JP2631622B2 - Locking device for shopping cart - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shopping cart connecting / locking device for connecting and locking shopping carts arranged in front of and behind a shopping cart place in a supermarket or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to a shopping cart connection / locking device in which coins are inserted, unlocked, locked, and coins can be collected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A large number of shopping carts are placed in supermarkets so that customers can use them for free and easily. There is a customer who does not return this shopping cart to the designated place, so a clerk is in charge of it. For this reason, there is a cost for hiring a clerk. Shopping carts can be stolen.

[0003] A shopping cart which does not incur such costs and is prevented from being stolen is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-78768. As shown in FIG. 11, the shopping cart described in this publication is arranged so as to be folded and arranged, and a key 02 at the other end of a chain 01 having one end attached to the shopping cart on the rear side. It is configured so that it can be connected to the locking device of the shopping cart on the front side. The locking device used in this manner is capable of inserting a coin, unlocking the lock, locking the coin, and collecting the coin.

[0004] In such a conventional shopping cart, a coin insertion slot is opened on a side surface of the locking device. If you bring this type to a Japanese supermarket where the store is small and crowded with many customers, it will be difficult to insert coins. In particular, when the lock is collected and coins are collected after shopping, the player is carrying heavy luggage, so coins coming out horizontally on the side of the locking device are difficult to receive with one hand and can be dropped. is there. If a coin receiving port is provided to prevent the coin from falling, it is difficult to pick up the coin from the depression forming the receiving port in a crowd.

[0005] In addition, although the prior art shopping carts are focused on theft prevention as well as the arrangement, theft prevention is not a very important issue in Japan.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made under the above-mentioned technical background, and achieves the following objects.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a shopping cart connection / locking device in which lock / unlock and coin insertion / recovery operations are easy by providing the same receiving port as the insertion port on the upper surface of the locking device. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shopping cart connecting / locking device having a simple structure.

[0009]

The present invention employs the following means to achieve the above object.

A locking device for a shopping cart according to the present invention comprises: a locking device main body (1) attached to a first shopping cart; and a coin insertion slot (1) opened on the upper surface side of the locking device main body (1). 9) and a coin receiver (14) having an upper end provided with a receiving portion (14c) which is guided vertically and moves up and down between an ascending position and a descending position to receive the coin (C) inserted through the insertion slot (9). And a first spring (1) for urging the coin receiver (14) upward.
5) a pin (19) for entering or leaving a pin receiving groove (17) of the coin receiver (14) to freely or prevent elevation of the coin receiver (14); A second spring (21) biasing in a direction to enter the receiving groove (17), and a connecting member (2) having a key (23) at a distal end and a proximal end attached to a second shopping cart.
2) a key insertion slot (24) provided in the locking device main body (1) and opened to the side surface of the locking device main body (1) and into which the key (23) is inserted;
The second card inserted into the key slot (24) of the cart
Engaging means (14b, 14b) for engaging the coin receiver (14) with the key (23) of the second shopping cart so as to prevent the key (23) of the shopping cart from coming out. 25).

[0011]

According to the present invention, the shopping cart connecting and locking device releases the lock by inserting the coin C from directly above and pushing the coin from above. The coin receiver is lowered by being pushed by the coin. When the coin receiver is lowered, the locking means is released by the operation of the engaging means. With this release, the key of the connecting member for connecting the front and rear shopping carts comes out of the key insertion slot. Insert the key of the connecting member into the key insertion slot and unlock. By unlocking, one part of the coin pops out right above. Take out one coin that jumps out right above by hand.

[0012]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1,
2, 3 and 4 show a first embodiment of a shopping cart connecting and locking device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view, FIG. 2 is a side view, FIG. 3 is a plan view, and FIG. FIG. The locking device body 1 is firmly fastened and attached to a horizontal pipe 2 which is a structural member of the first shopping cart. The lower part of the locking device main body 1 is formed in a split structure, and has split portions 1a and 1b.

