DEVICE FOR PLACING OF INFORMATION/ADVERTISING WITH A BRACKET ON THE HANDLE OF A SHOPPING TROLLEY

Abstract: A device for placing information/advertising (23) on a shopping trolley comprises a support element (3) with a display surface (4), and brackets (11) which grip around the shopping trolley handle. The brackets (11) are shaped like supports with ergonomically shaped handles, and they protrude down and out from the underside or side edges of the support element (3).

Description: DEVICE FOR PLACING OF INFORMATION/ADVERTISING WITH A BRACKET ON THE HANDLE OF A SHOPPING TROLLEY The present invention relates to a device for placing information/advertising with a bracket on or close to a shop¬ ping trolley's handle. The device includes a supporting element or a bracket with at least one display surface for the mentioned informa¬ tion/advertising which is placed within an imaginary area around and parallel with the trolley's handle. Placing information on or close to a shopping trolly handle is previously known from US patent no. 4,513,983, which patent describes an eight sided rotatable cylinder placed over and horizontally in the full length of the shopping trolley, displaced forward in relation to the shopping trolley's hand¬ le. The design of the display area only makes it possible to read 1/8 of the display surface at any given time. One has to rotate the cylinder manually to be able to read the complete message. The limited display surface is thus of little value as an advertising medium. US patent no. 4,848,117 and US patent no. 5,301,443 are differently shaped devices that are screwed directly onto the shopping trolley handle itself. This limits the shopper in making use of the whole handle to manoeuvre the trolley. US patent no. 3,251,543 describes a device with various functions with inter alia display surfaces for advertising and information. This surface is fastened over the trolley's handle in the full width of the trolley, with metal mouldings fixed to the trolley or the trolley handle. The metal moul- dings are of no other practical use than to be a bracket. In order to fasten it, one needs to change the trolley's perma¬ nent bracket. Advertising or information is placed around the actual trolley handle. A logo or other information is fastened directly to the handle in the form of a plastic tube or sleeve which constitutes part of the actual handle. The display surface is identical to the handle's outer surface, and the available area for information and/or advertising is limited. The information is protected by a transparent plas- tic foil which makes frequent and simple changes of the mes¬ sage impossible. This can be solved by fastening the message on the outside of the handle, but this affects the ergonomical design of the handle and the permanent information fastened to the actual handle. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for placing information/advertising in an area around (normally above) and parallel with the handle, and which does not limit, nor is restricted to, the exposure area on the handle itself. The invention will further enable a frequent and simple change of information/advertising. The device will not hinder normal use of the trolley handle, but instead give the shopper additional possibilities for manoeuvering the trolley with the bracket (the two handles) which may be an advantage to some disabled persons. In accordance with the present invention this has been achieved by means of the features appearing from the appended claim 1. Additional beneficial embodiments of the invention will appear from the attached dependent claims. A separate display surface with a space for both informa¬ tion and advertising, is thus provided by fastening a support element which has two brackets mounted thereto and which extends above and parallel with the trolley handle. As stated in the following drawing description, the support element and the bracket may be designed as a hoop or a bar (bars) , or as one or more moulded parts that are fastened to the handle itself or to the fastening means for the handle itself (fig. 7) , by suitable means such as by means of welding or a mechanical bracket (the extreme points of the rod, alter¬ natively a moulded hoop or handle being ended by a flat area with a hole (eye) which is fastened to the handle fastening means with the aid of a screw and possible a lock washer. Alternatively the support element or the rod can be fastened to the actual handle by means of a suitable clamping device or some other mechanical fastening device. The invention can be divided into three areas: (1) A device for placing and protection of information/advertising, (2) a support element for the device, and (3) a bracket, possibly combined with a steering handle. The bracket, hereinafter referred to as the handles, is moulded and ergonomically shaped with the possibility for a mechanical fastening (screw or clamp) in one end of the shop¬ ping trolley handle, or to the fastening means for the handle, and with a surface for welded/glued or other suitable attach- ment for the support element, which in turn holds the device for placing information/advertising, in the other end. The support element with the two belonging handles can of course be produced in one part. The bracket may