US20100108625A1 - Merchandising system - Google Patents
Merchandising system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100108625A1 US20100108625A1 US12/610,426 US61042609A US2010108625A1 US 20100108625 A1 US20100108625 A1 US 20100108625A1 US 61042609 A US61042609 A US 61042609A US 2010108625 A1 US2010108625 A1 US 2010108625A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- packages
- lower blade
- container
- scoop
- body portion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F13/00—Shop or like accessories
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/005—Side walls formed with an aperture or a movable portion arranged to allow removal or insertion of contents
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/02—Internal fittings
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/02—Internal fittings
- B65D25/10—Devices to locate articles in containers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
- B65D85/62—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for stacks of articles; for special arrangements of groups of articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G57/00—Stacking of articles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G67/00—Loading or unloading vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
- B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
- B65G1/02—Storage devices
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a merchandising system.
- Stores selling small packages of chips or snacks or other small goods are restocked by delivery drivers.
- the driver carries one or more boxes of different varieties of packages from the truck into the store.
- the driver determines which packages are needed to be restocked, then selects the packages needed from the boxes and places them onto the shelf. This is inconvenient because the driver has carried in more packages than he is restocking and restocking packages one at a time is time consuming.
- the present invention is directed to a scoop that includes a side member and lower blade that cooperate with each other to secure and hold a row of packages at one time.
- the packages could comprise chips, pretzels, cookies, or other types of small packages that are easily grouped together for shipment.
- the packages are stored within a container that has a pivotable front wall to allow access to divided rows of packages.
- the front wall is pivoted into an open position and the scoop is inserted into the container to remove a row of packages for placement on a display
- the scoop includes a body portion, a lower blade extending outwardly from the body portion to provide a base support surface for the plurality of packages, at least one side member extending outwardly from the body portion and spaced vertically above the lower blade, and a handle.
- the lower blade and side member cooperate with each other to secure and hold a plurality of packages to be transported by a user holding the handle.
- the scoop includes an activation mechanism associated with at least one of the lower blade and the at least one side member.
- the activation mechanism is selectively moveable between an open position to allow the plurality of packages to be loaded on the lower blade or unloaded from the lower blade and a retention position to hold the plurality of packages on the lower blade for transport.
- the scoop works in conjunction with stackable containers to provide a merchandise stocking assembly.
- the container includes a base wall, a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and a front wall that is pivotably mounted to the base wall to selectively open and close a front of the container to provide access to the plurality of packages.
- the container also includes a plurality of dividers extending upwardly from the base wall to define rows for the plurality of packages.
- the container further includes at least one bottom support rib that protrudes upwardly from the base wall in each row to support the plurality of packages within each row at a spaced distance from the base wall to provide easier access for the scoop.
- the present invention allows the driver to deliver these small packages a row at a time on a shelf for display in a store.
- the driver would be able to carry one or more “rows” of packages into the store and place an entire row of packages onto the appropriate shelf at one time.
- a support structure is included within the delivery truck to support a plurality of containers.
- the support structure includes a wall mount fixed to a wall of the truck and which includes a hook that allows the container to be hung on the wall.
- the support structure comprises a rack that is used to support a plurality of containers.
- the rack includes at least one rear rail and at least one side rail extending outwardly from one end of the rear rail.
- the rear and side rails each include an interface structure that cooperates with a corresponding interface structure on a container to hold the container on the rack.
- FIG. 1 is a front view of a merchandising system including a scoop and a stackable container to hold a plurality of divided packages in rows where a front wall of the container is in an open position.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one example of a scoop.
- FIG. 3 is a front end view of the scoop of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a rear end view of the scoop of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of the container of FIG. 1 with a front wall being in a closed position.
- FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view from the rear of the container of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the container of FIG. 5 in combination with a wall mount.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wall mount of FIG. 7
- FIG. 9 is a side view of the wall mount of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop showing side arms rotated to a retention position.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view from the rear of the scoop of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 12 is a front end view of the scoop of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 13 is a rear end view of the scoop of FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 14 is perspective view of the scoop of FIG. 10 with side rods arms rotated to an open position.
- FIG. 15 is a front end view of the scoop of FIG. 14 .
- FIG. 16 is a rear end view of the scoop of FIG. 14 .
- FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop showing an activation mechanism in an open position.
- FIG. 18 is a perspective view from the rear of the scoop of FIG. 17 .
- FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the scoop showing the activation mechanism in a retention position.
- FIG. 20 is an enlarged exploded view of the activation mechanism.
- FIG. 21 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism in the open position.
- FIG. 22 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism in the closed position.
- FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop showing an activation mechanism in an open position.
- FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the scoop of FIG. 23 in a retention position.
- FIG. 25 is an enlarged exploded view from the front of the activation mechanism for the scoop of FIG. 23 .
- FIG. 26 is an enlarged exploded view from the rear of the activation mechanism for the scoop of FIG. 23 .
- FIG. 27 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism of FIG. 25 in the open position.
- FIG. 28 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism of FIG. 25 in the closed position.
- FIG. 29 is a perspective view of another example of a container showing a front wall in a closed position.
- FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 29 with the front wall in an open position.
- FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view of the container of FIG. 29 .
- FIG. 32 is a front perspective view of two containers of FIG. 29 in a stacked relationship.
- FIG. 33 is a perspective view of on example of a support structure comprising a rack.
- FIG. 34 is a perspective view of two racks connected to each other.
- FIG. 35 is a perspective view showing a container being slid into the rack of FIG. 33 .
- FIG. 36 is a perspective view showing two containers of different sizes supported within a common rack structure with associated front walls in a closed position.
- FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the containers and rack of FIG. 26 showing the front walls in an open position.
- FIG. 38 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the container of FIG. 29 .
- FIG. 39 is an enlarged perspective view of the corner of FIG. 38 in combination with a side rail of the rack.
- FIG. 40 is a perspective view of another example of a rack structure with pivotable side rails.
- FIG. 41 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop with an activation mechanism in the open position.
- FIG. 41 is a rear perspective view of the scoop of FIG. 41 .
- FIG. 43 is a front end view of the scoop of FIG. 41 .
- FIG. 44 is a rear end view of the scoop of FIG. 41 .
- FIG. 45 is a perspective view showing a side member of the scoop of FIG. 41 pivoting from a first position shown in FIG. 4 toward a second position.
- FIG. 46 shows the scoop of 41 in the second position.
- FIG. 47 is a perspective view of another example of a rack structure.
- FIG. 48 is a perspective view of one rack module from the rack structure of FIG. 47 .
- FIG. 49 is a rear perspective view of the rack module of FIG. 48 .
- FIG. 50 is a side view of the rack module of FIG. 48
- FIG. 51 is a top view of the rack module of FIG. 48
- FIG. 52 is a front view of the rack module of FIG. 48 .
- FIG. 53 is a top perspective view of another example of a container with a front wall in a closed position.
- FIG. 54 is a bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 53 .
- FIG. 55 is a breakaway view of the container of FIG. 53 .
- FIG. 56 is a perspective view showing the container of FIG. 53 supported by a rack module of FIG. 48 .
- FIG. 57 is a perspective view showing two containers of FIG. 53 supported by two rack modules of FIG. 48 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates a merchandising system 10 including a container 12 for shipping small packages (such as chips, cookies, snacks, etc.) to a store and a shovel or scoop 14 for transferring a row of packages from the container 12 to a store shelf.
- small packages such as chips, cookies, snacks, etc.
- the container 12 includes a base wall 16 , side walls 18 and a rear wall 20 .
- a front wall 22 is pivotably mounted to the base wall 16 to selectively open and close a front of the container 12 to provide access to the interior of the container 12 .
- a plurality of dividers 24 are formed inside the container 12 , extending upwardly from the base wall 16 .
- the dividers 24 define rows of packages (not shown) therebetween.
- a pair of “false bottom” support ribs 26 protrudes upwardly from the base 16 in each row to support the packages at a distance from the base wall 16 .
