U.S. patent application number 11/816171 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-26 for corner protector.
Invention is credited to Robert Knupfer, Hans Scheffler.
Application Number | 20080149649 11/816171 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36201262 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080149649 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Knupfer; Robert ; et
al. |
June 26, 2008 |
Corner Protector
Abstract
A corner protector includes fixing elements for attaching to a
vertical edge of a basket, which is configured from lattice bars
and forms part of a shopping trolley, the basket being equipped
with transversal bars. Part of the fixing element is configured by
a snap-on piece, which is located in a height-adjustable manner in
at least one guide that is provided on the corner protector and
which is designed to be fixed to one of the transversal bars.
Inventors: |
Knupfer; Robert;
(Illerkirchberg, DE) ; Scheffler; Hans;
(Burlafingen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BUCHANAN, INGERSOLL & ROONEY PC
POST OFFICE BOX 1404
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22313-1404
US
|
Family ID: |
36201262 |
Appl. No.: |
11/816171 |
Filed: |
January 20, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
January 20, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE06/00084 |
371 Date: |
December 11, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/694 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62B 3/14 20130101; B62B
5/0006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/694 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/00 20060101
B65D025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 15, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 006 710.7 |
Claims
1. A corner protector with a fastener for attachment to a vertical
corner edge of a basket which is manufactured from lattice bars and
forms part of a shopping trolley, wherein transversely extending
bars are arranged on the basket, wherein part of the fastener is
formed by a locking piece which is vertically adjustably arranged
in at least one guide provided on the corner protector and which is
adoped to be fastened to one of the transversely extending
bars.
2. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the locking
piece has a groove, by means of which the locking piece is manually
displaceable along the guide.
3. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the guide is
arranged along a vertical axis of the corner protector.
4. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the lower end
of the guide ends flush with the corner protector.
5. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the locking
piece has clips on its inner surface.
6. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein a further
part of the fastener is formed by a semi-circular suspension eye on
the upper part of the corner protector.
7. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein a further
part of the fastener is formed by the at least one securing device
on the upper part of the corner protector.
8. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein a further
part of the fastener is formed by a further, fixed corner
piece.
9. The corner protector according to claim 2, wherein the guide is
arranged along a vertical axis of the corner protector.
10. The corner protector according to claim 3, wherein the lower
end of the guide ends flush with the corner protector.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a corner protector with fastening
means for attachment to a vertical corner edge of a basket which is
manufactured from lattice bars and forms part of a shopping
trolley, wherein transversely extending bars are arranged on the
basket.
[0002] The prior art includes a corner protector which is fastened
to the corner edge of the basket of a shopping trolley by means of
an additional holding device, as described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,600,204. The corner protector is fastened by means of a rod,
which extends along the outer surface. The upper end of the rod is
formed by a closed eye, and at the lower end the bar is hooked onto
a lower transversely extending bar.
[0003] The prior art also includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,570 which
describes a corner protector provided, for attachment purposes,
with holding devices which surround the vertical corner bar of the
basket of a shopping trolley.
[0004] Furthermore, German utility model 89 03 979.3 describes a
shopping trolley with a corner protector in the form of a basket
protective corner, the corner protector being arranged on a
respective corner region of the basket and, together with a further
corner protector, being used to mount large-area advertisement
carriers. For this purpose, the basket protective corner is
constructed so that it has an undercut provided on the portion
lying against the end wall of the basket. To hold the advertisement
carrier, the undercuts of the respective basket protective corners
are in a mirror-image arrangement and can be formed by a step or
have a groove. Each basket protective corner is fastened to the
basket by means of screws and counterholders. These screws permit
replacement of the basket protective corners. However, this
replacement is relatively laborious and time-consuming.
[0005] A corner protector in the form of a basket protective corner
is also known from German utility model 78 25 188. The
cylindrically formed basket protective corner is non-detachably
fastened to a trolley by means of an upper and a lower wire. The
basket protective corner has bores and is placed onto a lower bolt
and inserted into an upper bolt and is fixedly welded by a sealing
wire.
[0006] Furthermore, two-part protectors are known in which one part
is attached to the upper corners of a shopping trolley and the
other part is hooked from outside onto the transversely extending
bars of the basket by means of hooks formed on the protectors.
[0007] All the described types of corner protector are unsuitable
for attachment to baskets with vertical lattice bars arranged at
different heights. Changing the corner protectors and reattaching
them to basket types with different spacing between the lattice
bars is either not possible or only possible with difficulty.
