U.S. patent application number 12/069223 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-04 for liner for shopping carts.
Invention is credited to Julie B. Reynolds.
Application Number | 20080211280 12/069223 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39732565 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080211280 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reynolds; Julie B. |
September 4, 2008 |
Liner for shopping carts
Abstract
A cover for the seat portion or area of a shopping cart or the
like includes a main body portion having a bottom wall which seats
on the base of the seat portion and a sidewall which envelops the
sides and extends over the top of the seat portion of the shopping
cart. The cover includes a pair of cut-out sections coincident with
openings in the shopping cart for inserting a child's feet or other
occupant's feet therethrough. The cover is, preferably, formed from
a two-ply laminate, having an interior surface which is liquid
absorbent and an exterior layer which creates a liquid impervious
layer to prevent any seepage of liquid therepast.
Inventors: |
Reynolds; Julie B.;
(Arlington, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE WEINTRAUB GROUP, P.L.C.
Suite 240, 32000 Northwestern Highway
Farmington Hills
MI
48334
US
|
Family ID: |
39732565 |
Appl. No.: |
12/069223 |
Filed: |
February 8, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60901207 |
Feb 13, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/256.17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62B 3/144 20130101;
B62B 3/1448 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/256.17 |
International
Class: |
A47D 1/10 20060101
A47D001/10 |
Claims
1. A removable liner for a seat area of a shopping cart,
comprising: (a) a main body portion including: a bottom wall
dimensioned to fit atop the bottom seat portion of a shopping cart
seat; or a sidewall integrally formed with the bottom wall and
extending about the interior sides of the seating area, the
sidewall including a pair of cut-out portions for projecting the
legs of a user therethrough, and (b) means for temporarily securing
the liner in position, and wherein the liner is at least one of a
cellulosic material, a fibrous material or a liquid impervious
material.
2. The liner of claim 1 wherein the liner comprises a biodegradable
material.
3. The liner of claim 1 which comprises: a two-ply laminate
material, a first ply comprising a liquid absorbent material, and a
second ply comprising a liquid impervious material.
4. A removable liner for a seating area of a shopping cart,
comprising: (a) a bottom wall dimensioned to fit atop the bottom of
a seating area of a shopping cart, (b) a sidewall integrally formed
with the bottom wall and extending about the interior sides of the
seating area, the sidewall including a pair of cut-out portions for
projecting the legs of a user therethrough, (c) means for removably
positioning and securing the liner about the seating area, and
wherein the liner is of a two ply laminate material of an exterior
liquid impervious material and an interior liquid absorbent
material.
5. The liner of claim 4 wherein the means for affixing comprises an
elastic band affixed to the sidewall and extending therearound, the
band engaging the seating area of the basket to secure the liner in
position.
6. The liner of claim 4 wherein the liquid absorbent material is a
cellulosic material.
7. In combination with a shopping cart of the type having a seating
area which include a bottom, a pair of opposed sidewalls, a forward
wall and rear wall, the walls cooperating to define the seating
area, the rear wall having a pair of openings provided therein, a
removable and disposable liner therefor, comprising: (a) a bottom
wall dimensioned to fit atop the bottom of the seating area, (b) a
continuous sidewall integral with the bottom wall and disposed
within the seating area, the sidewall including a pair of cut-out
portions adapted to be coincident with the openings in the rear
wall of the seating area to enable the legs of a user to project
therethrough, (c) means for temporarily securing the liner in
position, and wherein the liner is a two-ply member having a first
liquid impervious layer and a second liquid absorbent layer.
8. The combination of claim 8 wherein the means for affixing
comprises: an elastic band secured to the sidewall and extending
therearound, the band being implaceable about the periphery of the
seating area to enable the liner to be temporarily secured in
position about the seating area.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a completion application of co-pending
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/901,207, filed Feb.
13, 2007 for "Liner for Shopping Carts" the entire disclosure of
which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention pertains to sanitation devices. More
particularly, the present invention pertains to covers for shopping
carts. More particularly, the present invention concerns disposable
covers for shopping carts.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] As is known to those skilled in the art to which the present
invention pertains, there has been great attention dealt with the
transmission of germs in public places. Recently, there has been
heavy promotion of the use of "wipes" for cleaning or sanitizing
shopping carts wherein the user takes the wipe and wipes it across
the handle and various other portions of the cart. One of the areas
to which little attention has been made is the seating portion
wherein babies and young children are transported. Typically, in a
conventional shopping cart, the seating portion comprises a wire
interior wall which is hingedly rotatable for expansion and
collapse against the rearward portion of the shopping cart.
Typically, foot holes are provided so that the child's legs can
extend therethrough.
[0006] Children, especially infants, who wear diapers, are prone to
accidents and, yet, there are few devices available for maintaining
the seating portion of a shopping cart in a sanitary condition.
