Patents by Inventor Taft O'Quin

Taft O'Quin 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).

  • Patent number: 7281719
    Abstract: A shopping cart has a wire basket, which comprises generally horizontal and generally vertical wires defining two side walls, defining a front wall, and defining multiple apertures in each of the side and front walls, and in which the front wall meets each of the side walls along a generally vertical front corner. A bumper, which is installed on the wire basket, along the front corner, has an elongate body, which wraps around the front corner and which has two lateral edges. Along a lower portion of each lateral edge, the bumper has a wing projecting into at least one of the apertures of the side and front walls. The wing has a recess, which accommodates a given one of the horizontal wires of the wire basket, and portions of the wing project into apertures above and below the given one of the horizontal wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Taft O'Quin, Nicholas K. Dietzel
  • Patent number: 7216875
    Abstract: In a shopping cart, which is nestable with similar carts, a transverse extending member bridges two longitudinally extending members, each mounting a cam-engaging member. Two cams are mounted to the transversely extending members. When engaged by the cam-engaging members of a following cart being nested into the shopping cart, the cams lift a back end of the shopping cart, so as to lift rear casters of the shopping cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Publication number: 20070063460
    Abstract: In a shopping cart, which is nestable with similar carts, a transverse extending member bridges two longitudinally extending members, each mounting a cam-engaging member. Two cams are mounted to the transversely extending members. When engaged by the cam-engaging members of a following cart being nested into the shopping cart, the cams lift a back end of the shopping cart, so as to lift rear casters of the shopping cart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Publication number: 20060273535
    Abstract: A shopping cart chassis is provided with at least one tubular frame member. At least a first part of the length of the frame member has a wall with a hollow cylindrical configuration defining an annular transverse cross-section. At least a second part of the length of frame member has a wall with a hollow configuration defining an elongate transverse cross-section having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension. A second part of the frame member is oriented so that the longer dimension of the elongate transverse cross-section is generally parallel to the direction of the force of gravity when the shopping cart is in its normal use orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Patent number: 7121562
    Abstract: A shopping cart has a wire basket, which comprises generally horizontal and generally vertical wires defining two side walls, defining a front wall, and defining multiple apertures in each of the side and front walls, and in which the front wall meets each of the side walls along a generally vertical front corner. A bumper, which is installed on the wire basket, along the front corner, has an elongate body, which wraps around the front corner and which has two lateral edges. Along a lower portion of each lateral edge, the bumper has a wing projecting into at least one of the apertures of the side and front walls. The wing has a recess, which accommodates a given one of the horizontal wires of the wire basket, and portions of the wing project into apertures above and below the given one of the horizontal wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Taft O'Quin, Nicholas K. Dietzel
  • Patent number: 7090230
    Abstract: A shopping cart chassis is provided with at least one tubular frame member. At least a first part of the length of the frame member has a wall with a hollow cylindrical configuration defining an annular transverse cross-section. At least a second part of the length of frame member has a wall with a hollow configuration defining an elongate transverse cross-section having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension. A second part of the frame member is oriented so that the longer dimension of the elongate transverse cross-section is generally parallel to the direction of the force of gravity when the shopping cart is in its normal use orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Publication number: 20060157964
    Abstract: A shopping cart has a wire basket, which comprises generally horizontal and generally vertical wires defining two side walls, defining a front wall, and defining multiple apertures in each of the side and front walls, and in which the front wall meets each of the side walls along a generally vertical front corner. A bumper, which is installed on the wire basket, along the front corner, has an elongate body, which wraps around the front corner and which has two lateral edges. Along a lower portion of each lateral edge, the bumper has a wing projecting into at least one of the apertures of the side and front walls. The wing has a recess, which accommodates a given one of the horizontal wires of the wire basket, and portions of the wing project into apertures above and below the given one of the horizontal wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2006
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Applicant: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Taft O'Quin, Nicholas Dietzel
  • Publication number: 20060087091
    Abstract: A shopping cart has a wire basket, which comprises generally horizontal and generally vertical wires defining two side walls, defining a front wall, and defining multiple apertures in each of the side and front walls, and in which the front wall meets each of the side walls along a generally vertical front corner. A bumper, which is installed on the wire basket, along the front corner, has an elongate body, which wraps around the front corner and which has two lateral edges. Along a lower portion of each lateral edge, the bumper has a wing projecting into at least one of the apertures of the side and front walls. The wing has a recess, which accommodates a given one of the horizontal wires of the wire basket, and portions of the wing project into apertures above and below the given one of the horizontal wires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 27, 2006
