Patent Publication Number: US-6704971-B2

Title: Product stocking method and device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/564,762, which was filed on May 4, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,304, and claims priority to co-pending U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/326,366, which was filed on Oct. 1, 2001. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The invention generally relates to a product stocking device, and more particularly, to a product stocking device for placing a plurality of packaged products on a display device in a substantially single step. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     It is well known to package products in a variety of display packages, such as display bags, blister packs, display cards, display containers, display tubes, or the like. The display packages usually include an aperture adjacent the top of each package, such that the display packages may hang from display hangers or peg hooks that extend from a display or display shelf. 
     Conventionally to display the display packages, a stocker retrieves each display bag, blister pack, display card, display container, or the like from a box or larger bag containing a multiplicity of display packages and mounts each display package individually onto a display hanger. Alternatively, a stocker takes a plurality of display packages from the box or larger bag and aligns the mounting apertures by hand and in turn mounts the plurality of display packages onto a display hanger. For the stocker, the process of mounting the display package onto the display hangers is a tedious and time consuming task that requires exceedingly repetitive work. Having such repetitive work for a stocker increases costs for the store employing the stocker and also increases the chances that the individual display packages could be dropped by the stocker, possibly causing damage to the product or the packaging itself, and that the display package could be torn or damaged because of the careless package handling brought on by the tedium of the stocking task. 
     It is known in the art to insert a common twist tie through the apertures of a plurality of display bags. The twist tie substantially causes coaxial alignment of the display bag apertures. The twist tie partially solves the problem of requiring a stocker to stock individual display bags one at a time. A twist tie however has the disadvantage of being difficult to manually disengage from the plurality of bags without the use of a suitable tool. Further, a twist tie requires a substantial twisting effort in putting together the plurality of bags. Further still, a twist tie does not have an area providing for easy labeling of the products that are held by the twist tie or for easy grasping by a stocker. 
     Thus, there is a need and desire for a device that improves the efficiency of handling a multiplicity of display packages to be mounted onto display hangers. There is also a need and desire for an efficient method of mounting a plurality of display packages onto display hangers. Further, there is a need and desire for a device which keeps a plurality of display packages together so that the plurality of display packages can be easily mounted onto display hangers in a substantially single step. Further still, there is a need and desire for a device that holds together a plurality of display packages that can be easily manufactured with little expense and can be easily packaged along with the plurality of display packages in a case or box, e.g. shipping container, containing a plurality of display packages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure a device for retaining a plurality of display packages is disclosed. Each display package has a display aperture. The product stocking device includes a first section having a stop member, a second section, and a coupling portion. The coupling portion is adapted to engage the second section, thereby retaining the plurality of display packages on the first section between the stop member and the second section. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure a system for packaging a multiplicity of display packages in a shipping container is disclosed. Each display package has a display aperture. The system includes at least one stocking device having a first section and a second section. The first section is threadable through the display apertures in a plurality of display packages. The stocking device has a coupling aperture to which the second section is coupled, thereby retaining the display packages. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method of packaging a multiplicity of display packages is disclosed. Each display package has a display aperture. The method includes threading a stocking device, having a first section, a second section, and a coupling portion, through the display apertures of a plurality of display packages. The method also includes coupling the second section of the stocking device to the coupling portion. The method further includes placing the plurality of display packages being retained by the stocking device into a shipping container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a product stocking device; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plurality of display packages stored on the product stocking device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of display packages being transferred from the product stocking device of FIG. 1, to a product display device; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bundle of display packages on a product stocking device being placed into a shipping carton holding a plurality of bundles of display packages. 
    
    
     While the method and device described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments thereof has been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A display package  10  (shown as a card-type packaging) may contain a product, including, but not limited to, hardware items, school or office supplies, etc. Each display package  10  may include an aperture  12  adjacent its top for mounting onto a display device  14  (shown as an elongate peg hook, which extends from an upright display, wall, display case, or the like). Display packages  10  shown in the FIG. 3 are exemplary of the type of display packages that can be utilized with a stocking device; however, any of a variety of rigid or flexible display packages having at least one aperture for hanging on a hanger, rod, hook, or post, may be used. The products may also be sold without separate packaging, because the products themselves may include an aperture for mounting the product on the display device. As such, a stocking device  20  would be configured to engage the aperture, or comparable feature, on the products themselves. 
     Referring now to the drawings, and with specific reference initially to FIG. 1, the product stocking device is generally indicated by reference numeral  20 . The product stocking device  20  includes a storage portion  22  coupled to a loading portion  24 . The stocking device  20  is configured to provide an inexpensive and efficient device for handling (e.g., packaging, aligning, organizing, storing, shipping, and stocking) a plurality of packages. Display packages  10  are configured to be added onto the product stocking device  20  at the loading portion  24  and secured on the storage portion  22 . The product stocking device  20  is configured to retain or “capture” the product packaging by a non-stretching type of engagement. After display packages  10  have been loaded onto storage portion  22 , loading portion  24  is orientated (twisted and bent) to “capture” the packaging to prevent the display packages  10  from sliding off the storage portion  22  until the loading portion  24  is again orientated to allow unloading. 
