U.S. patent application number 11/001454 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-14 for system and method of delivering groceries purchased over the internet.
Invention is credited to Liberman, Barnet L..
Application Number | 20050080689 11/001454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34273130 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050080689 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liberman, Barnet L. |
April 14, 2005 |
System and method of delivering groceries purchased over the
internet
Abstract
Delivery items ordered over the Internet by a particular time in
the early evening may be delivered by the next morning to a
location within a 5-6 hour delivery radius of a warehouse,
according to one specific aspect of the present invention. The
order for the delivery items is filled at the warehouse, where the
items are placed in a tote for delivery. The filled tote is placed
on a movable rack, with shelves that are pitched such that when a
tote is removed, another tote falls into the space previously
occupied by the first tote. Racks holding the totes are transferred
to a first vehicle, typically a large trailer, that transports the
racks to a transfer point where one or more racks are transferred
to a second smaller vehicle, such as a van. The van delivers the
totes to customers along a pre-established route. Upon reaching a
delivery destination, the driver removes the appropriate tote and
secures it in a locked expandable bag, such as a mesh net or
insulated bag, that may be locked in two places and that is itself
secured to a delivery box, which is secured outside the delivery
destination. Later, the customer can remove the tote from the bag,
and removes the delivery items from the tote.
Inventors: |
Liberman, Barnet L.; (New
York, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COHEN, PONTANI, LIEBERMAN & PAVANE
551 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 1210
NEW YORK
NY
10176
US
|
Family ID: |
34273130 |
Appl. No.: |
11/001454 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11001454 |
Dec 1, 2004 |
|
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09587201 |
Jun 5, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/28 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 29/141 20130101;
G06Q 10/08 20130101; A47G 2029/142 20130101; A47G 2029/145
20130101; G06Q 10/087 20130101; F25D 3/107 20130101; A47G 2029/147
20130101; F25D 3/08 20130101; F25D 2331/804 20130101; G07F 17/10
20130101; G07F 7/00 20130101; A47G 29/20 20130101; G06Q 50/12
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/028 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for distributing delivery items comprising: a tote in
which a delivery item is placed, said delivery item having been
ordered by a customer for delivery to a delivery destination; a
movable rack for receiving the tote loaded with the delivery item,
said movable rack being capable of holding a plurality of totes and
of being moved about within a warehouse; a first vehicle for
receiving the movable rack, wherein the movable rack holding the
tote may be secured within the first vehicle, and wherein said
first vehicle is dispatched from the warehouse to a transfer point;
a second vehicle for receiving the tote from the first vehicle at
the transfer point, wherein said second vehicle is dispatched from
the transfer point to the delivery destination; a box at the
delivery destination; and a secure expandable bag attached to the
box for receiving the tote from the second vehicle, wherein said
bag can expand to hold the tote, and wherein said bag comprises: a
first opening; a first lock on said first opening, wherein said
first lock is unlocked in order that the tote be placed in the bag
through the first opening, and wherein said first lock is locked in
order to secure the tote in the bag; a second opening; and a second
lock on said second opening, wherein said second lock is unlocked
by the customer to gain access to the tote through the second
opening.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the bag is not used to
store the tote, the bag is in a collapsed state and is stored
within the box.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the bag is one of a mesh net and
an insulated bag.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the movable rack comprises: a
shelf on which the tote is placed.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the shelf on which the tote is
placed is pitched such that when another tote is located on the
rack behind the tote and the tote is removed, the other tote falls
into a space previously occupied by the tote.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the warehouse is situated within
an approximately six hour travel radius from a plurality of
delivery destinations.
7. The system of claim 6, further comprising: a plurality of
warehouses to stock a plurality of delivery items, including said
warehouse situated within an approximately six hour travel radius
from a plurality of delivery destinations.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tote further comprises: means
for maintaining the delivery item at a chilled temperature within
the tote.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the tote further comprises: a
portion to insert a frozen insert for maintaining the delivery item
at a chilled temperature within the tote.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery item is maintained
at a chilled temperature by feeding a chilled gas into at least a
portion of the tote.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery item is a grocery
item.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the second vehicle receives the
movable rack holding the tote from the first vehicle.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage capacities of the
first and second vehicles are such that the first vehicle may hold
contents equivalent to the contents of a plurality of second
vehicles.
14. A box for receiving a delivery item at a delivery destination,
said delivery item having been ordered by a customer, comprising:
an interior; and a secure expandable bag attached to the box for
receiving a tote containing the delivery item, wherein said bag can
expand to hold the tote, wherein said bag may be stored within said
interior of the box in its collapsed state, and wherein said bag
comprises: a first opening; a first lock on said first opening,
wherein said first lock is unlocked in order that the tote be
placed in the bag through the first opening, and wherein said first
lock is locked in order to secure the tote in the bag; a second
opening; and a second lock on said second opening, wherein said
second lock is unlocked by the customer to gain access to the tote
through the second opening.