[0007] The prior art has tried to solve this issue. For example, in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,417, there is disclosed a seat made of a thin
sheet of flexible material such as cotton, polyester, nylon, linen,
etc. However, the device thereof is tedious to install since it
includes portions which overlie various portions of the shopping
cart. This is similarly true of other prior art devices such as
found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,517,155 and 6,848,743.
[0008] In order for such a device to be used on a regular basis and
be provided by either the supermarket owner or even carried by the
user it must be economical, readily disposable and, preferably,
biodegradable.
[0009] As is described hereinafter, the present invention addresses
these issues.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides a cover or liner for the
seating portion or area of a shopping cart and which generally
comprises a two-ply member having an interior surface and an
exterior surface. The interior surface being formed from a liquid
absorbent material and the exterior surface is formed from a water
impervious material. In construction, the cover, or liner,
comprises a main body having a bottom wall, a circumferential
continuous sidewall and an open top. The sidewall is provided with
at least a pair of cut-out portions adapted to be coincident with
openings provided in the seating portion of a shopping cart.
[0011] Preferably, the liner is at least in part formed from a
biodegradable material for environmental purposes.
[0012] For a more complete understanding of the present invention
reference is made to the following detailed description and
accompanying drawing.
[0013] In the drawing, like reference characters refer to like
parts throughout the several views in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an installation on a
shopping cart of the liner according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the liner
of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a partial top plan view of the liner of the
present invention shown as a template.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Now, with reference to the drawings, there is shown therein
a liner or cover, generally, denoted at 10 which is particularly
adapted for use in conjunction with a shopping cart 12. More
particularly, the cover 10 hereof is particularly adapted for
utilization with a seating portion or area 14 of the shopping cart
12.
[0018] As is known to those skilled in the art to which the present
invention pertains, generally, shopping carts such as that each 12
provide a seating portion for emplacing a child thereon which
includes a seat 13 which is constrained between the rear wall and a
rotatable intermediate wall. Openings 16 and 18 provided in the
rear wall of the cart enable a child's feet to project
therethrough.
[0019] As shown in the drawing, the present cover or liner
comprises a main body member 20 which includes a bottom wall 22, a
circumferential continuous sidewall 24 integral with the bottom
wall 22 and an open top or perimetral top edge 26.
[0020] A pair of cut-out portions 30 and 32 is formed within the
sidewall 24 and is adapted to be coincident with the openings 16,
18 in the shopping cart 12 when the cover is placed
therewithin.
[0021] The present cover further includes means for temporarily
securing the cover about the seating portion, such as an elastic
band 34. The band 34 is disposed along and at the top of the
perimetral edge 26 and extends therearound. As shown, the elastic
band 26 can and preferably, is enclosed within the top edge 26 by
enveloping it with the material from which the cover is formed.
This can be accomplished by any suitable means such as stitching,
gluing, etc. In this regard, the material used to form the cover
overlaps the elastic material and is placed thereover to enclose
the band.
[0022] The elastic band, itself, can be formed from any suitable
stretchable material having a memory. Such are well known and
commercially available.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the cover hereof is formed from a
template which, generally, comprises a substantially rectangular
body which then has the elastic band emplaced about the perimeter
thereof. The band, being a continuous member with a length less
than that of the perimeter, comports or urges the body portion to
the shape of an "open top" bowl, i.e. it scrunches the body.
[0024] The cut-out portions are formed in the template and then
used to define the foot openings.
[0025] In manufacturing the present cover, it is desired that the
body be a two-ply member, having an interior surface 36 and
exterior surface 38. The interior surface 36 is formed from a
liquid absorbent material and the exterior surface or layer 38 is
formed from a liquid or water impervious material. In this manner,
any seepage through a diaper or the like will be absorbed by the
interior or inner layer 36 and the water impervious layer 38
precludes any seepage from flowing therepast into contact with the
shopping cart. In other words, the water impervious layer creates a
barrier to prevent the flow of liquid therepast.
[0026] The cover, itself, can be formed in such manner where at
least the interior layer is formed from a biodegradable material
such as cotton, a cellulosic material or the like. The exterior
layer can be formed from a suitable thin-walled material such as
polyethylene or the like. Laminated two-ply materials comprising
both the absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are well
known and commercially available.
[0027] In use, the elastic band enables the cover to be snuggly
attached to the seat portion, as shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the
cover is used to envelop not only the seat but the hinged interior
wall of the cart as well as the handle portion thereof and
sidewalls to completely enshroud the seating area of the shopping
cart.
[0028] It should be noted that if preventing contact with the seat
portion of the cart only is desired, then, either just a cellulosic
material, fibrous material or a water impervious material, alone,
without the need for a laminate may be used to enshroud the seat
portion.
[0029] It is apparent from the preceding that there has been
described herein a cover or liner, for shopping carts and the like
which overcomes the problems in the prior art but at the same time
is efficacious in its use and is environmentally advantageous.
[0030] Having, thus, described the invention what is claimed
is:
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