Diverter arm for retail checkstand and retail checkstands and methods incorporating same
AssigneeHEB Grocery Company, LP
InventorsNhan Thanh Phan, Craig Lewis Marquis, Ronald Andrew Wenzel, David Herschel May
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A diverter arm of a design that is configured to more effectively direct the movement of items along a retail checkstand, and checkout systems and methods incorporating such a diverter arm, are provided. In one embodiment, the diverter arm comprises an elongated block portion; an upper body portion positioned on top of the block portion substantially along its length, the upper body portion comprising at least a front face; and at least one bristle portion projecting downward from the bottom of the block portion substantially along its length.
Claims26
A diverter arm comprising:
- an elongated block portion;
- an upper body portion positioned on top of the block portion substantially along its length, the upper body portion comprising at least a front face comprising a top section that is substantially vertical and a bottom section that is substantially concave toward the bottom of the upper body portion;
- and
- at least one bristle portion projecting downward from the bottom of the block portion substantially along its length.
A retail checkstand comprising:
- a conveyor configured to receive items;
- one or more item collection areas proximate to an end of the conveyor;
- one or more diverter arms positioned between a portion of the conveyor and one or more of the item collection areas, wherein the diverter arm comprises
- an elongated block portion,
- an upper body portion positioned on top of the block portion substantially along its length, the upper body portion comprising at least a front face, and
- at least one bristle portion projecting downward from the bottom of the block portion substantially along its length.
A method of performing retail checkout comprising:
- providing a retail checkstand comprising
- a conveyor configured to receive items;
- at least first and second item collection areas proximate to an end of the conveyor;
- one or more diverter arms positioned between a portion of the conveyor and one or more of the item collection areas, wherein the diverter arm comprises
- an elongated block portion,
- an upper body portion positioned on top of the block portion substantially along its length, the upper body portion comprising at least a front face, and
- at least one bristle portion projecting downward from the bottom of the block portion substantially along its length;
- positioning one or more of the diverter arms in a first position in which items are permitted to pass from the conveyor to a first collection area but not to a second collection area;
- and
- positioning one or more of the diverter arms in a second position in which items are permitted to pass from the conveyor to the second collection area but not to the first collection area.
A diverter arm comprising:
- an elongated block portion;
- an upper body portion positioned on top of the block portion substantially along its length, the upper body portion comprising at least a front face that is substantially convex toward the center of the upper body portion;
- and
- at least one bristle portion projecting downward from the bottom of the block portion substantially along its length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.