Method and apparatus for securing a shopping cart

• US 7,070,024 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kartdox, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kartdox, LLC
• Inventors: Scheffer, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beauchaine, Mark J.
• Application Number:
  US10/699,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20050051389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 186/52, 186/27, 186/31, 186/33, 186/45, 188/32, 403/68, 405/87, 406/060.1, 406/060.3, 406/071.3, 248/346.11, 410/30, D12/217, 280/DIG.3, 280/DIG.4, 455/39, 455/66.1, 455/347
• US Class Current: 186/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 3/00 Portable devices for preventing unwanted movement of vehicles, e.g. chocks
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/049 locking against movement by contacting the floor or a wall

Abstract

A method and apparatus for securing a wheeled device such as a shopping cart is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a body having a pair of spaced stops with an intermediate trough. In use, the wheels of the cart are rolled along an upwardly extending face of one of the stops, over the stop and into the trough between the stops. In one embodiment, advertising is located on the surfaces of one or more of the stops. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an LCD display located on one of the faces and a control system for presenting advertising and other information using the display.

Claims

1. A cart securing and advertising system comprising:

a plurality of cart securing structures configured to be located on a support surface outside of a retail establishment, each of said cart securing structures configured to accept at least two spaced wheels of a cart, each of said cart securing structures comprising a body having a bottom surface and a top surface, a first stop defining a portion of said top surface and a second stop defining a portion of said top surface, said first and second stops having a trough located there between, said trough adapted to accept said at least two spaced wheels of said cart between said first and second stops, said first stop having a first face sloping upwardly over which said pair of wheels of said cart may be rolled and having a second face sloping downwardly towards said trough for engaging said at least two spaced wheels of said cart to prevent said cart from rolling away, said second stop having a first surface sloping upwardly from said trough for engaging said at least two spaced wheels of said cart to prevent said cart from rolling away, and an electronically operated display system, said display system including a display mounted to said first face of said first stop, a power source, and at least one information receiver; and

a base station, said base station including a transmitter configured to transmit information to said receivers of said cart securing structures for display of a text message by said displays of said cart securing structures.

2. The cart securing and advertising system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes at least one light detector configured to detect light intensity, and wherein said display systems of said cart securing structures turn off said displays thereof in response to a detected low level of light intensity.

3. The cart securing and advertising system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said display system of each cart securing structure includes a light detector.

4. The cart securing and advertising system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said receivers of said display systems of said cart securing structures and said transmitter of said base station are configured to transmit and receive information wirelessly.

5. The cart securing and advertising system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said display systems of said cart securing structures include a motion detector, said display systems configured to cause said displays of said cart securing structures to display information when motion is detected.

6. The cart securing and advertising system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said display systems of said cart securing structures each include a controller.

7. A method of securing carts and disseminating information comprising:

locating a plurality of cart securing structures on a support surface outside of a building, each cart securing structure comprising a body having a bottom surface and a top surface, a first stop defining a portion of said top surface and a second stop defining a portion of said top surface, said first and second stops having a trough located there between, said trough adapted to accept at least two spaced wheels of a cart between said first and second stops, said first stop having a first face sloping upwardly over which said pair of wheels of said cart maybe rolled and having a second face sloping downwardly towards said trough for engaging said at least two spaced wheels of said cart to prevent said cart from rolling away, said second stop having a first surface sloping upwardly from said trough for engaging said at least two spaced wheels of said cart to prevent said cart from rolling away, and an electronically operated display system, said display system including a display mounted to said first face of said first stop, a power source, and at least one information receiver;

transmitting information from a transmitter of a base station to said receivers of said cart securing structures; and

displaying a text message with said displays of said cart securing structures.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the step of detecting an intensity of light adjacent one or more of said cart securing structures and turning off said displays of said cart securing structures if said light intensity is low.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the step of detecting an intensity of light adjacent one or more of said cart securing structures and backlighting said displays of said cart securing structures if said light intensity is low.

10. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the step of detecting motion adjacent said cart securing structures and displaying said information at said cart securing structure if motion is detected.

11. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the step of transmitting first information to one or more of said cart securing structures and transmitting second information to one or more of the other cart securing structures, whereby the information displayed by the cart securing structures differs.

12. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the step of providing a base station and locating that base station inside said building.