JP2010033381A - Self-checkout terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a footprint of a self-checkout terminal and improve operation efficiency when merchandise is checked out by a customer and when a device in a housing is operated by a store clerk. <P>SOLUTION: A self-checkout terminal 101 is configured by arranging a balance unit 301 whose height is smaller than that of a registering operation unit 201 to be used for inputting a merchandise code adjacent to the registering operation unit 201, and arranging a payment operation unit 401 whose height is larger than that of the balance unit 301 behind the balance unit 301. A shopping bag 651 can be positioned at the front of the payment operation unit 401 in an opened state, so that it is possible for a customer to input merchandise in the shopping bag after the merchandise code is input. A right side bag hook member 306a and a left side bag hook member 306b on which the opened shopping bag 651 positioned in this space is attached can be retracted to positions so as not to interfere with the opening/closing of a front panel 404 for operation to each device in the payment operation unit 401. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-checkout terminal that is installed in a store such as a supermarket and that allows a customer to check out purchased products by operating the device.

  A store such as a supermarket has a self-checkout terminal that allows a customer to check out a purchased product by operating it. The self-checkout terminal includes at least a product code input unit for performing an input operation of a product code for specifying a product, and a settlement unit for realizing settlement of the product after the product code is input, and allows a customer to operate these. As a result, the customer can check out the product. The self-checkout terminal is devised in various ways so that the customer can complete the checkout of the purchased product with as little movement as possible.

  As an example, in the self-service checkout device described in Patent Document 1, a laser scanner / scale 16 corresponding to a product code input unit and provided on the upper surface of the counter 14, a money accepting module 22 corresponding to a settlement unit, and automatic money Each settlement device such as a payment machine (ATM) 20 is directed in a direction facing the customer, and a recess 30 for positioning a plastic bag 32 ′ is provided below the ATM 20. The customer can place the cart 72 on the left side of the self-service checkout device 10 to remove the goods from it, pass it over the counter 14, pass through the laser scanner / scale 16, and place it in the bag 32 ′. It can be done.

JP-A-10-69574 (paragraph numbers 0010, 0012, 0031 and FIG. 1)

  Conventionally, regarding a self-checkout terminal, it is required to reduce an occupied area when installed in a store. As a measure to realize this, it is considered to use a vertical recycle type coin depositing and dispensing device, and forming the settlement block by storing this coin depositing and dispensing device, banknote depositing and dispensing device and receipt printer in a vertically long housing. It is done. And by installing a mounting block with a shopping bag holding part on the top side of the settlement block on the front side, a customer who has put all the goods after entering the product code into the shopping bag set in the shopping bag holding part You can make payments on the spot just by raising your face. In other words, the self-checkout terminal includes a settlement block having a vertically long housing and a mounting block installed on the front side thereof, thereby reducing the installation area of the self-checkout terminal and checking products by customers. The efficiency of out work is realized at the same time.

  In addition, at the self-checkout terminal, the store clerk self-checks work on the devices inside the housing, such as work for collecting and replenishing banknotes and coins to and from the banknote depositing and dispensing device and coin depositing and dispensing device, and maintenance work for these devices. A front panel that opens and closes the opening is provided in the front of the settlement block housing at a height that is not hidden by the mounting block so that it can be operated from the front without turning around the back or side of the out terminal. It is conceivable to attach the housing so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis. By doing so, the store clerk can rotate the front panel to open the opening and perform the above-described work from the front side. And the larger this opening, the easier it is for the store clerk to perform the above work.

  However, depending on the customer's body shape, the height suitable for the customer to insert coins and banknotes and the height suitable for the customer to pack the product after entering the product code are inevitably determined. There are restrictions on the height position of the coin deposit / withdrawal device and banknote deposit / withdrawal device positioned in the block, and the height position of the shopping bag mounting portion provided on the upper surface of the placement block. Furthermore, when placing a mounting block on the front side of the payment block in order to improve the efficiency of the customer's checkout of the product, the shopping bag holder provided on the upper surface of the mounting block is placed on the front of the payment block. Interference with opening and closing of the provided front panel. For this reason, the front panel is attached at a height position where the opening and closing of the front panel is not interfered with the shopping bag holding portion. Therefore, the opening on the front side of the housing of the settlement block is formed to be small. There is a problem that it becomes difficult to work on the apparatus.

  In this regard, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is such that each payment device such as the money accepting module 22 and the automatic money accepting machine (ATM) 20 and the plastic bag 32 ′ are directed to the front side. It is possible to improve the efficiency of the checkout work of the product by the customer. However, in Patent Document 1, a rail 34 is attached horizontally from the side surface of the coin dispenser module 24 of the self-service checkout device toward the recess 30, and other than hanging a plastic bag 32 ′. There is no description regarding the use of the depression 30, the relationship between the coin dispenser module 24 and the depression 30, the maintenance method of the device built in the coin dispenser module 24, and the like. Therefore, with the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to improve the efficiency of operations such as maintenance for the devices inside the housing by the store clerk.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the installation area of the self-checkout terminal while improving the efficiency of the checkout operation of the product by the customer and the efficiency of the operation for the device inside the housing by the store clerk. The purpose is to reduce the size of the system.

