Stocking tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179404-B2
Application number	US-201715841400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a stocking tool. The stocking tool includes a first adjustable rigid side member, a second adjustable rigid side member, and a handle operatively coupled to the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member. The first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member move toward and away from each other to adjust a width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members. The handle is moveable between a locked position with the handle activating a locking device and an unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device. The width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members receives product on the shelf and the first and second adjustable rigid side members align the received product on the shelf.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stocking tool comprising:
a first adjustable rigid side member;
a second adjustable rigid side member; and
a rotatable handle coupled to ends of the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member, wherein:
the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member move toward and away from each other to adjust a width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members;
the rotatable handle is moveable between a locked position with the handle activating a locking device and an unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device, which comprises the handle rotatable between the locked position with the handle activating the locking device to engage with a shelf and the unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device to disengage from the shelf; and
the width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members receives product on the shelf and the first and second adjustable rigid side members align product on the shelf.

2. The stocking tool of claim 1 , wherein the first adjustable rigid side member comprises a first side member bottom edge and the second adjustable rigid side member comprises a second side member bottom edge.

3. The stocking tool of claim 1 , further comprising a sizing device, wherein the sizing device retains the first and second adjustable rigid side members apart from each other to define the width.

4. The stocking tool of claim 1 , wherein the width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members is maintained through the entire length and height of the first and second adjustable rigid side members.

5. The stocking tool of claim 1 , wherein the first and second adjustable rigid side members each have a length, wherein the length of the first and second adjustable rigid side member is adjustable to operate with varying depth shelves.

6. A stocking system comprising:
a shelf; and
a stocking tool comprising:
a first adjustable rigid side member;
a second adjustable rigid side member; and
a rotatable handle coupled to ends of the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member, wherein:
the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member move toward and away from each other to adjust a width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members;
the rotatable handle is moveable between a locked position with the handle activating a locking device and an unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device, which comprises the handle rotatable between the locked position with the handle activating the locking device to engage with the shelf and the unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device to disengage from the shelf; and

the width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members receives product on the shelf and the first and second adjustable rigid side members align the received product on the shelf.

7. The stocking system of claim 6 , wherein the first adjustable rigid side member comprises a first side member bottom edge and the second adjustable rigid side member comprises a second side member bottom edge.

8. The stocking system of claim 6 , further comprising a sizing device, wherein the sizing device retains the first and second adjustable rigid side members apart from each other to define the width.

9. The stocking system of claim 6 , wherein the width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members is maintained through the entire length and height of the first and second adjustable rigid side members.

10. The stocking system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second adjustable rigid side members each have a length, wherein the length of the first and second adjustable rigid side member is adjustable to operate with varying depth shelves.

11. A zoning tool comprising:
a first adjustable rigid side member;
a second adjustable rigid side member, wherein the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member move toward and away from each other to adjust a width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members to set a zone width;
a handle operatively coupled to the first adjustable rigid side member and the second adjustable rigid side member, wherein the handle is moveable between a locked position with the handle activating a locking device and an unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device; and
a moveable door rotatable between an inoperable position and an operable position, wherein the moveable door is linearly moveable along a shelf, wherein
product within the zoning tool is moved to the front of the shelf in response to moving the moveable door linearly along the shelf.

12. The zoning tool of claim 11 , further comprising a stop coupled to the front end of the first adjustable rigid side member and the front end of the second adjustable rigid side member.

13. The zoning tool of claim 11 , further comprising a sizing device, wherein the sizing device retains the first and second adjustable rigid side members apart from each other to define the width.

14. The zoning tool of claim 11 , wherein the width defined between the first and second adjustable rigid side members is maintained through the entire length and height of the first and second adjustable rigid side members.

15. The zoning tool of claim 11 , wherein the handle is a rotatable handle.

16. The zoning tool of claim 15 , wherein the handle moveable between the locked position and the unlocked position comprises the handle rotatable between the locked position with the handle activating the locking device to engage with the shelf and the unlocked position with the handle deactivating the locking device to disengage from the shelf.

17. The zoning tool of claim 11 , wherein the first and second adjustable rigid side members each have a length, wherein the length of the first and second adjustable rigid side member is adjustable to operate with varying depth shelves.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Jones Matthew Allen
• Jones Nicholaus Adam
• Vasgaard Aaron James

Classifications

• B25J1/04 Primary

  rigid, e.g. shelf-reachers {(without grippers A47F13/06)} · CPC title

• A47F13/08 Primary

  Hand implements, e.g. grocers' scoops, ladles, paper-bag holders · CPC title