Devices, systems, and methods for use in preventing microbial or pathogen growth on objects related to shopping, including shopping carts or commercial shipping packages/parcels. The UV light based cart sanitization device may include a housing, a track for one or more shopping carts, disinfecting and/or sanitizing source(s), such as UV light source(s), and a control box. The UV light based cart sanitization device cart may include an internal package/parcel track for exposing packages or parcels to UV light.

According to an embodiment, a cart gate for storage of carts that have a power reception device includes a pair of guides spaced from each other in a cart-width direction. The guides extend along a forward cart direction. A power transmission device is mounted on a portion of one of the guides. The power transmission device is configured to provide power, in a non-contact manner, to a power reception device on a cart that is between the pair of guides and at a predetermined cart storage position along the forward cart direction. The minimum distance between the guides in the cart-width direction is greater than a width of the cart, but the difference between the minimum distance and the width of the cart is less than or equal to a power transmitting range of the power transmission device.

A handling system for a receptacle space in a vehicle for storage for containers. A linear guide is on an inner wall of the receptacle space. The linear guide guides at least one carrier element in the movement direction of the container, wherein the storage position of the container is provided having the rear wall thereof in the region of the rear wall of the receptacle space. The removal position is provided in the region of an insertion opening, arranged opposite the rear wall. The at least one carrier element is operatively connected to at least one spindle nut of a spindle drive. The container is thus moved linearly from a stowage and storage position to a removal position and vice versa.

A shopping cart includes a frame having a chassis portion and a handle portion extending upward from the chassis portion, a pair of front casters and a pair of rear casters mounted on the frame, and a basket connected to the frame and supported by the frame, the basket defining a chamber for holding articles, where the frame further includes a support structure connected to the chassis and the basket and supporting a portion of the basket. The shopping cart may include a number of wear resistance features that decrease the wear on the cart and extend the life of the shopping cart.

A trolley, for example for a supermarket, including at least one chassis, a load-bearing structure supported by the chassis, a suspension structure supported by the load-bearing structure configured to suspend at least one container. The trolley includes at least one measurement device at least partially carried by the suspension structure and for measuring at least one parameter relating to the weight of the at least one container when the container is suspended from the suspension structure.

A cart power supply device includes a power supply resonance circuit, a notification element, a current detection circuit, and a control circuit. The power supply resonance circuit includes a power supply coil that can be electromagnetically coupled to a power reception coil mounted on a shopping cart or the like. The current detection circuit detects a current flowing through the power supply resonance circuit. The control circuit supplies an alternating current to the power supply resonance circuit at a first level and operates the notification element in a first mode when the detected current is less than a first threshold. The control circuit supplies the alternating current at a second level when the detected current is greater than the first threshold and operates the notification element in a second mode.

A cart storage system for storing a movable cart includes a storage plate inclined with respect to a floor in a first direction crossing a moving direction of a cart, a stopper along a back side of the storage plate in the moving direction, and a first holding plate extending along the moving direction, configured to stop movement of the cart in the lateral direction, and disposed a first predetermined distance away from a lateral side of the storage plate.

A non-contact power supply unit includes connectable units. Each of the connectable units includes a cart wheel guide, a non-contact power supply device configured to perform wireless power charging of a cart, a first connector, and a second connector. The first connector is connectable to the second connector of another connectable unit and the second connector is connectable to the first connector of another connectable unit. The cart wheel guides of the connectable units are aligned with each other when connected.

A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.

A system and method for automated return of shopping carts includes a motorized, remotely controllable push cart affixed to a back end of a row of nested shopping carts. An intelligent navigational lead cart is placed at a front end of the shopping carts. The lead cart enables operation of the push cart and steers the nested shopping carts to a desired location.