  The self-checkout terminal according to the present invention includes an operation block including a product code input unit for performing an operation of inputting a product code for specifying a product, and a height dimension that is small with respect to the operation block. A placement block arranged on the upper surface of the placement block for placing the product after the product code input by the product code input portion is placed, and placed on the back side of the placement block, the placement block A housing in which a bill depositing / dispensing device and a vertical recycle type coin depositing / dispensing device that are formed with a height dimension larger than that of the product code and enable cash settlement of the product after inputting the product code, An opening provided at a height that is not hidden by the mounting block, and the housing is attached to the housing so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis and opens and closes the opening. A shopping bag holding part having a holding mechanism for opening and holding a shopping bag so that the commodity after the commodity code is input can be stored on the commodity placing part, and the shopping bag holding part. A first attachment mechanism that is pivotably attached to the placement block until it comes into contact with the product placement portion of the placement block so as not to interfere with opening and closing of the front panel, and holding the shopping bag by an operator's operation And an operation mechanism for selectively locking or unlocking the rotational displacement of the unit.

  Another aspect of the self-checkout terminal of the present invention includes an operation block including a product code input unit for performing an operation of inputting a product code for specifying a product, and a height dimension smaller than that of the operation block. Arranged side by side in the operation block, and placed side by side on the rear side of the placement block, with a placement block having a product placement portion on the top surface for placing the product after the product code is input by the product code input portion A housing that can be built with a banknote depositing / withdrawing device and a vertical recycling type coin depositing / dispensing device that is formed with a height dimension larger than that of the mounting block and enables cash settlement of the product after inputting the product code; An opening provided at a height position not concealed by the mounting block on the front surface of the housing; and a front mounted on the housing so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. A settlement block comprising a front panel that opens and closes an opening, and a shopping bag holding unit having a holding mechanism that opens and holds a shopping bag so that a product after inputting a product code can be stored on the product placing unit, The shopping bag holding part can be pivoted around the horizontal axis extending in the width direction of the mounting block to the front position of the product mounting part of the mounting block that does not interfere with opening and closing of the front panel. A second mounting mechanism for mounting.

  Another aspect of the self-checkout terminal of the present invention includes an operation block including a product code input unit for performing an operation of inputting a product code for specifying a product, and a height dimension smaller than that of the operation block. Arranged side by side in the operation block, and placed side by side on the rear side of the placement block, with a placement block having a product placement portion on the top surface for placing the product after the product code is input by the product code input portion A housing that can be built with a banknote depositing / withdrawing device and a vertical recycling type coin depositing / dispensing device that is formed with a height dimension larger than that of the mounting block and enables cash settlement of the product after inputting the product code; An opening provided at a height position not concealed by the mounting block on the front surface of the housing; and a front mounted on the housing so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. A pair of payment blocks, each having a front panel that opens and closes an opening, and a holding mechanism that is disposed oppositely on the product placement unit and that opens and holds the shopping bag so as to store the product after the product code is input. The shopping bag holding part is attached to the mounting block so that the shopping bag holding part is slidable toward the other shopping bag holding part so as not to interfere with the opening and closing of the front panel. 3 attachment mechanism.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to use the space area in front of the settlement block as a space for installing a shopping bag while the customer performs a checkout operation of the product, thereby improving the efficiency of the checkout operation of the product by the customer. In addition, when the store clerk works on the device inside the housing, the shopping bag holder can be positioned in a position that does not interfere with the opening and closing of the front panel, and the space area in front of the settlement block can be used for the rotation of the front panel. Therefore, it is possible to make the opening on the front of the housing large, so that the customer can check out the product efficiently and the store clerk can work efficiently on the device inside the housing, By utilizing the space area for multiple purposes, the installation area of the self-checkout terminal can be reduced.

  One embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a self-checkout terminal 101. The self-checkout terminal 101 includes a registration operation unit 201 as an operation block, a scale unit 301 as a placement block, and a payment operation unit 401 as a payment block. Each of these units are connected to form a single overall housing 102.

  The registration operation unit 201 will be described with reference to FIG. The registration operation unit 201 includes a first housing 202 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first housing 202 is formed so that the depth dimension is larger than the width dimension, a flat surface 202a is formed on the upper surface on the front side, and a slope that rises upward from the rear position and faces the front side. 202b is formed, and a flat surface 202c is also formed on the upper surface on the rear side. A warning pole 209 is erected on the flat surface 202c. When an error occurs in the self-checkout terminal 101, the warning pole 209 notifies the occurrence of the error by blinking or the like. Further, on the left side surface of the first housing 202, a product placing table 207 for placing a product before the product code input to be purchased by the customer is projected.

  The registration operation unit 201 incorporates a scale (not shown) that places the weighing table 203 on the flat surface 202 a on the front side of the first housing 202. This scale is used to measure the weight of the product placed on the weighing table 203. In addition, a scanner 204 as a product code input unit that optically reads a code symbol through a flat glass-like reading surface 204 a is disposed on the inclined surface 202 b of the first housing 202. This code symbol is a product code for identifying a product, symbolized, and attached to each product sold in a store. Further, a display 205 is also disposed on the inclined surface 202 b of the first housing 202 so as to be positioned above the scanner 204. The display 205 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and a touch panel 206 is laminated on the display surface. The display 205 and the touch panel 206 function as a user interface for the user of the self-checkout terminal 101 to perform operations on the self-checkout terminal 101.

