CONTAINER POSITIONING APPARATUS

Abstract

An apparatus for positioning containers on a support surface of a support, the apparatus including an engagement portion constructed and arranged to attach the apparatus to the support and a first portion extending from the engagement portion. The first portion is constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of a container thereon. The container also includes a second portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of the container thereon. A stop portion is provided between the first portion and the second portion. The stop portion is constructed and arranged to position the container at a predetermined position on the support surface.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for positioning containers, and in particular, reusable plastic containers, on a support surface.

2. Background

Groceries, such as produce, or other objects are typically placed in containers, such as reusable plastic containers, which are placed on support surfaces, such as tables, for display in stores. To place the containers containing the groceries or other objects onto the tables, each container typically has to be lifted and placed directly at the desired location. The containers are typically heavy when full. To enable multiple rows of heavy containers to be placed on the support surface, the containers for the upper rows are lifted and placed above the lower rows of containers. Accordingly, an improved apparatus and method are needed to place heavy containers on support surfaces used to display the objects in the containers.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for positioning containers on a support surface of a support, the apparatus including an engagement portion constructed and arranged to attach the apparatus to the support. The apparatus also includes a first portion extending from the engagement portion. The first portion is constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of a container thereon. The apparatus also includes a second portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of the container thereon. The apparatus further includes a stop portion in between the first portion and the second portion. The stop portion is constructed and arranged to position the container at a predetermined position on the support surface.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for positioning containers on a support surface using a container positioning apparatus. The method includes engaging an engagement portion of the apparatus with at least a portion of the support surface and placing a first container onto a first portion of the apparatus. The method also includes sliding the first container on the first portion towards the stop portion and over the stop portion and sliding the first container onto a second portion of the apparatus. The method further includes retaining the first container on the second portion using the stop portion, and placing a second container on the first portion.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for positioning containers on a support surface of a support. The apparatus includes an engagement portion constructed and arranged to attach the apparatus to the support and a first portion extending from the engagement portion, the first portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of a container thereon. The apparatus also includes a second portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of the container thereon and a stop portion in between the first portion and the second portion, the stop portion constructed and arranged to position the container at a predetermined position on the support surface. The engagement portion, the first portion, the second portion, and the stop portion are integrally formed. The apparatus also includes a friction-reducing treatment to facilitate sliding of the containers on the apparatus.

These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment, the structural components illustrated herein can be considered drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not a limitation of the invention. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for positioning containers connected to a support in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with a container supported by the apparatus at a predetermined position on the support in accordance with an embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with dashed lines showing portions obstructed from view by other portions of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus 10 for positioning containers 12 on a support surface 14 of a support 15. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, support surface 14 is defined by a slat table having a plurality of horizontal slats 16 and openings 18 between plurality of horizontal slats 16. However, it should be appreciated that support surface 14 may be any surface constructed and arranged to enable objects to be supported thereon. For example, in one embodiment, support surface 14 may be defined by a solid table or countertop having a contiguous surface. The illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting in any way. Containers 12 may take the form of reusable plastic containers (RPC) and may be constructed and arranged to hold groceries, such as produce or perishable items, or other objects for display in a store (e.g., a grocery store).

As illustrated in FIG. 3, apparatus 10 includes an engagement portion 20 constructed and arranged to attach apparatus 10 to support 15. Engagement portion 20 may be constructed and arranged to engage with an edge of support 15. In some embodiments wherein support 15 is a slat table, engagement portion 20 may engage with an edge of support 15 or with one of plurality of horizontal slats 16 to connect apparatus 10 to support 15. Apparatus 10 also includes a first portion 22 extending from engagement portion 20. First portion 22 is constructed and arranged to rest on support surface 14 and to enable sliding movement of a container 12 thereon. Apparatus 10 also includes a second portion 26 constructed and arranged to rest on support surface 14 and to enable sliding movement of container 12 thereon. At least one stop portion 24 is provided between first portion 22 and second portion 26. Stop portion 24 is constructed and arranged to position container 12 at a predetermined position on support surface 14, as illustrated in FIG. 2. It should be appreciated that the number of stop portions 24 in other embodiments may vary. Apparatus 10 is constructed and arranged to be placed on support surface 14 to facilitate positioning of containers 12 thereon, which will be described in more detail below. When containers 12 are placed on top of first portion 22 and second portion 26, first and second portions 22, 26 are located between containers 12 and support surface 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, first portion 22 is a planar surface on which a container 12 may be placed and second portion 26 is also a planar surface on which another container 12 may be placed. In some embodiments, the planar surfaces of first portion 22 and second portion 26 may be provided with a finish to facilitate sliding movement of containers 12 thereon, which will be described in more detail below. As shown in FIG. 2, support surface 14 may be inclined, and thus, first portion 22 and second portion 26 of apparatus 10 situated adjacent to support surface 14 may be inclined as a result. However, it should be appreciated that support surface 14 may also be level in other embodiments. Stop portion 24 is provided between first and second portions 22, 26 to position container 12 on first portion 22, as shown in FIG. 2. In embodiments where apparatus 10 is positioned on an inclined support surface 14, stop portion 24 prevents container 12 from sliding downwards towards second portion 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, support 15 includes a ledge 28 extending above support surface 14. It should be appreciated that ledge 28 may be optional. In embodiments where support surface 14 is inclined, ledge 28 may be constructed and arranged to abut against a portion of a container 12 placed on second portion 26 of apparatus 10 to prevent sliding movement of container 12 downward. Container 12 placed on second portion 26 may be part of a first row 30 of containers 12 and container 12 placed on first portion 22 may be part of a second row 32 of containers 12. Apparatus 10 may facilitate the stacking of containers 12 into first and second rows 30, 32, which will be discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, additional rows of containers 12 may be added to support surface 14 by adding additional apparatus 10 to support surface 14 in a parallel relation. It is also contemplated that additional rows may be added by varying the length of apparatus 10 and adding additional stop portions. It should also be appreciated that the number of stop portions provided on apparatus 10 may vary. Accordingly, the number of portions of apparatus 10 constructed and arranged to receive containers 12 and enable containers 12 to slide thereon may also vary depending on the number of stop portions. It should be appreciated that the terms “first row” and “second row” are used herein to refer to rows that are parallel to each other. In embodiments in which support surface 14 is inclined, the first row may be a lower row and the secondary row may be an upper row. The use of the terms “first” and “second” is not intended to limit the rows to only the first two rows. That is, the “first row” and “second row” are used to describe the relative positions of the rows relative to each other (one is higher up than the other, or one is closer to the person stocking the support than the other).

FIG. 3 shows engagement portion 20 of apparatus 10 in more detail. In this embodiment, engagement portion 20 includes a rear portion 34 and a bottom portion 36. An opening or cut-out 35 may be formed in rear portion 34. In one embodiment, a plane defined by rear portion 34 may be generally perpendicular to the planar surface of first portion 22. In one embodiment, a plane defined by bottom portion 36 may be generally parallel to first portion 22. Apparatus 10 may also include an extension portion 38 extending past the intersection of first portion 22 and rear portion 34. Containers 12 may be slid onto extension portion 38 to facilitate removal of containers 12 from apparatus 10, which will be described in more detail later. The formation of the extension portion 38 may result in the cut-out 35 to be formed in the apparatus, which will be described in more detail later.

A lip portion 40 may be formed at one end of extension portion 38 such that a plane defined by lip portion 40 is generally perpendicular to the plane formed by extension portion 38 and generally parallel to the plane formed by rear portion 34. The lip portion 40 functions with the extension portion 38 to facilitate removal of the containers 12 from the apparatus 10. In other words, the lip portion 40 and the extension portion 38 help prevent the containers 12 from catching on the apparatus 10 when the containers 12 are slid away from the stop portion 24 during removal of the containers 12 from the apparatus 10, which will be described in more detail below. A portion of first portion 22, rear portion 34 of engagement portion 20, and bottom portion 36 of engagement portion 20 may define a receiving space 42 constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of support 15. Accordingly, when apparatus 10 is engaged with support 15, a portion of support 15, for example, an edge of support 15, is received within receiving space 42 of apparatus 10. As such, in one embodiment, engagement portion 20 and a portion of first portion 22 may form a C-shaped structure that enables apparatus 10 to “hook” onto support 15. In embodiments where support 15 is a slat table, receiving space 42 may receive a portion of slat 16 such that engagement portion 20 is “hooked” onto slat 16 of the slat table. Optional openings 37 may be provided on bottom portion 36 of apparatus 10, openings 37 being constructed and arranged to receive screws or other attachment mechanisms that enable apparatus 10 to be removably fixed to support 15.

As described above, apparatus 10 may be made of integrally formed portions. For example, first portion 22, second portion 26, stop portion 24, and engagement portion 20 may be integrally formed. In one embodiment, apparatus 10 may be manufactured or formed using a single sheet of material, just for example, steel sheet metal. The sheet metal may be stamped to form the various portions of apparatus 10. In one embodiment, stop portion 24 may be formed by stamping (e.g., bending) the sheet metal between first portion 22 and second portion 26. Stop portion 24 may be constructed and arranged to enable container 12 to be both lifted and slid over stop portion 24, and retained on a first portion 22 so as to prevent sliding movement of container 12 towards second portion 26 when apparatus 10 is on an inclined support surface 14. In some embodiments, ball bearings may be provided on stop portion 24 to facilitate sliding movement of containers 12 over stop portion 24. A portion of the sheet metal may be cut (e.g., by laser cutting, punch pressing, or other methods) to form extension portion 38, lip 40, and opening 35. That is, after the sheet metal has been cut along edges 44, 46, and 48, rear portion 34 of apparatus 10 may be formed by stamping (e.g., bending) a portion of the sheet metal perpendicular to the rest of the sheet metal. Accordingly, extension portion 38 is formed and extends past first portion 22 after rear portion 34 has been formed by the bending of the sheet metal. Lip 40 may be formed by stamping (e.g., bending) a portion of the sheet metal at an end of extension portion 38. Bottom portion 36 may be formed by stamping (e.g., bending) the sheet metal again after rear portion 34 has been formed such that bottom portion 36 is generally perpendicular to rear portion 34. In one embodiment, manufactured apparatus 10 may be about 40.7 inches in length and about 9.5 inches in width. In some embodiments, apparatus 10 has a width that is about ⅔ of the width of container 12. It should be appreciated that the measurements of the entire apparatus 10 and any portions of apparatus 10 may vary.