15. A bag for receiving a tote containing a delivery item at a
delivery destination, said delivery item having been ordered by a
customer, comprising: a first opening; a first lock on said first
opening, wherein said first lock is unlocked in order that the tote
be placed in the bag through the first opening, and wherein said
first lock is locked in order to secure the tote in the bag; a
second opening; and a second lock on said second opening, wherein
said second lock is unlocked by the customer to gain access to the
tote through the second opening; wherein the bag is securely
attached to a box at the delivery destination; and wherein the bag
is expandable such that it can expand to hold the tote, and it can
collapse to be stored within the box.
16. The bag of claim 15, further comprising: a plurality of O-rings
secured to a perimeter of one of the first and second openings,
such that the one of the first and second openings is closed by
locking the plurality of O-rings in proximity to one another.
17. The bag of claim 15, further comprising: a first plurality of
O-rings secured to a perimeter of the first opening, such that the
first opening is closed by locking the plurality of O-rings in
proximity to one another with the first lock; and a second
plurality of O-rings secured to a perimeter of the second opening,
such that the second opening is closed by locking the plurality of
O-rings in proximity to one another with the second lock.
18. A bag for receiving a tote containing a delivery item at a
delivery destination, said delivery item having been ordered by a
customer, comprising: an interior for holding the tote, wherein the
bag is expandable such that it can contain the tote; an opening to
said interior; and a two-way zipper across the opening for opening
and closing the opening, the zipper having first and second ends,
and first and second sliding pieces that close the zipper when
fully extended apart from one another; wherein a first lock locks
the first sliding piece to a first position on the bag; wherein a
second lock locks the second sliding piece independently of the
first sliding piece to a second position on the bag different from
the first position on the bag; wherein the first lock is unlocked
in order to place the tote through the opening into the interior of
the bag and is locked in order to secure the tote within the bag;
and wherein the second lock is unlocked in order to retrieve the
tote from the interior of the bag.
19. The bag of claim 18, wherein the bag is securely attached to a
box at the delivery destination, and it can collapse to be stored
within the box
20. A system for distributing delivery items comprising: a tote in
which a delivery item is placed, said delivery item having been
ordered by a customer for delivery to a delivery destination; a
movable rack for receiving the tote loaded with the delivery item,
said movable rack being capable of holding a plurality of totes; a
vehicle for receiving the movable rack, wherein the movable rack
holding the tote may be secured within the vehicle, and wherein
said vehicle delivers said tote at least partway to the delivery
destination; and a receptacle secured at the delivery destination
for receiving and containing the tote, said receptacle comprising:
a first lock which is unlocked in order that the tote be placed in
the receptacle, wherein said first lock is locked in order to
secure the tote in the receptacle; and a second lock which is
unlocked by the customer to gain access to the tote in the
receptacle.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the receptacle further
comprises: an opening to the interior of the receptacle; and a
two-way zipper across the opening for opening and closing the
opening, the zipper having first and second ends, and first and
second sliding pieces that close the zipper when fully extended
apart from one another; wherein the first lock locks the first
sliding piece to a first position on the receptacle; and wherein
second lock locks the second sliding piece independently of the
first sliding piece to a second position on the receptacle
different from the first position on the receptacle.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein the receptacle further
comprises: a first opening associated with the first lock, wherein
said first lock is unlocked in order that the tote be placed in the
receptacle through the first opening; a second opening associated
with the second lock, wherein said second lock is unlocked by the
customer to gain access to the tote through the second opening.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the receptacle further
comprises: a plurality of O-rings secured to a perimeter of one of
the first and second openings, such that the one of the first and
second openings is closed by locking the plurality of O-rings in
proximity to one another.
24. The system of claim 22, wherein the receptacle further
comprises: a first plurality of O-rings secured to a perimeter of
the first opening, such that the first opening is closed by locking
the plurality of O-rings in proximity to one another with the first
lock; and a second plurality of 0-rings secured to a perimeter of
the second opening, such that the second opening is closed by
locking the plurality of O-rings in proximity to one another with
the second lock.
25. The system of claim 20, further comprising: a box secured at
the delivery destination for containing the receptacle, wherein the
receptacle is attached to said box.
26. The system of claim 20, wherein the receptacle is a box.
27. The system of claim 20, wherein the receptacle is a bag.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein the bag comprises one of a mesh
net or an insulated bag.
29. The system of claim 20, wherein the receptacle is expandable in
order to hold the tote.
30. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first and
second locks comprises a padlock.
31. The system of claim 20, wherein the movable rack comprises: a
shelf on which the tote is placed.
32. The system of claim 31, wherein the shelf on which the tote is
placed is pitched such that when another tote is located on the
rack behind the tote and the tote is removed, the other tote falls
into a space previously occupied by the tote.
33. The system of claim 20, wherein said vehicle comprises: a first
vehicle which is dispatched to a transfer point from a warehouse
from which the movable rack holding the tote came.
34. The system of claim 33, further comprising: a second vehicle
for receiving the tote from the first vehicle at the transfer
point, wherein said second vehicle is dispatched from the transfer
point to the delivery destination.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the second vehicle receives the
movable rack holding the tote.
36. The system of claim 34, wherein the storage capacities of the
first and second vehicles are such that the first vehicle may hold
contents equivalent to the contents of a plurality of second
vehicles.
