FI110055B - Hardware and method at checkout - Google Patents

Description

110055 5

Hardware and Method for Checkout Desk

The invention relates to an apparatus and method in connection with a cash desk.

Cash register systems are known in the art where the first conveyor and the second conveyor are connected to the cash desk. The conveyors are preferably conveyor belts, endless loops passed through a drive roller and a folding roller. The first conveyor terminates near the cash register, whereby the person working at the checkout can pick up the product from the end of the first conveyor to the scanner and further to the second conveyor, preferably the conveyor belt. A problem with the above-mentioned belt arrangements has been the packaging of goods at the end of the first conveyor, preferably the conveyor belt.

To avoid the aforementioned problem, this application discloses an apparatus arrangement wherein the apparatus comprises the following structural components: a guide spring limit switch such as a light source photocell apparatus 25 The guide is disposed obliquely to the conveyor belt running direction Lx. In this case, the function of the controller is to · direct the products accumulated at the end of the first conveyor towards the person working at the cash register. The sloping surface also contributes to the orientation of the goods towards the conveyor and thus avoids the problem of closure at the end of the conveyor. Preferably, the guide is supported by a · · belt end elbow through a spring. At its end, the guide is articulated with the body of the object and pivots about its pivot point and '·. around it. The aforesaid feature further facilitates the control function * «· and as the amount of goods at the end of the conveyor decreases, the controller moves to the initial» I f 35 position due to the spring force of the spring and thus the spring energy can also be used to transfer and direct the goods to the cashier. The primary purpose of the spring is to guide the guide so that when a sufficient number of items have come into contact with the guide, the guide will reach • ·>> 1 2 110055 in front of a switch such as a photoelectric beam, thereby disabling the conveyor. Similarly, when the limit switch is released when the products are removed from the controller connection, the first conveyor is immediately engaged.

5

The apparatus and method of the invention are characterized by what is stated in the claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to some preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings 10, which, however, are not intended to be limited thereto.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged scale showing the target area A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates, by way of illustration, the operation of the device according to the invention.

20

As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus 10 according to the invention at the cash desk comprises a first conveyor 11 and a second conveyor 12. The conveyors 11 and 12 are preferably belt conveyors comprising ... an endless belt loop 11a, 12a guided by folding rollers 11b1, 11b2; 12b1, 12b2 (Figure 3), wherein preferably one of the rolls in the respective conveyors 11 and 12 comprises a drive motor for moving the belt. Of the products, the barcode scanner is predefined by reference '200.

As shown in Fig. 1, a guide 13 is provided at the end of the first conveyor 11, which is a plate-like part and has a plate level Tx obliquely to the running direction Lx of the conveyor 11. The guide 13 is pivoted to pivot on and around the pivot point 14 relative to the body i »» • R of the conveyor 11. A spring 16 is provided to actuate the guide, preferably

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35 compression spring. It is disposed between the corner piece 17 and the guide 13 and preferably at one end it is secured to the corner piece 3 110055 17. The payable goods K supplied to the cashier by the conveyor 11 are against the guide 13 and against the spring force of the spring 16. As the pressure K of the goods K on the conveyor 11 against the guide 13 increases, the spring 16 collapses and the guide 13 rotates clockwise as shown in the arrow, that is, shown in Figure 5. When sufficient force exerted by the goods K on the guide 13 against its plate plane Tx is reached, whereby the goods K tend to roll into the end of the conveyor 11, the guide 13 is moved to the action of the limit switching device 15 which stops the conveyor 11.

10

As shown in Figure 2, the limit switching apparatus 15 is a light source-light-cell apparatus 15a, 15b, 15c. From the light source 15a, a light beam E is transmitted across the belt run of the conveyor 11 perpendicular to the transport direction Lx to a mirror 11b which reflects the light beam back to the light beam detector 15c adjacent to the light source 11a 15. As controller 13 turns (arrow S!) As scanned and payable goods K presses controller 13 across the passage of light beam E, this is detected by detector 15c and central unit 100 provides information that controls conveyor 11 such that conveyor operation is stopped and belt 11a 20 stops. Similarly, when the products are removed from the conveyor 11 from the controller 13, the spring 16 pushes the controller back into its original position and out of the limit switch assembly 15, i.e. the path of the light beam E, whereby the detector 15c detects it and activates the central unit 100 "through the conveyor 11. 13, in which it is entering the sphere of light beam E to interrupt the passage of light beam E to mirror 15b and further to detector 15c.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram representation of a device V '30 according to the invention. The controller 13 acts on the limit switch 15, which transmits information about the position of the controller 13 to the central unit 100, which was transmitted by the limit switch; :; depending on this information, use a conveyor 11.

