# US 12,602,964 B2 · Item take-out apparatus and item take-out system

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- Number: US 12,602,964 B2
- Document ID: US12602964B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/212,196
- Filed: 2023-06-21
- Published: 2023-10-19
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-22
- Assignees: Glory Ltd.
- Applicants: Glory Ltd.
- Inventors: Noriyuki Nakagami; Osamu Ito; Andreas Steinlin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602964B2

## CPC

- G07F 11/165: {using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements}
- G07F 9/10: Casings {or parts thereof}, e.g. with means for heating or cooling
- G07F 11/005: {Special arrangements for insuring that only one single article may be dispensed at a time}
- G07F 11/46: from movable storage containers or supports
- G06Q 20/20: Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
- G07G 1/0018: {Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07G: REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS

## Abstract

In order for various styles of selling items in stores, an item take-out apparatus from which a user takes out an item is provides with: a storage unit that stores items therein; a plurality of take-out ports through which the user takes out an item from inside the item take-out apparatus; and a transport unit configured to extract an item from the storage unit and transport the item to any of the plurality of take-out ports. The transport unit transports an item designated by the user to a take-out port, through which the user takes out the item, among the plurality of take-out ports.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for selling an item, comprising:
a storage unit configured to store items therein;
a plurality of take-out ports through which the user takes out an item from inside the system;
a transport unit configured to extract an item from the storage unit and transport the item to any of the plurality of take-out ports;
a payment apparatus configured to perform a payment process on the item;
a plurality of operation units; and
a memory that stores information indicating correspondence between the respective operation units and the plurality of take-out ports, wherein
when the item has been designated by using any one of the operation units and a user has completed the payment process on the designated item by using the payment apparatus, one of the plurality of take-out ports corresponding to the one operation unit is specified based on the information stored in the memory and the transport unit transports the item to the one take-out port corresponding to the one operation unit,
the storage unit includes a storage port and an extraction port, and the storage unit is configured to store therein items received from the storage port in such a manner that only one item, among a plurality of items being stored therein, is extracted from the extraction port to outside the storage unit,
the transport unit transports the one item extracted from the extraction port, to the one take-out port,
the transport unit includes a holding unit configured to extract an item from the extraction port of the storage unit,
the holding unit includes a tray on which the item can be placed, and a hook projecting upward from the tray,
the storage unit is configured to store therein a plurality of items by stacking the items in an up-down direction in such a manner that entire side surface of the lowermost item is exposed from the storage unit in a direction for extracting the lowermost item while exposing a portion of a lower surface and a portion of a back surface of the lowermost item from the storage unit, and
the transport unit extracts the lowermost item from the storage unit with the hook of the holding unit being caught on the back surface of the lowermost item, and places the extracted item on the tray to transport the item.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein
each of the plurality of take-out ports includes a placement part on which an item to be taken out from the take-out port is placed, and a groove is formed in the placement part, and
the transport unit causes the tray to enter a space beneath the placement part such that the item on the tray is transferred onto the placement part while the hook passes into the groove, move downward to a position where the hook is separated from the item placed on the placement part and move backward, to transport the item to the one take-out port.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein
the transport unit further includes:
a rotation unit configured to rotate the holding unit; and
a movement unit configured to move the holding unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, further comprising
a communication unit configured to receive information indicating the item and the one take-out port.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of take-out ports is disposed in an exterior wall of a store so that the user takes out the item from outside the store.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of take-out ports is disposed in each of at least two surfaces out of four side surfaces, an upper surface and a lower surface that constitute a housing of the system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of take-out ports is disposed in each of a plurality of surfaces of a housing of the system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, wherein when the item for which purchase eligibility is required has been designated by using the one operation unit, the transport unit transports the item to the one take-out port on condition that it has been confirmed that a customer who purchases the item has the purchase eligibility.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, wherein the transport unit transports the item to the one take-out port on condition that information indicating that the customer has the purchase eligibility has been inputted by using the one operation unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, further comprising:
a reading device configured to read eligibility information on the purchase eligibility from a medium storing the eligibility information, wherein
the transport unit transports the item to the one take-out port on condition that the reading device has read the eligibility information from a medium owned by the customer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system according to claim 8, further comprising:
a communication unit configured to receive, from an external apparatus that reads eligibility information on the purchase eligibility from a medium storing the eligibility information, information indicating whether or not the eligibility information has been read from the medium, wherein
the transport unit transports the item to the one take-out port on condition that the communication unit has received information indicating that the eligibility information has been read from a medium owned by the customer.