     Storage portion  22  includes a shaft  26  and a pair of opposing fins or flanges  28 ,  30  extending from shaft  26 . The shaft  26  and the flanges  28 ,  30  are configured to engage with aligned apertures  12  in a plurality of display packages  10 . According to alternative embodiments, storage portion  22  may have any of a variety of shapes and configurations designed to engage one or more types of packaging apertures. In this example, the storage portion  22  is sized and shaped to engage apertures  12  in the display packages  10  (i.e., storage portion  22  has a three-sided or so called euro-style cross section that is slightly smaller than apertures  12  in display packages  10 ). More specifically, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the aperture  12  may include a generally horizontal slot having at least an enlarge semi-circular region in the center thereof. The flanges  28 ,  30  cooperate with edges of aperture  12  to help keep the display packages  10  properly aligned and oriented. 
     The storage portion  22 , further includes an abutment or stop member  32 , located at one end of storage portion  22  (opposite the loading portion), and is configured to prevent display packages  10  from sliding off storage portion  22 . The size and/or shape of stop member  32  is dimensioned (e.g., a diameter) so that it is larger than a corresponding dimension of aperture  12  of display package  10 . In another example, the stop member  32  includes an area of sufficient size for labeling or other indicia (e.g., product identification, shipping origin, shipping destination, seller information, UPC Code data, buyer/customer information, etc.) A ring or grasping member  34 , may be located at an end of storage portion  22  and may be configured to provide a stocker with a member to easily manipulate the product stocking device  20  and/or retain display packages  10 , or to provide a coupling member for a packaging machine or fixture. 
     Located on the storage portion  22  may be a coupling portion or notch  36 . The notch  36  is adapted to receive the loading portion  24 , and the notch  36  may be a variety of shapes and sizes. In one example, the notch  36  may have a general “L” shape, including a retaining portion  48 . The retaining portion  48  may be directed towards the stop member  32  so that the loading shaft  38  is biased into the retaining portion  48  when engaged with the notch  36 . Alternatively, retaining portion  48  may be directed away from stop member  32 . More specifically, notch  36  may have a width that narrows so that shaft  38  is frictionally gripped by flange  30 , such that when shaft  38  is engaged with notch  36 , the display packages  10  are retained between stop member  32  and the shaft  38 . In other examples, the coupling portion  36  may a clip or other retaining device adapted to hold and/or retain the loading portion  24 . The coupling portion  36  also need not be located on the storage portion  22 , but may be located next to or near the storage portion  22 . For example, the coupling portion  36  may be a knob or a single slit located on the storage portion  22  or the loading portion  24 , respectively. Similarly, there may be more than one coupling portion  36  located on the product storage device  20 . Further, the coupling portion could be located on the stop member  32 , to receive an elongate loading shaft  38 . 
     The loading portion  24  may include a flexible shaft  38  and a tip or head  40 . The flexible shaft  38  may be fixedly attached to the storage portion  22 , or may be detachable. The shaft  38  of the loading portion  24  is adapted to engage with the notch  36  to prevent display packages  10  from being pulled off the storing portion  22  (e.g., the contortion of shaft  38  and location of head  40 ). The head  40  and/or storage portion  22  may have any of a variety of shapes and sizes which generally correspond with the shape and size of the aperture  12  (e.g., triangular, rectangular, circular, ovular, clover-leaf, etc.). In another example, the shaft  38  may be rigid and may be adapted to detach from the storage portion  22 . While detached, the shaft  38  will be able to engage with the coupling portion  36  to retain the display packages  10  on the product stocking device  20 . 
     The head  40  includes a socket  42  configured to receive a display device  14 , such as a peg hook. According to an alternative embodiment, socket  42  may have a variety of shapes and sizes, which are configured to receive peg hook  14 . In one example, the head  40  may include an outer dimension  44  (e.g., outer diameter D1) that is less than a correspondingly-shaped dimension of aperture  12 . Similarly, the inner dimension  46  (e.g., inner diameter D2) of the head  40 , or the diameter of the socket  42 , may be larger than the outer diameter or corresponding dimension of the peg hook  14 . 
     The shaft  38  of the loading portion  24  may be configured (e.g., sized and shaped) to be flexible and allow movement of the head  40  relative to the storage portion  22 . More particularly, the shaft  38  may be flexibly configured to engage notch  36  in the flange  30  so that display packages  10  once loaded are secured on the storage portion (i.e. between the stop member  32  and the notch  36 ). 
     The product stocking device  20  may be formed as a single piece during a single injection molding operation, or the components of the product stocking device  20  may be separately molded and later assembled together (e.g., with adhesive, thermal bonding, fasteners, snap fit engagements, or the like). More specifically, the product stocking device  20  may be constructed from an injection molding process using polypropylene, but even other materials can be used, including other thermoplastic resins such as high density polyethylene, other polyethylenes, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polyurethane, Nylon, any of a variety of homopolymer plastics, copolymer plastics, plastics with special additives, filled plastics, etc. Also, other molding operations may be used to form these components, such as blow molding, rotational molding, etc. 
