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how about all four wheels as castors? |
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Have you ever had one of those carts with one of the wheels a bit stuck and when you push it tends to travel off at an angle? Yes, well then imagine the same phenomenon with your invention. And then smeck over the utter chaos that will ensue + |
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How about a non-direction orientated, circular shopping cart,
with a handrail that runs all the way round? (ps +) |
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Makes me want to turn cartwheels it does. |
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Good idea, but I give you a fishbone for the sole reason of... |
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All you need to do to move your cart sideways is lift up the back wheels slightly, and then pull to the side. |
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Worked grocery stores waaay too long. |
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a couple of (bicycle) brake-handles which when squeezed allow the front or rear castors respectively to turn... every time you wanted to turn the cart you'd push one of the handles. Releasing the handles return the wheels to a fore/back orientation. |
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A third brake-handle controls the... brakes ! and can be latched; keep them buggers from escaping into the wild with your purchases on a hilly parking-lot or to stop a poorly thought out four-wheel "drift" in the grocery aisle. |
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well, we don't have them here! We have terrible one-way, if at all trying to go straight wheels, not including the wobbly, stuck, and not moving at all kind! Never could one just slide sideways! I'm not sure what [Jerk] means but I meant wheels that would turn so you could just push sideways without lifting, pulling, struggling etc. I don't mind the fishbones, though. |
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Happy Shopping Down Under [UB]! |
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Today is my hb 3 year anniversary and I'm still glad to be here, even if there are some fruitcakes in my shopping cart! |
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// New! Poorly thought out! (limited edition)
— Ian Tindale, Nov 14 2008//[marked-for-tagline] |
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Four omnidirectional wheels are terrible for aisle racing. The fixed rear wheels make for a much smoother ride. |
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I think the cart wheels here were omnidirectional, when the stores bought the carts 30 years ago. |
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Instead of modifying the cart, make the store omnidirectional. I thought I was once in this type of store, but it was simply side effects of a beverage. |
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Having visited supermarkets all over the world, and having lived for some years in the US and the UK, I feel qualified to comment on this. Supermarkets in most parts of the world have trolleys with 4
freely-steering wheels. Supermarket trolleys ("shopping carts") in the US have two steering wheels at the front, and fixed wheels at the rear. |
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Thank you [hippo], but does this mean that from a complete stand-still, one can slide the *trolley* completely sideways? I would love that! |
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Yes, absolutely. These trolleys are also much more fun for children sitting in the seat at the back. What you do is push the trolley along as normal and give the back of the trolley a sharp push to the side. The trolley will then spin round quickly within its own length and you'll catch the handle again to the delighted screams of your child. On the other hand, the US trolleys are easier to control on sloping ground and in the car park. |
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What you really want is a nearly-airtight skirt along the bottom and a large fan keeping the trolley almost-airborne. Hover-trolley here we come! |
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It's for the sloping ground and car park bits that I liked [xenzag]'s //How about a non-direction orientated, circular shopping cart, with a handrail that runs all the way round// suggestion. It's the 'spin the trolley around to face uphill 'cause the handles are only at the back' bit that is always awkward and makes it feel like your trolley driving skills are being put to the test. |
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I'm totally fascinated with UK trolleys!! I'll have to visit for the supermarket experience alone!
On the other hand, US has little cars and whatnot vehicles attached to the already ridiculously large shopping cart for the children to ride in. Talk about NOT being able to manuever the things in the first place! I will find a link if you've not seen these before. |
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Andronico's (a supermarket chain in California) used to have tiny trolleys for your child to push round - they were about the right size for a 4-year-old. |
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I have seen those before, but YOU are the trolley-afficionado!! |
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Well, come and visit and I'd be more than happy to give you a tour of shopping trolleys of the UK |
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why not add in a horn for rude shoppers that get in your way, a radio so you can choose your muzak, and what happened to shopping carts with the built in calculators they used to have? |
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you ever see shopping carts at high speed slamming into one another? they are fine afterwards! we should build our cars the same way, including omnidirectional wheels! |
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//I live in the only country on Earth where supermarket shopping carts have four omnidirectional wheels//
Possibly, unless by "omnidirectional wheels" you mean "castors".
True omniwheels are the sort of thing you get in the floors of aircraft cargo holds |
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omnidirectional wheels are called balls - ask Mr Dyson. |
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In the U.S., go to Ikea to try four wheels that swivel. |
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I hate them - they have no tracking. It takes great effort to keep them going straight, and it's damn near impossible on any kind of incline (such as sidewalk ramps) |
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I think a handlebar release that allows the (nominally) fixed rear wheels to swivel is great. Carts have to extremely robust, so it might be tough to sell, but I imagine you could keep the mechanism very simple. |
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thanks [feverall] and welcome to the halfbakery.
I don't have an Ikea store near me, as I live out in the country, but if I go to one, I'll check it out. Swivel is terrible, just as casters are. They seem to go in all directions at once. I have learned so much about carts/trolleys since I posted this idea. It took [hippo] to make me notice about the difference in front and back wheels! |
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Not poorly thought out at all, xandram. This problem arises
with hospital gurneys, and was solved long since in just the
manner you suggest (exept the release is foot-operated). |
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The thing about gurneys is, en route you want them easy to
steer straight (so: only one pair of wheels on
castors) but when you arrive at your destination, you usually
have to shove them sideways up against a bed, operating- or
CT-table (*much* easier with all four wheels on castors). |
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