JPH087506Y2 - Checkout device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a checkout device used in a large store such as a supermarket.

[Prior Art] With a conventional checkout device, when a customer brings a shopping cart containing an unregistered product in front of the scanner, the operator takes out the unregistered product from the shopping basket and attaches it to the product. After the product code, that is, the bar code, is read by the scanner, it is stored in the empty shopping cart placed behind the scanner. After all unregistered items are registered, the empty shopping cart is placed behind the scanner in preparation for the next customer. The customer carries the shopping basket containing the registered merchandise to a bagging table, and performs bagging there.

However, with such a checkout device, it is difficult for the operator to take out A1) products one by one from the shopping cart packed with many unregistered products when reading the products. , Especially when fragile items are mixed, quick operation is hindered. A2) Store the items once taken out of the shopping basket, in order from the fragile item to the bottom. Must be prevented, so quick operation is impeded, A
3) There is a problem that an empty shopping basket must be placed behind the scanner in preparation for the next customer.

For customers, B1) waiting time is long due to the above-mentioned problems of the operator, B2) heavy shopping basket containing registered merchandise must be carried to the bagging table after settlement, B3) bagging table In the above, there is a problem that it takes time to pack the registered products from the shopping basket and put them in the packaging bag in order from the one that is less likely to break to the bottom.

Therefore, a checkout device that solves both of these problems has been developed and used. As shown in FIG. 4, this is a carry-in belt conveyor 11 into which the customer himself / herself carries in unregistered products placed at the product placement position, and the bar code of the product carried in by the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is read. The scanner 21, the distribution unit 30 that stocks the products read by the scanner 21 for each customer, and distributes the products to different directions, and the product for each customer distributed by the distribution unit 30 in each bagging unit 50 ₁ , _Two carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ that carry out up to 50 ₂ and an electronic cash register that registers the barcode data read by the scanner 21 and controls the drive of the belt conveyors 11, 41 ₁ and 41 _2. Hereinafter referred to as ECR.) 70 and. In addition, 60 is a soccer table.

Here, the carrying surface of the carry-in belt conveyor 11, the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21, the upper surface of the sorting unit 30, the carrying surface of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ , 41 ₂ and the upper surfaces of the bagging units 50 ₁ , 50 ₂ are: Each is formed at the same height. Also, the distribution unit 30
Is a partition plate 32 for guiding products stocked for each customer to one of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ .
The base end of is rotatably provided.

Further, in the vicinity of the ECR70, the belt conveyor 11,41
Foot switches FS for activating ₁ and 41 ₂ are arranged, and sensors SB and S for detecting the presence / absence of commodities at the end portions of these belt conveyors 11, 41 ₁ and 41 _{2 in} the conveying direction, respectively.
1B and S2B are provided. ECR70 is a sensor SB, S1B, S2B
When the belt is turned on (a product is detected) 11,41 ₁ ,
When the drive of 41 ₂ is stopped and turned off (when no product is detected), the belt conveyors 11, 41 ₁ , 41 ₂ are restarted. While the belt conveyors 11, 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ are being driven, the sensors SB, S1B and S2B have been operated for a certain period of time or longer (at least the products placed on the leading ends of the belt conveyors 11, 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ are finished. Even when it is not turned on for more than the time until it reaches the section, the driving of the belt conveyors 11, 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ is stopped.

Therefore, when the customer reaches the check-out position, the operator presses the foot switch FS to activate the carry-in belt conveyor 11 and the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ . When the customer sequentially takes out unregistered products from the shopping cart and places them on the carry-in belt conveyor 11, the products on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 are carried toward the scanner 21 at a preset constant carrying speed. To go.

Eventually, when the first product on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 reaches the sensor SB position, that is, in front of the scanner 21, the sensor
SB turns on. Then, the driving of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is stopped. Here, when the operator picks up a product carried in front of the scanner 21, when the sensor SB is turned off, the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is driven until the next product on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 reaches the sensor SB, The products placed on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 are sequentially scanned by the scanner 21.
Is brought to the front.

The operator picks up the commodities that have been brought in in front of the scanner 21 one by one, causes the scanner 21 to read the bar code, and then places them in one of the areas partitioned by the partition plate 32 of the sorting unit 30. Stock.

