Processing, Storage And Distribution System For Perishable Food Products
First Claim
1. A meat product distribution method comprising the steps ofproviding a plurality of packaged retail cabinet ready meat products,introducing the plurality of packaged retail meat products into a central storage facility having a plurality of moveable product carrying structures in a temperature controlled environment and having a transfer means to transfer the packaged products to or from the product carrying structures,identifying the location of the packaged products within the storage facility,removing selected products in response to receipt of an order for the selected products by moving one or more of the product carrying structures to the transfer means, and distributing the products to fulfill the order.
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Abstract
A distribution system for perishable or contaminable food products includes automated storage apparatus for storing articles in a temperature controlled environment. The apparatus includes a number of product carrying shelves arranged on a carousel. The shelves are moveable by rotation of the carousel to facilitate placement or removal of articles on or from the shelves. Each shelf consists of a number of laterally spaced elongate projecting members.
60 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A meat product distribution method comprising the steps of
providing a plurality of packaged retail cabinet ready meat products, introducing the plurality of packaged retail meat products into a central storage facility having a plurality of moveable product carrying structures in a temperature controlled environment and having a transfer means to transfer the packaged products to or from the product carrying structures, identifying the location of the packaged products within the storage facility, removing selected products in response to receipt of an order for the selected products by moving one or more of the product carrying structures to the transfer means, and distributing the products to fulfill the order.
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5. Meat product distribution apparatus including
a storage facility having a plurality of moveable product carrying structures in a temperature controlled environment, a conveyor means to introduce or remove packaged cabinet ready retail meat products to or from the storage facility, transfer means to transfer the packaged products to or from the conveyor means and the product carrying structures, identification means to identify the location of the packaged products within the storage facility, control means to receive an order for selected products and cause the transfer means to remove the selected products from the product carrying structures, and use the conveyor means to convey the selected products from the storage facility so that the products may be distributed to a remote location to fulfill the order.
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6. A method of centralised distribution of meat, the method including the steps of
storing packaged retail meat products in a central storage facility, monitoring the time at which each product was introduced into the facility, receiving an order for products stored in the facility, and selecting products from the facility that have been stored therein for a predetermined period of time to satisfy the order.
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8. A method of centralised distribution of meat, the method including the steps of
storing packaged retail meat products in a central storage facility, monitoring demand for the meat products, introducing further packaged retail meat products into the central storage facility dependent on the demand such that the retail meat products are stored in the central storage facility for a predetermined period of time calculated to enhance the retail shelf life of the meat.
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10. A method of centralised processing and distribution of meat, the method including the steps, of
placing post slaughter meat in a reusable container and storing the meat within the container, removing the meat from the container and processing the meat into retail meat products, packaging the retail meat products, storing the packaged products in a central storage facility for a predetermined period of time, receiving a retail order, selecting packaged products in the central storage facility dependent on the retail order, placing the selected products in a reusable container, and transporting the selected products in the container to a retail facility.
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14. A method of centralised distribution of meat, the method including the steps of
providing a plurality of packaged retail meat products, introducing the packaged products to a central storage facility having a plurality of movable product carrying structures, identifying the packaged retail meat products by means other than a product label, removing selected products from the storage facility in response to receipt of an order for the selected products, distributing the products to fulfill the order.
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18. A method of centralised distribution of meat, the method including the steps of
providing a plurality of packaged retail meat products, introducing the packaged products to a central storage facility having a plurality of movable product carrying structures, identifying the packaged retail meat products by recording or identifying the location of the relevant product, removing selected products from the storage facility in response to receipt of an order for the selected products, labeling the products, and distributing the labeled products to fulfill the order.
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19. Automated storage apparatus for storing articles in a temperature controlled environment, the apparatus comprising
a plurality of article carrying shelves arranged one above another on a carousel, the shelves being vertically moveable by rotation of the carousel to facilitate placement or removal of articles on or from the shelves, each shelf comprising a plurality of laterally spaced elongate projecting support members to carry one or more articles.
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23. Automated storage apparatus for storing articles in a temperature controlled environment, the apparatus comprising
a plurality of product carrying shelves arranged on a carousel, the shelves being moveable to facilitate placement or removal of articles on or from the shelves, each shelf comprising a plurality of laterally spaced elongate projecting support members, a conveyor to transport articles to or from the apparatus, the conveyor including a plurality of spaced rollers, and a transfer means for transferring articles between the conveyor and a shelf, the transfer means comprising a plurality of fingers adapted to interdigitate with the rollers to lower or lift articles to or from the conveyor and adapted to interdigitate with the elongate projecting members of a shelf to lower or lift articles to or from the shelf.
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25. A centralised distribution process for a perishable food product, including
providing a reusable container, placing the product in the container and sealing the container transporting the container to a central storage facility removing the product from the container and wrapping the product storing the wrapped product, receiving a retail order for the product retrieving the product from the storage facility transporting the product to a retail outlet.
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26. A centralised distribution process for a perishable product, including
transporting the product to a central storage facility, wrapping the product in a retail package, storing the wrapped product receiving a retail order for the product from a retailer, retrieving the product from storage, labelling the product dependent on the retailers requirements transporting the labelled product to the retailer
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28. A containerised distribution process for a perishable food product, including
providing a first reusable container, placing the product in the container and sealing the container, transporting the container to a central storage facility, removing the product from the container and wrapping the product, storing the wrapped product, receiving a retail order for the product, retrieving the product from the storage facility, placing the retrieved product in a second reusable container, sealing the container, transporting the container to a retail outlet.
Specification