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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A structural complex arranged to provide products and services to
consumers in an efficient and cost effective manner, the complex
comprising:
warehouse means providing facilities for storing and preparing goods and
preforming services;
order stations means separate and remote from the warehouse means and
communicating with the warehouse means, the order station means being
accessible to consumers to enable consumers to communicate with the
warehouse means to order goods, services or both from the warehouse means;
pick up station means separate and remote from the warehouse means and
separate and remote from the order station means, the pick up station
means communicating with the warehouse means, the pick up station means
being accessible to consumers to enable consumers to receive at the pick
up station means goods, services, or both ordered from the warehouse means
at the order station means;
the warehouse means being elevated relative to the order station means and
the pick up station means, with the order station means and pick up
station means being positioned below the warehouse means;
a vehicle route passing through the structural complex beneath the
warehouse means and passing adjacent the order station means and then
passing adjacent the pick up station means, the vehicle route enabling
consumers in vehicles to access the order station means and the pick up
station means from the vehicle route; and,
the warehouse means having first and second doors supported over the
vehicle route, the first and second doors being opened to provide access
to the order station means and the pick up station means from the vehicle
route and the first and second doors being closed to completely enclose
the order station means and the pick up station means beneath the
warehouse means.
2. The structural complex of claim 1, wherein:
a first communicating means is interconnected between the order station
means and the warehouse means, the first communicating means including
electrical communication means and mechanical communication means.
3. The structural complex of claim 3, wherein:
a second communicating means is interconnected between the pick up station
means and the warehouse means, the second communicating means including
electrical communication means and mechanical communication means.
4. The structural complex of claim 3, wherein:
the electrical communication means includes electronic circuitry
operatively connected between the order station means and the warehouse
means, and the mechanical communication means includes a pneumatic
dispatch system operatively connected between the order station means and
the warehouse means.
5. The structural complex of claim 4, wherein:
the electrical communication means of the second communicating means
includes electronic circuitry operatively connected between the pick up
station means and the warehouse means, and the mechanical communication
means of the second communicating means includes a dumbwaiter elevator
system operatively connected between the pick up station means and the
warehouse means.
6. The structural complex of claim 1, wherein:
the order station means includes a plurality of order stations each
accessible to consumers in vehicles from the vehicle route, and the pick
up station means includes a plurality of pick up stations each accessible
to consumers in vehicles from the vehicle route.
7. The structural complex of claim 6, wherein:
a traffic control means is provided adjacent to the vehicle route, the
traffic control means provides consumers in vehicles with a present visual
indication of each order station of the plurality of order stations
currently being accessed by consumers.
8. The structural complex of claim 6, wherein:
the vehicle route is subdivided into a plurality of lanes with each lane
passing adjacent to a single order station of the plurality of order
stations.
9. A structural complex arranged to provide products and services to
consumers in an efficient and cost effective manner, the complex
comprising:
warehouse means providing facilities for storing and preparing goods and
performing services;
order station means accessible to consumers;
first electrical communication means and first mechanical communication
means operatively connected between the order station means and the
warehouse means enabling consumers to communicate with the warehouse means
from the order station means;
pick up station means accessible to consumers; and
second electrical communication means and second mechanical communication
means operatively connected between the pick up station means and the
warehouse means enabling consumers to communicate with the warehouse means
from the pick up station means;
the warehouse means being elevated relative to the order station means and
the pick up station means, with the order station means and pick up
station means being positioned below the warehouse means;
a vehicle route passing through the structural complex beneath the
warehouse means and passing adjacent the order station means and then
passing adjacent the pick up station means, the vehicle route enabling
consumers in vehicles to access the order station means and the pick up
station means from the vehicle route; and,
the warehouse means having first and second doors supported over the
vehicle route, the first and second doors being opened to provide access
to the order station means and the pick up station means from the vehicle
route and the first and second doors being closed to completely enclose
the order station means and the pick up station means beneath the
warehouse means.
