Order fulfillment cart having nesting capability
AssigneeWal-Mart Stores, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Green, David Carr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An order fulfillment cart including a first frame portion, the first frame portion including a first plurality of support members, a second frame portion positioned a distance from the first frame portion, the second frame portion including a second plurality of support members, and a connector, the connector operably coupled to the first frame portion and the second frame portion, wherein the connector extends diagonally from the first frame portion to the second frame portion, wherein the first plurality of support members and the second plurality of support members are configured to support a plurality of containers between the first frame portion and the second frame portion, is provided. Furthermore, an associated method is also provided.
Claims20
An order fulfillment cart comprising:
- a first frame portion, the first frame portion including a first plurality of support members;
- a second frame portion positioned a distance from the first frame portion, the second frame portion including a second plurality of support members;
- and
- a connector, the connector operably coupled to the first frame portion and the second frame portion, wherein the connector extends diagonally from the first frame portion to the second frame portion;
- wherein the first plurality of support members and the second plurality of support members are configured to support a plurality of containers between the first frame portion and the second frame portion.
A cart comprising:
- a first end frame, the first end frame including a first plurality of support members;
- a second end frame, the second end frame including a second plurality of support members;
- a middle frame, the middle frame having a third plurality of support members facing the first plurality of support members, and a fourth plurality of support members facing the second plurality of support members;
- a first receiving area configured to receive a plurality of containers disposed between the first end frame and the middle frame;
- a second receiving area configured to receive a second plurality of containers disposed between the middle frame and the second end frame;
- and
- a connector, the connector operably coupled to the first end frame, the middle frame, and the second end frame, wherein the connector extends diagonally from the first end frame to the second end frame, forming a nesting area for an additional cart;
- wherein the connector of the cart abuts a connector of the additional cart in the nesting area when the cart and the additional cart are nested together in a nesting position.
A method of fulfilling an online customer order on a salesfloor, the method comprising:
- providing a cart having a first end frame, the first end frame including a first plurality of support members, a second end frame, the second end frame including a second plurality of support members, a middle frame, the middle frame having a third plurality of support members facing the first plurality of support members, and a fourth plurality of support members facing the second plurality of support members;
- joining the first end frame and the second end frame by a connector, the connector extending diagonally from the first end frame to the second end frame to form a nesting area for an additional cart to nest with the cart;
- disposing a first plurality of containers between the first end frame and the middle frame;
- and
- disposing a second plurality of containers between the middle frame and the second end frame;
- wherein merchandise to fulfill the online customer order is received by at least one container of the first plurality of containers or the second plurality of containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.