After registering all the products, push the stocked products into the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ in the direction guided by the partition plate 32, and then move the partition plate 32 to the opposite side in preparation for the next customer. Rotate. Then, the carry-out belt conveyor 4
1 ₁ , 41 _{2 When} the first product on the sensor reaches the sensor S1B, S2B position, that is, before the bagging parts 50 ₁ , 50 ₂ , the unloading belt conveyor 41
The drive of ₁ , 41 ₂ is stopped. Therefore, the customer is
_1, 50 to go up to _2, the bag stuffed with items in the packaging bag.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional checkout device shown in FIG. 4, since the conveying surface of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 and the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21 are formed at the same height, Cannot satisfy the workability when the product is placed on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 and the workability when the operator reads the barcode of the product with the scanner 21.

This is because the convenient height for the customer to place the product on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 and the convenient height for the operator to read the barcode of the product by the scanner 21 are different from each other. . Generally, it is better for the customer to place the product on the carry-in belt conveyor 11, and it is better for the operator to read the bar code of the product with the scanner 21 than the former because of the relationship with the line of sight. Because.

As a result, if the entire height is adjusted to a height position where the customer can easily place the product, the operability of the operator is deteriorated. It is difficult to place the result.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve such a conventional problem and provide a checkout device in which both can easily work together.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the invention according to claim 1, a carry-in means for carrying in an unregistered product placed at a product placement position, and a substantially horizontal reading provided side by side with the carry-in means. In a checkout device including a reading means for reading a product code of a product carried in by the carrying-in means, a reading surface is provided between the product placing position of the carrying-in means and the reading surface of the reading means. A step in the height direction is formed so that the product placement position is lower than the product loading position, and the height of the terminal end in the transport direction of the loading means is substantially equal to the height of the reading surface of the reading means. At least a part of the transport surface is formed into an inclined surface that is inclined upward in the transport direction.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the carry-in means is constituted by a belt conveyor, and the slanted portions can prevent slipping of the product at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor. The protrusions are formed along the width direction.

[Operation] In the invention according to claim 1, since the step in the height direction is formed between the product placing position of the carry-in means and the reading surface of the reading means, the product placing position of the carry-in means is changed. It is possible to set the height at which the customer can easily place the product and the height at which the operator can easily perform the reading operation of the reading surface of the reading means, so that both workability can be satisfied. In addition, since at least a part of the conveying surface is formed in an inclined surface so that the height of the end portion in the conveying direction of the carry-in means is substantially the same as the height of the reading surface of the reading means, the reading surface of the commodity is read by the reading means. Since the operator can carry the product to the same height position without being caught when the operator reads the product on the reading surface, the reading operability is improved.

Further, in the invention as set forth in claim 2, in addition to the operation described in the invention as set forth in claim 1, the carrying-in means is constituted by a belt conveyor, and the belt conveyor has a predetermined interval position in the carrying direction. Since the protrusion is formed along the width direction, it is possible to prevent the product from falling or slipping off the inclined surface.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the description of these drawings, the same constituents as those in FIG. 4 described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the checkout device of this embodiment.
The plan view is shown in FIG. The checkout device is
Loading unit 10, reading unit 20, sorting unit 30, and two unloading units 40
₁ , 40 ₂ , two bagging parts 50 ₁ , 50 ₂ , a soccer table 60,
The ECR 70 is configured to register the bar code data read by the reading unit 20 and control the driving of the carry-in unit 10 and the carry-out units 40 ₁ and 40 ₂ .

The carry-in section 10 is provided with a carry-in belt conveyor 11 as a carry-in means for carrying in unregistered products taken out and placed by the customer from the shopping cart 1 toward the reading section 20, and at the same time, carry-in thereof. The sensor SB is arranged at the end of the belt conveyor 11 in the transport direction. The carry-in belt conveyor 11 is configured so that the carrying speed can be adjusted steplessly based on the operation of the speed variable knob 12 arranged near the reading unit 20 where the operator is located.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the carrying surface of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is at the starting end in the carrying direction, that is, the product placement position where the customer places the product is at a height at which the product is easily placed and the reading unit 20. Is formed lower than the reading surface 21A of
That is, the step is formed so as to be lower than the reading surface 21A, and the height of the end portion in the transport direction is the same as that of the reading portion.
It is formed in an inclined surface shape that gradually inclines upward as it goes from the middle of the transport direction toward the terminal end so as to substantially match the height of the reading surface 21A of 20. Further, protrusions 13 are formed along the width direction at predetermined intervals in the carrying direction on the carrying surface.

