Wheel Motion-Restraining Devices and Methods

Abstract

Wheel motion-restraining devices disclosed herein stabilize wheeled vehicles, such as shopping carts, to increase safety and loading/unloading convenience and to decrease the chance for property and personal damage from runaway carts. The devices are inexpensive, easy to use, and convenient to store.

Claims

1. A motion-restraining device comprising: a body having a substantially flat bottom surface, a raised top surface, and a central depression, wherein the raised top surface is higher on one side of the central depression than on the other side of the central depression.

2. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the raised top surface is formed by two substantially planar surfaces that meet between edges of the substantially flat bottom surface to form a peak.

3. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the body is substantially circular, substantially square, substantially triangular, substantially pentagonal or substantially hexagonal in shape.

4. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the body has a substantially triangular cross section, a substantially rectangular cross section or a substantially trapezoidal cross section.

5. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the body is a cylinder cut on the bias.

6. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the central depression is open or partially filled with material of the body or completely filled with material of the body.

7. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the motion-restraining device is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, rubber, silicone, wood, metal, carbon fiber, rope, wire and combinations thereof.

8. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the body is between 3 inches and 12 inches.

9. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the body is between 1 inch and 10 inches.

10. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein a height of the body is between 0.5 inches and 3 inches.

11. The motion-restraining device of claim 1 further comprising one or more magnets on or within the substantially flat bottom surface.

12. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, further comprising a handle affixed to the body.

13. The motion-restraining device of claim 12, wherein the handle is affixed to an outer wall of the body.

14. The motion-restraining device of claim 12, wherein the handle is biased away from the substantially flat bottom surface.

15. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, further comprising a slot within the body.

16. The motion-restraining device of claim 15, wherein the slot extends completely or partially through a height of the body.

17. The motion-restraining device of claim 1, wherein the substantially flat bottom surface and/or the raised top surface is textured.

18. A method of using a motion-restraining device comprising: providing the motion-restraining device of claim 1; and positioning a wheel within the central depression.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of positioning the wheel comprises rolling the wheel through a slot within a wall of the body.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of providing comprises removing the motion-restraining device from a magnetic surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, which may not be drawn to scale.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a motion-restraining device in use with a shopping cart wheel, according to an embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of a motion-restraining device, according to an embodiment.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of a motion-restraining device, according to an embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a bottom plan view of a motion-restraining device, according to an embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a motion-restraining device stored in the back of an automobile when not in use, according to an embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows additional embodiments of motion-restraining devices having different body shapes, profile shapes, and slot shapes, according to multiple embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 7 shows examples of additional embodiments of motion-restraining devices having different handle shapes, according to multiple embodiments.

[0038] FIG. 8 shows additional embodiments of motion-restraining devices having different body shapes, slot shapes, and handle shapes, according to multiple embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a motion-restraining device being lifted by a handle, according to an embodiment.

[0040] FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a wheel motion-restraining device, according to an embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 11 is a front plan view of the device of FIG. 10.

[0042] FIG. 12 is a back plan view of the device of FIG. 10.

[0043] FIG. 13 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 10.

[0044] FIG. 14 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 10.

[0045] FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 10.

[0046] FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In general, the terms and phrases used herein have their art-recognized meaning, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal references and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The following definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of this description.

[0048] A device is a combination of components operably connected to produce one or more desired functions.

[0049] A component is used broadly to refer to an individual part of a device.

[0050] The terms direct and indirect describe the actions or physical positions of one component or object relative to another component or object. For example, a component or object that directly acts upon or touches another component or object does so without intervention from an intermediary. Contrarily, a component or object that indirectly acts upon or touches another component or object does so through an intermediary (e.g., a third component).

[0051] Proximal and distal refer to the relative positions of two or more objects, planes or surfaces. For example, an object that is close in space to a reference point relative to the position of another object is considered proximal to the reference point, whereas an object that is further away in space from a reference point relative to the position of another object is considered distal to the reference point.

