Patent · US Expired

Steerable, self-powered shopping cart towing apparatus and method for making same

US5573078A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
12References
16Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 23, 1995
Grant dateNov 12, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 23, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB62D51/04
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A steerable, self-powered device for use in towing and guiding a plurality of shopping carts attached together in a line from one location to another is disclosed which has a pair of electrically driven wheels located in the rear thereof, and a single wheel located in the front thereof for use in steering the towing and guiding device. The towing and guiding device is small and low to the ground, and includes a retaining mechanism which may be attached to the line of shopping carts by connection to the bottom front cross-bar of the front-most shopping cart in the line of shopping carts. The towing and guiding device is powered by one or more batteries, and in the preferred embodiment includes a battery charger and a retractable cord to supply power to the battery charger.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.