- the support ribs 26 may be angled toward the front of the container 12 to facilitate packages sliding forward onto the scoop 14 once the front wall 22 is moved to the open position.
- the scoop 14 includes a body portion 36 from which extend a lower blade 38 and a side blade 40 .
- the side blade 40 is substantially perpendicular (or at least substantially transverse) to the lower blade 38 and is spaced apart from the lower blade 38 .
- a generally vertically oriented handle 42 extends rearwardly from the body portion 36 of the scoop 14 .
- the side 40 and lower 38 blades extend outwardly from the body portion 36 in the same direction with the handle 42 extending outwardly from the body portion 36 in an opposite direction.
- FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the scoop 14 .
- the body portion 36 includes a lower portion 46 protruding forwardly and from which the lower blade 38 extends, and a side portion 48 protruding forwardly and from which the side blade 40 extends.
- the body portion 36 including the lower portion 46 , side portion 48 and handle 42 are preferably integrally molded as a single plastic piece.
- the blades 38 , 40 may be formed of plastic or may be formed from metal, such as aluminum.
- a rubber or plastic foot 50 may be secured to a forward distal end of the lower blade 38 to facilitate retention of packages on the scoop 14 .
- the foot 50 includes an upwardly extending lip portion 50 a that forms a shallow cup portion at the distal end to prevent packages from falling off of the scoop 14 . Further, the foot 50 may include a textured surface 50 b to further facilitate retention of the packages on the scoop 14 .
- the foot 50 of the lower blade 38 pulls the last bag out of the container 12 .
- the user pushes the packages from the scoop 14 as the scoop is pulled out from underneath the packages.
- FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and end views, respectively, of the scoop 14 .
- the lower blade 38 has a slight curvature C which further facilitates packages from sliding off of side edges of the lower blade 38 .
- FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the container 12 , with the front wall 22 being pivoted to a closed position.
- elongated rails 54 extend across an uppermost edge of the side walls 18 .
- Complementary grooves 56 are formed along a lower edge of the side walls 18 , such that the container 12 can be slid on and stacked on a similar container, with the rails 54 of a lower container 12 being received within the grooves 56 of an upper container 12 .
- the container 12 may also include handles 58 formed within the side walls 18 .
- the handles 58 are formed by openings extending through the side walls 18 to provide a section of the side walls that can be gripped to move the containers 12 as needed.
- FIG. 6 is a bottom, rear perspective view of the container 12 .
- the base wall 16 includes openings 16 a to reduce the weight of the container 12 .
- the rear wall 20 includes a bracket 60 at an upper end thereof. The bracket 60 is spaced rearwardly from the rear wall 20 to provide a clearance gap 20 a.
- FIG. 7 shows the container 12 hanging on a wall mount that includes a hook 62 attached to a plate bracket 64 .
- the plate bracket 64 could be secured to an interior wall of the delivery truck, for example.
- the hook 62 extends upwardly into the clearance gap 20 a provided by the bracket 60 .
- the hook 62 is formed as part of the plate bracket 64 and extends to a distal end 66 spaced away from the plate bracket 64 , for hanging containers 12 thereon. Referring back to FIG. 7 , to hang the container 12 on the hook 62 , the distal end 66 is received within the clearance gap 20 a between the rear wall 20 and the bracket 60 .
- FIG. 10 illustrates a scoop 70 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
- the scoop 70 includes a body portion 72 having a handle portion 74 and integral side portions 78 .
- An activating trigger 76 is pivotably mounted in front of the handle portion 74 .
- Side arms or rods 80 extend forwardly from each of the side portions 78 .
- the rods 80 are pivotable between a retention position ( FIGS. 10-13 ) and an open position ( FIGS. 14-16 ).
- Paddles or fingers 82 extend laterally inward toward each other from forward distal ends of the rods 80 when in the retention position. In use, the activation of the trigger 76 causes rotation of approximately ninety degrees of the rods 80 and fingers 82 to the open position shown in FIG. 14 .
- FIG. 11 illustrates a filament 86 connecting the trigger 76 around a guide 88 to a lever 90 , which rotates the rod 80 .
- a spring 92 causes the lever 90 to return to the normal retention position (shown) upon release of the trigger 76 .
- the other rod 80 is rotated at the same time via another filament 86 extending around a guide 88 .
- the fingers 82 are directed generally toward one another ( FIGS. 10-13 ).
- the trigger 76 is pulled toward the handle 74 , the rods 80 and fingers 82 are rotated out of the way ( FIGS. 14-16 ).
- this functionality could be reversed.
- the packages are placed between the dividers 24 on the ribs 26 .
- a user that uses the scoop 70 will insert the lower blade 84 of the scoop 70 between the ribs 26 under the packages in the access space provided just above the base wall 16 .
- the user activates the trigger 76 before pushing the lower blade 84 below the packages.
- the user releases the trigger 76 , causing the paddles to return to their normal retention position, which keeps the last package on the scoop 70 so that the package does not fall off during transport.
- the user then lifts the scoop 70 from the container 12 , with an entire row of packages and places the scoop 70 on the display shelf in the store (the user can carry one more loaded scoops 70 ).
- the user then releases the packages by squeezing the trigger 76 and pulling the scoop 70 out from under the packages.
- the rear wall 20 of the container 12 includes one or more recesses that receive the fingers 82 , such that the fingers 82 can rotate between positions inside the recess without interference from the packages.
- FIG. 17 illustrates a scoop 170 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
- the scoop 170 includes a body portion 172 having a handle portion 174 , an integral side portion 178 and an integral lower portion 179 .
- a side blade 182 extends from the side portion 178 and a lower blade 184 extends from the lower portion 179 .
- An activation mechanism 188 is associated with a distal end of the lower blade 184 .
- the activation mechanism 188 could be associated with the side blade 182 instead of the lower blade 184 .
- the activation mechanism includes a flap 186 that projects forwardly from the activation mechanism 188 on the lower blade 184 .
- the flap 186 is shown in the extended, open position such that packages can be loaded or unloaded from the lower blade 184 .
- FIG. 19 shows the flap 186 in the retracted, closed position, generally perpendicular to the lower blade 184 . In this position, the flap 186 holds the last package in place to prevent the package from falling off of the scoop 170 .
- FIG. 20 is an exploded view of the activation mechanism 188 at the distal end of the lower blade 184 .
- the activation mechanism 188 includes the flap 186 , a lower portion 193 , and an upper portion 198 that overlaps the lower portion 193 when assembled. Apertures 190 on the flap 186 and apertures 192 on the lower portion 193 receive a hinge pin 194 therethrough to hingeably connect the flap 186 to the lower portion 193 .
- the lower portion 193 is slidable relative to the lower blade 184 on a track portion 170 a and is biased rearwardly (i.e. toward the handle 174 ) by a spring 195 reacting between the lower portion 193 and the upper portion 198 .
- the flap 186 includes a first contact surface 196 and a second contact surface 197 that is orientated to be generally perpendicular to the first contact surface 196 .
- FIGS. 21 and 22 are section views through the lower blade 184 .
- FIG. 21 shows the flap 186 in the extended, open position in which the lower portion 193 is drawn forward, compressing the spring 195 .
- the second contact surface 197 of the flap 186 is drawn into contact with a forward end of the upper portion 198 of the flap activation mechanism 188 .
- the spring 195 By rotating the flap 186 upward to the retracted, closed position shown in FIG. 22 , the spring 195 first offers resistance as the flap 186 contacts the rear wall 20 ( FIG. 1 ) of the container 12 ., and then in response to further exerted compression, the flap 186 snaps into the retracted, closed retention position with the first surface 196 contacting the forward end of the upper portion 198 .
- the flap 186 can be rotated back to the extended, open position of FIG. 21 , and again, the spring 195 first offers resistance and then snaps the flap 186 into the retention position of FIG. 22 .
