US20020145086A1 - Hook arrangement - Google Patents
Hook arrangement Download PDFInfo
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- US20020145086A1 US20020145086A1 US09/827,126 US82712601A US2002145086A1 US 20020145086 A1 US20020145086 A1 US 20020145086A1 US 82712601 A US82712601 A US 82712601A US 2002145086 A1 US2002145086 A1 US 2002145086A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- mounting plate
- hook
- hook arrangement
- holes
- shaped
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
- B65B43/12—Feeding flexible bags or carton blanks in flat or collapsed state; Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain
- B65B43/14—Feeding individual bags or carton blanks from piles or magazines
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F13/00—Shop or like accessories
- A47F13/08—Hand implements, e.g. grocers' scoops, ladles, paper-bag holders
- A47F13/085—Shopping-bag holders
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to hook arrangements, and more particularly, to such arrangements used for suspending plastic or polyethylene bags of the variety used in retail stores such as grocery stores and supermarkets.
- plastic merchandise bags have been replacing paper bags in the retail and grocery products industries due to the superior and inherent moisture resistant properties of plastic. Nowhere is the trend of using plastic bags in the place of paper bags more evident than in the produce sections of grocery stores and supermarkets where customers almost exclusively use plastic bags to hold the various fruits and/or vegetables that are sought to be purchased. In addition to having moisture resistant properties that are superior to paper bags, plastic bags are cheaper and easier to handle, ship and store than paper pages.
- Plastic merchandise bags have traditionally either been the generally flat top rectangular bags or the T-shirt type and are usually provided to and used by the grocery and retail product industries in the form of stacks of a plurality of such bags.
- the manufacturers of such bag stacks will usually include anywhere from 50 to 200 bags or more into each pack, arranging the bags such that they lay flat on top of each other and connecting a disposable upper portion to the top portion of each bag, which upper portion may include an elongated opening therethrough, one or more apertures, or any combination thereof.
- the object of this invention is to provide owners of retail stores such as grocery stores and supermarkets with a device that allows for almost effortless suspension of bag stacks and that is also easily mountable on or in existing structures inside a grocery or retail store.
- such object may be accomplished by providing a hook arrangement for the mounting thereon of one or more bag stacks in a generally vertically suspended position, while the hook arrangement itself may be mounted on or disposed about a variety of surfaces in the store they are to be used in, such as on a table, a counter, a shelf, or openings in vegetable and/or fruit misting and/or chilling.
- FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to a desired edge.
- FIG. 4 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 5 shows a side view of the second embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the second embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to the holes in a misting and/or chilling apparatus.
- FIG. 7 shows a front view of a third embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 8 shows a side view of the third embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the third embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to the holes in a misting and/or chilling apparatus.
- FIG. 10 shows a front view of a fourth embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 11 shows a side view of the fourth embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to a desired surface.
- FIG. 13 shows a front view of a fifth embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 14 shows a side view of the fifth embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to a desired edge.
- FIGS. 1 through 3 show the first embodiment of the present invention.
- a mounting plate 10 is shown with a plurality of holes 29 formed therethrough and which further has two laterally spaced hooks 11 and a single hook 24 , all of which are welded or otherwise suitably affixed to mounting plate 10 .
- FIG. 1 further shows the front portion 12 of mounting plate 10 while FIG. 2 best shows the back portion 13 of said mounting plate.
- Hook 24 which is best shown in FIG. 3, is located between hooks 11 .
- hooks 11 are similar in size and configuration and are preferably made out of metal, as are both the mounting plate 10 and hook 24 , hooks 11 do not have to be absolutely identical in size and configuration and any or all of mounting plate 10 , hooks 11 and hook 24 can be made of materials other than metal, such as a plastic, an alloy, or a polymer. Hooks 11 and 24 that are utilized in conjunction with the present invention are formed, through bending, molding, or other method of shaping, from a single and continuous rod type member into the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 through 3.
- each of said hooks has a first end 14 and a second end 15 , a first bend 16 of about 180 degrees as shown, a second bend 17 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, a third bend 18 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, and a fourth bend 19 of approximately 180 degrees as shown.
- the portion of hook 11 with bends 16 , 17 , and 18 protrudes from the front portion 12 of mounting plate 10 and has a U-shape configuration when viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 2, while the extension of hook 11 with bend 19 and which terminates at end 15 protrudes from the back portion 13 , in an inverted U-shape configuration when viewed from the side as further shown in FIG. 2.
- FIG. 3 best illustrates the general configuration of hook 24 whereby hook 24 has a first end 25 , a second end 26 , and a bend 27 of about 180 degrees as shown.
- the portions of hooks 11 and 24 with their respective bends 19 and 27 are designed such that the hook arrangement may be mounted onto or otherwise attached to the edge 23 of any enclosure 22 that is usually found in grocery stores and supermarkets around produce such as apples, oranges, or the like.
