Log purchasing system, improved crates and improved collapsible log bags

Abstract

A log purchasing system comprises a plurality of containers 1a suitable for carrying wooden logs; each container having a unique identity code (13, figure 3). The system includes a plurality of points

Description

The invention relates to log purchasing systems, improved crates and improved collapsible log bags. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART KNOWN TO THE APPLICANT Logs are typically sold in plastic single use bags. These are often so called net bags which end up in landfill. These notoriously do not quickly biodegrade even ending up in waterways and being particularly dangerous to wildlife as they can entangle themselves with these as they function as a net. Logs are often stored outside where moisture can accumulate and affect their burning performance. Therefore, a wholly aerated mesh bag is also preferred for improved drying and optimal combustion. Furthermore, logs are not necessarily easy to handle and are not particularly clean in the context of certain shopping outlets. Certain embodiments of the invention provide a system which allows the logs to be stored without any enclosure until the point of purchase. Furthermore, the present system avoids the use of single use plastic mesh bags whilst also providing improved transportation of a group of logs in a bag. The log bag improves in particular its safety for carrying logs and provides improved toughness in certain embodiments. Furthermore, the log bag allows multiple re-use of the bags whilst the system provides improved efficiency in the handling of logs from the shop to the home. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first broad independent aspect, the invention provides a log purchasing system which interacts with a plurality of containers suitable for carrying wooden logs; said plurality of containers each having a unique identity code; the system comprising a plurality of points of interaction where a scanner extracts a unique identity code from a readable tag located within each container or reads a unique identity code readable from each container; the system further comprising a remote processor for aggregating dependent upon a container’s interaction with the system: the date and time of an interaction with the system, an identification of the point of sale, an identification of an individual interacting with the system, and the unique identity code of the container; the aggregated data being stored in a database; and sending a signal to said individual dependent upon the number of times the container has been re-used. This configuration is particularly advantageous as it allows logs in preferred embodiments to sold loose in a shopping outlet whilst providing a reliable repeatable framework for reusing containers. In a subsidiary aspect, the system comprises two kind of containers for transporting logs, a first kind of container having a handle for transporting by a customer whilst the second kind of container is formed as a crate which is transportable by a forklift truck and comprising a pallet base and a scaffolding extending upwards from the base which has an aperture which is accessible for removing a desired quantity of logs for transfer into said first kind of container. This system provides a trackable array of multi-use containers from the log chopping factory to the home of a customer without requiring any plastic waste. It provides a synergistic interaction between containers of different sizes. In a further subsidiary aspect, the crate has one or more laterally extending beams for joining upwardly extending beams to form the scaffolding. This configuration provides an advantageously robust structure. In a further subsidiary aspect, the laterally extending member comprises a composite band to reinforce the junction between upwardly extending beams and laterally extending beams. This configuration is particularly advantageous for carrying load in tension which ensures the multi-use of the crate. In a further subsidiary aspect, the crate is open on both the upper portion and a side portion of the crate. This is particularly advantageous as it allows access for filling a bag from either the top or the side of the crate. In a subsidiary aspect, the point of interaction comprises a scale for weighing the bag when containing wooden logs; the remote processor being configured to aggregate the weight of the container for a particular point of sale interaction. This configuration is particularly advantageous as it allows the aggregation to factor in the weight and therefore tailor the wood sales to a particular demand. In a further subsidiary aspect, the scale comprises a scanner. This configuration is particularly advantageous to monitor and identify the re-use of a container at the point of weighing. In a further subsidiary aspect, the scale returns a bar-coded receipt which is scannable at a subsequent checkout point of sale. This configuration also allows the task of weighing and paying to be spaced apart which is beneficial for the cleanliness of the sale’s process. In a further subsidiary aspect, the