be constituted by one, two or more parts which surround the handle and are held tight by means of a through screw or other suitable means of fastening. Other features of the invention, and which will appear from the attached dependent claims, will be described in more detail in the following description of the invention with reference to the drawing. In the drawing, fig. 1 shows a support element with a display surface. Figs. 2a and 2b show two different brackets with mechani¬ cal screw device (fig. 2a) and clamp device (fig. 2b) for fastening to the shopping trolley handle, as well as an assem¬ bly rail for the support element. As mentioned, the support element and the two brackets can be moulded in one piece, and will then make assembly rails as shown in figs. 2a, 2c and 2d superfluous. Fig. 3 shows a device for information/advertising in the form of a transparent plastic moulding for placing of informa¬ tion/advertising. Fig. 3a shows an information and advertising sign adapted to the entire display surface. Fig. 4 shows the support element that holds the device for information/advertising in place. The support element, as described, can function as a device for information/adverti- sing in itself. The information and advertising sign must then be laminated for protection against water and dust. Fig. 5 shows the bracket (fig. 2a) in perspective. Fig. 6 shows the support element and bracket as well as the fastening means for the shopping trolley handle shaped as one moulded part (fig. 6, 6a and 6b (cut through)). Fig. 7 shows an alternative design and placing of the bracket. Fig. 8 shows two different suggestions to utilizing an extra display surface which is visible for other shoppers in the store and from the children's seat in the trolley. Fig. 8b shows a variation which in addition gives the support element improved stability and strength. Fig. 4 thus shows in perspective a flat support element 3 with a display surface 4 surrounded by a protruding edge 5, creating a recess 6 for receiving a plastic moulding 7 (see fig. 3) which is fastened with double-sided tape to the dis¬ play surface 4. The recess 6 is lowered in the front edge 8 in such a manner that lifting of the plastic moulding top 10 becomes simple. The information/advertising sign is placed between the plastic moulding top 10 and bottom 9 (see fig. 3) . One can clearly see from the drawing that the support element and thus the information/advertising sign is elongate and approximately equal in length to the trolley handle itself, which handle extends parallel with the longitudinal direction of the shopping trolley handle. Fig. 2a shows one of the two brackets that holds the support element 3 a minimal distance apart from the shopping trolley handle, without affecting the use of the trolley handle to any great extent. The bracket, also referred to as the handle 11, is moulded to provide a good and easy grip and steering ability. Since the handles can be mounted almost vertically in the longitudinal direction, persons with certain movement disabilities can easier use these handles to seize the shopping trolley when they stand at the side of the trol¬ ley, and in addition by pushing forward and steering to both sides. The top surface 12 of the handle is designed for good and firm contact with the support element 3. With the support element 3 fixedly mounted, the top surface 12 and the flat side of the support element 3 will stand in angles of varying degrees, dependent on the construction of the shopping trol¬ ley, with reference to the longitudinal direction of handle 11 (see fig. 2a/2b) . Thus the handle 11 when assembled on the shopping trolley handle will have the support element 3 with display surface 4 in an optimum angle for reading the informa- tion placed between the plastic moulding 7, at the same time as the thumb gets a good and natural rest against the support element 3 when one holds around the handle with the other fingers and the palm of the hand. The length of the handle will be adjusted to the design of the shopping trolley in such a manner that the rear wall of the shopping trolley, including a projection for a children's seat and a beer crate holder, will clear the support element 3 when the rear wall is pushed forward and up, which happens when several shopping trolleys are parked close to each other or in each other. The handle 11 and the support element 3 will be assembled together by common moulding (in one piece) or by welding, glue and/or mechanical attachment. Joining a separate handle 11 and the support element 3 can also take place by giving both parts a special design, one such design being shown as an example in fig. 4. The top surface 12 of the handle is, as shown in the drawing, a level-down or a level-up track, 4 mm top (bottom) edge and 6 mm bottom (top) of the track 13. The tracks extend from the upper edge of the top surface 12, parallel to the logitudinal direction of the top surface, and finish 2 mm from the lower edge of the top surface. Simi¬ larly, a levelled out track 14 with the exact opposite appea¬ rance can be pushed down into the down-levelled track of the handle (the supporting element) and makes the connection between the handle and the support element robust, stable and durable. Mounting of the handle to the