FR2605869A2 - METHOD FOR INVOICING AND LOADING BULK ARTICLES AND INSTALLATION FOR IMPLEMENTING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

THIS ADDITION CONCERNS A BULK ITEMS INVOICING AND LOADING FACILITY SUCH AS PURCHASES MADE IN A LARGE-AREA STORE, CONSISTING OF A CASH COUNTER 61 EQUIPPED WITH A BILLING DEVICE 64, 65, CUSTOMERS PASSING ALONG THE CASH COUNTER WITH A CART FOR TRANSPORTING SAID ITEMS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE IN CONTAINERS 69 SUCH AS BASKETS OR BAGS, THESE CASH COUNTER CONTAINING A LONGITUDINAL TRANSFER DEVICE 67 OF THE SAID RECIPIENTS 69, BASED ON THE BREAKDOWN. THE INSTALLATION ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE LONGITUDINAL TRANSFER DEVICE 67 OF CONTAINERS 69 WHICH IS AVAILABLE DOWNSTREAM OF THE INVOICING STATION 66 AND AT THE SAME TIME AT THE CASH COUNTER 61. THE INSTALLATION ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION CAN ADAPT TO ALREADY EXISTING FACILITIES.

Description

Billing and loading process of articles in

  bulk and installation for its implementation.

  The present invention relates to an installation

  billing and loading bulk items such as purchases made in a large warehouse

  surface area, consisting of a cash counter with an

  billing area and having an evacuation area

  billed items disposed of at the level of the said

  billing, customers passing along the

  said cash counter with a transport trolley of said articles which are arranged in containers such as

baskets or bags.

  The main patent relates in particular to an installation of this type which is particularly

  remarkable in that the cash counter includes a

  positive longitudinal transfer of said containers; this transfer device may for example consist of two endless chains arranged on either side of the counter and comprising devices for gripping the lateral edges of the containers, this transfer device may also be constituted by a conveyor belt

  or a cable-type device.

  The installation described in the main patent

  pal has the disadvantage that it must be put in place of existing installations so that its implementation

  in existing stores leads to changes in

  cations and, consequently, an interruption of

  functioning of the boxes which must be thus equi-

SOEP.

  The present invention relates to an installation

  tion of the aforementioned type which always simplifies and accelerates the unloading and reloading of the containers on items, for example bags, but which can be put in place

  easily and quickly to adapt

existing conditions.

  The installation according to the present invention is particularly remarkable in that it comprises at least one longitudinal transfer device-containers which

  is located downstream of the billing station and

  same time at the existing cash desk. This container transfer device is therefore in the left hand of the cashier who can then proceed directly to the loading of the items she has just entered in at least one container disposed at the beginning of said longitudinal transfer device. The unloading operation of the articles can be performed by the customer on a front carpet or by the cashier who then performs a

  simple transfer from one bag to another with

  médiaire. In this way, the sort made by the customer in the various bags that he carries on his cart can be fully preserved during the operation of

  billing and reloading in another bag.

  The cash register's rear carpet can be kept for bulky items that can not be

  housed in the bags and which will be recovered at the ex-

trestle of said rear carpet.

  According to a variant of the invention, this rear carpet can be replaced by a simpler device for example having idle rollers and allowing the transport of bulky items, towards the rear of

the box.

  It is also advantageous to provide a tablet to the left of the cashier and to receive delicate or fragile objects that the customer does not want to put in the containers; this tablet can be found above the device for transferring bulky items or even over devices

  longitudinal transfer of containers.

  Other features and benefits of

  the invention will emerge from the following description and

  that appended drawings in which: - FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment in plan view;

  - Fig.2 represents in perspective a deu-

  second embodiment of the invention, - Figs 3 and 4 are detailed views of

Figure 2.

  FIG. 1 shows a billboard installation for a large area of conventional type, it is a known type of cash counter 61 which comprises a conveyor belt or front belt 62 and a conveyor belt or rear carpet 63. the end of the front carpet 62 is a billing station constituted for example by a barcode recognition device station carried by the articles and known as a "scanner" 64 which is optionally associated a cash register of known type 65 for the input

  items that do not have a barcode. The cais-

  is in space 66 facing the

front carpet 62.