remote processor is configured to aggregate the data to determine a profile for each one of the following: an individual, a container, and a point of sale; whereby an individual profile, a container profile and a point of sale profile is derived from said aggregation. This allows a 3 dimensional assessment of the service to be offered instead of merely focusing on individual purchasing habits. In a further subsidiary aspect, the containers comprise a plurality of collapsible bags suitable for carrying wooden logs comprising two relatively rigid side walls, two relatively foldable side walls and a base which together form a volume for receiving wooden logs; wherein the rigid side walls each incorporate a rigid panel. This is particularly advantageous as it allows the log bag to be collapsible in an improved manner when empty whilst also providing protection to the carrier of the bag as the carrier of the bag will be in effect shielded from potential wood shards. In a further subsidiary aspect, each one of the bags further comprises a readable tag located inside the rigid panel. This provides advantageous durability of the bag as it will survive a greater number of cycles. This is particularly significant when due consideration is given to the collapsibility of the bag, the extreme natural weight of logs and their ruggedness which would otherwise lead to premature system failure. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bags have a base which is porous. This allows any residual liquid to evacuate from the bag and allow the bag to not stand in the way of the natural wood drying process. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bags have side walls which comprise a layer which is sufficiently thick and which is configured to prevent wood shards from passing to the outermost surface of the bag. This configuration is particularly advantageous as it takes into account the safety of the customer which has been often neglected in prior art proposals. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bags comprise a first pocket sized and shaped to receive a plurality of logs and at least a second pocket adjacent to the first pocket which is of a lower height and width than the first pocket in order to prevent the insertion of a log. This configuration is particularly advantageous as it allows the side pocket to be filled with other small branches which would otherwise be wasted. This has the secondary benefit of encouraging customers to collect small twigs and branches instead of just leaving them on the supermarket floor. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bags incorporate at least one laterally externally projecting member which carries at one extremity a tag which is suitable for reading by a scanner. This allows the scanner to be accurate even when the bag is difficult to move during the purchasing process as the scanner can therewith more readily be presented to the tag. This can also be beneficial when considering that the surface of the log bag will often not be even thus rendering scanning even more challenging and inherently variable from purchase to purchase. This configuration provides a reliable and more readily accessible structure with which the carrier or the checkout staff can interact with. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bags comprise a readable tag in the form of a readable code integrated onto the outer surface of the bag. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bags are made of biodegradable materials and the bags contain a unique identity code; and the remote processor measures and records the number of times the bags have been re-used. In a further broad independent aspect, the invention provides an improved collapsible bag suitable for carrying wooden logs comprising two relatively rigid side walls, two relatively foldable side walls and a base which together form a volume for receiving wooden logs; wherein the rigid side walls each incorporate a rigid panel. In a subsidiary aspect, the bag further comprises a readable tag located inside said rigid panel. In a further subsidiary aspect, the base is porous. In a further subsidiary aspect, the side walls comprise a layer which is sufficiently thick and which is configured to prevent wood shards from passing to the outermost surface of the bag. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bag comprises a first pocket sized and shaped to receive a plurality of logs and at least a second pocket adjacent to the first pocket which is of a lower height and width than the first pocket in order to prevent the insertion of a log. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bag incorporates laterally externally projecting member which carries at one extremity a tag which is suitable for reading by a scanner. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bag comprises a readable tag in the form of a readable code integrated onto the outer surface of the bag. In a further subsidiary aspect, the bag is made of biodegradable materials and the bag contains a unique identity code to measure the number of times the bag is re-used. Detailed Description of the Figures Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a rear view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a right lateral view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a left lateral view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a flow chart of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 1 of the handling system Figure 7 is a perspective view of a bag according to a second embodiment Figure 8 is a front view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a rear view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 7. Figure 10 is a right lateral view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 7. Figure 11 is a left lateral view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 7. Figure 12 is a perspective exploded view of the embodiment of the bag of Figure 7. Figure 13 is an embodiment of a point of interaction device. Figure 14 shows a flow chart of the system in accordance with an embodiment. Figure 15 is a perspective view of a crate for holding wooden logs Figure 16 is a further perspective view of a crate for holding wooden logs Detailed Description Embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is intended to describe exemplary embodiments, and not to limit the claimed subject matter. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag according to at least one embodiment. As seen in Figure 1, a bag referred to as la may include two lateral pockets 4. This will allow separating chunky wooden logs used for maintaining the fire from finer wooden logs used for lighting the fire. In certain embodiments, a single lateral pocket is envisaged. The lateral pocket is sized and shaped to be smaller than a typical log, whereby only twigs and bark may be placed in the lateral pocket. In particular, the heigh of the lateral pocket is shorter than would be appropriate for typical logs which may be of 40 cm or more. The lateral pocket is therefore preferably of less than 30 cm in height and less than 10 cm in circumference. Figure 2 shows a front view of the bag la of Figure 1 suitable for carrying logs. It comprises a reinforced bottom base 2 and an outer surface 3 upwardly extending from the reinforced base. An upper band 5 or handle 5 is attached with reinforced seams 6 in proximity to the upper most portion of the upwardly extending outer surface 3. This band can be joined together to another band 10, shown in Figure 3, via a padded band 7 for comfortable grip when lifting the bag by holding the bands 5 and 10. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface 2 is porous by for example, being of natural fibrous textile material with gaps between the strands of material to allow water to evacuate from the base of the bag. In one embodiment, the base of the bag has multiple layers of textile material for extra robustness. In a further preferred embodiment, the bag has two insertable boards 3A and 3B (see figure 1) which may be secured against the flexible side wall. The insertable boards may be of wooden material or any other solid multi-use environmentally friendly material and provide a complete barrier against wooden shards which may otherwise perforate the side walls 3 and cause damage to the individual carrying the bag. Furthermore, the insertable boards may be much more rigid that the external wall of the bag, this allows the bag to more readily collapse on itself when empty. Furthermore, at least one of the boards may incorporate within its structure a unique RF tag which may be read at a point of sale. The RF tag may also be used to trigger the purchase of the contents of the bag at an appropriate point of sale. The RF tag may be individual to the purchasing of a particular quantity of logs. Thus, the board would fulfil a triple function of reinforcing the side of the bag, shielding the individual carrying the bag from potential shards through the outer material of the bag and provide a reliable location for an RF ID tag which in a flexible and collapsible bag could otherwise find itself exposed to damage particularly when considering the loading associated with a log bag. Preferably each side wall has a pocket into which the side panels are inserted to retain the boards against the sides of the bag. The sides of the bag which do not receive a board may be of flexible foldable material which may optionally incorporate a pre-fold line 50 to facilitate the collapse of the side wall on itself. Figure 3 shows a rear view of the bag of Figure 1. It comprises a reinforced bottom base 2 and an outer surface 12 upwardly extending from the reinforced base. An upper band 10 is attached with reinforced seams 11 in proximity to the uppermost portion of the upwardly extending outer surface 12. The seams are in cross pattern to further reinforce the strength of the attachment between the handle and the bag. This band can be joined together to another band 5, shown in Figure 2, via a padded band 7 for comfortable grip when lifting the bag through the bands 10 and 5. In a further optional configuration, a readable tag such as a QR code 13 may be included on the upwardly extending outer surface 12. In this embodiment, when