In the reading unit 20, in addition to the scanner 21 as a reading unit for reading the bar code of the product carried in by the carry-in belt conveyor 11, a keyboard 22 and a display device are provided.
23 are provided respectively. The scanner 21 has a reading surface 21A that is substantially horizontal and has a height that makes it easy for the operator to perform a reading operation, scans the laser light upward from the reading surface 21A, and scans the barcode above the reading surface 21A. The light reflected from the surface is received, the barcode is decoded, and the data is sent to the ECR70. At this time, the read barcode data is displayed on the display unit 23.

As shown in FIG. 3, the distribution unit 30 includes the scanner 21.
Is formed on the inclined surface 31 that gradually inclines downward from the reading surface 21A toward the carry-out portions 40 ₁ and 40 ₂ . Slope
31, the partition having a first end distributes to the unloading unit 40 _1, 40 each unloading unit 40 _{1 2} products read by rotatably supported the scanner 21 during each customer, 40 a _second direction A plate 32 is provided.

Each of the carry-out sections 40 ₁ and 40 ₂ has an inclined surface 31 of the sorting section 30.
The carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ are horizontally provided from the lower end of the bag toward the upper surfaces of the bagging units 50 ₁ and 50 ₂ .
The sensors S1B and S2B are arranged at the end portions of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 _{2 in} the carrying direction. The carrying surfaces of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ are formed to be lower than the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21 and at the same height as the carrying surface of the carry-in belt conveyor 11.

The ECR 70 includes a keyboard 71, a display 72 and a printer 7.
3 and a drawer 74 are provided, and the foot switch FS is connected.

 Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The customer sequentially puts the products to be purchased into the shopping cart 1 and, when reaching the check-out position, takes out the products from the shopping cart 1 and sequentially places them on the loading position of the carry-in belt conveyor 11. . At this time, when a certain time has passed from the previous customer's tightening operation, the driving of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is stopped, so the operator presses the foot switch FS to carry in the carry-in belt conveyor 11.
To start.

Items placed on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 are read by the reading unit.
It is transported to 20. Eventually, when the first product on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 reaches the sensor SB position, the sensor
SB turns on. Then, the driving of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is stopped. Here, the operator located in the reading unit 20 picks up the products one by one from the carry-in belt conveyor 11, and reads the bar code surface of the product from the reading window 21A of the scanner 21.
Pass the product while facing. At this time, the transport speed of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 can be adjusted by the speed variable knob 12 according to the situation where the customer places the product on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 and the operator's familiarity with the operation.

Here, when the product is picked up from the carry-in belt conveyor 11, when the sensor SB is turned off, the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is restarted, so that the products placed on the carry-in belt conveyor 11 are sequentially in front of the scanner 21. Will be transported in order. Therefore, the operator can pick up the commodities reaching the position in order and read them by the scanner 21.

In this way, the operator
11 The product taken from above is passed through with the barcode surface facing the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21, and then placed in one of the regions partitioned by the partition plate 32 of the sorting unit 30. Then, the products placed in the sorting unit 31 are fed onto _one of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ while sliding down the inclined surface 31 and being restricted in direction by the partition plate 32.

Then, the products sent onto the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ are carried out toward the bagging units 50 ₁ and 50 ₂ . Eventually, when the earliest product on the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ reaches the sensors S1B and S2B, the sensors S1B and S2B are turned on. Then, the driving of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ is stopped.

After the registration of all the commodities is completed, the operator switches the partition plate 32 so that a passage can be provided to any of the empty conveyor belts 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ . On the other hand, the customer
Go to the bagging parts 50 ₁ and 50 ₂ and perform bagging there. At this time, when taking the goods from the carry-out conveyor belt 41 _1, 41 _2, sensors S1B, the S2B is turned off, since the discharge belt conveyor 41 _1, 41 ₂ is restarted, carry-out conveyor belt 41
It is possible to reliably carry out the products accumulated at the entrances of ₁ and 41 ₂ to the bagging parts 50 ₁ and 50 ₂ .

Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the step in the height direction is formed between the product placing position of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 and the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21, the product placing position of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is set to the customer. Can be set to a height where products can be easily placed, and the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21 can be set to a height where an operator can easily perform a reading operation, so that both workability can be satisfied.

Moreover, since a part of the conveying surface is formed into an inclined surface so that the height of the end portion in the conveying direction of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is substantially equal to the height of the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21, the product is read on the scanning surface of the scanner 21. Since it can be carried to the same height position as 21A, the operator does not get caught when reading the product on the reading surface 21A, and the reading operability is improved. At this time, since the protrusions 13 are formed at predetermined intervals in the carrying direction of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 along the width direction, it is possible to prevent the product from falling or slipping off the inclined surface.

Further, since the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is configured to be capable of adjusting the carrying speed based on the operation of the speed variable knob 12, and the speed variable knob 12 is arranged in the vicinity of the reading unit 20 where the operator is located, the customer carries in the product. belt conveyor
The carrying speed of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 can be adjusted according to the situation of placement on the board 11 and the operator's familiarity with the operation.

Further, since the carrying surfaces of the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 _{2 have} the same height as the carrying surface of the carry-in belt conveyor 11, there is an advantage that the customer can easily pack the products on the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 _2. is there.

Further, since the distribution unit 30 is formed on the inclined surface 31 that gradually inclines downward as it goes from the reading surface 21A of the scanner 21 to the start ends of the carrying-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 _{2 in} the transport direction, the operator can operate the scanner 21 with the scanner 21. By simply placing the read merchandise on the sorting unit 30, the merchandise is sent down onto the carry-out belt conveyors 41 ₁ and 41 ₂ while sliding down the inclined surface 31, so that the burden on the operator can be reduced. That is, unlike the conventional case, it is possible to eliminate the work of sending the stocked products onto one of the carry-out belt conveyors.

Incidentally, in the above embodiment, the conveying surface of the carry-in belt conveyor 11 is formed in the shape of an inclined surface that gradually inclines upward as it goes from the middle of conveyance to the terminal end, but gradually increases upward as it goes from the starting end to the terminal end in the conveying direction. The inclined surface, that is, the entire conveying surface may be formed into an inclined surface.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first aspect of the invention, since the step in the height direction is formed between the product placing position of the carry-in means and the reading surface of the reading means, the customer places the product placing position of the carry-in means on the product. Since the height can be easily set and the reading surface of the reading unit can be set to a height at which the operator can easily perform the reading operation, both workability can be satisfied. Moreover, since at least a part of the conveying surface is formed in an inclined surface so that the end portion of the conveying means in the conveying direction substantially coincides with the reading surface of the reading means, the product is conveyed to the same height position as the reading surface of the reading means. As a result, the operator does not get caught when the product is read on the reading surface, and the reading operability is improved.

In addition to the operation described in the invention of claim 1, the carrying-in means is constituted by a belt conveyor, and the projections are provided at predetermined intervals in the carrying direction of the belt conveyor. Since the portion is formed along the width direction, it is possible to prevent the product from falling or slipping off the inclined surface.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whole, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a view showing a relationship between a carry-in belt conveyor, a scanner, a distribution unit, and a carry-out belt conveyor. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional checkout device. 11 ... Carry-in belt conveyor (carry-in means), 21 ... Scanner (reading means), 21A ... Reading surface.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A carrying-in means for carrying in an unregistered product placed at a product carrying position, and a product which is provided with the carrying-in means and which has a substantially horizontal reading surface and which is carried in by the carrying-in means. In a checkout device including a reading unit for reading a product code, a height such that the product placing position is lower than the reading face between the product placing position of the carry-in unit and the reading face of the reading unit. Forming a step in the direction, and increasing at least a part of the carrying surface of the carrying-in means in the carrying direction so that the height of the end portion in the carrying direction of the carrying-in means substantially matches the height of the reading surface of the reading means. The checkout device is formed in the shape of an inclined surface that inclines to. 2. The carrying-in means is constituted by a belt conveyor, and projections capable of preventing slipping of a product in the width direction are formed in the inclined surface portions at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor. The checkout device according to claim 1, wherein the checkout device is formed along a line.