| 摘要 |
A collection, storage and dispensing system (10 or 30) for shopping carts (E) including an elongated tubular conduit sized to allow a shopping cart (E) to rollably pass therethrough. The conduit includes a novel upright or a sloped first end section (38 or 14) defining an entrance opening (16 or 36) through which shopping carts (E) enter the system (10 or 30), a generally horizontal mid section (12, 32 or 52), and a sloping or an upright second end section (18 or 38) which defines an exit opening (20 or 40) through which shopping carts (E) exit the system (10 or 30). The mid section (12 or 32) is preferably buried below grade, but may also be elevated above a parking lot surface of a store for vehicles to drive beneath. A floor (62) is provided within the conduit (52) atop which shopping carts (E) roll. An elongated slender guide engaging probe (112 or 112' ) is connected to each shopping cart (E) which both laterally guides the carts by slidably engagement into a guide channel (130) longitudinally in the floor (62) and is pullably engaged onto a chain-type conveyor (78) adjacent one end section which is upright. The entrance opening (16 or 36) is positioned at grade level of a store parking area while the exit opening (20, 40 or 56) is positioned within the store at floor level. A denester (104 or 122) interactive with each of the probes (112 or 112') is provided as the carts tend to wedge together. Multiple entrance openings are provided, along with an optical comparator (76) to insure that only proper shopping carts enter the system.
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