System and method for customer return of merchandise carts

Claim 2

In a merchandise cart return system provided by the management of a store to encourage the return of merchandise carts, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area at a selected location; blocking means to normally block and control the admittance of a cart into the cart receiving area and block the retraction once it has been placed in the cart receiving area, identification means furnished by the management of the store for use each time a cart is presented operatively associated with the blocking means to control the actuation of the blocking means to admit the cart into the cart receiving area when the cart is presented; payout means responsive to the placement of the cart in the cart receiving area to pay out a reward to the identified party for returning the cart; and said cart receiving area having a turntable inside the doorway adapted to receive a cart and turn the cart through an angle of about 90*.

Claim 3

In a merchandise cart return system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said turntable includes a platform having an electrically actuated actuator adapted to turn the turntable about the pivot point upon the actuation thereof.

Claim 4

In a merchandise cart return system as set forth in claim 1 including means to remove the carT from the turntable and direct the cart with its handle facing forward in the direction of movement.

Claim 5

In a merchandise cart return system provided by the management of a store to encourage the return of merchandise carts, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area at a selected location; blocking means to normally block and control the admittance of a cart into the cart receiving area and block the retraction once it has been placed in the cart receiving area, identification means furnished by the management of the store for use each time a cart is presented operatively associated with the blocking means to control the actuation of the blocking means to admit the cart into the cart receiving area when the cart is presented; payout means responsive to the placement of the cart in the cart receiving area to pay out a reward to the identified party for returning the cart; and an actuator arranged to drive the door and sensing means adjacent the doorway to sense the presence of the cart at the doorway.

Claim 6

In a merchandise cart return system provided by the management of a store to encourage the return of merchandise carts, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area at a selected location; blocking means to normally block and control the admittance of a cart into the cart receiving area and block the retraction once it has been placed in the cart receiving area, identification means furnished by the management of the store for use each time a cart is presented operatively associated with the blocking means to control the actuation of the blocking means to admit the cart into the cart receiving area when the cart is presented; payout means responsive to the placement of the cart in the cart receiving area to pay out a reward to the identified party for returning the cart; and an actuator arranged to drive the door and sensing means adjacent the doorway to sense the presence of the cart at the doorway.

Claim 7

In a merchandise cart return system as set forth in claim 4 including safety means coupled to said actuator to prevent the closure of the door when an obstruction is present.

Claim 8

In a merchandise cart return system, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area at a selected location in the store; partitioning means to control the admittance of the cart into the cart receiving area and block the retraction of the cart once it has been placed in the cart receiving area including a wall with a doorway and a door movable between an open and closed position to selectively open and close the doorway; an actuator arranged to open and close the door; a control circuit means arranged for operative association with a source of electric power for selectively actuating said actuator including; a first control circuit operatively coupled to the actuator and character recognition means responsive to the presentation of a customer recognition device to cause the actuator to move to open the door to admit the cart into the cart receiving area; and a second control circuit operatively coupled to said actuator to close the door after the cart has been passed into the cart receiving area via the doorway and to actuate the payout means to pay out a reward to the customer for returning the cart to the cart receiving area.

Claim 9

In a merchandise cart return system, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area at a selected location in the store; partitioning means to control the admittance of the cart into the cart receiving area and block the retraction of the cart once it has been placed in the cart receiving area including a wall with a doorway and a door movable between an open and closed position to selectively open and close the doorway; an actuator arranged to open and close the door; a control circuit means arranged for operative association with a source of electric power for selectively actuating said actuator including; a first control circuit operatively coupled to the actuator and character recognition means responsive to the presentation of a customer recognition device to cause the actuator to move to open the door to admit the cart into the cart receiving area; and a second control circuit operatively coupled to said actuator to close the door after the cart has been passed into the cart receiving area via the doorway and to actuate the payout means to pay out a reward to the customer for returning the cart to the cart receiving area.

Claim 10

In a merchandise cart return system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said customer recognition means is in the form of a token receiving unit and said customer recognition device is a token presented by the customer along with the cart.

Claim 11

In a merchandise cart return system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said proximity switch actuator is a bi-directional air cylinder operated by energization of electric solenoids.

