초록 ▼

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

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 determine whether a valid cart key is being detected by the sensor.

대표청구항 ▼

A cart management apparatus for retaining carts of the type having a cart key mounted thereto at a predetermined height, the apparatus comprising: (a) a retaining rail having an open end for receiving a cart key of a cart; (b) a rotatably mounted paddlewheel including a plurality of paddles extendin

A cart management apparatus for retaining carts of the type having a cart key mounted thereto at a predetermined height, the apparatus comprising: (a) a retaining rail having an open end for receiving a cart key of a cart; (b) a rotatably mounted paddlewheel including a plurality of paddles extending radially from a rotational axis thereof for selectively retaining the cart with the cart key retained in the rail; and (c) an electromagnetic brake, coupled to the paddlewheel, for selectively inhibiting rotation of the paddlewheel and thereby restricting removal of the cart key from the retaining rail.