10. The structural complex of claim 9, wherein:
the first electrical communication means includes a two-way audio system
enabling verbal communication between the order station means and the
warehouse means and a video display and video camera in the order station
means enabling visual communication between the order station means and
the warehouse means.
11. The structural complex of claim 9, wherein:
the first mechanical communication means includes a pneumatic dispatch
system having a carrier transferable through the system between the order
station means and the warehouse means.
12. The structural complex of claim 9, wherein:
the second electrical communication means includes a two-way audio system
enabling verbal communication between the pick up station means and the
warehouse means.
13. The structural complex of claim 9, wherein:
the second mechanical communication means includes a dumbwaiter elevator
system having an elevator transferable through the elevator system between
the pick up station means and the warehouse station means.
14. The structural complex of claim 10, wherein:
the video camera in the order station means communicates a visual image of
a consumer accessing the order station means to the warehouse means.
15. A structural complex arranged to provide products and services to
consumers in an efficient and cost effective manner, the complex
comprising:
warehouse means providing facilities for storing and preparing goods and
performing services;
pick up station means separate and remote from the warehouse means and
accessible to consumers;
mechanical communication means operatively connected between the pick up
station means and the warehouse means enabling goods to be transferred
from the warehouse means to the pick up station means and received by
consumers with access to the pick up station means;
the warehouse means being elevated relative to the pick up station means
with the pick up station means being positioned below the warehouse means;
a vehicle route passing through the structural complex beneath the
warehouse means and passing adjacent the pick up station means enabling
consumers in vehicles to access the pick up station means from the vehicle
route; and,
the warehouse means having first and second doors supported over the
vehicle route, the first and second doors being opened to provide access
to the pick up station means from the vehicle route and the first and
second doors being closed to completely enclose the pick up station means
beneath the warehouse means.
16. The structural complex of claim 15, wherein:
the mechanical communication means includes a dumbwaiter elevator system
operatively connected between the pick up station means and the warehouse
means.
17. The structural complex of claim 15, wherein:
the warehouse means includes at least one goods storage facility, at least
one goods preparation facility, at least one service provision facility,
and a goods compilation facility, all of the facilities being separate
from each other, and the mechanical communication means being operatively
connected between the goods compilation facility and the goods storage
facility, the goods preparation facility, and the service provision
facility.
18. The structural complex of claim 17, wherein:
the mechanical communication moans is a mechanical conveyor system.
19. The structural complex of claim 16, wherein:
the mechanical communication means includes a mechanical conveyor system
operatively connected between the dumbwaiter elevator system and the
warehouse means.
20. The structural complex of claim 17, wherein:
the mechanical communication means includes a mechanical conveyor and a
dumbwaiter elevator system, the mechanical conveyor being operatively
connected between the goods compilation facility and the dumbwaiter
elevator system and the dumbwaiter elevator system being operatively
connected between the mechanical conveyor and the pick up station means.
21. The structural complex of claim 15, wherein:
the pick up station means includes a plurality of pick up stations with
each of the stations being accessible to consumers.
22. The structural complex of claim 21, wherein:
the mechanical communication means includes a plurality of dumbwaiter
elevators with each elevator being associated with a pick up station.
23. The structural complex of claim 22, wherein:
the mechanical communication means includes a plurality of mechanical
conveyors with each conveyor operatively connecting a dumbwaiter elevator
with the warehouse means.
24. The structural complex of claim 23, wherein:
the warehouse means includes a plurality of goods storage facilities and a
plurality of goods preparation facilities, the facilities being separate
from each other and the plurality of mechanical conveyors being
operatively connected between each of the facilities and the plurality of
dumbwaiter elevators. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Vendors' Structural Complex that
consolidates several vendors of retail goods and services such as
groceries, pharmaceuticals, liquor, key duplication, video rentals,
photography development, dry cleaning and laundry, and popular local
take-out restaurants, or a single vendor that provides these various goods
and services, in a single convenient drive-up Complex.