  Next, the scale unit 301 will be described with reference to FIG. The scale unit 301 includes a second housing 302 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is arranged side by side on the registration operation unit 201. The depth dimension of the second housing 302 is approximately half the depth dimension of the first housing 202 of the registration operation unit 201. The height of the second housing 302 is smaller than that of the first housing 202. More specifically, the height of the second housing 302 is approximately half of the height of the flat surface 202a on the front side of the first housing 202. is there.

  The scale unit 301 includes a weighing table 303 on the upper surface. A product on which a product code is input by placing a code symbol by the scanner 204 of the registration operation unit 201 is placed on the weighing platform 303. That is, the weighing table 303 serves as a product placement unit for placing the product after the product code is input. Further, the product placed on the weighing table 303 is weighed by a scale device (not shown). The scale device is built in the second housing 302 and measures the weight of the product placed on the weighing table 303 and outputs the measured value. The output measurement value is used for a weight check process for determining whether the weight of the product matches the weight of the product read by the scanner 204. The weight check process is executed by a computer-configured controller (not shown) built in the scale unit 301. This controller also controls each part of the self-checkout terminal 101.

  On the upper surface of the weighing table 303, a right side bag hanging member 306a and a left side bag hanging member 306b are provided so as to face each other. In FIG. 1, a shopping bag 651 is attached to the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b in an open state. Details of the structures of the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, the settlement operation unit 401 will be described with reference to FIG. The settlement operation unit 401 is used in a state where it is arranged behind the scale unit 301 and connected in the front-rear direction. The settlement operation unit 401 includes a third housing 402 having a tall rectangular parallelepiped shape. Here, the third housing 402 in the present embodiment corresponds to a “housing” in the claims. The height dimension of the third housing 402 is formed larger than that of the second housing 302 of the scale unit 301. The width dimension of the third housing 402 is the same as the width dimension of the second housing 302 of the scale unit 301. Further, the depth dimension of the third housing 402 is set so that the depth dimension in a state where the scale unit 301 and the settlement operation unit 401 are coupled substantially matches the depth dimension of the registration operation unit 201.

  The third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 is open on the front side, and an opening 450 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is provided there. A front panel 404 that opens and closes the opening 450 is disposed on the front surface of the third housing 402. The front panel 404 is attached to the third housing 402 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, and opens and closes the opening 450.

  Inside the third housing 402, a coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 (see FIG. 2) is on the inner right side of the third housing 402, and a bill deposit / withdrawal device 406 (see FIG. 3) is on the inner left side of the third housing 402. Underneath, a receipt printer (not shown) is disposed in the upper left side of the third housing 402 in a built-in manner. And the front panel 404 is comprised by three panels so that the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus 405, the banknote depositing / withdrawing apparatus 406, and a receipt printer may be covered separately. More specifically, the front panel 404 includes a first front panel 404a positioned in front of the coin depositing / dispensing device 405, a second front panel 404b positioned in front of the bill depositing / dispensing device 406, a receipt printer ( And a third front panel 404c positioned in front of the third housing 402, both of which are attached to the third housing 402 so as to be freely openable and closable around a vertical axis. The first front panel 404a, the second front panel 404b, and the third front panel 404c are provided with locks 419a, 419b, and 419c, respectively, so that they can be locked with a key (not shown). It has become.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the settlement operation unit 401 in a state where only the first front panel 404a is opened and the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 is pulled out. The coin depositing / dispensing device 405 built in the third housing 402 is of a vertical recycling type, and is in charge of settlement with coins in cash settlement of merchandise after the merchandise code is input. The coin depositing / dispensing device 405 is configured by a coin storage machine 405a and a coin lifter 405b which are both elongated in the vertical direction and adjacent to each other, and a safe 405c positioned below the coin storage machine 405a.

  The coin storage machine 405a has a coin deposit port 407 at its upper end, determines the denomination and authenticity of the coins deposited from this coin deposit port 407, and stores the coin dispensing port without storing fake coins. While discharging from 408 (described later), the coins are sorted according to denomination and stored. In order to perform such denomination discrimination and true / false discrimination, it is recommended to deposit coins one by one into the coin deposit slot 407. Under such circumstances, the coin deposit port 407 provided in the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 405 is formed with a small opening so as not to allow a plurality of coins to be input at once but to allow coins to be deposited one by one. ing. When the coins are fully stored in the coin storage machine 405a, the coins newly deposited from the coin deposit port 407 are dropped and stored in the safe 405c.

  The coin lifter 405b lifts the coin stored in the coin storage machine 405a to the upper end, and pays out the coin from a coin dispensing port 408 provided at the upper part of the coin lifter 405b. The coin lifter 405b has a roller pair that is rotated by driving of a motor. A conveyor belt is stretched around each of the roller pairs with tension, and the conveyor belt pairs are provided in parallel at a distance that allows the coins to be clamped. In the coin lifter 405b, the coins fed out from the coin storage machine 405a and sandwiched between the pair of transport belts are lifted up by driving of the motor and are paid out to the coin dispensing port 408.

  A rail body 451 is horizontally attached from the front of the settlement operation unit 401 to the back of the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 including the coin storage machine 405a, the coin lifter 405b, and the safe 405c. Further, a rail receiving portion (not shown) shaped to be fitted to the rail body 451 is attached to the inside of the third housing 402. The rail receiving portion is supported by the coin depositing / withdrawing device 405 by being fitted to a rail body 451 attached to the coin depositing / withdrawing device 405, and the coin depositing / withdrawing device 405 passes through the opening 450 to perform a settlement operation. The unit 401 can be pulled out and stored in the front direction.

