Apparatus and method for handling products on shelves |
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申请号 | US13419774 | 申请日 | 2012-03-14 | 公开(公告)号 | US08608218B1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2013-12-17 |
申请人 | Bradley F. Marthens; | 发明人 | Bradley F. Marthens; | ||||
摘要 | A method of handling products on shelves comprises providing a pan member including a base portion connected to a back portion with the back portion including a handle member and being angularly oriented relative to the base portion, with the base portion including a front edge and the back portion being connected to the base portion opposite the front edge. The method includes placing the front edge of the pan member adjacent a plurality of products stored on a shelf, sliding the pan member and at least a portion of the products relative to each other such that at least a portion of the products are contained in the pan member. The front edge may be positioned perpendicularly relative to the elongate length of the shelf and a biasing force may be provided to the products, such as by way of a retention arm member. | ||||||
权利要求 | The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: |
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说明书全文 | The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for removing products from shelves and, more particularly, for removing retail products from store shelving. Retail store facilities frequently display large quantities of products together on shelving units for purchase by consumers, with such products being arranged in orderly rows and in an upright manner. Occasionally such products must be removed from the shelving units, such as to relocate the products to a different shelf within the facility and/or to rearrange the shelving units themselves. Upon being moved, the products must be restocked on the shelving units, presenting a time consuming and labor intensive operation. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for handling products stored on shelves. According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of handling products on shelves comprises providing a pan member including a base portion connected to a back portion with the back portion including a handle member and being angularly oriented relative to the base portion, with the base portion including a front edge with the back portion being connected to the base portion opposite the front edge. The method further includes placing the front edge of the pan member adjacent a plurality of products stored on a shelf, sliding the pan member and at least a portion of the products relative to each other such that at least a portion of the products are contained in the pan member whereby the contained products may be moved from the shelf. In particular aspects the method may further include placing the front edge of the pan member adjacent a plurality of products in a perpendicular orientation relative to the elongate length of the shelf and sliding the pan member and at least a portion of the products relative to each other in a direction parallel to the elongate length of the shelf. Still further, a biasing force may be provided to the products opposite the pan member such that the products are positioned between the biasing force and the pan member. A retention arm member may be provided for use in providing the biasing force, which may include a handle member at one end of an elongate shaft, with the shaft being held generally parallel relative to the front edge of the pan member The retention arm member may also include a hook member that is angled relative to the shaft and is distally located from the handle member. The pan member has first and second distal ends and may include an end portion connected to the base portion and the back portion at the first end and an open end at the second end, that is the open end may not include a separate member connected to the base and back portions. Still further, the length of the base portion of the pan member may be sized to be approximately equal to the width of the shelf upon which the products are stored. The method may further comprise positioning the pan member adjacent a shelf when the pan member contains a plurality of products for storage on the shelf with the front edge of the pan member in contact with the shelf and sliding the products out of the pan member such that the products are positioned on the shelf. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of handling products on shelves comprises providing a pan member, placing a plurality of products in an upright orientation into the pan member, positioning the pan member adjacent a shelf with the front edge of the pan member in contact with the shelf, and sliding the products contained in the pan member out such that the products are positioned on the shelf in an upright orientation. The pan member, which may be as described above, may be positioned adjacent a shelf with its front edge in contact with the shelf in a perpendicular orientation relative to the elongate length of the shelf, wherein the products contained in the pan member are slid out in a direction parallel to the elongate length of the shelf. A biasing force may be applied to the products while they are slid out of the pan member such as by, for example, a users hand and/or arm or by a retention arm member. After sliding the products contained in the pan member out of the pan member, the method may further comprise placing the front edge of the pan member adjacent a plurality of the products stored on the shelf and sliding the pan member and at least a portion of the products relative to each other such that products are contained in the pan member whereby the contained products may be moved from the shelf. The disclosed apparatus and method for removing and restocking shelves enables various items, such as retail goods or other such products, to be quickly and efficiently moved, including moving multiple of such items simultaneously while maintaining their orientation and arrangement. Significant time and cost savings are therefore provided with respect to conventional practices such as individually moving products by hand. These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of this invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein the numbered elements in the following written description correspond to like-numbered elements in the figures. Referring to Products 22 of In use, a user is able to hold pan member 26 with one hand and retention arm member 28 with the opposite hand. Multiple products 22 located together on shelf 24 may be simultaneously picked up by scooping pan member 26 under products 22 on shelf 24. Retention arm member 28 may optionally be utilized when removing products 22 from shelf 24 by being positioned as shown in Referring now to In the embodiment shown, base portion 30 is connected with back portion 32 to form a substantially right angle, with end portion 34 similarly forming substantially right angles relative to base portion 30 and back portion 32. Accordingly, base portion 30, back portion 32 and end portion 34 define a product receiving area 54. A handle member 56 is disposed on a rear surface 58 of back portion 32. Pan member 26 has a length 60 ( Referring now to In operation, pan member 28 may be used for removing and/or placing products 22 on shelf 24, where shelf 24 comprises an elongate shelf such as is employed in retail environments and has a width 72. It should be appreciated that the length of shelf 24 would extend along an aisle traversed by customers, and that additional shelves may be positioned above or below shelf 24. To remove products 22 from shelf 24, pan member 26 is initially placed adjacent products 22 located on shelf 24, with front edge 38 being oriented generally perpendicular to the length of shelf 24 and in contact with shelf 24. In the embodiment shown, base portion 30 has a length that is approximately equal to the width 72 of shelf 24. Pan member 26 may then be slid relative to products 22 to scoop products 22 into pan member 26 whereby the products 22 are contained within pan member 26 as shown in Additionally or alternatively, retention arm member 28 may be placed opposite products 22 relative to pan member 26 prior to moving pan member 26 such that products 22 are positioned between retention arm member 28 and pan member 26. Retention arm member 28 may then be used to provide a biasing force to prevent products 22 from sliding along shelf 24 and/or tipping over from an upright position. It should be appreciated that as an alternative to retention arm member 28, that an individual may provide a biasing force with their hand and/or their arm. Still further, rather than move pan member 26 while products 22 remain stationary, retention arm member 28 may be used to slide products 22 into pan member 26, and/or products 22 and pan member 26 may be moved simultaneously. As understood from Correspondingly, to place products 22 onto an initially empty location of shelf 24, products may first be arranged in an upright manner within pan member 26, such as in rows as shown in The apparatus and method for removing and restocking shelves of the present invention enables items, such as retail goods or other such products, to be quickly and efficiently moved while maintaining their orientation, including moving multiple of such items simultaneously. The apparatus and method, therefore, provide significant time and cost savings to conventional practices such as individually moving products by hand. Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. For example, it should be appreciated that alternatively sized and shaped pan members and/or retention arm members may be employed within the scope of the present invention. Still further, the apparatus and method described herein may be practiced in environments other than retail store facilities, such as in warehouses or factories in which parts are stored or used. |