The present invention relates to an auxiliary trolley to be used for collecting shopping articles while using a dolly for a crate, wherein the auxiliary trolley

- comprises a bottom side, an upper side, a front side and a rear side,

- comprises arms projecting from at least one side selected from the front side and the rear side, for accommodating the dolly for a crate between the two arms, in order to take along said dolly for a crate;

and wherein the auxiliary trolley comprises a frame, which frame

- comprises a base frame section, which base frame section comprises a first frame part and a second frame part, which frame parts are two parallel frame parts that are connected to each other, wherein

- at the bottom side of the auxiliary trolley each frame part is provided with at least two wheels, of which at least two wheels at least one wheel is a caster wheel, and

- the wheels of the first frame part and the second frame part define a wheel base;

and

- comprises a superstructure frame section for pushing the auxiliary trolley ahead; and

a frame section selected from the base frame section and the super structure frame section comprises the said arms.

Delivering shopping, such as in home deliveries, is getting more and more popular. Customers can place their order through the internet and a shop assistant collects the shopping articles from the shelves in the shop, such as a supermarket. Because the shopping articles can be scanned using a (portable) scanner, there is no need to empty the crate at the checkout and to put the shopping articles back into the crate again. This saves time.

For handling orders from more than one customer, it is known from WO2014/204315 to make use of a dolly for a crate. A dolly for a crate is a platform provided with wheels, wherein the platform is configured to carry a crate or a stack of crates . The outer circumference of the platform of the dolly is not substantially larger than the crate in order to limit the amount of space it takes up. This is particularly important during transport in the vehicle, also for properly shoring up the cargo. For that purpose, a dolly usually comprises an upright edge extending along the circumference, for instance in the form of a strip of metal or plastic, which projects from the platform on which the crate can rest in order to act as a stop for the crate to prevent it from getting off the dolly. For a dolly, the stop for counteracting the shifting of the crate (in case of a stack of crates, the lowermost crate) in general is the highest point of the dolly when it has its wheels on the ground. The upright edge in general projects less than 10 cm from the platform, that means it remains below the upper edge of a crate placed on the platform. In a method for collecting shopping articles as known in the art, use is made of an auxiliary trolley according to the preamble. The auxiliary trolley is configured for at the rear side, but preferably at the front side, accommodating the dolly between the arms and thus easily taking it along.

A drawback of the known auxiliary trolley is that such auxiliary trolleys take up a lot of space during transport and/or storage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary trolley which during transport and/or storage takes up less space.

To this end, an auxiliary trolley according to the preamble is characterized in that an auxiliary trolley according to the preamble is characterized in that the superstructure frame section, at least on its side facing the base frame section, has a width that at the most equals the distance between the first frame part and the second frame part, and the two parallel frame parts of the base frame section are configured for accommodating an identical auxiliary trolley in between them .

In that way, it is possible to efficiently stack at least two auxiliary trolleys.

In general, the two parallel frame parts will be connected to each other by means of a connecting frame part.

Advantageously the two parallel frame parts provide the arms, that means the dolly for the crate is partially accommodated between the two parallel frame parts, but it is feasible that the

superstructure frame section provides the arms.

The further wheels of a further base frame section of a further auxiliary trolley to be placed on the auxiliary trolley, can be supported on the said two parallel frame parts. For supporting the wheels of the further auxiliary trolley, each of the first and second frame part of the auxiliary trolley will comprise a support surface on which the wheels of the further auxiliary trolley can be placed. Said support surface for instance has the form of a plate. The support surface may comprise recesses in which at least one wheel of the two wheels of a frame part of a further auxiliary trolley placed thereon can partially be received. In that way, it is achieved that the further auxiliary trolley cannot shift relative to the auxiliary trolley. Alternatively, a stop for a wheel of the further auxiliary trolley can also be provided, which stop extends from the support surface, away from the wheel base.

Of the two wheels of a frame part, at least one wheel will be a caster wheel, wherein this will be the same wheel for both frame parts. In general, for both frame parts the rearmost wheel will be a caster wheel. The superstructure frame section in general comprises a handle .

According to a favourable embodiment, each of the two parallel frame parts of the base frame section comprises a profile having a first profile section parallel to the wheel base and a second profile section extending in the longitudinal direction of the auxiliary trolley transverse to the first profile section and away from the wheel base.

In that way, a strong base frame section can be provided, wherein the wheels of the further auxiliary trolley will support on the first profile sections of the said two parallel frame parts.

According to a favourable embodiment, the parallel frame parts each have the shape of a U-profile.

Not only does this provide an even stronger base frame section, it also facilitates keeping the wheels, and in particular the caster wheels, between the upright second profile sections of a U-profile.