- the scoop 170 is inserted under a row of packages in the container 12 .
- the flap 186 hits the rear wall 20 , the flap 186 snaps into the retracted, closed position, thereby retaining the packages on the scoop 170 .
- the scoop 170 and packages can then be carried to the shelf or even into the store.
- the scoop 170 and packages are inserted onto the shelf, where the flap 186 is then pivoted downward to the extended, open position, such as by hand.
- the scoop 170 is then removed from the shelf, leaving the packages on the shelf.
- FIGS. 23-28 illustrate a scoop 270 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
- the scoop 270 includes a body portion 272 having a handle portion 274 with a pivotable lever 275 .
- the body portion 272 further includes an integral side portion 278 and an integral lower portion 279 .
- a side blade 282 extends from the side portion 278 and a lower blade 284 extends from the lower portion 279 .
- An activation mechanism 288 is associated with a distal end of the lower blade 284 .
- the activation mechanism 288 could be associated with the side blade 282 instead of the lower blade 284 .
- the activation mechanism 288 includes a flap 286 that projects forwardly from the activation mechanism 288 on the lower blade 284 .
- the flap 286 is shown in the extended, open position, while in FIG. 24 the flap 286 is shown in the retracted, closed retention position.
- FIGS. 25 and 26 are exploded views of the outer end of the lower blade 284 .
- the activation mechanism 288 includes the flap 286 , a lower portion 293 , and an upper portion 298 that overlaps the lower portion 293 when assembled.
- the flap 286 includes lower apertures 290 and upper apertures 291 for receiving hinge pins 294 therethrough.
- One hinge pin 294 hingeably connects the flap 286 to apertures 292 on the lower portion 293 of the activation mechanism 288 .
- the other hinge pin 294 hingeably connects the flap 286 to apertures 296 on the upper portion 298 of the activation mechanism 288 .
- the lower portion 293 is slidable relative to the lower blade 284 along a track portion 284 a and is biased rearwardly (i.e.
- the lower portion 293 is connected by an activation rod 289 to the lever 275 on the handle 274 ( FIGS. 23 and 24 ).
- the upper portion 298 is secured to the lower blade 284 and retains the lower portion 293 slidably between a forward and rearward position.
- FIGS. 27 and 28 are section views through the lower blade 284 .
- FIG. 27 shows the flap 286 in the extended, open position in which the lower portion 293 is drawn rearward by expansion of the spring 295 .
- the lever 275 contacts an enlarged end 289 a of the activation rod 289 which in turn pushes the lower portion 293 of the flap activation mechanism 288 forward, compressing the spring 295 .
- This also moves the lower one of the hinge pins 294 forward, thereby rotating the flap 286 upwardly.
- the spring 295 is compressed and subsequently returns the flap 286 to the open extended position when the lever 275 is released.
- the scoop 270 is inserted under a row of packages and the lever 275 is squeezed to move the flap 286 into the retracted, closed position, thereby retaining the packages on the scoop 270 .
- the scoop 270 and packages can then be carried to the shelf or even into the store from the delivery truck.
- the scoop 270 and packages are inserted onto the shelf, where the lever 275 is released to move the flap 286 to the extended, open position.
- the scoop 270 is then removed from the shelf, leaving the packages on the shelf.
- FIGS. 29-39 illustrate another container 112 that could be used with any the scoops described in the subject application and generally in the same manner as described in the subject application.
- the container 112 includes a base wall 116 , side walls 118 and a rear wall 120 .
- a front wall 122 is pivotably mounted to the base wall 116 to selectively open and close a front of the container 112 to provide access to the interior of the container 112 .
- a plurality of dividers 124 are formed inside the container 112 , extending upwardly from the base wall 116 .
- the dividers 124 define rows of packages (not shown) therebetween.
- a pair of “false bottom” support ribs 126 protrudes upwardly from the base 116 in each row to support the packages at a spaced distance from the base wall 116 to facilitate scoop insertion.
- the support ribs 126 may be angled toward the front of the container 112 to further facilitate removal of the packages once the front wall 122 is opened.
- Concave ramps 127 are formed at an intersection of the base wall 116 and rear wall 120 in each row. The concave ramps 127 assist in activating the flaps 186 , 286 of the scoops 170 , 270 , for example, such that the flaps 186 , 286 will move toward the closed retention position behind the row of packages.
- a lower flange 130 projects outwardly in a lateral direction from a periphery of the side walls 118 and rear wall 120 .
- An upper flange 132 is spaced above the lower flange 130 to define a channel 134 therebetween.
- a cantilevered finger 140 has a latch portion extending into the channel 134 . As shown in FIG. 31 , the channel 134 extends entirely around the side 118 and rear 120 walls.
- a lip 136 extends downward from an outer edge of the lower flange 130 on each side wall 118 to define a groove 138 .
- Elongated rails 142 extend across uppermost edges of the side walls 118 .
- Complementary grooves 138 that are formed along the lower edge of side walls 118 of another container receive the rails 142 . This allows a similar container 112 ′ ( FIG. 32 ) to be slid on and stacked on the container 112 , with the rails 142 of the lower container being received within the grooves 138 ′ along both side edges of the upper container 112 ′, as shown in FIG. 32 .
- the rack 150 for holding a plurality of the containers 112 is shown in FIG. 33 .
- the rack 150 includes a plurality of vertical supports 152 (which could be panels or walls) supporting U-shaped rails each including a pair of side rails 154 and a rear rail 156 .
- the rails 154 , 156 may be formed of plastic or metal for example.
- the side rails 154 include interlocking portions, such as a notch 158 formed along the side rails 154 .
- multiple racks 150 can be mounted together within a truck (not shown) to facilitate delivery of the packages in the containers 112 . Any type of mounting interface can be used to attach adjoining racks 150 together, such as fasteners or clips for example.
- each container 112 is slid into the rack 150 by sliding the side rails 154 into the channels 134 on the sides of the container 152 until the rear rail 156 is received in the channel 134 that extends along the rear wall 120 of the container 112 .
- FIG. 36 illustrates that the container 112 as well as a similar, but larger container 112 A can be stored on the same rack 150 .
- the front walls 122 , 122 A of the containers 112 , 112 A can be opened to access the contents of the containers 112 , 112 A independently of one another while the containers 112 , 112 A are still on the rack 150 .
- FIGS. 38-39 illustrate the cantilevered finger 140 of the container 112 more clearly. As shown in FIG. 39 , when the container 112 is slid into the rack 150 , a latch portion of the finger 140 snaps into the notch 158 on the side rail 154 .
- the side rail 154 can include a curved surface 154 a to facilitate insertion.
- FIG. 40 illustrates another example of a rack 250 that includes side rails 254 that pivot to an upper position (shown) and a lower position. Allowing alternate positions of the side rails 254 more efficiently accommodates containers 112 , 112 A of different sizes with less unused space.
- Vertical members 252 include bosses 252 a that receive pivot portions 258 of the side rails 254 .
- FIGS. 41-46 illustrate a scoop 370 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
- the scoop 370 includes a body portion 372 having a handle portion 374 with a wrist support platform 373 extending rearwardly from a lower portion thereof.
- the body portion 372 further includes a connector 376 including a plurality of circumferentially-spaced snap-fit fingers 376 a to which a side blade bracket 378 is rotatably connected.
- the body portion 372 includes an integral lower portion 379 .
- a side blade 382 extends from the side blade bracket 378 and a lower blade 384 extends from the lower portion 379 .
- An activation mechanism 388 is associated with a distal end of the lower blade 384 .
- the activation mechanism 388 could be associated with the side blade 382 instead of the lower blade 384 .
- the activation mechanism 388 includes a flap 386 that projects forwardly from the activation mechanism 388 on the lower blade 384 .
- the flap 386 is shown in the extended, open position.
- the flap activation mechanism 388 is similar to that of the third embodiment ( FIGS. 17-22 ), but alternatively the activation mechanism could be of the type shown in the fourth embodiment, with the activation handle.