the QR code is scanned through a QR code scanner implemented into a mobile app allows a QR code system to read a bag’s unique identifying number in order to allow the QR code system to receive at a remote processing module (not shown in the figure) signals representative of at least one or more of the following factors: a date and time stamp of interaction, an identification of the point of sale, an identification of an individual interaction with the system and an identification of the bag. Then through the app, a personal profile may be created to which a bag with a personal identification number will be assigned. The app may also provide information with respect to the point of sale’s location, the time and data of purchase, the weight of the bag. The information obtained from the app may also feed into the remote processing module which would aggregate the data to determine a profile for one or more of the following: an individual bag, and a point of sale. In a preferred embodiment, the signals representative of the factors are dispatched to a cloud-based application where the remote processing module resides where a profile of various interactions is stored. This would allow the return events to be monitored and analysed. This may for example allow push notifications to be sent with appropriate notifications with potential awards for having used the same bag or alternatively notifications with the dispatch of a penalty charge notice for non-retums. This would also allow more accurate promotional and marketing activities to be developed. In an alternative embodiment, instead of the QR code, a coil or other remotely interrogatable tag may be incorporated into the bag, for example, in the advantageous side boards 3A and 3B of an embodiment of figure 1. In a similar fashion to that described in the preceding paragraphs, a scanner may be used at a point of sale to interact with remotely interrogatable tags of this kind and trigger similar functional consequences as described with reference to the QR code. Advantageously, the bag and the side boards are separable in order to allow the side boards with their unique identifiers to be provided separately from the bag. It is thus possible to recycle the boards separately from the bags after many re-use cycles. Furthermore, should the bag or the board fail mechanically, it is also particularly advantageous as these could be replaced separately from one another. Furthermore, this would also allow advantageous washing of the bag with or without the side board which would be particularly advantageous as the overall size may be reduced whereby a large number of collapsible containers may be washed in the same washing machine. In accordance with some embodiments, a price for a bag full of logs may be obtained as a consequence of the interaction and displayed to the carrier of the bag for the purposes of purchasing the logs. The operator may adjust the price dependent on the frequency and the quantity of logs purchased based on pre-determined loyalty rules. In one embodiment, the payment of the bag full of logs may be processed directly through the app, which will generate a receipt. The receipt may optionally include a digital bar-coded receipt which can be scanned to a further point of sale in order to facilitate check out alongside other items bought in the shop. Figure 4 is a right side view of the bag of Figure 1. It comprises a reinforced base 2, an outer surface 8 upwardly extending from the reinforced base 2 and a lateral pocket 4. In this configuration, in a preferred embodiment, the lateral sides may have no reinforcement panel unlike the front and rear upwardly extending sides. This allows the bag to adapt to the large variations in the sizes of the logs whilst also providing an improved re-usable bag which will readily collapse into a compact shape when empty. Figure 5 is a left side view of the bag of Figure 1. It comprises a reinforced base 2, an outer surface 9 upwardly extending from the reinforced base 2, and a lateral pocket 4. In one embodiment, the bag is wholly of biodegradable material whilst being sufficiently robust to be extensively re-used. For example, each component of the bag may be made of a composite material of Yuta and cotton forming a bio-laminate optionally with bio-based Eva coating. This special lamination process guarantees extreme strength, softness to the touch and durable waterproofing. The bag is thus reusable and biodegradable. Figure 6 shows a preferred system structure generally referenced 30 with an HTTP REST API 31 which is an application program interface using HTTP requests to get, put, post and delete data. A two-way communication interface allowing upload and download to a database 32 is envisaged. An administration web-based user interface 33 is provided. In addition, the system provides a mobile application 34 connected to a cloud platform 35. Primary and secondary interaction points are provided respectively with a QR Code scanner and a Bar Code scanner 36. This provides a more versatile structure able to receive inputs from multiple kinds of interaction points which may be relied upon dependent on the