- the portions of hooks 11 with bends 16 , 17 , and 18 are designed to fit through the bag stack mounting apertures 20 which are shown in FIG. 3 to be formed in the upper portion 21 of the bag stacks. Also shown in FIG.
- each of the four bends in hooks 11 and the single bend in hook 24 described above result in distinct U-Shaped configurations whereby each bend is approximately 180 degrees, however, since none of the bends necessarily have to be 180 degrees, it is envisioned that the hooks could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each bend.
- the entire hook arrangement described in the first embodiment could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer.
- FIGS. 4 through 6 and FIGS. 7 through 9 respectively are similar in that the hook arrangements of each of those embodiments are intended to be mounted on or in apertures, holes, or crevices in the misting and/or chilling apparatus generally found in the produce section of grocery stores and supermarkets.
- the second embodiment of the present invention that is shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 is similar in configuration to the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
- mounting plate 30 also has a plurality of holes 45 formed therethrough and at least two laterally spaced hooks 33 , each formed from a single rod member, that are welded or otherwise affixed to mounting plate 30 , which plate has a front portion 31 and a back portion 32 .
- the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the extension of each of said hooks 33 that curves around the front portion 31 of the mounting plate 30 to protrude from the back portion 32 of the mounting plate 30 is much longer than that described in the first embodiment and does not have the same inverted U-shape configuration when viewed from the side, as in FIG. 5.
- FIG. 6 best illustrates the general configuration of hook 33 whereby hook 33 has a first end 34 and a second end 35 , a first bend 36 of about 180 degrees as shown, a second bend 37 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, a third bend 38 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, a fourth bend 39 of approximately 100 degrees as shown, and a fifth bend 40 of approximately 100 degrees as shown.
- a single rod member 41 may be welded or otherwise affixed to hooks 33 , thereby acting as a support or a brace.
- the portions of hooks 33 with bends 36 , 37 , and 38 are designed to fit through the bag stack mounting apertures 42 which are shown in FIG.
- each of the bends 36 , 37 , and 38 described above results in a distinct U-Shaped configuration whereby each bend is approximately 180 degrees, while each of the bends 39 and 40 described above results in a approximately an L-Shaped configuration whereby each of bends 39 and 40 is of the order of approximately 100 degrees as shown.
- the hooks could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each bend.
- FIGS. 7 through 9 The third embodiment of the present invention that is shown in FIGS. 7 through 9 is similar in configuration to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 and described above in that mounting plate 50 also has a plurality of holes 77 formed therethrough and at least two laterally spaced hooks 53 , each formed from a single rod member, that are welded or otherwise affixed to a mounting plate 50 , which has a front portion 51 and a back portion 52 .
- the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that said hooks 53 do not have a portion that extends or otherwise depends from the rear portion 52 of the mounting plate.
- a single discrete rod member 54 is welded or otherwise affixed, at a portion close to its first end 55 , to the back portion 52 of mounting plate 50 .
- Rod member 54 is welded or otherwise affixed, at a portion close to its second end 56 to the back portion 59 of a second mounting plate 57 , having a front portion 58 , a back portion 59 , and a plurality of holes 76 formed therethrough.
- Further welded or otherwise affixed to back portion 59 of mounting plate 57 is another discrete rod member 60 , having a first end 61 , a second end 62 , a first bend 63 of approximately 100 degrees as shown and a second bend 64 of approximately 100 degrees as shown.
- Member 60 is welded or otherwise affixed to the back portion 59 of mounting plate 57 at a portion of member 60 near its first end 61 .
- FIG. 9 best illustrates the general configuration of hook 53 whereby hook 53 has a first end 66 , a second end 67 , a first bend 68 of about 180 degrees as shown, a second bend 69 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, and a third bend 70 of approximately 180 degrees as shown.
- a single rod member 71 may be welded or otherwise affixed to hooks 53 , thereby acting as a support or a brace.
- the portions of hooks 53 with bends 68 , 69 , and 70 are designed to fit through the bag stack mounting apertures 72 which are shown in FIG.
- each of the bends 68 , 69 , and 70 described above results in a distinct U-Shaped configuration whereby each bend is approximately 180 degrees, while each of the bends 63 and 64 described above results in a approximately an L-Shaped configuration whereby each of bends 63 and 64 are of the order of approximately 100 degrees as shown.
- the both hooks 53 and members 60 could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each bend.
- hooks 33 and 53 should be U-shaped, made from metal, and welded onto the front portions 31 and 51 of their respective mounting plates.
- hooks 33 and 53 could take on different forms and/or configurations, such as a V-shape, may be made from a material other than metal, such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer, and may be attached and/or affixed to either the front or back portions of their respective mounting plates 30 and 50 by methods other than welding such as by glueing, or using screws and/or nuts and bolts.
- each of the second and third embodiments are preferably made from metal and are welded in the portions where the various members attach to each other
- the materials used could be any suitable material, such as plastics, alloys, or polymers, and they may be attached by to each other by methods other than welding, such as by glueing, or using screws and/or nuts and bolts.
