Combination carrying device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077137-B1
Application number	US-201514980504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A combination carrying device includes a rigid basket having a flexible bag nested therein. The flexible bag may be formed from one or more fabrics or like materials and form or define a tapered volume having a pair of handle extensions. The rigid basket may be formed from plastics or like materials and include rotatable handles mounted to sides of the rigid basket. The flexible bag and the rigid basket include magnetically compatible components that cause the flexible bag to remain nested within the rigid basket when such components are within a close proximity of one another. A customer carrying a combination carrying device in a materials handling facility may place one or more items in the flexible bag nested within the rigid basket, and extract the flexible bag from the rigid basket after executing a purchase for the items therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rigid item carrier comprising:
a first side panel;
a second side panel opposite the first side panel;
a first end panel joined to the first side panel and the second side panel;
a second end panel opposite the first end panel, wherein the second end panel is joined to the first side panel and the second side panel;
a first bottom panel, wherein each of the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel and the second end panel is joined to the first bottom panel;
a first handle having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is pivotably attached to an outer surface of the first side panel by a first extension passing through the first side panel, and wherein the second end is pivotably attached to an outer surface of the second side panel by a second extension passing through the second side panel;
a first magnetized element joined to the first extension by a first fastener on an inner surface of the first side panel at a predetermined distance above the first bottom panel; and
a second magnetized element joined to the second extension by a second fastener on an inner surface of the second side panel at the predetermined distance above the first bottom panel.

2. The rigid item carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second handle having a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end is pivotably attached to the outer surface of the first side panel by a third extension passing through the third side panel, and wherein the fourth end is pivotably attached to the outer surface of the second side panel by a fourth extension passing through the fourth side panel;
a third magnetized element joined to the third extension by a third fastener on the inner surface of the first side panel at the predetermined distance above the first bottom panel; and
a fourth magnetized element joined to the fourth extension by a fourth fastener on the inner surface of the second side panel at the predetermined distance above the first bottom panel.

3. The rigid item carrier of claim
wherein at least one of the first magnetized element or the second magnetized element is at least one of:
an iron magnet;
a steel magnet;
a cobalt magnet;
a nickel magnet;
a magnetic alloy;
a natural Earth magnet;
a rare-Earth magnet; or
a composite magnet.

4. The rigid item carrier of claim 1 , wherein each of the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel, the second end panel and the first bottom panel is formed from a common material; and
wherein the common material is one of:
an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; a bioplastic; a compostable plastic; an epoxy resin; a metal mesh, a metal sheet, a metal wire, a natural material, a natural plastic; a phenolic resin; a polyester; a polyethylene; a polypropylene; a polyurethane; a polyvinyl chloride; or a recycled plastic.

5. The rigid item carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel, the second end panel or the first bottom panel comprises a plurality of openings extending therethrough,
wherein at least two of the openings are arranged in a pattern on the at least one of the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel, the second end panel or the first bottom panel, and
wherein a shape of at least one of the plurality of openings is a circle or a square.

6. The rigid item carrier of claim 1 , wherein at least the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel, the second end panel and the first bottom panel form a first tapered volume, and
wherein a flexible item carrier is releasably nested within the first tapered volume, wherein the flexible item carrier further comprises:
a third side panel;
a fourth side panel opposite the third side panel;
a third end panel joined to the third side panel and the fourth side panel;
a fourth end panel opposite the third end panel, wherein the fourth end panel is joined to the third side panel and the fourth side panel;
a second bottom panel, wherein each of the third side panel, the fourth side panel, the third end panel and the fourth end panel is joined to the second bottom panel, and wherein at least the third side panel, the fourth side panel, the third end panel, the fourth end panel and the second bottom panel form a second tapered volume corresponding to the first tapered volume;
a first metallic element joined to the third side panel at the predetermined distance above the second bottom panel, wherein the first metallic element is magnetically coupled to the first magnetized element; and
a second metallic element joined to the fourth side panel at the predetermined distance above the second bottom panel, wherein the second metallic element is magnetically coupled to the second magnetized element.

7. The rigid item carrier of claim 6 , wherein each of the third side panel, the fourth side panel, the third end panel, the fourth end panel and the second bottom panel is formed from at least one of:
a woven fabric comprising one or more plastic fibers;
a woven fabric comprising one or more natural fibers;
a woven fabric comprising one or more paper fibers;
at least one leather;
at least one canvas; or
a non-woven fabric comprising at least one of polypropylene or polyethylene.

8. The rigid item carrier of claim 6 , wherein the second item carrier further comprises a first handle joined to an upper edge of the third side panel and a second handle joined to an upper edge of the fourth side panel,
wherein at least a portion of the first handle is folded between the first side panel and the third side panel, and
wherein at least a portion of the second handle is folded between the second side panel and the fourth side panel.

9. A first item carrier comprising:
a first side panel having a first lower edge;
a second side panel having a second lower edge;
a third side panel having a third lower edge;
a fourth side panel having a fourth lower edge;
a first bottom panel having a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge, wherein the first lower edge is joined to the first edge, wherein the second lower edge is joined to the second edge, wherein the third lower edge is joined to the third edge, and wherein the fourth lower edge is joined to the fourth edge;
a first handle having a first end pivotably attached to a first outer surface of the first side panel and a second end pivotably attached to a second outer surface of the second side panel, wherein the first end comprises a first extension passing through a first bore in the first side panel at a first location on the first outer surface, wherein the first extension is joined to a first fastener at a second location on the first inner surface, wherein a first length of the first extension is greater than a first thickness of the first side panel at the first location, and wherein the first location corresponds to the second location; and
a second handle having a third end pivotably attached to the first outer surface of the first side panel and a fourth end pivotably attached to the second outer surface of the second side panel; and
a first magnetized element attached to a first inner surface of the first side panel at a first distance above the first lower edge, wherein the first magnetized element is a magnetized disk joined to the first extension by the first fastener at the second location.

10. The first item carrier of claim 9 ,
wherein the first magnetized element is at least one of:
an iron magnet;
a steel magnet;
a cobalt magnet;
a nickel magnet;
a magnetic alloy;
a natural Earth magnet;
a rare-Earth magnet; or
a composite magnet.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wang Xiao
• Duester Thomas
• Arhart Ashley Anne
• Benson Rodger

Classifications

• B65D25/16 Primary

  Loose, or loosely-attached, linings · CPC title

• B65D25/32

  Bail handles, i.e. pivoted {rigid} handles of generally semi-circular shape {with pivot points on two opposed sides or wall parts of the conainter} · CPC title

• B65D1/38

  Baskets or like containers of skeleton or apertured construction {(crates for bottles or like containers B65D1/243)} · CPC title

• H01F7/0252

  PM holding devices (H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01F1/04

  metals or alloys · CPC title