2) Description of the Related Art
Various types of structural complexes have been employed in the prior art
by vendors of retail goods and services for storing goods, performing
services and offering the sale of goods and services to consumers. These
structural complexes range from smaller facilities with drive-up windows
used by fast food restaurants and photo development services, to enclosed
shopping malls combining a variety of different retail outlets offering a
large variety of goods and services to patrons of the shopping mall. These
different types of structural complexes have long been used by vendors of
goods and services despite common disadvantages associated with many of
these facilities.
A substantial disadvantage encountered by many vendors of goods and
services that own or rent a structure or warehouse to store goods, offer
their goods for sale, or perform services for consumers is the large cost
involved in maintaining the structure or warehouse. Conventional
structural facilities used in the sale of consumer goods and services
commonly require a substantial area of real estate for the structural
facility itself, and a parking lot large enough to accommodate a
reasonable number of vehicles of consumers who will visit the facility.
Reducing the costs involved in maintaining the structural facility and its
surrounding real estate would contribute significantly to reducing the
overall costs involved in doing business.
Another disadvantage often encountered by the retailers of goods is the
losses they incur through the shoplifting of their goods. Providing a
shopping facility that substantially reduces shoplifting would also
contribute significantly to reducing costs.
Vendors operating large grocery stores or department stores often find
themselves disadvantaged when competing with smaller convenience markets
for consumers who are willing to sacrifice a large product selection for
convenience. Vendors operating convenience markets often find themselves
disadvantaged when competing with the larger grocery and department stores
for customers who are willing to sacrifice convenience for a larger
product or service selection. Providing a shopping facility that presents
a large variety of goods and services to consumers, and enables consumers
to receive their desired goods and services in a fast and convenient
manner would attract both types of consumers.
Additional disadvantages encountered by most vendors of goods and services
include the large start-up costs involved in providing the vendor's goods
and services to consumers, the cost involved in maintaining a work force
to present the vendor's goods or perform their services for consumers, and
the cost involved in advertising and promoting the vendor's individual
goods and services. Reducing any or all of these costs would contribute
significantly to the success of any business.
The present invention overcomes disadvantages encountered by vendors of
retail goods and services by providing a unique Vendors' Structural
Complex that brings together vendors of various goods and services, or
houses a single vendor of various goods and services in one complex, and
correspondingly reduces start-up costs, overhead costs, the costs involved
in maintaining a large labor force and in advertising and promoting the
individual goods and services of the vendors, and reduces losses incurred
by shoplifting. The Vendors' Structural Complex is also easily accessible
to consumers from their vehicles, providing a wide selection of goods and
services offered by the vendors with drive-up convenience.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a unique and
novel Vendors' Structural Complex that combines a single large vendor or
several vendors of a variety of different goods and services in one
facility and enables each of the vendors to lower their start-up costs,
their overhead costs, their advertising and promotional costs, the costs
involved in maintaining a large labor force, and substantially eliminates
the shoplifting of goods, while providing consumers with the convenience
of drive-up shopping and a wide selection of goods and services
comparative to that provided by large shopping malls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The Vendors' Structural Complex of the present invention is generally
comprised of a central warehouse facility, several customer order stations
interconnected with the warehouse facility, several customer pick-up
stations interconnected with the warehouse facility, and a network of
vehicle routing lanes extending through the warehouse facility and passing
by the customer order stations and pick-up stations.
Customers using the Complex are directed along the routing lanes to an
order station where they place orders for goods and/or services provided
by the vendors housed in the Vendors' Complex. The customers are then
directed to drive to a particular pick-up station where they receive their
ordered goods.