- the entire hook arrangement described in the second and third embodiments could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer.
- the hook arrangement consists of a base member 80 , with a top face 81 , a bottom face 82 , and a plurality of mounting holes 83 formed through member 80 as shown, a vertical member 84 with a first end 85 and a second end 86 , and a hook member 87 , formed from a single discrete rod, with a first end 88 and a second end 89 .
- Vertical member 84 is welded or otherwise affixed perpendicularly at its first end 85 to the top face 81 of base member 80 at a location near the center of base member 80 as shown.
- Hook member 87 is welded or otherwise affixed perpendicularly, at a point on the horizontal portion of hook member 87 near the center of hook member 87 to a location on vertical member 84 near the second end 86 of vertical member 84 .
- FIG. 12 best illustrates the general configuration of hook 87 whereby hook 87 has a first end 88 and a second end 89 , a first bend 90 of about 150 degrees as shown, a second bend 91 of approximately 90 degrees as shown, a third bend 92 of approximately 90 degrees as shown, and a fourth bend 93 of approximately 150 degrees as shown.
- each of bends 90 and 93 described above results in a V-Shaped configurations whereby each bend is approximately 150 degrees, however, since neither of said bends necessarily has to be 150 degrees, it is envisioned that the hooks could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each bend.
- base member 80 , vertical member 84 and hook member 87 of this embodiment be made from metal and that the various members be welded to each other in the locations described in this embodiment
- any or all of said members may be made from materials other than metal, such as a plastic, an alloy, or a polymer, and any or all of said members may be attached to each other in the locations described in this embodiment by means other than welding, such as glueing, or using screws and/or nuts and bolts.
- the entire hook arrangement described in the fourth embodiment could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer.
- FIGS. 13 through 15 show the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
- a mounting plate 100 is shown with a plurality of holes 101 formed therethrough and which further has two laterally spaced hooks 102 and two laterally spaced rectangular sections 105 , forming two independent bracket configurations, all of which are welded or otherwise affixed to mounting plate 100 .
- FIG. 13 further shows the front portion 103 of mounting plate 100 while FIG. 14 best shows the back portion 104 of said mounting plate.
- hooks 102 are similar in size and configuration, and although brackets 105 are also similar in size and configuration, and both hooks 102 and brackets 105 are preferably made out of metal, as is the mounting plate 100 , hooks 102 do not have to be absolutely identical in size and configuration, brackets 105 do not have to be absolutely identical in size and configuration, and any or all of mounting plate 100 , hooks 102 and brackets 105 can be made of materials other than metal, such as a plastic, an alloy, or a polymer.
- Hooks 102 that are utilized in conjunction with the present invention are formed, through bending, molding, or other method of shaping, from a single and continuous rod type member into the configurations shown in FIGS. 13 through 15.
- Brackets 105 that are utilized in conjunction with the present invention are formed, through bending, molding, or other method of shaping, from a single and continuous flat rectangular member into the configurations shown in FIGS. 13 through 15.
- brackets 105 have a first end 106 and a second end 107 , a first bend 118 of approximately 90 degrees as shown, a second bend 119 of 90 degrees as shown, and each of brackets 105 also has a single hole 108 formed in the portion of each bracket 105 toward each of ends 106 and 107 as shown in FIG. 15.
- FIG. 15 best illustrates the general configuration of hooks 102 whereby each of hooks 102 has a first end 109 , a second end 110 , a first bend 111 of about 180 degrees as shown, a second bend 112 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, and a third bend 113 of approximately 180 degrees as shown.
- the portions of hooks 102 with bends 111 , 112 , and 113 are designed to fit through the bag stack mounting apertures 114 which are shown in FIG. 15 to be formed in the upper portion 115 of the bag stacks that are intended to be used with the present invention, while the brackets 105 that are shown in FIGS.
- FIG. 15 shows brackets 105 being disposed about a horizontal edge, said brackets 105 could just as easily be disposed about a vertical edge and the invention could be used in the same manner described herein. Also shown in FIG. 15 are the plastic bags 117 that are customarily suspended from the upper portion 115 .
- each of the bends 111 , 112 , and 113 described above results in a distinct U-Shaped configuration whereby each bend is approximately 180 degrees, while each of the bends 118 and 119 described above results in approximately an L-Shaped configuration whereby each of bends 118 and 119 are of the order of approximately 90 degrees as shown.
- both hooks 102 and brackets 105 could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each of the aforementioned bends.
- hooks 102 and brackets 105 are made from metal and welded onto the front portion 103 of mounting plate 100 .
- hooks 102 and brackets 105 may be made from a material other than metal, such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer, and may be attached and/or affixed to either the front or back portions of mounting plate 100 by methods other than welding such as by glueing, or using screws and/or nuts and bolts.
- the entire hook arrangement described in the fifth embodiment could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer.
