Weighing device for the registration of goods in stores

• US 5,488,202 A
• Filed: 06/09/1993
• Issued: 01/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ihlenburg, Rainer, Baitz, Gunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W.
• Application Number:
  US08/074,843
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 177/25, 177/15, 177/50, 186/61
• US Class Current: 177/25.15
• 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: B62B 2203/50 comprising weighing means
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/22 Weigh pans or other weighing receptacles; Weighing platforms
• 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

Abstract

A weighing device for the self-service registration of goods in stores contains a floor scale (2), which is disposed in an upwardly open standing container (3). The floor scale (2) has a suspension device (8) for at least one carrying container (11) which is removable from it. It is protected by the standing container (3) against accidental influences from outside, so that prolongations of the weighing procedure are prevented. As a result of the arrangement of the carrying container (11) on the floor balance (3), the departure of the customer with the weighed goods from the weighing area is speeded up. As the weighing receptacle in the standing container (3), a shopping container, for example a shopping cart (21), can also be used. For this purpose, the floor scale (50, 60) is in this case of U-shaped configuration in top view and is provided with bearing elements (52, 71) for the shopping container.

Claims

1. A weighing device for registering goods in stores, in which each purchased article is identified and then weighed for weight-registration purposes, comprising:

a floor scale operable to weigh articles placed on a weighing portion,

a support mounted on said weighing portion of said floor scale and projecting upwardly approximately to waist level,

a suspension means mounted on said support close to an upper end of said support for suspending at least one carrying container which is removable from said suspension means,

a standing container having upwardly extending walls, said standing container extending at least partly about said floor scale and being free of said weighing portion of said floor scale,

a weighing receptacle resting on said weighing portion and including a receiving container in an interior of said standing container and being free of said standing container to permit weighing movement between said weighing receptacle and said standing container, said weighing receptacle being a shopping container which can be pushed into said interior of said standing container and onto said weighing portion of said floor scale, said suspension means being disposed above said shopping container.

2. A weighing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said suspension means includes at least one cantilever bar, said at least one carrying container including a carrier bag hanging from said at least one cantilever bar.

3. A weighing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one carrying container includes a carrier bag pack having a plurality of carrier bags connected to one another at predetermined breaking points and suspended from said suspension means.

4. A weighing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said suspension means includes two bars from which said plurality of carrier bags hang by carrying handles, and said plurality of carrier bags are connected to one another via webs made from bag material which are formed onto bag sides and which form the predetermined breaking points.

5. A weighing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said floor scale comprises a unit disposed centrally on a base of said standing container, a hood-shaped bearing plate covering said base and shaped for supporting a shopping cart having wheels so that when said shopping cart is pushed onto said bearing plate said wheels are on both sides of said floor balance.

6. A weighing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said floor scale is U-shaped in top view having a pair of U-legs, and further comprising:

a bearing device disposed between said U-legs for supporting the shopping container.

7. A weighing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said bearing device includes a bearing plate mounted pivotably to said U-legs about a line connecting said U-legs.

8. A weighing device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a latch device holding the shopping container in a weighing position.

9. A weighing device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

bearing plate connected to a movable top part of said floor scale, and a lifting mechanism for raising said bearing plate from a position resting on a surface into a weighing position above the surface.

10. A weighing device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

bearing journals in said bearing device movable into a position to engage the shopping container, a lifting means for raising said bearing journals into a weighing position in engagement with the shopping container.

11. A weighing device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a switch connected to the latch device said switch being actuated by the shopping container inserted into said standing container, and an electric motor connected to drive said lifting mechanism in response to the shopping container being inserted into said standing container.

12. A weighing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said latch device is electro-magnetically releasable from said shopping container.

13. A weighing device for registering goods in stores, in which each purchased article is identified and then weighed for weight-registration purposes, comprising:

a floor scale having a top weighing surface and operable to weigh articles placed thereon,

a support mounted on said top weighing surface of said floor scale and projecting upwardly approximately to waist level of a person using the weighing device,

a shopping cart which can be pushed onto said top weighing surface of said floor scale for weighing said shopping cart and its contents using said floor scale,

a bag suspending means mounted on said support close to an upper end of said support for suspending a bag into which articles are placed from said shopping cart, said support and said bag suspending means being in weighing relation with said top weighing surface so that the bag and its contents are weighed by said floor scale, the bag being removable from said bag suspending means.

14. A weighing device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a standing container mounted about said floor scale and free of said top weighing surface to shield against accidental contact and drafts during weighing of the shopping cart and any articles therein.