  Above the coin depositing and dispensing device 405, a depositing coin guide 452 and a dispensing coin guide 453 are attached. The coin guide 452 for depositing includes a coin slit 407a that is vertically opened to a size allowing passage of one coin provided above the first front panel 404a, and a coin depositing and dispensing device 405. To the coin deposit port 407, and the coins deposited from the coin slit 407a are guided to the coin deposit port 407. Further, the dispensing coin guide 453 communicates the tray 408a provided below the coin slit 407a in the first front panel 404a with the coin dispensing port 408 of the coin depositing / dispensing device 405. The coins discharged from the withdrawal port 408 are paid out to the tray 408a.

  In FIG. 2, a coin feeder 501 is provided above the depositing coin guide 452. The coin feeder 501 is a device that has a coin receiving unit 502 that can input a plurality of coins in a lump, and separates the coins inserted into the coin receiving unit 502 one by one and sends them to a depositing coin guide 452. The store clerk opens the first front panel 404a, passes through the opening 450, pulls out the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 from the third housing 402, and collects a plurality of coins into the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501 at once. By inserting the coin, the coin to be changed can be replenished to the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 more efficiently than inserting coins one by one from the coin slit 407a with the first front panel 404a closed.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the settlement operation unit 401 in a state where only the second front panel 404b is opened. The banknote depositing / withdrawing apparatus 406 built in the third housing 402 is of a vertical recycling type, and is in charge of settlement with banknotes in cash settlement of merchandise after the merchandise code is input. In the banknote depositing / withdrawing apparatus 406, a banknote depositing unit 415 having a banknote depositing port 409 and a liquid crystal display unit 414, a recycling box 417, a banknote dispensing unit 416 having a banknote dispensing port 410, and a safe 418 are arranged in order from the top. It is configured. The recycle box 417 and the safe 418 are attached to the third housing 402 so that they can be pulled out and stored in the front direction. A bill deposit port 409 of the bill deposit unit 415 is connected to a bill slit 409a provided at an upper position of the second front panel 404b. A banknote dispensing port 410 provided in the banknote dispensing unit 416 is connected to a banknote dispensing outlet 410a provided below the banknote slit 409a of the second front panel 404b.

  A receipt printer (not shown) is built in a position above the left side of the third housing 402 and covered only by the third front panel 404c. A receipt (not shown) issued from the receipt printer is discharged from a receipt discharge port 412a provided in the third front panel 404c.

  Also, a credit card settlement terminal 420 for performing settlement by credit card (not shown) is attached below the tray 408a on the first front panel 404a. This credit card settlement terminal 420 is in charge of settlement by credit card of the product after the product code is input.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the opening 450 on the front surface of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 is slightly higher than the height position of the weighing table 303 so that the lower end of the opening is not hidden by the scale unit 301. The settlement operation unit 401 is fully open so that the upper end of the opening is slightly higher than the upper surface of the third housing 402. A front panel 404 is provided on the entire front surface of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 so as to cover the opening 450. 2 and 3, unlike FIG. 1, a state is shown in which the right side bag hanging member 306 a and the left side bag hanging member 306 b are brought down on the upper surface of the weighing table 303 of the weighing unit 301. This is because the front panel 404 cannot rotate if the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b remain in the standing state.

  Referring to FIG. 1 again, the relationship between the scale unit 301 and the settlement operation unit 401 will be described. The right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b provided on the upper surface of the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301 are used for setting a shopping bag 651 capable of storing products. The right side bag hanging member 306a is provided in front of the first front panel 404a. The left bag hanging member 306b is provided in front of the second front panel 404b. The right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b are provided so as to face the weighing table 303 of the weighing unit 301, and a product placement space 308 is formed therebetween.

  Each of the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b is formed by bending or welding a plurality of wires 309. A hook as a holding mechanism for holding the shopping bag 651 in an open state by hooking a pair of grips 652 provided on the shopping bag 651 on the upper portions of the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b. Portions 307a and 307b are formed. The shopping bag 651 is configured such that the handle 652 is hooked on each of the hook portion 307a of the right-side bag hanging member 306a in the standing state and the hook portion 307b of the left-side bag hanging member 306b in the standing state. The product is held in the opening state by the hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b and positioned in the product placement space 308.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, when the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b as the shopping bag holding portion are in the standing state, the store clerk unlocks the locks 419a and 419b and the first front Even if the panel 404a and the second front panel 404b are rotated, the opening 450 cannot be opened. This is because when the first front panel 404a or the second front panel 404b rotates, it interferes with the right side bag hanging member 306a or the left side bag hanging member 306b. The right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b are attached at such positions on the weighing platform 303 because the shopping bag 651 is opened only while the customer is checking out a product to be purchased. It is sufficient that the clerk is attached in a state, and during this time, the store clerk opens the front panel 404 to collect bills and coins from the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 and the bill deposit / withdrawal device 406 in the third housing 402, This is because it is not assumed that banknotes or coins to be changed will be replenished with respect to these devices or that maintenance will be performed on these devices. Further, when the front panel 404 is rotated to open the opening 450, it is not assumed that the shopping bag 651 is attached to the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b. Therefore, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, a dedicated space for positioning the shopping bag 651 in an open state and a dedicated space necessary for rotating the front panel 404 are provided. Without being provided independently, the space above the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301 is shared by the use for positioning the shopping bag 651 in the open state and the use for rotating the front panel 404, so that the self-checkout terminal 101 The size is reduced and the installation area of the self-checkout terminal 101 in the store is reduced.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the scale unit 301 in a state where the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b are positioned at the retracted position. In the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b are weighed so as to be displaceable to a retracted position that does not interfere with opening and closing of the first front panel 404a and the second front panel 404b. A lower mechanism 701 as a first attachment mechanism attached to the unit 301 is provided. This lower mechanism 701 makes it possible to position the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b at the retracted position, and rotate the first front panel 404a and the second front panel 404b to open the opening 450. It can be opened.