The guide 13 is preferably a plate-like part, but other embodiments 35 are also possible. It is adapted to move a short distance from the upper surface of the conveyor, preferably a belt conveyor. When using limit switching devices, a light source / light detector combination is a preferred embodiment as described above. Other limit switches are also possible within the scope of the invention, such as mechanical limits recognizing movement and the position of the controller. In the above description 5, the name controller is used in section 13. This primarily means that the part 13 controls the motor of the conveyor 11 and acts on the limit switch 15. The secondary importance of the guide 13 is to obliterate the scannable products near the person working at the cash register in an oblique plane to the direction of travel.

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Claims (11)

1. Plant in connection with a cash table, which plant in connection with the cash table comprises a conveyor (11), the task of which is to transport goods placed on the conveyor, to be paid, within the reach of a person working at the cash register, characterized by: that the conveyor comprises a guide (13) above it, and that the guide (13) is arranged to move as the press of the products increases against the guide (13), and that the guide (13) is arranged to actuate a limit switch plant ( 15) everything according to the force with which the products exert control (13), whereby the conveyor (11) is driven via the limit switch or when the pressure caused by the products increases in connection with the control (13), the control moves and starts to affect the limit switch (15) and the conveyor (11) is stopped and when the load caused by the products on the guide (13) is reduced by removing products from the conveyor (11) as is affected. the position of the control (13) and thereby the limit switch (13) and the conveyor (11) are switched on in function. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the control (13) is arranged at the output end of the conveyor (11) located in connection with the cash table. Installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guide (13) is pivoted to pivot around a pivot point (14). and that the limit switch (15) is located within the operating range of the pivotal movement of the control (13), the control (13) being arranged to influence it when it has swung sufficiently through the action. of the products on the conveyor (11). 30 Installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the guide (13) and the body (R) of the ··· conveyor (11) there is a spring (16) arranged between the body). tl (R) and the guide (13) and the guide (13) are pressed against this spring (16) by the action of the products Y: (K) located on the conveyor (11). 9 110055 Installation according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d that the spring (15) is a compression spring. An installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the limit switching device (15) is arranged in conjunction with the conveyor (11) at the output end thereof and that the limit switching plant consists of detector devices (150), beam (E) is emitted from a light source (15a) and with a detector (15c) the light beam (E) is observed and if the light beam is so arranged within the pivotal circuit of the control that the control (13) when the control (13) pivots a sufficient angular distance breaks the connection of the light beam (E) to the detector (15c), from which the detector (15c) transmits information to a central unit (100) in the system, which sends a control order to a motor driving the conveyor (11) and stops this and when products is removed from the conveyor (11) and the control by the action of the spring (16) pivots back towards the starting position, the thread of the light beam (E) is enabled in the detector n (15c) which observes the light beam (E) and switches the conveyor (11) eats into operation. 7. An installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the limit switch installation comprises the light source (15a), a mirror (15b) and the detector (15c) which observes the light, whereby a light beam is emitted from the light source (15a) to the mirror. (15b) reflecting the light beam back to the detector (15c) located in close proximity to the light source. 8. An installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (15a) is arranged on one side of the course of the conveyor belt by the conveyor and the mirror (15b) is arranged. adjacent to the opposite side and the detector (15c) being arranged on the same side: · 1; about the carrier as the light source (15a). An installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light source (15a) is arranged to emit the light beam (E) into the mirror (15b) perpendicular to the relative to the trans; ; : the port direction (L ·) of the conveyor (11). An installation according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control (13) is arranged in connection with a first conveyor (11) at the cash table at the exit end thereof and that the cash table system comprises two conveyors; the conveyor (11) and a second conveyor (12) thereafter and that the conveyors (11 and 12) are advantageously belt conveyors comprising break rollers (IIb1, IIb2, 12b1 (12b2), through which a conveyor loop (11a, 12a) is advantageously, one of the break rollers (11b or 12b; 12b 2 or 12b2) advantageously comprises a drive motor for moving the conveyor belt (11c, 12c). 11. A method of driving a conveyor (11) in connection with a cash table, characterized in that a control (13) arranged in conjunction with the conveyor is advantageously used in the immediate vicinity of the exit end thereof. The control has been arranged above the course of the belt by the conveyor, advantageously a belt conveyor, transversely in relation to the conveying direction (1) of the belt course, and that the products to be paid in the process are guided on the conveyor belt in such a manner that at least part of the the products come to the control (13) as they move to the end of the conveyor and will actuate the control (13) and thus displace the operating circuit of a limit switch (15) so that the operation of the conveyor (11) is stopped and when the the load caused by the products on the control (13) decreases when removing products from the conveyor (11), the control (13) leaky with the help of spring force from a spring (16) such that the limit switch. (15) observes the offset in question and eats the coupling carrier (11) into operation. I 9 · <· • ·