The split portions 1a and 1b are provided with horizontal holes 3a and 3b having a common center line. These side holes 3a, 3b
The split portions 1 a and 1 b are fastened to the pipe 2 by the bolt 4 and the nut 5. Another lateral hole 6 is made in the split portion 1b. A screw hole 7 is formed in the pipe 2 at a position where the lateral hole 6 faces, and the screw 8 is connected to the screw hole 7.
To lock the locking device body 1 above the pipe. After screwing the screw 8 into the screw hole 7,
The locking device body 1 is firmly fastened to the pipe 2 with the bolts 4 and the nuts 5.

A coin slot 9 is provided on the upper surface side of the locking device body 1.
Is open. The coin C inserted from the coin insertion slot 9 is inserted into a guide groove 10 provided in the locking device main body 1.
And appear and disappear in the vertical direction. This guide groove 10
Subsequently, a wider coin receiving guide groove 11 is formed in the locking device main body 1. Wall 12 inside locking device body 1
A long plate-shaped coin receiver 14 is inserted into an insertion slot 13 opened at the bottom. Both shoulders 14a at the top of the coin receiver 14 are guided by the coin receiving guide groove 11 and move up and down.

A receiving portion 14c formed in a partially arc-shaped recess is provided on the top surface of the coin receiver 14, which is guided in the vertical direction and rises and falls between the ascending position and the descending position. The recess formed at the upper end of the coin receiver 14 is
Receiving portion 14 for receiving the lower end surface of the coin inserted from
c is formed. The lower part of coin receiver 14 is coin receiver 1
The lower end of the first spring 15 that urges the upper part 4 upward is placed on the bottom surface 16. An upper portion of the first spring 15 is provided with a cutout 14 d provided on a lower end surface of the coin receiver 14.
It is embedded in.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a part of the lower end of the coin receiver is bent to form an engaging portion 14b. The coin receiver 14 is provided with three pin receiving grooves 17 arranged in a vertical direction. Three pin guide grooves 18 are provided on the inner surface of the locking device main body 1 in a direction toward the pin receiving grooves 17.
A long plate-shaped pin 19 is inserted into each of the pin guide grooves 18, and is guided by the pin guide grooves 18 to move forward and backward in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along line VII-VII. As shown in FIG. 7, an intermediate portion of the pin 19 is enlarged to form an enlarged portion 20. A second spring 21 is provided between a side surface of the enlarged portion of the pin guide groove 18 and an enlarged portion 20 of the pin 19. The pin 19 is bent, and the mating portion 19a and the coin receiver 1 are opposed to the pin receiving groove 17 of the coin receiver 14 that moves up and down and fit into the pin receiving groove 17.
Pressing portion 19b pressed by a key 23 which will be described later in parallel with 4
Consists of

The top pin 19 of the three pins 19 is integrally formed with a coin locking member 19c. The coin locking member 19c is provided with a claw integrally at the upper end, and the claw engages with the outer periphery of the coin C when the coin C is pushed down so as to prevent the coin C from being taken out (see FIG. 10).

As shown in FIG. 1, a key insertion opening 24 into which a plate-like key 23 constituting a connecting member 22 is inserted is opened on a side surface of the locking device main body 1. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the key 23 has a front end face 23 a that abuts against the three pins 19. A step 23b is formed on the front end face to prevent the key 23 from being inserted beyond a certain level. The two engagement holes 25 are symmetrically located at the upper and lower end surfaces of the key 23.
Is provided.

One of the engagement holes 25, namely,
Although the key 23 can be turned upside down freely, the engaging portion 14b of the coin receiver 14 enters the lower engaging hole 25 of the key 23 inserted into the key insertion slot 24. The key insertion slot 2 is formed by the engagement portion 14b of the coin receiver 14 and the engagement hole 25 of the connection member 22.
An engaging means for engaging the coin receiver 14 and the connecting member 22 is formed so as to prevent the key 23 inserted into the key 4 from coming out.

A chain 26 is attached to the rear end of the key 23. The proximal end of chain 26 is fixed to the body of the shopping cart. In particular, the proximal loop of the chain 26 is fitted into a bolt 4 shown in FIG. 1, which is part of the locking device body 1 of another shopping cart.