37. A receptacle for receiving and containing a tote containing a
delivery item at a delivery destination, said delivery item having
been ordered by a customer, comprising: an interior for holding the
tote; and at least one sealable opening to said interior; wherein a
first lock can be used to seal the at least one opening; wherein
the first lock is unlocked in order that the tote be placed in the
interior of the receptacle through the at least one opening upon
delivery, and the first lock is locked in order to secure the tote
in the receptacle; wherein a second lock can be used to seal the at
least one opening; and wherein the second lock is unlocked in order
that the tote be retrieved from the interior of the receptacle
through the at least one opening.
38. The receptacle of claim 37, wherein the at least one sealable
opening comprises one of (i) a single opening sealable with a
two-way zipper, and (ii) two openings, each being sealable by one
of the first and second locks.
39. The receptacle of claim 37, wherein the receptacle is
expandable so that it may contain the tote.
40. The receptacle of claim 37, wherein the receptacle is
collapsible so that it may be contained in a box secured at the
delivery destination.
41. The receptacle of claim 40, wherein the receptacle is securely
attached to the box.
42. The receptacle of claim 40, wherein the receptacle is only
collapsed when storing the receptacle in the box while the
receptacle does not hold a tote.
43. A box for receiving a tote containing a delivery item at a
delivery destination, said delivery item having been ordered by a
customer, comprising: an interior; and a receptacle securely
attached to the box for receiving and containing the tote
containing the delivery item, wherein said receptacle comprises: at
least one sealable opening to an inside of the receptacle; wherein
a first lock can be used to seal the at least one opening; wherein
the first lock is unlocked in order that the tote be placed in the
interior of the receptacle through the at least one opening upon
delivery, and the first lock is locked in order to secure the tote
inside the receptacle; wherein a second lock can be used to seal
the at least one opening; and wherein the second lock is unlocked
in order that the tote be retrieved from the inside of the
receptacle through the at least one opening; wherein said
receptacle may be stored within said interior of the box.
44. The box of claim 43, wherein the receptacle may be stored in
the box when the receptacle contains the tote.
45. The box of claim 43, wherein the at least one sealable opening
comprises one of (i) a single opening sealable with a two-way
zipper, and (ii) two openings, each being sealable by one of the
first and second locks.
46. The box of claim 43, wherein the receptacle is expandable so
that it may contain the tote.
47. The box of claim 43, wherein the receptacle is collapsible so
that it may be contained in a box secured at the delivery
destination.
48. The box of claim 47, wherein the receptacle is only collapsed
when storing the receptacle in the box while the receptacle does
not hold a tote.
49. A tote for containing a delivery item, said delivery item
having been ordered by a customer for delivery to a delivery
destination, comprising: an interior into which a delivery item is
placed; wherein the tote may be placed in a receptacle at the
delivery destination in order to be securely contained from the
time the tote is delivered and placed in the receptacle until the
customer can retrieve the tote from the receptacle; wherein said
receptacle comprises: at least one sealable opening to an inside of
the receptacle where the tote is to be placed; wherein a first lock
can be used to seal the at least one opening; wherein the first
lock is unlocked in order that the tote be placed in the interior
of the receptacle through the at least one opening upon delivery,
and the first lock is locked in order to secure the tote inside the
receptacle; wherein a second lock can be used to seal the at least
one opening; and wherein the second lock is unlocked in order that
the tote be retrieved by the customer from the inside of the
receptacle through the at least one opening.
50. The tote of claim 49, wherein the at least one sealable opening
comprises one of (i) a single opening sealable with a two-way
zipper, and (ii) two openings, each being sealable by one of the
first and second locks.
51. A system for securing a tote for holding delivery items outside
a delivery destination, comprising: a box secured outside a
delivery destination, the box having a cavity; an expandable bag
secured to the box and storable in a collapsed state within the
cavity, the bag being expandable to an expanded state into which a
tote may be placed, and a lock for securing the tote within the
bag.
52. A box for securing a tote for delivery items, the box
comprising: a cavity into which the tote may be placed, and means
for securing the tote that is placed within the cavity.
53. The box of claim 52, wherein the means for securing the tote
comprises: an expandable bag placed around the tote.
54. The box of claim 53, wherein the means for securing the tote
further comprises: a lock for securing the tote within the bag.
55. A rack for holding a first tote for delivering delivery items,
the rack comprising: a shelf on which the tote is placed; and means
for mounting the shelf on a surface such that the shelf is pitched
downward when it is mounted and, when the first tote is removed,
the second tote falls into a space previously occupied by the first
tote.
56. The rack of claim 55, further comprising: means for removably
mounting the rack on a rack holder for removal with the tote on the
rack.
57. The rack of claim 55, wherein the mounting means comprises a
bracket for mounting the rack with the shelf pitched.
58. A bag for securing an item therein, the bag comprising: an
interior; a sealable opening to the interior of the bag, a two-way
zipper across the opening to open and close the opening, the zipper
having first and second ends, and first and second sliding pieces
that close the zipper when fully extended apart from one another,
first means for locking the first end of the zipper to the bag by
locking the first sliding piece to a first position on the bag, and
second means for locking the second sliding piece independently of
the first sliding piece to a second position on the bag different
from the first position on the bag.