Abstract
A hook arrangement, for suspending plastic or polyethylene bags that are connected by means of a disposable header, which does not occupy any floor space in the establishments it is to be used in, and which is stable, easy to use, pleasing to the eye, inexpensive to fabricate, and places the plastic bags, that are used in conjunction with it, within easy reach of the consumers requiring the use of such bags.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- This invention relates generally to hook arrangements, and more particularly, to such arrangements used for suspending plastic or polyethylene bags of the variety used in retail stores such as grocery stores and supermarkets.
- 2. Description of the Prior Art
- In recent years, plastic merchandise bags have been replacing paper bags in the retail and grocery products industries due to the superior and inherent moisture resistant properties of plastic. Nowhere is the trend of using plastic bags in the place of paper bags more evident than in the produce sections of grocery stores and supermarkets where customers almost exclusively use plastic bags to hold the various fruits and/or vegetables that are sought to be purchased. In addition to having moisture resistant properties that are superior to paper bags, plastic bags are cheaper and easier to handle, ship and store than paper pages.
- Plastic merchandise bags have traditionally either been the generally flat top rectangular bags or the T-shirt type and are usually provided to and used by the grocery and retail product industries in the form of stacks of a plurality of such bags. When sought to be combined into a pack, the manufacturers of such bag stacks will usually include anywhere from 50 to 200 bags or more into each pack, arranging the bags such that they lay flat on top of each other and connecting a disposable upper portion to the top portion of each bag, which upper portion may include an elongated opening therethrough, one or more apertures, or any combination thereof.
- Heretofore, such bag stacks have either been made available to customers or cashiers by simply locating the stacks in convenient areas around the grocery or retail stores they are to be found in, or suspending such stacks from a variety of support assemblies for consecutive detachment of the bags from each pack.
- When floor standing assemblies are used to hold the bag stacks, the two typical methods of mounting such stacks on such assemblies are either placing the opening in the upper portion of the bag stacks on the portion of the floor stand assembly that extends to support said upper portion. Several bag stacks will typically be hung or supported on the floor standing dispensing assembly at one time.
- Among the problems that have traditionally been encountered with using such plastic bag stack and rack systems are the facts that they often take up space in establishments that could otherwise be used for merchandise. Consequently, it is desirable to have a way to suspend such bag back which does not occupy any additional real estate space, is stable, and pleasing to the eye. It is also desirable to have a less expensive alternative to the floor standing dispensing assemblies that is easy to use and that places the plastic bag stacks within easy reach of the consumers of such stacks.
- The object of this invention is to provide owners of retail stores such as grocery stores and supermarkets with a device that allows for almost effortless suspension of bag stacks and that is also easily mountable on or in existing structures inside a grocery or retail store.
- By virtue of this invention, such object may be accomplished by providing a hook arrangement for the mounting thereon of one or more bag stacks in a generally vertically suspended position, while the hook arrangement itself may be mounted on or disposed about a variety of surfaces in the store they are to be used in, such as on a table, a counter, a shelf, or openings in vegetable and/or fruit misting and/or chilling.
- Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been set forth, other objects and advantages will appear from the detail descriptions of the embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
- FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to a desired edge.
- FIG. 4 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 5 shows a side view of the second embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the second embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to the holes in a misting and/or chilling apparatus.
- FIG. 7 shows a front view of a third embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 8 shows a side view of the third embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the third embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to the holes in a misting and/or chilling apparatus.
- FIG. 10 shows a front view of a fourth embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 11 shows a side view of the fourth embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to a desired surface.
- FIG. 13 shows a front view of a fifth embodiment of a hook arrangement in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 14 shows a side view of the fifth embodiment of the hook arrangement.
- FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the hook arrangement showing how a bag stack would be suspended thereon and how the hook arrangement can be attached to a desired edge.
