Device in information carriers for shopping baskets

Abstract

 Device in information carriers for shopping baskets with a card situated in the basket and having information such as an advertising message or the like, the card being arranged to at least partially cover the intended part of the basket.
The information carrier is formed as a sheet (20) of a material resistant against wear and contamination. In the sheet are punched fastening tabs (22), which at one edge are connected to the sheet (20) and are arranged to be bent out essentially at right angle to the plane of the sheet and be introduced through and locked to the holes (18) or slots (14) in the shopping basket.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device in information carriers for shopping baskets comprising a card situated in the basket and having information such as advertising messages or the like, said card being arranged to at least partially cover the intended areas of the shopping basket.

[0002] Shopping baskets, usually comprising stackable plastic containers, are used in self-service stores by the customers who take a basket at the entrance from a stack of baskets and after use return it at the exit. The baskets the bottom and walls of which are provided with slots or holes in order to save material and reduce the weight are stacked vertically in each other and are thus lifted by the customers who are going to do their shopping in the store. It is thereby known to provide replaceable advertising carriers in the form of advertising cards especially in the bottom of the basket as these cards will be well visible to the customer when the basket is lifted from the stack.

[0003] It is thereby known that the advertising carrier may consist of a plate or frame in which the advertising cards may be inserted. In another known embodiment the advertising cards are laid on a plate over which is fastened a foldable transparent plate. These embodiments, however, are complicated and thus expensive at the same time replacement of the advertising cards is time consuming.

[0004] The main object of the present invention is to provide a device in shopping baskets in which an information carrier in a simple and cheap way may be arranged mainly in the bottom of the basket in order to be well visible to the customer who takes the basket, whereby the information carrier may be used for a long time without being damaged and in the simpliest and cheapest way can be attached to the basket.

[0005] Another object is to provide the information carrier so that it is easily replaceable when it is desirable to change the advertising message.

[0006] These and other objects of the invention are obtained in that the information carrier is formed as a sheet of a material resistant against wear and contamination, from the sheet being punched fastening tabs, which on one edge are connected to the sheet and are arranged to be bent out essentially at right angle to the plane of the sheet and be introduced in and secure the sheet to holes or slots in the shopping basket.

[0007] Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following subclaims.

[0008] The invention will in the following be closer described in conjunction with one embodiment shown in the drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a shopping basket with inserted advertising carrier, the end surface of the basket being cut off in order to show the interior of the basket.

Figure 2 is one example of the design of an advertising carrier.

[0009] The basket 10 shown in figure 1 is comprised of a plastic container the walls 12 of which are provided with slots 14 and the bottom 16 is provided with holes 18. The design with slots and holes saves material and makes the basket lighter. Of course in other designs the bottom can have slots too and the walls can be provided with holes.

[0010] According to the invention the bottom of the basket is to an essential part covered by an advertising carrier 20. This advertising or information carrier 20 consists, as shown in figure 3, of a sheet in which a number of fastening tabs 22 in the case shown three are punched with different position in each of the sheets corners. The sheet 20 which consists of a plastic material with a thickness of about 0,5-5 mm has a printed advertising message (not shown). The plastic material and thus the message is very resistant against wear and contamination and may therefore be left in the basket during a longer time say two to three weeks. When the sheet 20 shall be arranged in the basket it is laid in the bottom of the basket 10 and with appropriate tools those fastening tabs 22 are pressed down, which fit in holes or slots 14 and 18 respectively present in the bottom 16. The fastening tabs 22 are formed so that their free end which is pressed down through the holes or slots in the bottom of the basket is hooked, whereby the hook due to the elasticity of the plastic material deflects during passage through the holes in order to again flat out after the passage and secure the sheet 20 against the bottom 16 of the basket 10, as shown in figure 1. In the embodiment shown the fastening tabs are fungus-shaped but other designs of the hooked end are of course conceivable. By arranging three sets of fastening tabs 22 with different locations and directions the sheet may be attached in baskets with different pattern of the holes or slots. Other combinations and number of fastening tabs are of course also conceivable. In order to secure the sheet steady in the bottom of the basket it is normally required that one fastening tab 22 in each corner of the sheet 20 is brought in locking engagement with the holes 18 of the bottom, but several tabs 22 may of course be used if wanted. When the intended time of application has elapsed the sheet 20 can easily be removed from the shopping basket 10 by simply be breaked loose and a new advertising message be applied in the basket.

[0011] It is evident that the advertising carrier according to the invention is simple and cheap to manufacture and use and at the same time a safe attachment to the basket is accomplished. Although the sheet in the embodiment shown has been attached to the bottom of the basket it is obvious that it may be fastened in holes or slots on the walls of the basket if required.

[0012] The embodiment shown and described is only one example of the realization of the invention and changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A device in information carriers for shopping baskets comprising a card situated in the basket with information such as advertising message or the like, said card being arranged to at least partly cover the intended part of the basket, characterized in that the information carrier is formed as a sheet (20) of a material resistant against wear and contamination, from the sheet being punched fastening tabs (22), which on one edge are connected to the sheet and are arranged to be bent out essentially in right angle to the plane of the sheet and be introduced in and be secured to holes (18) or slots (14) present in the shopping basket.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that several fastening tabs (22) are punched in the sheet in order to fit different pattern of holes (18) or slots (14) in the shopping basket (10).

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fastening tabs (22) have hooked ends arranged to expand after introduction through the holes (18) or slots (14) of the shopping basket in order to secure the sheet.

4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the sheet (20) is of hard plastic with flexible structure.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that an information or advertising message is printed in the plastic material.

6. A device according to any of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the sheet (20) is shaped to cover the major part of the bottom (16) of the shopping basket (10).

Drawing