particular business associated with the provision of logs. The QR Code scanner is directly integrated into the mobile application, whilst the Bar Code scanner may be located at the checkout counter. The bag QR Code system improves the efficiency of handling the cycle of purchasing a bag filled with wooden logs; facilitates the purchase of a bag with logs in an almost infinite number of locations and thereafter the re-use of the same bag; thus, providing an efficient environmentally friendly cycle of re-usable bags; the system provides QR code trackable bags which may be optimised for return and re-use; information about the product or instruction about how to use the product can be accessed via the mobile interaction with a QR code. Therefore pictures, text, website links, and even social network sharing buttons can be loaded onto the mobile device following from the interaction with a QR code i.e. when a costumer scans he / she may optionally have access to all such product information. Figures 7 to 11 show a further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment further features have been added to the bag of Figure 1. As seen in Figure 7, a bag lb may include two lateral pockets 4a which can be closed with fabric caps 4b, the flaps of which may be locked with a quick releasable attachment means 4c to prevent accidental opening. Figure 8 shows a front view of the bag lb of Figure 7. It comprises a reinforced bottom base 2 and an outer surface 3 upwardly extending from the reinforced base. An upper band 5 is attached with reinforced seams 6 to the upwardly extending outer surface 3. This band can be joined together to another band 13, shown in Figure 9, via a padded band 7 for comfortable grip when lifting the bag through the bands 5 and 13. A quick hook 8 is located in between the two reinforced seams 6. A frontal pocket 9, suitable to store gloves, is located in the centre of the upwardly extending outer surface 3. A handle 10, suitable for tipping logs stored inside the bag, is located in proximity to the bottom part of portion 3. Figure 9 shows a rear view of bag lb. It comprises a reinforced bottom base 2 and an outer surface 11 upwardly extending from the reinforced base. An upper band 13 is attached with reinforced seams 14 to the upwardly extending outer surface 11. This band can be joined together with another band 5, shown in Figure 8, via a padded band 7 for comfortable grip. The bag lb of Figure 7 may be higher than the bag la of Figure 1. This would allow a portion of the bag lb to be folded up to the height of the reinforced seams 6 and 14. A locking strap 15, located in between the two reinforced seams 14, can be locked to the quick hook 8 of Figure 8, once the top portion of the bag of Figure 7 is folded in order to prevent unfolding of the bag of Figure 7. This would protect the internal logs from rain and prevent them from slipping out of the bag during transport. Optionally, two back straps 16 are attached to the outer surface 11 with reinforced seams 17 and 18. These can be used to carry the bag on the back so that the hands are free to perform other functions. Figure 10 is a right side view of the bag lb of Figure 7. It comprises a reinforced bottom base 2, an outer surface 19 upwardly extending from the reinforced base, and a lateral pocket 4a. Figure 11 is a left side view of the bag lb of Figure 7. It comprises a reinforced bottom base 2 and an outer surface 24 upwardly extending from the reinforced base, and a lateral pocket 4a. An elastic rope may be provided between side pockets. Figure 12 is a perspective exploded view of the bag lb of Figure 7. A rectangular-shaped tag 25 may be sown inside a lateral outer surface thickness, with indications on the bags on how to scan the bag at an appropriate interaction point generally referenced 26 as shown in figure 13. The tag may preferably be a so-called passive tag which may be read or interrogated when in proximity to a reader. In preferred embodiments, the tag may comprise a radio frequency (RF) identification in order to allow remote interrogation of the tag such as at a point of interest. Figure 13 shows a potential point of interaction 26. This interaction point may be found at a sales point and may include a cube-shaped scale 27 with an incorporated RF tag reader 28 which allows the bag handling system to read a bag’s unique identifying number whilst also allowing a scale to be turned on in order to weigh the logs placed inside the bag. A touch screen 29 will show the weight of the bag and the price to be paid. The scale may optionally also return a bar-coded receipt to be attached to the bag, which will be scanned by an operator to pay for the quantity of logs taken. In preferred embodiments, the cube-shaped scale 27 may also provide information with respect to its location and the time and date of purchase. In this context, in one embodiment, since the bar-coded receipt can only be obtained by scanning the bag’s tag at the cubeshaped scale 27, each bag would have assigned a unique identifying number, this would allow the return events to be monitored and analysed. The input obtained from the cube-shaped scale 27 