JPH11203385A - Scanner with scale - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact and easy-to-handle scanner with a scale for accurately measuring weight. SOLUTION: This device is provided with an optical scanning system for scanning one face of an article, a plate 8 provided so as to be adjacent to this optical scanning system which includes a transparent horizontal window 7 on which an article can be placed, an optical scanning system for scanning the other face of the article, a vertical housing 1 for housing this optical scanning system which includes a transparent vertical window 2, and weight measuring parts (measuring rods 10 and 21 and a beam 201) for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate 8. The vertical housing 1 is loaded on the measuring rod 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a scanner equipped with a scale (weight measuring device), and more particularly, to scanning a bar code or the like with light passing through a vertical window and a horizontal window, and measuring the weight of the item. The present invention relates to a multi-window scanner with a scale for acquiring information on a type, a price, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a scanner for acquiring information on the type and price of an article by scanning, for example, a bar code attached to the article with light. In such a scanner, U.S. Pat.
In order to obtain information on the weight of the article in addition to the information on the type and price of the article, a method of measuring the weight by placing the entire scanner on a scale is disclosed.

[0003] However, such a method has a drawback that accurate measurements cannot be made because the codes attached to the scanner are in the way, and thus a scanner with a scale has been devised.

For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-141625 discloses a scanner with a scale as shown in FIG. Here, the scale 101 is attached to the lower part of the scanner 100, and the measuring rods 50, 5 arranged outside the main body of the scanner 100 are arranged.
1 supports a flat plate 52 on the upper surface of the scanner. The weight of the article placed on the plate 52 is transmitted to the balance 101 through the measuring rods 50 and 51 to measure the weight. The optical system including the polygon 53 scans the bar code of the article placed on the plate 52 by scanning the light from the light source through the vertical window 54, the internal horizontal window 55, and the horizontal window 56, so that the type of the article and the Get information about prices.

However, in the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-141625, when the weight of the article is measured, if the article contacts a portion other than the plate 52, accurate weight measurement cannot be performed. For example, there is a drawback that accurate measurement cannot be performed when the vertical window 54, which is the most easily touched portion, is touched.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
It has been proposed that a vertical outer window 57 is added to the measuring rod 51 via a detachable portion 59 so as to be connectable to the measuring rod 51 so that the plate 52 has an L-shaped configuration. With such a configuration, since the article placed on the plate 52 contacts only the vertical outer window 57 connected to the measuring rod 51, accurate measurement can be performed.

[0007]

However, in a weighing scanner having the above-mentioned L-shaped plate, for example, the plate 52 is used to clean the inside of the scanner.
When it is removed, it is inconvenient to handle due to its L-shape, and furthermore, the vertical outer window 57 generally has glass, so that further care is required in handling.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a scanner with a balance that is compact, easy to handle, and that can accurately measure weight. It is in.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a scanner with a balance according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article and a scanning optical system adjacent to the scanning optical system. A plate portion including a transparent first window on which an article can be placed, a scanning optical system for scanning the other surface of the article, and a transparent second window housing the scanning optical system And a weight measuring section for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate section, and the housing is mounted on the weight measuring section.

Further, a scanner with a scale according to a second invention is the scanner with a scale according to the first invention, wherein the plate portion is detachably mounted on the housing. A scanner with a balance according to a third aspect of the present invention includes a scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article, and a transparent first window provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and on which an article can be placed. , A scanning optical system for scanning the other surface of the article, and a transparent second
And a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate portion, wherein a step is provided on the side of the plate portion where the second window is provided, and the step is provided. Is covered with a member other than the plate portion.

A weighing scanner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article, and a transparent optical system provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and capable of mounting the article. A plate section including one window, a scanning optical system for scanning the other surface of the article, and a housing for storing the scanning optical system;
A housing including a transparent second window; and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate unit, wherein the plate unit is inclined downward as the distance from the second window increases.

A weighing scanner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article, and a transparent optical system provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and capable of mounting the article. A plate section including one window, a scanning optical system for scanning the other surface of the article, and a housing for storing the scanning optical system;
A housing including a transparent second window, and a weight measuring unit that measures the weight of the article placed on the plate unit, wherein the housing is provided separately from the plate unit on which the article is placed. I have.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a multi-window scanner with a scale (hereinafter, referred to as a scanner with a scale) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a scale 201 is mounted below the scanner 200.

The scanner 200 has on its upper surface a flat plate 8 on which articles can be placed. This plate 8 has a horizontal window (first window) 7 into which glass or the like is fitted.
Is provided. Further, a vertical window (second window) 2 in which glass or the like is fitted substantially orthogonal to the horizontal window 7 is provided. A vertical housing 1 is provided to support the vertical window 2. The end of the vertical housing 1 is mounted on a measuring rod 21. Further, another measuring rod 10 has one end of the plate 8 detachably attached to a mounting portion 9a.
Support through. The other end of the plate 8 is detachably mounted on the vertical housing 1 via the mounting portion 9b.

