Cart management system

US6142283A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Smarte Carte, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Keith Louis Amdahl · Chisago City, US
• Dan L. Otterson · Stacy, US
• Christopher J. Rogney · Hugo, US
• Mark G. Bussey · Mound, US
• Fred C. Zimmerman · Deephaven, US
• Verne L. Severson · Chaska, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 9, 1999
• Grant date: Nov 7, 2000
• Expiry date: Mar 9, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S194/905
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A cart management apparatus for retaining and vending carts such as luggage carts, shopping carts, and strollers, includes a retaining rail for receiving cart keys disposed on the carts, a rotatable paddlewheel including a plurality of paddles, at least one of which projects into the retaining rail to provide an obstruction therein, an electromagnetic brake coupled to the paddlewheel to selectively inhibit rotation of the paddlewheel and restrict removal of cart keys from the rail, and a one-way clutch, also coupled to the paddlewheel to allow free rotation of the paddlewheel in a return direction to allow cart keys to be inserted into the retaining rail when carts are returned to the apparatus. The preferred apparatus may be used with existing carts which are retrofit with cart keys that are suitable for being retained within the rail. Furthermore, a plurality of electronic sensors are utilized to detect the removal and return of carts to the apparatus and thereby prevent theft of rewards dispensed by the system. In particular, one such sensor utilizes a transmitter and a receiver which are coupled to a transmitter and receiver of a cart key located in close proximity thereto to d…