Cart coupler assembly for cart collection machines

Abstract

The present invention is an improved cart coupler assembly for use on a shopping cart retriever vehicle. The cart coupler assembly provides a means for connecting shopping carts to the cart retriever vehicle. The cart coupler assembly may employ an actuator to move yokes into position to enable the yokes to engage shopping cart members. The cart coupler assembly may employ the upwardly facing concave surfaces of U-shaped yokes to engage the rear wheels of a shopping cart. In the place of yokes, the cart coupler assembly may utilize a shopping cart emulator that emulates one or more portions or features of a shopping cart in order to facilitate the engagement of the coupler assembly to a shopping cart.

1 . A cart coupler assembly for a shopping cart retriever vehicle comprising: 
 an actuator; and    at least one yoke connected with said actuator, and wherein said actuator engages said at least one yoke with a shopping cart.    
     
     
         2 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said actuator further comprises: 
 a driver device; and    at least one extension member connected with said driver device.    
     
     
         3 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said driver device comprises an electric motor.  
     
     
         4 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said at least one yoke is connected with said at least one extension member.  
     
     
         5 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one yoke is defined by a mounting portion connected with a jaw portion.  
     
     
         6 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said mounting portion includes a plurality of mounting holes for connecting said at least one yoke to said actuator.  
     
     
         7 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said jaw portion includes a slot.  
     
     
         8 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said slot is configured to engage a shopping cart.  
     
     
         9 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 8 , further comprising at least one locking pin releasably connected with said jaw portion across said slot.  
     
     
         10 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said slot is configured to engage a vertical rear member of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         11 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said slot is configured to engage a horizontal rear member of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         12 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said slot is configured to engage a rear wheel fork member of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         13 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said jaw portion is configured to support a rear wheel of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         14 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said jaw portion is defined by an upwardly facing concave surface.  
     
     
         15 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a locking pin connected across said jaw portion.  
     
     
         16 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said jaw portion includes at least one flange positioned against a side of the rear wheel of the shopping cart.  
     
     
         17 . A cart coupler assembly for a shopping cart retriever vehicle comprising: 
 an actuator having a first extension arm and a second extension arm;    a first yoke defined by a first mounting portion and a first jaw portion;    a second yoke defined by a second mounting portion and a second jaw portion; and    wherein said first mounting portion is connected with said first extension arm and said second mounting portion is connected with said second extension arm, and wherein said actuator engages said first jaw portion and said second jaw portion with a shopping cart.    
     
     
         18 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said actuator further comprises a driver device to move said first extension arm and said second extension arm.  
     
     
         19 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said driver device comprises an electric motor.  
     
     
         20 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said first mounting portion and said second mounting portion each include a plurality of mounting holes.  
     
     
         21 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said first jaw portion includes a first slot and said second jaw portion includes a second slot.  
     
     
         22 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said first slot and said second slot are configured to engage a shopping cart.  
     
     
         23 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 22 , further comprising at least one locking pin releasably connected with said first jaw portion across said first slot.  
     
     
         24 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said first slot and said second slot are configured to engage a horizontal rear member of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         25 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said first slot and said second slot are configured to engage rear wheel fork members of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         26 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said first jaw portion and said second jaw portion are configured to support rear wheels of a shopping cart.  
     
     
         27 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 26 , wherein said first jaw portion and said second jaw portion are defined by upwardly facing concave surfaces.  
     
     
         28 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 27 , further comprising at least one locking pin releasably connected across said first jaw portion.  
     
     
         29 . A cart coupler assembly for a cart retriever vehicle comprising: 
 at least one mounting bracket; and    a cart emulator connected to said at least one mounting bracket, and wherein said cart emulator is adapted engage a shopping cart by emulating at least a portion of a shopping cart.    
     
     
         30 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 29 , wherein said cart emulator comprises: 
 at least a portion of a shopping cart including a rear frame member; and    wherein said rear frame member is connected with said at least one mounting bracket.    
     
     
         31 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 30 , further comprising an actuator, wherein said at least one mounting bracket is connected with said actuator.  
     
     
         32 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 30 , wherein said rear frame member is welded to said at least one mounting bracket.  
     
     
         33 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 29 , wherein said cart emulator comprises: 
 a left rear member;    a right rear member;    a left member;    a right member;    a forward left member;    a forward right member; and    a cross member, and    wherein said left member is connected with said left rear member and said left forward member, said right member is connected with said right rear member and said right forward member, and said cross member is movably connected with said left forward member and said right forward member.    
     
     
         34 . The cart retriever vehicle of  claim 33 , wherein said cross member has an inner perimeter large enough to fit around said outer perimeters of the right forward member and said left forward member so that said right forward member and said left forward member can slide in and out of said cross member.  
     
     
         35 . The cart retriever vehicle of  claim 34 , further comprising an actuator connected with said left rear member and said right rear member.  
     
     
         36 . The cart retriever vehicle of  claim 35 , wherein said actuator adjusts a distance between said right member and said left member.  
     