Claim 12

In a merchandise car return system, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area having partitioning wall and a movable door in a doorway in the wall through which the cart will pass when the door is in the open position, said wall partitioning the cart receiving area off from access, said cart receiving area having a turntable adapted to rotate through an angle of about 90* and a takeaway mechanism to move a cart from the turntable after the cart has been turned; a token receiving unit adjacent the outer side of the wall opposite the receiving area with a slot for receiving a token for recognizing that the customer with the cart has made a purchase; a payoff box adjacent the outer side of the wall ox adjacent the outer side of the wall opposite the receiving area for dispensing a coin as a reward; a first actuator arranged to open and close the door; a second actuator arranged to turn the turntable through an angle of about 90*; a third actuator arranged to move the takeway mechanism; control circuit means including input terminals for selectively connecting said actuators to a source of electric power for the actuation thereof, said control circuit means including: a first control circuit for the first actuator including a proximity switch connected to activate the first actuator when the cart is placed adjacent the entry of the doorway to open the door; a second control circuit including a first switch responsive to a token inserted in the token box and a coil of a relay actuated by the actuation of first switch, said relay having a set of holding contacts and set of control contacts; a third control circuit including said set control contacts and a second switch actuated by the positioning of a cart on the turntable inside the doorway to actuate said first actuator to close the door after the token has been inserted; a safety control circuit including a safety switch actuated when an obstruction engages the door in the doorway connected to actuate said first actuator to open the door until the obstruction is removed; a fourth control circuit including a third switch actuated by the closure of the door connected to cause the actuation of the payoff unit and cause the actuation of the second actuator to turn the turntable end cart through an arc of about 90*; a fifth control circuit including a fourth switch actuated when the turntable reaches the end of its turn to actuate the takeaway mechanism to remove the cart from the turntable; a sixth control circuit including a fifth switch association with said set of holding contacts in the relay and actuated when the cart is removed from the turntable to open the circuit energizing the relay coil to disable the circuits connected through said relay contacts and return the circuit for receipt of the next cart and token.

Claim 13

In a merchandise car return system, the combination comprising: a cart receiving area having partitioning wall and a movable door in a doorway in the wall through which the cart will pass when the door is in the open position, said wall partitioning the cart receiving area off from access, said cart receiving area having a turntable adapted to rotate through an angle of about 90* and a takeaway mechanism to move a cart from the turntable after the cart has been turned; a token receiving unit adjacent the outer side of the wall opposite the receiving area with a slot for receiving a token for recognizing that the customer with the cart has made a purchase; a payoff box adjacent the outer side of the wall ox adjacent the outer side of the wall opposite the receiving area for dispensing a coin as a reward; a first actuator arranged to open and close the door; a second actuator arranged to turn the turntable through an angle of about 90*; a third actuator arranged to move the takeway mechanism; control circuit means including input terminals for selectively connecting said actuators to a source of electric power for the actuation thereof, said control circuit means including: a first control circuit for the first actuator including a proximity switch connected to activate the first actuator when the cart is placed adjacent the entry of the doorway to open the door; a second control circuit including a first switch responsive to a token inserted in the token box and a coil of a relay actuated by the actuation of first switch, said relay having a set of holding contacts and set of control contacts; a third control circuit including said set control contacts and a second switch actuated by the positioning of a cart on the turntable inside the doorway to actuate said first actuator to close the door after the token has been inserted; a safety control circuit including a safety switch actuated when an obstruction engages the door in the doorway connected to actuate said first actuator to open the door until the obstruction is removed; a fourth control circuit including a third switch actuated by the closure of the door connected to cause the actuation of the payoff unit and cause the actuation of the second actuator to turn the turntable end cart through an arc of about 90*; a fifth control circuit including a fourth switch actuated when the turntable reaches the end of its turn to actuate the takeaway mechanism to remove the cart from the turntable; a sixth control circuit including a fifth switch association with said set of holding contacts in the relay and actuated when the cart is removed from the turntable to open the circuit energizing the relay coil to disable the circuits connected through said relay contacts and return the circuit for receipt of the next cart and token.

Claim 14

In a method for the management of a store to encourage identified parties including customers to return merchandise carts to a selected location in a store; the steps of: providing a cart receiving area at a selected location, normally blocking the cart from admittance to the cart receiving area, admitting the cart into the cart receiving area upon the presentation of a party identification means and a cart, blocking the retraction of the cart from the cart receiving area once it has been admitted, paying out a reward to the identified party for returning the cart to the cart receiving area and turning the cart in the cart receiving area through an arch of about 90* and advancing the turned cart handle first into a stack of similar carts.

Claim 15

In a method for the management of a store to encourage identified parties including customers to return merchandise carts to a selected location in a store; the steps of: providing a cart receiving area at a selected location, normally blocking the cart from admittance to the cart receiving area, admitting the cart into the cart receiving area upon the presentation of a party identification means and a cart, blocking the retraction of the cart from the cart receiving area once it has been admitted, paying out a reward to the identified party for returning the cart to the cart receiving area and turning the cart in the cart receiving area through an arch of about 90* and advancing the turned cart handle first into a stack of similar carts.