SYSTEM FOR PROMOTING THE RETURNING OF SERVICE CARTS, E.G. SHOPPING CARTS, INTENDED FOR TRANSPORTING COMMODITIES IN AN ACTIVITY CENTRE, E.G. SHOPPING CENTRES

摘要

In a returning system for service carts (24), said system comprisingelectronic monitoring of the movement of the carts (24) through an activityarea, the main novel features are a) that the returning system is anelectronic system operable in a deposit-free manner, the elements of saidsystem being mutually related in a compulsorily activating manner from acollection station, at which the carts stand in readiness to be collected, andvia an activity area again back to a readiness collection station, b) that thesystem comprises an electronic signal director (20) that is both controllableand/or controlling and comprises fixed and variable functions, c) that thesystem further comprises, c1) mobile electronic communication devices (28)intended and constructed for placement on the system's service carts (24) soas to accompany the latter, each of said communication devices (28) beingadapted for electronic identification of the particular service cart on whichit is placed, and c2) stationary electronic devices (18) adapted to record theidentity of the cart concerned and to be connected for communication to saidsignal director (20), said stationary devices (18) being placed in a mutualsequence in such a manner that they co-operate to form a path of advancementextending from a cart-collection station (14, 15), through said activity area,and back to a cart-collection station (14, 15), said path to be followed bythe service carts (24) for triggering electrical signals for the activation ofthe signal director (20), and d) that said signal director (20) is connectedfor communication with an indicator (17, 30) adapted to make known the givingof a reward caused by the returning of a cart.