AU5764001A

AU5764001A - Shopping trolley

Info

Publication number: AU5764001A
Application number: AU57640/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Desiree Taylor-Van Schalkwyk; Tobie Van Schalkwyk
Original assignee: DESIREE TAYLOR VAN SCHALKWYK
Current assignee: DESIREE TAYLOR VAN SCHALKWYK
Priority date: 2000-04-05
Filing date: 2001-04-04
Publication date: 2001-10-15
Also published as: WO2001074284A1

Description

WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 1 Shopping Trolley 5 Field of the Invention This invention relates to a shopping trolley and, more particularly, to a shopping trolley to be used by persons having reduced mobility due to factors such as age or physical disability. 10 Background to the Invention At present, shopping can become very tedious and sometimes even impossible for persons having some form of reduced mobility, be it due to 15 age, injury, permanent physical disability or other factors. It is often very difficult for such persons to do their shopping as this usually involves a lot of walking, in addition to which it may involve having to push a heavy shopping trolley for far distances. 20 The applicants therefore believe that a need exists for a device which will make it easier and more convenient for people having reduced mobility to do their shopping. Summary of the Invention 25 Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a shopping trolley including: a base structure mounted on wheels; a seating arrangement for a user arranged on the base structure; 30 a stowage means arranged on the base structure for stowing shopping items; a. motor arranged in mechanical communication with a wheel of the trolley; and WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 2 a steering means for steering the trolley in use. The shopping trolley may include two motors, each motor being arranged in mechanical communication with a wheel of the trolley. 5 A bump guard of any suitable resiliently deformable material may be arranged around a perimeter of the base structure to reduce the likelihood of damage to a part of the shopping trolley in the event of a collision. The seating arrangement may include a seat portion and a housing 10 portion, the seat portion being mounted on the housing portion. The seat portion may be pivotally mounted on the housing portion. The seating arrangement may further include a backrest. The location of the stowage means relative to the seating arrangement 15 may be configured to accommodate a user's legs in a space defined therebetween. The stowage means may be in the form of a basket that may be sufficiently large to receive a number of items purchased during shopping. 20 The base structure, seating and stowage means may be manufactured from any suitable durable synthetic plastics material such as, for example, glass fibre or fibre glass. 25 The motor may be any suitable motor and is typically an electric motor having a battery power supply. The battery may be rechargeable. The battery may be housed within the housing below the seat portion. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 30 wherein the shopping trolley is provided with two motors, each motor being connected to one of two rear wheels of the trolley.

WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 3 Where the shopping trolley is provided with two motors, each motor may be drivingly connected to an axle of one of the two rear wheels respectively. The motors may be mounted on an underside of the base structure proximal the rear wheels. 5 The steering means may be in the form of a joystick. The joystick may be located near an end of the stowage means closest to the seating arrangement. 10 The joystick may be electrically connected to the motor or motors. In use, movement of the joystick to the left or right causes the wheels of the shopping trolley to which the joystick is connected via the motor or motors to turn to the left or right respectively, thereby enabling a user to 15 control the direction of motion of the shopping trolley. The joystick may further include a control means for controlling the speed at which the shopping trolley travels. Pushing the joystick away from the user may cause the trolley to move forward and accelerate whilst pulling 20 the joystick toward the user may cause the trolley to move backwards. The shopping trolley .may include a switch for activating and deactivating the power supply, thereby activating and deactivating the joystick. 25 The switch is typically located on the joystick. The shopping trolley may further include a support means in the form of a bar attached to and the end of the stowage means closest to the seating 30 arrangement. In use, a user may hold onto the bar with one hand so as to not lose his or her balance whilst the trolley is in motion.

WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 4 Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will now be described by the following non-limiting 5 example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a side view of a shopping trolley in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 shows a plan view of the shopping trolley of Figure 1. 10 In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a shopping trolley in accordance with the present invention. A shopping trolley 10 includes a base structure 12 mounted on wheels 15 14.1 and 14.2, a seating arrangement 16 for a user (not shown) arranged on the base structure 12, a stowage means in the form of a basket 18 arranged on the base structure 12 for stowing shopping items (not shown), at least one motor 20 arranged in mechanical communication with at least two of the wheels 14.1 and 14.2 of the trolley 10 and a steering means in the form of a 20 joystick 22 for steering the trolley 10 in use. The shopping trolley 10 typically includes two motors 20, each motor 20 being connected to one of two rear wheels 14.1 of the trolley 10 located beneath the seat portion 26. The motors 20 are drivingly connected to an 25 axle of each wheel 14.1. The motors 20 are mounted on an underside of the base structure 12 proximal the rear wheels 14.1 as shown in Figure 1 and each motor 20 typically has a power output of 16 Ampere. A bump guard 24 of any suitable resiliently deformable material is 30 arranged around a perimeter of the base structure 12 to reduce the likelihood of damage to a part of the shopping trolley 10 in the event of a collision.

WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 5 The seating arrangement 16 includes a seat portion 26 and a housing portion 28, the seat portion 26 being pivotally mounted on the housing portion 28. The seating arrangement 16 further includes a backrest 30. 5 The location of the basket 18 relative to the seating arrangement 16 is configured to accommodate a user's legs (not shown) in a space 31 defined therebetween. The base structure 12, seating arrangement 16 and basket 18 are 10 typically manufactured from glass fibre. The length "I" of the trolley 10 is typically 12 000 mm, its width "w" is typically 6 000 mm and its height "h" is typically 10 000 mm. 15 The motors 20 are typically electric motors having a battery 32 power supply. The battery 32 is rechargeable. The battery 32 is housed within the housing 28 below the seat portion 26. The battery 32 is typically recharged by connecting it to a conventional power supply such as, for example a plug or any other suitable power supply. The power supplied by the battery 32 is 20 typically between 11 V and 13,5 V, preferably 12 V. As can be seen in Figure 1, the battery 32 does not take up all available space in the housing 28. The housing 28 may optionally include a dividing wall (not shown) to divide the housing 28 into two portions, one of 25 which contains the battery 32 whilst the second portion can be used by a user for stowing away his or her personal belongings during use of the trolley 10. The joystick 22 is located near an end of the basket 18 closest to the seating arrangement 16 so that it may be easily accessed by a user seated 30 on the seating portion 26. The joystick 22 is electrically connected to the motors 20 of the

Claims

1. A shopping trolley including: a base structure mounted on wheels; 5 a seating arrangement for a user arranged on the base structure; a stowage means arranged on the base structure for stowing shopping items; a motor arranged in mechanical communication with a wheel of the trolley; and 10 a steering means for steering the trolley in use.

2. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 1 including a bump guard of any suitable resiliently deformable material arranged around a perimeter of the base structure to reduce the likelihood of damage to a part of the shopping 15 trolley in the event of a collision.

3. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the seating arrangement includes a seat portion and a housing portion, the seat portion being mounted on the housing portion. 20

4. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 3 wherein the location of the stowage means relative to the seating arrangement is configured to accommodate a user's legs in a space defined therebetween. 25

5. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the stowage means is in the form of a basket.

6. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the base structure, seating arrangement and stowage means are 30 manufactured from a suitable durable synthetic plastics material.

7. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 6 wherein the base structure, WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 8 seating arrangement and stowage means are manufactured from glass fibre.

8. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the motor is an electric motor having a battery power supply. 5

9. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 8 wherein the battery is rechargeable.

10. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 10 wherein the shopping trolley is provided with two motors, each motor being connected to one of two rear wheels of the trolley.

11. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 10 wherein each of the two motors is drivingly connected to an axle of one of the two rear wheels 15 respectively.

12. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the steering means is in the form of a joystick. 20

13. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 10 wherein the joystick is electrically connected to the motor.

14. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13 wherein in use, movement of the joystick to the left or right causes the wheels of the shopping 25 trolley to which the joystick is connected via the motor or motors to turn to the left or right respectively, thereby enabling a user to control the direction of motion of the shopping trolley.

15. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the 30 joystick includes a control means for controlling the speed at which the shopping trolley travels. WO 01/74284 PCT/ZAO1/00035 9

16. A shopping trolley as claimed in claim 15 wherein pushing the joystick away from the user causes the trolley to move forward and accelerate and pulling the joystick toward the user causes the trolley to move backwards. 5

17. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 16 including a switch for activating and deactivating the power supply.

18. A shopping trolley as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which includes a support means in the form of a bar attached to the stowage means 10 for supporting the user.

19. A shopping trolley according to the invention, as hereinbefore generally described. 15

20. A shopping trolley as specifically described with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

21. A shopping trolley including any new and inventive integer or combination of integers, substantially as herein described. 20