    Inventors: Taft O'Quin, Nicholas Dietzel
  • Publication number: 20060049590
    Abstract: A shopping cart chassis is provided with at least one tubular frame member. At least a first part of the length of the frame member has a wall with a hollow cylindrical configuration defining an annular transverse cross-section. At least a second part of the length of frame member has a wall with a hollow configuration defining an elongate transverse cross-section having a longer dimension and a shorter dimension. A second part of the frame member is oriented so that the longer dimension of the elongate transverse cross-section is generally parallel to the direction of the force of gravity when the shopping cart is in its normal use orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Patent number: 6966566
    Abstract: In a shopping cart comprising a rear gate, which has two leg openings, and a child seat, which comprises a seat base, a seat back, and a seat panel, the seat base includes a cupholder, which is covered when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel covers the seat base but not when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel rests against the rear gate and covers the leg openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Val-Jean Duchene, Taft O'Quin
  • Patent number: 6832768
    Abstract: In a shopping cart comprising a rear gate, which has two leg openings, and a child seat, which comprises a seat base, a seat back, and a seat panel, the seat base includes a cupholder, which is covered when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel covers the seat base but not when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel rests against the rear gate and covers the leg openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Val-Jean Duchene, Taft O'Quin
  • Publication number: 20040239059
    Abstract: In a shopping cart comprising a rear gate, which has two leg openings, and a child seat, which comprises a seat base, a seat back, and a seat panel, the seat base includes a cupholder, which is covered when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel covers the seat base but not when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel rests against the rear gate and covers the leg openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Val-Jean Duchene, Taft O'Quin
  • Publication number: 20040090024
    Abstract: In a shopping cart comprising a rear gate, which has two leg openings, and a child seat, which comprises a seat base, a seat back, and a seat panel, the seat base includes a cupholder, which is covered when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel covers the seat base but not when the seat panel is pivoted to a position wherein the seat panel rests against the rear gate and covers the leg openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Val-Jean Duchene, Taft O'Quin
  • Patent number: 6488292
    Abstract: A shopping cart, which is nestable with a similar cart preceding it for storage, comprises a wheeled chassis, a handle structure, a basket having a front wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls, and a rear gate mounted so as to be pivotable. When the basket of the shopping cart is pushed into the basket of the preceding cart, the rear gate of the preceding cart is pivoted into an elevated position. In the elevated position, unless the rear gate of the preceding cart rests on the upper edges of both side walls of the basket being pushed thereinto, the rear gate of the preceding cart rests on the upper edge of one side wall of the basket being pushed thereinto but one corner of the rear gate of the preceding cart, near the side wall that is opposite, can drop into the basket of the shopping cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Publication number: 20020140188
    Abstract: A shopping cart, which is nestable with a similar cart preceding it for storage, comprises a wheeled chassis, a handle structure, a basket having a front wall, a bottom wall, and two side walls, and a rear gate mounted so as to be pivotable. When the basket of the shopping cart is pushed into the basket of the preceding cart, the rear gate of the preceding cart is pivoted into an elevated position. In the elevated position, unless the rear gate of the preceding cart rests on the upper edges of both side walls of the basket being pushed thereinto, the rear gate of the preceding cart rests on the upper edge of one side wall of the basket being pushed thereinto but one corner of the rear gate of the preceding cart, near the side wall that is opposite, can drop into the basket of the shopping cart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventor: Taft O'Quin
  • Patent number: 6357767
    Abstract: A wheeled conveyance, such as a shopping cart, a luggage cart, a utility cart, a wheel chair, a gurney, or a tricycle has a metal chassis and wheels, which support the metal chassis above a supporting surface, such as a floor surface, and which may isolate the metal chassis electrically from the supporting surface. The metal chassis is grounded to the supporting surface by an elongate, flexible member, which is made from a non-metallic, static-dissipative material, such as a polyvinyl chloride, and which is arranged to drag along the supporting surface when the wheeled conveyance is moved along the supporting surface. Each wheel has an axle, on which such wheel is rotatable, and the elongate member can be mechanically and electrically connected to the axle of one of the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Unarco Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Taft O'Quin, Leslee Bottoms