device may also feed into a cloud platform which would aggregate the data to determine the profile for one or more of the following: an individual bag, and a point of sale. This may, for example, allow push notifications to be sent with appropriate notifications with potential awards for having used the same bag or alternatively notifications with the dispatch of a penalty charge notice for non-returns. This would also allow more accurate promotional and marketing activities to be developed. Figure 14 shows a preferred system structure 40 with an HTTP REST API 41 which is an application program interface using HTTP requests to get, put, post and delete data. A two-way communication interface allowing upload and download to a database 42 is envisaged. An administration web-based user interface 47 is provided which may allow the administrator of the system to set prices per kilos of logs and to add seasonal promotions. Furthermore, the administrator may also provide an algorithm which would automatically calculate discounts dependent on the number of time a user has re-used the bag. In addition, the system provides a scale with a RF tag reader 43 connected a cloud platform 44. A Bar Code scanner 45 may be located at the checkout counter which may itself be associated with a POS device 46. Figure 15 shows a perspective view of a crate for holding wooden logs. The logs will be provided loose in a potential point of sale in the form of a crate and the crate has the following components: a pallet base 50 to facilitate the handling of the crate by means of a forklift; a scaffold of wooden beams in cubic shape 51. Optionally as shown in figure 16, a fabric net 52 may be provided of biodegradable material to prevent accidental falling of logs. As shown in figure 15, the scaffolding may have a plurality of upwardly extending beams rising from the four comers of the crate and a plurality of cross pieces forming junction members between the upwardly extending beams. The beams are preferably rectangular in cross-section whereby both the crate and the beams are of wooden material; whereby in a preferred embodiment the entirety of the crate and the logs are wood based. The crate has a base with a wooden floor. In order to further retain the cross pieces in place a band of composite material may be provided to extend around the perimeter of the crate in order to increase its capacity to retain its shape. The preceding embodiments of figure 1 to 14 may preferably each incorporate the crate to present the logs to the customer. The functionality of the bags may also be applied to the crate in terms in particular of the crates also incorporating a unique identifier which allows the system operator to measure the number of times the crates have been emptied and reused. This would also allow the retailer to be rewarded for re-using crates. Having described in detail various components of the system, several advantages arise when considering their interaction with an appropriate bag handling system: improving the efficiency of handling the cycle of purchasing a bag filled with wooden logs; facilitating the purchase of a bag with logs in an almost infinite number of locations and thereafter the re-use of the same bag; thus, providing an efficient environmentally friendly cycle of a reusable bag; optionally, the system provides RFID enabled trackable bags which may be optimised for return and re-use; overseeing this complex process; enabling the understanding of supply and demand of wooden logs and forecasting volume over time; facilitating the receipt and the pushing of information to and from different points of interaction; in a preferred embodiments, the system facilitates the pushing of information to or from a loT cloud platform. Whilst this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations of the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the claims unless otherwise stated. No language in the specification should be constructed as indicating any nonclaimed element as essential. References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the Figures. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although certain embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. In particular, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A log purchasing system which interacts with a plurality of containers suitable for carrying wooden logs; said plurality of containers each having a unique identity code; the system comprising a plurality of points of interaction where a scanner extracts a unique identity code from a readable tag located within each container or reads a unique identity code readable from each container; the system further comprising a remote processor for aggregating dependent upon a container’s interaction with the system: the date and time of an interaction with the system, an identification of the point of sale, an identification of an individual interacting with the system, and the unique identity code of the container; the aggregated data being stored in a database; and sending a signal to said individual dependent upon the number of times the container has been re-used.

