BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to shopping carts. More specifically, this invention relates to covers for shopping cart handles.

Description of the Related Art

For hygienic purposes, and particularly during times of disease epidemic, it is imperative to limit individual contact with contaminated surfaces to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission. Shopping carts are ubiquitous in modern retail establishments. For infectious agents such as the novel coronavirus of the 2020 pandemic, a shopping cart handle of metal or hard plastic, once contaminated, can remain infectious for 72 hours or longer. Grasped serially by many shoppers, the handle of a shopping cart presents a significant risk of infection from a contagious person to many subsequent shoppers.

Several approaches have been taken to reduce this risk. One approach is to apply disinfectant to the surface, typically by way of toweling the shopping cart handle with a solution containing an effective concentration of isopropyl alcohol, benzalkonium chloride or other disinfectant agent. Limitations to this approach are, first, that the establishment may run out of disinfectant supplies for shoppers. Second, the agent used may not be effective, or may be too dilute to provide thorough decontamination.

Another approach to reduce infection risk is for shoppers to wear disposable or reusable gloves. An obvious limitation for the use of disposable gloves is their availability. During prolonged or extensive periods of epidemic, supplies of disposable gloves may run short. A limitation and risk in employing reusable gloves is the efficacy of cleaning in between uses and the possibility that gloves that are insufficiently decontaminated between uses may themselves become a source of infection.

Yet another approach is the use of disposable sterile covers for the shopping cart handles. As with the use of disposable gloves, availability of supplies limits the utility of this approach.

What is needed is a means for isolating the shopper's hands from possibly contaminated shopping cart handles. What is needed further is such a means that may be repeatedly reused by the shopper so that availability of a depletable single-use resource is not an issue. What is needed further is such a means that is portable and easy to use. What is needed further is such a means that may be cleaned and disinfected with confidence between uses. Yet further, what is needed is such a means that minimizes the risk of user contamination in engaging it with and disengaging it from a shopping cart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shopping cart handle cover comprises layers of fabric that wrap around the circumference of a shopping cart handle. Embodiments of the cover are rectangular in shape. In use, an inner layer of grip stop or similar high friction gripping fabric is in direct contact with the shopping cart handle. The friction afforded by this layer prevents the cover from moving around the handle when attached. Affixed along one edge of the inner layer of fabric are narrow strips of one of hook and loop fabric from material such as Velcro®. In some embodiments, overlaying the inner layer is a thin layer of batting material to provide padding for comfort of the user when gripping the cover around the cart handle. An outer layer of durable fabric such as sport nylon overlays the other layers of the cover. Affixed to the outer layer are moderately sized strips of the hook-and-loop counterpart to the strips on the inner layer, these strips on the outer layer affixed to an edge of the cover opposite the edge where strips are affixed to the inner layer.

In use, the cover is wrapped around the shopping cart handle, with the inner layer of the cover contacting the handle. Advantageously, the user may wrap the cover around the handle without ever directly contacting either the handle or the inner layer of the cover. Beginning with the edge of the cover on which the moderately sized hook-and-loop strips are affixed to the outer layer, the user wraps the cover tightly around the handle until the corresponding narrow hook-and-loop strips on the inner layer engage with the upper layer's strips. Thereby, the handle is covered and the user's hands are isolated from potential contamination.

The user may remove the cover by grasping a corner of the cover's edge and pulling the cover's hook-and-loop adhesion loose, unwrapping the cover. Also advantageously, the user may perform this operation without contacting either the possibly contaminated handle or the inner layer of the cover. The unwrapped cover may then be folded over its potentially contaminated inner layer, leaving only its uncontaminated outer layer exposed for handling. An appropriately dimensioned carrying bag for holding the cover thus folded is attached to the cover. In embodiments, the bag is fabricated of the same durable fabric as the cover's outer layer. The cover, with its potentially contaminated inner layer, may be safely placed in the carrying bag, transported, and removed from the bag for cleaning and decontamination, all without any user contact with the inner layer. After cleaning, the cover may be folded and inserted in the bag for transportation and reuse.