[0052] Monolithic refers to materials or components that are touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence or formed as a single unit.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a motion-restraining device 10 in use with a shopping cart wheel 61. For example, one may arrive at their vehicle 70 with their shopping cart 60, remove the wheel restraining device 10 from where it is magnetized to the outside of the trunk 71, or open the trunk and remove the device 10 from where it is being stored in the trunk 71 when not in use. By holding the tab/loop/handle 50 one can place the device on the ground 90, positioning it with an open entrance/exit section or slot 20, if one is provided, on the ground 90 in front of the wheel 61. Typically, the main body 30 would be positioned on the part of the ground with lower elevation to best prevent the wheel 61 from rolling. When one is done using the device 10, the user 80 can lift the device 10 by its handle/tab/loop 50 again and return it to the outside or inside of trunk 71 of their vehicle 70 for storage.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of a motion-restraining device 10, according to an embodiment. As shown, there is a slot 20 that has a lower height to enable a wheel 61 to easily roll slightly up and over the slot into a central depression 33 of the device 10 without having to lift a potentially heavy wheeled vehicle, such as shopping cart 60. The main body 30 of device 10 comprises a raised top portion to prevent wheel 61 from rolling out of the device. The loop/handle/tab 50 may be placed on the top or side of device 10. This positioning allows the user 80 to pick up, move and place the device 10 without having to touch the main body 30 or the ground 90 which may be dirty, and which could lead to knuckle scraping. As shown, central depression 33 is a void where there is direct access from the wheel 61 to the ground 90. However, in other embodiments, central depression 33 may comprise a piece of material that fills or partially fills the depression such that wheel 61 may not touch the ground. Depending on the size of the wheel 61, it may or may not rest partially on the body 30 of the device 10.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a device 10, which is similar to that shown in FIG. 2, except that the device of FIG. 3 is made to look like a donut with sprinkles 14.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of a wheel motion-restraining device 10. From this view, one can see that a bottom surface 40 has one or more magnets 45 contained within the bottom 40 or applied to the base of the device to enable it to be adhered to other surfaces, such as metal pieces in the trunk 71 of one's vehicle 70 for convenient storage and ease of locating. Magnets 45 are shown as rectangles, but they may be formed in various shapes, sizes and materials. Additionally, bottom surface 40 may be textured and/or made of a compliant material to provide a non-slip surface.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows a wheel motion-restraining device 10 stored in the back of an automobile 70 when not in use. For example, device 10 may be adhered to the inside of an automobile's trunk, perhaps on a wheel hub made of metal or hung by the tab/loop/handle 50 on a hook inside the back of the vehicle 70.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows examples of alternative embodiments of wheel motion-restraining devices 10 that have different main body 30 and/or slot 20 structures. For example, main body 30 may take the structure of a rounded shape with a flat bottom 31 or a rectangular shape 32. Similarly, slot 20 may take the form of a trapezoid 22 or another quadrilateral shape 21. The overall shape of device 10 may take many forms including but not limited to a hexagonal shape 11 or triangular shape 12 as alternatives to the ring shape displayed in other figures.

[0059] FIG. 7 shows examples of alternative embodiments where the device 10 and/or the loop/tab/handle 50 take different forms. For example, a loop/tab/handle 50 may be rectangular 51, a solid tab 52, a rope loop 45, a spring hook or a carabiner 55. An inflatable rubber duck design 16 uses a duck head 53 as the handle 50. In another embodiment, device 10 is designed to look like a donut with sprinkles 14.

[0060] FIG. 8 shows examples of alternative designs such as a peace sign 17 that does not have an open void in central depression 33, but rather has a peace sign symbol 17a on top of which a wheel would come to rest when in use. This embodiment has a slot 20 and a higher/taller remaining edge designed to stop wheel 61 from further movement. Another design is a cylinder cut on the bias 18 where there is a higher/taller end 18a and a lower/shorter end 18b. Using this design one would roll a wheel over the lower end 18b and the wheel would come to rest in the center 33 of the device 10, blocked from further rolling by the higher end 18a of the wheel motion-restraining device. In this example, the outer edge and the inner edge are sloping 21 (i.e., non-perpendicular with respect to the ground) to provide a more stable base for the device 10. Another design is a modified saucer 19 with a gradual slope 21 on the outer and inner sides and a peak with a consistent height. In this embodiment, there is no clearly defined entrance/exit slot 20. The modified saucer embodiment allows the wheel 61 to enter/exit at any point around the circumference to come to rest in a central depression 33. As shown, the modified saucer 19 comprises a loop 40 that facilitates handling.

