Abstract:
An integrated shopping cart display and information handle attachment having multiple display orientation surfaces that are selectively positioned for viewing and use access by index rotation. Information display surfaces combining interior light source with position activation and display criteria, multiple features are available including product coupon access and bar code product scanning as well as sanitation and lotion dispensing access. Display panel illumination with internal self-contained renewal power source through solar cells and multiple safety reflective tape surfaces positioned on said display attachment. Information sheet overlying the display viewing area so as to provide for a useful point of sale information display and coupon redemption system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to shopping carts and associated information displays for imparting point of purchase information venues. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have been directed to a variety of different grocery cart attachments, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,021,953, 4,292,749, 4,513,983, 5,301,443, and 5,810,372. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,953 a shopping cart display guide attachment is disclosed which is secured to the handle indicia insertion therefore. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,749 illustrates a simple clip-on coupon display clipboard holder device for shopping carts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,983 claims a point of purchase advertising cylinder that is secured between the cart&#39;s handle support arms having multiple display surfaces therewithin. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,443 discloses a shopping cart handle display which provides for multiple fixed advertising areas. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,732 is directed towards an improved shopping cart push handle having a hollow visual interior surface into which structured ad inserts can be positioned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An interactive self-contained shopping cart handle attachment by which illuminated sequential display areas are selectively presented to the shopper having store coupons and ancillary product information with indicia for coupon scanning as well as comfort and sanitation dispensing features coupled with a self-powered and attention getting illuminated display areas to attract and engage the shopper during the shopping experience. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a handle display equipped shopping cart. 
         FIG. 2  is an end elevational view thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged partial side sectional elevational view of the dispensing device of the invention with portions broken away. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the dispensing device with an advertising display sheet positioned for attachment shown in broken lines thereon. 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view on lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view thereof. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view illustrating information attachment sheet insert and release mechanism. 
         FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view illustrating a sanitation spray insert module. 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the cart handle engagement element. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, a shopping cart  10  can be seen having a basket portion  11  and a basket support frame  12 . The basket support frame  12  has multiple wheeled pairs  13 A and  13 B with basket support elements  14  that extend therefrom to form additionally horizontal disposed handle  15  as will be well understood by those skilled within the art. 
     An interactive information display attachment  16  of the invention is rotatably secured to the handle  15  of the cart by an interlocking attachment and support hub  17 , best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 9  of the drawings. The attachment element  17  has a two half body member configuration interconnected by live hinges  18  and secured together by interlocking tabs  19 , shown in dotted lines in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. The attachment element  17  has a pair of oppositely disposed bearing surface fittings  20 A and  20 B which are formed when secured about the cart handle portion  15 . 
     The interactive information display attachment  16  defines a main body portion  19  that is rotatable on the attachment element hub  17  as hereinbefore described. The main body  19  is defined by a two-part elongated multi-sided transparent housing  20  having, in this example, multiple equal side display surfaces  21  thereabout and respective end closure caps  22  and  23  formed thereby. 
     The housing  20  is formed by two shell portions  24  and  25 , each defining one-half of the complete housing  20  when engaged together. Each of the shell housings  24  and  25  have two pairs of ride bearing rails  26  formed within with a half-arcuate bearing engagement surface  24 A and  24 B,  25 A and  25 B, best seen in  FIGS. 6 ,  8  and  9  of the drawings adjacent each end thereof. 
     The housing shells  24  and  25  are secured to one another by a pair of live hinges  27 A and  27 B and corresponding registration locking tabs  28 A and  28 B along the respective longitudinal edges  27  and  28  as seen in  FIGS. 3 ,  7  and  8  of the drawings. 
     Each of the shell housings  24  and  25  have two complete display surfaces  21  and oppositely disposed portion of corresponding display surfaces  21 . 
     The housing shell  24  has an advertising retainment slot at  28  running the length thereof between the adjacent display surfaces  21 , as seen in  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7  of the drawings. 
     The slot enclosure  28  allows for the ends of a two-dimensional display cover sheet  29  of advertising copy material which is preferably printed on a transparent synthetic resin sheet for illumination purposes to be inserted therein. 
     The cover sheet  29  wraps around the exterior of the housing display surface  21  conforming thereto. The advertising copy material can include store or manufacture redemption coupons. 
     The advertising copy material including the store or manufacturer redemption coupons C and have associated pre-determined identification bar coding at  30 . Such bar coding  30  would allow the store check-out person (not shown) to scan the bar code  30  appearing in association with the coupon C registering the savings to the customer automatically during check-out. Additionally, it will be noted that inventory control can be associated with the scan of the bar code so that a determination can be made as to the viability and effectiveness of the coupons and stimulating sales of preferred products. 