59. The bag of claim 58, wherein the first and second locking means
each comprise a padlock.
60. The bag of claim 58, wherein the bag comprises one of a mesh
net or an insulated bag.
61. A bag for securing an item therein, the bag comprising: a first
opening having a perimeter; a plurality of O-rings secured to the
perimeter of the opening, such that the opening is closed by
securing the plurality of O-rings in proximity to one another.
62. The bag of claim 61, further comprising a second opening having
a second perimeter, and a second plurality of O-rings secured to
the second perimeter of the second opening, such that the second
opening is closed by securing the second plurality of O-rings in
proximity to one another.
63. The bag of claim 61, wherein the bag comprises one of a mesh
net or an insulated bag.
64. The bag of claim 61, wherein the item secured in the bag is a
tote.
65. A method of distributing delivery items using a hierarchy of
containment structures, comprising the steps of: placing a delivery
item ordered by a customer in a tote; placing the tote onto a
removable rack in a warehouse; transferring the rack with the tote
thereon into a first vehicle; and dispatching the first vehicle to
deliver the delivery item.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional/continuation
application from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/587,201, filed
on Jun. 5, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a method for distributing
groceries that are ordered over the Internet, or by some other
remote means such as by phone, email, or fax.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Some grocers have in recent years sought to develop
businesses in which a full line of groceries may be sold over the
Internet as an alternative to in-store sales. Selling merchandise
over the Internet eliminates the need to maintain an abundance of
sales personnel and thereby reduces costs. However, costs remain
unnecessarily high for these Internet grocers because they have
sought to emulate the business model of a conventional supermarket.
Thus, they offer a full array of products, including both
perishable and non-perishable items, and promise quick delivery,
such as delivery within 30 minutes.
[0006] To meet these goals, the Internet grocers have established
an abundance of warehouses for stocking the groceries in close
proximity to each service area to which the groceries are to be
delivered. The amount of capital required to maintain multiple
warehouses in each neighborhood has limited the potential to
achieve profitability as well as the business' ability to expand
the number of areas they can service.
[0007] Moreover, in the existing business model, delivery people
also serve as customer service personnel who interact with the
customers by handling customer orders and complaints. It is
difficult to find an abundance of qualified people who have the
requisite customer relations skills and who are willing to perform
such multiple responsibilities at a reasonable cost, particularly
during prosperous economic times when the available labor pool is
relatively small.
[0008] In an effort to service areas outside their local delivery
areas, some Internet grocers offer to ship non-perishable groceries
via an overnight delivery service. But the Internet grocers have
found it challenging, if not impossible, to find an economical
method of delivering perishable groceries, including dairy
products, meats, frozen goods, and fresh fruits and vegetables
outside of their local delivery areas without the groceries
becoming spoiled. Perishables may be delivered without spoilage in
refrigerated delivery trucks. However, refrigerating the delivery
trucks is extremely expensive, results in increased pollution
levels, and wastes a great deal of energy, particularly where the
truck is filled with both perishables as well as non-perishables
that do not require refrigeration.
[0009] It would be advantageous to have an alternative method of
quickly and economically delivering groceries, which requires fewer
resources, including fewer customer service personnel, and less
capital outlay per area served.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a system
and method for distributing delivery items in which delivery items,
which have been ordered by a customer for delivery to a delivery
destination, are placed in a tote, which, in turn, is placed on a
movable rack. The tote may be capable of holding a plurality of
items and the movable rack may be capable of holding a plurality of
totes. The movable rack holding the tote is moved into, and secured
to, a vehicle which brings the tote at least partway to the
delivery destination. At the delivery destination, the tote is
placed in a receptacle which is securely attached to the delivery
destination. A first lock on the receptacle is unlocked in order to
place the tote in the receptacle, and it is locked in order to
secure the tote in the receptacle. A second lock on the receptacle
is unlocked by the customer at a later time to gain access to the
tote (and thereby the delivery item).
[0011] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a
system and method, a second vehicle receives the tote from the
(first) vehicle at a transfer point, and the second vehicle
delivers the tote to the delivery destination.
[0012] In yet another aspect, the receptacle is a bag attached to
the box, where the bag expands to hold the tote, and the bag
comprises a first opening, a first lock on said first opening,
wherein said first lock is unlocked in order that the tote be
placed in the bag through the first opening, and wherein said first
lock is locked in order to secure the tote in the bag; a second
opening; and a second lock on said second opening, wherein said
second lock is unlocked by the customer to gain access to the tote
through the second opening
[0013] In yet another aspect, the bag only has a single opening
with a two-way zipper having first and second sliding pieces that
close the zipper when fully extended apart from one another. The
first lock locks the first sliding piece to a first position on the
bag, and the second lock locks the second sliding piece
independently of the first sliding piece to a second position on
the bag different from the first position on the bag. The first
lock is unlocked in order to place the tote through the opening
into the interior of the bag and is locked in order to secure the
tote within the bag, while the second lock is unlocked in order for
the customer to retrieve the tote from the interior of the bag.
[0014] There are many other aspects of the present invention, which
will understood and/or described herein.
