EP3545799B1 - Checkout counter with integrated goods dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a checkout counter with an integrated goods dispensing device.

Such checkout tables are used in sales rooms in department stores, such as supermarkets.

Well-known checkout counters are usually also equipped with shelves for so-called impulse items and tobacco products. These items are intended to encourage customers to make a spontaneous purchase.

The goods shelves use storage space above the goods conveyor belt. The goods on the shelves are also at risk of theft.

The US 5,813,569 A shows several goods shafts arranged next to each other, in which cigarette packets are arranged, which are arranged in front of a payment counter.

The DE 295 08 506 U1 shows a sales stand for tobacco products for self-service stores or the like, which is preferably arranged behind the conveyor belt of the cash register and which consists of a frame.

The EP 1 380 238 A2 shows a storage container for various items that can be removed as desired, for example consumer items such as cigarette sticks, cigarette boxes, etc.

The GB 2 263 474 A shows a dispensing shaft for cigarette shafts, which are stored one above the other within the shaft.

The object of the invention is to propose a checkout counter with a safe and reliable goods dispensing device.

The task is solved by the subject matter of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The goods dispensing device proposed here comprises a large number of individual goods shafts. Each goods shaft has a substantially cuboid shape and includes a movable base plate which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the shaft. The individual goods are arranged one above the other on the base plate.

The goods shaft flows into a goods distribution area, which is accessible via a flap. From the goods issue area you can The goods located in the goods shaft are removed one after the other. The flap is pivoted. When the flap is swiveled, an individual item of goods is picked up and pushed out of the goods issue area so that a customer can remove the goods.

As already mentioned above, the goods shaft has a cuboid shape and includes an internal base plate that can be moved in the direction of the goods issue area.

A spring, preferably a spiral spring, is attached to the end of the base plate. The other end of the spring is attached to the goods chute near the goods issuing area, whereby the floor plate experiences a force towards the goods issuing area. Since the individual goods are stacked on the base plate, they also experience a force in the direction of the goods issuing area. The closing flap prevents the individual goods from being pushed out in an uncontrolled manner.

The flap, which closes the goods dispensing area, is formed from a flat piece, the ends of which are bent towards one another, so that the flap essentially has the shape of a semi-cylinder. A handle is formed at one end of the flap, which the customer can use to swing the flap open or out.

When it swings out, the other end of the flap grabs behind a product and pushes it out of the goods issue area and out to the customer. At the same time, the lateral surface of the semi-cylindrical flap is guided over the (new) goods underneath, which prevents them from advancing into the goods dispensing area before the flap independently swings in again or is swung in.

The goods dispensing device is integrated into a checkout counter in a department store. This eliminates the limited storage space in the checkout area, ie the storage space below and behind the goods conveyor belt is optimally utilized.

According to the invention, the goods dispensing device is combined with a vending machine for dispensing tobacco products. A suitable tobacco vending machine is, for example, from WO 2011088841 A1 known. Such a tobacco vending machine can also be integrated into the checkout counter of a department store.

Since tobacco products, for example, are items that are particularly at risk of theft, it is advantageous if the goods dispensing device can be operated via a control panel of the tobacco vending machine. This means access to the tobacco tins can be controlled by a department store cashier. In order to show how many goods are still available in an individual goods shaft, a counter can be installed near the goods issue area that shows the number of goods in the shaft. The counter can be mechanical or digital. A mechanical version is ideal if you want to operate the goods dispensing device independently of the power grid. Since the goods issuing function works purely mechanically, this is certainly possible. This also makes the goods dispensing device particularly environmentally friendly.

The flap closing the goods issuing area is preferably designed to be transparent. This allows the customer to see the goods directly and select them accordingly. The individual goods issuing areas do not have to be labeled with the name of the goods and can be optionally equipped with different goods without having to change or adapt the labeling. Preferably the transparent flap is off Made of polycarbonate. This makes the flap stable and scratch-resistant. But laminated glass or other transparent materials are also quite suitable. This type of product presentation is particularly useful for tobacco products, as the packaging design often changes.

