FR2674954A1 - WEIGHING AND LABELING MACHINE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The weighing and labeling machine (1) for foodstuffs, in particular food and perishables, comprises a unit for calculating and managing the sale of these foodstuffs, connected to a data entry keyboard (2), to a sensor (3 ) of the weight of the foodstuffs and to a label edition printer (4), and at the output of the printer, a bar code reader (7) which transmits to the calculation and management unit a validation signal for the labeling operation.

Description

The present invention relates to a weighing and labeling machine and

more precisely a perfect

  ment to this type of machines known in themselves. The foodstuffs, and more particularly the perishable foodstuffs offered for sale, are increasingly prepackaged and labeled. The label is intended to inform the consumer about the packaging date, the expiration date, the weight of the product, the price of this product per unit of weight and the price actually payable This label is also intended to be read by an automatic machine and to do this, includes an optical bar code also comprising a certain amount of information necessary for managing the sale of products such as the price of the prepackaged item, the code of this item and various codes appendices meeting the requirements of IT management

sales.

  The function of the weighing and labeling machine, in addition to editing labels, is to introduce the

  product in the merchant's sales management system.

  This product will emerge from this system when it has been bought by a consumer or when it has been withdrawn from sale

  for any reason (expiration, defects, deterioration

tions,>.

  The subtraction of the product sold takes place at the time

  o its label (bar code) is read at the cash register.

  On the other hand, the subtraction of the product not sold but unfit for sale is carried out by means of the

weighing labeling.

  It is then a question of weighing the packets and then subtracting them, or re-entering on the keyboard of this machine the price of each packet (and other data) to also subtract it from the central unit. These manual operations are a source of errors which, when they occur, complicate the operation of the central management unit In addition, it is not uncommon for the weighing of

  subtraction, the weight of the article having in the varied interval, a data different from that introduced at the time of labeling is introduced, the subtraction then being false from the point of view of management.

  The accounting of the product by checkout is sometimes a source of errors. The barcode is not always legible or read correctly, which generates signals towards the management unit.

interpreted.

  The present invention intends to remedy the drawbacks

  nients recalled above by proposing a simple device associated with the weighing and labeling machine which makes it possible to easily carry out the control of this labeling and the

  subtraction of items withdrawn from sale.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a machine for weighing and labeling foodstuffs, in particular food and perishable goods, comprising a unit for calculating and managing the sale of these foodstuffs, connected to an input keyboard for

  data, to a commodity weight sensor and to a printer

  mantle editing labels, and which includes at the output of the printer, a bar code reader which transmits towards the calculation and management unit a validation signal from

the labeling operation.

  The reader located at the exit of the printer makes it possible to ensure that each label published is, at least, readable which will decrease the frequency of problems of

  reading of these labels at checkout.

  In a preferred embodiment, the bar code reader is detachably disposed at the output of the printer and is connected to the latter by a flexible cord, which makes it possible to use it to read the labels of the labels in a convenient manner. items which are withdrawn from the sale By subtracting this information read from that which was recorded at the time of labeling and this, at the level of the labeling machine, it simplifies

  greatly managing the sale of items. Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description given below of an embodiment of

  the invention. Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a partial exterior view of the machine according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows its use for the

  reading the labels of items withdrawn from sale.

  The weighing-labeling machine according to the invention comprises a calculation and management unit 1 with which are associated a keyboard 2 allowing the selection of a certain number of parameters relating to the articles to be labeled, a balance 3 allowing the introduction of the weight of the article and a printer (not shown) to edit a label 4

  containing a certain amount of information in clear text necessary

  consumers and a bar code 5 which is the repro-

  duction of the information processed by the management unit (product code, weight, price) In addition and in a known manner, the unit 1 includes a display screen 6 for viewing the information entered in and processed by

the management unit.

  According to the invention, this machine comprises a reader 7 for the bar code 5 which is also connected to the management unit. This reader in particular allows monitoring of the optical quality of the edited bar code and provides the machine with a validation signal of the label published Le

  reader can also perform other verification functions

  cation, for example providing the machine with the information carried by the bar code which will be translated in clear on screen 6, forcing the operator to check the correspondence between the coded information and the product to be labeled, which makes it possible to locate and correct handling errors

at the keyboard.

  This optical reader 7 is placed immediately at the exit of the printer so that the code is read as soon as the label 4 is edited, in a support 8 which holds it in a position suitable for the reading to be carried out. . The reader 7 is housed in this support in a detachable manner so that it can be, as shown in FIG. 2, approached a package or an article comprising a coded label 9 which should be removed from sale for one of the reasons set out above A flexible cord 10, capable of being retracted in the housing 11 of the machine 1

  connects the reader 7 to the management unit contained in the machine The support 8 is here represented in the form of a clip 8 for receiving the reader secured to one of the faces of the housing 11 This can be any other equivalent means (mechanical

  or magnetic) attachment of the reader to the machine.

  Thus, by means of this reader and an appropriate key on the keyboard, an operator can easily remove from the management, in a safe and rapid manner, any pre-labeled article which is

withdrawn from sale.

Claims (3)

  1 machine (1) for weighing and labeling foodstuffs, in particular food and perishables, comprising a unit for calculating and managing the sale of these foodstuffs, connected to a data entry keyboard (2), to a sensor (3 ) the weight of the foodstuffs and a label printing printer (4),   characterized in that it comprises, at the output of the printer, a bar code reader (7) which emits towards the calculation and management unit a validation signal for the labeling operation.   2 Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the bar code reader (7) is detachably disposed at the output of the printer and is connected to the unit of calculation by a flexible cord.   3 Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a support (8) for receiving the reader   (7), carried by one of the faces of its housing (11).