- FIGS. 1 through 3 show the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring first to FIG. 1, a
mounting plate 10 is shown with a plurality ofholes 29 formed therethrough and which further has two laterally spacedhooks 11 and asingle hook 24, all of which are welded or otherwise suitably affixed to mountingplate 10. FIG. 1 further shows thefront portion 12 ofmounting plate 10 while FIG. 2 best shows theback portion 13 of said mounting plate. Hook 24, which is best shown in FIG. 3, is located betweenhooks 11. Althoughhooks 11 are similar in size and configuration and are preferably made out of metal, as are both themounting plate 10 andhook 24,hooks 11 do not have to be absolutely identical in size and configuration and any or all ofmounting plate 10,hooks 11 andhook 24 can be made of materials other than metal, such as a plastic, an alloy, or a polymer.Hooks hooks 11 first, each of said hooks has afirst end 14 and asecond end 15, afirst bend 16 of about 180 degrees as shown, asecond bend 17 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, athird bend 18 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, and afourth bend 19 of approximately 180 degrees as shown. The portion ofhook 11 withbends front portion 12 ofmounting plate 10 and has a U-shape configuration when viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 2, while the extension ofhook 11 withbend 19 and which terminates atend 15 protrudes from theback portion 13, in an inverted U-shape configuration when viewed from the side as further shown in FIG. 2. - FIG. 3 best illustrates the general configuration of
hook 24 wherebyhook 24 has afirst end 25, asecond end 26, and abend 27 of about 180 degrees as shown. The portions ofhooks respective bends edge 23 of anyenclosure 22 that is usually found in grocery stores and supermarkets around produce such as apples, oranges, or the like. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the portions ofhooks 11 withbends stack mounting apertures 20 which are shown in FIG. 3 to be formed in theupper portion 21 of the bag stacks. Also shown in FIG. 3 are theplastic bags 28 that are suspended from theupper portion 21 of those bags. Desirably, each of the four bends inhooks 11 and the single bend inhook 24 described above result in distinct U-Shaped configurations whereby each bend is approximately 180 degrees, however, since none of the bends necessarily have to be 180 degrees, it is envisioned that the hooks could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each bend. Alternatively, the entire hook arrangement described in the first embodiment could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer. - The second and third embodiments of the present invention, which are shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 and FIGS. 7 through 9 respectively are similar in that the hook arrangements of each of those embodiments are intended to be mounted on or in apertures, holes, or crevices in the misting and/or chilling apparatus generally found in the produce section of grocery stores and supermarkets. The second embodiment of the present invention that is shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 is similar in configuration to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 described above in that
mounting plate 30 also has a plurality ofholes 45 formed therethrough and at least two laterally spacedhooks 33, each formed from a single rod member, that are welded or otherwise affixed to mountingplate 30, which plate has afront portion 31 and aback portion 32. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the extension of each of saidhooks 33 that curves around thefront portion 31 of themounting plate 30 to protrude from theback portion 32 of themounting plate 30 is much longer than that described in the first embodiment and does not have the same inverted U-shape configuration when viewed from the side, as in FIG. 5. - FIG. 6 best illustrates the general configuration of
hook 33 wherebyhook 33 has afirst end 34 and asecond end 35, afirst bend 36 of about 180 degrees as shown, asecond bend 37 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, athird bend 38 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, afourth bend 39 of approximately 100 degrees as shown, and afifth bend 40 of approximately 100 degrees as shown. For rigidity purposes, asingle rod member 41 may be welded or otherwise affixed to hooks 33, thereby acting as a support or a brace. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the portions ofhooks 33 withbends stack mounting apertures 42 which are shown in FIG. 6 to be formed in theupper portion 43 of the bag stacks that are intended to be used with the present invention, while the portions ofhooks 33 withbends 40 are designed such that thesecond ends 35 ofhooks 33 are insertable into the plurality ofholes 46 that are formed in the misting and/or chilling apparatus generally found in the produce section of grocery stores and supermarkets. Also shown in FIG. 6 are theplastic bags 44 that are customarily attached to theupper portion 43 of said bag stacks. Desirably, each of thebends bends bends bends bends - The third embodiment of the present invention that is shown in FIGS. 7 through 9 is similar in configuration to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 and described above in that
mounting plate 50 also has a plurality ofholes 77 formed therethrough and at least two laterally spacedhooks 53, each formed from a single rod member, that are welded or otherwise affixed to amounting plate 50, which has afront portion 51 and aback portion 52. The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that saidhooks 53 do not have a portion that extends or otherwise depends from therear portion 52 of the mounting plate. Instead, a singlediscrete rod member 54 is welded or otherwise affixed, at a portion close to itsfirst end 55, to theback portion 52 ofmounting plate 50.Rod member 54 is welded or otherwise affixed, at a portion close to itssecond end 56 to theback portion 59 of asecond mounting plate 57, having afront portion 58, aback portion 59, and a plurality ofholes 76 formed therethrough. Further welded or otherwise affixed to backportion 59 of mountingplate 57 is anotherdiscrete rod member 60, having afirst end 61, asecond end 62, afirst bend 63 of approximately 100 degrees as shown and asecond bend 64 of approximately 100 degrees as shown.Member 60 is welded or otherwise affixed to theback portion 59 of mountingplate 57 at a portion ofmember 60 near itsfirst end 61. - FIG. 9 best illustrates the general configuration of
