Apparatus for inserting a cart, such as a cart with one or more fixed wheels, into an enclosure

Abstract

A cart positioning assembly that is adapted for guiding a wheeled cart into a desired target cart position within an enclosure (e.g., a dispenser) by engaging a body portion of the cart and thereby guiding the movement of the body portion as the cart moves into the target cart position. In particular embodiments: (1) the cart includes at least one front fixed wheel and at least one swiveled rear wheel; (2) the front fixed wheel is in a target fixed-wheel position when the cart is in the target cart position; (3) the swiveled rear wheel is in a target swiveled-wheel position when the cart is in the target cart position; (4) the cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a sliding movement of the fixed wheel into the target fixed-wheel position; and (5) the cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rolling movement of the swiveled wheel into the target swiveled-wheel position.

1 . A dispenser comprising a cart positioning assembly for facilitating the insertion of a wheeled cart into said dispenser, said cart positioning assembly being adapted for guiding said wheeled cart into a desired target cart position within said dispenser by:
 engaging a body portion of said cart and thereby guiding the movement of said body portion as said cart moves into said target cart position.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said cart comprises at least one front fixed wheel and at least one swiveled rear wheel;   said front fixed wheel is in a target fixed-wheel position when said cart is in said target cart position; and   said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a sliding movement of said at least one fixed wheel into said target fixed-wheel position.   
     
     
         3 . The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a sliding rotational movement of said at least one fixed wheel into said target fixed-wheel position.   
     
     
         4 . The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said rear swiveled wheel is in a target swiveled-wheel position when said cart is in said target cart position; and   said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rolling movement of said at least one swiveled wheel into said target swiveled-wheel position.   
     
     
         5 . The dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rotational movement of said cart into said target cart position. 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rotational movement of said cart into said target cart position about a particular vertical axis. 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 6 , wherein said particular vertical axis is adjacent an outer front corner of said cart. 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein said cart positioning assembly is adapted for guiding said wheeled cart into a desired target position within said dispenser by:
 engaging said body portion of said cart and thereby restricting the movement of said cart to a particular, substantially linear, path;   while said cart positioning assembly continues to engage said body portion of said cart, allowing a user to move said cart along said particular, substantially linear path until: (1) an outer front wheel of said cart is in a particular first staging position; (2) an inner front wheel of said cart is in a particular second staging position; and (3) said cart positioning assembly is in a “rotation only” mode, in which the cart positioning assembly restricts the movement of said cart to rotating about a particular axis of rotation; and   while said cart positioning assembly is in said “rotation only” mode, allowing a user to rotate said cart about said particular axis of rotation until said cart is in said target position.   
     
     
         9 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said cart comprises a first lateral side and a second lateral side;   said cart positioning assembly comprises a substantially U-shaped member;   said cart positioning assembly is adapted for guiding said wheeled cart into a desired target position within said dispenser by:
 using said U-shaped member to engage said first and second lateral sides of said cart and thereby restricting the movement of said cart to a particular, substantially linear, path; 
 while said U-shaped member continues to engage said first and second lateral sides of said cart, allowing a user to move said cart along said particular, substantially linear path until: (1) an outer front wheel of said cart is in a particular first staging position; (2) an inner front wheel of said cart is in a particular second staging position; and (3) said cart positioning assembly is in a “rotation only” mode, in which the cart positioning assembly restricts the movement of said cart to rotating about a particular axis of rotation; and 
 while said cart positioning assembly is in said “rotation only” mode and said U-shaped member continues to engage said first and second lateral sides of said cart, allowing a user to rotate said cart about said particular axis of rotation until said cart is in said target position. 
   
     
     
         10 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said cart is a linen cart; and   said dispenser is a linen dispenser.   
     
     
         11 . A cart positioning assembly that is adapted for guiding a wheeled cart into a desired target cart position within an enclosure by:
 engaging a body portion of said cart and thereby guiding the movement of said body portion as said cart moves into said target cart position.   
     
     
         12 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said cart comprises at least one front fixed wheel and at least one swiveled rear wheel;   said front fixed wheel is in a target fixed-wheel position when said cart is in said target cart position; and   said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a sliding movement of said at least one fixed wheel into said target fixed-wheel position.   
     
     
         13 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 12 , wherein:
 said rear swiveled wheel is in a target swiveled-wheel position when said cart is in said target cart position; and   said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rolling movement of said at least one swiveled wheel into said target swiveled-wheel position.   
     
     
         14 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rotational movement of said cart into said target cart position. 
     
     
         15 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said cart positioning assembly is adapted to facilitate a rotational movement of said cart into said target cart position about a particular vertical axis. 
     
     
         16 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said particular vertical axis is adjacent an outer front corner of said cart. 
     
     
         17 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said cart positioning assembly is adapted for guiding said wheeled cart into a desired target position within said enclosure by:
 engaging said body portion of said cart and thereby restricting the movement of said cart to a particular, substantially linear, path;   while said cart positioning assembly continues to engage said body portion of said cart, allowing a user to move said cart along said particular, substantially linear path until: (1) an outer front wheel of said cart is in a particular first staging position; (2) an inner front wheel of said cart is in a particular second staging position; and (3) said cart positioning assembly is in a “rotation only” mode, in which the cart positioning assembly restricts the movement of said cart to rotating about a particular axis of rotation; and   while said cart positioning assembly is in said “rotation only” mode, allowing a user to rotate said cart about said particular axis of rotation until said cart is in said target position.   
     
     
         18 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said cart comprises a first lateral side and a second lateral side;   said cart positioning assembly comprises a substantially U-shaped member;   said cart positioning assembly is adapted for guiding said wheeled cart into a desired target position within said enclosure by:
 using said U-shaped member to engage said first and second lateral sides of said cart and thereby restricting the movement of said cart to a particular, substantially linear, path; 
 while said U-shaped member continues to engage said first and second lateral sides of said cart, allowing a user to move said cart along said particular, substantially linear path until: (1) an outer front wheel of said cart is in a particular first staging position; (2) an inner front wheel of said cart is in a particular second staging position; and (3) said cart positioning assembly is in a “rotation only” mode, in which the cart positioning assembly restricts the movement of said cart to rotating about a particular axis of rotation; and 
 while said cart positioning assembly is in said “rotation only” mode and said U-shaped member continues to engage said first and second lateral sides of said cart, allowing a user to rotate said cart about said particular axis of rotation until said cart is in said target position. 
   
     
     
         19 . A method of inserting a wheeled cart into an enclosure, said method comprising the steps of:
 moving said cart so that a body portion of said cart engages a cart positioning assembly adjacent said enclosure; and   while said cart positioning assembly engages said body portion, and thereby at least partially restricts the movement of said cart, moving said cart into a target position within said enclosure.   
     
     
         20 . The method  claim 19 , wherein:
 said cart comprises at least one front fixed wheel;   said front fixed wheel is in a target fixed-wheel position when said cart is in said target cart position; and   said step of moving said cart into a target position within said enclosure comprises sliding said front fixed wheel into said target fixed-wheel position.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said step of moving said cart into a target position within said enclosure comprises laterally sliding said front fixed wheel into said target fixed-wheel position. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 said cart comprises at least one rear swiveled wheel;   said rear swiveled wheel is in a target swiveled-wheel position when said cart is in said target cart position; and   said step of moving said cart into a target position within said enclosure comprises rolling said rear swiveled wheel into said target swiveled-wheel position.   
     
     
         23 . The cart positioning assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said step of moving said cart into a target position within said enclosure comprises rotating said cart into said target cart position about a particular vertical axis.