[0015] The presently preferred embodiment of this invention
provides a method of doing business in which fresh and frozen
products, as well as dry goods, may be delivered to the consumer
quickly, efficiently, economically, and in an environmentally
responsible way.
[0016] The present invention provides a method of distributing
groceries ordered by a customer over the Internet, by email, by
fax, or by some other means. Customers place their orders by an
early evening cutoff time for delivery of items on the following
morning. If the deliveries are not placed by the cutoff time,
delivery of the items will be delayed by one day. The grocery order
is filled by a clerk at a warehouse within a 5-6 hour delivery
radius of the delivery destination specified by the customer. The
clerk places the groceries in a tote, which may be partitioned into
at least two sections. To serve a larger area with a larger radius
while maintaining the 5-6 hour delivery time, one or more
additional warehouses will be established. Means for maintaining
the groceries at a desired chilled temperature are introduced into
the tote when perishable groceries are to be delivered. These means
may be, but are not limited to, a frozen insert placed into the
tote before the tote is sealed or a chilled gas pumped into a
portion of the tote.
[0017] After being sealed and filled with chilled gas (if
necessary) the tote is placed on a rack that is mounted by a
bracket or similar means onto a rack holder. The rack holder may
have rollers on the bottom to enable the rack holder to be rolled
with the racks thereon from place to place. The rack is removable
from the rack holder with the tote on it and has shelves that are
pitched or biased such that when a first tote is removed a second
tote behind the first tote falls into the space of the first tote.
There will generally be multiple racks of totes for delivery each
day.
[0018] After the rack of totes is prepared for shipping, which is
usually after the order cutoff time, the rack with the totes
thereon is transferred to a first vehicle, typically a large
trailer, that transports the rack (and totes) to a transfer point
somewhere between the warehouse that filled the order and the
delivery destination. At the transfer point, the rack is
transferred to a second smaller vehicle, such as a van. The
transfer occurs usually in the late evening or early the next
morning. The van then delivers the totes to customers along its
route.
[0019] Upon reaching a delivery destination, usually a customer's
home, by early the next morning, the van driver removes the tote
from the van for that customer and places it in a specially
designed expandable bag, supplied to the customer along with a
study, relatively small box in which the bag is stored when the bag
is not in use. The box is permanently affixed to a post, such as to
the ground or a door. Given its use in a method of delivering
groceries, the box is referred to herein, for convenience, as a
grocery box, although no groceries are necessarily placed within
the box. The bag may be a mesh net or insulated bag secured by a
cable or a chain to the box. An opening in the bag through which
the tote is inserted is generally kept locked. Access to the bag
may be available through two separate locks to permit separate
access for the van driver and the customer.
[0020] To place the tote in the bag, the van driver removes the
locked bag from the grocery box, opens a first of the two locks to
gain access to the inside of the bag, inserts the tote in the bag,
locks the first lock, and leaves the bag containing the tote on the
ground near the grocery box while the bag remains secured to the
grocery box. The totes remain locked in the bag until the customer
opens the second lock, removes the tote, closes the second lock and
places the locked bag back into the grocery box. The customer
thereafter removes the groceries from the tote and returns the used
tote to the bag outside the grocery box before the next expected
delivery to that customer, at which time the delivery driver will
pick up the emptied tote. The emptied totes are nestable within one
another, allowing more than one emptied tote to be placed in the
bag for return to the grocer. Rather than placing the bag with the
tote outside the grocery box, a grocer may supply the customer with
a grocery box large enough to place the bag along with the enclosed
tote inside the grocery box.
[0021] Other objects and features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description considered
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be
understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for
purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of
the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended
claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not
necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated,
they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures
and procedures described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] In the drawings:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating the steps for practicing
the method of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the distribution system for
practicing the present invention, including the various locations
between which the groceries are transported and the methods of
transporting the groceries between these locations;
[0025] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a tote used for transporting
the groceries;
[0026] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a portion of a rack holder
having pitched shelves on which the totes of groceries are
placed;
[0027] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a grocery box of the
present invention as mounted on a well;
[0028] FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the grocery box mounted
to the wall along line 5B-5B of FIG. 5A and showing an expandable
mesh net bag in its collapsed state that is stored within the
grocery box when not in use;
[0029] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the expandable bag in its
fully expanded state with a two-way zipper used as a means for
securing the tote within the grocery box;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a top view of the bag of FIG. 6;
[0031] FIG. 8A is a top view of an alternative bag used as a means
for securing the tote within the grocery box;
[0032] FIG. 8B is a side view of the bag of FIG. 8A with a side of
the bag unlocked;
[0033] FIG. 8C is a side view of the bag of FIG. 8A with a side of
the bag locked; and
[0034] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a grocery delivery method according
to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates the steps for practicing the method of
the present invention. At step 10, a business establishes a network
of warehouses 150 and transfer points 170, shown in FIG. 2.
Warehouses 150 are generally designed to be large enough to stock a
large variety of products, some requiring refrigeration, and to
maximize turnover and variety. Transfer points 170 located at
points between the warehouses and a cluster of potential customers'
homes (or some other delivery destination) 190 are established as
locations at which large trailers 160 transporting the groceries
can transfer the groceries to smaller transport delivery vehicles
like vans 180 to deliver the groceries to the customers' homes 190.
As an alternative to trailers 160, other means of transportation
like rail lines (not shown) may be used to transport the groceries
to transfer points 160. The warehouses 150 are situated such that
there is an approximately a 5 to 6 hour travel radius from any
warehouse 150 in the network to a customer's delivery location,
e.g., home, including the time it takes to transfer groceries
between trailers 160 and vans 180 at transfer points 170. Because
travel times for a given distance may vary due to traffic
congestion, speed limits, or other reasons, the appropriate
distances to achieve a maximum acceptable travel radius will have
to be determined at the time the locations for the warehouses are
selected. This problem should be reduced by confining deliveries to
the late night/early morning time frame. Placement of the
warehouses 150 should also take into consideration whether the
potential location can attract an adequate labor pool of part-time
order packers who can staff the warehouses 150 in the early
evening.
[0036] Customers place orders for groceries at step 20. The orders
may be placed at any time via the Internet, such as by accessing a
designated Web site, e-mail, or by phone, or fax, or by standing
order in which a customer specifies groceries to be delivered on a
regular basis, or by any other means, and are received by the
grocery supply establishment. For various reasons, including
efficiency, simplicity, and minimizing staffing, the Internet is a
preferred means of accepting orders. Customers must place their
orders by some early evening cutoff point, such as 7 p.m., in order
to receive their orders by the next day. (More remote locations may
have an earlier cutoff point, such as at 5 or 6 p.m.) At step 30,
the orders are filled at warehouses 150 by personnel, mostly
part-time employees, who select the grocery items ordered (and any
other non-grocery items sold by the business and stocked at the
warehouse) off the appropriate shelves in the warehouse and load
the groceries ordered by a particular customer into an
appropriately-sized tote 200 (FIG. 3) or in a portion of tote
200.
[0037] Totes 200, which may come in different sizes (one possible
size is 12"H.times.12"W.times.24"L), may be made of a sturdy,
washable material, such as a strong plastic designed to hold dry
goods, refrigerated, and frozen products within a cavity 213 in the
tote, and have a cover 205 to seal the cavity 213 of tote 200. The
cavity 213 of tote 200 may be partitioned into multiple sections
217 with an insulated material 218 held within vertical grooves 219
cut at intervals along the length or width of cavity 213. For
example, where a tote is 12"H.times.12'W.times.2- 4"L, grooves 219
may be cut every 2 inches along the width of tote 200 at points
between 4" to 16" from a first side 200a of the tote. The partition
may also extend into the bottom 200b and cover 205 of tote 200 so
that a section of the tote 200 can be pressurized with a chilled
gas, like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, as described below.
[0038] The groceries are kept at a desired chilled temperature,
whether frozen or refrigerated, within totes 200 or within sections
217 of totes 200. This may be accomplished in various ways. For
example, a frozen insert 210 containing an appropriate mix of
frozen cells, such as a belt of encapsulated ice substitute
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,202 entitled Process for Preparing
Ice Substitutes may be inserted as a lining in the tote 200. The
tote can then be sealed with cover 205. Another means of freezing
or refrigerating the groceries within totes 200 is by first sealing
tote 200 and then introducing a chilled gas, such as chilled
nitrogen or carbon dioxide via a pressure relief valve 215 on the
tote 200. The chilled gas may be introduced into the entire tote
200 or only a section 217 of the tote 200. The pressure relief
valve 215 has a mechanism (not shown) for opening the valve before
tote 200 is opened.
[0039] Where a frozen insert 210 is used, different combinations of
cells having different freezing points may be used to maintain a
desired temperature having two points at which the heat of fusion
is absorbed to maintain the desired temperature for a longer time
in combination with any insulation provided by the shell of or
lining on the interior of tote 200. It is desirable to provide
sufficient refrigeration and insulation to maintain the desired
temperature for at least 16 hours in an 80.degree. F. atmosphere.
If the groceries do not completely fill tote 200, packaging
materials, such as Styrofoam or bladders, may be used to fill any
voids in tote 200. The size of the tote 200 used to fill an order
and the amount of fill need to fill a void in a tote 200 may be
readily determined in any known manner at the time the order is
entered on the Internet.
[0040] After an order is processed, the filled tote 200 is loaded
onto racks 230 which are mounted on rack holders 235 in the
warehouse 150 (FIG. 4). Rack holders 235 may have rollers 237 on
their legs to allow them to be rolled from place to place. The
racks 230 have a mounting means, which may be any conventional
means of mounting racks such as one or more brackets 250, to mount
the racks 230 so they can be loaded with heavy totes of groceries
and be removed with the totes on them, such as manually or by
forklift. As with the totes 200, racks 230 may be any appropriate
size on which the totes 200 may be placed. An appropriate size for
each of racks 230 will depend on the van or other delivery vehicle
configuration but two useful sizes of racks 230 may be
approximately 6 cubic feet (6'.times.6'.times.6') and
4'.times.8'.times.8'.
[0041] After the cutoff time for ordering (which in the present
example is 7 p.m.), racks 230 are transferred within a desired time
frame, e.g., between 7 and 9 p.m., from the warehouse 150 and are
loaded onto trailers 160 where racks 230 are mounted on rack
holders (not shown), similar to rack holders 235, for transport (or
rack holders 235 that have rollers may be rolled from a loading
dock at the warehouse 150 onto trailer 160). Trailers 160 may be
equipped with a high/low, as on masonry trucks, to load and off
load. The racks are slightly pitched downward over an angle .theta.
so that after removal of a tote 200 from the front of rack 230, the
next tote 200 behind the removed tote would fall into the space
previously occupied by the first tote by gravity and/or the
agitation of the truck's normal movement and/or by use of a pushing
mechanism or biasing means such as a spring (not shown). A lip 240
along the front edge or rack 230 prevents the totes 200 from
falling off the racks 230. When a pitch is used, the pitch should
not be so large so that the tote behind the removed tote falls into
place immediately.
[0042] After loading, the trailers 160 are dispatched (step 50),
which in our example would be by 9 p.m. Trailers 160 which have the
farthest distance to travel would be loaded first and would leave
the warehouse first. Trailers 160 drive to appropriate transfer
points 170. Transfer points 170 need not be facilities devoted
exclusively to this purpose; transfer points 170 may be, for
example, locations that are otherwise unused in the evenings, such
as supermarket parking lots or other locations that are not used in
the late night/early morning hours, such as between approximately
10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Racks 230 are off loaded by transferring entire
racks 230 or entire rack holders 235, either manually or by an
automatic mechanism, to awaiting vans 180 (having appropriate rack
holders, if the rack holders themselves are not transferred) for
delivery to the various customers' homes (step 60). To simplify the
off-loading of racks 230 from trailers 160, the floor of each
trailer 160 may be at the loading height of van 180 such that van
180 may pull up to the rear or side of trailer 160, depending on
where the lift gate of the trailer 160 is located, the lift gate is
raised, and the racks 230 moved through the opening directly onto
the van 180. Where rack holders 235 have rollers and are
transferred with racks 230, a rack holder 235 may be rolled easily
from trailer 160 to van 180. As each van 180 generally has a route
that requires it to deliver less than all of the totes 200 on a
single trailer 160 and a rack 230 is to be transferred with totes
200 already on the rack 230, it is preferable to load onto a rack
230 only totes 200 that are to be delivered by a single van so that
totes 200 do not have to be shifted between racks 230 at a transfer
point 170. A bill of lading and a previously-determined route sheet
are also delivered to the van driver.
[0043] For increased efficiency, totes 200 are loaded onto the vans
180 in reverse of the order that the totes 200 are to be delivered
so that the first tote 200 to be delivered is accessible to the van
driver first, the second tote is accessible second, etc. The
trailers 160 may also be loaded at warehouse 150 to enable the
offloading of totes 200 onto the various vans 180 at transfer point
170 in the desired "reverse" order for more efficient delivery by
vans 180.
[0044] The van drivers start their delivery routes at approximately
1 a.m. and finish by approximately 5 a.m. (step 70). They make
deliveries to customers' homes 190 in a sequence that may be
determined at the time the order is placed in the computer on a
route sheet. Upon reaching a customer's home, the van driver
removes the tote 200 from his van and brings it near a grocery box
260 which may be made of stainless steel and is bolted or chained
to some place 270 outside a customer's home, such as to a post, a
door, a wall, or a floor. FIG. 5A shows one such box 260 mounted to
a wall 270 away from floor 271. An expandable, secure bag 280, like
a thick nylon or metal mesh net, or an insulated bag 280 which may
be pleated and have a Mylar exterior, is stored in the grocery box
260 that is conceptually similar to, but generally smaller than, a
milk box (step 80) and large enough to hold the bag 280. When
empty, bag 280 is collapsed and folded within grocery box 260. Bag
280 is secured to the grocery box 260 with a chain or cable 275
(FIG. 5B). The driver removes bag 280 from the grocery box 260,
unfolds and expands bag 280, and places the tote 200 for that
customer in bag 280. The expandable bag 280, when expanded, has
first and second sides 281, 282. Tote 200 wrapped in bag 280 is
placed on the ground adjacent to grocery box 260 while still
attached to grocery box 260 with chain and cable 275 (FIG. 6). Bag
280 should be animal-proof and should be odor-proof so as not to
attract animals. Alternatively, the tote 200 wrapped in bag 280 may
be placed within grocery box 260 if grocery box 260 is large
enough.
[0045] Bag 280 is cinched and locked (step 90) with a locking means
to hold tote 200 securely in bag 280. One contemplated locking
means is a respective two-way zipper 283 having two sliding pieces
284, 285 to open and close zipper 283 from either end of the
zipper. (FIG. 7) Adjacent each end of zipper 283 is a respective
hook or O-ring 286, 287 attached to mesh 280. A first padlock 288
may be looped through a hole in the first sliding piece 284 when it
is moved to its fully closed position at side 281 and through hook
286 to lock zipper 283 on this first end. This padlock 288 may be
opened by the van driver to open the mesh, insert the tote 200
therein, and then relock the mesh 280. A second padlock 289 may be
looped through a hole in the second sliding piece 285 when that
piece is in its fully closed position at side 282 and through hook
287 to lock zipper 283 on this second end. The customer can unlock
this second padlock 289 to remove the tote 200.
[0046] Alternatively, instead of having a zipper 283, bag 280 may
be made of a mesh net 281 (FIGS. 8A-C) that has an opening 290, 291
on each of respective sides 292, 293. A plurality of O-rings 294
are attached to each of respective sides 292, 293. O-rings 294 on
each side may be linked together with other O-rings on that side by
hooking a padlock through them. FIG. 8C shows padlock 295 closing
side 292 with O-rings 294. A similar padlock is used to close side
293. With padlock 295 removed, side 292 of the mesh net 281 may be
spread open and the van driver is able to insert tote 200 within
mesh 280'. The van driver then gathers together O-rings 294 on side
292, hooks padlock 293 though these O-rings 294, and locks padlock
295. The customer can remove tote 200 by removing the customer's
padlock (not shown) from o-rings 292 on the opposite side 293 of
the mesh net 281.
[0047] Tote 200 remains locked in bag 280 until the customer
retrieves the tote and returns the bag into the grocery box 260
(step 100). The customer thereafter removes the groceries from the
tote 200, removes bag 280 from grocery box 260, unlocks the
customer padlock on bag 280, places the used tote 200 and any
frozen inserts 210, which are nestable, back inside the bag 280
secured to the grocery box 260, and relocks the padlock before the
next expected delivery to that customer, for pickup by the van
during the next delivery (step 110).
[0048] After picking up the used totes 200, the van driver returns
the emptied totes 200 to the trailer 160 later that evening, at the
transfer point 170 to which he travels to pick up filled totes 200
from the warehouse 150 for delivery. The emptied totes are returned
to the warehouse 150 for cleaning and reuse. Customers may be
required to put down a deposit to insure against loss or damage to
the tote 200 and freezing insert 210. The van driver may also pick
up used totes 200 from homes where no deliveries are made. While
described with reference to a method of delivering groceries, bag
280 of FIGS. 7 and 8A-8C may be used to secure things other than
totes 200 of groceries, either in combination with a grocery box
260 of the type described or independently thereof.
[0049] The above-described method offers many advantages over the
prior art. Because there is no more than approximately a 5 to 6
hour travel radius from warehouse 150 to customer 190, this method
of distribution will require fewer supervisors and physical
facilities to serve a given population. It will also require less
total inventory than systems with shorter travel radii, and will
increase inventory turnover and the variety of goods that may be
stocked. Other advantages include:
[0050] 1. Van drivers may serve as auxiliary eyes and ears of the
local police as a community service.
[0051] 2. By delivering to customers' homes between 1 a.m. and 5
a.m., deliveries can be made without worrying about traffic
congestion and can use the most fuel efficient routing. This method
is also environmentally responsible as early morning deliveries do
not slow other vehicles or cause more congestion during business
hours and the number of trips required to the supermarkets or
grocery stores is reduced. A customer also need not be concerned
with finding a parking spot for his car while shopping.
[0052] 3. This business method may use electric vans for local
deliveries, particularly those with batteries acting as flywheels
which absorb mechanical energy on breaking and release on
acceleration while supplying stored electrical power to motors.
[0053] 4. A single sales/service representative can cover a broad
area and does not have to be concerned with deliveries, which are
made by the van drivers. This may improve customer relations
because it may prove difficult to find friendly, competent sales
staff. It is therefore helpful to have a single competent person to
promote the business to a greater number of potential customers.
The sales representative can provide and install the grocery box,
provide an introductory coupon, send a personal note on significant
occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, and guarantee
satisfaction by quickly replacing any unsatisfactory products
(either by a van dispatched from the warehouse 150 or by purchasing
a replacement product at a local source and personally delivering
it).
[0054] 5. This method requires less capital then other grocery
delivery methods that promise quick delivery during the daylight
hours. As explained above, those other methods require more
distribution warehouses because of their necessarily smaller travel
radius between their warehouse and their customers' homes.
Moreover, to deliver groceries within a short time, such as one
half hour, after an order is placed, the delivery trucks may be
routed to the customer in an environmentally irresponsible
manner.
[0055] 6. This method eliminates the need for refrigerated vans,
which waste an enormous amount of energy as the van door is opened
at every delivery point. (Refrigerated trailers must be kept at
35.degree. F.)
[0056] Despite the advantages offered by the described method of
distributing groceries, some customers may not wish to have their
groceries delivered in a secure bag outside their home. These
customers can be accommodated by giving them the option of shipping
a tote 200 of groceries through another delivery method, such as
regular next day delivery by an overnight delivery service such as
the United Parcel Service. Using next day delivery, groceries in
tote 200 can also be kept at the desired chilled temperature using
a similar refrigeration method, such as frozen inserts 210 or
chilled gas.
[0057] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out
fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of
the methods and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be
made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit
of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all
combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform
substantially the same function in substantially the same way to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements
and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any
disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated
in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment
as a general matter of design choice.
* * * * *