hook 53 wherebyhook 53 has afirst end 66, asecond end 67, a first bend 68 of about 180 degrees as shown, asecond bend 69 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, and a third bend 70 of approximately 180 degrees as shown. For rigidity purposes, asingle rod member 71 may be welded or otherwise affixed tohooks 53, thereby acting as a support or a brace. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, the portions ofhooks 53 withbends 68, 69, and 70 are designed to fit through the bagstack mounting apertures 72 which are shown in FIG. 9 to be formed in theupper portion 73 of the bag stacks that are intended to be used with the present invention, while the portions ofmember 60 withbends 64 are designed such that the second ends 62 ofmembers 60 are insertable into the plurality ofholes 74 that are formed in the misting and/or chilling apparatus generally found in the produce section of grocery stores and supermarkets. Also shown in FIG. 9 are theplastic bags 75 that are customarily suspended from theupper portion 73. Desirably, each of thebends 68, 69, and 70 described above results in a distinct U-Shaped configuration whereby each bend is approximately 180 degrees, while each of thebends bends bends 68, 69, or 70 necessarily have to be 180 degrees, and none of thebends members 60 could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each bend. - Desirably, in the second and third embodiments described above, hooks33 and 53 should be U-shaped, made from metal, and welded onto the
front portions respective mounting plates - In the fourth embodiment of the present invention that is shown in FIGS. 10 through 12, the hook arrangement consists of a
base member 80, with atop face 81, abottom face 82, and a plurality of mountingholes 83 formed throughmember 80 as shown, avertical member 84 with afirst end 85 and asecond end 86, and ahook member 87, formed from a single discrete rod, with afirst end 88 and asecond end 89.Vertical member 84 is welded or otherwise affixed perpendicularly at itsfirst end 85 to thetop face 81 ofbase member 80 at a location near the center ofbase member 80 as shown.Hook member 87 is welded or otherwise affixed perpendicularly, at a point on the horizontal portion ofhook member 87 near the center ofhook member 87 to a location onvertical member 84 near thesecond end 86 ofvertical member 84. - FIG. 12 best illustrates the general configuration of
hook 87 wherebyhook 87 has afirst end 88 and asecond end 89, afirst bend 90 of about 150 degrees as shown, asecond bend 91 of approximately 90 degrees as shown, athird bend 92 of approximately 90 degrees as shown, and afourth bend 93 of approximately 150 degrees as shown. When affixed tovertical member 84, the portions ofhook 87 betweenbends vertical member 84 and betweenbends vertical member 84 depend away fromvertical member 84 and at an incline, forming two mostly parallel segments as shown.Hook member 87 is designed to fit through the bagstack mounting apertures 94 which are shown in FIG. 12 to be formed in the upper portion 95 of the bag stacks that are intended to be used with the present invention, while thebase member 80 is designed to either be attached to or placed upon the surface of a counter or any table-like structure 96 that holds, supports or otherwise displays the merchandise to be sold. Also shown in FIG. 12 are theplastic bags 97 that are customarily suspended from the upper portion 95. Desirably, each ofbends base member 80,vertical member 84 andhook member 87 of this embodiment be made from metal and that the various members be welded to each other in the locations described in this embodiment, it is envisioned that any or all of said members may be made from materials other than metal, such as a plastic, an alloy, or a polymer, and any or all of said members may be attached to each other in the locations described in this embodiment by means other than welding, such as glueing, or using screws and/or nuts and bolts. Alternatively, the entire hook arrangement described in the fourth embodiment could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer. - FIGS. 13 through 15 show the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring first to FIG. 13, a mounting
plate 100 is shown with a plurality ofholes 101 formed therethrough and which further has two laterally spacedhooks 102 and two laterally spacedrectangular sections 105, forming two independent bracket configurations, all of which are welded or otherwise affixed to mountingplate 100. FIG. 13 further shows thefront portion 103 of mountingplate 100 while FIG. 14 best shows theback portion 104 of said mounting plate. Although bothhooks 102 are similar in size and configuration, and althoughbrackets 105 are also similar in size and configuration, and bothhooks 102 andbrackets 105 are preferably made out of metal, as is the mountingplate 100, hooks 102 do not have to be absolutely identical in size and configuration,brackets 105 do not have to be absolutely identical in size and configuration, and any or all of mountingplate 100, hooks 102 andbrackets 105 can be made of materials other than metal, such as a plastic, an alloy, or a polymer.Hooks 102 that are utilized in conjunction with the present invention are formed, through bending, molding, or other method of shaping, from a single and continuous rod type member into the configurations shown in FIGS. 13 through 15.Brackets 105 that are utilized in conjunction with the present invention are formed, through bending, molding, or other method of shaping, from a single and continuous flat rectangular member into the configurations shown in FIGS. 13 through 15. - As shown in both FIG. 14 and FIG. 15,
brackets 105 have afirst end 106 and asecond end 107, afirst bend 118 of approximately 90 degrees as shown, asecond bend 119 of 90 degrees as shown, and each ofbrackets 105 also has asingle hole 108 formed in the portion of eachbracket 105 toward each of ends 106 and 107 as shown in FIG. 15. - FIG. 15 best illustrates the general configuration of