The operation of the goods dispensing device is briefly described below:
Individual goods can be stored stacked on top of each other in the goods shaft of the goods dispensing device. To do this, the individual goods are placed on the base plate of the shaft and pushed into the shaft against the spring force. Beforehand, the flap must be swung out of the goods issuing area and swung back in when the goods are pushed in so that the base plate is released from the outer surface of the flap. This process is repeated until the goods shaft is full. The filling process is carried out virtually inversely to the removal of goods.

A customer grabs the handle of the flap and swings it away from the goods issue area (swing out). This means that the goods lying at the top of the goods shaft are pushed out of the goods issue area. The lateral surface of the flap rolls over the next product underneath, thereby preventing this product from moving into the goods issue area. The customer receives the goods and lets go of the flap, which automatically swings back, for example through spring action. The lateral surface disappears from the goods that are in the waiting position, so that they move into the goods issue area.

As an alternative to letting go of the flap, the customer can also swing the flap back to the goods issuing area, which also causes the goods to be moved into the goods issuing area as described above.

In an alternative embodiment of the goods dispensing device, the long sides of the goods shaft are in the direction of the goods dispensing area bent inwards and act as retaining elements for the goods that move upwards due to the spring force. The customer can remove the goods from this position one after the other. If a flap is provided, the customer can remove goods after opening the flap.

The goods underneath move into the goods issuing area and are braked again by the retaining elements. The filling process here takes place in the opposite direction to the removal.

Example embodiment

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Warenausgabebereichs mit geschlossener Klappe,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Warenausgabebereichs mit geöffneter Klappe,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht der Federfunktion im Warenschacht,

Fig. 4a+b

eine perspektivische Ansicht einerweiteren Ausführungsform des Warenschachtes und

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Kassentisches eines Warenhauses mit integrierter Warenausgabevorrichtung.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a goods issuing area with the flap closed,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of a goods issuing area with the flap open,

Fig. 3

a perspective view of the spring function in the goods shaft,

Fig. 4a+b

a perspective view of a further embodiment of the goods shaft and

Fig. 5

a perspective view of a checkout counter in a department store with an integrated goods dispensing device.

The Figure 1 shows the goods dispensing area 2 of a goods dispensing device 1. The goods dispensing area 2 is closed via a transparent flap 3. In the goods issuing area 2 there is a goods 4 lying on top of the goods shaft waiting to be issued.

In Figure 2 It shows which function the flap 3 performs when dispensing goods. In this exemplary embodiment, the flap consists of a 2 mm thick, transparent polycarbonate plate that has a curved shape. Essentially, the curved shape has the shape of a half-cylinder with an outer lateral surface 8. One end of the flap 3 forms an edge 6, the function of which is described in more detail below. At the other end, a handle 7 is formed for the customer, which in this exemplary embodiment is designed as an arcuate recess in the lateral surface 8.

By swinging out the flap 3 by a customer's hand 5, the goods 4 are pushed out of the goods dispensing area 2 through the edge 6. Through the pivoting movement. of the flap 3, the lateral surface 8 is guided over the goods 4 'located under the issued goods 4, which prevents a new goods 4' from moving directly into the goods issuing area 2. Only when the flap 3 is pivoted back into the goods issuing area 2 can the new goods 4 'move up.

In Figure 3 a perspective view of a goods chute 10 can be seen. The shaft essentially has a cuboid shape, with a slot 9 being made on each of the narrow sides, through which a fastening element 11 protrudes, which is connected to a base plate (not shown here) on which the individual goods are stacked one on top of the other. In the upper area of the goods issue, a fastening element 12 is also provided on the narrow sides. A spiral spring 13 is tensioned between the fastening elements 11 and 12. The spiral spring acts on the base plate, which acts in the direction of the goods delivery area 2 - i.e. against gravity.

The Figures 4a +b show an alternative embodiment of a goods chute 10 of the goods dispensing device 1. Instead of the narrow sides, the back of the goods chute 10 is provided with a slot 9 through which the fastening element 11 of the base plate 14 protrudes outwards. In the A further fastening element 12 is fixed in place in the upper area of the back of the goods shaft 10. A spiral spring 13 is attached to the fastening elements 11, 12, which pulls the base plate 14 to the goods issuing area 2.