Apparatus 10 may include a friction-reducing treatment 23 on a surface thereof to facilitate sliding of the containers thereover. In one embodiment, friction-reducing treatment 23 may comprise a hammer finish, while in an alternate embodiment, friction-reducing treatment 23 may comprise a powder coating. It should be appreciated that apparatus 10 may be provided with any of a variety of friction-reducing treatments and should not be limited to the previously described embodiments.

The above described method of manufacturing apparatus 10 is not intended to be limiting, and it should be appreciated that in some embodiments, apparatus 10 may be formed using other methods and using various materials, and any of the portions of apparatus 10 may be separately formed and then connected together to form apparatus 10. It should also be appreciated that in some embodiments, engagement portion 20 may be made of different materials from the rest of apparatus 10. For example, in some embodiments, engagement portion 20 may be made of resilient materials that enables engagement portion 20 to “clamp” onto a portion of support 15. It should be appreciated that other clamping functions or clamps may be added in other embodiments. Apparatus 10 may also be made of other materials, such as, just for example, various types of metals, wood, plastic, cardboard, or a combination thereof.

Apparatus 10 may be used to facilitate positioning of containers 12, such as the reusable plastic containers, as follows in accordance with an embodiment. A container 12 to be positioned on second row 32 may be lifted and placed on second portion 26 of apparatus 10. One end of container 12 may then be slightly lifted onto stop portion 24, and then slid over stop portion 24 and onto first portion 22 and then slid into place on first portion 22. In embodiments where support surface 14 is inclined, stop portion 24 prevents the sliding movement of container 12 downwards towards second portion 26. Another container 12 may be lifted and placed onto second portion 26 to form first row 30.

To remove containers 12 from apparatus 10, container 12 on second portion 26 may be lifted off of apparatus 10. To remove container 12 from second row 32, container 12 may be slid a short distance on first portion 22 in a direction away from stop portion 24 and onto extension portion 38. The extension portion 38 and the lip portion 40 of the apparatus 10 may facilitate the sliding movement by preventing the containers 12 from catching on the apparatus 10 during sliding movement away from the stop portion 24. One end of container 12 may then be slightly lifted onto stop portion 24 and slid over stop portion 24 and onto second portion 26 in a controlled manner. Container 12 may then be lifted off of second portion 26.

Apparatus 10 enables and facilitates the stacking of filled containers 12 into rows without having to form first row 30 and then form second row 32 of containers 12 by lifting filled containers 12 and placing them above containers 12 in first row 30. Instead, apparatus 10 enables containers 12 to simply be placed on first row 30, slightly lifted above stop portion 24, slid over stop portion 24, and then slid into second row 32 and retained at a predetermined position on support surface 14 by stop portion 24 of apparatus 10.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for positioning containers on a support surface of a support, the apparatus comprising:

an engagement portion constructed and arranged to attach the apparatus to the support;

a first portion extending from the engagement portion, the first portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of a container thereon;

a second portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of the container thereon; and

a stop portion in between the first portion and the second portion, the stop portion constructed and arranged to position the container at a predetermined position on the support surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion defines a planar surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stop portion is an elongated protrusion that extends away from a top surface of the first portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion defines a planar surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion, the first portion, the second portion, and the stop portion are integrally formed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is configured to hook onto a portion of the support.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is comprised of a single piece of sheet metal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the engagement portion and the first portion form a C-shaped structure.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a friction-reducing treatment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the friction-reducing treatment comprises a powder coating.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the friction-reducing treatment comprises a hammer finish.

12. A method for positioning containers on a support surface of a support using a container positioning apparatus comprising an engagement portion, a first portion, a second portion, and a stop portion provided between the first and second portions, the method comprising:

engaging the engagement portion of the apparatus with at least a portion of the support surface;

placing a first container onto the second portion of the apparatus;

sliding the first container on the second portion towards the stop portion and over the stop portion;

sliding the first container onto the first portion of the apparatus;

positioning the first container on the first portion using the stop portion, and placing a second container on the second portion.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising lifting an end of the first container and then sliding the first container over the stop portion.

14. An apparatus for positioning containers on a support surface of a support, the apparatus comprising:

an engagement portion constructed and arranged to attach the apparatus to the support;

a first portion extending from the engagement portion, the first portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of a container thereon;

a second portion constructed and arranged to rest on the support surface and enable sliding movement of the container thereon; and

a stop portion in between the first portion and the second portion, the stop portion constructed and arranged to position the container at a predetermined position on the support surface, wherein the engagement portion, the first portion, the second portion, and the stop portion are integrally formed, and

a friction-reducing treatment to facilitate sliding of the containers on the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the friction-reducing treatment comprises a powder coating.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the friction-reducing treatment comprises a hammer finish.