hooks 102 whereby each ofhooks 102 has afirst end 109, asecond end 110, a first bend 111 of about 180 degrees as shown, asecond bend 112 of approximately 180 degrees as shown, and athird bend 113 of approximately 180 degrees as shown. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 through 15, the portions ofhooks 102 withbends stack mounting apertures 114 which are shown in FIG. 15 to be formed in theupper portion 115 of the bag stacks that are intended to be used with the present invention, while thebrackets 105 that are shown in FIGS. 13 through 15 are designed to fit over any given shelf oredge 116 and may be secured thereto by inserting a screw or other fastening device into one or more ofholes 108. Although FIG. 15 showsbrackets 105 being disposed about a horizontal edge, saidbrackets 105 could just as easily be disposed about a vertical edge and the invention could be used in the same manner described herein. Also shown in FIG. 15 are theplastic bags 117 that are customarily suspended from theupper portion 115. Desirably, each of thebends bends bends bends bends hooks 102 andbrackets 105 could take on different shapes depending on the angle of each of the aforementioned bends. Desirably, in the fifth embodiment described above, hooks 102 andbrackets 105 are made from metal and welded onto thefront portion 103 of mountingplate 100. However, hooks 102 andbrackets 105 may be made from a material other than metal, such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer, and may be attached and/or affixed to either the front or back portions of mountingplate 100 by methods other than welding such as by glueing, or using screws and/or nuts and bolts. Alternatively, the entire hook arrangement described in the fifth embodiment could be formed or molded as a single piece from a material such as plastic, an alloy or a polymer. - It is understood that the present disclosure of the above embodiments has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims (17)
1. A hook arrangement for suspending plastic bags comprising:
(a) a mounting plate with a front portion and a back portion; and
(b) first and second laterally spaced, and generally parallel rod members that are affixed to said mounting plate, wherein a section of each of said rod members protrudes from the front portion of said plate to form a U-shaped hook, while the remainder of each of said rod members protrudes from the back portion of said mounting plate to form an inverted U-shaped hook.
2. The hook arrangement of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said mounting plate.
3. The hook arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a third U-shaped rod member, which is affixed to said mounting plate between the first and second rod members, the third rod member forming an inverted U-shaped hook that protrudes from the back portion of said mounting plate.
4. The hook arrangement of claim 3 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said mounting plate.
5. A hook arrangement for suspending plastic bags comprising:
(a) a mounting plate with a front portion and a back portion; and
(b) first and second laterally spaced and generally parallel rod members that are affixed to said mounting plate, wherein a section of each of said members protrudes from the front portion of said plate to form a U-shaped hook while the remainder of each of said members protrudes from the back portion of said plate to from inverted L-shaped legs.
6. The hook arrangement of claim 5 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said mounting plate.
7. The hook arrangement of claim 5 , wherein a rod member is attached perpendicularly, at each end, to each of said inverted L-shaped legs.
8. A hook arrangement for suspending plastic bags comprising:
(a) a first mounting plate with a front portion and a back portion;
(b) a second mounting plate with a front portion and a back portion;
(c) first and second laterally spaced and generally parallel U-shaped hooks that are affixed to said first mounting plate;
(d) first and second laterally spaced and generally parallel straight rod members that are each affixed at one end to said first mounting plate and on the other end to said second mounting plate; and
(e) third and fourth laterally spaced and generally parallel rod members that protrude from the back portion of said second plate to from inverted L-shaped legs.
9. The hook arrangement of claim 8 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said first mounting plate.
10. The hook arrangement of claim 8 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said second mounting plate.
11. The hook arrangement of claim 8 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in each of said first and second mounting plates.
12. The hook arrangement of claim 8 , wherein a rod member is attached perpendicularly, at each end, to each of said inverted L-shaped legs.
13. A hook arrangement for suspending plastic bags comprising:
(a) a generally flat base member;
(b) a vertical member that is attached perpendicularly at one end to the center of said base member; and
(c) a rod member having a horizontal portion which is attached perpendicularly near its center to a point on the vertical member near the free end of said vertical member, said rod member having a first and second leg, each depending perpendicularly and upwardly from said horizontal portion, with each end of said legs culminating in a V-shaped hook that depends upwardly from each of said legs.
14. The hook arrangement of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said base member.
15. A hook arrangement for suspending plastic bags comprising:
(a) a mounting plate with a front portion and a back portion;
(b) first and second laterally spaced and generally parallel rod members that are affixed to said mounting plate, and a section of each of said members protrudes from the front portion of said plate to form a U-shaped hook; and
(c) first and second laterally spaced and generally parallel rectangular members that are affixed to said mounting plate, each of said rectangular members having two depending portions that protrude from the back portion of said mounting plate to form a bracket configuration.