  The lower mechanism 701 in the present embodiment is a lower mechanism 701 that attaches the right side bag hanging member 306 a and the left side bag hanging member 306 b to the weighing table 303 so as to be rotatable until it comes into contact with the weighing table 303 of the weighing unit 301.

  FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the lower mechanism 701. The lower mechanism 701 is based on a base 702 having a truncated cone shape made of metal. The bottom surface of the base 702 is attached to the top surface of the weighing table 303 by welding or the like at a position covering the recess 304 formed in the weighing table 303. A spring 703 and an advancing / retreating member 704 are arranged in this order from the lower side between the base portion 702 and the weighing platform 303 in the recess 304. The spring 703 contacts the lower surface of the advance / retreat member 704 and biases the advance / retreat member 704 upward. The advancing / retracting member 704 is provided with a protrusion 705 on the upper surface, and only the protrusion 705 protrudes from the upper surface of the base 702 (see FIG. 6). That is, a retaining hole 706 (see FIG. 6) having a shape that allows only the projection 705 to pass therethrough and blocks the retaining of the advance / retreat member 704 is provided on the upper surface of the base 702.

  A U-shaped shaft receiver 707 protrudes from the upper surface of the base 702 in a plan view. Shaft holes 709 through which the shaft 708 can pass are formed on opposite side surfaces of the shaft receiver 707. Inside the shaft receiver 707, the wire 309 constituting the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b is positioned. The wire 309 is formed with a fitting hole 310 into which the projection 705 of the advance / retreat member 704 can be fitted at the end, and a long loose fitting hole 311 in which a shaft 708 can be loosely fitted on the side surface. Is penetrated. Therefore, the wire 309 is fitted in the projection 705 of the advance / retreat member 704 with the fitting hole 310 protruding from the upper surface of the base 702, and the loose fitting hole 311 is passed through the shaft 708 passed through the shaft hole 709. It is positioned inside the shaft receiver 707. With the wire 309 positioned inside the shaft receiver 707 as described above, the shaft 708 penetrates the shaft hole 709 and seal members 710 are attached to both ends of the shaft 708 to prevent the shaft 708 from coming off. As a result, the wire 309 is attached to the weighing platform 303 so as to be rotatable in the direction around the shaft 708. The shaft receiver 707 is formed in a U-shape, so that the wire 309 can rotate only to the opening side of the shaft receiver 707.

  An insertion hole 712 for inserting the operation lever 711 is formed in the taper portion of the base portion 702. The operation lever 711 is made of an elastic material such as plastic, and has a tip portion 713 inserted into the insertion hole 712 and a contact that contacts the upper surface of the weighing table 303 in a state where the tip portion 713 is inserted into the insertion hole 712. A unit 714 and an operation unit 715 that protrudes upward and is operated by an operator. A retaining protrusion 716 is provided on the lower surface side of the distal end portion 713 to prevent the distal end portion 713 of the operation lever 711 from being detached when the operating lever 711 is inserted into the insertion hole 712. When the distal end portion 713 of the operation lever 711 is inserted into the insertion hole 712, the distal end portion 713 comes into contact with the contact slope 717 provided on the side surface of the advance / retreat member 704, and the contact portion 714 of the operation lever 711 is in contact with the weighing platform 303. It will be in the state which contacted the upper surface of. The operation portion 715 of the operation lever 711 is a portion that rises upward from the distal end portion 713 and the contact portion 714 and is bent and extended in the direction of the contact portion 714. The operator can push down the advancing / retreating member 704 downward by pushing the operation portion 715 to push the distal end portion 713 into the back side of the insertion hole 712.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower mechanism 701. In a state where the operator does not press down the operation portion 715 of the operation lever 711 (FIG. 6A), the spring 703 pushes up the advance / retreat member 704, and the protrusion 705 at the upper end of the advance / retreat member 704 is the upper surface of the base 702. Projecting upward from the retaining hole 706. The protruding projection 705 is fitted into the fitting hole 310 of the wire 309 oriented in the vertical direction, and the wire 309 is fixed in the standing state. That is, when the operation lever 711 is not depressed, the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b are erected so that the shopping bag 651 can be attached and interferes with opening and closing of the front panel 404. Positioned in position. Here, the fitting hole 310 at the end of the wire 309 constituting the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b, the retaining hole 706 of the base 702, and the protrusion 705 of the advancing / retracting member 704 are a positioning mechanism 718. Is configured.

