Shopping Cart Cover

Abstract

A flexible fabric cover for a child seat on a shopping cart, and a combination thereof with a detachable child activity panel The detachable child activity panel includes at least a cover attachment subsystem for attaching the detachable child activity panel to a front handle-covering panel of the cover for use by a child seated in the shopping cart child seat. The detachable child activity panel is configured for use in the lap of a child seated other than in the shopping cart child seat for use when and in the event a child is so seated. A rear seat back-covering panel of the cover takes the form of an inverted pocket which fits over the seat back portion of the shopping cart to aid in securing the cover. The pocket is configured to be turned inside-out to serve as a storage pouch for the cover.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/925,606 filed Apr. 20, 2007 is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to shopping carts and, more particularly, to padded liners for shopping cart child seats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a combination is provided, of a cover for a child seat on a shopping cart of the type including a seat bottom portion, a seat back portion, and an apertured leg portion generally bounded at its upper end by a shopping cart handle, the cover including a rear seat back-covering panel and a front handle-covering panel interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel; and a detachable child activity panel including at least a cover attachment subsystem for attaching the detachable child activity panel to the front handle-covering panel of the cover for use by a child seated in the shopping cart child seat when and in the event a child is in the shopping cart child seat. The detachable child activity panel is configured for use in the lap of a child seated other than in the shopping cart child seat for use when and in the event a child is so seated.

In another aspect, a flexible fabric cover for a child seat on a shopping cart of the type including a seat bottom portion, a seat back portion, and an apertured leg portion generally bounded at its upper end by a shopping cart handle is provided. The cover includes a rear seat back-covering panel and a front handle-covering panel interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel. The rear seat back-covering panel takes the form of an inverted pocket which fits over the seat back portion of the shopping cart to aid in securing the cover. The pocket is configured to be turned inside-out to serve as a storage pouch for the cover.

In yet another aspect, a combination is provided, of a flexible fabric cover for a child seat on a shopping cart of the type including a seat bottom portion, a seat back portion, and an apertured leg portion generally bounded at its upper end by a shopping cart handle, the cover including a rear seat back-covering panel and a front handle-covering panel interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel; and a detachable child activity panel including at least a cover attachment subsystem for attaching the detachable child activity panel to the front handle-covering panel of the cover for use by a child seated in the shopping cart child seat when and in the event a child is in the shopping cart child seat. The detachable child activity panel is configured for use in the lap of a child seated other than in the shopping cart child seat for use when and in the event a child is so seated. The rear seat back-covering panel takes the form of an inverted pocket which fits over the seat back portion of the shopping cart to aid in securing the cover. The pocket is configured to be turned inside-out to serve as a storage pouch for the cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a flexible fabric shopping cart liner embodying the invention laid out flat, that is, unfolded;

FIG. 2 is an underside view of the flexible fabric shopping cart cover laid out flat, that is, unfolded;

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the shopping cart cover in the process of being installed within the child seat of a shopping cart;

FIG. 4 is another three-dimensional view looking generally towards the handle end of the shopping cart, illustrating the manner in which an inverted pocket, with an elastic hem, fits over the seat back portion of the shopping cart child seat to aid in securing the cover;

FIG. 5 illustrates the manner in which the inverted pocket with elastic hem of FIG. 4 can be turned inside out to serve as a storage pouch for the cover;

FIG. 6 is a view of the cover fully installed, in combination with a detachable child activity panel embodying the invention, in use by a child;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the detachable child activity panel;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the detachable child activity panel showing a cover attachment subsystem and a lap attachment subsystem;

FIG. 9 illustrates independent use of the detachable child activity panel attached, for example, to a forward-facing child safety car seat in a vehicle;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 9, but from the other side, showing the manner in which the activity panel is attached to the child safety car seat; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged detail of one of the clips which are part of the lap attachment subsystem shown in FIG. 8, and illustrated in use in FIGS. 9 and 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 are top and underside views of a cover 20 for a shopping cart, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show the cover 20 being installed over a child seat 22 (partially obscured by the cover 20) of a conventional shopping cart 24, including a shopping cart handle 26 (partially obscured by the child seat 22). The child seat 22 more particularly includes a seat bottom portion 28, a seat back portion 30, and an apertured leg portion 32 (all obscured by the cover 20). In a typical shopping cart 24, the apertured leg portion 32 is the back of the shopping cart 24, and is generally bounded at its upper end by the shopping cart handle 26.

The cover 20 is made of a padded fabric material with various pieces sewn together so as to form a foldable, unitary piece. The cover has a top side 34 visible in FIG. 1, and an underside 36 visible in FIG. 2. Ornamentation is represented in the top side 34 view of FIG. 1 as dash lines 38. The underside 36 (FIG. 2) is essentially unornamented.

