Shopping cart list holder

Abstract

A holder intended for detachable mounting on the handle of a shopping cart and the like for the removable support of a shopping list or the like thereon, the holder including a hinged backing plate foldable for storage and connected at its bottom end to a bracket adapted for detachable mounting to the shopping cart handle, with the top end of the backing plate having a spring clip affixed thereto and adapted for use in securing a shopping list to the backing plate for ease of viewability by the individual pushing the shopping cart.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to holding devices and more particularly to a novel shopping list holder intended for use on a shopping cart by being removably affixed to the handle thereof or, alternatively, permanently affixed to the shopping cart handle.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The shopping for groceries is a task all families must pursue, with a common difficulty experienced by all individuals doing the shopping being that of simultaneously picking groceries from the shelves of a grocery mart and the like while checking off such groceries from a hand-held shopping list so that the individual is always aware as to which groceries must still be bought as the individual progresses through the grocery mart. The handling of this shopping list and the checking off of items as purchased requires physical manipulations on the part of the individual as to constantly inserting and removing the shopping list from one's pocket, purse or the like. Alternatively, an individual may attempt to hold the list in one hand while shopping, this often resulting in frustration as well as incurring the risk of the possible dropping and damaging of groceries due to the individual not having both hands available for the shopping, this often resulting in added expense to the shopper or to the grocery mart due to the damaged groceries.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is designed to overcome the above noted limitations that are attendant upon the individual when attempting to follow a grocery shopping list while shopping in a grocery mart by providing a novel shopping list folder adapted to be removably affixed to the handle of a shopping cart for removable mounting of the shopping list thereon and a pen or pencil for use therewith in a manner providing ease of viewability to the shopper, continuous surveillance of the list during shopping, and a hand-free following of the list during the shopping process.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a shopping cart list holder adapted to be removably affixed to a shopping cart in a rapid and convenient manner, and which is foldable to a compact size conveniently carried in an individual's pocket or purse.

A further feature of the present invention provides a shopping cart list holder which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods of a variety of suitable materials in various colors and decorative patterns for appealing to prospective purchasers.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides a shopping cart list holder which is possessed of few parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order.

Yet still a further feature of the present invention provides a shopping cart list holder which is of an aesthetically pleasing and refined appearance.

Among further features and advantages of the present invention is the provision of a shopping cart list holder which is easy to use and reliable and efficient in operation; which is of a rugged and durable construction and which therefore may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand many years of intended usage; which can be retailed at a sufficiently low price to encourage its widespread use; which may be manufactured and installed as part of the originally manufactured shopping cart, or which may be readily attached to the cart later as an accessory item either by the store or temporarily by a shopper utilizing the cart during performing shopping duties; and one which is otherwise well adapted to perform the services required of it.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the shopping cart list holder of the present invention illustrated as affixed to the handle of a shopping cart;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the holder;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the holder;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the holder similar to FIG. 4 but with the back plate folded into its storage position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along Line 5--5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of a typical shopping list prepared on a spiral notebook adapted for use with the holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of a shopping list holder intended for use with shopping carts and the like and which is constructed in accordance with the present invention and designated generally in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and which generally consists of a hinged backing plate 11 and a mounting bracket 12.

The back plate 11 is defined by a pair of flat rectangularly shaped plate like members 21 and 22 connected together along one side by piano type hinge 23. Plate member 21 has a front surface 31, a back surface 32, top and bottom edges 33 and 34, and opposed side edges 35 and 36. Plate member 22 has a front surface 41, a back surface 42, top and bottom edges 43 and 44 respectively, and side edges 45 and 46. The side edge 46 has affixed to the back surface 42 therealong and projecting outwardly therefrom in a direction parallel to the plane of the plate member a flange like member 47 adapted to underlie plate member 21 in juxtaposition with back surface 32 adjacent side edge 36 when plate members 21 and 22 are substantially co-planar.

The hinge 23 interconnects plate members 21 and 22 by being affixed to the top surfaces 31 and 41 respectively thereof in a manner extending along the joint defined by side edges 36 and 46. In this manner the plate members 21 and 22 are pivotable relative to each other about the axis of hinge 23 such that plate member 22 may be moved in the direction of arrow 50 of FIG. 5 in a manner to overlie plate member 21 such that face surfaces 31 and 41 are in confronting relationship when the back plate 11 is in the folded storage position as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Affixed along the top edge 33 of plate member 21 and projecting outwardly of face surface 31 and then downwardly in a manner to overlie such face surface is a spring clip member 55 defining a channel type opening 56 between the clip and the plate member face surface 31 which is adapted to receive therebetween and resiliently hold the same in place a shopping list such as designated by reference numeral 60 and preferably being in the form of a spiral type notebook with a shopping list of items 61 preferably listed along one side thereof with the opposite side 62 free for the shopper to enter numerical notations or notes thereon during the shopping process.

The brackets 12 consist of a pair of arms 65 and 66 which project downwardly from the bottom edge of back plate 11. Arm 65 is of an elongated flat rectangular configuration having end 67 overlying the joint formed by edges 36 and 46 and secured to plate member 21 by rivets 68 or the like, the arms extending beyond bottom edge 34 and terminating in terminal end 69 which is bent in a general C-shaped configuration. Arm 66 is affixed at end 70 in juxtaposition with end 67 and projects downwardly from back plate 11 rearwardly of arm 65 and is bent in a manner to project at an incline to arm 65 and terminate at terminal end 71 which is bent in a general C-shaped configuration disposed in confronting relationship with terminal end 69. The arms 65 and 66 are each provided with axially aligned apertures 72 extending therethrough with a bolt 73 passing axially therethrough interconnecting the arms and having threaded on the terminal end thereof a wing nut 74 operable in a manner to operate arms 65 and 66 in a clamp like manner relative to terminal ends 69 and 71.

