PLASTIC TROLLEY

Abstract: A plastic trolley, such as a shopping trolley or luggage trolley, comprises a loading element, such as a basket or a loading platform, which loading element is provided with a handle and is supported by wheels. The loading element and the handle are manufactured in one piece with double walls by means of rotational moulding. Furthermore, the basket can have holes which are formed by interconnected parts of the adjacent walls of the double wall construction of the basket.

Description: Plastic trolley The invention relates to a plastic trolley, such as a shopping trolley or luggage trolley, comprising a loading element, such as a basket or a loading platform, which loading element is provided with a handle and is supported by wheels. Such a plastic shopping trolley is known from WO-A-93H018- This known plastic shopping trolley is assembled from a fairly large number of plastic parts, of which the mam ones are formed by two longitudinal halves which comprise the basket and the frame. The two longitudinal halves must be attached to each other together with the other parts, such as the bottom, front wall and rear wall of the basket. This construction of the known shopping trolley has the disadvantage that the manufacturing process is labour-intensive. The object of the invention is therefore to provide a plastic trolley which is designed m such a way that it can be manufactured more cheaply. That object is achieved by the fact that the loading element and the handle are manufactured in one piece with double walls by means of rotational moulding Rotational moulding makes t possible to form virtually the entire plastic trolley in one go Thanks to the double-walled structure which can be obtained during the rotational moulding process, the trolley is not only relatively low in weight, but also has great rigidity and strength. In that connection, the basket preferably has holes which are formed by interconnected parts of the adjacent walls of the double wall construction of the basket. The number of operations needed for manufacturing the trolley can be reduced even further if the basket is supported by a wheeled frame which is integral therewith. The basket and the frame are both manufactured in one manufacturing step by rotational moulding; fitting the wheels is the only separate operation. In at least one of the walls of its double wall construction the frame can have recesses which are connected to the other, adjacent wall. Such recesses which connect the adjacent walls of the double wall construction of the frame have a beneficial effect on the rigidity and strength thereof. The side of the basket facing the handle is preferably open and bears means for hingedly suspending a closing panel Said closing panel can be hingedly suspended at its top side, and at its bottom side can bear stop means which can interact with stop means provided on the basket, m order to limit the hinge movement towards the rear side of the basket. The invention will be explained in greater detail below with reference to a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. Figure 1 shows in perspective, and partially in section, a shopping trolley according to the invention. Figure 2 shows a detail of Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a luggage trolley according to the invention. The shopping trolley shown in Figure 1 comprises a basket 1, which is supported by legs 2, Castors are fitted on the underside of the legs 2, 3- As can be seen in the section of Figure 1, the basket is a double-walled structure, and has an outer wall and an inner wall 6. Pipe-shaped parts 7 which define holes 8 extend between the outer wall 5 and the inner wall 6. The double wall 5. 6 of the basket 1 is formed by rotational casting. The legs 2 and the handles 9 are co-moulded in the same operation. The bottom 10 of the basket 1 has a recess 11, in which the lugs 12 of the rear wall, indicated in its entirety by 13, can be accommodated. Said rear wall has hinge points 14 which can be accommodated in a hinged manner in corresponding holes 1 m the basket. This means that the rear wall 13 can be swung up in such a way that the basket 1 of a shopping trolley placed behind can be accommodated in a known manner in the basket of the one placed in front of it. The rear wall 13 has two openings 16 and a collapsible child's seat 16, in such a way that a small child can be carried in the trolley. This seat has a hinged backrest 17, which is rotatable about hinge 18, and a seat face 19 which is hinged by means of hinge 20, and the side 21 of which is slidable relative to the backrest 17. The legs 3 are likewise integral with the basket 1. As can be seen in Figure 2, legs 2 have two walls 22 , 23, wall 23 being provided with recesses 2 which extend up to and are fixed to the wall 22. The legs 2, 3 also have inserts 25, in which the screw thread end 26 of a castor 4 is fixed. The luggage trolley shown in Figure 3 has a loading platform 26, underneath which wheels (not visible) are fixed. This loading platform 26 is also a double-walled structure. Moreover, the handle 27 is integral with said loading platform 26, and is connected thereto by way of the double-walled rear wall 28. The rear wall 28 can bear a luggage basket 29, which is also a double-walled structure. The luggage basket 29 can have openings which are closed by means of grilles 30-

Claims: Claims 1. Plastic trolley, such as a shopping trolley or luggage trolley, comprising a loading element, such as a basket or a loading platform, which loading element is provided with a handle and is supported by wheels, characterized in that the loading element and the handle are manufactured in one piece with double walls by means of rotational moulding. 2. Shopping trolley according to Claim 1, in which the basket has holes which are formed by interconnected parts of the adjacent walls of the double wall construction of the basket. 3- Shopping trolley according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the basket is supported by a wheeled frame which is integral therewith. 4. Shopping trolley according to Claim 3. n which in at least one of the walls of its double wall construction the frame has recesses which are connected to the other, adjacent wall. 5. Shopping trolley according to Claim 2, 3 or 4. m which the side of the basket facing the handle is open and bears means for hingedly suspending a closing panel. 6. Shopping trolley according to Claim 5, m which the closing panel s hingedly suspended at its top side, and at its bottom side bears stop means which can interact with stop means provided on the basket, in order to limit the hinge movement towards the rear side of the basket. 7- Method for manufacturing a plastic trolley according to the one of the preceding claims, comprising the use of a mould which is at least locally heatable by means of infrared heating or resistance heating.

Inventors: SYMONS RONNY, SYMONS, RONNY
Applicants: CHARIBERT ENTERPRISES N V, SYMONS RONNY, CHARIBERT ENTERPRISES N.V., SYMONS, RONNY
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B62B3
IPC codes: B62B3