Expendable service surface device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266256-B2
Application number	US-202017123562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

Examples provide a height adjustable tray including a service surface for moving one or more items from a first height near the top of a display case down to a lower height within reach of a user in a seated position or otherwise unable to reach a top surface of the display case. The tray is connected to a set of one or more support arms. A gearing mechanism moves the set of support arms along a range of motion to lower the tray from the first height near the top of the display case to a position in front of the display case at a second height. The tray remains in a horizontal orientation substantially parallel to the floor or ground surface as the tray moves through the range of motion. An operating mechanism controls movement of the tray along the range of motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for extending a height adjustable service surface, the system comprising:
a display case comprising a side panel, a top panel and a front panel;
a gearing mechanism mounted to the side panel, the gearing mechanism comprising a set of gears;
an operating mechanism associated with the gearing mechanism;
at least one support arm mounted to the gearing mechanism configured to rotate along a range of motion;
a tray comprising an attachment member associated with a first end of the at least one support arm; and
a horizontal top surface of the tray configured to support a set of items at least partially in contact with the top surface as the tray moves along the range of motion, wherein the tray is configured to have a first position at a first height over a top of the display case, and have a second position at a second height associated with a stop point in front of an exterior side of the front panel of the display case, the second height being lower than the first height, the tray moving along the range of motion from the first position to the second position while maintaining the horizontal top surface in response to activation of the operating mechanism.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operating mechanism is a lever having a first lever position and a second lever position, wherein the tray rotates along the range of motion as the lever moves from the first lever position to the second lever position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gearing mechanism further comprises:
an electric motor, wherein the electric motor engages to move the at least one support arm along the range of motion in response to activation of the operating mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operating mechanism is a button which engages an electric motor to automatically move the tray from the first position to the second position of the tray.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a set of weight sensors associated with the tray, wherein the set of weight sensors generates weight data associated with the set of items.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a tray control component, implemented on at least one processor, the tray control component activates the gearing mechanism to move the tray along the range of motion from the first position to the second position of the tray in response to detecting an increase in weight associated with at least one item placed on the horizontal top surface; and
the tray control component automatically moves the tray from the second position back to the first position in response to the weight data indicating the set of items removed from the tray.

7. An extendable service surface device associated with a display case, the extendable service surface device comprising:
an operating mechanism associated with a gearing mechanism;
a tray, the tray comprising a top surface configured to support a set of items at least partially in contact with the top surface;
a tray support mechanism, the tray support mechanism comprising at least one support arm, the at least one support arm comprising a first end attached to the gearing mechanism and a second end attached to a first side of the tray, the at least one support arm configured to rotate along a range of motion outside of the display case, the range of motion including a first position of the tray over a top of the display case and a second position of the tray at a stop point in front of the display case, wherein the operating mechanism rotates the tray via the tray support mechanism along the range of motion while maintaining the top surface parallel to a ground surface in response to activation of the operating mechanism.

8. The extendable service surface device of claim 7 , wherein the gearing mechanism is mounted to a side panel of the display case.

9. The extendable service surface device of claim 7 , wherein the gearing mechanism is mounted to a top panel of the display case.

10. The extendable service surface device of claim 7 , wherein the operating mechanism comprises a lever.

11. The extendable service surface device of claim 7 , wherein the operating mechanism comprises a turn crank.

12. The extendable service surface device of claim 7 , wherein the gearing mechanism further comprises an electric motor, wherein the operating mechanism engages the electric motor to move tray support mechanism along the range of motion in response to activation of the operating mechanism.

13. The extendable service surface device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a set of weight sensors associated with the tray, wherein the set of weight sensors generates weight data associated with the set of items;
a tray control component, implemented on at least one processor, the tray control component activates the gearing mechanism to move the tray along the range of motion from the first position to the second position in response to detecting an increase in weight associated with at least one item placed on a horizontal top surface; and
the tray control component automatically moves the tray from the second position back to the first position in response to the weight data indicating the set of items removed from the tray.

14. An extendable service surface device comprising:
a gearing mechanism mounted to a side panel of a display case, the gearing mechanism comprising a set of gears;
an operating mechanism associated with the gearing mechanism;
a tray including a horizontal top surface configured to support a set of items at least partially in contact with the horizontal top surface; and
at least one support member affixed to the tray and the gearing mechanism, wherein responsive to activation of the operating mechanism the gearing mechanism moves the at least one support member along a range of motion to adjust a height of the tray, the range of motion including a first position disposing the tray at a first height over a top of the display case and a second position disposing the tray at a second height associated with a stop point in front of an exterior portion of a front panel of the display case.

15. The extendable service surface device of claim 14 , wherein the gearing mechanism further comprises an electric motor, wherein the operating mechanism engages the electric motor to move the at least one support member along the range of motion in response to activation of the operating mechanism.

16. The extendable service surface device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a set of weight sensors associated with the tray, wherein the set of weight sensors generates weight data associated with the set of items;
a tray control component, implemented on at least one processor, the tray control component activates the gearing mechanism to move the tray along the range of motion from the first position to the second position in response to detecting an increase in weight associated with at least one item placed on the horizontal top surface; and
the tray control component automatically moves the tray from the second position back to the first position in response to the weight data indicating the set of items removed from the tray.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Tovey David G
• Franke Todd
• Cohagan Sam

Classifications

• A47B49/008

  with motorisation means · CPC title

• G01G19/52

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title

• A47F3/11

  having mechanical drive · CPC title

• A47F5/0087

  movable around an axis · CPC title

• G01G21/28

  Frames, Housings · CPC title