Patents by Inventor Christopher J. Rogney

Christopher J. Rogney has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Cart management system
    Patent number: 6142283
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Smarte Carte, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Amdahl, Dan L. Otterson, Christopher J. Rogney, Mark G. Bussey, Fred C. Zimmerman, Verne L. Severson
  • Cart management system
    Patent number: 6125985
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Smarte Carte, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Amdahl, Dan L. Otterson, Christopher J. Rogney, Mark G. Bussey, Fred C. Zimmerman, Verne L. Severson
  • Cart management system and method
    Patent number: 6024203
    Abstract: A cart management apparatus and method for retaining and vending carts such as luggage carts, shopping carts, and strollers, includes a retaining device for selective retaining at least one of the carts; a cart identification sensor for uniquely identifying carts retained by the retaining device; a control device for controlling the vending and returning of carts, wherein the control device maintains a queue of carts identified by a cart identification sensor and retained by the retaining device; a reward device for dispensing a reward when a cart is returned to the retaining device; and a counter for counting a number of times that an identification of the cart is missed from the queue of carts so as to prevent the reward device from dispensing a reward when the number of times exceeds a predetermined value of the counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Smarte Carte, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Amdahl, Christopher J. Rogney, Mark G. Bussey
  • Cart management system
    Patent number: 5921373
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Smart Carte, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Amdahl, Dan L. Otterson, Christopher J. Rogney, Mark G. Bussey, Fred C. Zimmerman, Verne L. Severson
  • Cart management system
    Patent number: 5526916
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Smarte Carte, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Amdahl, Dan L. Otterson, Christopher J. Rogney, Verne L. Severson