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US 9,610,965 B2Granted
Multiple frequency band braking apparatus with clutch
AssigneeCarttronics, LLC
InventorThomas K. Khuu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shopping cart wheel includes a braking apparatus, clutch mechanism and electronics that control the braking apparatus in response to wireless signals. The wireless signals include low frequency electromagnetic signals within a low frequency band and high frequency signals within a high frequency band.
Claims20
A shopping cart wheel comprising:
- a non-rotating component;
- a rotating component configured to rotate relative to the non-rotating component when the shopping cart wheel is in a non-braking configuration and configured not to rotate relative to the non-rotating component when the shopping cart wheel is in a braking configuration;
- a low frequency antenna;
- a high frequency antenna;
- a low frequency receiver electrically connected to the low frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more low frequency signals through the low frequency antenna;
- a high frequency receiver electrically connected to the high frequency antenna and configured to receive one or more high frequency wireless signals;
- a controller connected to the low frequency receiver and the high frequency receiver, the controller configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration and the non-braking configuration in response to the one or more low frequency signals and the one or more high frequency signals;
- a wheel hub;
- and
- a clutch mechanism between the rotating component and the wheel hub, the clutch mechanism providing resistance between the wheel hub and the rotating component such that the wheel hub can rotate relative to the rotating component only when a force between the wheel hub and the rotating component exceeds the resistance.
7 more elements
A shopping cart wheel comprising:
- a non-rotating component;
- a rotating component configured to rotate relative to the non-rotating component unless the shopping cart wheel is in a braking configuration;
- electronics configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the non-braking configuration in response to a wireless signal received within a first frequency band defined by an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the electronics configured to place the shopping cart wheel in the braking configuration in response to an electromagnetic signal received within a second frequency band lower than the first frequency band;
- a wheel hub;
- and
- a clutch mechanism formed by a wheel hub surface of the wheel hub and a rotating component surface of the rotating component, the clutch mechanism providing resistance between the wheel hub and the rotating component such that the wheel hub can rotate relative to the rotating component only when a force between the wheel hub and the rotating component exceeds the resistance.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.