The central warehouse facility of the Vendors' Complex provides a means of
storing consumer goods, preparing goods, and performing services for
customers of the Vendors' Complex. The Vendors' Complex warehouse is
designed to house eight or more satellite restaurants that are locally
popular, and whose menu items will be recognized by customers of the
Vendors' Complex. In addition to the restaurants, the Vendors' Complex
will house vendors of goods such as groceries, pharmaceuticals, liquor,
flowers, frozen yogurt and ice cream and other goods. The Complex will
also house vendors providing services such as key duplication, video
rental, photo developing, dry cleaning and laundry, and other services.
The particular mix of goods and services offered will depend on a
determination of what goods and services would be most popular in the
particular geographic area the Complex is located. The Complex could also
be housed by a single vendor providing the variety of goods and services
offered. The warehouse is preferably constructed as a two-level structure
although a three-level structure could also be employed.
The first floor or ground level of the Vendors' Complex central warehouse
is divided into two separate parts. The two parts of the first floor are
positioned on opposite sides of the vehicle routing lanes that extend
through the Complex.
The first part of the warehouse first floor houses a banking establishment.
The bank provides walk-in or drive through facilities to its depositors,
or both. Should a banking establishment not be desirable at the particular
location of the Complex, the first part of the first floor may alternately
be constructed to house a dining atrium. The atrium includes a food item
pick-up counter for the satellite restaurants housed in the warehouse, and
a seating capacity for approximately 250 dine-in customers of the
satellite restaurants. The first part of the first floor also includes a
loading dock.
The second part of the first floor houses several vendors of express goods
and services. The express vendors provide their goods and services to
customers through drive-up windows positioned along an express lane of the
vehicle routing lanes, or through a customer walk-up window provided along
a sidewalk bordering the second part of the Complex first floor. For
example, the second part of the first floor may be employed to house the
facilities of a frozen yogurt and ice cream vendor, and/or a dry cleaner
and laundry whose goods and services are easily provided to consumers in
their vehicles through drive-up windows positioned along the express lane
of the vehicle routing lanes. In addition, a grocery express window and
walk-up window may be provided in the second part of the Complex first
floor. These windows enable delivering grocery orders, previously ordered
from the Vendors' Complex by telephone or facsimile, to customers who
drive up to the express window in their vehicles or walk up to the walk-up
window.
The second floor of the Vendors' Complex is positioned over the first and
second parts of the first floor and extends over the vehicle routing lanes
passing between the first and second parts of the first floor. The second
floor of the Complex provides kitchen facilities for the several
restaurants whose food items are available from the Complex. Several clerk
units are also provided in the second floor of the Complex just above and
forward of the order stations on the ground level of the Vendors' Complex.
The clerk units are located above the order stations to provide visual
contact between the order clerk employees of the Vendors' Complex manning
the units and one or more customers accessing the order stations from
their vehicles. The positioning of the clerk units also enables the order
clerks to view the vehicle routing lanes of the Vendors' Complex and
control the flow of vehicle traffic along the lanes beneath the Complex.
The second floor of the Complex also houses a goods compilation area. The
compilation area is a central location of a mechanical conveyor system
that communicates with the kitchen and with vendor's goods storage and
preparation areas on the second floor of the Complex. The mechanical
conveyor system also communicates the goods compilation area with goods
storage and preparation areas on the third floor of the Complex in the
three floor embodiment of the Complex. The conveyor system also
communicates with the individual pick-up station locations on the ground
level beneath the Vendors' Complex. The compilation area provides
facilities for the employees of the Vendors' Complex to compile goods
ordered by customers of the Complex, and to deliver the compiled goods to
a particular pick-up station to be received by the customer ordering the
goods. In the two story or two level embodiment of the Vendors' Structural
Complex, the second floor of the warehouse provides all the storage
facilities for the goods of the several vendors housed in the Complex. As
stated earlier, each of the individual storage areas of the vendors housed
on the second floor communicate with the goods compilation area on the
second floor by a mechanical conveyor system employed to deliver the
individual vendor's goods from their separate storage or preparation areas
to the compilation area on the second floor.
The third floor of the Vendors' Structural Complex in the embodiment of the
invention employing a three level central warehouse facility is primarily
used in storing the goods of the individual vendors and in providing areas
for the vendors to perform services such as photo developing and key
duplication.