Further, an internal horizontal window 6 is provided in a portion of the internal housing 12 adjacent to the horizontal window 7, and an optical element for constituting a horizontal scanner is arranged in the housing below the internal horizontal window 6. An optical element for constituting a vertical scanner is arranged in an internal space of the internal housing 12 corresponding to the vertical housing 1. 17 is a board | substrate, 20 is a connector. Further, the scanner main body is fixed at portions other than the scale 201 and the measuring rods 10 and 21. Further, in addition to the optical system, components (signal processing circuit, motor, etc.) necessary for scanning by the scanner are arranged at predetermined positions in the inner housing 12.

When measuring the weight of an article in the above configuration, the weight of the article placed on the plate 8 is transmitted to the scale 201 through the measuring rods 10 and 21 to measure the weight.

When reading the information of the bar code 5 added to the article, the following is performed. First, scanning by the horizontal scanner will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, a light beam emitted from a horizontal LD (laser diode) 28 is reflected by a center mirror 13 provided at the center of the reflection mirror 11 and guided to the polygon 14 shown in FIG. The polygon 14 is rotating, and the light beam scans a substantially horizontal plane as scanning light by this rotation. Light beams from the polygon 14 are emitted as scan patterns (plural) in various directions through a plurality of pattern mirrors 25, 26, 27, the internal horizontal window 6, and the horizontal window 7, each of which is arranged in an appropriate direction. . When one of these scan patterns crosses the bar code 5, a part of the light irregularly reflected by the surface of the bar code 5 is returned as light.
The light returns to the reflection mirror 11 through exactly the same path as described above. Here, since the return light is diffuse light, it is received by the entire reflection mirror 11 and is condensed on a PD (photodiode) 16 via a condensing lens 15 by the concave surface effect. By arranging the reflection mirror 11 and the center mirror 13 at an appropriate angle α, the light beam emitted from the LD 28 can be displaced from the PD 1 at a different position.
Return to 6.

Since the scanning light scans in the form of a scan pattern, the light beam can scan on the bar code 5 and the return light becomes a signal of high and low intensity according to the pattern of the bar code 5. This can be electrically changed, and the contents of the barcode can be determined (decoded) by software processing.

The above is the scanning by the horizontal scanner, but the same applies to the scanning by the vertical scanner. L not shown
The light beam emitted from D is reflected by the center mirror 3 provided at the center of the reflection mirror 4 to form a polygon 14
It is led to. The light beam from the polygon 14 is applied to a plurality of pattern mirrors 24, 2 each arranged in an appropriate direction.
2. Guided to the bar code 5 through the vertical window 2. The return light from the bar code 5 passes through the same path and
The light is condensed on the PD 18 via 9.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a POS system 300 to which the above scanner with a scale is applied. Hereinafter, the signal flow will be described with reference to FIG. Scanner 2
From 00, a decode signal is output by scanning the bar code. Further, a weight signal is obtained by the measurement with the scale 201. These two signals are independently PO
It is input to the S system 300. Decode signal is POS
The comparison unit 205 compares the data of the database 202 of the system 300 with the type of the product and the price of the product.
Recognized in 3). As for the weight signal, when the operator inputs the product type from the keyboard input unit 207, the product type is changed to the weight signal and the merging unit 20.
6 and the price is recognized by the recognition unit 2 (204).

As described above, in the first embodiment, since the vertical housing 1 is directly mounted on the measuring rod 21 as a weight measuring unit, even if an article comes into contact with the vertical housing 1 including the vertical window 2 at the time of measurement. Accurate measurement can be performed. When cleaning the scanner body, only the plate 8 can be removed. However, since the plate 8 is a flat plate, handling is easy.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a modification of the above-described first embodiment. In the conventional example (FIG. 10) using the above-mentioned L-shaped plate, the vertical outer window 57 and the horizontal window 56 are formed integrally, and this is fixed to the measuring rods 50, 51. In this modified example, in order to overcome the disadvantage of this configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the vertical window 40 and the horizontal window 7 are separated from each other, and for example, the vertical window 40 is fixed to the horizontal window 7 by screws 42 or the like. With the two windows united, they are fixed to the measuring rods 10 and 21 so as to measure the weight of the article.

According to the above-described modification, even if an article comes into contact with the vertical window 40 during measurement, the vertical window 40 is fixed to the measuring rod 21 so that accurate weight measurement can be performed. In addition, since the vertical window 40 and the horizontal window 7 can be separated, handling during cleaning is easy.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. In this configuration, the vertical housing 1 is not fixed to the measuring rod 21 as in the first embodiment, and only the plate 8 is mounted on the measuring rods 10 and 21. Therefore, if the article comes into contact with the vertical housing 1 including the vertical window 2 at the time of measurement, accurate measurement cannot be performed. However, as shown in FIG.
In the embodiment, the vertical window 2 is inclined in the direction in which the article is placed, and has an overhang of β degrees. In addition, a portion of the plate 8 located immediately below the inclined portion has a step formed upward to form a plate convex portion 30. Normal,
The plate 8 is desirably as flat as possible because the article to be measured moves (flows) left and right within the product flow range 31 during scanning, but the stepped portion is located outside the product flow range 31. Therefore, it does not hinder the measurement.