According to a favourable embodiment, the first profile sections of the parallel frame parts each at least comprise a recess for partially accommodating wheels of the further base frame section.

The stack thus takes up less space. The wheels can furthermore be efficiently fixated. This can for instance be achieved by a

rectangular recess, the smallest width of which is only slightly larger than the width of the wheel.

According to a favourable embodiment, the superstructure frame section is a detachable superstructure frame section.

The superstructure frame section preferably can be assembled by insertion and can be detached again, thus requiring no tools.

According to a favourable embodiment, the base frame section comprises an element extending transverse to the wheel base, the element having a first end and a second end, wherein in stacked condition of two auxiliary trolleys the first end of one of the auxiliary trolley and the further auxiliary trolley are partially accommodated in the second end of the other auxiliary trolley, and the detachable superstructure frame section can be attached to the base frame section by the accommodation of one of i) the bottom side of the superstructure frame section and ii) the first end of the element is accommodated in i) the second end of the element and ii) the bottom side of the superstructure frame section, respectively.

Such an auxiliary trolley can be stacked in an assembled

condition as well as in an unassembled condition, wherein the base frame sections can be stacked and because of accommodation of the first end of the element in the second end of the element, they will not shift relative to each other. According to a practical embodiment there are two elements, which are tubular. The superstructure frame section therefore advantageously comprises two tubes. Advantageously there is a clamping connection between the superstructure frame section and the element. In that way, no tools are required for assembling in a shop or the like, and shipping is cheaper as the unassembled auxiliary trolley takes up less space.

According to a favourable embodiment, the superstructure frame section comprises posts extending at an angle of at the most 20 degrees to the normal to the wheel base.

In that way, a larger number of auxiliary trolleys can be stacked as the centre of gravity of the stack does not change in the

horizontal direction, or less so, when the height of the stack increases. The angle will at least be 5 degrees.

According to a favourable embodiment, the arms are configured for accommodating the short side of the dolly for a crate.

Such an auxiliary trolley can be narrow.

According to a favourable embodiment, the superstructure frame section is equipped with a push bar and the base frame section comprises a hook operable by the push bar in order to engage onto the _n

5

dolly for a crate.

Using a push bar for operating the hook requires no permanent connection. The auxiliary trolley can easily be disassembled when it is desired to store, or such, the auxiliary trolley in an unassembled condition. Neither does assembling require tools.

The hook, for instance, is a hook which is retained in a first, relatively high position, by means of a spring, wherein the hook can be moved to a second, relatively low position, by means of the push bar, in which position a dolly for a crate is being released or coupled.

The present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the drawing where

Fig. 1A shows a perspective view of an auxiliary trolley;

Fig. IB shows a perspective view of the auxiliary trolley of Fig. 1A with a dolly and crates;

Fig. 1C shows a front view of the auxiliary trolley of Fig. IB;

Fig. 2 shows a side view of auxiliary trolleys of Fig. 1A in stacked condition;

Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C show a perspective view, a side view and a front view, respectively, of a base frame section of the auxiliary trolley of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a stack of base frame sections of Fig. 3A; and

Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B show a front view and a side view,

respectively, of the superstructure frame section of the auxiliary trolley of Fig. 1A.

Fig. 1A shows a perspective view of an auxiliary trolley 100, which at its front side comprises arms 110. Fig. IB and Fig. 1C show the same auxiliary trolley 100 in operational condition, wherein a dolly 190 for a crate is situated between the arms 110. In Fig. 1C the dolly 190 for a crate is provided with a crate 191.

The auxiliary trolley 100 comprises a base frame section 120 and a superstructure frame section 130.

The base frame section 120 comprises a first frame part 121 and a second frame part 122, that run parallel to each other and are connected one to the other by a connection part 123.

The parallel frame parts at their bottom side comprise wheels, in this embodiment each frame part comprises a front fixed wheel 124 and _r

b

a rearmost caster wheel 124' . The four wheels define a wheel base.

In the embodiment shown here, the frame parts comprise

U-profiles, wherein a first profile section 125 runs substantially parallel to the wheel base and provides a support surface 125 to a further auxiliary trolley 100' (see Fig. 2) . The U-profiles

furthermore comprise upright profile sections 126.

At its bottom side, the superstructure frame section 130 has a width that is smaller than the length of the connection part 123. As a result, the bottom side of the superstructure frame section 130 fits between the parallel frame parts of a further auxiliary trolley 100' placed on the support surfaces 125. In stacked condition, the wheels of the further auxiliary trolley 100' support on the support surfaces 125 of the auxiliary trolley 100 situated below it (Fig. 2) . In the embodiment shown here the U-profiles of the frame parts are modified, so that at the ends where they provide the arms 110 that project from the front side, which at their distal ends provide a tapering recess 115 for easy accommodation of the dolly 190 for a crate, and are provided with stops 127, the role of which will be explained below.