[0061] FIG. 9 shows how one can hold the tab/handle/loop 54 to move the device 14 from place to place without having to touch the body of the device 14, which includes a slot 20, or the ground where it is being placed. In this image, the user 80 is able to carry the device 14 by holding the handle/loop/tab 54 that in this example is made of rope positioned on the side and edge of device 14. The handle/tab/loop 54 may be placed anywhere on the wheel motion-restraining device 14, but generally would be placed where loop 54 would not be dirtied by touching the ground. Alternative embodiments of wheel motion-restraining devices may have one or more handles or none at all, or one or more holes that allow the user to choose what type of material to use for a handle and where to place the handle.

[0062] FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a wheel motion-restraining device 100 having a body 102 with a substantially flat bottom surface 104, a raised top surface 106, and a central depression 108. As shown, raised top surface 106 is higher (H) on one side of central depression 108 than on the other side (L) of central depression 108, and raised top surface 104 is formed by two substantially planar surfaces 110a and 110b that meet between edges 112 of the substantially flat bottom surface 104 to form a peak 114. In the embodiment shown, body 102 is substantially circular with a substantially triangular cross section (A-A), and an open central depression 108. FIG. 11 is a front plan view of the device of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a back plan view of the device of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is a right side view of the device of FIG. 10. FIG. 14 is a left side view of the device of FIG. 10. FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 10. In FIGS. 12-15, a handle 116 is shown affixed to body 102. Particularly, handle 116 is affixed to an outer wall 118 of body 102, and handle 116 is biased away from the substantially flat bottom surface 104 (in the direction of arrow B). FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 10. In an embodiment, one or more magnets (not shown) may be disposed on or within the substantially flat bottom surface 104.

STATEMENTS REGARDING INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE AND VARIATIONS

[0063] All references cited throughout this application, for example patent documents including issued or granted patents or equivalents; patent application publications; and non-patent literature documents or other source material are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties, as though individually incorporated by reference.

[0064] The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments, exemplary embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed can be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. The specific embodiments provided herein are examples of useful embodiments of the invention and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention can be carried out using a large number of variations of the devices, device components, and method steps set forth in the present description. As will be apparent to one of skill in the art, methods and devices useful for the present methods and devices can include a large number of optional composition and processing elements and steps.

[0065] When a group of substituents is disclosed herein, it is understood that all individual members of that group and all subgroups are disclosed separately. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of the group and all combinations and subcombinations possible of the group are intended to be individually included in the disclosure.

[0066] It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a magnet includes a plurality of such magnets and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. As well, the terms a (or an), one or more and at least one can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms comprising, including, and having can be used interchangeably. The expression of any of claims XX-YY (wherein XX and YY refer to claim numbers) is intended to provide a multiple dependent claim in the alternative form, and in some embodiments is interchangeable with the expression as in any one of claims XX-YY.

[0067] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are described. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

[0068] Whenever a range is given in the specification, for example, a range of integers, a temperature range, a time range, a composition range, or concentration range, all intermediate ranges and subranges, as well as all individual values included in the ranges given are intended to be included in the disclosure. As used herein, ranges specifically include the values provided as endpoint values of the range. As used herein, ranges specifically include all the integer values of the range. For example, a range of 1 to 100 specifically includes the end point values of 1 and 100. It will be understood that any subranges or individual values in a range or subrange that are included in the description herein can be excluded from the claims herein.

[0069] As used herein, comprising is synonymous and can be used interchangeably with including, containing, or characterized by, and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. As used herein, consisting of excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim element. As used herein, consisting essentially of does not exclude materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claim. In each instance herein any of the terms comprising, consisting essentially of and consisting of can be replaced with either of the other two terms. The invention illustratively described herein suitably can be practiced in the absence of any element or elements or limitation or limitations which is/are not specifically disclosed herein.

[0070] All art-known functional equivalents of materials and methods are intended to be included in this disclosure. The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed can be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.