A customer visiting the Vendors' Complex is directed by the vehicle routing
lanes to an open customer order station where they may place their order
for goods or services they desire. In the preferred embodiment of the
invention there are six customer order stations although the number of
order stations may vary depending on available building space and
anticipated numbers of customers. Each one of the customer order stations
includes a high-quality, two-way audio system and visual system enabling
audio and visual communication between the customer at the order station
and one of the order clerks in the clerk units of the Vendors' Complex.
The visual system includes a high resolution video display terminal and a
video camera. Each order station also includes a pneumatic dispatch
transfer system.
The pneumatic dispatch system transports tubular carriers between the
customer accessing the order station and the clerk processing the
customer's order in the Vendors' Complex. The carriers are capable of
passing cash, food stamps, checks, credit cards, debit cards, receipts,
and various identification cards such as driver licenses and personal I.D.
cards between the customer accessing any particular order station and the
Vendors' Complex clerk processing the customer's order.
The video display and video camera enable visual communication between the
customer accessing the order station and the order clerk of the Vendors'
Complex. The video display communicates with a microprocessor terminal
used by the order clerk to enter the customer's order, and displays a
split screen showing on one side a printed list of the goods ordered by
the customer as they are entered into the terminal along with pricing
information for the goods entered, and shows on the second side choices of
particular types of goods available in a particular category requested by
the customer. The video camera is provided i each order station to enable
the order clerk of the Vendors' Complex to visually verify the
identification of a customer making purchases of liquor or paying for
purchases by check.
The customers are assisted in their selection of food items offered by the
several local restaurants and available from the Vendors' Complex by a
menu display positioned above each order station. Each menu lists the
types of foods available and identifies the satellite restaurants that are
known for the particular food items. The order stations themselves are
provided with a sign board besides the split screen visual display. The
signboard displays information on goods and services available and the
prices of those goods and services along with advertisements for special
sale items.
The communication components of the order stations enable the development
and consumation of a complete purchase transaction from the ordering of
the goods and services desired, to the payment for the purchase and the
delivery to the customer of a receipt and pick-up station location to pick
up the goods.
On completing a purchase transaction at the customer order station, the
customer is then directed to one of the nine pick-up stations provided
beneath the Vendors' Complex. The customer receives instructions from the
order clerk as to which pick up station to drive to along with the receipt
for their purchase. Three of the nine pick up stations are accessible from
each of the customer order stations. Each of the nine pick-up stations
includes a dumbwaiter elevator delivery system that receives the ordered
goods from the goods compilation area on the second floor of the Vendors'
Complex, and delivers the ordered goods to customers at the pick-up
stations on the ground level of the Complex. Each pick-up station also
includes an audio system that communicates the customer accessing the
pick-up station with the goods compilation area on the second floor of the
Complex. Audio communication between the customer accessing the pick-up
station and an employee of the Vendors' Complex can be triggered by either
party as needed. The dumbwaiter elevators communicating the goods
compilation area with each of the pick-up stations are also provided with
delivery drawers that include pressure controlled side panels that engage
and hold the goods delivered by the dumbwaiters and prevent them from
spilling over. The drawers extend outward from the pick-up station in such
a manner that the customer can remove the goods without getting out of
their vehicle in most cases. However, there is sufficient room surrounding
the pick-up stations to enable the customer to leave their vehicle to
remove the goods from the dumbwaiter if necessary.