2. The system according to claim 1, comprising two kind of containers for transporting logs, a first kind of container having a handle for transporting by a customer whilst the second kind of container is formed as a crate which is transportable by a forklift truck and comprising a pallet base and a scaffolding extending upwards from the base which has an aperture which is accessible for removing a desired quantity of logs for transfer into said first kind of container.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said crate has one or more laterally extending beams for joining upwardly extending beams to form the scaffolding.

4. The system according to either claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the laterally extending member comprises a composite band to reinforce the junction between upwardly extending beams and laterally extending beams.

5. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said crate is open on both the upper portion and a side portion of the crate.

6. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said point of interaction comprises a scale for weighing a container such as a bag when containingwooden logs; the remote processor being configured to aggregate the weight of the container for a particular point of sale interaction.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said scale comprises a scanner.

8. The system according to either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said scale returns a bar-coded receipt which is scannable at a subsequent checkout point of sale.

9. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote processor is configured to aggregate the data to determine a profile for each one of the following: an individual, a container, and a point of sale; whereby an individual profile, a container profile and a point of sale profile is derived from said aggregation.

10. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the containers comprise a plurality of collapsible bags suitable for carrying wooden logs comprising two relatively rigid side walls, two relatively foldable side walls and a base which together form a volume for receiving wooden logs; wherein the rigid side walls each incorporate a rigid panel.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein each one of the bags further comprises a readable tag located inside the rigid panel.

12. The system according to either claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the bags have a base which is porous.

13. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the bags have side walls which comprise a layer which is sufficiently thick and which is configured to prevent wood shards from passing to the outermost surface of the bag.

14. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the bags comprise a first pocket sized and shaped to receive a plurality of logs and at least a second pocket adjacent to the first pocket which is of a lower height and width than the first pocket in order to prevent the insertion of a log.

15. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the bags incorporate at least one laterally externally projecting member which carries at one extremity a tag which is suitable for reading by a scanner.

16. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the bags comprise a readable tag in the form of a readable code integrated onto the outer surface of the bag.

17. The system according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the bags are made of biodegradable materials and the bags contain a unique identity code; and the remote processor measures and records the number of times the bags have been re-used.

18. An improved collapsible bag suitable for carrying wooden logs comprising two relatively rigid side walls, two relatively foldable side walls and a base which together form a volume for receiving wooden logs; wherein the rigid side walls each incorporate a rigid panel.

19. The bag according to claim 18, further comprising a readable tag located inside said rigid panel.

20. The bag according to either claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the base is porous.

21. The bag according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the side walls comprise a layer which is sufficiently thick and which is configured to prevent wood shards from passing to the outermost surface of the bag.

22. The bag according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the bag comprises a first pocket sized and shaped to receive a plurality of logs and at least a second pocket adjacent to the first pocket which is of a lower height and width than the first pocket in order to prevent the insertion of a log.

23. The bag according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the bag incorporates laterally externally projecting member which carries at one extremity a tag which is suitable for reading by a scanner.5 24. The bag according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the bag comprises a readabletag in the form of a readable code integrated onto the outer surface of the bag.

25. The bag according to any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the bag is made of biodegradable materials and the bag contains a unique identity code to measure the 10 number of times the bag is re-used.Application No: GB2409012.8Examiner: Paul MakinClaims searched: 18-25Date of search: 5 December 2025Patents Act 1977Further Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance v A 18,21,22, 24 GB 2454288 A (BAILEY) See particularly page 2, lines 10-15 X 18,21,22, 24 US 2021 / 0112937 Al (GAYE) See particularly figures 1-2 and paragraph 0051 X 18,21,22, 24 US3850724 A (LEHMACHER) See particularly figures 8-10 X 18,21,22, 24 DE102011119446 Al (GRUBER) See particularly figures 2-7Categories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if combined with one or more other documents of same category. P Document published on or after the declared priority date but before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:International Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From A45C 0003 / 04 01 / 01 / 2006 B65D 0006 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 B65D 0025 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006Subclass Subgroup Valid From G06Q 0010 / 00 01 / 01 / 2023 G06Q 0010 / 30 01 / 01 / 2023 G06Q 0030 / 00 01 / 01 / 2023Application No: GB2409012.8Examiner: Mr Paul MakinClaims searched: 1-17Date of search: 13 December 2024Patents Act 1977Corrected Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance X Y X:l-9 Y:10-17 US 2007 / 0024071 Al (GRBIE) whole document X,Y X:l-9 Y:10-17 US 2021 / 0125171 Al (PERRUCCI) whole document X,Y X:l-9 Y:10-17 US 2010 / 0211451 Al (AOKI) whole document Y 10-17 GB 2454288 A (BAILEY) whole document Y 10-17 US 2021 / 0112937 Al (GAYE) whole documentCategories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of same category. before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:International Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From A45C 0003 / 04 01 / 01 / 2006Subclass Subgroup Valid From B65D 0006 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 B65D 0025 / 00 01 / 01 / 2006 G06Q 0010 / 00 01 / 01 / 2023 G06Q 0010 / 30 01 / 01 / 2023 G06Q 0030 / 00 01 / 01 / 2023

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