Bagging station support frame and method of forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844283-B2
Application number	US-201615381552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a bagging station support frame that includes a bagging station holder and a rail coupler coupled to the bagging station holder. The bagging station holder holds a bagging station. A bagging station holds a plurality of shopping bags ready to receive products purchased by a customer. The rail coupler couples the bagging station support frame to a rail. Rails are common fixtures throughout retail stores. The bagging station support frame can be coupled to a rail at various locations throughout the retail store. A bagging station coupled to the bagging station support frame will be available for customers to bag their purchases wherever the bagging station support frame with bagging station is mounted. By mounting bagging station support frames with bagging stations throughout the retail store, customers can easily bag their purchases as they shop, without having to find a checkout counter to obtain shopping bags.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bagging station support frame comprising:
a bagging station holder comprising:
a back structure comprising:
a first support bar;
a second support bar; and
a first and a second coupler bar, wherein each of the first and the second coupler bars are coupled to and extend between the first support bar and the second support bar; and

a bottom structure coupled to the back structure, wherein the bottom structure comprises:
a first bottom plate support bar coupled to the first support bar, wherein the first bottom plate support bar is a straight bar extending from the first support bar, and wherein the first bottom plate support bar is perpendicular to the first support bar; and
a second bottom plate support bar coupled to the second support bar, wherein the second bottom plate support bar is a straight bar extending from the second support bar, and wherein the second bottom plate support bar is perpendicular to the second support bar;

and
a rail coupler coupled to the bagging station holder, wherein the rail coupler comprises a rail coupler hook with a set screw and a bolt, and wherein the bolt extends through the rail coupler hook and the first support bar;
wherein the rail coupler couples the bagging station support frame to a rail.

2. The bagging station support frame of claim 1 , wherein the rail coupler hook comprises a square rail coupler hook.

3. The bagging station support frame of claim 2 , wherein the bolt captures the rail in the square rail coupler hook in response to the square rail coupler hook extending around the rail.

4. The bagging station support frame of claim 1 , wherein the rail coupler hook comprises a round rail coupler hook.

5. The bagging station support frame of claim 1 , wherein the rail coupler comprises a first rail coupler hook set and a second rail coupler hook set.

6. The bagging station support frame of claim 5 , wherein the rail coupler hook is a first top rail coupler hook, and wherein the first rail coupler hook set comprises the first top rail coupler hook and a second top rail coupler hook, and wherein the second rail coupler hook set comprises a first bottom rail coupler hook and a second bottom rail coupler hook.

7. The bagging station support frame of claim 6 , wherein
the first support bar extends between the first top rail coupler hook and the first bottom rail coupler hook; and
the second support bar extends between the second top rail coupler hook and the second bottom rail coupler hook.

8. The bagging station support frame of claim 7 , further comprising a first and a second bagging station top rail holder coupled to the first and the second support bar, respectively.

9. The bagging station support frame of claim 8 , further comprising a first and a second bagging station middle rail holder coupled to the first and the second support bar, respectively.

10. A method of forming a bagging station support frame, the method comprising:
forming a back structure, wherein forming the back structure comprises:
coupling a first coupler bar first end of a first coupler bar to a first support bar, wherein the first support bar is a first length of rigid material with a first support bar top end and a first support bar bottom end;
coupling a first coupler bar second end to a second support bar, wherein the second support bar is a second length of rigid material with a second support bar top end and a second support bar bottom end;
coupling a second coupler bar first end of a second coupler bar to the first support bar;
and
coupling a second coupler bar second end to the second support bar;

coupling a bottom structure to the back structure, wherein the bottom structure comprises:
a first bottom plate support bar coupled to the first support bar, wherein the first bottom plate support bar is a straight bar extending from the first support bar, and wherein the first bottom plate support bar is perpendicular to the first support bar; and
a second bottom plate support bar coupled to the second support bar, wherein the second bottom plate support bar is a straight bar extending from the second support bar, and wherein the second bottom plate support bar is perpendicular to the second support bar;
and

coupling a rail coupler to the first support bar top end, wherein the rail coupler couples the bagging station support frame to a rail, and wherein the rail coupler comprises a first top rail coupler hook, a set screw and a bolt, and wherein the bolt extends through the first top rail coupler hook and the first support bar.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the coupling the back structure to the bottom structure comprises:
coupling the first bottom plate support bar to the first support bar bottom end; and
coupling the second bottom plate support bar to the second support bar bottom end.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
coupling a first and a second bagging station top rail holder to a top end of the back structure; and
coupling a first and a second bagging station middle rail holder to the back structure.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
coupling a first bottom rail coupler hook to the first support bar bottom end;
coupling a second top rail coupler hook to the second support bar top end; and
coupling a second bottom rail coupler hook to the second support bar bottom end.

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Bacallao Yurgis Mauro

Classifications

• B65B67/1227

  only by a part of the periphery, e.g. by single points or handles, or by one side or two opposite sides only (B65B67/1244 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B2067/1294

  Holders for multiple sacks · CPC title

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• A47F9/042 Primary

  Shopping bags or carton-dispensing systems therefor · CPC title

• B65B67/1266

  specially adapted for storing or dispensing sacks from a supply · CPC title