A network of vehicle routing lanes directs vehicle traffic to the Vendors'
Complex and through the several order stations and pick-up stations
beneath the second floor of the Complex. The routing lanes also direct
vehicle traffic through the express pick-up lane. The flow of traffic
along the vehicle routing lanes is controlled by a series of traffic
control lights and traffic sensors positioned along the routing lanes. The
traffic control lights are provided at a stacking area of the routing
lanes and control the entry of vehicle traffic to the customer order
stations and pick-up stations. The traffic control lights also control the
flow of traffic along the express lane past the drive-up windows in the
second part of the Complex first floor. The traffic control lights are
controlled by magnetic sensors positioned in the entry ways to the
customer order stations, at the pick-up station locations, and at the
express pick-up areas. The operation of the traffic control lights is
controlled by a primary computer. However, the computer's control of the
lights operation is capable of being overridden by the order clerks of the
Vendors' Complex.
From the stacking area of the routing lanes approaching the Vendors'
Complex, customers are directed by the traffic control lights to drive
their vehicles forward to a particular open order station of the plurality
of order stations. Traffic control lights are also provided to inform
customers in the stacking area as to when a particular drive-up window is
open along the express lane of the routing lanes, and when it is safe to
proceed to the drive-up window.
The network of vehicle routing lanes surrounding the Vendors' Structural
Complex also includes a lane that passes by an automatic teller machine or
a drive through teller facility of the banking establishment located in
the Complex, and also directs customers to a vehicle parking area adjacent
the banking establishment, or alternately, the atrium dining area on the
first floor of the Vendors' Complex.
A mechanical conveyor system communicates each of the vendors housed in the
Vendors' Complex with each of the nine pick up stations. The mechanical
conveyor system is comprised of a network of motor driven continuous belts
or overhead chain loops supporting spaced hooks. The belts or hooks
communicate each of the vendors in the Vendors' Complex with the
dumbwaiter elevators of the nine pick-up stations. The center of the
mechanical conveyor network is a generally square shaped circuit of roller
conveyors centrally located in the goods compilation area on the second
floor of the Vendors' Complex. From the central circuit of roller
conveyors, separate branches of the belt or hook conveyors extend outward
to the dumbwaiter elevator locations above the pick up stations on the
ground level of the Vendors' Complex. Additional branches of belt or hook
conveyors extend outward from the central circuit of roller conveyors to
each of the goods storage locations or goods preparation locations of the
individual vendors housed in the Vendors' Complex. From each of the
separate goods storage and/or preparation areas of the individual vendors
on the second floor of the Vendors' Complex, one branch of the belt or
hook conveyor system extends to the central circuit of roller conveyors in
the goods compilation area on the second floor of the Vendors' Complex.
The kitchen facilities used by the local satellite restaurants housed in
the Vendors' Complex are also located on the second floor and also
communicate with the central circuit of roller conveyors in the goods
compilation area by a branch of the belt or hook conveyors that extends
between the kitchen facilities and the goods compilation area.
Additional vendor storage locations may also be located on the third floor
of the three floor embodiment of the invention. These storage locations
will also communicate with the central circuit of roller conveyors by a
branch of the belt or hook conveyors that passes down through the third
floor to the goods compilation area on the second floor.
In the embodiment of the invention employing a Vendors' warehouse having
only first and second floors, the storage areas of the individual vendors
are all located on the second floor of the Complex and all communicate
with the goods compilation area by horizontal branches of the belt or hook
conveyor network.
The operations of the Vendors' Complex are overseen by a primary computer
that monitors the business operations and transactions and the data
storage of the Complex. The primary computer also interfaces with the
traffic control lights and traffic sensors and controls the sequence of
operation of the traffic lights to maintain an ordered flow of customer
traffic through the Vendor's Complex.
Microprocessor terminals located in each of the order clerk units and in
each of the vendor's areas of the Vendors' Complex interface with the
primary computer. The primary computer receives information on goods
ordered from the microprocessor terminals, and receives information from
each of the individual vendors housed in the Vendors' Complex regarding
the consumption of goods, the present stock of goods, breakage of goods
and theft data. The primary computer uses this information to maintain a
stable stock of goods for each of the individual vendors of the Vendors'
Complex based on sales of goods and desired stock levels.