     Similarly, while the components of the disclosed product stocking device  20  have been and will be illustrated as being used with a three-sided aperture (“euro-style” mounting hole) designed for cardboard panels (“display cards”), the features of product stocking device  20  have a much wider applicability. For example, the product stocking device&#39;s design may be adaptable for other packaging containers for any of a variety of office, home, educational, repair and other products that are configured to be mounted to a display. Further, the size of the various components and the size of the apertures, packaging materials, etc. may be widely varied. For example, the display devices may include display hangers, hooks, other elongate rods, or elements that extend from a generally vertical surface of a display. 
     In operation, the product stocking device  20  is used to hold one or more display packages  10  so that the display packages  10  are uniformly aligned and organized for storage, shipment, stocking, etc. The display packages  10  are created at a packaging or manufacturing facility where the product/products are sealed in display packages  10 . The display packages  10  are then loaded onto a stocking device  20  by sliding one or more display packages  10  over head  40  and loading shaft  38 , of the loading portion  24 , and then onto the storage portion  22 . (Product stocking device  20  can be sized to accommodate any number of packages, as desired.) After display packages  10  are loaded onto storage portion  22 , shaft  38  is twisted or oriented so that shaft  38  engages notch  36  and is then locked into place in the retaining portion  48 . 
     After a desired quantity of display packages  10  have been loaded onto stocking device  20  and the display packages  10  are retained, the product storage device  20  and the display packages  10  may be removed from a packaging machine and placed in a box or container for storage or shipment. Product stocking device  20  may also be held by a worker and the products or the display packages  10  may be manually placed onto product stocking device  20  or may be mounted to a fixture and/or mounted to an automated product loading apparatus. 
     In one example, a retainer band  50 , such as a rubber band, an elastic band, a flexible band, a non-flexible band or other retaining device, may be wrapped around the plurality of display packages  10  to hold the display packages  10  substantially in line with one another and to prevent the shifting or tangling of products during shipping. After a plurality of display packages  10  have been retained by product stocking device  20 , for instance, the plurality of display packages  10  may be bound by the elastic or rubber band  50  around the mid-section of display packages  10  to keep them more firmly and compactly together during delivery of the products. Also, band  50  may prevent each group of display packages  10  from substantially interfering with other groups of display packages  10  in a case, a carton, or a box  52  to be sent to a customer. After display packages  10  have been bound by rubber bands  50 , they may be inserted into a case or box  52  to be stored or sent to the customer. A plurality of these bound sets of display packages  10 , each being retained by product stocking device  20 , may be inserted into a single case. 
     In another example, however, the display packages  10  need not be bound together by retainer bands  50 , because the product stocking device  20  may hold the display packages  10  substantially in line with one another and prevent the shifting or tangling of products by engaging the apertures  12  of the display packages  10  with the storage portion  22 . The aperture  12 , for example, may be of any shape, including the “euro-style” hole having a round hole with elongate sides, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the storing portion  22 , as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, may have a shape complimentary to the aperture  12 . More specifically, the shaft  26  may compliment the round part of the aperture  12 , and the flanges  28 ,  30  may each compliment one of the elongate sides of the aperture  12 . With both the storing portion  22  and the aperture  12  having complimentary profiles, the display packages  10  may be kept in line with one another and may prevented from shifting or from becoming entangled with one another. 
     When box  52  is received at a store (FIG.  4 ), or any other place where the products are going to be displayed, each retained set of display packages  10  may be lifted from the box or case  52  by grasping the product stocking device  20  and lifting the set of display packages  10  from the box  52 . Product stocking device  20  is unloaded by disengaging shaft  38  from notch  36 . The head  40 , of the loading portion  24 , may then be engaged with the display device  14  by engaging socket  40  with the end of the peg hook  14 . As can be seen in FIG. 3, because the product stocking device  20  was inserted through apertures  12 , apertures  12  (and the display packages  10 ) will be aligned substantially coaxially. Thus, they may be transferred directly onto peg hook  14  by pushing display packages  10  from their initial position on the storage portion  22 , over loading portion  24 , and onto peg hook  14 . Thus, the user has avoided having to individually mount each separate one of the plurality of display packages  10  onto the peg hook  14 . Once the plurality of display packages  10  have been transferred as a group to peg hook  14 , stocking device  20  is removed and then disposed of, reused, or recycled. 
     It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the product stocking device  20  and the method as shown herein are only illustrative. Although only a few examples of the product stocking device  20  have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the present invention. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements. Similarly, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, and/or the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied (e.g. by variations in the number of engagement slots or size of the engagement slots or type of engagement). Also, the product stocking device  20  may have any number of a variety of designs and configurations to work with a variety of display arrangements. Further, the product stocking device  20  could also be made without flexible shaft  38  (e.g., the loading portion only including the head, the loading portion being detachable in order to engage the storage portion, etc.) It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures and combinations. It should also be noted that the display system may be used in association with a rotating display, or alternatively other, fixed and non-movable displays or any of a wide variety of other surfaces in any of a wide variety of other applications. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present inventions. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention.