SHOPPING CART COLLECTION, STORAGE AND DISPENSING SYSTEM

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 sloped first end section (14 or 34) defining an entrance opening (16 or 36) through which shopping carts (E) enter the system (10 or 30), a generally horizontal mid section (12 or 32), and a sloping 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. 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 floor (62) and is pullably engaged onto a chain-type conveyor (70) in one end section which is upwardly sloped.