The computerized information network of the Vendors' Complex also includes
a printer in each of the individual vendors' goods storage locations in
the Vendors' Complex. The printers communicate with each of the
microprocessor terminals in the order clerk units and with the primary
computer. The information network also includes a printer in the goods
compilation area and printers at each of the dumbwaiter elevator locations
on the second floor. Each of these printers also communicates with the
primary computer and the microprocessor terminals of the order clerk
units.
In a typical transaction for the purchase of goods and services provided at
the Vendors' Complex, the customer will first enter the Complex by driving
their vehicle along the vehicle routing lanes to the stacking area. In the
stacking area they will be instructed by the traffic control lights to
stop and wait for the next available open customer order station. When a
customer order station opens, the traffic control lights will instruct the
customer to drive forward to the particular open order station.
As the customer's vehicle arrives at the open customer order station the
magnetic traffic sensors at the station will inform the primary computer
and the order clerk in the clerk unit communicating with the particular
order station that a vehicle has arrived at the order station. Either the
primary computer or the clerk will then close the vehicle routing lane for
that particular order station by controlling the traffic control lights to
indicate that the order station has been closed.
The customer will then present their order for desired goods and/or
services to the order clerk by speaking to the clerk through the audio
communication system communicating the customer order station with the
order clerk unit. As goods and/or services are ordered by the customer,
the order clerk enters the goods and/or services into their microprocessor
terminal. The list of goods and services ordered and entered into the
microprocessor terminal are displayed to the customer on the video display
of the customer order station. The video display also shows the customer
the price of each of the goods or services ordered, and a total price for
the goods and services including tax. When the list of goods and services
desired is finalized and a total price is presented to the customer, the
customer will then be directed to pay for the purchase with a credit card,
check, debit card, food stamps or cash using the pneumatic tube dispatch
system. The customer will place the credit card, check, debit card, food
stamps or cash in the carrier of the pneumatic tube dispatch system at the
order station, and the dispatch system will carry the carrier to the order
clerk processing the customers order. Should the customer pay for the
purchase by a check or order a liquor purchase, the customer will also be
asked to place some form of photo identification, such as a driver's
license, in the carrier of the pneumatic tube dispatch system. This will
enable the order clerk to verify the identity and age of the customer by
viewing the customer through the video camera of the order station and
confirming that the customer placing the order is the person shown in the
photo identification. When the transaction is complete the order clerk
will send a receipt for the purchase, along with the customers' change and
their photo identification, if any, through the carrier of the pneumatic
dispatch system to the order station where they will be received by the
customer. The receipt also identifies which pick up station the customer
should proceed to to receive their ordered goods. The customer will then
be directed by the order clerk to proceed to their assigned pick up
station where their ordered goods will be delivered to them.
As the customer's purchase is finalized, the microprocessor terminal of the
order clerk who entered the customer's order sends information to each of
the individual vendors of the goods and services ordered. Each vendor's
printer then prints out a list of their particular goods and services
ordered. Each of the individual vendors assembles their ordered goods and
places them in a bag to be hung on the hook conveyor or in a box to be
conveyed on the belt conveyor branch communicating the vendor with the
compilation area on the second floor.
Vendors' Complex employees in the compilation area then consolidate the
goods of each separate order from the individual vendors delivering the
goods. The printer at the goods compilation area also prints out a listing
of all the goods to be included in the order, and the pick-up station
location assigned to the order. The Vendors' Complex goods compilation
area assemble the ordered goods sent by the vendors to the compilation
area, and verify that each of the goods ordered are present before sending
the compiled ordered goods along the mechanical conveyor system to the
dumbwaiter elevator location of the assigned pick-up station.
A printer or CRT monitor at the dumbwaiter location of the assigned pick-up
station also communicates with the microprocessor terminal of the order
clerk. This printer or monitor also prints out a total list of goods to be
included in the order assigned to that particular pick-up station. The
compiled goods are received by a Vendors' Complex employee at the
dumbwaiter elevator location, and the contents of the compiled order are
checked once again to make sure they are complete. When the compiled order
of goods has been verified at the dumbwaiter elevator location, the
Vendors' Complex employee places the ordered goods in the dumbwaiter
elevator and sends the goods down to the pick up station where they are
received by the customer who ordered the goods.
