Weigh plate quick release mount

• US 5,033,562 A
• Filed: 09/04/1990
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Cone, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/576,759
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 177/128, 177/25.15, 177/253, 364/466
• US Class Current: 177/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/23 Support or suspension of weighing platforms G01G21/24 takes precedence

Abstract

A quick release weigh plate for a weighing device includes a support member to which is secured a pair of cantilever load beam cells for generating electrical signals representing the weight of an object placed on the load beam cells. The load beam cells each include a support portion which extends through an aperture in the support member on which is removably mounted a cover for supporting the object to be weighed. One of the support portions has a truncated slotted end on which is removably mounted a U-shaped saddle member secured to the cover preventing any unnecessary movement of the cover when mounted on the load beam cells while allowing the cover to be easily removed when necessary. The other support portion has its end removably positioned within an aperture in the cover.

Claims

1. A checkout system for performing scanning and weighing operations on merchandise items having a coded label affixed thereto identifying the merchandise item comprising;

a supporting surface for supporting a merchandise item thereon;

a cover assembly positioned on the supporting surface having a top surface coplanar with the supporting surface, said top surface having a first aperture therein;

optical scanning means positioned adjacent the cover assembly for projecting scanning light beams through said first aperture for scanning a coded label on the merchandise item;

support means mounted adjacent the cover assembly and the optical scanning means including a plurality of second apertures;

window means mounted in the support means in registry with the optical scanning means and said first aperture for enabling the scanning light beams of the scanning means to be projected through the first aperture; and

signal generating means mounted to said support means including first and second load beam cells each including a support member extending through one of said second apertures to removably engage the cover assembly for enabling the weight of objects placed on the cover assembly to be determined, the removable engagement of the support members with the cover assembly enabling the cover assembly to be removed from the supporting surface.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the support member of the first load beam cell has a truncated end portion and said cover assembly includes a saddle member secured to said cover assembly which is positioned on said truncated end portion preventing movement of the cover assembly on the load beam cells.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the truncated end portion of the support member of the first load beam cell includes a vertically extending slotted portion within which the saddle member is positioned to eliminate any lateral movement of the cover assembly.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the saddle member includes a U-shaped depending portion which is positioned within the slotted portion of the support member of the first load beam cell.

5. The system of claim 4 in which the saddle member includes an elongated connecting portion which is mounted to the cover means, said connecting portion extending in a direction which is coplanar with the slotted portion to prevent rotational movement of the cover assembly around an axis perpendicular to a vertical plane extending through the U-shaped depending portion of the saddle member.

6. The system of claim 1 in which said cover assembly includes a third aperture and the support member of the second load beam cell has a narrow end portion positioned within the third aperture for supporting the cover assembly.

7. The system of claim 1 in which each of the load beam cells include a cantilever beam assembly secured at one end to said support means, each assembly including its associated support member, a beam member and a spacer member secured at one end of the beam member and to the undersurface of the support means positioning the support member in one of said second apertures.

8. The system of claim 7 in which said cover assembly includes a second window means mounted in registry with the first window means and said first aperture enabling the scanning light beams to be projected through the first aperture.

9. The system of claim 1 in which said supporting surface comprises a checkout counter on which is positioned a merchandise item, and in which said support means comprise a pair of plate members in which are located said second and third apertures enabling the cover assembly to be mounted on the load beam cells.