- the flap 386 moves between open and retention positions as described above.
- FIG. 42 is a rear perspective view of the scoop 370 .
- FIG. 43 is a front view
- FIG. 44 is a rear view, of the scoop 370 .
- the side blade bracket 378 can be rotated relative to the body portion 372 via the rotatable connection between the side blade bracket 378 and the connector 376 .
- the side blade 382 can be rotated from the right-side position of FIG. 45 to the left-side position of FIG. 46 , based upon the preference of the user.
- the connector 376 could be offset from the center, so that the side blade 382 could accommodate larger items and larger width trays.
- FIG. 47 shows a rack 350 including a plurality of rack modules 351 mounted on a wall 349 , such as an interior wall 349 of a truck.
- the rack module 351 includes a rear bracket 355 having a rear rail 356 mounted parallel to the bracket 355 and protruding therefrom.
- a side rail 354 extends generally perpendicularly from one end of the bracket 355 .
- the side rail 354 has a head 357 mounted at its outer end.
- the head 357 includes a notch 358 on either side of the outer end for interacting with a container (described herein) to secure the container to the rail 354 .
- the rail 354 could include a flexible finger that interacts with a notch in the container.
- FIG. 49 is a rear perspective view of the rack module 351 .
- FIGS. 50 , 51 and 52 are side, top and front views of the rack module 351 .
- FIGS. 53-57 illustrate another container 312 that could be used with the scoops described above generally in the same manner described above.
- the container 312 includes a base wall 316 , side walls 318 and a rear wall 320 .
- a front wall 322 is pivotably mounted to the base wall 316 to selectively open and close a front of the container 312 to provide access to the interior of the container 312 .
- a plurality of dividers 324 are formed inside the container 312 , extending upwardly from the base wall 316 .
- the dividers 324 define rows of packages (not shown) therebetween.
- the base wall 316 is corrugated, i.e. is formed to have alternating lower wall portions 328 and upper wall portions 329 connected by generally vertical wall portions 326 .
- the lower wall portions 328 and vertical wall portions 326 define channels below the packages (not shown), which rest on the vertical wall portions 326 and upper wall portions 329 between the dividers 324 , which extend upwardly from the upper walls 329 .
- the upper wall portions 329 may be angled and vertical wall portions 326 may be tapered toward the front of the container 312 , as shown, to facilitate removal of the packages once the front wall 322 is moved to the open position.
- Concave ramps 327 are formed at the intersection of the lower wall portion 328 and rear wall 320 in each row.
- the concave ramp 327 assists in activating the flap 386 of the scoop 370 of FIG. 68 , for example, such that the flap 386 will move toward the closed position behind the row of packages.
- a lower flange 330 projects outwardly in a lateral direction from a periphery of the side walls 318 and rear wall 320 .
- An upper flange 332 is spaced above the lower flange 330 to define a channel 334 therebetween.
- a groove 338 is defined below the lower flange 330 and outward of the base 316 and positioned and sized to be received on the rails 342 across the uppermost edge of the side walls 318 of a similar container.
- a cantilevered finger 340 has a latch portion extending into the channel 334 .
- the container 312 is mountable to the rack modules 351 of the rack 350 (rack 350 shown in FIG. 47 ; only one module 351 shown in FIG. 56 ).
- the side rail 354 slides into the channel 334 of the container 312 until the cantilevered finger 340 snaps into the notch 358 of the side rail 354 to secure it in place.
- the container 312 would be simultaneously slide onto two side rails 354 to secure it in the rack.
- each side rail 354 would be received within the adjacent channels 334 of two adjacent containers 312 . This maximizes the number of containers 312 that can be stored in a given volume (e.g. the interior of a truck).
- the scoop 370 of FIGS. 41-46 (or any of the other scoops) would be used to remove an entire row of the packages (not shown) from the container 312 , and would be used to carry the entire row of packages into the store and delivered onto a shelf in the store.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/110,979, filed Nov. 3, 2008; U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/117,725, filed Nov. 25, 2008; U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/119,362, filed Dec. 2, 2008; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/155,689, filed Feb. 26, 2009.
- The present invention relates to a merchandising system. Stores selling small packages of chips or snacks or other small goods are restocked by delivery drivers. The driver carries one or more boxes of different varieties of packages from the truck into the store. At the appropriate shelf, the driver determines which packages are needed to be restocked, then selects the packages needed from the boxes and places them onto the shelf. This is inconvenient because the driver has carried in more packages than he is restocking and restocking packages one at a time is time consuming.
- The present invention is directed to a scoop that includes a side member and lower blade that cooperate with each other to secure and hold a row of packages at one time. The packages could comprise chips, pretzels, cookies, or other types of small packages that are easily grouped together for shipment.
- In one example, the packages are stored within a container that has a pivotable front wall to allow access to divided rows of packages. The front wall is pivoted into an open position and the scoop is inserted into the container to remove a row of packages for placement on a display
- In one example, the scoop includes a body portion, a lower blade extending outwardly from the body portion to provide a base support surface for the plurality of packages, at least one side member extending outwardly from the body portion and spaced vertically above the lower blade, and a handle. The lower blade and side member cooperate with each other to secure and hold a plurality of packages to be transported by a user holding the handle.
- In one example, the scoop includes an activation mechanism associated with at least one of the lower blade and the at least one side member. The activation mechanism is selectively moveable between an open position to allow the plurality of packages to be loaded on the lower blade or unloaded from the lower blade and a retention position to hold the plurality of packages on the lower blade for transport.
- In one example, the scoop works in conjunction with stackable containers to provide a merchandise stocking assembly. The container includes a base wall, a pair of side walls, a rear wall, and a front wall that is pivotably mounted to the base wall to selectively open and close a front of the container to provide access to the plurality of packages.
- In one example, the container also includes a plurality of dividers extending upwardly from the base wall to define rows for the plurality of packages. The container further includes at least one bottom support rib that protrudes upwardly from the base wall in each row to support the plurality of packages within each row at a spaced distance from the base wall to provide easier access for the scoop.
- As such, the present invention allows the driver to deliver these small packages a row at a time on a shelf for display in a store. The driver would be able to carry one or more “rows” of packages into the store and place an entire row of packages onto the appropriate shelf at one time.
- In one example, a support structure is included within the delivery truck to support a plurality of containers. In one example, the support structure includes a wall mount fixed to a wall of the truck and which includes a hook that allows the container to be hung on the wall. In another example, the support structure comprises a rack that is used to support a plurality of containers.
- In one example, the rack includes at least one rear rail and at least one side rail extending outwardly from one end of the rear rail. The rear and side rails each include an interface structure that cooperates with a corresponding interface structure on a container to hold the container on the rack.
