GB2266983A - Alarmed barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

The barrier can be placed across an exit point such as can be found in either supermarkets or railway station platforms. The object of this invention is not to physically secure an exit, but to draw the attention of a supervisor in the event of either unauthorised use of the exit as well importantly if the operator tries to leave their station without first securing the exit. This is important as most exits are not secured due to the human failings of the operator. <IMAGE>

Description

SUPERMARKET CHECKOUT BARRIER This invention relates to an Alarmed Checkout Barrier for Tills.

The general layout of large retail stores and supermarkets is usually so arranged that the public enter the sales area through a one-way barrier, gate or turnstyle in order to gain access to the shelves and bins containing the goods on offer for sale.

The customers then visit the various shelves and display locations seeking and selecting those goods which they wish to purchase - generally (but not always) placing them into a trolley or basket for convenient transportation. When the necessary goods have been selected, the customers exit the store through one of a series of marshalling Checkout Positions, where their goods are tallied by a checkout Operator.

These Checkout Positions are so arranged that exit from the retail sales area can not be achieved without passing through one of these marshalling points.

And this determines that customers have to pass a manned operator checkout point and pay for their goods before leaving the store.

Typical shopping patterns show that the number of shoppers utilising a store can vary according to the time of the day and according also to the time of the week. Indeed at the busiest times there are many more shoppers passing through the store than at those times which are the quietest.

In order to avoid customers having to wait in long queues to pay for their goods, the stores therefore typically provide sufficient Checkout Points to service customers reasonable quickly at the busiest peak shopping times.

This means that there are more checkout points provided than are required at the quietest times.

In order to save on wages and staffing costs, the stores thus leave some of the checkout points unmanned at the off-peak periods.

Unfortunately the fact that some checkout points are sometimes left unmanned also means that there exists at such times a way of leaving the store without passing by a checkout point where there is an operator in attendance to check that any goods being carried are scrutinised and paid for.

This situation is taken advantage of by some people in order to leave the store without paying for their goods - with a resultant loss of revenue to the store.

According to the present invention there is provided on the Checkpout Points, an attached barrier device which can be brought into a position so that it blocks the exit when the Till is going to be left unmanned, but which is also so contrived that it can be set aside again when the Checkout Point is in use.

The device also includes an electrically operated alarm circuit so configured that it sounds an alarm and/or gives other warning when the barrier is breached.

The barrier itself may consist of a chain. belt, rope, gate, cord, or other suitable means of blocking the gangway and which may or may not have a warning sign attached.

A specific embodirnent of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings Figure I shows 1) A mounting plate (1) which has a double sided self adhesive pad (la) on the rear to enable it to be attached to the surface of the checkout at a suitable convenient location.

2) An alarm control box which can be fitted to the mounting plate at any, several or all of the positions shown (2).

3) Also is shown (3) provision for screwing the device to the checkout.

4) At the points marked (4) are located jack plug sockets which receive 5) Jack plugs (5) which fit into the sockets provided when the device is armed.

When the device is armed, the alarm will be activated when either of the jack plugs is removed from its socket.

Figure II shows The basic alarm circuit which could also be a 'normally On' or 'normally Off' circuit according to the particular application.

The Alarm Box showing the two jack plugs aligned with their respective sockets.

One jack plug is attached to the barrier means and the other is available for an operator to trigger manually in an emergency.

Also is shown a chain with a sign which can be suitably worded for the application and alternative means of establishing a barrier device, such as chain, belt, rope, cord - or indeed any other suitable barrier contrivance to which a jack plug can be attached and located in a jack plug socket to provide a means of alarm if the barrier is removed.

THE INVENTION THAT I PAUL BARKER OF THE ABOVE ADDRESS CLAIM IS THAT OF AN ALARMED BARRIER.

THIS WOULD CONSIST OF A FLEXIBLE LENGTH OF MATERIAL, FOR EXAMPLE A METAL OR PLASTIC CHAIN OR ROPE OR BELT OR BRAIDED META; WHICH IS SECURED AT ONE END BY A PLATE SCREWED OR HELD ON BY STRONG ADHESIVE TAPE, AT THE OTHER END OF WHICH IS FITTED A PLUG.

THE BARRIER IS SECURED BY A PLATE AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A SUPERMARKET OR OTHER CHECK-OUT WALK-THROUGH, THAT IS OPEN AND IN USE.

TO CLOSE THE CHECK-OUT THE CASHIER MUST TAKE THE PLUG AND INSERT IT INTO AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET WHICH HAS AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT WHICH IS NORMALLY CLOSED, AND CAPABLE OF CARRYING AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT (THIS IS FITTED TO THEIR OWN CHECK-OUT) IN AN ALARM UNIT. INSERTION OF THE PLUG WILL SEPARATE THE CONTACTS SO THAT AN ELECTRIC CURRENT CANNOT PASS ACROSS THE SOCKET. THIS SOCKET FITTED TO ONE OF THE TWO WIRES WHICH WOULD NORMALLY COME FROM A POWER SOURCE (EITHER MAIN OR BATTERY) TO OPERATE AN ALARM OR ALARM COMBINED WITH A WARNING LIGHT OR JUST A WARNING LIGHT. IN THE EVENT OF AN AUTHORISED OR NONE AUTHORISED PERSON REMOVING THE PLUG TO REMOVE THE BARRIER THE CIRCUIT WILL BE COMPLETED AND AN AUDIBLE OR VISIBLE WARNING WILL BE GIVEN.

