FR2652997A1 - FURNITURE EXIT BOX FOR SUPERMARKET AND HYPERMARKET. - Google Patents

Abstract

This cash desk has an endless entry belt (1) and an endless exit belt (2), separated by the cash register (3) and auxiliary data entry devices. Along the exit conveyor (2), and on the side opposite to the circulation corridor (5) of customers passing in front of the corresponding cash register (3), there is provided a packaging bag dispenser (14), located above the level of the exit belt (2). This dispenser comprises several dispensing stations arranged one after the other facing the outlet belt (2) and each comprising horizontal arms (13) from which are suspended a series of packaging bags (14) placed one by one. behind the other, the bag located outside each group can be kept open on the corresponding support arms. This cash register is intended to be installed at the exit of a supermarket or hypermarket.

Description

The present invention relates to cash-boxes which are installed, in

  parallel lines, at the exit of a

supermarket or hypermarket.

  Furniture of this type includes an endless entrance mat and an endless exit mat, which are separated by the cash register and auxiliary data entry devices. The first of these mats is intended to receive the goods extracted by each customer out of the cart used by it. As for the exit mat, its function is to evacuate the goods after checking by the cashier so that the buyer can put them back in his cart.

  Thanks to the current devices for reading codes-

  bars, cashier check operations are now being performed much faster than in the past. On the other hand, the operations of putting back the goods in each trolley continue to require a relatively important time, all the more so that on this occasion the buyers are brought to regroup certain products in packets of packing in order to facilitate their transport. ulterior. But the operations to be performed by them are difficult because you must first open each bag, then keep it open with one hand while filling with the other hand. This is why the operations performed by each client now require more time than the control operations themselves. This therefore delays all operations and has the consequence that to avoid the formation of queues in front of the checkout boxes, it is necessary to increase the number thereof. This raises a number of difficulties, including increased staff and overhead costs, increased installation costs and increased space occupied by the control funds, etc. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an exit cash desk which is designed to facilitate the operations carried out by the customers in order to

  to reduce their execution time.

  For this purpose, the cash-desk according to the invention is characterized in that there is provided, along the exit carpet of this piece of furniture, and on the opposite side to the circulation corridor of the customers passing in front of the corresponding box, a packaging bag dispenser, located above the level of the exit belt, and comprising a plurality of distribution stations arranged one after the other facing the exit belt and each having horizontal arms to which are suspended a series of sachets wrapped one behind the other, the bag located outside of each group can be kept open on the arms of

corresponding support.

  Under these conditions, each customer can proceed very easily and quickly to the packing operations of the goods purchased, as well as to the reinstatement

  of these in the cart used.

  Moreover, the various advantages of the furniture-

  crate according to the invention will appear during the

  following description of an exemplary embodiment of this

  this. This description is given with reference to the drawing

  annexed for illustrative purposes only, and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a

cash-box according to the invention.

  FIG. 2 is a top plan view of such a piece of furniture, the adjacent piece of furniture being shown in phantom

on this same figure.

  The cash-desk represented by way of example is of the type which is the subject of the patent application FR 2,622,422. This piece of furniture thus comprises an endless carpet input 1 and an endless carpet output 2 which are separated by the cash register designated by the general reference 3. Opposite thereof, there is provided a free slot 4, reserved to the teller in charge of the control. It is therefore facing the corridor 5 provided for the passage of customers, which corridor is delimited by the furniture considered, designated by the general reference 6, and another piece of furniture neighbor 6a shown in phantom

mixed in Figure 2.

  In the example shown, each of these pieces of furniture

  has a step 7 on its front facade, that is to say

  say its facade turned on the side of the traffic corridor 5. This setback is located at the point of separation between the body 3 and the exit carpet 2. Indeed, the front face of the frame 8 serving as support for this carpet is is located in recess with respect to the front face of the body 3. It follows that at this point the interval El between two successive box-cases 6 and 6a is larger than the interval E2 existing at the entrance of the circulation corridor 5. This has the advantage of providing in 9 a privileged place for each customer, close to the cashier and products carried by the exit carpet 2. Moreover, this increase in free space allows the customer to have its carriage C obliquely, as shown in Figure 2 which facilitates operations

loading of the latter.

