Shopping cart tilt and tip prevention device

• US 7,225,903 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carttronics LLC (Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Carttronics LLC (Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Means, Jay S., Nebolon, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES WILLIAMS, MELANIE
• Application Number:
  US11/114,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20050241889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 188/5, 188/1.12, 188/19, 188/20, 16/78.R
• US Class Current: 188/19
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2301/00 Wheel arrangements; Steering; Stability; Wheel suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/14 characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys collapsible shopping trolleys B62B3/027
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0006 Bumpers; Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0423 braking or blocking when leaving a particular area

Abstract

An anti-tilt device for impeding tilting or tipping of a hand-driven, wheeled vehicle has a rigid bracket for attachment to a selected wheel yoke or axle on an outer side of the wheel and a resilient brake shoe attached to a lower portion of the bracket and projecting downwardly from the bracket. The brake shoe has a lower surface for engaging the ground and providing a braking action if the vehicle is tilted or tipped. The brake shoe has a braking portion extending inwardly from the inner surface towards a wheel when the bracket is mounted on the wheel. The braking portion will engage the wheel and resist rotation of the wheel when the cart is tilted or tipped.

Claims

1. An anti-tilt device for impeding tilting or tipping of a hand-driven cart or vehicle having a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, the device comprising:

a rigid bracket for attachment to a selected wheel yoke or axle on an outer side of a wheel, the bracket having an upper portion and a lower portion;

a brake shoe of resilient material attached to the lower portion of the bracket and projecting downwardly from the bracket, the brake shoe having a lower surface for engaging the ground and providing a braking action if the cart is tilted or tipped, an inner surface and an outer surface; and

the brake shoe having a braking portion extending inwardly from the inner surface towards a wheel when the bracket is mounted on the wheel, whereby the braking portion will engage the wheel and resist rotation of the wheel when the cart is tilted or tipped such that the lower surface of the brake shoe engages the ground.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake shoe is of resilient material.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the brake shoe is of neoprene rubber.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake shoe is releasably secured to the bracket.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 further comprising tamper-resistant screw fasteners releasably securing the brake shoe to the bracket.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the brake shoe has a recess and the lower portion of the bracket engages in said recess.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracket has an opening spaced above the brake shoe for engagement with a selected wheel axle bolt to secure the device in a fixed position relative to a wheel assembly.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bracket has an outer surface and an inner surface, and an orientation tab projecting inwardly from the inner surface for engaging a portion of a wheel yoke when the bracket is in a predetermined attachment position relative to the wheel yoke.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake shoe has a forward end and a rear end, and the lower surface of the brake shoe has a generally flat portion for facing the ground at a location raised from the ground when the device is installed on a wheel of a cart with all four wheels of the cart contacting the ground and an upwardly curved portion extending from said flat portion to said rear end for contacting the ground if the cart is tilted rearwardly.

10. A manually propelled wheeled vehicle, comprising:

a frame having a base;

a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels rotatably mounted on the base of the frame for engagement with a ground surface;

at least one braking device mounted on the frame adjacent one of the wheels, the braking device comprising a rigid bracket attached to the frame, and a brake shoe of resilient material attached to the bracket and projecting downwardly from the bracket adjacent an outer side face of the wheel; and

the brake shoe having a lower surface for engaging the ground and providing a braking action if the vehicle is tilted or tipped, and a braking portion extending towards the wheel for engaging the wheel and resisting rotation of the wheel when the vehicle is tipped to one side or tilted such that the lower surface engages the ground.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a wheel locking device mounted on one front wheel on a first side of the vehicle, the locking device being adapted to lock the wheel if the vehicle is removed from a predetermined area, the braking device being mounted on a rear wheel of the vehicle on the opposite side to the locking device.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the brake shoe is of resilient material.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the brake shoe is of neoprene rubber.

14. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the brake shoe is releasably secured to the bracket.

15. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the bracket is releasably secured to the frame.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a wheel supporting yoke secured to the frame and a wheel axle secured to the yoke, the wheel being rotatably mounted on the axle, and the bracket being releasably secured to the wheel axle.

17. A combined vehicle caster and brake assembly, comprising:

a wheel supporting yoke, the yoke having an inner wall and an outer wall;

a wheel axle secured between the inner and outer walls of the yoke;

a wheel rotatably mounted on the axle between the inner and outer walls of the yoke; and

a braking device mounted on the outer wall of the yoke;

the braking device comprising a rigid bracket attached to the yoke, and a brake shoe of resilient material attached to the bracket and projecting downwardly from the bracket adjacent an outer side face of the wheel; and

the brake shoe having a lower surface for engaging the ground and providing a braking action if a vehicle on which the caster is mounted is tilted or tipped, and a braking portion extending towards the wheel for engaging the wheel and resisting rotation of the wheel if the vehicle is tipped or tilted.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the bracket has an opening spaced above the brake shoe and the wheel axle extends through the opening to secure the bracket to the yoke in a fixed position relative to a wheel assembly.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the bracket has an outer surface and an inner surface, and an orientation tab projects inwardly from the inner surface for engaging a portion of a wheel yoke when the bracket is in a predetermined attachment position relative to the wheel yoke.