision of the first and further abutment surfaces that are moveable between first and further positions, where the abutment surfaces are designed to be spaced such that objects of certain dimensions are abutted by the abutment surfaces and prevented from passage, whereas objects of other dimensions abut with only the first abutment surface and are permitted passage. In the above example, the rotatable section 2 is provided to rotate so as to offer a suitably large opening to accept an object and then provide a suitably large opening to allow the object to egress. Of course it will be realised by a person skilled in the art that many variations and alternatives of the above example are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention. For example, because the footprint of an object determines the relative dimensions, the first wing 4 and the second wing 6 could extend higher or lower than the height of the stem 10 as long as the wings were positioned at a suitable height to abut with the moving objects. Generally, providing wings that extend quite high from the ground are preferable so as to deter somebody from lifting a shopping trolley over the whole apparatus.

In the above description, the wings 4, 6 have been defined as discrete members operably connected via the connecting rod 8. It would readily be possible to provide the wings and connecting rod as a single unit, such as a single piece of arcuate steel rod, for example. Alternatively, the wings could be operably connected without being directly connected.

The rotatable section 2 and the fixed wall 14 have been described as tubular steel formations, the tubular steel defining the outline of the wall surfaces with air space there between. However, the rotatable section 2 and the fixed wall 14 can be made of any suitable materials, and may be solid surfaces, such as a sheet of curved or flat durable plastic. They could alternatively be a mixture of materials, for example, the rotatable section 2 having a steel outer frame with plastic advertisement boards located between the wings.

Alternatively, the rotatable section could be provided without the fixed wall 14 and base plate 16. For example, the rotatable section could be provided on a post fixed directly into the ground, at a position a suitable distance from an existing wall.

In another embodiment, the male and female elements of the post 12 and stem 10 could be reversed, i.e., the post 12 can be provided as a hollow tube and the stem 10 can be a solid rod, in an inverted arrangement to the example described above, with the stem 10 having the protrusion and the post 12 having the cut-out. Other arrangements to provide the pivotable stem are also envisageable. Furthermore, the rotatable section 2 need not necessarily be located on the pivotable stem at its central point; an offset arrangement could also be used. The fixed wall 14 can be any suitable height, width and depth to give the desired effect. The invention may also work with a fixed post rather than the wall, or a fence or wall that is already located in situ.

In another embodiment, the rotatable section 2 can be provided as a straight-walled member, whilst the fixed wall is arcuate in plan view.

In addition to use in the doorway of a supermarket, the present invention can also be used at other passageways in a retail environment. For example, the apparatus can be used at entry/exit points along the boundary of a car park, the remainder of the car park boundary being fenced or walled.

The present invention can also be used in other technical fields for controlling access of other moving objects. For example, the apparatus could be used in an airport for preventing egress of luggage trolleys. As luggage trolleys have a footprint at a lower height above the ground, the rotatable section would have to be provided at a correspondingly lower height. In a different technical field, the apparatus of the present invention could be used on a production line for example, in conjunction with a conveyor belt holding items being processed. The apparatus could receive individual tin cans or boxes on the conveyor which would be allowed to pass if they are at the correct orientation, but prevented from passing if they have fallen over.

The present invention therefore provides an automatic access control apparatus without the need for a third party operating the system. The apparatus is constantly open and useable by a person or object of the permitted size. The perception of the apparatus is therefore that it is as open as possible, whilst just capable of restricting passage of an object larger than a permitted dimension.

The simple mechanical arrangement of the present invention allows the controlled access of moving objects such as people, wheelchairs and shopping trolleys based upon their dimensions. As such, because the apparatus makes use of the width and the length of an object, the apparatus can allow passageway of some objects having a certain width (e.g. wheelchairs) whilst denying objects of the same or similar width (e.g. trolleys) that have a longer length dimension. Figures 7A and 7B illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention, which includes an arcuate rotatable section 202 and a fixed post 204. In the plan view of Figure 7A it can be seen that the rotatable section 202 is more curved than the section 2 shown in Figure 2. As shown in the side view of Figure 7B, the rotatable section 202 is mounted on a stem (post element) 210. The stem has a set of hinges 21 1 that take the weight of the rotatable section 202, and create a pivotable coupling upon which the rotatable section can rotate relative to the stem 210. The fixed post 204 is opposed to the rotatable section 202. In this embodiment, there is no base plate. The fixed post 204 and stem 210 are formed to be directly locatable into the ground by a predetermined amount. Of course, the stem 210 and post 204 should be located at a predetermined distance from each other so as to allow the rotatable section 202 to function by allowing an object having a footprint of a predetermined size, or smaller, to pass from a first region (in the area below the apparatus shown in Figure 7A) to a further region (in the area above the apparatus shown in Figure 7A).

The rotatable section 202 is formed from a number of periodic vertical and horizontal steel cross-pieces connected within a framework by welding; the upper and lower horizontal frame pieces defining the arc seen in Figure 7A and the vertical frame pieces extending straight upwards from almost floor level to the full height of the post 204. It will be understood that any suitable material could be used for the rotatable section and the fixed port, and that the rotatable section need not be fabricated exactly as shown in Figure 7B. For example, the rotatable section may have a solid wall surface, or other design.

Although the apparatus 200 has a more curved rotatable section 202 and uses a post rather than a wall, for example, the apparatus 200 works on the same principle as the apparatus 100 of Figure 1. In operation, a moving object (such as a user) may enter the area generally within the rotatable section 202 and may come into contact with a portion of the rotatable section that acts as a first abutment surface. This may be the region of the rotatable section 213 close to the post 204. As the moving object pushes the region 213, the rotatable section 202 will pivot about the stem 210, until the opposite side of the section abuts with post 204, or until sufficient space is created to exit.

Of course the apparatus 200 would work equally well if a user were to pull a region of the rotatable section (e.g. region 215) to pivot the section, rather than pushing the region 213. In this regard it will be understood that an abutment surface should be construed as a surface which a moving object can push against or pull against.

If the moving object has dimensions larger than the predetermined maximum size allowable by the apparatus, then the moving object will be prevented from passing through. In this case, the moving object may abut with a first surface of the rotatable member 202, but a further abutment surface will be moved to a position such that the moving object is prevented from pressing any further.

It will be understood that many of the features described above in relation to the first described embodiment, as well as the variations described, could be incorporated into the further embodiment, shown in Figures 7A and 7B. For example, the further embodiment could optionally be provided with a base plate upon which the post and stem are mounted, and/or could optionally have the rotatable section 202 mounted via a stem arrangement as shown in Figure 4. Similarly, the first described embodiment could include features as described in relation to the further embodiment.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words "comprise" and "contain" and variations of the words, for example "comprising" and "comprises", means "including but not limited to", and is not intended to (and does not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatible therewith.