VERTICALLY MOUNTED PRODUCT LOAD SENSOR FOR A RETAIL CHECKOUT STATION

• US 20090188757A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cox, Aaron R., Sluchak, Thomas J., Tennant, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US12/164,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188757A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 186/66
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0072 with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

A retail checkout station includes a housing having at least a front wall that defines a first substantially vertical surface, a first side wall that defines a second substantially vertical surface, and a second side wall that defines a third substantially vertical surface. A product scanning portion is provided at the housing. The product scanning portion includes a scanning device for scanning products purchased by a consumer. A user interface portion having a display is also provided at the housing. The retail checkout station further includes a product load sensor mounted to one of the first, second and third substantially vertical surfaces of the housing.

Claims

1. A retail checkout station comprising:

a housing having at least a front wall that defines a first substantially vertical surface, a first side wall that defines a second substantially vertical surface, and a second side wall that defines a third substantially vertical surface;

a product scanning portion provided at the housing, the product scanning portion including a scanning device for scanning products purchased by a consumer;

a user interface portion provided at the housing, the user interface portion including a display;

a product load sensor mounted to one of the first, second and third substantially vertical surfaces of the housing, the product load sensor being off-set from at least one of the product scanning portion and the user interface; and

a bagging station mounted to the product load sensor on the one of the first, second and third substantially vertical surfaces of the housing;

wherein the bagging station includes a bag rack, the bag rack not being supported upon a substantially planar horizontal surface.