Purchase checkout station

• US 5,641,039 A
• Filed: 09/02/1994
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dumont, Charles
• Original Assignee: Dumont, Charles
• Inventors: Dumont, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/300,333
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 186/61, 186/66, 235/383
• US Class Current: 186/61
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/042 Shopping bags or carton-dispensing systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/043 with mechanical action
• 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: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

To be used to checkout a plurality of items to be purchased, a purchase checkout station including a product scanner utilized to scan a bar code of the item to be purchased and obtain store and purchase information relative to the item to be purchased, a data transmission connector structured to receive the purchase and pricing information regarding the items to be purchased from the product scanner for transmittal to the purchase checkout station for totalling and storage. The purchase checkout station including a loading platform whereon each item to be purchased is individually placed and verified as an item which has been scanned and whose pricing and purchase information has been transmitted to the checkout station, whereafter the loading platform is moved to an open position enabling the verified item to be purchased atop the loading platform, only if it has been properly scanned, to be placed into an automatically positioned and opened bag which receives a predetermined quantity of the items to be purchased therein and is sealed for secured removal by the consumer subsequent to payment.

Claims

1. To be used to checkout an item to be purchased, a purchase checkout station comprising:

product scanning means structured and disposed to scan a bar code of the item to be purchased and obtain pricing and purchase information relative to the item to be purchased, p1 a data input connection disposed in information receiving and transmitting communication with said product scanning means,

said data input connection structured and disposed to receive the pricing and purchase information relative to the items to be purchased from said product scanning means,

data processing means structured and disposed to store and total the pricing and purchase information of all of the items to be purchased,

display means structured and disposed to display the pricing and purchase information regarding the items to be purchased and the pricing totals regarding all of the items to be purchased to a user,

a primary support surface,

a loading platform movably disposed on said primary support surface and structured to receive each of the items to be purchased individually thereon,

automatic bagging means structured and disposed to position an empty bag in an open position such that it will receive the item to be purchased on said loading platform therein only if said item to be purchased has been properly scanned by said product scanning means, said automatic bagging means being further structured to enable only a predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased to be disposed in said bag,

wherein said primary support surface includes an access opening, said access opening being structured and disposed to overlie said bag of said automatic bagging means and allow access thereto by said items to be purchased,

wherein said loading platform is disposed above said access opening such that upon movement of said loading platform out of covering relation above said access opening, said item to be purchased on said loading platform will fall off said loading platform into said bag beneath said access opening,

and wherein said loading platform has an upper face and wherein said product scanning means is mounted in said loading platform upper face such that placing said item to be purchased onto said loading platform both causes said item to be scanned and positions said item to fall from said loading platform into said bag upon said movement of said loading platform.

2. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 1 wherein said automatic bagging means includes bag sealing means structured and disposed to seal the bag in a closed position subsequent to said predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased being positioned in the bag.

3. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 2 including two of said automatic bagging means disposed to alternately receive said items to be purchased from said loading platform until said predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased is disposed in the bag of each of said automatic bagging means.

4. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 3 wherein, said primary support surface includes a pair of spaced access openings, each of said access openings being structured and disposed to overly said bag of each of said automatic bagging means and allow access thereto by said items to be purchased.

5. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 3 wherein each of said automatic bagging means includes:

a bag reserve structured and disposed to contain a plurality of empty bags,

automatic dispensing means structured to position one of said empty bags from the bag reserve to said open, item receiving position beneath said primary support surface, and

removal means structured and disposed to move a full one of the bags from beneath said loading platform to a dispensing position.

6. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 2 including bag load checking means structured and disposed to detect when said predetermined quantity of items to be purchased have been positioned in one of the bags and direct said bag sealing means to seal the bag.

7. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 6 wherein said bag load checking means includes a scale disposed beneath the bag under said loading platform, said scale measuring a weight of items in the bag and detecting when a maximum weight capacity of the bag, which corresponds said predetermined quantity of items to be purchased, is reached.

8. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 6 wherein said bag load checking means includes an optic fill height meter structured and disposed to measure a height of items in the bag and detect when a maximum height capacity of the bag, which corresponds said predetermined quantity of items to be purchased, is reached.

9. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 6 including load shock absorption means structured and disposed to cushion positioning of said items to be purchased in the bag.

10. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 9 wherein said load shock absorption means includes a cushioned, vertically moveable platform which is elevated to lift a bottom of the bag upward towards said leading platform, and gradually lower as said items to be purchased are slidingly positioned into said bag from said loading platform.

11. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 1 further including payment receiving means structured and disposed to receive an appropriate payment corresponding the totaled cost of all of the items to be purchased as scanned by said product scanning means and transmitted to the data processing means.

12. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 1 wherein said product scanning means includes a portable purchase monitoring device which is utilized to scan the bar code of the item to be purchased and obtain and store pricing and purchase information relative to the item to be purchased.

13. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 12 wherein said primary support surface includes a monitor cradle structured and disposed to receive and hold the purchase monitoring device, and

said monitor cradle including said data input connection disposed in information receiving and transmitting communication with a data transmission connector of the purchase monitoring device.

14. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 13 including a monitor receptacle beneath said monitor cradle, said monitor receptacle being, structured to automatically and securely receive the purchase monitoring device therein subsequent to transmission of the pricing and purchase information relative to the items to be purchased from the purchase monitoring device to said data processing means.

15. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 1 further including verification means structured and disposed to verify that the item to be purchased placed on said loading platform has been scanned by said product scanning means so as to transmit the purchase and pricing information relative to the item to be purchased to said data processing means.

16. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 15 wherein said verification means are disposed in said loading platform.

17. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 1 including a security area disposed on said primary support surface and being structured and disposed to substantially cover said loading platform, upon its receiving said item to be purchased thereon and sliding into said security area, so as to detect and prevent entry into said security area subsequent to said loading platform with said item to be purchased thereon entering said security area for transfer of said item to be purchased to said automatic bagging means, and thereby ensuring that only properly scanned ones of said items to be purchased are loaded into said bag of said automatic bagging means at one time.

18. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 1 wherein said loading platform is structured to receive a plurality of like ones of said items to be purchased at one time.

19. To be used to checkout an item to be purchased, a purchase checkout station comprising:

product scanning means structured and disposed to scan a bar code of the item to be purchased and obtain pricing and purchase information relative to the item to be purchased,

a data input connection disposed in information receiving and transmitting communication with said product scanning means,

said data input connection structured and disposed to receive the pricing and purchase information relative to the items to be purchased from said product scanning means,

data processing means structured and disposed to store and total the pricing and purchase information of all of the items to be purchased,

display means structured and disposed to display the pricing and purchase information regarding the items to be purchased and the pricing totals regarding all of the items to be purchased to a user,

a primary support surface,

a loading platform movably disposed on said primary support surface and structured to receive each of the items to be purchased individually thereon,

automatic bagging means structured and disposed to position an empty bag in an open position such that it will receive the item to be purchased on said loading platform therein only if said item to be purchased has been properly scanned by said product scanning means, said automatic bagging means being further structured to enable only a predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased to be disposed in said bag,

wherein two of said automatic bagging means are disposed to alternately receive said items to be purchased from said loading platform until said predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased is disposed in the bag of each of said automatic bagging means,

wherein said automatic bagging means includes bag sealing means structured and disposed to seal the bag in a closed position subsequent to said predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased being positioned in the bag,

wherein said primary support surface includes a pair of spaced access openings, each of said access openings being structured and disposed to overlie said bag of each of said automatic bagging means and allow access thereto by said items to be purchased,

a stopper panel structured and disposed to push said items to be purchased from said loading platform through one of said access openings into one of said bags.

20. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 19 wherein said loading platform is slidingly disposed above said access openings and beneath said stopper panel such that upon slided movement of said loading platform from covering relation above a first one of said access openings, beneath said stopper panel, and into covering relation atop a second one of said access openings, said item to be purchased on said loading platform will contact said stopper panel and slide off of said loading platform into said bag beneath said first one of said access openings, said loading platform alternately sliding from atop said first one of said access openings and said second one of said access openings.

21. To be used to checkout an item to be purchased, a purchase checkout station comprising:

product scanning means structured and disposed to scan a bar code of the item to be purchased and obtain pricing and purchase information relative to the item to be purchased,

a data input connection disposed in information receiving and transmitting communication with said product scanning means,

said data input connection structured and disposed to receive the pricing and purchase information relative to the items to be purchased from said product scanning means,

data processing means structured and disposed to store and total the pricing and purchase information of all of the items to be purchased,

display means structured and disposed to display the pricing and purchase information regarding the items to be purchased and the pricing totals regarding all of the items to be purchased to a user,

a primary support surface,

a loading platform movably disposed on said primary support surface and structured to receive each of the items to be purchased individually thereon,

automatic bagging means structured and disposed to position an empty bag in an open position such that it will receive the item to be purchased on said loading platform therein only if said item to be purchased has been properly scanned by said product scanning means, said automatic bagging means being further structured to enable only a predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased to be disposed in said bag,

wherein said primary support surface includes an access opening, said access opening being structured and disposed to overlie said bag of said automatic bagging means and allow access thereto by said items to be purchased,

wherein said loading platform is disposed above said access opening such that upon movement of said loading platform out of covering relation above said access opening, said item to be purchased on said loading platform will fall off said loading platform into said bag beneath said access opening,

wherein said loading platform has an upper face and wherein said product scanning means is mounted in said loading platform upper face such that placing said item to be purchased onto said loading platform both causes said item to be scanned and positions said item to fall from said loading platform into said bag upon said movement of said loading platform,

and wherein two of said automatic bagging means are disposed to alternately receive said items to be purchased from said loading platform until said predetermined quantity of said items to be purchased is disposed in the bag of each of said automatic bagging means.

22. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 21, wherein said primary support surface includes a pair of spaced access openings, each of said access openings being structured and disposed to overly said bag of each of said automatic bagging means and allow access thereto by said items to be purchased.

23. A purchase checkout station as recited in claim 21 wherein each of said automatic bagging means includes:

a bag reserve structured and disposed to contain a plurality of empty bags,

automatic dispensing means structured to position one of said empty bags from the bag reserve to said open, item receiving position beneath said primary support surface, and

removal means structured and disposed to move a full one of the bags from beneath said loading platform to a dispensing position.