On the side of the auxiliary trolley 100 facing away from the recess 115, the parallel frame parts provide a further recess 116.

In the embodiment shown here, the superstructure frame section

130 of the auxiliary trolley 100 comprises posts 135 and a push bar

131 extending parallel to the posts 135 and operable by a lever 132 as will be explained on the basis of Fig. 5A. In this embodiment, the superstructure frame section 130 also comprises a work surface 133, and is provided with a handle 134 with which the auxiliary trolley 100 and thus the dolly 190 for a crate can be pushed ahead.

Fig, IB and Fig. 1C show the same auxiliary trolley 100 in condition of use, wherein a dolly 190 for a crate is situated between the arms 110, in a perspective front view and a front view,

respectively .

In Fig. IB and Fig. 1C the dolly 190 for a crate is provided with a crate 191. A spare crate 192 is also shown, which after filling the crate 191 can be placed on the crate 191 and can subsequently also be filled. The whole of dolly 190 for a crate provided with two crates can then be placed somewhere, for instance in a vehicle for

transportation to customers who have bought the shopping articles collected in the crates. The auxiliary trolley 100 will then be available once more for the collection of other shopping articles.

Fig. 2 shows a stack of four auxiliary trolleys, wherein a further auxiliary trolley 100' is placed on an auxiliary trolley 100, in particular on its support surfaces 125 (Fig. 1A) . The lowermost ends of the superstructure frame section 130 are accommodated in the further recess 116.

The upright profile sections 126 help preventing that a base frame section 120 of a base frame section situated below it shifts or rides .

The stops 127 also help preventing that a base frame section 120 of a base frame section 120 situated below it shifts or rides.

Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C show a perspective view, a side view and a front view, respectively, of the base frame section 120 of the auxiliary trolley 100 in further detail.

Advantageously the dolly 190 for a crate is coupled to the auxiliary trolley 100, which is advantageously done by means of a hook 221, which is able to engage behind the lower edge of a dolly 190 for a crate. The hook 221 is retained in a relatively high position by means of a spring 222. When the lever 132 is operated, the push bar 131 is able to push against the hook 221 with its end, via a slot 223 in connection part 123, as a result of which the hook 221 is pushed to a second lower position and the dolly 190 for a crate is released.

In the embodiment described here, the base frame section 120 comprises an element 360 extending transverse to the wheel base. In this case, it has the form of a hollow tube having a tapering end

361. In this preferred embodiment, said tapering end 361 has a double function .

In the embodiment described here, the base frame section 120 comprises two elements 360. Their function is to attach the

superstructure frame section 130, comprising posts 135 in the form of hollow tubes, which tubes are slid over the elements 360. Assembling the auxiliary trolley 100 including an operational push bar 131 for releasing the dolly 190 for a crate, by combining the superstructure frame section 130 and the base frame section 120, can therefore take place without tools.

Fig. 3C shows an embodiment provided with filler plates 390 with which the clearance with which the hook 221 engages onto the dolly 190 for a crate, can be set. The filler plates 390 may also serve in ₀

o

counteracting damage/wear. They are for instance made of metal, a plastic or a resilient material such as rubber. At the front side and/or at a side facing the dolly, the arms 110 can also be provided with such filler plates 390' .

When the base frame sections 120 have not been provided with superstructure frame sections 130, the base frame sections 120 can be stacked while using the elements 360 which prevent the shifting relative to each other of two base frame sections 120 that are stacked onto each other. In that case the centre of gravity will not shift in horizontal direction when the stack becomes higher.

Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B show a front view and a side view,

respectively, of the superstructure frame section 130 but wherein the work surface 133 is left out. The push bar 131 and transverse piece 540 each comprise a guiding slot 531, 531', respectively, and the push bar 131 can be moved transverse to the wheel base between a relatively high position and a relatively low position. For that purpose, the push bar 131 is configured with a recess 532 in which a pin 533 of lever 132 extends. The recess 532 is defined by an upper edge, which for one part is situated relatively far and for another part less far from the wheel basis. By rotating the lever about axis 534 (provided by a bolt), the pin 533 moves the push bar 131 relatively further or less far downwards. As a result, distal end 535 extends further or less far into the slot 223 and in case of the distal end 535 extending relatively far into the slot 223, the hook 221 is taken to the second position and the dolly 190 for a crate is released.

Within the scope of the attached claims, the invention can be varied with in various ways. For instance, it is also possible to have a hook engage onto an upper edge of a dolly for a crate.