(Operation of First Embodiment) Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. A plurality of shopping carts are folded and arranged in one direction in a shopping cart storage area of a supermarket. Connecting member 2 fixed to locking device body 1 of the leading shopping cart
The second key 23 is inserted into the key insertion slot 24 of the locking device body 1 of the leading vehicle. When the key 23 is inserted, as shown in FIG.
Is pressed by the key 23 and the pin 19
Compresses the second spring 21 and retreats leftward in the figure.

The enlarged portion 20 of the pin 19 which has receded in this way.
Has come out of the pin receiving groove 17 of the coin receiver 14, the coin receiver 14 is pushed by the first spring 15 and rises to the raised position (see FIG. 1, except that the coin C
No). Since the engaging portion 14b of the key 14 at the raised position fits into the engaging hole 25 of the key 23, the key 23
Is prevented by the engaging portion 14b of the coin receiver 14 and cannot be pulled out from the key insertion slot 24.

When the coin C is inserted into the coin insertion slot 9 and the coin C is pushed down, the engaging portion 1 of the coin receiver 14 at the lowered position is set.
4b escapes from the engagement hole 25 of the key 23, so that the key 2
3 can be pulled out from the key insertion slot 24. When the key 23 is pulled out from the key insertion slot 24, as shown in FIG.
7 and the coin receiver 14 cannot rise. In this state, almost all of the coin C has entered the locking device main body 1 from the coin insertion slot 9, and the coin C cannot be taken out with a finger. The leading car can be used freely.

The used shopping cart is folded and brought close to the leading car in a line, and the key 23 of the connecting member 22 of the used shopping cart is inserted into the key insertion opening 24 of the locking device body 1 of the leading car. Insert. Pressed by the key 23, the pin 19 retreats, and the enlarged portion 20 of the pin 19
It comes out of the pin receiving groove 17 of the coin receiver 14. The coin receiver 14 is raised by the first spring 15 to the raised position, the engaging portion 14b of the coin receiver 14 fits into the engaging hole 25 of the key 23, and the key 23 is pulled out from the key insertion slot 24. Can not. In this connected state, the coin C moves up and down and does not roll at the ascending position.
The coin C is not dropped at the time of removal.

(Other Embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and design changes may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the number of pins need not be divided into three, but may be one. The number of pins need not be three but may be one. The coin receiver 14 can be raised and lowered not vertically but obliquely. Coin receiver 14, key 2
3 can be formed in a columnar shape instead of a plate shape. The components of the locking device need not be made of steel.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. Easy to insert and collect coins. Because the emphasis was on organizing rather than preventing theft, the structure was simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a first embodiment of a shopping cart connecting / locking device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the coin receiver 14;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a connecting member 22. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a front view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front sectional view in which the operation position of the coin receiver is different from that in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a perspective projection view showing a connected state of a conventional shopping cart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Locking device main body 9 ... Coin slot 14 ... Coin receiving 14b ... Engaging part (engaging means) 14c ... Receiving part 15 ... 1st spring 17 ... Pin receiving groove 18 ... Pin guide groove 19 ... Pin 21 ... Second spring 22 ... Connecting member 23 ... Key 24 ... Key insertion slot 25 ... Engagement hole

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A locking device main body (1) attached to a first shopping cart; a coin slot (9) opened on the upper surface side of the locking device main body (1); A coin receiver (14) provided at its upper end with a receiving portion (14c) for ascending and descending between a position and a descending position to receive a coin (C) inserted through the insertion slot (9);
A first spring (15) for urging the coin receiver (14) upward; and a pin spring (17) of the coin receiver (14) to enter and leave the coin receiver (14) to freely move up and down. A pin (19) for holding or blocking the pin, a second spring (21) for urging the pin (19) into the pin receiving groove (17), and a key (23) at the tip. The end is the second shopping
A connecting member (22) attached to a cart; and a key insertion port (24) provided on the locking device body (1) and opened to the side surface of the locking device body (1) and into which the key (23) is inserted. And the key slot (24) of the first shopping cart.
For engaging the coin receiver (14) with the key (23) of the second shopping cart so as to prevent the key (23) of the second shopping cart inserted into the second shopping cart from coming out. Engaging means (14b, 25)
A shopping cart connecting and locking device comprising: