Method of delivering groceries purchased over the internet

• US 6,871,184 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Barnet L. Liberman
• Original Assignee: Barnet L. Liberman
• Inventors: Liberman, Barnet L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/587,201
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 705/15, 705/7, 705/8, 705/16, 705/22, 383/76, 383/97, 383/120, 383/111, 383/41, 383/5, 150/102
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/142 the receptacle interior being adapted to receive a transportable deposit container for food or large parcels
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/145 the receptacle comprising means for identifying a deposit; Deposits carrying identification means, e.g. a bar code
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2029/147 the receptacle comprising heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/141 comprising electronically controlled locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/20 with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/804 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/107 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/10 for means for safe-keeping of property, left temporarily, e.g. by fastening the property
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

Groceries ordered over the Internet by a particular time in the early evening may be delivered by the next morning to a location within a 5-6 hour delivery radius of a warehouse. The grocery order is filled at the warehouse, where the groceries are placed in a tote for delivery. If perishable groceries are to be delivered, a frozen insert is placed in the tote to maintain the groceries at a desired temperature. The filled tote is placed on a rack, which is removable with the tote on it. The racks have shelves that are pitched such that when a first tote is removed a second tote behind the first tote falls into the space previously occupied by the first tote. In the early evening, after the cutoff time for placing orders, the rack and totes on the rack are transferred to a first vehicle, typically a large trailer, that transports the rack and totes to a transfer point where the rack and the accompanying bill of lading are transferred to a second smaller vehicle, such as a van. The van delivers the totes to customers along a pre-established route. Upon reaching a delivery destination (usually a customer'"'"'s home) by early the next morning, the van driver removes the tote for that customer from the van and secures it in a locked expandable bag, such as a mesh net or insulated bag, that may be locked in two places and that is itself secured to a grocery box. The grocery box, which is supplied to the customer by the business selling the groceries, is secured outside the delivery destination. The customer removes the tote from the bag, removes the groceries from the tote, and returns the used tote to the bas for later pickup by the van.

Claims

1. A method of distributing groceries comprising:

accepting an order for a grocery item from a customer, said grocery item to be delivered to a delivery destination;

placing the grocery item ordered by a customer in a tote;

placing the tote onto a removable rack in a warehouse;

transferring the rack with the tote thereon into a first vehicle;

dispatching the first vehicle to a transfer point between the warehouse and the delivery destination;

transferring the rack with the tote thereon from the first vehicle to a second vehicle;

delivering the tote to the delivery destination using the second vehicle; and

placing the tote into a secure expandable bag attached to a box situated outside the delivery destination by performing a procedure comprising the steps of;

removing the secure expandable bag from the box;

expanding the bag to an expanded state;

opening a first lock on a first opening of the bag;

placing the tote in the bag through the unlocked first opening; and

locking the first opening of the bag to lock the tote securely within;

wherein, when the bag is not used to store the tote, it is in a collapsed state and is stored within the box; and

wherein the customer opens a second lock on a second opening of the bag to gain access to the tote stored within.