ON TO THIS BARRIER THERE MAY BE FITTED, IF WANTED, A WARNING SIGN.

TO ENABLE THE CASHIER TO OPEN A CHECK-OUT POINT WITHOUT SETTING OFF THE ALARM, THERE IS FITTED IN THE ELECTRICAL LOOP YET ANOTHER SIMILAR SOCKET AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. THIS SOCKET IS FITTED LIKE THE ABOVE CIRCUIT LOOP ALONG WITH THE FIRST SOCKET.

THE CASHIER WILL HAVE ATTACHED TO THEIR PERSON, OR NOT, OR ATTACHED TO THE TILL KEY WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE REMOVED IF REQUIRED FROM THE TILL, WHEN TRANSACTIONS HAVE FINISHED, A LENGTH OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL E.G. A CHAIN. AT THE OTHER END OF THIS THERE WILL BE ATTACHED ANOTHER PLUG. THE MATERIAL WILL NORMALLY BE OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO REACH THE ALARM BOX WHEN THEY ARE IN THEIR NORMAL OPERATING POSITION.

THIS PERSONAL PLUG WILL FIT INTO THE SECOND SOCKET AND IT WILL OPEN THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS SO NO POWER CAN PASS THROUGH IT. THIS MEANS THAT THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT IS NOT ABLE TO REACH THE ALARM SO THAT WHEN THE BARRIER PLUG IS REMOVED, NO WARNING INDICATOR CAN BE ACTIVATED.

SIMILARLY IF THE CASHIER TRIES TO LEAVE THE TILL, HE OR SHE WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE PLUG AND IF THE BARRIER PLUG IS NOT IN PLACE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WOULD BE COMPLETED GIVING RISE TO AN AUDIBLE OR VISUAL WARNING OR BOTH.

THIS SECOND PLUG AND SOCKET MAY IF WISHED BE REPLACED BY AN ELECTRICAL SOCKET OPERATED BY A KEY ATTACHED TO THEIR PERSON OR TILL KEY AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED.

THE BOX CONTAINING THE WARNING CIRCUIT AS DESCRIBED (ALARM OR VISUAL WARNING) MAY OR MAY NOT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ITS OWN MOUNTING PLATE TO ATTACH IT TO THE CHECK-OUT POINT. THE OBJECT HERE IS EASE OF INSTALLATION AND THE SPEEDY CHANGE OF A FAULTY UNIT. THIS PLATE MAY BE SCREWED OR BONDED TO A CHECK-OUT, BY, FOR EXAMPLE, DOUBLE SIDED ADHESIVE, THE BACKING PAPER OF WHICH JUST NEEDS TO BE PEELED BACK.

THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS IS SOME CHECK-OUT POINTS, FOR EXAMPLE METAL ONES, MAY REQUIRE A LENGTHY OPERATION TO SCREW AN ALARM TO IT OR FIXING PLATE AS ONE OR MORE PILOT HOLES WOULD HAVE TO BE DRILLED.

THE ABOVE DESCRIBED BONDING WOULD ALLOW RAPID FIXING OF THE PLATE AND THE QUICK AND EASY REMOVAL OF A PERHAPS FAULTY ALARM FOR REPLACE MENT. THE PLATE IF REQUIRED COULD BE MADE IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO COVER AN EXTERNAL BATTERY COMPARTMENT TO PREVENT TAMPERING BY UNAUTHORISED PERSONS IF IT WAS DECIDED TO FIT AN EXTERNAL BATTERY COMPARTMENT.

Claims (8)

1. Amendments to the claims

   have been filed as follows 1. An alarmed barrier, for use in monitoring improper use of a passageway, comprising an alarm capable of giving a visual and/or audible warning signal, a barrier capable of selectively either blocking or not blocking the passageway, and a pair of monitoring controls arranged in series with the alarm, one of the controls being operable by a supervisor and the other of the controls being connectible to the barrier.
2. 2. An alarmed barrier according to claim 1, in which the barrier is a flexible chain, belt or rope.
3. 3. An alarmed barrier according to claim 2, in which the barrier carries a warning sign.
4. 4. An alarmed barrier according to any preceding claim, in which the controls are of a generally similar construction.
5. 5. An alarmed barrier according to claim 4, in which the controls include a pair of sockets presented by a control box associated with the alarm and operable by a pair of plugs associated with the barrier and the supervisor.
6. 6. An alarmed barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the control associated with the supervisor is operable by a key or plug.
7. 7. An alarmed barrier according to any preceding claim, in which the alarm is battery or mains powered.
8. 8. An alarmed barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.