An aperture 75 is provided in plate 22 adjacent top edge 43 and has affixed thereto one end of a flexible cord or chain 76 which extends therefrom and is tied to the top end of a pen or pencil 77 so as to be readily available for use to an individual doing the shopping.

In operation, an individual mounts the holding device 10 on a handle 80 of a shopping cart 81 by passing the handle axially between C-shaped jaws 69 and 71 and then operating wing nut 74 in a manner to tighten the jaw members about the handle and position the back plate in the desired manner relative thereto. Back plate members 22 and 21 are then opened relative to each other after which shopping list 60 is affixed by spring clamp 55 to the back plate 11. At the completion of shopping the procedure is reversed with the holder 11 being folded and placed in an individual's pocket or purse for storage and later usage.

The holder 11 may be manufactured out of metal, wood, hard rubber, plastic, or any other suitable satisfactory material with the preferred embodiment being manufactured of a high density polystyrene plastic material or a high density polypropylene material which is lightweight and which may be provided in a variety of colors and patterns appealing to prospective purchasers.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Claims

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A shopping cart list holder device intended for detachable attachment to a handle of a conventional standard shopping cart for holding a shopping list conveniently thereon in a hand-free manner, the holder device comprising, in combination:

a first integrally formed arm member having a flat elongated longitudinally extending leg portion terminating at one end in an integrally formed curved semi-circular portion defining a clamping jaw member, the leg portion having a front surface and a back surface;

a second integrally formed arm member of a length substantially equal to said first arm member and having a leg portion terminating at one end in a curved semi-circular portion defining a clamping jaw member, the leg portion including a base member bent at an angle to the axis of the leg portion and forming the end thereof opposite said clamping jaw member, the base portion having a front surface and a back surface;

means affixing said back surface of said second arm base member to said back surface of said first arm member at their respective ends opposed from said clamping jaw members with said second arm projecting downwardly behind said first arm and at an angle rearwardly thereof relative to said first arm with each of said clamping jaw members being disposed in normal spaced apart confronting face-to-face relationship;

an aperture in said first arm member leg portion adjacent said C-shaped clamping jaw member configuration;

an aperture in said second arm leg portion adjacent said C-shaped clamping jaw member configuration and in general axial alignment with said first arm aperture;

an elongated bolt having a threaded shank extending axially through said aligned apertures of said first and said second arm members with the head of said bolt engaging the front surface of said second arm member and with the threaded portion of said bolt projecting outwardly of the front surface of said first arm member;

a wing nut threadedly received on said bolt and operable thereon to move said arm members toward and away from each other in a clamping and unclamping manner of said clamping jaw members, this depending upon the direction of rotation of said wing nut relative to said bolt shank;

said first and second arm members defining a bracket member with said clamping jaw members thereof adapted to be removably affixed to the handle of the shopping cart with the opposite ends of the leg portion projecting outwardly from the shopping cart handle in a direction normal to the axis of the shopping cart handle;

a pair of substantially flat front plate and back plate members disposed in side-by-side relationship, said front plate member of approximately the same size and configuration as said back plate member;

said back plate member having a flat front surface, a flat back surface opposed parallel top and bottom edges, and opposed parallel side edges;

said front plate member having a flat front surface, a flat back surface, opposed parallel top and bottom edges, and opposed parallel side edges;

said back plate member permanently affixed to said front surface of said first arm member forming said bracket and projecting outwardly therefrom and parallel to the plane defined by said leg portion of said first arm member;

a piano hinge extending along the joint formed between adjacentmost parallel side edges of said back plate and said front plate and hingedly connecting said front plate to said back plate for rotation of said front plate relative to said back plate between an open position wherein said front and back plates are co-planar, and a closed position wherein said front plate completely overlies said back plate with said front plate front surface disposed in adjacentmost juxtaposition with said back plate front surface;

an elongated flat rectangularly shaped flange forming member extending parallel to said hinged side edge of said front plate and affixed permanently to said back surface thereof in a manner overlying said hinged side edge to form therewith a shoulder portion overlying and engaging the adjacentmost back surface of said back plate when said front plate is in the open position, said flange member limiting the open position of said front plate to maintain said front plate co-planar with said back plate when in the open position;

a spring biased clip affixed to the top edge of said back plate and extending along a portion thereof and projecting forwardly of said back plate front surface and downwardly from said top edge to overlie a portion of said back plate front surface, the clip adapted for removably affixing to said back plate the shopping list by engaging a top edge of the shopping list beneath the clip to resiliently hold the same to the back plate;

an aperture provided in said front plate centrally therof and adjacent said top edge thereof;

an elongated flexible cord having one end affixed to said front plate by being tied through said front plate aperture, the opposite free end of the cord extending downwardly from said aperture along said front surface of said front plate; and

a writing instrument affixed to said free end of said cord for retention of said writing instrument to said front plate;

whereby said bracket may be adjustably secured to said shopping cart for holding a shopping list secured to said back plate in a manner projecting above said handle in a hand-free manner with said writing instrument readily available for the marking of said list while shopping.