Method of delivering groceries purchased over the internet

• US 6,928,415 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• 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:
  US09/688,482
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/8, 705/15, 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/409 Shackles

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 at the delivery destination. The tote may be secured in a locked expandable bag, such as a mesh net or insulated bag, that is itself secured to a grocery box. Alternatively, the tote may be secured by looping a chain or cable through and around a pair of eyelets on the tote. The customer removes the tote from the bag, removes the groceries from the tote, and returns the used tote to the bag for later pickup by the van.

Claims

1. A method of securely delivering to a delivery destination a tote for holding an item, the method comprising the steps of:

placing the item in a tote, wherein said tote comprises a cover, a main structure, a first pair of eyelets on a first side of an exterior of the tote, including a first eyelet on an exterior or the cover and a second eyelet on the exterior of the main structure substantially in proximity to the first eyelet, and a second pair of eyelets on a second side of the exterior of the tote, including a third eyelet on the exterior of the cover and a fourth eyelet on the exterior of the main structure substantially in proximity to the third eyelet;

delivering the tote to a delivery destination; and

securing the tote substantially at the delivery destination by;

looping a portion of a first securing means through the first pair of eyelets to securely tighten the cover to the main structure of the tote on the first side, wherein the first securing means is securely connected to a mounting means substantially at the delivery destination; and

looping a second securing means through the third and fourth eyelets to securely tighten the cover to the main structure of the tote on the second side.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first securing means is securely connected to a storage container mounted in proximity to the delivery destination, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

holding the securing means inside the storage container when the first securing means is not in use.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mounting means comprises a first and second mounting means, wherein the fit securing means comprises a plurality of sections, a first end of a first section of the plurality of sections being securely connected to the first mounting means, and a first end of a third section of the plural sections being securely connected to the second mounting means, and wherein the step of securing the tote substantially at the delivery destination comprises the steps of:

looping a first end of a second section of the plurality of sections through and around the first and second eyelets to securely tighten the cover to the main structure of the tote on the first side, wherein a second end of the third section is attached to a second end of the second section with a first lock that may be opened by a customer; and

after looping the first end of the second section around the first and second eyelets, locking the first end of the second section to a second end of the first section with a second lock that may be opened by a delivery person.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

retrieving, by the customer, the tote by unlocking the first lock and removing the looped section of the first securing means from the first and second eyelets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tote further comprises a hinge on a second side of the tote to connect the cover to the main structure of the tote.

6. The method of claim 1, where the item comprises a grocery item, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

maintaining the grocery item at a desired temperature by placing a frozen insert in the tote in proximity to the grocery item.

7. A method of securely delivering to a delivery destination a tote for holding an item, comprising the steps of:

placing the item in a tote, wherein said tote comprises a cover, a main structure, and a pair of eyelets on an exterior of the tote, including a first of the pair of eyelets on exterior of the cover and a second of the pair of eyelets on the exterior of the main structure substantially in proximity to the first eyelet;

delivering the tote to a delivery destination; and

securing the tote substantially at the delivery destination, wherein the delivery destination has a securing means for securing the tote at the delivery destination, wherein the securing means is securely connected to first and second mounting means at the delivery destination wherein the securing means comprises a plurality of sections, a first end of a first section of the plurality of sections being securely connected to the first mounting means, and a first end of a third section of the plural sections being securely connected to the second mounting means, and wherein said step of securing the tote comprises the steps of;

looping a first end of a second section of the plurality of sections through and around the first and second eyelets to securely tighten the cover to the main structure of the tote, wherein a second end of the third section is attached to a second end of the second section with a first lock that may be opened by a customer; and

after looping the first end of the second section around the first and second eyelets, locking the first end of the second section to a second end of the first section with a second lock that may be opened by a delivery person.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

retrieving, by the customer, the item from the tote by the first lock and removing the looped section of the securing means from the first and second eyelets.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second mounting means are securely connected to a storage container mounted in proximity to the delivery destination, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

holding the securing means inside the storage container when the securing means is not in use.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the tote further comprises a second pair of eyelets on a second side of the tote, including a third eyelet on the exterior of the cover and a fourth eyelet on the exterior of the main structure substantially in proximity to the third eyelet, and wherein the step of securing the tote substantially at the delivery destination comprises the step of:

looping a second securing means through the third and fourth eyelets to securely tighten the cover to the main structure of the tote on the second side.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the tote further comprises a hinge on a second side of the tote to connect the cover to the main structure of the tote.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the item comprises a grocery item, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

maintaining the grocery item at a desired temperature by placing a frozen insert in the tote in proximity to the grocery item.

13. A method of securely delivering to a delivery destination a plurality of totes for holding a plurality of item, comprising the steps of:

placing the plural items in the plural totes, wherein each of said plural totes comprises a cover, a main structure, and a pair of eyelets on an exterior of the tote, including a first of the pair of eyelets on exterior of the cover and a second of the pair of eyelets on the exterior of the main structure substantially in proximity to the first eyelet;

delivering the plural totes to a delivery destination; and

securing the plural totes substantially at the delivery destination, wherein the delivery destination has a securing means for securing the plural totes at the delivery destination, wherein the securing means is securely connected to first and second mounting means at the delivery destination, wherein the securing means comprises a plurality of sections, a first end of a first section of the plurality of sections being securely connected to the first mounting means, and a first end of a third section of the plural sections being securely connected to the second mounting means, and wherein said step of securing the plural totes comprises the steps of;

looping a first end of a second section of the plurality of sections through and around the first and second eyelets of each of the plural totes to securely tighten the cover of each tote to the main structure of each tote, wherein a second end of the third section is attached to a second end of the second section with a first lock that may be opened by a customer; and

after looping the first end of the second section around the first and second eyelets of all of the plural tote, locking the first end of the second section to a second end of the first section with a second lock that may be opened by a delivery person.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

retrieving, by the customer, the plurality of items from the plural totes by first unlocking the first lock and removing the looped section of the securing means from the first and second eyelets of each tote.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second mounting means are securely connected to a storage container mounted in proximity to the delivery destination, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

holding the securing means inside the storage container when the securing means is not in use.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plural totes further comprises a second pair of eyelet on a second side of the tote, including a third eyelet on the exterior of the cover and a fourth eyelet on the exterior of the main structure substantially in proximity to the third eyelet, and wherein the step of securing the plural totes substantially at the delivery destination further comprises the step of:

looping a second securing means through the third and fourth eyelets of each of the plural totes to securely tighten the cover of each tote to the main structure of each tote on the second side of each tote.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plural totes further comprises a hinge on a second side of the tote to connect the cover to the main structure of the tote.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the plural items comprises grocery items, and wherein the method fit comprises the step of:

maintaining at least one of the grocery items at a desired temperature by placing a frozen insert in proximity to the grocery item in a tote in which the at last one of the grocery items was placed.