Shopping bag distribution station

Abstract

Described is a shopping bag distribution station can be used by customers to obtain shopping bags to bag their purchases as they shop. The disclosed shopping bag distribution station includes a shopping bag dispenser and a wire rack. The shopping bag dispenser holds shopping bags, and is hung from the wire rack in a retail store so the shopping bags in the shopping bag dispenser are available to customers as they shop. The shopping bag dispenser includes a box front portion and a back plate that couple together to form a rectangular enclosure for the shopping bags. The box front portion has a bag holder hook inside the enclosure that shopping bags are hung from. An opening in the box front portion allows access to the shopping bags hanging from the bag holder hook.

1 . A shopping bag dispenser comprising:
 a box front portion comprising:
 a front plate; 
 a top plate; 
 a bottom plate, wherein the top plate is smaller than the bottom plate; 
 a first side plate having a first side curved edge; and 
 a second side plate having a second side curved edge; 
   a back plate hingedly coupled to the box front portion;   an opening in the box front portion configured for removing at least one shopping bag from the shopping bag dispenser;   a bag holder hook coupled to a top plate inner surface, wherein the bag holder hook holds the at least one shopping bag, and wherein the bag holder hook extends towards the back plate; and   at least one rail coupler hook coupled to a back plate outer surface, wherein the at least one rail coupler hook couples the shopping bag dispenser to a rail.   
     
     
         2 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate, top plate, bottom plate, first side plate, and second side plate are a unitary structure. 
     
     
         3 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a shopping bag level sensor, wherein the shopping bag level dispenser detects the level of shopping bags in the shopping bag dispenser. 
     
     
         4 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the bag holder hook comprises a hook bend angle of about 80 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising two handle holder hooks coupled to the top plate inner surface on either side of the bag holder hook. 
     
     
         6 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 5 , wherein the bag holder hook and the two handle holder hooks all face the back plate. 
     
     
         7 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rail coupler hook faces towards the bottom plate. 
     
     
         8 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein an opening area of the opening is smaller than a front plate area of the front plate. 
     
     
         9 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the first side curved edge extends between a top plate front edge and a front plate top edge. 
     
     
         10 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein a hinge couples a back plate bottom edge to a bottom plate rear edge. 
     
     
         11 . The shopping bag dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein a lock removeably couples a top plate rear edge to a back plate top edge. 
     
     
         12 . A shopping bag distribution station comprising:
 a wire rack;   a shopping bag dispenser coupled to the wire rack, wherein the shopping bag dispenser comprises:
 a box front portion comprising:
 a front plate; 
 a top plate; 
 a bottom plate, wherein the top plate is smaller than the bottom plate; 
 a first side plate having a first side curved edge; and 
 a second side plate having a second side curved edge; 
 
 a back plate hingedly coupled to a bottom plate rear edge; 
 a bag holder hook coupled to a top plate inner surface, wherein the bag holder hook extends towards the back plate; 
 at least one shopping bag hanging from the bag holder hook; 
 an opening in the box front portion configured for removing the at least one shopping bag from the shopping bag dispenser; and 
 at least one rail coupler hook coupled to a back plate outer surface, wherein the at least one rail coupler hook couples the shopping bag dispenser to the wire rack. 
   
     
     
         13 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , further comprising a shopping bag level sensor coupled to the box front portion. 
     
     
         14 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 13 , wherein the shopping bag level sensor comprises:
 a bag level detector, wherein the bag level detector senses a shopping bag level of shopping bags that are hanging from the bag holder hook;   a green indicator light, wherein the green indicator light emits green light when the bag level detector senses the shopping bag level is full;   an amber indicator light, wherein the amber indicator light emits amber light when the bag level detector senses the shopping bag level is less than or equal to 25 percent full;   a red indicator light wherein the red indicator light emits red light when the bag level detector senses the shopping bag level is empty.   
     
     
         15 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , wherein the bag holder hook comprises a hook bend angle of about 80 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , further comprising two handle holder hooks coupled to the top plate inner surface on either side of the at least one bag holder hook. 
     
     
         17 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , wherein a front plate height is about five times an opening height. 
     
     
         18 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , wherein the first side curved edge extends between a top plate front edge and a front plate top edge. 
     
     
         19 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , wherein a hinge couples a back plate bottom edge to a bottom plate rear edge. 
     
     
         20 . The shopping bag distribution station of  claim 12 , wherein a back plate top edge removeably and lockably couples to the box front portion.