[0008] A further disadvantage is the overhang formed by the
distance between the corner protector and the wall of the basket.
When baskets forming parts of shopping trolleys are nested, an
undesirably great distance can therefore be produced between the
individual baskets.
[0009] The object of the invention is to develop further a corner
protector of the present type so that it can also be attached when
the transversely extending lattice bars of a basket have different
heights or spacing.
[0010] To achieve this object, it is proposed that part of the
fastening means is formed by a locking piece which is vertically
adjustably arranged in at least one guide provided on the corner
protector and which is intended to be fastened to one of the
transversely extending bars of the basket.
[0011] Further features of the solution are formulated in the
sub-claims.
[0012] In particular, the advantage lies in the fact that the
locking piece can be placed on the guide at the desired height and,
therefore, the corner protector can be attached to baskets with
transversely extending lattice bars having different heights.
[0013] The invention will be further described with reference to
embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a 3D view of a corner protector with a locking
piece which is vertically adjustable along a guide;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the corner protector with a
locking piece;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of the upper part of a corner
protector to be hooked onto a vertical corner edge;
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of a locking piece locked onto a
transversely extending bar of a basket;
[0018] FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of the corner protector hooked onto a
vertical corner edge of a basket; and
[0019] FIG. 6 shows the corner protector with a second, fixed
locking piece.
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a 3D view of a corner protector 1 with
fastening means 7. In the drawing, the fastening means 7 are formed
by a locking piece 13 and a suspension eye 23. The corner protector
1 is secured by the locking piece 13 to a transversely extending
bar 9 of a basket 8 (not shown), such as those used in various
types of shopping trolley and other trolleys. On the inner surface
6 of the corner protector 1, a guide 14 is provided along a
vertical axis 15 of the corner protector 1. In the form shown, the
guide 14 is flush with the lower end 2 of the corner protector 1
and ends in the upper portion 3 of the corner protector 1. The
locking piece 13, which is displaceably arranged, is provided on
the guide 14. The guide 14 therefore has at least one groove 16 for
receiving the locking piece 13. The inner surface 17 of the locking
piece 13 has a curved formation. The locking piece 13 is provided
on its right-hand side 18 with a curved transition. In addition,
the locking piece 13 has a left-hand side 19. The outer surface 25
of the locking piece 13 also has clips 20 which secure the locking
piece 13 on a transversely extending bar 9 against sliding and
rotation along the guide 14.
[0021] By suitable selection of the fastening means 7, comprising
at least one locking piece 13 which is provided with clips 20 and
arranged on the guide 14, and a suspension eye 23 on the upper part
22 of the corner protector 1 which is provided with securing
devices 24 on its inner surface 6, simple mounting is provided and
problem-free adaptation to different baskets is possible.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the corner protector 1 with the
vertically adjustable locking piece 13 arranged on the guide 14.
The right-hand side 18 of the locking piece 13 is longer than the
left-hand side 19. In each case, the corner protector 1 tapers at
its outer end. Furthermore, a gap 21 provided between the locking
piece 13 and the corner protector 1 is large enough to permit
manual displacement.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of the upper part 22 of the corner
protector 1. By means of a suspension eye 23, the corner protector
1 can be hooked onto an uppermost transversely extending bar 11 of
a basket 8 and be fixed by means of a securing device 24; see also
FIG. 5. The securing device 24 is provided on the inner surface 6
of the corner protector 1 and, by means of its obliquely upwardly
open arrangement, secures the corner protector 1 to an upper
transversely extending bar 10 (not shown), as also shown in FIG.
5.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of a locking piece 13 with a
transversely extending bar 9 which is locked into the clips 20. The
clips 20 are provided on the outer surface 25 of the locking piece
13 and are constructed so as to be open both obliquely upwards and
obliquely downwards.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of the corner protector 1 hooked onto
a vertical corner edge 4 of a basket 8. The locking piece 13 is
arranged on the guide 14 and is locked onto the lowermost
transversely extending bar 12 of the basket 8. The suspension eye
23 on the upper part of the corner protector 22 is hooked onto the
uppermost transversely extending bar 11. The securing device 24 is
arranged on the upper transversely extending bar 10 to provide
further fixing.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a further development of the corner protector 1
with a vertically adjustable locking piece 13 and a further locking
piece 13' which is fixedly arranged on the guide 14 in the upper
part 22 of the corner protector 1.
* * * * *