Once the customer receives their ordered goods from the drawer of the
dumbwaiter elevator at the assigned pick up station, they will then
proceed from the pick up station location and exit the Vendors' Complex.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further objects and features of the present invention are revealed in the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the
invention and in the drawing figures wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a plan view in section of the Vendors' Structural Complex of
the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of the Vendors' Complex taken along the
line 2--2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view in section of the Vendors' Complex taken
along the line 3--3 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows a plan view in section of the Vendors' Complex taken along the
line 4--4 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 shows a plan view in section of the Vendors' Complex taken along the
line 5--5 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 shows a side elevation view of a customer order station taken along
the line 6--6 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 shows a front elevation view of a order pick-up station taken along
the line 7--7 in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 8 shows a side elevation view of an order pick-up station taken along
the line 8--8 in FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The Vendors' Complex of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 provides a
structural complex that enables consumers to purchase goods and services
from a single large vendor of various goods or from a variety of
individual vendors of goods and services without exiting their vehicles
and entering the Complex.
A plan layout of the Vendors' Structural Complex is shown in FIG. 1. The
Vendors' Complex 10 is generally comprised of a central warehouse facility
12, several customer order stations 14 interconnected with the warehouse
facility, several customer pick-up stations 16 interconnected with the
warehouse facility, and a network of vehicle routing lanes 18 extending to
and through the warehouse facility and passing by the customer order
stations and pick-up stations. Generally, customers using the Vendors'
Complex approach the Complex along the vehicle routing lanes and are
directed to one of the customer order stations where they place their
order for goods and/or services provided by vendors housed in the Complex.
After placing their orders, the customers are then directed to drive their
vehicles along the routing lanes to one of the several order pick-up
stations where they receive their ordered goods. After receiving their
ordered goods, the customers are directed along the vehicle routing lanes
to the exit of the Vendors' Complex. The consumers entire shopping
excursion including selecting desired goods and services from a variety of
different vendors of those goods and services, ordering and paying for the
desired goods and services, and receiving the ordered goods takes place
without the consumer ever leaving their vehicle and in a correspondingly
shorter period of time than heretofore would have been required for such
an excursion.
The central warehouse facility 12 of the Vendors' Complex is preferably a
structure having two floors, although a warehouse having three floors may
be employed in the Complex of the present invention should additional
storage area be needed. The warehouse of the Vendors' Complex is primarily
intended to house only the vendors of goods and services. Customers of
these vendors will not enter the warehouse facility. Because the warehouse
is used primarily for storing the goods of several vendors and providing
areas for several vendors to perform services they offer to consumers,
each of the vendors housed in the Vendors' Complex requires a much smaller
area than would be needed in a conventional shopping mall, department
store or grocery store complex.
The second floor 22 of the Complex warehouse is primarily used as a storage
area for the goods of the vendors housed in the Vendors' Complex, and as
an area for performing services by those vendors housed in the Complex who
offer services to consumers. For example, the second floor of the
warehouse provides sufficient storage space for vendors of groceries
(i.e., can and frozen goods, etc.), pharmaceuticals, liquor, flowers, and
newspapers, magazines and books. In addition, the second floor will
provide sufficient room for vendors providing consumer services such as
key duplication, video rentals, photography developing or any other
service that lends itself to dumbwaiter elevator delivery.
The second floor 22 of the Vendors' Complex central warehouse houses a
large kitchen facility that is used to prepare the food items of the
several satellite restaurants offered by the Complex. The warehouse is
designed with sufficient room to accommodate the stored goods of several
satellite restaurants, preferably eight to ten, on the second floor. There
are no facilities for dine-in customers of the restaurants on the second
floor. The particular restaurants whose | | |