In this alternative embodiment, the goods issuing area 2 is delimited by sheet metal edges 15. The goods 4 cannot be pushed upwards beyond these edges 15 by the spring 13.

In Figure 5 A checkout counter according to the invention can be seen with an integrated goods dispensing device 1, which is integrated into the checkout counter 16 of a department store. Here a large number of individual goods shafts 10 are arranged next to and behind one another. In addition to the goods dispensing devices 1, a vending machine for dispensing tobacco products is arranged, for example from the EP 1860621 B1 is known.

The individual tobacco products can be requested via the control panel 17.

It is advantageous if the individual goods dispensing devices 1 can also be operated via the control panel 17 of the vending machine for tobacco products.

For example, there could be 10 bolts on the inner wall of the individual goods shafts, which serve as ejectors for the individual goods 4. Each bolt could be controlled via a button on the control panel 17. Since different goods 4, for example different types of tobacco in cans and/or bags, are stored in the individual goods dispensing devices 1, these could be linked to a so-called pictogram button on the control panel. The requested goods 4 would then be ejected directly onto the conveyor belt 18 of the checkout table 16. Closing the individual goods issuing areas 2 via flaps 3 would no longer be necessary. REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST 1 Goods dispensing device 11. fastener 2 Goods issuing area 12. fastener 3 flap 13. coil spring 4 Goods 14. base plate 5 hand 15. Sheet metal edges 6 Edge 16. checkout counter 7 Handle 17. Control panel 8th Lateral surface 18. Conveyor belt 9 slot 10 Goods shaft

Claims (6)

1. Checkout counter (16) with a conveyor belt (18), and with an integrated item-dispensing apparatus (1), which uses a storage space below and behind the conveyor belt (18), and an integrated vending machine,

   - wherein the vending machine is intended for dispensing of tobacco products and is arranged next to the item-dispensing apparatus (1),

   - wherein the item-dispensing apparatus (1) consists of a multiplicity of individual item shafts (10) which are arranged one next to the other and one behind the other, wherein, in the item shafts (10), in each case individual items (4) are stored so as to be arrangeable one above the other,

   - wherein each item shaft (10) comprises an item-dispensing region (2) from which the individual items (4) are removable one after the other,
   wherein

   - each item shaft (10) is of cuboidal configuration and comprises an inner baseplate (14) which is displaceable in the direction of the item-dispensing region (2),

   - wherein the items (4) are arrangeable on the base plate (14) stacked one above the other,

   - and wherein the baseplate (14) is operatively connected to a spring (13), whereby the baseplate (14) is subjected to a force in the direction of the item-dispensing region (2),

   - and wherein each item shaft (10) has at least one retaining element (15) for the item (4) situated at the top.
2. Checkout counter (16) with an integrated item-dispensing apparatus (1) according to Claim 1,
   characterized in that

   the item-dispensing region (2) is accessible via a flap (3),

   and in that the flap (3) is pivotably mounted.
3. Checkout counter (16) with an integrated item-dispensing apparatus (1) according to either of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the force exerted by the spring (13) is directed opposite to the force of gravity.
4. Checkout counter (16) with an integrated item-dispensing apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that

   - the flap (3) is formed from a flat piece whose ends are bent towards one another such that the flap (3) substantially has the shape of a half-cylinder,

   - wherein a handle (7) for pivoting the flap (3) outwards is formed at one end and the other end is intended for pushing the item (4) out of the item-dispensing region (2),

   - and wherein the lateral surface (8) of the half-cylinder prevents a new item (4) from being pushed into the item-dispensing region (2).
5. Checkout counter (16) with an integrated item-dispensing apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the items (4) have a cylindrical shape.
6. Checkout counter (16) with an integrated item-dispensing apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   each item shaft (10) has a counting mechanism which indicates the number of items still situated in the item shaft (10).

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