Picture the scene. You're on your way home when you remember the fridge is empty but you don't have a pound for the trolley and parking is a nightmare. Or you promised to pick up a six-pack of beer en route to a friend's party but it's pouring with rain and parking is still a nightmare.

Wouldn't it be great if you could pick up a few essentials without getting out of your car?

Russian inventor Semenov Dahir Kurmanbievich filed a patent for a drive-through supermarket that would make all that possible.

A customer would drive up to an available bay, much like in a petrol station, and – while remaining in the car – select the items from a column that has vertically rotating shelves operated with a button. These are placed immediately onto a conveyor belt, where they travel a few feet to the checkout. When finished, the customer drives forward, pays the cashier and drives off with dinner.

Staff stack goods onto a system of conveyor belts that feeds the columns.