shopping trolley handle or to the fastening means on the shopping trolley handle, is done by means of screw devices and/or clamp devices. Fig. 4 shows that the lower part of the handle 11 is specially designed to enable it to be threaded over and around the shopping trolley handle and get clamped into position with the aid of a screw 16 and nut 15 which are led through two holes 17 and 18 in the handle and transverse to the end pieces. Each one of the two end pieces 20 and 21 which shut tight around the shopping trolley handle can be equipped with cross running grooves 22 to contribute to secure a firm grip of the shopping trolley handle when the screw 16 clamps the two end pieces 20 and 21 together. The advertising/information sign or strip 23 as shown in fig. 3a is placed between the two surfaces 10 and 9 of the plastic moulding in whatever appropriate manner. To obtain an easy change and simultaneous protection of the information/ad¬ vertising strip 23, the solution in accordance with fig. 1 and 3 is desirable. In this manner the strip is placed between the plastic moulding which is fastened with double-sided tape or other suitable adhesive in the down-levelled area referred to as the display surface 4. As shown in fig. 6, the bracket (the handles) 11 can be fastened directly to the fastening means for the shopping trolley handles. By substituting the existing fastening means for the trolley handle with an extended version which stret¬ ches up, possibly down and forward with a shape and connection to the support element 3 as indicated previously, one will obtain an even better attachment/stability for the bracket 11, and additionally one will obtain a larger distance between the handles 11 on each side of the shopping trolley handle. The actual handle for the shopping trolley will with this solution now be 100% uncovered by the bracket 11. Fig. 7 shows a bracket which consists of two halves of a handle which are bent around the shopping trolley handle and clamped together by means of two or more hooks. Fig. 8 shows an extension of the support element 3 that provides space for a separate display surface in addition to the above mentioned surface 4. Both suggestions for an exten¬ sion consist of a surface having approximately the same design as the above mentioned surface 4, but which is fastened to the support element in the upper edge (fig. 8a) or as a reinforce¬ ment for the support element (fig. 8b) . The device according to the invention will when utilized, give customers who use shopping trolleys with wheels a clear and good information about activities in the shop. For the owners of supermarkets and supermarket suppliers this device will represent a uniqe opportunity to focus on shop activities with frequently changing information. The device will also make pushing and steering of shopping trolleys with wheels easier, not least for some groups of movement disabled per¬ sons.

Claims: P A T E N T C L A I M S 1. A device for placing information/advertising (23) on a shopping trolley, comprising a support element (3) having at least one display surface (4) and being attached with at least one bracket (11) which totally or partly grips around the shopping trolley's handle, or where the bracket (11) is directly fixed to the shopping trolley handle's own fastening means (25) c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said bracket (11) is shaped with at least one support which protrudes down from the underside or side edges of the support element (3) , said support having ergonomically designed handles. 2. The device of claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said bracket (11) is shaped down from the underside or side edges of said support element (3) to hold a minimum distance between the support element and the shopping trolley handle, and to surround the shopping trolley handle with the intent to provide a solid handgrip without covering the handle surface to any great extent. 3. The device of claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the display surface (4) on the support element (3) extends on top of or under the bottom of and out from (normally between) the top surface(s) (12) of the bracket, and utilizes a thin area of the airspace around (normally over) the shopping trolley handle, without this limiting to any substantial extent the functionality of the shopping trolley. 4. The device of claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said bracket (11) con- stitutes an integral part of the shopping trolley handle's own fastening means (25) or a separate unit attached thereto (25) or in the immediate vicinity. 5. The device of claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the display surface (4) on the support element is surrounded on two short-sides and two long-sides in the form of an up protruding edge (5) for the creation of a recess (4) for placing a transparent plastic moulding (7) that suitably is able to receive and protect a sheet-shaped information/advertising strip (23) .

Inventors: RAND JAN CHRISTIAN, THORKILDSEN HARALD, RAND, JAN, CHRISTIAN, THORKILDSEN, HARALD
Applicants: CART AS, RAND JAN CHRISTIAN, THORKILDSEN HARALD, RAND, JAN, CHRISTIAN, THORKILDSEN, HARALD
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B62B3
IPC codes: B62B3, B62B5, G09F1