  In a state where the operator 719 is pressing the operation portion 715 of the operation lever 711 (FIG. 6B), the tip portion 713 of the operation lever 711 pushes down the contact slope 717 of the advance / retreat member 704 downward. As a result, the projection 705 of the advance / retreat member 704 sunk downward from the retaining hole 706 on the upper surface of the base portion 702 and disengages from the fitting hole 310 of the wire 309, so that the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b are free. It can be turned. Further, when the operator 719 presses down the operation unit 715 of the operation lever 711, the contact unit 714 comes into contact with the upper surface of the weighing table 303 and is bent. When the operator 719 stops pressing the operation portion 715 of the operation lever 711, the contact portion 714 tries to return to the original shape due to its elasticity, and the tip portion 713 is returned to the position shown in FIG. As a result, the spring 703 pushes up the advancing / retracting member 704 and causes the projection 705 of the advancing / retreating member 704 to penetrate the retaining hole 706 of the base 702. In this way, the operation lever 711 serves as an operation mechanism that selectively locks or unlocks the rotational displacement of the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b as the shopping bag holding portion by the operation of the operator 719. Fulfill.

  A flow of a checkout operation for a product to be purchased by a customer using the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. The customer puts the product to be purchased in, for example, a shopping basket prepared by the store, puts it on the product mounting table 207, and declares the start of one transaction. The touch panel 206 is touched in accordance with an instruction displayed on the display 205 by a process performed by (not shown). After the declaration, the customer picks up the products one by one from the shopping basket placed on the product placement table 207, holds the code symbol such as a barcode attached to the product over the reading surface 204a of the scanner 204, and reads the product code. Placed on the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301. The controller executes a search process for searching for the unit price and weight corresponding to the product code read by the scanner 204 from a product data file (not shown) storing the unit price and weight corresponding to each product code. To do. Here, in the case of a measured sale product, the controller places the product on a weighing table 203 of a scale (not shown) built in the registration operation unit 201, weighs the weight thereof, and the unit price and the weighing searched in the search process. The amount of money is calculated based on the weight obtained. Subsequently, the controller reads the weight value output from the scale device (not shown) built in the scale unit 301 after reading the product code by the scanner 204, the weight value obtained by the search process or the weight value measured by the scale. A weight check process is performed to determine whether or not it is correct. Only when it is determined that there is identity, the controller executes product information registration processing for storing product information including the read product code and the searched unit price in a storage unit (not shown).

  When ending the operation of reading the product codes for all the products to be purchased, the customer declares the end of one transaction by touching the touch panel 206 according to the instruction displayed on the display 205. With the declaration of the end of one transaction, the controller displays various settlement method guidances for the customer on the display 205. When the customer declares from the touch panel 206 that payment is to be made with cash, the customer inserts cash (banknotes or coins) for the purchased product from the coin slit 407a or banknote slit 409a according to the guidance displayed on the display 205. To do. When the customer declares from the touch panel 206 that the credit card is to be settled, the customer causes the credit card settlement terminal 420 to read the magnetic information of the credit card (not shown) in accordance with the guidance displayed on the display 205. . When the controller determines that the purchase item has been settled through the insertion of cash or reading of the magnetic information on the credit card, the controller controls the receipt printer (not shown) to move the receipt (not shown) from the receipt outlet 412a. Printing is issued, and the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 and the bill deposit / withdrawal device 406 are driven as necessary to cause coins and bills as change to be dispensed to the tray 408a and the bill dispensing outlet 410a. The customer receives the issued receipt and the coins and banknotes that have been paid out, and ends one transaction.

  In the self-checkout terminal 101 of this embodiment, the scale unit 301 formed with a height smaller than the registration operation unit 201 is provided with a registration operation unit so that the customer can complete such checkout work with as little movement as possible. The right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b that can hold the shopping bag 651 in an open state are provided on the upper surface of the scale unit 301. Then, the customer attaches the shopping bag 651 to the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b in an open state in advance, places the shopping basket on the product placing table 207, and takes out the goods from the shopping basket. By moving the hand along the movement of the registration operation unit 201 over the scanner 204, the commodity after the commodity code is inputted can be put into the open shopping bag 651 located on the lower right side. Further, the customer can settle the purchased product using the coin slit 407a, the bill slit 409a, and the credit card settlement terminal 420 located above the shopping bag 651 into which the product code has been input. As described above, in the self-checkout terminal 101 according to the present embodiment, the installation position of the shopping bag 651 is secured in the side-by-side position of the registration operation unit 201 and in front of the settlement operation unit 401, so that the customer can check out the product. Work efficiency can be improved.

  The checkout operation by the customer as described above is repeated, and the cash (banknotes and coins) stored in the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 405 and the banknote depositing / dispensing apparatus 406 is full, or cash (banknotes and coins) to be changed is received. If there is a shortage, the controller provided in the self-checkout terminal 101 drives the warning pole 209 to notify. In addition, this notification is transmitted to a clerk terminal (not shown) in the store connected to the self-checkout terminal 101 via a LAN network (not shown), and is displayed on the display of the clerk terminal. The self-checkout terminal 101 may display the information indicating that the cash should be collected or that the cash to be changed is insufficient. Further, the controller provided in the self-checkout terminal 101 performs such notification even when an error occurs in the device stored in the self-checkout terminal 101. When the store clerk confirms the information displayed on the display of the clerk terminal or the driving of the warning pole 209, the store clerk carries the key for unlocking the front panel 404 to the settlement operation unit 401 and locks 419a, 419b. And 419c are unlocked, and the apparatus built in the third housing 402 is operated. As shown in FIG. 3, the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 can be withdrawn in the front direction, and the store clerk can more easily collect, replenish, and maintain the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405. it can.