- These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
-
FIG. 1 is a front view of a merchandising system including a scoop and a stackable container to hold a plurality of divided packages in rows where a front wall of the container is in an open position. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one example of a scoop. -
FIG. 3 is a front end view of the scoop ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is a rear end view of the scoop ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of the container ofFIG. 1 with a front wall being in a closed position. -
FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view from the rear of the container ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the container ofFIG. 5 in combination with a wall mount. -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wall mount ofFIG. 7 -
FIG. 9 is a side view of the wall mount ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop showing side arms rotated to a retention position. -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view from the rear of the scoop ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 12 is a front end view of the scoop ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 13 is a rear end view of the scoop ofFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 14 is perspective view of the scoop ofFIG. 10 with side rods arms rotated to an open position. -
FIG. 15 is a front end view of the scoop ofFIG. 14 . -
FIG. 16 is a rear end view of the scoop ofFIG. 14 . -
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop showing an activation mechanism in an open position. -
FIG. 18 is a perspective view from the rear of the scoop ofFIG. 17 . -
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the scoop showing the activation mechanism in a retention position. -
FIG. 20 is an enlarged exploded view of the activation mechanism. -
FIG. 21 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism in the open position. -
FIG. 22 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism in the closed position. -
FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop showing an activation mechanism in an open position. -
FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the scoop ofFIG. 23 in a retention position. -
FIG. 25 is an enlarged exploded view from the front of the activation mechanism for the scoop ofFIG. 23 . -
FIG. 26 is an enlarged exploded view from the rear of the activation mechanism for the scoop ofFIG. 23 . -
FIG. 27 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism ofFIG. 25 in the open position. -
FIG. 28 is an enlarged partial section view of the activation mechanism ofFIG. 25 in the closed position. -
FIG. 29 is a perspective view of another example of a container showing a front wall in a closed position. -
FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the container ofFIG. 29 with the front wall in an open position. -
FIG. 31 is a rear perspective view of the container ofFIG. 29 . -
FIG. 32 is a front perspective view of two containers ofFIG. 29 in a stacked relationship. -
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of on example of a support structure comprising a rack. -
FIG. 34 is a perspective view of two racks connected to each other. -
FIG. 35 is a perspective view showing a container being slid into the rack ofFIG. 33 . -
FIG. 36 is a perspective view showing two containers of different sizes supported within a common rack structure with associated front walls in a closed position. -
FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the containers and rack ofFIG. 26 showing the front walls in an open position. -
FIG. 38 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner of the container ofFIG. 29 . -
FIG. 39 is an enlarged perspective view of the corner ofFIG. 38 in combination with a side rail of the rack. -
FIG. 40 is a perspective view of another example of a rack structure with pivotable side rails. -
FIG. 41 is a perspective view of another example of a scoop with an activation mechanism in the open position. -
FIG. 41 is a rear perspective view of the scoop ofFIG. 41 . -
FIG. 43 is a front end view of the scoop ofFIG. 41 . -
FIG. 44 is a rear end view of the scoop ofFIG. 41 . -
FIG. 45 is a perspective view showing a side member of the scoop ofFIG. 41 pivoting from a first position shown inFIG. 4 toward a second position. -
FIG. 46 shows the scoop of 41 in the second position. -
FIG. 47 is a perspective view of another example of a rack structure. -
FIG. 48 is a perspective view of one rack module from the rack structure ofFIG. 47 . -
FIG. 49 is a rear perspective view of the rack module ofFIG. 48 . -
FIG. 50 is a side view of the rack module ofFIG. 48 -
FIG. 51 is a top view of the rack module ofFIG. 48 -
FIG. 52 is a front view of the rack module ofFIG. 48 . -
FIG. 53 is a top perspective view of another example of a container with a front wall in a closed position. -
FIG. 54 is a bottom perspective view of the container ofFIG. 53 . -
FIG. 55 is a breakaway view of the container ofFIG. 53 . -
FIG. 56 is a perspective view showing the container ofFIG. 53 supported by a rack module ofFIG. 48 . -
FIG. 57 is a perspective view showing two containers ofFIG. 53 supported by two rack modules ofFIG. 48 . -
FIG. 1 illustrates amerchandising system 10 including acontainer 12 for shipping small packages (such as chips, cookies, snacks, etc.) to a store and a shovel or scoop 14 for transferring a row of packages from thecontainer 12 to a store shelf. - The
container 12 includes abase wall 16,side walls 18 and arear wall 20. Afront wall 22 is pivotably mounted to thebase wall 16 to selectively open and close a front of thecontainer 12 to provide access to the interior of thecontainer 12. A plurality ofdividers 24 are formed inside thecontainer 12, extending upwardly from thebase wall 16. Thedividers 24 define rows of packages (not shown) therebetween. A pair of “false bottom”support ribs 26 protrudes upwardly from the base 16 in each row to support the packages at a distance from thebase wall 16. Thesupport ribs 26 may be angled toward the front of thecontainer 12 to facilitate packages sliding forward onto thescoop 14 once thefront wall 22 is moved to the open position. - The
scoop 14 includes abody portion 36 from which extend alower blade 38 and aside blade 40. Theside blade 40 is substantially perpendicular (or at least substantially transverse) to thelower blade 38 and is spaced apart from thelower blade 38. A generally vertically orientedhandle 42 extends rearwardly from thebody portion 36 of thescoop 14. Theside 40 and lower 38 blades extend outwardly from thebody portion 36 in the same direction with thehandle 42 extending outwardly from thebody portion 36 in an opposite direction. -
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of thescoop 14. As shown, thebody portion 36 includes alower portion 46 protruding forwardly and from which thelower blade 38 extends, and aside portion 48 protruding forwardly and from which theside blade 40 extends. Thebody portion 36, including thelower portion 46,side portion 48 and handle 42 are preferably integrally molded as a single plastic piece. Theblades plastic foot 50 may be secured to a forward distal end of thelower blade 38 to facilitate retention of packages on thescoop 14. Thefoot 50 includes an upwardly extendinglip portion 50 a that forms a shallow cup portion at the distal end to prevent packages from falling off of thescoop 14. Further, thefoot 50 may include atextured surface 50 b to further facilitate retention of the packages on thescoop 14. - When using the
scoop 14, thefoot 50 of thelower blade 38 pulls the last bag out of thecontainer 12. On the shelf, the user pushes the packages from thescoop 14 as the scoop is pulled out from underneath the packages. -
FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and end views, respectively, of thescoop 14. As shown inFIG. 4 , thelower blade 38 has a slight curvature C which further facilitates packages from sliding off of side edges of thelower blade 38. -
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of thecontainer 12, with thefront wall 22 being pivoted to a closed position. As can also be seen inFIG. 5 , elongated rails 54 extend across an uppermost edge of theside walls 18.Complementary grooves 56 are formed along a lower edge of theside walls 18, such that thecontainer 12 can be slid on and stacked on a similar container, with therails 54 of alower container 12 being received within thegrooves 56 of anupper container 12. - The
container 12 may also includehandles 58 formed within theside walls 18. Thehandles 58 are formed by openings extending through theside walls 18 to provide a section of the side walls that can be gripped to move thecontainers 12 as needed. -
FIG. 6 is a bottom, rear perspective view of thecontainer 12. Thebase wall 16 includesopenings 16 a to reduce the weight of thecontainer 12. Therear wall 20 includes abracket 60 at an upper end thereof. Thebracket 60 is spaced rearwardly from therear wall 20 to provide aclearance gap 20 a. -