16. The hook arrangement of claim 15 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said mounting plate.
17. The hook arrangement of claim 15 , wherein a plurality of holes are formed in said rectangular members.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/827,126 US20020145086A1 (en) | 2001-04-05 | 2001-04-05 | Hook arrangement |
MXPA02002950A MXPA02002950A (en) | 2001-04-05 | 2002-03-14 | Hook arrangement. |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/827,126 US20020145086A1 (en) | 2001-04-05 | 2001-04-05 | Hook arrangement |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020145086A1 true US20020145086A1 (en) | 2002-10-10 |
Family
ID=25248368
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/827,126 Abandoned US20020145086A1 (en) | 2001-04-05 | 2001-04-05 | Hook arrangement |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20020145086A1 (en) |
MX (1) | MXPA02002950A (en) |
Cited By (19)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20060081737A1 (en) * | 2004-09-07 | 2006-04-20 | Marland Scott K | Cantilever bag holder |
US20070176058A1 (en) * | 2005-03-01 | 2007-08-02 | Broadway Kleer-Guard Corp. | Bag dispenser |
US20100077791A1 (en) * | 2007-04-26 | 2010-04-01 | Panasonic Corporation | Refrigerator, and electric device |
US20130174434A1 (en) * | 2012-01-11 | 2013-07-11 | General Electric Company | Drying rack for use with a dryer appliance |
US20150048093A1 (en) * | 2013-08-15 | 2015-02-19 | Brannon K. Aki | Disposable bucket liner |
USD796771S1 (en) | 2016-08-01 | 2017-09-05 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Shopping cart basket |
US10040469B2 (en) | 2016-09-30 | 2018-08-07 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10040468B2 (en) | 2016-07-07 | 2018-08-07 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Shopping cart basket |
US10058197B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2018-08-28 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Bag dispenser |
US10173708B1 (en) | 2017-08-17 | 2019-01-08 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US10220866B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-03-05 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10336358B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-07-02 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10399587B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-09-03 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10486725B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-11-26 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10507859B2 (en) * | 2018-02-09 | 2019-12-17 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US10507858B2 (en) * | 2017-08-25 | 2019-12-17 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US10513281B2 (en) | 2016-08-19 | 2019-12-24 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US11192694B1 (en) * | 2020-08-27 | 2021-12-07 | Albert V. Dautorio | Bag storage assembly |
US20220354277A1 (en) * | 2021-05-07 | 2022-11-10 | Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation | Repositionable bag-retaining device |
-
2001
- 2001-04-05 US US09/827,126 patent/US20020145086A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2002
- 2002-03-14 MX MXPA02002950A patent/MXPA02002950A/en unknown
Cited By (27)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20060081737A1 (en) * | 2004-09-07 | 2006-04-20 | Marland Scott K | Cantilever bag holder |
US7533855B2 (en) * | 2004-09-07 | 2009-05-19 | Scott Marland | Cantilever bag holder |
US20070176058A1 (en) * | 2005-03-01 | 2007-08-02 | Broadway Kleer-Guard Corp. | Bag dispenser |
US8196873B2 (en) * | 2005-03-01 | 2012-06-12 | Broadway Kleer-Guard Corp. | Bag dispenser |
US20100077791A1 (en) * | 2007-04-26 | 2010-04-01 | Panasonic Corporation | Refrigerator, and electric device |
US7966842B2 (en) * | 2007-04-26 | 2011-06-28 | Panasonic Corporation | Refrigerator, and electric device |
US20130174434A1 (en) * | 2012-01-11 | 2013-07-11 | General Electric Company | Drying rack for use with a dryer appliance |
US20150048093A1 (en) * | 2013-08-15 | 2015-02-19 | Brannon K. Aki | Disposable bucket liner |
US9598208B2 (en) * | 2013-08-15 | 2017-03-21 | Brannon K. Aki | Disposable bucket liner |
US20170144798A1 (en) * | 2013-08-15 | 2017-05-25 | Brannon K. Aki | Disposable bucket liner |
US10336358B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-07-02 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10399587B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-09-03 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10486725B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-11-26 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10266195B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-04-23 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10259480B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-04-16 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10220866B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2019-03-05 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10040468B2 (en) | 2016-07-07 | 2018-08-07 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Shopping cart basket |
US10058197B2 (en) | 2016-07-26 | 2018-08-28 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Bag dispenser |
USD796771S1 (en) | 2016-08-01 | 2017-09-05 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Shopping cart basket |
US10513281B2 (en) | 2016-08-19 | 2019-12-24 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10513282B2 (en) | 2016-08-19 | 2019-12-24 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10040469B2 (en) | 2016-09-30 | 2018-08-07 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Shopping cart bagging station and method of forming the same |
US10173708B1 (en) | 2017-08-17 | 2019-01-08 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US10507858B2 (en) * | 2017-08-25 | 2019-12-17 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US10507859B2 (en) * | 2018-02-09 | 2019-12-17 | Walmart Apollo, Llc | Shopping cart bagging station |
US11192694B1 (en) * | 2020-08-27 | 2021-12-07 | Albert V. Dautorio | Bag storage assembly |
US20220354277A1 (en) * | 2021-05-07 | 2022-11-10 | Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation | Repositionable bag-retaining device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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MXPA02002950A (en) | 2003-10-06 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BETTER BAGS, INC., TEXAS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ALVARADO, RAFAEL A.;RITTER, FRANCIS C.;EDWARDS, DOUGLAS;REEL/FRAME:011843/0455;SIGNING DATES FROM 20010404 TO 20010411 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |