Patent Application
20190337660
Customers are opting to utilize reusable bags instead of disposable paper or plastic bags with increasing frequency. However, reusable bags come in a variety of sizes and shapes which rarely conform to pre-existing bagging fixtures designed to hold open standard plastic bags. In such cases, the customer or the cashier typically must hold a reusable bag upright and open manually using one or more hands while simultaneously attempting to place items into the bag. This is cumbersome and awkward for both customers and cashiers, which may tend to discourage customers from bringing their reusable bags. Moreover, the additional time required to open and hold reusable bags open manually further increases the amount of time required to bag items and complete checkout, resulting in additional customer frustration and longer checkout lines.
Some examples provide a reusable bag support device. A central panel of the bag support device includes a support frame forming a substantially rectangular panel covered with a flexible material, a first side, a second side, a top side, and a bottom side. A first side panel includes a first edge and a second edge. The first edge attaches to the first side of the central panel via a first spring-loaded hinge. A second side panel includes a third edge that attaches to the second edge of the first side panel via a second spring-loaded hinge. A third side panel includes a fourth edge and a fifth edge. The fourth edge attaches to the second side of the central panel via a third spring-loaded hinge. A fourth side panel includes a sixth edge. The sixth edge attaches to the fifth edge of the third side panel via a fourth spring-loaded hinge. A bottom panel includes a top edge of the bottom panel, which attaches to the bottom side of the central panel via a fifth spring-loaded hinge. A set of fixture attachment rings are connected to the top side of the central panel. The fixture attachment rings are configured to hang on a pair of bag attachment arms on a bag support fixture. A compression clamp is configured to secure the reusable bag support in a folded configuration when engaged. The compression clamp includes a release mechanism configured to release the reusable bag support into an open configuration when dis-engaged. A bag attachment clamp configured to secure the reusable bag support to a portion of a lip of a reusable bag when placed over the portion of the lip of the reusable bag and engaged. The bag attachment clamp holds the reusable bag support within the reusable bag to provide an interior frame support the reusable bag in an open and upright orientation. An aperture defined by the central panel, the first side panel, the second side panel, the third side panel and the fourth side panel when in the reusable bag support device is in an open configuration. The aperture provides an opening through which a set of items is placed into the reusable bag.
Other examples provide a configurable reusable bag support device. A central panel includes a substantially rectangular panel having a first side, a second side, a top side, and a bottom side. A first side panel includes a first edge attached to the first side of the central panel via a first spring-loaded hinge. A second side panel includes a second edge attached to the second side of the central panel via a second spring-loaded hinge. A bag fixture attachment ring connected to a portion of the central panel, the at least one bag fixture attachment ring configured to removably attach to at least one bag attachment arm on a bag support fixture. A compression clamp secures the reusable bag support device in a folded configuration. A release mechanism on the compression clamp releases the reusable bag support into an open configuration when dis-engaged.
Still other examples provide a compressible reusable bag support device. A spring-loaded wire ring is compressed into a closed configuration that includes a plurality of overlapping coils in a ring formation. A compression clamp secures the compressible reusable bag support device in the closed configuration when engaged. The compression clamp holds the overlapping coils together to prevent the spring-loaded wire ring from un-coiling. A release mechanism on the compression clamp is configured to release the spring-loaded wire ring into an open configuration when dis-engaged. The overlapping coils unwind or expand within an interior of a reusable bag in the open configuration. A reusable bag attachment clamp secures the compressible reusable bag support device to a portion of a lip of a reusable bag when placed over the portion of the lip of the reusable bag and engaged. The reusable bag attachment clamp holds the compressible reusable bag support device to a portion of the interior of the reusable bag. The reusable bag support device provides an interior frame support holding the reusable bag in an open and upright orientation. The spring-loaded wire ring defines an aperture in the open configuration. The aperture provides an opening through which a set of items is placed into the reusable bag.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring to the figures, examples of the disclosure enable a device for providing an internal support framework for a reusable bag during an item bagging procedure. Referring to
A compression clamp 108 holds a set of one or more panels 104 in a closed configuration in which each of the side panels is folded up against the central panel 102 when the compression clamp 108 is engaged 110. When a release mechanism 114 is activated to release the compression clamp 108, the compression clamp 108 is dis-engaged 112. When the compression clamp is disengaged, the set of panels 104 are released into an open configuration. In the open configuration, the side panels are pulled apart/outward by the spring-loaded hinges connecting the side panels to the central panel 102. The compression clamp 108 can be implemented as a clip, clamp, snap, hook and loop attachment, or any other type of device for securing the set of panels 104 in the folded configuration.
A bag attachment clamp 116 is a device to attaching the reusable bag support device 100 to a reusable bag. The bag attachment clamp 116 a device for holding the reusable bag support device 100 to a lip of a reusable bag. The bag attachment clamp 116 can be implemented as a clamp, clip, snap, or any other attachment device. The bag attachment clamp 116 in some examples is located next to or near the compression clamp 108 on the reusable bag support device 100. In other examples, the compression clamp 108 and the bag attachment clamp 116 are incorporated into a handle of the reusable bag support device 100.
A set of one or more fixture attachments 118 are optionally included on the reusable bag support device 100. The set of fixture attachments 118 can include a ring 120 or a hook 122 for hanging the reusable bag support device 100 on a bag fixture for bagging items in conventional paper or plastic bags, such as, but not limited to, a bag carousel. In some examples, the ring 120 or hook 122 fits over a bag fixture arm to support the reusable bag support device 100.
A set of one or more spring-loaded hinges 106 is attached to each panel. In this example, a hinge 210 attaches a central panel 102 to a bottom panel 224 or a side panel in the set of side panels 222. The central panel 102 can be referred to as a back panel.
In some examples, the central panel 102, the bottom panel 224, and/or the side panels are composed of a support frame 214 forming a rectangular frame. The frame can define a central cavity or empty space, like a picture frame. In other examples, the frame can be covered in a flexible material 216, such as cotton cloth, nylon, rayon, or any other type of material to form a substantially solid or continuous panel. In other examples, the panels are composed of a solid sheet of metal or plastic, such as, but not limited to, a rectangular shaped sheet of aluminum.
An attachment ring holder 218 is a cavity, housing, recess, or other compartment for holding the bag fixture attachment 202 in a closed or retracted configuration. In this example, a release mechanism 114 is pressed or activated to release the fixture attachment(s) from the holder 218.
The reusable bag support device 100 is placed inside an interior portion of the reusable bag 302 and attached to the lip 308 of the bag via the attachment clamp 304. The combination reusable bag and reusable bag support device 100 can be attached to a bag fixture via a fixture attachment 310, such as a loop, a hook, a clip, a clamp, or some other attachment device for removably attaching the reusable bag 302 to a bag fixture.
A compression clamp 108 is released to enable the reusable bag support device 100 to automatically open into an interior frame support 314 that holds the reusable bag 302 in an upright and open configuration. The reusable bag support device 100 forms an aperture 316 into the reusable bag through which a set of one or more items 318 can be placed into the reusable bag.
The spring-loaded wire ring 402 can optionally include a hand grip 414. The hand grip 414 encloses a portion of the spring-loaded wire ring 402 providing a smooth handle or other surface for a user to grip and manipulate the spring-loaded wire ring 402. The user can hold the reusable bag support device 100 by the handle when placing the device inside a reusable bag or removing the device from the reusable bag.
The reusable bag support device 100 optionally includes an attachment clamp 304 for attaching the reusable bag support device 100 to a fixture, such as a bagging fixture, a bag carousel, a bagging shelf, a bagging alcove, or any other fixture for bagging groceries.
A second side panel 618 includes an edge 620. The edge 620 attaches to the edge 616 of the first side panel 612. In some examples, the second side panel is connected to the first side panel 612 via a second spring-loaded hinge.
A third side panel 622 includes an edge 624 and edge 626. The edge 624 attaches to the second side 606 of the central panel 102. In some examples, the central panel 102 is connected to the third side panel via a third spring-loaded hinge.
A fourth side panel 628 includes an edge 630. The edge 630 attaches to the edge 626 of the third side panel 622 via a fourth spring-loaded hinge.
A bottom panel 224 includes a top edge 634. The top edge 634 of the bottom panel 224 attaches to the bottom side 610 of the central panel 102. In some examples, the central panel 102 connects to the bottom panel 224 via a fifth spring-loaded hinge.
The reusable bag support device 100 is configurable to accommodate bags having variable depth and/or width. One or more panels can be added onto the reusable bag support device and/or additional panels can be unfolded to accommodate any bag shape or size.
The set of panels can be arranged in any configuration to suit any size or shape of a reusable bag. In this non-limiting example, the reusable bag support device 600 includes six panels. In other examples, the reusable bag support device 600 includes five panels, four panels, three panels or only two panels.
The reusable bag support device 100 can include two or more of the panels in any user-configured arrangement. In this example, the central panel 102 is connected to four side panels and a bottom panel. In another example, the reusable bag support device 100 includes the central panel 102 connected to a bottom panel and three side panels. In another example, the reusable bag support device 100 includes the central panel 102 and the bottom panel without any side panels. In still another example, the reusable bag support device 100 includes the central panel 102, the bottom panel and two side panels. In yet another example, the reusable bag support device 100 includes the central panel 102 and four side panels without the bottom panel.
The hand grip 414 can also include an attachment mechanism 710 to attach the hand grip 414 to a bag fixture. A release mechanism 114 can optionally be provided to release the reusable bag support device from the bag fixture.
In this example, the set of side panels includes a central panel 102, a first side panel 804 and a second side panel 806. Fixture attachment 810 and fixture attachment 812 enable the reusable bag support device 100 to be removably attached to a bag fixture device. In this example, the fixture attachments include a set of rings which can be slipped over one or more bag support arms. The fixture attachment 810 and/or the fixture attachment 812 can be attachments, such as, but not limited to, the fixture attachment 310 in
Each fixture attachment can include an extension arm for extending or retracting the fixture attachment. In this example, an extension arm connects the fixture attachment ring to the central panel 102. Likewise, the extension arm connects the fixture attachment 812 to the central panel 102. The extension arms are extended to their full length when in use. When not in use, the extension arms can be retracted/collapsed into an attachment housing to prevent the fixture attachments from snagging on other items/objects when not in use.
A compression clasp 808 is provided to hold the side panel 804 and side panel 806 pressed against the central panel 102 when the reusable bag support device 100 is in a closed/folded configuration.
The examples are not limited to a reusable bag support device having four side panels and a bottom panel 224 connected to a central panel as shown in
The reusable bag support device 100 in this example includes a single bag fixture attachment 202. In other examples, the reusable bag support device 100 includes two or more bag fixture attachments.
The panels in some examples are connected via spring-loaded hinges. In this non-limiting example, two panels are held together by a spring-loaded hinge 916.
The reusable bag support device 100 in this example include a pair of hook-shaped fixture attachments. In other examples, the reusable bag support device 100 includes a single fixture attachment or no fixture attachments.
The reusable bag support device 100 wire is spring loaded such that it expands and takes the shape of the bag/mouth of the bag to keep it open. The length of the wire is user-configurable to accommodate a range of sizes of bags. In some examples, the wire is two feet long. In other examples, the wire is four feet long. Thus, the wire in these examples has a range between two feet and four feet long. However, the examples are not limited to these dimensions. In other examples, the wire is twelve inches long, five feet long, or any other suitable length. The wire is composed of a flexible metal.
