Checkout apparatus

A checkout apparatus comprising:

• reading means for reading article codes of articles;
• first feeding means for feeding the articles whose article codes are read by said reading means;
• distributing means for distributing the articles fed from said first feeding means to one of first and second directions;
• second feeding means for feeding the articles distributed in the first direction by said distributing means to a packaging area;
• stock means for stocking the articles distributed in the second direction by said distributing means within a stock area separated from the packaging area;
• and
• processing means for checking whether or not an article fed by said first feeding means coincides with an article whose article code is read by said reading means, and for controlling said distributing means so as to distribute an article fed from said first feeding means in the first direction when the checked articles are coincident with each other and in the second direction when the checked articles are not coincident with each other;
• said processing means including settlement means for effecting sales registration with respect to articles whose article codes are read by said reading means and which are fed into said packaging area, and to articles whose article codes are not read by said reading means and which are fed to said stock area;
• said stock means further including feeding means arranged with said second feeding means, for feeding articles moved from said distributing means to said stock area;
• said stock area being arranged near said settlement means;
• and
• said stock means including gating means for permitting articles which reach said stock area to be moved into said second feeding means.

A checkout apparatus comprising:

• reading means for reading article codes of articles;
• first feeding means for feeding the articles whose article codes are read by said reading means;
• distributing means for distributing the articles fed from said first feeding means to one of first and second directions;
• second feeding means for feeding the articles distributed in the first direction by said distributing means to a packaging area;
• stock means for stocking the articles distributed in the second direction by said distributing means within a stock area separated from the packaging area;
• and
• processing means for checking whether or not an article fed by said first feeding means coincides with an article whose article code is read by said reading means, and for controlling said distributing means so as to distribute the article fed from said first feeding means in the first direction when the checked articles are coincident with each other and in the second direction when the checked articles are not coincident with each other;
• said processing means including settlement means for effecting sales registration with respect to articles whose article codes are read by said reading means and which are fed into said packaging area, and to articles whose article codes are not read by said reading means and which are fed to said stock area;
• and
• said settlement means including memory means for storing article data of articles, and registering means for detecting that an article whose article code is read by said reading means coincides with an article fed by said first feeding means and for registering the article based on the article data read out from said memory means in accordance with the article code;
• said registering means including additional registration means for reading article codes of articles stocked in said stock area and for registering the stocked articles based on the article data read out from said memory means in accordance with the article codes.