  In the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the front panel 404 provided in the settlement operation unit 401 is composed of three panels and can be independently rotated. By opening only one front panel 404a, only the coin depositing and dispensing device 405 can be exposed to perform work, and crime prevention can be improved.

  Further, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, since the opening 450 of the settlement operation unit 401 is provided on the front side, the store clerk turns around to the back side or the side of the self-checkout terminal 101. In addition, it is possible to perform operations on the devices inside the housing, such as work for collecting and replenishing bills and coins with respect to the bill depositing / dispensing device 406 and the coin depositing / dispensing device 405, and maintenance work for these devices. For this reason, the self-checkout terminal 101 of this Embodiment can be arrange | positioned by the wall of a store, and it becomes possible to aim at the effective use of the space in a store.

  In the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the store clerk operates the operation unit 715 of the operation lever 711 on the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b provided on the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301. Thus, the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b can be positioned at a retracted position that does not interfere with the opening and closing of the front panel 404. That is, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the space above the measuring table 303 of the scale unit 301 that is located in front of the settlement operation unit 401 is a shopping bag 651 while the product is being checked out by the customer. This space is used as a space for installing the product, which helps to improve the efficiency of product checkout by the customer, and also allows the store clerk to open and close the front panel 404 when working on the device inside the third housing 402. It is utilized as. For this reason, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the opening 450 on the front surface of the settlement operation unit 401 can be formed large, and therefore, the efficiency of the checkout operation of the product by the customer and the salesclerk It is possible to improve the efficiency of work on the device inside the housing, and further, the installation area of the self-checkout terminal 101 can be reduced by utilizing the space area in front of the settlement operation unit 401 for a plurality of purposes. be able to.

  Next, another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this case, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is also omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the scale unit 301. An attachment plate 312 for attaching the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b is laminated on the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301 of the present embodiment. The mounting plate 312 and the weighing table 303 are rotatably connected by a hinge 313 on the front side surface of the weighing table 303. That is, in the present embodiment, the attachment plate 312 and the hinge 313 constitute a second attachment mechanism, and the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b as shopping bag holding portions are moved to the front position of the scale unit 301. The scale unit 301 is attached to the scale unit 301 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis extending in the width direction of the scale unit 301.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the scale unit 301 in a state where the right side bag hanging member 306a and the left side bag hanging member 306b are positioned at the retracted position. In the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b do not fall down along the weighing table 303, but as shown in FIG. By lifting the left bag hanging member 306b and positioning the mounting plate 312 in front of the scale unit 301, the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b can be prevented from interfering with the opening and closing of the front panel 404.

  Also in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the space above the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301 located in front of the settlement operation unit 401 is used as a space for installing the shopping bag 651 in the checkout operation of the product by the customer. In addition, it is also used as a space for opening the front panel 404 when the store clerk performs an operation on the device inside the third housing 402, improving the efficiency of the product checkout operation by the customer and the device inside the housing by the store clerk. It is possible to reduce the installation area of the self-checkout terminal while improving work efficiency. Furthermore, according to the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the right bag is hung without using complicated parts such as the lower mechanism 701 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) in the first embodiment. The member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b can be attached to the scale unit 301 so as to be displaceable.

  Next, another embodiment (third embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this case, the same parts as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is also omitted.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the scale unit 301. The right side bag hanging member 306 a and the left side bag hanging member 306 b of the present embodiment are attached to the weighing table 303 of the weighing unit 301 so as to be slidable in the width direction of the weighing unit 301. The sliding movement of the right side bag hanging member 306 a and the left side bag hanging member 306 b is realized by a pair of rails 314 directed to the upper surface of the weighing table 303 in the width direction of the scale unit 301. In the rail 314, a groove having a shape in which the end of the wire 309 constituting the right bag hanging member 306a or the left bag hanging member 306b can be fitted is cut in the longitudinal direction. Further, the end of the wire 309 is prevented from coming off from the groove of the rail 314. That is, in the present embodiment, the rail 314 constitutes a third attachment mechanism, and one of the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b as the shopping bag holding portion is slidable toward the other, The member 306 a and the left bag hanging member 306 b are attached to the weighing table 303 of the weighing unit 301.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the scale unit 301 in a state in which the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b are slid. In the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the store clerk grasps the right bag hanging member 306a and slides it toward the left bag hanging member 306b, thereby providing a front panel provided on the front surface of the settlement operation unit 401. The first front panel 404a located on the right side of 404 can be rotated to perform work on the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 (see FIG. 2) housed in the third housing 402 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 10 (a)).

  Further, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the store clerk is provided on the front surface of the settlement operation unit 401 by grasping the left bag hanging member 306b and sliding it toward the right bag hanging member 306a. The second front panel 404b located on the left side of the front panel 404 is rotated so that the bill depositing / dispensing device 406 (see FIG. 3) stored in the third housing 402 can be operated. (FIG. 10B).

