RETAIL DELIVERY PACKAGES AND METHODS OF PRODUCT DELIVERY

• US 20180282014A1
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Atchley, Michael D., Taylor, Robert C., Thompson, John P., Letson, Eric A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,625,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/2047 trapezoidal, e.g. to form a body with diverging side walls B65D5/2033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4233 Cards, coupons, labels or the like formed separately from the container or lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4608 Handgrip holes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/46128 two opposite closure flaps being provided with handle elements which are in contact with each other
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6635 the lid-halves being held in closed position by flaps or tabs provided at their edge opposite to their hinge B65D5/6644, B65D5/6647 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3834 the external tray being formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

In some embodiments, systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein that enable delivery of retail products. Some embodiments provide retail product delivery transport packages, comprising: a base; a first set of tapered walls comprising at least two side walls that are separated by a length of the base and extend from the base at an angle such that a distance between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall at the opening is greater than a distance between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall at the base, and wherein the first and second tapered walls are configured to frictionally engage first and second tapered package support walls, respectively, of a delivery package carrier system; and a second set of at least one wall comprising at least a first vertical wall.

Claims

1. A retail product delivery transport package, comprising:

a base;

a first set of tapered walls comprising at least two side walls, wherein each of the at least two walls extend at an angle from the base and to a height from the base of an opening level defining part of an opening, wherein a first tapered wall and a second tapered wall of the first set of tapered walls are separated by a length of the base and extend from the base at the angle such that a distance between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall at the opening is greater than a distance between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall at the base, and wherein the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall are configured to frictionally engage first and second tapered package support walls, respectively, of a retail product delivery package carrier system to prevent the transport package from extending beyond a threshold depth into a package cavity of the package carrier system; and

a second set of at least one wall comprising at least a first vertical wall that extends from the base and is substantially perpendicular to the base along a height of the first vertical wall.

2. The transport package of claim 1, further comprising:

third tapered wall extending from the base along the height and positioned extending between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall defining a length of the transport package;

wherein the first vertical wall comprises a first lid flap configured to fold at the opening level and extend over a portion of the opening, with the first lid flap comprising a handle tab; and

wherein the third tapered wall comprises a second lid flap configured to fold at the opening level and extend over a portion of the opening, with the second lid flap comprising a tab aperture configured to align with and receive at least a portion of the handle tab with at least the portion of the handle tab being configured to fold through the tab aperture to extend back toward the fold of the first vertical wall and along a portion of a width of the first lid flap, and defining a handle.

3. The transport package of claim 1, wherein the base and at least the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall are a single continuous piece.

4. The transport package of claim 1, wherein the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall are separated by a distance to frictionally engage the first and second package support walls of the package carrier system, respectively, such that the first tapered wall is configured to induce a force on the first package support wall in a direction away from the second package support wall, and the second tapered wall is configured to induce a force on the second package support wall in a direction away from the first package support wall.

5. The transport package of claim 4, further comprising:

a programmable RFID tag configured to receive product identifying information of at least one product placed within a product cavity defined in part by the first tapered wall, the second tapered wall and the first vertical wall.

6. The transport package of claim 4, further comprising:

a package RFID tag storing a transport package identifier unique to the transport package.

7. The transport package of claim 1, wherein the first vertical wall is configured to abut against a different vertical wall of a different transport package and establish a cooperative exterior shape that is an inverse of a package cavity of a separate transport bin and configured to fit within the package cavity of the transport bin.

8. The transport package of claim 1, wherein the first vertical wall is configured to abut against a different vertical wall of a different transport package, wherein the first vertical wall comprises an affixing system secured with an exterior of the first vertical wall and configured to mate with an affixing system secured with the different vertical wall of the different transport package.

9. The transport package of claim 1, wherein each of the first tapered wall, the second tapered wall and the first vertical wall comprises insulation configured to reduce rate of change of temperature within a product cavity defined in part by the first tapered wall, the second tapered wall and the first vertical wall.

10. A method of delivering a retail product to a customer, comprising:

identifying a first retail product to be delivered to a delivery location associated with a first customer;

identifying a retail product delivery transport package configured with a base rated to support the weight of at least the first retail product while the transport package is suspended without support under the base; and

directing the first retail product to be placed into a product cavity of the identified transport package comprising the base;

a first set of tapered walls comprising at least two tapered walls, wherein each of the at least two tapered walls extend at an angle from the base and to a height from the base of an opening level defining part of an opening, wherein a first tapered wall and a second tapered wall of the first set of tapered walls are separated by a length of the base and extend from the base at the angle such that a distance between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall at the opening is greater than a distance between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall at the base, and wherein the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall are configured to frictionally engage tapered lateral sides of one or more package supports of a product delivery package carrier system to prevent the transport package from extending beyond a threshold depth into a package cavity of the package carrier system; and

a second set of at least one wall comprising at least a first vertical wall that extends from the base and is substantially perpendicular to the base along a height of the first vertical wall.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

directing the transport package, containing at least the first retail product, to be positioned into a first package carrier system to cause the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall to frictionally engage first and second tapered lateral sides of first and second package supports, respectively, of the first package carrier system to prevent the transport package from extending beyond the threshold depth into a first package cavity of the first package carrier system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

directing a closing of the transport package including the folding of a first lid flap of the first vertical wall at the opening level to extend over a portion of the opening, and a folding of a handle tab into a tab aperture formed in a second lid flap of a third tapered wall extending from the base along the height and positioned extending between the first tapered wall and the second tapered wall defining a length of the transport package, with the second lid flap configured to fold at the opening level and extend over a portion of the opening, with the first lid flap folding through the tab aperture to extend back toward the fold of the first vertical wall and along a portion of a width of the first lid flap, and defining a handle.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

programming a programmable RFID tag with product identifying information identifying at least one product placed within a product cavity defined in part by the first tapered wall, the second tapered wall and the first vertical wall.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying that a first mode of delivery is unavailable, and directing the transport package to be positioned within a package cavity of a transport bin with the first vertical wall abutted against a different vertical wall of a different transport package establishing a cooperative exterior shape that is an inverse of the package cavity of the separate transport bin.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

directing an affixing system secured with an exterior of the first vertical wall to mate with a different affixing system secured on the different vertical wall of the different transport package.