Checkout station bumper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106327-B2
Application number	US-201815860984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jun 20, 2017
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

Described is a checkout station in a retail store that includes a bumper for preventing dividers from covering a belt end sensor. The belt end sensor senses when items on a checkout station conveyor belt have reached the end of the conveyor belt. If a divider stored on an edge wall alongside the conveyor belt covers the belt end sensor, the conveyor belt stops motion when it should keep moving. The checkout station includes a bumper that couples to the edge wall. The bumper prevents the dividers from covering the belt end sensor and interfering with the operation of the belt end sensor and the conveyor belt. The bumper includes a backbone and a hook coupled to the backbone. The hook couples the bumper to the edge wall. When the bumper is coupled to the edge wall, the bumper blocks dividers from covering the belt end sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A checkout station bumper, the bumper comprising:
a backbone, wherein the backbone is a rectangular shaped bar of rigid material comprising:
a backbone top end;
a backbone bottom end opposing the backbone top end;
a first backbone side;
a second backbone side;
a backbone front surface; and
a backbone rear surface;

a first fin and a second fin extending from the backbone front surface; and
a hook coupled to the backbone, wherein the hook comprises:
a stem having a stem first end and a stem second end opposing the stem first end, wherein the stem first end is coupled to the backbone top end, and wherein the stem extends from the backbone rear surface in a direction perpendicular to the backbone rear surface; and
an end piece coupled to the stem second end, wherein the end piece is a rectangular shaped plate that extends perpendicular to the stem;

wherein the bumper blocks a divider of a checkout station from activating a belt end sensor in response to the bumper being coupled to an edge wall of the checkout station.

2. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the stem is about five times longer than the end piece.

3. The bumper of claim 1 , wherein the first fin and the second fin are perpendicular to the backbone front surface.

4. The bumper of claim 3 , wherein the first fin and the second fin are each triangular shaped plates.

5. The bumper of claim 4 , wherein the first fin and the second fin are parallel to each other.

6. The bumper of claim 5 , wherein the first fin comprises:
a fin first edge, wherein the fin first edge is straight and wherein the fin first edge is coupled to the backbone front surface;
a fin second edge, wherein the fin second edge is straight and wherein the fin second edge is perpendicular to the backbone front surface; and
a fin third edge, wherein the fin third edge is curved.

7. The bumper of claim 6 , further comprising a fin spacer located between the first fin and the second fin, wherein the fin spacer is coupled to the backbone front surface and to each of the first and the second fins.

8. The bumper of claim 7 , wherein a fin spacer length is less than a backbone length.

9. The bumper of claim 8 , wherein a fin second edge length is equal to a stem length.

10. A checkout station in a retail store comprising:
a conveyor belt with a conveyor belt end adjacent a scan area, wherein the conveyor belt moves an item to be purchased towards the scan area;
a belt end sensor that senses when the item to be purchased reaches the conveyor belt end of the conveyor belt;
an edge wall positioned adjacent the conveyor belt;
a divider that sits on the edge wall; and
a bumper that couples to the edge wall, wherein the bumper prevents the divider from covering the belt end sensor.

11. The checkout station of claim 10 , wherein the bumper comprises:
a backbone, wherein the backbone is a rectangular shaped bar of rigid material having a backbone top end, a backbone bottom end opposing the backbone top end, a first backbone side, a second backbone side, a backbone front surface, and a backbone rear surface; and
a hook coupled to, and extending perpendicularly from, the backbone rear surface at the backbone top end, wherein the hook couples the bumper to the edge wall.

12. The checkout station of claim 11 , wherein the bumper comprises a protrusion extending from the backbone rear surface, wherein the protrusion extends from the backbone first side to the backbone second side along the backbone rear surface, and wherein a protrusion longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the backbone first side and the backbone second side.

13. The checkout station of claim 12 , wherein the edge wall comprises a channel that receives the protrusion.

14. The checkout station of claim 11 , wherein the hook comprises:
a stem, wherein the stem is an elongate bar of rigid material having a stem first end and a stem second end opposing the stem first end, and wherein the stem first end is coupled to the backbone top end; and
an end piece coupled to the stem second end, wherein the end piece is a rectangular plate that is perpendicular to the stem.

15. The checkout station of claim 14 , wherein the backbone rear surface extends along an edge wall inner surface, a stem inner surface extends across an edge wall top surface, and an end piece inner surface extends along an edge wall outer surface in response to the bumper being coupled to the edge wall.

16. The checkout station of claim 15 , wherein the bumper further comprises a first fin and a second fin extending from the backbone front surface.

17. The checkout station of claim 16 , wherein the first fin and the second fin are each triangular shaped plates.

18. The checkout station of claim 17 , wherein the bumper further comprises a fin spacer located between the first and the second fins, wherein the fin spacer is coupled to the backbone front surface and to the first and the second fin.

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc
• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Bacallao Yurgis Mauro

Classifications

• G06F3/0317

  in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface · CPC title

• A47F9/04 Primary

  Check-out counters, e.g. for self-service stores · CPC title

• A47F2009/041

  Accessories for check-out counters, e.g. dividers · CPC title

• B65G43/02

  detecting dangerous physical condition of load carriers, e.g. for interrupting the drive in the event of overheating · CPC title

• B65B35/243

  using cooperating conveyors engaging the articles simultaneously · CPC title