FIG. 7 shows thecontainer 12 hanging on a wall mount that includes ahook 62 attached to aplate bracket 64. Theplate bracket 64 could be secured to an interior wall of the delivery truck, for example. Thehook 62 extends upwardly into theclearance gap 20 a provided by thebracket 60. - As shown in
FIGS. 8-9 , thehook 62 is formed as part of theplate bracket 64 and extends to adistal end 66 spaced away from theplate bracket 64, for hangingcontainers 12 thereon. Referring back toFIG. 7 , to hang thecontainer 12 on thehook 62, thedistal end 66 is received within theclearance gap 20 a between therear wall 20 and thebracket 60. -
FIG. 10 illustrates ascoop 70 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Thescoop 70 includes abody portion 72 having ahandle portion 74 andintegral side portions 78. An activatingtrigger 76 is pivotably mounted in front of thehandle portion 74. - Side arms or
rods 80 extend forwardly from each of theside portions 78. Therods 80 are pivotable between a retention position (FIGS. 10-13 ) and an open position (FIGS. 14-16 ). Paddles orfingers 82 extend laterally inward toward each other from forward distal ends of therods 80 when in the retention position. In use, the activation of thetrigger 76 causes rotation of approximately ninety degrees of therods 80 andfingers 82 to the open position shown inFIG. 14 . -
FIG. 11 illustrates afilament 86 connecting thetrigger 76 around aguide 88 to alever 90, which rotates therod 80. Aspring 92 causes thelever 90 to return to the normal retention position (shown) upon release of thetrigger 76. Theother rod 80 is rotated at the same time via anotherfilament 86 extending around aguide 88. - As shown, in the retention position, the
fingers 82 are directed generally toward one another (FIGS. 10-13 ). When thetrigger 76 is pulled toward thehandle 74, therods 80 andfingers 82 are rotated out of the way (FIGS. 14-16 ). Optionally, this functionality could be reversed. - In use, the packages are placed between the
dividers 24 on theribs 26. A user that uses thescoop 70 will insert thelower blade 84 of thescoop 70 between theribs 26 under the packages in the access space provided just above thebase wall 16. The user activates thetrigger 76 before pushing thelower blade 84 below the packages. After thelower blade 84 is inserted, the user releases thetrigger 76, causing the paddles to return to their normal retention position, which keeps the last package on thescoop 70 so that the package does not fall off during transport. - The user then lifts the
scoop 70 from thecontainer 12, with an entire row of packages and places thescoop 70 on the display shelf in the store (the user can carry one more loaded scoops 70). Forscoop 70, the user then releases the packages by squeezing thetrigger 76 and pulling thescoop 70 out from under the packages. Optionally, therear wall 20 of thecontainer 12 includes one or more recesses that receive thefingers 82, such that thefingers 82 can rotate between positions inside the recess without interference from the packages. -
FIG. 17 illustrates ascoop 170 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 17 and 18 , thescoop 170 includes abody portion 172 having ahandle portion 174, anintegral side portion 178 and an integrallower portion 179. Aside blade 182 extends from theside portion 178 and alower blade 184 extends from thelower portion 179. Anactivation mechanism 188 is associated with a distal end of thelower blade 184. Optionally, theactivation mechanism 188 could be associated with theside blade 182 instead of thelower blade 184. - In the example of
FIGS. 17-22 , the activation mechanism includes aflap 186 that projects forwardly from theactivation mechanism 188 on thelower blade 184. InFIGS. 17 and 18 , theflap 186 is shown in the extended, open position such that packages can be loaded or unloaded from thelower blade 184. -
FIG. 19 shows theflap 186 in the retracted, closed position, generally perpendicular to thelower blade 184. In this position, theflap 186 holds the last package in place to prevent the package from falling off of thescoop 170. -
FIG. 20 is an exploded view of theactivation mechanism 188 at the distal end of thelower blade 184. Theactivation mechanism 188 includes theflap 186, alower portion 193, and anupper portion 198 that overlaps thelower portion 193 when assembled.Apertures 190 on theflap 186 andapertures 192 on thelower portion 193 receive ahinge pin 194 therethrough to hingeably connect theflap 186 to thelower portion 193. Thelower portion 193 is slidable relative to thelower blade 184 on atrack portion 170 a and is biased rearwardly (i.e. toward the handle 174) by aspring 195 reacting between thelower portion 193 and theupper portion 198. Theflap 186 includes afirst contact surface 196 and asecond contact surface 197 that is orientated to be generally perpendicular to thefirst contact surface 196. -
FIGS. 21 and 22 are section views through thelower blade 184.FIG. 21 shows theflap 186 in the extended, open position in which thelower portion 193 is drawn forward, compressing thespring 195. In this position, thesecond contact surface 197 of theflap 186 is drawn into contact with a forward end of theupper portion 198 of theflap activation mechanism 188. By rotating theflap 186 upward to the retracted, closed position shown inFIG. 22 , thespring 195 first offers resistance as theflap 186 contacts the rear wall 20 (FIG. 1 ) of the container 12., and then in response to further exerted compression, theflap 186 snaps into the retracted, closed retention position with thefirst surface 196 contacting the forward end of theupper portion 198. Theflap 186 can be rotated back to the extended, open position ofFIG. 21 , and again, thespring 195 first offers resistance and then snaps theflap 186 into the retention position ofFIG. 22 . - In use, the
scoop 170 is inserted under a row of packages in thecontainer 12. When theflap 186 hits therear wall 20, theflap 186 snaps into the retracted, closed position, thereby retaining the packages on thescoop 170. Thescoop 170 and packages can then be carried to the shelf or even into the store. Thescoop 170 and packages are inserted onto the shelf, where theflap 186 is then pivoted downward to the extended, open position, such as by hand. Thescoop 170 is then removed from the shelf, leaving the packages on the shelf. -
FIGS. 23-28 illustrate ascoop 270 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIGS. 23 and 24 , thescoop 270 includes abody portion 272 having ahandle portion 274 with apivotable lever 275. Thebody portion 272 further includes anintegral side portion 278 and an integrallower portion 279. Aside blade 282 extends from theside portion 278 and alower blade 284 extends from thelower portion 279. Anactivation mechanism 288 is associated with a distal end of thelower blade 284. Optionally, theactivation mechanism 288 could be associated with theside blade 282 instead of thelower blade 284. - In the example of
FIGS. 23-28 , theactivation mechanism 288 includes aflap 286 that projects forwardly from theactivation mechanism 288 on thelower blade 284. InFIG. 23 , theflap 286 is shown in the extended, open position, while inFIG. 24 theflap 286 is shown in the retracted, closed retention position. -
FIGS. 25 and 26 are exploded views of the outer end of thelower blade 284. Theactivation mechanism 288 includes theflap 286, alower portion 293, and anupper portion 298 that overlaps thelower portion 293 when assembled. Theflap 286 includeslower apertures 290 andupper apertures 291 for receivinghinge pins 294 therethrough. Onehinge pin 294 hingeably connects theflap 286 toapertures 292 on thelower portion 293 of theactivation mechanism 288. Theother hinge pin 294 hingeably connects theflap 286 toapertures 296 on theupper portion 298 of theactivation mechanism 288. Thelower portion 293 is slidable relative to thelower blade 284 along atrack portion 284 a and is biased rearwardly (i.e. toward the handle 274) by aspring 295 reacting between thelower portion 293 and theupper portion 298 of theactivation mechanism 288. Thelower portion 293 is connected by anactivation rod 289 to thelever 275 on the handle 274 (FIGS. 23 and 24 ). Theupper portion 298 is secured to thelower blade 284 and retains thelower portion 293 slidably between a forward and rearward position. -
FIGS. 27 and 28 are section views through thelower blade 284.FIG. 27 shows theflap 286 in the extended, open position in which thelower portion 293 is drawn rearward by expansion of thespring 295. By moving thelever 275 toward thehandle 274, thelever 275 contacts anenlarged end 289 a of theactivation rod 289 which in turn pushes thelower portion 293 of theflap activation mechanism 288 forward, compressing thespring 295. This also moves the lower one of the hinge pins 294 forward, thereby rotating theflap 286 upwardly. By rotating theflap 286 upward to the retracted, closed position shown inFIG. 28 , thespring 295 is compressed and subsequently returns theflap 286 to the open extended position when thelever 275 is released. - In use, the
scoop 270 is inserted under a row of packages and thelever 275 is squeezed to move theflap 286 into the retracted, closed position, thereby retaining the packages on thescoop 270. Thescoop 270 and packages can then be carried to the shelf or even into the store from the delivery truck. Thescoop 270 and packages are inserted onto the shelf, where thelever 275 is released to move theflap 286 to the extended, open position. Thescoop 270 is then removed from the shelf, leaving the packages on the shelf. -