     A flapper access and retrieval assembly  31  for the display cover sheet  29  is positioned in the shell  24  inwardly at the end of the slot  28 . The retaining assembly  31  comprises a rod  32  with a flapper tab  32 A extending therefrom. Axial rotation is imparted by a spherical protrusion and registerable thread interengaging same when longitudinally activated via an access opening  33 A in the end cap  22 , best seen in  FIG. 7  of the drawings. This allows for removal of the display cover sheet  29  from within the housing  16  of the invention when the respective ends of the display cover sheet  29  are inserted and secured there within by frictional retention. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 5  of the drawings, an indexing assembly  34  is illustrated and shown as being secured to the cart handle  15  adjacent the support element hub  17  and end cap  22 . The indexing assembly has an indexing gear  35  registerably engaged by a resilient engagement tab  36  extending from and securing to the interior surface of the shell  24  of the housing  20 . 
     It will be evident from the above description that as the housing  20  with its multiple transparent display surfaces  21  is rotated the indexing tab  36  will selectively and resiliently engage the gear  35  providing specific index positioning and retainment of the housing  24  in that relation thereto so as to afford the display surfaces  21  effective and proportional selective positioning in relation to the handle  15  for selective viewing options as will be disclosed and discussed in greater detail hereinafter. 
     A plurality of illumination sources, such as LED&#39;s  37  are positioned on the central attachment and support hub area  38  of the attachment element  17  and in this example are electrically connected to an electrical power control circuit CC having rechargeable storage batteries  39  in communication therewith as best seen in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. 
     A battery recharging element defined as solar panels  40  may be positioned around the respective display surfaces  21  providing a low level so-called trickle charge to the batteries  39  as noted. It will be evident that the display cover sheet  29  will be divided into areas corresponding to the display surfaces  21  of the housing  20  and that some areas will be more transparent than others for alignment with the hereinbefore positioned solar panels  40 . 
     Power consumption of the LED&#39;s is regulated by multiple control features including motion activated switching  41  that will only be activated upon sensing cart motion and then only will illuminate a single display panel  21  at a time and only when a pre-determined user visual orientation is determined by select pre-determined geographical orientation criteria switching mechanism integrated into the indexing assembly  33 . 
     A sanitation spray dispenser assembly  42  is positioned through the end cap  23  of the display attachment  16 . The liquid dispenser assembly  42  has a replaceable reservoir tank with a dispenser spray pump  44  and outlet nozzle  45  by manually pumping the shopper (not shown) stored liquid L would be dispensed therefrom. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4  of the drawings, reflective tape strips  46  are applied around the perimeter of the respective end cap housings for visual reflective reference enhancing the effectiveness of the display attachment  16  of the invention. As noted, alternate information management systems may be incorporated into the display device of the invention in which coupon I.D. scanning via a bar code  30 B can interface with the store&#39;s computer database, not shown, to provide a wide array of information by comparison database sorting including coupon identification and pricing, inventory, and as noted effectiveness of the specific display criteria and associated with the product identified by the coupon redemption or advertising indicia criteria as will be evident to those skilled in the art. 
     In operation, the end edge  29 A of the display cover sheet  29  is inserted into the slot  28  frictionally engaged there within. The display cover sheet  29  is then pulled around the display surfaces  21  of the housing  20  and the opposite end edge  29 B of the sheet is then inserted into the slot  28  and held correspondingly there within. 
     To retrieve the sheet  29  for replacement or removal, any available rod like structure, not shown, but indicated by arrow in  FIG. 7  of the drawings is directed through an access opening  33 A in the end cap  22  pushing the end of the flapper rod  32  longitudinally, as noted, thus rotating same and corresponding flapper tab  32 A so as to engage and push the inserted end edges of the display sheet outwardly back through the slot  28  for removal as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 3 and 8  of the drawings, an optional GPS location device  35  can be seen positioned within the housing  20 . This will provide tracking of the cart  10  on which the display attachment  16  is installed to determine a variety of data information source indicating positions. 
     It will also be seen that a scent dispenser  36  is combined with the hereinafter described indexing assembly  34  in which a scent insert of porice absorbing material is registerably engaged by rotation of the housing  20  via a scent element  37  as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     It will be evident from the above description that a new and novel information display attachment  16  for commercially available shopping carts, specifically grocery shopping carts has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     Therefore