  According to the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the clerk can also use the third housing 402 as the space above the weighing table 303 of the scale unit 301 as a space for installing the shopping bag 651 in the product checkout operation by the customer. It is also used as a space for opening the front panel 404 when working on the internal device, while improving the efficiency of the checkout work of the product by the customer and the efficiency of the work on the device inside the housing by the store clerk, It is possible to reduce the installation area of the self-checkout terminal. Furthermore, according to the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, when the right bag hanging member 306a and the left bag hanging member 306b are moved, the scale unit 301 does not become large as in the second embodiment. It is sufficient to apply a force in the width direction of the door, and the work becomes easy even for a salesclerk with a weak force.

It is a perspective view which shows the self-checkout terminal in 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a part of payment operation unit in the state where only the 1st front panel was opened and the coin deposit and withdrawal device was pulled out. It is a perspective view which shows a part of payment operation unit in the state where only the 2nd front panel was opened. It is a perspective view which shows the scale unit of the state in which the left side bag hanging member and the right side bag hanging member were located in the retracted position. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a lower mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows a lower mechanism. It is a perspective view which shows the scale unit in 2nd embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the scale unit of the state in which the left side bag hanging member and the right side bag hanging member were located in the retracted position. It is a perspective view which shows the scale unit in 3rd embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the scale unit of the state which made the left bag hanging member and the right bag hanging member slide.

Explanation of symbols

201: Registration operation unit (operation block), 204: Scanner (product code input unit), 301: Weighing unit (mounting block), 303 ... Weighing table (product mounting unit),
306a ... right side bag hanging member (shopping bag holding portion), 306b ... left side bag hanging member (shopping bag holding portion), 307a, 307b ... hooking portion (holding mechanism), 312 ... mounting plate (second mounting mechanism), 313 ... Hinges (second mounting mechanism), 314 ... Rail (third mounting mechanism), 401 ... Settlement operation unit (settlement block), 402 ... Third housing (housing), 404 ... Front panel, 405 ... Coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus , 406 ... Banknote deposit and withdrawal device, 450 ... Opening, 701 ... Lower mechanism (first attachment mechanism), 711 ... Operation lever (operation mechanism), 718 ... Positioning mechanism

Claims (4)

An operation block including a product code input unit for performing an input operation of a product code for specifying a product,
A mounting block that is formed with a height dimension smaller than that of the operation block, is arranged side by side on the operation block, and has a product mounting portion on the upper surface for mounting a product after the product code is input by the product code input portion. When,
A banknote depositing / dispensing device and a vertical recycle-type coin that are arranged side by side behind the placement block and have a height dimension larger than that of the placement block and enable cash settlement of the product after the product code is input. A housing capable of incorporating a deposit / withdrawal device, an opening provided at a height position that is not hidden by the mounting block on the front surface of the housing, and an opening that opens and closes to the housing so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. A payment block comprising a front panel,
A shopping bag holding unit having a holding mechanism for opening and holding the shopping bag so that the product after inputting the product code can be stored on the product placing unit;
A first attachment mechanism that rotatably attaches the shopping bag holding portion to the placement block until it contacts the product placement portion of the placement block so as not to interfere with opening and closing of the front panel;
An operation mechanism for selectively locking or unlocking the rotational displacement of the shopping bag holding portion by an operation of an operator;
Self-checkout terminal equipped with.   The self-checkout terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning mechanism that positions the shopping bag holding unit at a position where the shopping bag holding unit is set up. An operation block including a product code input unit for performing an input operation of a product code for specifying a product,
A mounting block that is formed with a height dimension smaller than that of the operation block, is arranged side by side on the operation block, and has a product mounting portion on the upper surface for mounting a product after the product code is input by the product code input portion. When,
A banknote depositing / dispensing device and a vertical recycle-type coin that are arranged side by side behind the placement block and have a height dimension larger than that of the placement block and enable cash settlement of the product after the product code is input. A housing capable of incorporating a deposit / withdrawal device, an opening provided at a height position not hidden by the mounting block on the front surface of the housing, and a pivotally attached to the housing about a vertical axis to open and close the opening A payment block comprising a front panel,
A shopping bag holding unit having a holding mechanism for opening and holding the shopping bag so that the product after inputting the product code can be stored on the product placing unit;
The shopping bag holding part can be pivoted around the horizontal axis extending in the width direction of the mounting block to the front position of the product mounting part of the mounting block that does not interfere with opening and closing of the front panel. A second mounting mechanism for mounting;
Self-checkout terminal equipped with. An operation block including a product code input unit for performing an input operation of a product code for specifying a product,
A mounting block that is formed with a height dimension smaller than that of the operation block, is arranged side by side on the operation block, and has a product mounting portion on the top surface for mounting the product after the product code is input by the product code input portion. When,
A banknote depositing / dispensing device and a vertical recycle type coin that are arranged side by side behind the placement block and have a height dimension larger than that of the placement block and enable cash settlement of the product after the product code is input. A housing capable of incorporating a deposit / withdrawal device, an opening provided at a height position that is not hidden by the mounting block on the front surface of the housing, and an opening that opens and closes to the housing so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. A payment block comprising a front panel,
A pair of shopping bag holders having a holding mechanism that is arranged oppositely on the product placement unit and holds the shopping bag open so as to store the product after the product code is input,
A third attachment mechanism for slidably moving one of the shopping bag holding portions toward the other shopping bag holding portion so as not to interfere with opening and closing of the front panel, and attaching the shopping bag holding portion to the mounting block;
Self-checkout terminal equipped with.

Images