US 6,389,328 B1Granted

Method of and apparatus for attracting and conveying conveyable objects and process of and system for checking in an eating establishment

AssigneeNippon Crescent Co., Ltd.

InventorNobuo Tokuno

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Abstract

A method of and apparatus for conveying a conveyable object is disclosed whereby the object (W) attracted at a conveying start site (A) by suction to an attractor means (12) carried by a conveyer arm (14) and conveyed by the conveyer arm (14) while being retained by suction to the attractor means (12) is instantaneously detached from the attractor means (12) at an object conveying destination site (B). To attract the object (W) and to hold it retained to the attractor means (12), an attractor plate (32) having fastened thereto the attractor means (12) and attached to a lower end of an inner cylinder (28) that extends in the outer cylinder (20) is held in a vacuum contact with a head plate (24) attached to a lower end of an outer cylinder (20) carried by a conveyer arm (14) in which a vacuum communication is established of the attractor means (12) with a suction source (16) via the attractor plate (32), the head plate (24) and suction hose means (22). At the conveying destination site (B), the attractor plate (32) carried by the descending inner cylinder (28) with a release roller (36) guided by a release cam guide (46) is detached from the head plate (24) carried by the outer cylinder (20) held stationary to instantaneously beak the vacuum communication and release the conveyed object (W) from suction retention to the attractor means (12). In the checking system, data are stored in a computer (68) for the colors (62) of merchandise item plates (60) for their respective kinds and/or prices. The plates (60) consumed by a guest for checking are placed one on top of another in the plate (object) conveying start side (A). The sensor (64) to read a color of the consumed merchandise item plate (60). The computer (68) collates data for the colors, read by the sensor (64) and collate the stored data with the pre-stored data for the colors of merchandise item plates for their respective kinds and/or prices to determine the number and the charge of the consumed plates (60) for each of the kinds and/or prices, and to compute a total charge therefrom.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A checking process in an eating establishment, comprising the steps of:

a) providing merchandise item plates (60) on surfaces thereof with colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) that identify at least one of kinds and prices of merchandise items for loading thereon;
b) pre-storing in a computer (68) data for the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) of merchandise item plates (60) in relation to said at least one of their kinds and prices respectively;
c) loading the merchandise item plates (60) of colors, patterns colored patterns with merchandise items whose kinds said at least one of and prices are identified by the colors, patterns and colored patterns (62), thereby offering the merchandise items (60);
for checking by a guest paying a charge for merchandise item plates (60) the guest consumed,
d) placing the consumed merchandise item plates (60) one on top of another in a plate conveying start side (A);
e) causing an attractor means (12) carried by a conveyer arm (14) to attract by suction thereto each of the consumed merchandise item plates (60) so placed;
f) causing the conveyer arm (14) to convey the consumed merchandise item plate (60) held attracted and retained by the attractor means (12) from the plate conveying start side (A) towards a plate conveying destination side (B);
g) in the plate conveying destination side (B), releasing the consumed merchandise item plate (60) conveyed from suction retention by instantaneously removing suction at the attractor means (12) to permit the released merchandise item plate (60) to detach from the attractor means (12);
h) during the steps e), f) and g), reading with a sensor (64) a color, pattern or colored pattern of the consumed merchandise item plate (60);
i) repeating the steps e) to h) for all the consumed merchandise item plates (60) in the plate conveying start side (A);
and
j) in the computer (68), storing data for the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) read by the sensor (64) and collating the stored data with the pre-stored data for the colors, patterns and colored patterns (62) of merchandise item plates (60) in relation to said at least one of their kinds and prices to determine the number and the charge of the consumed merchandise item plates (60) for each of said at least one of the kinds and prices, and to compute a total charge therefrom.

9 more elements

A checking system in an eating establishment, comprising:

merchandise item plates (60) provided with colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) that identify merchandise items for loading thereon;
an attractor means (12) carried by a conveyer arm (14) for attracting by suction each of the consumed merchandise item plates (60) to permit the conveyer arm (14) to convey the consumed merchandise item plate (60) held retracted by suction to and retained by the attractor means (12) from a plate conveying start site (A) to a plate conveying destination side (B);
a suction removal means associated with the conveyer arm (14) and operable at the plate conveying destination site (B) to instantaneously remove suction to the attractor means (12) to permit the consumed merchandise item plate conveyed to detach from the attractor means and to fall;
a sensor means (64) associated with the conveyer arm (14) for sensing the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) of the merchandise item plates (60);
and
a computer (68) for pre-storing data for colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) of merchandise item plates (60) in relation to at least one of their kinds and prices respectively, the computer (68) being associated with the sensor means (64) for storing data for the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) sensed by the sensor means (64) and collating the stored data with the pre-stored data for colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) of merchandise item plates (60) in relation to said at least one of their kinds and prices to compute the number of the consumed merchandise item plates (60) for each of at least one of kinds and prices corresponding to the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) sensed by the sensor means (64) and to determine from such charges a total charge to be billed to the guest.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.