The cover 20 includes a rear seat back-covering panel 40 which, during use, is generally vertical and covers the seat back portion 30, as well as a front handle-covering panel 42 which, during use, is generally vertical and covers the shopping cart handle 26. The rear seat back-covering panel 40 and the front handle-covering panel 42 are interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel 44. The rear seat back-covering panel 40 and the intermediate seat bottom-covering panel 44 are joined at a fold line 46. The front handle-covering panel 42 and the intermediate seat bottom-covering panel 44 are joined at a fold line 48. A pair of side panels 50 and 52 are provided, joined to the intermediate seat bottom-covering panel 44 at respective fold lines 54 and 56. The side flaps 50 and 52 include respective mesh storage pockets 58 and 60. During use, the side panels 50 and 52 lap over the sides of the shopping cart 24, and extend down, with the storage pockets 58 and 60 accessible. A pair of square leg apertures 62 and 64 are provided in the front handle-covering panel 42 for a child's legs to protrude through during use. The leg apertures 62 and 64 during use generally align with corresponding apertures in the leg portion 32 of the shopping cart 24 child seat 22. The front handle-covering panel 42 has an upper portion 66, beginning above the leg apertures 62 and 64, which laps over and extends down from the shopping cart handle 26 during use.

In order to accommodate the straps of the seat belt which typically is part of a shopping cart child seat, a pair of slotted apertures 68, in the nature of buttonholes, are provided in the rear seat back-covering panel 40. When installed, the seat belt straps which are part of the shopping cart pass through the apertures 68.

Various devices serve to attach or hold the cover 20 in position over the child seat 22 of the shopping cart 24, with accommodation for various sizes and configurations of shopping carts 24. Included on the underside 36 visible in FIG. 2 are “hook” and “loop” fasteners, more particularly, a pair of “hook” fastener elements 70 and 72 located near the corners at the far end of the front handle-covering panel 42, and “loop” elements 74, 76, 78 and 80, positioned along the sides of the front handle-covering panel 42 and at the far ends of the side flaps 50 and 52.

Also on the underside 36 visible in FIG. 2 is an attachment strap 82 sewn to the cover at 84. The attachment strap 82 has two ends 85 and 86 fitted with buckle elements 87 and 88, one of which is adjustable. The attachment strap 82 is shown in use in FIG. 4, described in greater detail hereinbelow.

To further aid in attaching and securing the cover 20, the rear seat back-covering panel 40 includes an inverted pocket 90 which fits over the seat back portion 30 of the shopping cart 24 child seat 22. The inverted pocket 90 has an elastic hem 92, visible in the underside view of FIG. 2. The pocket 90 is termed an “inverted” pocket 90 because, when installed on the seat back portion 30 of the shopping cart 24 seat back portion 30, the pocket 90 is inverted.

FIG. 4 in particular illustrates the manner in which the attachment strap 82 and the inverted pocket 90 cooperate. Basic attachment of the cover 20 to the rear seat back-covering panel 40 is provided by the inverted pocket 90, aided by the elastic hem 92. In addition, the attachment strap 82 and buckle elements 87, 88 are employed to secure the cover 20 to the shopping cart 24, keeping the lower part of the rear seat back-covering panel 40 against the seat back portion 30 of the shopping cart 24 child seat 22.

With reference to FIG. 5, a particular characteristic of the inverted pocket 90 is that it can be turned inside out to serve as a storage pouch 94 for the cover 20 (which is made of flexible, padded fabric) when the cover 20 is not installed on a shopping cart. The cover is sufficiently compressible for this purpose.

FIG. 6 shows the cover 20 fully installed to the child seat 22 of the shopping cart 24, and also, in combination, including a detachable child activity panel 100. In FIG. 6, the child activity panel 100 is attached to the front handle-covering panel 42 for use by a child 102 seated in the shopping cart 24 child seat 22, for use when and in the event the child 102 is so seated. As is described hereinbelow in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the detachable child activity panel 100 is also configured for use in the lap of a child seated other than in the shopping cart child seat 22, for use when and in the event the child is so seated.

FIGS. 7 and 8 respectively show the front side 104 and rear side 106 of the child activity panel 100, which may also be termed a “dashboard.”

The child activity panel 100 includes an recessed electronics enclosure 110 visible in FIG. 8, which includes batteries (not shown) and a conventional recorded sound player (not shown). A fabric flap 112 is provided to cover the electronics enclosure 110, secured by hook-and-loop fastener elements 114 and 116. Hidden within the detachable child activity panel 100 is a speaker for playing sounds.

Visible in FIG. 7 on the front side 104 of the panel 100 are a number of child entertainment features, including characters which include respective switches which, when actuated, cause a sound to be played. Thus, when a chick character 120 is pressed, a child hears, “peep, peep, chick.” When a cow character 121 is pressed, a child hears, “moooo, cow.” When a pig character 122 is pressed, a child hears, “oink, oink, pig.” When a horse character 123 is pressed, a child hears “neigh, horse.” Finally, when a dog character 124 is pressed, a child hears music played. Tethered toys 126 and 127 are provided, as well as a flap 128 covering a mirror. The flap 128 makes a “crinkly” sound when touched. Although the detachable child activity panel includes specific graphics and entertainment devices, it will be appreciated that these aspects are by way of example, and that many variations are possible.