FIGS. 29-39 illustrate anothercontainer 112 that could be used with any the scoops described in the subject application and generally in the same manner as described in the subject application. Referring toFIGS. 29-30 , thecontainer 112 includes abase wall 116,side walls 118 and arear wall 120. Afront wall 122 is pivotably mounted to thebase wall 116 to selectively open and close a front of thecontainer 112 to provide access to the interior of thecontainer 112. A plurality ofdividers 124 are formed inside thecontainer 112, extending upwardly from thebase wall 116. Thedividers 124 define rows of packages (not shown) therebetween. A pair of “false bottom”support ribs 126 protrudes upwardly from the base 116 in each row to support the packages at a spaced distance from thebase wall 116 to facilitate scoop insertion. Thesupport ribs 126 may be angled toward the front of thecontainer 112 to further facilitate removal of the packages once thefront wall 122 is opened.Concave ramps 127 are formed at an intersection of thebase wall 116 andrear wall 120 in each row. Theconcave ramps 127 assist in activating theflaps scoops flaps - A
lower flange 130 projects outwardly in a lateral direction from a periphery of theside walls 118 andrear wall 120. Anupper flange 132 is spaced above thelower flange 130 to define achannel 134 therebetween. Acantilevered finger 140 has a latch portion extending into thechannel 134. As shown inFIG. 31 , thechannel 134 extends entirely around theside 118 and rear 120 walls. - A
lip 136 extends downward from an outer edge of thelower flange 130 on eachside wall 118 to define agroove 138.Elongated rails 142 extend across uppermost edges of theside walls 118.Complementary grooves 138 that are formed along the lower edge ofside walls 118 of another container receive therails 142. This allows asimilar container 112′ (FIG. 32 ) to be slid on and stacked on thecontainer 112, with therails 142 of the lower container being received within thegrooves 138′ along both side edges of theupper container 112′, as shown inFIG. 32 . - A
rack 150 for holding a plurality of thecontainers 112 is shown inFIG. 33 . Therack 150 includes a plurality of vertical supports 152 (which could be panels or walls) supporting U-shaped rails each including a pair ofside rails 154 and arear rail 156. Therails notch 158 formed along the side rails 154. As shown inFIG. 34 ,multiple racks 150 can be mounted together within a truck (not shown) to facilitate delivery of the packages in thecontainers 112. Any type of mounting interface can be used to attach adjoiningracks 150 together, such as fasteners or clips for example. - As shown in
FIGS. 35 and 36 , eachcontainer 112 is slid into therack 150 by sliding the side rails 154 into thechannels 134 on the sides of thecontainer 152 until therear rail 156 is received in thechannel 134 that extends along therear wall 120 of thecontainer 112.FIG. 36 illustrates that thecontainer 112 as well as a similar, butlarger container 112A can be stored on thesame rack 150. As shown inFIG. 37 , thefront walls containers containers containers rack 150. -
FIGS. 38-39 illustrate thecantilevered finger 140 of thecontainer 112 more clearly. As shown inFIG. 39 , when thecontainer 112 is slid into therack 150, a latch portion of thefinger 140 snaps into thenotch 158 on theside rail 154. Theside rail 154 can include acurved surface 154 a to facilitate insertion. -
FIG. 40 illustrates another example of arack 250 that includes side rails 254 that pivot to an upper position (shown) and a lower position. Allowing alternate positions of the side rails 254 more efficiently accommodatescontainers Vertical members 252 include bosses 252 a that receivepivot portions 258 of the side rails 254. -
FIGS. 41-46 illustrate ascoop 370 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring toFIG. 41 , thescoop 370 includes abody portion 372 having ahandle portion 374 with awrist support platform 373 extending rearwardly from a lower portion thereof. Thebody portion 372 further includes aconnector 376 including a plurality of circumferentially-spaced snap-fit fingers 376 a to which aside blade bracket 378 is rotatably connected. Thebody portion 372 includes an integrallower portion 379. Aside blade 382 extends from theside blade bracket 378 and alower blade 384 extends from thelower portion 379. Anactivation mechanism 388 is associated with a distal end of thelower blade 384. Optionally, theactivation mechanism 388 could be associated with theside blade 382 instead of thelower blade 384. - In the example of
FIGS. 41-46 , theactivation mechanism 388 includes aflap 386 that projects forwardly from theactivation mechanism 388 on thelower blade 384. InFIG. 41 , theflap 386 is shown in the extended, open position. In the embodiment shown, theflap activation mechanism 388 is similar to that of the third embodiment (FIGS. 17-22 ), but alternatively the activation mechanism could be of the type shown in the fourth embodiment, with the activation handle. Theflap 386 moves between open and retention positions as described above. -
FIG. 42 is a rear perspective view of thescoop 370.FIG. 43 is a front view, andFIG. 44 is a rear view, of thescoop 370. As shown inFIG. 45 , theside blade bracket 378 can be rotated relative to thebody portion 372 via the rotatable connection between theside blade bracket 378 and theconnector 376. This way, theside blade 382 can be rotated from the right-side position ofFIG. 45 to the left-side position ofFIG. 46 , based upon the preference of the user. Optionally, theconnector 376 could be offset from the center, so that theside blade 382 could accommodate larger items and larger width trays. -
FIG. 47 shows arack 350 including a plurality ofrack modules 351 mounted on awall 349, such as aninterior wall 349 of a truck. - One of the
rack modules 351 is shown inFIG. 48 . Therack module 351 includes arear bracket 355 having arear rail 356 mounted parallel to thebracket 355 and protruding therefrom. Aside rail 354 extends generally perpendicularly from one end of thebracket 355. Theside rail 354 has ahead 357 mounted at its outer end. Thehead 357 includes anotch 358 on either side of the outer end for interacting with a container (described herein) to secure the container to therail 354. Alternatively, therail 354 could include a flexible finger that interacts with a notch in the container.FIG. 49 is a rear perspective view of therack module 351.FIGS. 50 , 51 and 52 are side, top and front views of therack module 351. -
FIGS. 53-57 illustrate anothercontainer 312 that could be used with the scoops described above generally in the same manner described above. Thecontainer 312 includes abase wall 316,side walls 318 and arear wall 320. Afront wall 322 is pivotably mounted to thebase wall 316 to selectively open and close a front of thecontainer 312 to provide access to the interior of thecontainer 312. A plurality ofdividers 324 are formed inside thecontainer 312, extending upwardly from thebase wall 316. Thedividers 324 define rows of packages (not shown) therebetween. - Referring to the breakaway view of
FIG. 70 , thebase wall 316 is corrugated, i.e. is formed to have alternatinglower wall portions 328 andupper wall portions 329 connected by generallyvertical wall portions 326. Thelower wall portions 328 andvertical wall portions 326 define channels below the packages (not shown), which rest on thevertical wall portions 326 andupper wall portions 329 between thedividers 324, which extend upwardly from theupper walls 329. Theupper wall portions 329 may be angled andvertical wall portions 326 may be tapered toward the front of thecontainer 312, as shown, to facilitate removal of the packages once thefront wall 322 is moved to the open position. -
Concave ramps 327 are formed at the intersection of thelower wall portion 328 andrear wall 320 in each row. Theconcave ramp 327 assists in activating theflap 386 of thescoop 370 ofFIG. 68 , for example, such that theflap 386 will move toward the closed position behind the row of packages. - A
lower flange 330 projects outwardly in a lateral direction from a periphery of theside walls 318 andrear wall 320. Anupper flange 332 is spaced above thelower flange 330 to define achannel 334 therebetween. Agroove 338 is defined below thelower flange 330 and outward of thebase 316 and positioned and sized to be received on the rails 342 across the uppermost edge of theside walls 318 of a similar container. Acantilevered finger 340 has a latch portion extending into thechannel 334. - As shown in
FIG. 56 , thecontainer 312 is mountable to therack modules 351 of the rack 350 (rack 350 shown inFIG. 47 ; only onemodule 351 shown inFIG. 56 ). Theside rail 354 slides into thechannel 334 of thecontainer 312 until the cantileveredfinger 340 snaps into thenotch 358 of theside rail 354 to secure it in place. Although only onerack module 351 is shown, thecontainer 312 would be simultaneously slide onto twoside rails 354 to secure it in the rack. As shown inFIG. 57 , eachside rail 354 would be received within theadjacent channels 334 of twoadjacent containers 312. This maximizes the number ofcontainers 312 that can be stored in a given volume (e.g. the interior of a truck). - In use, the