  Since this piece of furniture is of the type described in the French application 2,622,422, it comprises, at the entrance of the output belt 2, a detection means connected to the drive motor of the mat, so as to cause a limited advance of the latter as soon as goods 10 are placed on the upstream end thereof. As a result, contrary to what is the case in conventional cash-box furniture, goods are not evacuated directly to the end of the cash-desk. On the contrary, in the present case they remain on the exit belt near the cashier, and they simply undergo a "step-by-step" advance as the cashier places new products on the cash register.

  the upstream end of the exit belt.

  According to the invention, the present furniture further comprises a dispenser 11 of packaging bags which is arranged in a very particular way. This dispenser is located above the level of the conveyor belt 2, and it is arranged along this belt, on the opposite side to the circulation corridor 5. For this purpose, the frame 8 serving as support for the exit belt 2 has a much greater width than that of this carpet de faccon that there is a free horizontal area 12 along said carpet on the opposite side to the circulation corridor 5. The dispenser 11 of packaging bags is therefore

  installed above this free range.

  This distributor comprises several distribution stations, for example three, as is the case in the example shown. These distribution stations are arranged one after the other, along the entire length of the exit belt 2. Each of them comprises two horizontal arms 13 which are suspended a series of packaging bags 14 of plastic. In each dispensing station, the successive bags are attached to each other precariously, as provided in the patent application FR 2,602,490, so that withdrawal of the bag placed in front automatically causes the opening of the bag. located immediately behind, which then remains suspended in the open position on the arms 13

  the corresponding distribution station.

  Accordingly, at any time there are three bags 14 held completely open on the dispenser 11. In these conditions, the customer located in the location 9 can very easily place in one or other of these bags, the goods out of the box and which are placed on the carpet 2 output. It can then sort to group some goods in one bag and others in a

  another bag, for example according to their nature.

  As can easily be understood, these operations can be carried out very quickly since the sachets are kept open so that the client can simultaneously use both hands to fill two sachets.

same time.

  It should be noted that in location 9, each customer is located in an optimum position to perform the filling operations of the bags 14, and their implementation in the carts 6. And each customer is naturally led to stand at location 9, not at the end of the cash desk. This is because, thanks to the stepping system of the exit mats 2, the goods 10 are not evacuated directly to the end of the furniture. As a result, the customer is required to remain in the immediate vicinity of the cashier, so that he faces the dispenser 11 and that he can achieve, in the best possible conditions, the filling of the bags 14, then their transfer into the carriage C. With regard to the latter operation, it is facilitated by the fact that the available interval El is increased by the recess 7, which allows to place the carriage at an angle as shown on

Figure 2.

  Thanks to the design of this cash desk, the operations performed by each client require less time than in the past. As a result, the execution time of these operations is now approximately the same as the duration of the operations performed by the cashier. This therefore prevents the work of the latter is slowed by the operations of the customers themselves. Of course, this has the advantage of reducing the waiting time of customers in front of

exit.

  It should be noted that the cash-desk according to the invention is not limited to the example described above for information purposes only. Thus, this piece of furniture may well not have a step 7 on its front facade. In such a case, each customer would nevertheless have sufficient space to carry out the operations of filling the packaging bags and placing them in the transport carriage. Furthermore, this cash-desk could very well not include a system of automatic advance step by step of the output belt 2. Moreover, in place of such a system, it could be possible to provide a control device operated by the cashier and

  allowing to advance step by step the exit belt.

  As for the dispenser of packaging bags, it could be realized differently. However, it is imperative that the various stations of this dispenser extend lengthwise along the conveyor belt, and on the opposite side to the circulation corridor, so that each customer can easily fill the packaging bags. Of course the number

  pouch dispensing stations may vary.

Claims (2)

  1. Supermarket and hypermarket outlet cash desk, of the type comprising an endless entrance mat and an endless exit mat, separated by the cash register and auxiliary data input devices, characterized in that it is provided, along the exit belt, and the opposite side to the traffic corridor of the customer passing in front of the corresponding box, a dispenser of packaging bags, located above the level of the exit belt, and comprising several positions of distribution arranged one after the other next to the exit belt and each having horizontal arms which are suspended a series of packaging bags placed one behind the other, the bag located outside each group can be held open on the arms of corresponding support.   2. Cash desk according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame (8), serving as a support for the exit belt (2), has a free horizontal strip (12) along the mat, on the opposite side to the corridor circulation (5), and the dispenser (11) of sachets   packaging is located above this free range (12).