Sanitary, portable and disposable cover for shopping cart handles and surrounding cart framework

Abstract

The invention provides a cover for a shopping cart having a horizontal bar (e.g. handle) and a child's seat, wherein the horizontal bar is adjacent and offset by a space from restraint railing of the child's seat. The restraint railing is typically the framework that is proximal to the front/leg hole of a child's seat. The disposable shopping cart cover is a flexible planar sheet of a sanitary polymeric film having a back side and a front side, and a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on the back side of the sheet. The cover can be adhered and stretched taut across the space between the horizontal bar and the restraint railing, providing a sanitary protective covering over the horizontal bar and the restraint railing of the child's seat. The adhered planar sheet spanning the space provides an activity center. The adhesive coating is used to adhere the covering either directly to the bar and the restraint railing, or to loop around the bar and/or railing and attach with the adhesive coating face-to-face.

what is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A disposable shopping cart cover for covering a portion of a shopping cart, said shopping cart having a horizontal bar and a child's seat, wherein the horizontal bar is adjacent and offset by a space from restraint railing of the child's seat, wherein the horizontal bar has a circumference and an overall length, and the restraint railing has a perimeter and a sectional length; said disposable shopping cart cover comprising: 
 a flexible planar sheet of a sanitary polymeric film having a back side and a front side;    a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on the back side of the sheet;    wherein the sheet has a width that is greater than a sum of the space between the restraint railing and the horizontal bar, plus the circumference of the horizontal bar, and plus the perimeter of the restraint railing;    wherein the sheet has a first edge length that is less than the overall length of the horizontal bar, and a second edge length that is less than the sectional length of the restraint railing; and    wherein said shopping cart cover can be adhered and stretched taut across the space between the horizontal bar and the restraint railing, providing a sanitary protective covering over the horizontal bar and the restraint railing of the child's seat, where said adhered cover can serve as an activity center.    
     
     
         2 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric film is substantially transparent.  
     
     
         3 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the back side of the sheet is reverse printed, producing viewable images on the front side of the sheet that are protected by the sanitary polymeric film, and a printing ink that is not in direct contact with the child.  
     
     
         4 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the viewable images are selected to be potentially entertaining and educational to children.  
     
     
         5 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the viewable images are selected from the group consisting of cartoon characters, foods, text, items found in a grocery store, advertisements, and television personalities.  
     
     
         6 . A disposable shopping cart cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive coating is coated onto a reinforcing carrier film that is adhered to the back side of the sheet.  
     
     
         7 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive coating is protected with a removable release liner.  
     
     
         8 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the reinforcing adhesive film is comprised of two strips, where a left strip extends from the first edge length to the second edge length adjacent to a left side of the cover, and a right strip extends from the first edge length to the second edge length adjacent to a right side of the cover.  
     
     
         9 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said cover has a tearable perpendicular plurality of perforations, which initiates from a point about midway from the second edge length, wherein, when torn, the plurality of perforations bifurcates forming two tails in the sheet, where the tails provide an opening that can accept at least one supporting rod for the restraint railing of the child's seat.  
     
     
         10 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the sanitary polymeric film is comprised of polyethylene or polypropylene or a copolymer thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the viewable images form a printed activity center where the child can match items in a grocery store with the viewable images or use the printed activity center as a tray to hold snacks or toys.  
     
     
         12 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the child's seat is in a grocery shopping cart.  
     
     
         13 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said tails provide a barrier covering for each leg opening.  
     
     
         14 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said cover can be removed and disposed without leaving an adhesive residue on the horizontal bar or on the perimeter of the restraint railing.  
     
     
         15 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said cover is a T-shaped trapezoid or a trapezoid.  
     
     
         16 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said trapezoid is an isosceles trapezoid.  
     
     
         17 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said trapezoid is a rectangle.  
     
     
         18 . A shopping cart disposable cover system, said system comprising: 
 a shopping cart having a horizontal bar and a child's seat, wherein the horizontal bar is adjacent and offset by a space from restraint railing of the child's seat, wherein the horizontal bar has a circumference and an overall length, and the restraint railing has a perimeter and a sectional length;    a flexible planar sheet of a sanitary, innocuous polymeric film having a back side and a front side;    a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on the back side of the sheet;    wherein the sheet has a width that is greater than a sum of the space between the restraint railing and the horizontal bar, plus the circumference of the horizontal bar, and plus the perimeter of the restraint railing;    wherein the sheet has a first edge length that is less than the overall length of the horizontal bar, and a second edge length that is less than the sectional length of the restraint railing; and    wherein said shopping cart cover can be adhered and stretched taut across the space between the horizontal bar and the restraint railing, providing a sanitary protective covering over the horizontal bar and the restraint railing of the child's seat, where said cover can serve as an activity center.    
     
     
         19 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the polymeric film is substantially transparent.  
     
     
         20 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the back side of the sheet is reverse printed, producing viewable images on the front side of the sheet that are protected by the sanitary polymeric film, and a printing ink that is not in direct contact with the child.  
     
     
         21 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the viewable images are selected to be potentially entertaining and educational to children.  
     
     
         22 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the viewable images are selected from the group consisting of cartoon characters, foods, text, items found in a grocery store, advertisements, and television personalities.  
     
     
         23 . The shopping cart disposable cover system according to  claim 18 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive coating is coated onto a reinforcing carrier film that is adhered to the back side of the sheet.  
     
     
         24 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive coating is protected with a removable release liner.  
     
     
         25 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the reinforcing adhesive film is comprised of two strips, where a left strip extends from the first edge length to the second edge length adjacent to a left side of the cover, and a right strip extends from the first edge length to the second edge length adjacent to a right side of the cover.  
     
     
         26 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein said cover has a tearable perpendicular plurality of perforations, which initiates from a point about midway from the second edge length of said cover, wherein, when torn, the plurality of perforations bifurcates forming two tails in the sheet, where the tails provide an opening that can accept at least one supporting rod for the restraint railing of the child's seat.  
     
     
         27 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the sanitary polymeric film is comprised of polyethylene or polypropylene or a copolymer thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the viewable images form a printed activity center where the child can match items in a grocery store with the viewable images or use the printed activity center as a tray to hold snacks or toys.  
     
     
         29 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the child's seat is in a grocery shopping cart.  
     
     
         30 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein said cover can be removed and disposed without leaving an adhesive residue on the horizontal bar or on the perimeter of the restraint railing.  
     
     
         31 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said cover is a T-shaped trapezoid or a trapezoid.  
     
     
         32 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein said trapezoid is a rectangle.  
     
     
         33 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said cover is individually folded and packaged together in groups in a travel package, which is of convenient size for portability in a person's diaper bag, pocketbook, briefcase, or other such item.  
     
     
         34 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said cover is individually folded and packaged together in groups in a travel package, which is of convenient size for portability in a person's diaper bag, pocketbook, briefcase, or other such item.  
     
     
         35 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said release liner is slightly wider than the coated adhesive, thereby forming a lifting edge for initiating removal of the release liner.  
     
     
         36 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein said release liner is slightly wider than the coated adhesive, thereby forming a lifting edge for initiating removal of the release liner.  
     
     
         37 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said cover is packaged as lightly adhered stacked sheets which can be peeled off as individual sheets.  
     
     
         38 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein said cover is packaged as lightly adhered stacked sheets which can be peeled off as individual sheets.  
     
     
         39 . The disposable shopping cart cover as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said cover is packaged as sheets on a roll or in a dispenser.  
     
     
         40 . The shopping cart disposable cover system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein said cover is packaged as sheets on a roll or in a dispenser.