In the illustrated embodiment, two attachment subsystems are provided for the child activity panel 100, a cover attachment subsystem 130 for attaching the child activity panel 100 to the front handle-covering panel 42 of the cover 20 (FIG. 6), and a lap attachment subsystem 132 for attaching the child activity panel 100 to a forward-facing child safety car seat 134 (FIG. 9), for use when and in the event a child 136 is in the forward-facing child safety car seat 134.

The cover attachment subsystem 130 more particularly includes a pair of short straps 140 and 142 sewn to the rear side 106 of the child activity panel 100 as shown in FIG. 8. Near the ends 144, 146, 148 and 150 of the straps 140 and 142 are “hook” and “loop” fasteners, such that the ends 144, 146, 148 and 150 of the straps 140 and 142 can be joined to form two respective loops. Correspondingly, two rows 152 and 154 of slotted apertures, in the nature of buttonholes, are provided in the front handle-covering panel 42 of the cover 20, visible in FIGS. 1 and 2. The straps 140 and 142 pass through the slots of the rows 152 and 154. For adjustment purposes, three rather than two slots are provided in each of the rows 152 and 154. Thus, row 152 has three slots 156, 158 and 160; and row 154 has three slots 162, 164 and 166. Depending upon the size and configuration of the particular shopping cart, either slots 156, 158 and 162, 164 are employed, or slots 158, 160 and slots 164, 166.

With reference to FIG. 8, as well as to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, the lap attachment subsystem 132 more particularly includes a pair of straps 170 and 172 connected by adjustment buckles 174 and 176 to the sides of the activity panel 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment buckles 174 and 176 are connected to the activity panel 100 by short loops of webbing 178 and 180 sewn to the activity panel 100. The straps 170 and 172 terminate in attachment clips 182 and 184, one of which is shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 11. FIG. 10 illustrates the manner in which the attachment clips 182 and 184 of the lap attachment subsystem 132 are employed to attach the straps 170 and 172 to a fabric portion 174 of the forward-facing child seat 134.

Although FIG. 9 shows the child activity panel 100 in use in the lap of the child 136 seated in the forward-facing car seat 134, it will be appreciated that, when detached from the shopping cart cover 20, the child activity panel 100 does not need to be attached to a child safety car seat to be used by a child.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is realized that numerous modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A combination comprising:

a cover for a child seat on a shopping cart of the type including a seat bottom portion, a seat back portion, and an apertured leg portion generally bounded at its upper end by a shopping cart handle, said cover including a rear seat back-covering panel and a front handle-covering panel interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel; and

a detachable child activity panel including at least a cover attachment subsystem for attaching said detachable child activity panel to said front handle-covering panel of said cover for use by a child seated in the shopping cart child seat when and in the event a child is in the shopping cart child seat;

said detachable child activity panel being configured for use in the lap of a child seated other than in the shopping cart child seat for use when and in the event a child is so seated.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said detachable child activity panel additionally includes a lap attachment subsystem for attaching said detachable child activity panel to a forward-facing child safety car seat for use when and in the event a child is in the forward-facing child safety car seat.

3. A flexible fabric cover for a child seat on a shopping cart of the type including a seat bottom portion, a seat back portion, and an apertured leg portion generally bounded at its upper end by a shopping cart handle, said cover comprising:

a rear seat back-covering panel and a front handle-covering panel interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel; and wherein

said rear seat back-covering panel comprises an inverted pocket which fits over the seat back portion of the shopping cart to aid in securing said cover, and which pocket is configured to be turned inside-out to serve as a storage pouch for said cover.

4. The cover of claim 3, wherein said inverted pocket has an elastic hem.

5. A combination comprising:

a flexible fabric cover for a child seat on a shopping cart of the type including a seat bottom portion, a seat back portion, and an apertured leg portion generally bounded at its upper end by a shopping cart handle, said cover including a rear seat back-covering panel and a front handle-covering panel interconnected by an intermediate seat bottom-covering panel; and

a detachable child activity panel including at least a cover attachment subsystem for attaching said detachable child activity panel to said front handle-covering panel of said cover for use by a child seated in the shopping cart child seat when and in the event a child is in the shopping cart child seat;

said detachable child activity panel being configured for use in the lap of a child seated other than in the shopping cart child seat for use when and in the event a child is so seated; and wherein

said rear seat back-covering panel comprises an inverted pocket which fits over the seat back portion of the shopping cart to aid in securing said cover, and which pocket is configured to be turned inside-out to serve as a storage pouch for said cover.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein said detachable child activity panel additionally includes a lap attachment subsystem for attaching said detachable child activity panel to a forward-facing child safety car seat for use when and in the event a child is in the forward-facing child safety car seat.

7. The combination of claim 5, wherein said inverted pocket has an elastic hem.

8. The combination of claim 6, wherein said inverted pocket has an elastic hem.