scoop 370 ofFIGS. 41-46 (or any of the other scoops) would be used to remove an entire row of the packages (not shown) from thecontainer 312, and would be used to carry the entire row of packages into the store and delivered onto a shelf in the store. - Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
Claims (40)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/610,426 US20100108625A1 (en) | 2008-11-03 | 2009-11-02 | Merchandising system |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11097908P | 2008-11-03 | 2008-11-03 | |
US11772508P | 2008-11-25 | 2008-11-25 | |
US11936208P | 2008-12-02 | 2008-12-02 | |
US15568909P | 2009-02-26 | 2009-02-26 | |
US12/610,426 US20100108625A1 (en) | 2008-11-03 | 2009-11-02 | Merchandising system |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20100108625A1 true US20100108625A1 (en) | 2010-05-06 |
Family
ID=41434991
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/610,426 Abandoned US20100108625A1 (en) | 2008-11-03 | 2009-11-02 | Merchandising system |
Country Status (4)
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---|---|
US (1) | US20100108625A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2684274A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2464837A (en) |
MX (1) | MX2009011889A (en) |
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US20110147323A1 (en) * | 2009-12-21 | 2011-06-23 | Sainato Anthony V | System and Method for Displaying and Dispensing Merchandise Articles of Selected Dimensions |
US20130134119A1 (en) * | 2011-11-29 | 2013-05-30 | Caleb S. Loftin | Product Display and Loading System |
US8490800B2 (en) * | 2010-05-14 | 2013-07-23 | Sabritas, S. De R.L. De C.V. | Gravity feed display rack |
US8727405B2 (en) * | 2011-10-17 | 2014-05-20 | Anthony L. Cameron | Merchandising grapple and method |
US20140175034A1 (en) * | 2004-02-03 | 2014-06-26 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product Securement and Management System |
US9375100B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2016-06-28 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US20160200480A1 (en) * | 2015-01-14 | 2016-07-14 | Rehrig Pacific Company | Beverage tray with drop wall |
CN106494730A (en) * | 2016-09-28 | 2017-03-15 | 奇瑞汽车股份有限公司 | A kind of packing case and packing method for groove |
US9706857B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2017-07-18 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
CN107697532A (en) * | 2017-11-02 | 2018-02-16 | 芜湖智久机器人有限公司 | A kind of Express Logistics warehouse AGV dollies and its control system |
CN108116784A (en) * | 2017-12-21 | 2018-06-05 | 东华大学 | A kind of steady type is layered takeaway box |
US10179404B2 (en) * | 2016-12-14 | 2019-01-15 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Stocking tool |
US20190300283A1 (en) * | 2018-04-03 | 2019-10-03 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Picking device for storing medicine bottles and method for retrieval |
US10435252B1 (en) * | 2018-10-08 | 2019-10-08 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Operating device for placing or retrieving bottle-like piece goods |
US10482423B1 (en) * | 2018-08-02 | 2019-11-19 | Logiquip Llc | Automated inventory control system |
EP3650366A1 (en) * | 2018-11-07 | 2020-05-13 | Schoeller Allibert GmbH | Insert for a container and container system with such an insert |
US10875678B2 (en) * | 2018-11-13 | 2020-12-29 | Pratt Retail Specialties, Llc | Box insert with vertical rails |
US11320448B2 (en) | 2018-08-02 | 2022-05-03 | Logiquip Llc | Pivoting stock divider with motion detector |
US11375826B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2022-07-05 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US20230157459A1 (en) * | 2021-11-25 | 2023-05-25 | Jofemar, S.A. | Adaptable Product Storage and Extraction Tray |
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US11058234B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2021-07-13 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US9375100B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2016-06-28 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US11659943B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2023-05-30 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US10258169B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2019-04-16 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
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US11375826B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2022-07-05 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US9289078B2 (en) * | 2004-02-03 | 2016-03-22 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US10349755B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2019-07-16 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
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US10667630B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2020-06-02 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US9687085B2 (en) * | 2004-02-03 | 2017-06-27 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
US9706857B2 (en) | 2004-02-03 | 2017-07-18 | Rtc Industries, Inc. | Product securement and management system |
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US8490800B2 (en) * | 2010-05-14 | 2013-07-23 | Sabritas, S. De R.L. De C.V. | Gravity feed display rack |
US8727405B2 (en) * | 2011-10-17 | 2014-05-20 | Anthony L. Cameron | Merchandising grapple and method |
US20130134119A1 (en) * | 2011-11-29 | 2013-05-30 | Caleb S. Loftin | Product Display and Loading System |
US20160200480A1 (en) * | 2015-01-14 | 2016-07-14 | Rehrig Pacific Company | Beverage tray with drop wall |
CN106494730A (en) * | 2016-09-28 | 2017-03-15 | 奇瑞汽车股份有限公司 | A kind of packing case and packing method for groove |
US10179404B2 (en) * | 2016-12-14 | 2019-01-15 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Stocking tool |
CN107697532A (en) * | 2017-11-02 | 2018-02-16 | 芜湖智久机器人有限公司 | A kind of Express Logistics warehouse AGV dollies and its control system |
CN108116784A (en) * | 2017-12-21 | 2018-06-05 | 东华大学 | A kind of steady type is layered takeaway box |
US11884489B2 (en) | 2018-04-03 | 2024-01-30 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Picking device for storing medicine bottles and method for retrieval |
US20190300283A1 (en) * | 2018-04-03 | 2019-10-03 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Picking device for storing medicine bottles and method for retrieval |
US10793354B2 (en) * | 2018-04-03 | 2020-10-06 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Picking device for storing medicine bottles and method for retrieval |
US11320448B2 (en) | 2018-08-02 | 2022-05-03 | Logiquip Llc | Pivoting stock divider with motion detector |
US10482423B1 (en) * | 2018-08-02 | 2019-11-19 | Logiquip Llc | Automated inventory control system |
US11713200B2 (en) | 2018-10-08 | 2023-08-01 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Operating device for placing or retrieving bottle-like piece goods |
US11180326B2 (en) | 2018-10-08 | 2021-11-23 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Operating device for placing or retrieving bottle-like piece goods |
US10435252B1 (en) * | 2018-10-08 | 2019-10-08 | Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany Gmbh | Operating device for placing or retrieving bottle-like piece goods |
EP3650366A1 (en) * | 2018-11-07 | 2020-05-13 | Schoeller Allibert GmbH | Insert for a container and container system with such an insert |
US11352165B2 (en) | 2018-11-13 | 2022-06-07 | Pratt Retail Specialties, Llc | Box insert with vertical rails |
US11655063B2 (en) | 2018-11-13 | 2023-05-23 | Pratt Retail Specialties, Llc | Box insert with vertical rails |
US10875678B2 (en) * | 2018-11-13 | 2020-12-29 | Pratt Retail Specialties, Llc | Box insert with vertical rails |
US11724852B2 (en) | 2018-11-13 | 2023-08-15 | Pratt Retail Specialties, Llc | Box insert with vertical rails |
US20230157459A1 (en) * | 2021-11-25 | 2023-05-25 | Jofemar, S.A. | Adaptable Product Storage and Extraction Tray |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA2684274A1 (en) | 2010-05-03 |
GB2464837A (en) | 2010-05-05 |
GB0919144D0 (en) | 2009-12-16 |
MX2009011889A (en) | 2010-05-24 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY,CALIFORNIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MEERS, RYAN C.;BALTZ, KYLE L.;SIGNING DATES FROM 20091029 TO 20091030;REEL/FRAME:023454/0159 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: REHRIG PACIFIC COMPANY,CALIFORNIA Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ADDRESS FOR THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 023454 FRAME 0159. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE THE ADDRESS FOR THE ASSIGNEE WAS INCORRECTLY RECORDED. IT SHOULD BE "4010 EAST 26TH STREET, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90058";ASSIGNORS:MEERS, RYAN C.;BALTZ, KYLE L.;SIGNING DATES FROM 20091029 TO 20091030;REEL/FRAME:023501/0526 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |