Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a goods handling arrangement and a particular application of the invention relates to in the handling of goods purchased by consumers from retail outlets such as supermarkets and the like.

Background

As a result of environmental considerations there has been increased pressure to reduce the consumption of plastic bags by the retailing industry. In this regard it is conventional practice in the retailing industry to deliver purchased goods to the consumer in a plastic bag. In the case of supermarkets the customer generally collects goods in a trolley or plastic basket whilst in the store and then delivers the goods to a check out at which the goods are then deposited onto the counter from which the check out assistant collects the goods and scans the goods. On completion of the scanning of each item by the check out assistant the goods are deposited into a plastic bag. It is the usual circumstance that a customer will depart the store with a large number of plastic bags containing their purchases.

The wide spread use of plastic bags is becoming increasingly unacceptable and as a result the governments are giving consideration to the courses of action available to them to limit or restrict the use of such plastic bags. Such measures comprise introduction of a levy or tax for each plastic bag supplied to a customer, the banning of plastic bags completely and the use of reusable bags which have a more extended life.

The present invention is intended to provide an alternative to the use of plastic bags which is common in retail industry and in particular in supermarkets. Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly the invention resides in a goods handling arrangement comprising a wheeled trolley having base supported from the ground by at least three wheels, said wheels positioned to fully support the base, said trolley having a support which is adapted to receive a plurality of receptacles at a position substantially overlying the base, each receptacle being of a similar form and having a generally cubic configuration with a closed lower wall and side walls and an open upper face, wherein said support is adapted to receive and support each receptacle such that the interior of each receptacle is readily accessible through the upper face when the receptacle is supported upon the trolley.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the trolley has a rear panel extending upwardly from a rear portion of the base, said support comprising a platform fixed to the rear panel and extending forwardly from the rear panel to overlie the base in spaced relation above the base. According to a preferred feature of the invention the support element is configured to support two receptacles.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support further comprises a support element fixed to the upper portion of the rear panel and extending forwardly from the rear panel, the support element overlying the platform in spaced relationship to the platform and adapted to support at least one receptacle, wherein in use the support element can support the receptacles in spaced relation above the receptacle to be supported by the platform. According to a preferred feature of the invention the platform is configured to support two receptacles.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the platform comprises a generally planar surface upon which the receptacles can be supported.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the platform is adapted to support the receptacles in a manner whereby the receptacles are suspended from the platform. According to a preferred feature of the invention the platform is adapted to receive the receptacles and support them by engagement of opposed side walls of the receptacle. According to a preferred feature of the invention the receptacles have a generally inverted trapezoidal cross sectional configuration where the spacing between the sides of the platform is greater than the lower spacing between two opposed side walls of receptacle adjacent the lower wall and less than the upper spacing between the two opposed side walls adjacent the upper. According to a preferred feature of the invention the opposed side walls of the receptacle are provided with an outwardly directed flange, said receptacles being supported from the sides by said flange.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support element is adapted to support the receptacles in a manner whereby the receptacles are suspended from the platform. According to a preferred feature of the invention the support element comprises an upper frame having opposed sides extending forwardly from the rear panel. According to a preferred feature of the invention the spacing of the sides of the upper frame is such that a receptacle is supported by the sides engaging opposed side walls of the receptacle. According to a preferred feature of the invention the receptacles have a generally inverted trapezoidal cross sectional configuration where the lower spacing between the sides of the upper frame is greater than the lower spacing between two opposed side walls of receptacle adjacent the lower wall and less than the upper spacing between the two opposed side walls adjacent the upper. According to a preferred feature of the invention the opposed side walls of the receptacle are provided with an outwardly directed flange, said receptacles being supported from the sides by said flange.

According to an alternative preferred feature of the invention support element provides a generally planar surface upon which the receptacles can be supported.

According to a preferred feature of the invention support element is pivotally fixed from the rear panel for movement between a first position at which the upper frame extends forwardly from the rear panel at which position it is adapted to receive and support the receptacles and a second position at which it lies closely adjacent the rear panel. According to a preferred feature of the invention upper frame is capable of being folded about a transverse axis which is intermediate of the length of the sides.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the trolley is associated with a child carrier, having a seat adapted to receive a child, said child carrier being adapted to be supported from the upper portion of the rear panel in opposed relation the support.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the base comprises a generally planar frame to which the wheels are attached, said planar frame being inclined downwardly in a direction from the rear panel to the forward edge of the base.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the platform is inclined upwardly in a direction from the rear panel towards the forward edge of the platform.

According to a preferred feature of the invention wherein the rear panel has the configuration of a frame. According to a preferred feature of the invention wherein the rear panel has the configuration of an open frame.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the base is adapted to receive and support a load.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the support includes the base.

According to a preferred feature of the invention each of the receptacles is provided with one or more carry handles which are foldable to be received within the confines of the receptacle when in a stored position.

According to a further aspect the invention resides in a goods handling arrangement as described above including said receptacles. The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following disclosure of several specific embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The description of the embodiments is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a goods handling arrangement according to the first embodiment; and

Figure 2 is an exploded isometric view of the first embodiment.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

The first embodiment is directed to a goods handling arrangement which can be utilised in supermarkets or the like retail situations for the purposes of facilitating the collection of goods by the customer, the processing of the goods at the check out station and the transportation of the purchased goods by the customer without the need to utilise disposable plastic bags.

The arrangement comprises a trolley 11. The trolley is intended to be used with a set of receptacles 10 which are of an identical configuration and which have a generally cubic configuration with a closed lower wall and side wall whereby the receptacles in transverse and longitudinal section have a trapezoidal configuration with the upper face having the larger area. The upper face of each receptacle is open and is associated with a set of carry handles which can be moved between an upstanding position to facilitate carriage of the receptacle and a stored position at which they are located within the confines of the interior of each receptacle. The lower wall of each receptacle is provided with a set of feet 12 spaced around the perimeter of the lower wall.

The trolley 11 and receptacles 10 may be made from any suitable material(s), as would be known to a person skilled in the art, such as metal and/or plastic. The trolley has a generally planar base 13 which is supported upon a set of wheels 15 and which provides a stable platform. The trolley further comprises a rear panel 17 which extends upwardly from the rear edge of the base and is inclined to be rearwardly offset from the vertical axis at its upper edge. The base 13 is of a generally planar configuration and is downwardly inclined from the rear panel towards the forward edge of the trolley.

The rear panel 17 supports a platform 19 which is located intermediate of the height of the rear panel 17 and which extends forwardly from the rear panel to overlie the base 13 in spaced relation from the base 13. The platform 19 is upwardly inclined from the rear panel 17 towards the forward edge of the trolley and generally overlies the base 13. The perimeter of the platform 19 is provided with a barrier 21 which surrounds the sides and forward edge of the platform in a spaced relationship from the upper surface of the platform in order to prevent items on the platform from sliding from the platform. The upper surface of the platform 19 is defined by a mesh having apertures which are sized and spaced such that they will receive the feet 12 which are provided on the receptacles in order that a pair of receptacles placed in side by side relationship upon the platform are positively retained in position on the platform 19.

The rear panel 17 further supports an upper frame 23 which is of a generally rectangular configuration and is pivotally supported from the upper end of the rear panel 17 at a position closely adjacent one end of the frame 23 by a pivot 25. The portion of the upper frame 23 which extends rearwardly from the pivot 25 provides handles which can be used by the customer to manipulate the trolley. A foldable brace 29 is provided between the sides 31 of the upper frame 23 and the rear panel 17. The braces are capable of being folded between an extended bracing position at which it supports the upper frame in a forwardly extending position from the rear panel as illustrated at Figure 1 and a folded position at which it allows the upper frame 23 to be folded into a position which is closely adjacent the rear panel 17. The portion of the upper frame 23 forward of the rear panel 17 is dimensioned such that it can receive two receptacles 10 in a side by side relationship. To this end the sides 31 of the upper frame 23 are spaced such that the spacing is less than dimensions between the end walls of each receptacle adjacent the upper face and is greater than the spacing between the end walls adjacent the lower wall. In addition when in the uppermost position the upper frame 23 is inclined downwardly from the rear panel. Therefore in order that the receptacles 10 are supported at generally the same level between the sides 31 of the upper frame 23 the spacing between the sides are slightly convergent forwardly from the rear panel 17. In addition the upper frame is capable of being folded about a pair of pivots 32 located on the transverse axis of the frame intermediate the forward most edge of the upper frame and the rear panel 17 whereby the two portions of the frame can be folded to lie in close substantially parallel relationship.