In some examples, a bagging device is provided which holds a reusable bag open while it is being filled. The bagging device includes a folding panel design to hold the bag in place. The panel is placed inside the bag to be filled, in a folded state. The folding panel design includes a clasp that can unfold the side panels to hold the bag open and it is done with the help of a spring action. Further, the clasp is attached to the top edge of the bag
Other examples provide a spring and wire device for holding the reusable bag open. The spring and wire device can be contracted and expanded, depending on whether the user is bagging, or storing the bags. The device is placed into a reusable bag in a contracted state. It is released and expanded inside the bag, to take the inner shape of the bag. Further, it contracts again once it is pulled out of the bag.
A plurality of configurable support panels forming a variety of shapes is provided in some examples. The support panels spring open when released to conform to an interior shape of different sizes and shapes of reusable bags. The configurable support panels can be removed for smaller bags or added to accommodate larger bags.
A spring-loaded wire ring including fixture attachment rings and compression clamps to hold the spring-loaded device in a flat, folded configuration is also provided in other examples. A handle on the spring-loaded wire ring has a release button/switch which can be activated/pressed to release/expand the wire ring within an interior portion of a reusable bag to hold the bag open and provide support. The reusable bag support device holds the mouth of the bag open and fixed in place while the user puts items into the bag. The device holds the mouth of the bag open and no issues for person filling the bag.
In an example scenario, the reusable bag support device is placed inside an empty reusable bag in a folded (closed) configuration. The compression clasp is released, and the side panels open away from the center panel. The panels press against the insides of the bag to hold it up and open. The clasp can be attached to the top edge of the bag, fixing the bag to the device. The device and the attached bag can be hung from a bag fixture on a traditional bagging station, such as a bag carousel, via a bag fixture attachment. The bag attachment clip holds the bag support device to the bag. The fixture attachment attaches the reusable bag support device-reusable bag combination to the bagging station.
In another example, a spring-loaded wire ring is expanded or contracted depending on whether the user is bagging or storing the reusable bags. The compressed spring-loaded wire ring is placed inside an interior of a reusable bag in the contracted state. The compression clamp is released to open/release the device. The device self-expands and matches the inner shape of the bag. When bagging is complete, the device is pulled out/removed from the bag. The spring-loaded wire ring is compressed/folded, and the compression clamp is engaged/closed over the ring to hold it in the smaller (closed) configuration.
In some examples, the reusable bag support device is made of aluminum or some other lightweight metal or metal composite. In still other examples, the reusable bag support device is made of one or more sheets of a relatively hard material like plastic.
In some examples, the reusable bag support device includes two sides folded in with spring-loaded joints. The two sides are folded. In the folded configuration, the bag support device looks like a folded sheet of metal or rectangular wire frame covered in a flexible material. A clip or plastic handle holds the side panels in the folded configuration. A release button releases the side panels permitting them to open and expand outward. You keep this device folded and then it just looks like a sheet of metal. Clasp to attach the device to the bag and keep it open.
The dimensions of the reusable bag support device can be any user-configurable length/diameter. In one example, the central panel is one foot/twelve inches wide. In other examples, the central panel is six inches wide. The central panel in other examples is two feet/twenty-four inches wide. The reusable bag support device applies to a variety of different sizes and dimensions of reusable bags.
Alternatively, or in addition to the other examples described herein, examples include any combination of the following:
At least a portion of the functionality of the various elements in
While the aspects of the disclosure have been described in terms of various examples with their associated operations, a person skilled in the art would appreciate that a combination of operations from any number of different examples is also within scope of the aspects of the disclosure.
The order of execution or performance of the operations in examples of the disclosure illustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwise specified. That is, the operations can be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and examples of the disclosure can include additional or fewer operations than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that executing or performing an operation before, contemporaneously with, or after another operation is within the scope of aspects of the disclosure.
When introducing elements of aspects of the disclosure or the examples thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there can be additional elements other than the listed elements. The term “exemplary” is intended to mean “an example of” The phrase “one or more of the following: A, B, and C” means “at least one of A and/or at least one of B and/or at least one of C.”
Having described aspects of the disclosure in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of aspects of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims. As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of aspects of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62667714 | May 2018 | US |