According to the above-described second embodiment, the plate convex portion 30 is provided and the upper portion thereof is covered by the inclined vertical window 2, so that the operator can place the article on the vertical housing 2 including the vertical window 2 at the time of measurement. The possibility of contact with 1 is very small, so that an accurate weight measurement can be performed. Further, since the plate 8 is a flat plate, handling during cleaning or the like is easy.

FIG. 5B shows a modification of the second embodiment, in which the upper and lower sides of the plate projection 30 are covered with 32 and 33 instead of covering the upper part of the plate projection 30. A similar effect can be obtained with such a configuration.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention. In this configuration, the vertical housing 1 is not fixed to the measuring rod 21 as in the first embodiment, and only the plate 8 is mounted on the measuring rods 10 and 21. Therefore, if the article comes into contact with the vertical housing 1 including the vertical window 2 at the time of measurement, accurate measurement cannot be performed. However, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the entire plate 8 is inclined downward by γ degrees as the distance from the vertical window 2 increases. A receiving portion 34 is provided at the end of the plate 8 so that the article does not roll down. The third embodiment is intended to prevent an article having a shape that easily rolls on the plate 8 from contacting the vertical window 2.

According to the above-described third embodiment, the possibility that the operator contacts the article with the vertical housing 1 including the vertical window 2 at the time of measurement is extremely small, so that accurate weight measurement can be performed. Further, since the plate 8 is a flat plate, handling during cleaning or the like is easy.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this configuration, the vertical housing 1 is not fixed to the measuring rod 21 as in the first embodiment, and only the plate 8 is mounted on the measuring rods 10 and 21. Therefore, if the article comes into contact with the vertical housing 1 including the vertical window 2 at the time of measurement, accurate measurement cannot be performed. However, as shown in FIG. 7, in the fourth embodiment, the vertical housing 1 is provided separately from the plate 8 on which articles are placed. That is, the pattern mirrors 22, 22 ',
The vertical housing 1 for storing elements for the vertical scanner such as the polygon 14b is separated from the elements for the horizontal scanner (the polygon 14a, the pattern mirrors 25, 26, 27, etc.) on which the plate 8 is placed. And A receiving portion 38 for receiving articles is provided at an end of the plate 8 on the side of the vertical housing 1. The vertical housing 1 is connected to the horizontal scanner body so as to be vertically and horizontally rotatable by two arms 35a and 35b and to be extendable and contractible. By tightening the clamp 36, the arm 36a can be fixed inside the arm 36b. 37 is a connection.

According to such a configuration, since the vertical housing 1 including the contactable vertical window 2 does not exist in front of the article, accurate weight measurement can be performed. When measuring a large article, the vertical housing 1 can be inclined away from the article so as not to hinder the measurement. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the weight of the large article 39 can be measured without being bothered by the operator by urging in the direction of the arrow with a small amount of force. Since the biasing force at this time is small, it is possible to slightly suppress the measurement error. The vertical housing 1 is detachable, and in the case of weighing a large article that does not rest on the plate 8, the vertical housing 1 can be detached for measurement, which is convenient. Further, since the plate 8 is a flat plate, handling during cleaning or the like is easy.

[0031]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a scanner with a balance that is compact, easy to handle, and that can accurately measure weight.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a scanner with a scale according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a POS system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which a vertical housing is biased.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a first example of a conventional scanner with a scale.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a conventional scanner with a scale.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vertical housing, 2 ... Vertical window, 5 ... Barcode, 7 ... Horizontal window, 8 ... Plate, 10 ... Weighing rod, 21 ... Weighing rod, 200 ... Scanner, 201 ... Scale.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article; a plate portion provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and including a transparent first window on which the article can be placed; A scanning optical system for scanning the other surface, a housing containing the scanning optical system and including a transparent second window, and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate unit. A scanner with a balance, comprising: the housing being mounted on the weight measuring unit. 2. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein said plate portion is detachably mounted on said housing. 3. A scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article, a plate portion provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and including a transparent first window on which the article can be placed, A scanning optical system for scanning the other surface, a housing containing the scanning optical system and including a transparent second window, and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate unit. A scanner with a balance, comprising: a step provided on the side of the plate portion where the second window is provided, and a portion other than the plate portion covering the upper or left and right sides of the step. 4. A scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article, a plate portion provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and including a transparent first window on which the article can be placed, A scanning optical system for scanning the other surface, a housing containing the scanning optical system and including a transparent second window, and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate unit. A scanner with a balance, wherein the plate portion is inclined downward as it moves away from the second window. 5. A scanning optical system for scanning one surface of an article, a plate section provided adjacent to the scanning optical system and including a transparent first window on which the article can be placed, A scanning optical system for scanning the other surface, a housing containing the scanning optical system and including a transparent second window, and a weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the article placed on the plate unit. The scanner with a scale, wherein the housing is provided separately from a plate portion on which the article is placed.