     
         37 . The cart retriever vehicle of  claim 29 , wherein said emulator comprises first and second longitudinal members extending forwardly away from the vehicle, wherein said members are generally parallel to each other and at least one of said members is adapted to displace laterally relative to the other member.  
     
     
         38 . A cart retriever vehicle comprising: 
 a means for engaging a first shopping cart; and    a means for adjusting a size of said means for engaging said first shopping cart.    
     
     
         39 . The cart retriever vehicle of  claim 38 , wherein said means for engaging said shopping cart comprises a cart emulator connected with at least one mounting plate.  
     
     
         40 . A cart coupler assembly for coupling a shopping cart to a shopping cart retriever vehicle, wherein the shopping cart includes first and second vertical frame members, the coupler assembly comprising: 
 a first yoke adapted to engage the first vertical frame member; and    a second yoke adapted to engage the second vertical frame member,    wherein the first yoke displaces laterally relative to the shopping cart retriever vehicle when the yokes engage or disengage the vertical frame members.    
     
     
         41 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 40 , wherein a distance between the first and second yokes increases as the yokes engage the vertical frame members.  
     
     
         42 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 40 , wherein a distance between the first and second yokes decreases as the yokes engage the vertical frame members.  
     
     
         43 . The cart coupler of  claim 40 , wherein the second yoke also displaces laterally relative to the shopping cart retriever vehicle when the yokes engage or disengage the vertical frame members.  
     
     
         44 . The cart coupler of  claim 43 , wherein the yokes displace laterally in the same direction when engaging or disengaging the vertical frame members.  
     
     
         45 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 40 , wherein each yoke includes a jaw portion defining a slot with an open end for receiving a vertical frame member.  
     
     
         46 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 45 , wherein the open end of each slot of each yoke faces in the same direction.  
     
     
         47 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 45 , wherein the open end of the slot of the first yoke faces away from the open end of the slot of the second yoke.  
     
     
         48 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 45 , wherein the open end of the slot of the first yoke faces towards the open end of the slot of the second yoke.  
     
     
         49 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 45 , wherein each yoke further includes a pin portion that is extendable across the slot of the respective yoke.  
     
     
         50 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 40 , wherein each vertical frame member is at least a portion of a wheel fork.  
     
     
         51 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 40 , further comprising an actuator operably coupled to the first yoke and adapted to cause the first yoke to displace.  
     
     
         52 . A cart coupler assembly for coupling a shopping cart to a shopping cart retriever vehicle, wherein the shopping cart includes a horizontal frame member, the coupler assembly comprising a yoke adapted to engage the horizontal frame member, wherein the yoke is displaceable vertically to engage or disengage the horizontal frame member.  
     
     
         53 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 52 , wherein the yoke includes a jaw portion defining a slot with an open end for receiving the horizontal frame member.  
     
     
         54 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 53 , wherein the yoke further includes a pin portion that is extendable across the slot.  
     
     
         55 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 53 , wherein the open end of the slot faces generally upwards.  
     
     
         56 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 52 , further comprising an actuator operably coupled to the yoke and adapted to cause the yoke to displace.  
     
     
         57 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 52 , wherein the cart coupler assembly is adapted to raise a rearmost wheel of the shopping cart above a vehicle travel surface.  
     
     
         58 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 52 , wherein the yoke is also displaceable laterally relative to the shopping cart retriever vehicle.  
     
     
         59 . A cart coupler assembly for coupling a shopping cart to a shopping cart retriever vehicle, wherein the shopping cart includes a wheel having an outer circumferential surface, the coupler assembly comprising a yoke adapted to engage the wheel.  
     
     
         60 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 59 , wherein the yoke is adapted to engage the outer circumferential surface of the wheel.  
     
     
         61 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 60 , wherein the yoke comprises a concave surface.  
     
     
         62 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 61 , wherein the concave surface engages the outer circumferential surface of the wheel by displacing axially towards the wheel.  
     
     
         63 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 61 , wherein the concave surface engages the outer circumferential surface of the wheel by tipping forward to scoop the wheel into the concave surface.  
     
     
         64 . The cart coupler assembly of  claim 61 , wherein the concave surface engages the outer circumferential surface of the wheel by the wheel being elevated and placed into the concave surface.  
     
     
         65 . The cart coupler of  claim 59 , wherein the yoke comprises a locking pin adapted to maintain the wheel within the yoke.  
     
     
         66 . The cart coupler of  claim 65 , wherein the locking pin passes over an upper portion of the wheel.  
     
     
         67 . The cart coupler of  claim 66 , wherein the locking pin passes through a rear wheel fork member coupling the wheel to the shopping cart.  
     
     
         68 . The cart coupler of  claim 66 , wherein the yoke further comprises a concave surface for engaging the outer circumferential surface of the wheel and wherein the locking pin decreases an effective diameter of the concave surface.  
     
     
         69 . The cart coupler of  claim 59 , further comprising an actuator adapted to bring about the engagement of the yoke with the wheel.  
     
     
         70 . The cart coupler of  claim 59 , wherein the cart coupler is adapted to elevate the wheel above a vehicle travel surface.