  According to the invention, the installation comprises at least one device for longitudinal transfer of the containers concerning the articles. This longitudinal transfer device 67 is disposed behind the billing station 66, that is to say to the left of the cashier and parallel to the cash counter 61; therefore, in the case of retaining the rear mat 3, this container transfer device 67 is located

  arranged along the rear carpet 3.

  Thanks to this arrangement, it is possible to facilitate the loading operations of the articles that have just been seized, this loading being carried out directly

4 2605869

  by the cashier, in a container at the beginning of the transfer device 67; the items to be seized are brought to the billing station 70 either bulk unloaded on the front carpet or remaining in the bags that the customer picks up his cart, these bags being driven by the front carpet 62. In the latter case, the Unloading operation of the bags is also carried out by the cashier. The longitudinal transfer device 67 of the containers containing the articles may for example be constituted by a treadmill 68 which is arranged

  below the rear carpet 3 and which

  door devices 79 for guiding the handles

  bags as described in the main patent.

  In the provision just described,

  the rear carpet can be used for transfer at the end of

  of voluminous articles that can not penetrate the

  containers, such as crates of mineral water bottles,

  rale. FIG. 2 represents a variant embodiment

  in which the rear carpet 63 has been removed and replaced

  placed by a device for transferring

  also placed below the

  longitudinal transfer system 67. This transmission device

  bulky objects which is not visible in Figure 2 because it is also arranged below and behind the longitudinal transfer device 67, may for example be constituted by crazy rollers

  on which bulky objects are rolled.

  FIG. 2 shows in greater detail the device 67 for longitudinal transfer of the containers or bags, one of which is represented at 69. This longitudinal transfer device 67 essentially consists of a belt or conveyor belt 71 placed below the front carpet 62 and provided with a device 72 for guiding the handles of the baskets 69. Figure 3

2605869

  represents in partial cross section the guiding device 72 which consists essentially of a tube 73 having an opening 74 directed downwards and in which the tubular loops 75 of the baskets 69 slide. In particular, FIG. 76 of tube 73 disposed on the side of the cashier and in

  which is introduced tubular loop 15.

  One can also provide a shelf (not shown) disposed to the left of the cashier, downstream of the front carpet 62 and on which one can proceed to payment transactions and which can also receive fragile items that the customer does not wish to see put in the bags. This tablet may be above the rear carpet or bulky pack transfer device that is in its place; it is also possible that this tablet is above the device of

longitudinal transfer 67.

  It can be seen that the invention makes it possible to avoid replacing an existing installation with an installation

  of the type described in the main patent while permitting

  to reduce the time spent at the checkout, the

  partition of items in containers or bags brought by the customer to his home being made according to

his desire.

  The installation according to the invention can be used in many cases of operation. Thus, for example, in the case where there still exist in the store in question conventional trolleys without containers or bags and new type trolleys carrying bags, the front and rear mats can be used in the normal way, but it is also possible for customers who have no container to refill their purchases in a bag that they can then buy or provided free of charge so as to allow the gradual transition of the old system of a

  classic trolley at the system level for a don-

  born. The size of the installation according to the present invention is sufficiently small that it can be installed in existing stores without

  significant modification and without significant disruption

aunt of the operation.

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Claims (5)

  1 ') Billing and loading facility for bulk items, such as purchases made in a big box store, consisting of a cash counter (61) with a billing device (64, 65), customers passing along said cash counter with a carriage for transporting said articles which are arranged in containers (69) such as baskets or bags, said cash counter having a device for longitudinal transfer (67) of said containers (69); ), according to claim 5 of the main patent, characterized in that it comprises at least one longitudinal transfer device (67) containers (69) which is disposed downstream of the billing station (66) and parallel to the cash counter (61). 2 ') Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, in the extension of the front carpet (62) a device for transferring bulky objects. 3 ') Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that said device for transferring   bulky objects has crazy pebbles.   4 ') Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said longitudinal transfer device (37) is constituted by a conveyor belt (71) comprising a guiding device   (72) handles of the containers (69).   5 ') Installation according to one of the claims   preceding, characterized in that it comprises a shelf disposed downstream of the front carpet (62) above   the device for transporting bulky objects or   above the longitudinal transfer device (67).