FR2695816A1 - Check-out for self service shop with two entry belts - has cashier entering prices at end and having two parallel exit belts with till at their back end - Google Patents

Abstract

The check-out has two parallel juxtaposed entry belts (1) which function independently. At the end of the belts there is a cashier (C) who operates a scanner (3) and keyboard (2) to enter the prices of goods. The goods are put on to two parallel exit belts (6) which are separate. The goods are paid for at a till (8) which is between the exit belts at the back end of the belts. The goods can be packed into bags before they are paid for and the prices of the goods of the next customer can be entered by the cashier. USE/ADVANTAGE - Check-out for self service shop which speeds up service by continuously moving goods.

Description

PURCHASING ACCOUNT FOR STORES IN
SELF-SERVICE AND IMPLEMENTATION METHOD.

The present invention relates to a purchase accounting cabinet or checkout counter intended in particular, but not exclusively, for self-service stores and a method of implementing such a piece of furniture.

We know that such stores, called super or hypermarkets, have developed rapidly and that they allow the buyer to choose the items he needs quietly. After having grouped his purchases in a trolley, he heads for the checkout counters, generally consisting of a counter with entry mat, an accounting and payment station and an exit mat on which he collect the objects purchased after recognition and payment.

The problem for the buyer is that this checkout operation is generally long and tedious. This is due to the fact that the accounting operations take some time, despite modern means such as barcode scanners which have been implemented. Likewise, the unloading of the trolley on the input belt and the loading of the trolley from the output belt are long operations when the articles are numerous which necessarily affects the waiting time of the following people.

After editing the invoice, the cashier must collect the payment, which is made either in cash, by check or by bank card. In the latter case, in particular, the actual payment requires a certain amount of time because, at least for certain sums, the payment takes place only after an authorization given by a central unit distant from the place of purchase. The time to reach an agreement is of the order of one to two minutes and sometimes more. When authorization is not given or the card cannot be read, the situation quickly becomes intolerable for the following customers in the queue concerned.

During this time, the cashier, the Customer and the following customers wait without being able to do anything.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this drawback and to allow the cashier to start processing the next customer during payment operations. It is based on the idea that the accounting operations and the collection operation can be separated and possibly entrusted to different people.

According to the present invention, the method of accounting and payment of purchases is characterized in that the operations of recording purchases and payment are dissociated.

The present invention also relates to an exit cash box characterized in that it comprises two parallel entry conveyors juxtaposed opposite the cashier's station, operating independently of one another, two exit conveyors, at least one data entry keyboard and at least one scanner, a payment station being arranged in the vicinity of the rear end of the output belts.

In case of crowds, a first cashier records the purchases on the first carpet from a first customer and issues the corresponding invoice. . Then, it goes directly by rotation of about a quarter turn, to the purchases, being on the second carpet, of a second client.

During the accounting of the purchases of the second customer, the first customer finishes putting his purchases in his cart and pays once it is recharged, at the payment station which has received communication of the invoice.

Of course, it is necessary in this case to have two cashiers;
One records purchases and the second receives payment. However, it turned out that the productivity of such a box was at least one tenth higher than that of two boxes in parallel for the reasons given above. Optionally, the same receiving cashier can support two cashiers.

Thanks to the invention, customers and the cashier are never inactive. The person in charge of collection can help the customer to bag the objects. The present invention thus allows masked time work.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows, of a particular embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the single figure which represents a view from above. 'a case according to the invention.

In the figure, it can be seen that the checkout counter comprises two entrance belts 1 on which the customers can successively unload their purchases. At the rear end of said mats are a first cashier "C", seated on a swivel seat. She takes the articles from the end of one of the two carpets and passes them in front of a scanner 3 which reads the bar codes and records them. Of course, a keyboard 2 allows the introduction of certain commodities or prices. The two scanners 3 and the two keyboards 2 can be connected to a single processor which issues the invoice or to two separate processors. The cashier "C" has in front of her a cash register 4 for cash payments which is only used when the cashier is only, that is to say outside rush hour. It then deposits fragile articles in a buffer zone 5 and the other articles on the exit conveyor belt 6 which leads to a discharge zone 9. Preferably, at above the carpet 6 is a magazine 7 containing sachets. The upper part of the body, in the drawing, is symmetrical with the lower part which has just been described. The customer proceeds to the payment at the post which is held by a second person "E" who can also pivot on his seat between the two exit belts to stand facing the customer. The payment post can also be located in outside the cash register.

While the first customer whose purchases have been booked proceeds to load his trolley, the cashier "C" pivots and takes charge of the second customer whose purchases are on the entrance mat 1. She operates as before and when 'she finished, she takes care of a next client. It can thus work continuously. Customers are also always in activity, either they unload their cart, or they recharge it immediately after accounting for the first articles, except for a short period of time during which they visually check that the articles are correctly counted.

Finally the cashier "E" receives the invoices issued by the (or the cashiers) "C" and only takes care of the payment.

The furniture can thus be used by one or two cashiers, with a single entrance mat or with both. But if the two carpets are used by a single cashier, the payment must be instantaneous.

 It goes without saying that many variants can be made, in particular by substitution of technically equivalent means, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (1)

 10 Checkout counter for the accounting of purchases in self-service stores, characterized in that it comprises two parallel and juxtaposed entry belts (1), operating independently of one another, two conveyor belts outlet (6) parallel and distant from each other, an accounting station comprising at least one keyboard (2) for entering data and a scanner (3), a payment station (8) being arranged in the vicinity from the rear end of the exit belts.  2 "A method of implementing the furniture according to claim 1 for accounting and payment of purchases in a self-service store, characterized in that the operations of recording purchases and payment are carried out on two different positions. respectively to the front and back of the cabinet.