In addition, the trolley can be associated with a child carrier 33 which is shown schematically at Figures 1 and 2 and which is supported from the rear panel 17 such that it is directed rearwardly from the rear panel 17. The child carrier 33 comprises a seat portion 35 which, when the child carrier 33 is supported from the rear panel 17, is directed rearwardly. The upper portion of the child carrier 33 is supported from an upper cross member 26, extending between the sides of the rear panel 17 and disposed adjacent the upper frame 23, by an upper flange 37. The lower portion of the child carrier 33 is supported from a lower cross member 28, also extending between the sides of the rear panel 17 and located at a suitable position below the upper cross member 28, by a lower flange 39. The flanges 37 and 39 are provided with lips 41 which are engageable with the cross members 26 and 28 to retain the child carrier 33 in position.

The child carrier 33 may be made from any suitable material(s), as would be known to a person skilled in the art, such as metal and/or plastic.

The first embodiment has been designed such that the trolley is able to safely carry up to four receptacles in a configuration which makes the receptacles easy to access even when the trolley is fully loaded with receptacles. As a result of the spacing between the platform and the upper frame is such that the interior of each of the receptacles supported from both the platform and upper frame is readily accessible through the open upper face of the receptacle. Therefore in use as a customer moves through a store and collects items they are able to deposit items into a particular receptacle supported by the trolley as they desire. On completion of the selection of the items they wish to purchase the customer then takes the trolley to a check out at which they are able to lift each receptacle onto the check out conveyor. This enables the check out assistant to remove each of the items and scan each of the items as necessary. According to one application of the embodiment it is intended that the check out assistant will then transfer each item into another receptacle of identical form in order that the customer is able to transport goods to their home by using that receptacle. In so doing the customer is able to utilise the trolley to transport the receptacles or alternatively can physically carry a receptacle.

It is envisaged that the receptacles which are to be removed from the store will be purchased or likewise acquired by a customer and will be retained by the customer for reuse at a future shopping event. According to this application the receptacles taken to the store and used by the customer within the supermarket and taken to the check out counter will remain within the store and the customer be given a replacement receptacle for transportation of their goods to their home. This would mean that the customer would effectively exchange at least some of the receptacles in their possession at each shopping event. In such an arrangement t is envisaged that it may be appropriate for a store to accept the responsibility of cleaning and/or replacing damaged or soiled receptacles.

It is believed that the use of the first embodiment offers significant advantages over the current method of handling goods purchased from a supermarket. To appreciate the advantages one needs to compare the list of steps that are required according to current practice to the steps that can apply in the use of the first embodiment. Currently the steps generally comprise:

1. transfer of individual items from the store's shelves into a trolley;

2. transfer of the individual items from the trolley to a check out counter; 3. transfer of each of the items from the check out counter through the scanning station and into bags;

4. transfer of the loaded bags into a trolley for conveying to a vehicle in a car park;

5. unloading the bags from the trolley into a vehicle with the strong likelihood of spillage of items from the plastic bags as a result of the movement of the vehicle; and

6. on arrival at the home transfer of the full bags into the home for unloading.

The use of first embodiment according to the application as described above provides advantages over the current situation in that the use of the first embodiment can comprise:

1. transfer of individual items from the store shelf to a receptacle supported on the trolley;

2. transfer of the loaded receptacles onto the check out counter;

3. transfer of each of the individual items from the receptacle over the scanning station into another receptacle;

4. transfer of the loaded receptacle onto the trolley conveying to the car park;

5. transfer of the loaded receptacles into a car; and

6. transfer of the loaded receptacles into the home for unloading.

The storage of the goods within the receptacles throughout the transportation stages whilst in the store and on departure from the store reduces the likelihood of spillage as a result of movement of the vehicle. It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the first embodiment described above. In particular, the configuration of the receptacles can vary as required and the support for the receptacles from the trolley can take a variety of forms which can include suspension of all of the receptacles from a suitable support or the like.

According to an alternative embodiment, the upper frame can be replaced by a platform similar to the platform of the first embodiment. In addition, the platform of the first embodiment can be replaced by a frame member similar to the upper frame of the first embodiment.

According to a further alternative embodiment, the intermediate platform 19, as described in connection with the first embodiment, can be omitted such that there is provided a frame having an opening therethrough. The opening may receive the receptacles such that they are supported from the frame in a similar manner that described in respect of the upper frame 23.

In addition the rear panel may take the form of an open frame.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.