Authors:
Hye Suk Makley, Jonathan Simmons
Abstract:
This solution provides a checkout lane with automatically sliding bag racks that can adjust to meet ADA requirements.
Background:
The current design in checkout lanes have fixed bag rack position, which may not satisfy certain ADA requirements. The optimal placement for ADA compliance does not allow for maximum utilization of the bagging area surface. Therefore, it is not ideal to have the bag rack be permanently affixed in a location(s) to satisfy the ADA laws. This disclosure addresses the issue with sliding bag racks than can be manipulated to a secondary position to meet ADA requirements when the need arises.
Description:
The lane will detect ADA requirements by:
- Customer loyalty card
- Camera recognition/detection/sensor
It will also adjust not just for ADA, but for people who are just naturally short or tall, to adjust the bag rack accordingly….either move closer to customer for those who are shorter, as their reach length will be shorter, or raise the bag rack for those who are taller, so they don’t have to bend down so much to bag stuff, more ergonomic.
See attached image for better view of this idea.
Current design has fixed mounting locations for bag racks, and many of these locations have been determined not to satisfy ADA guidelines.
Large bagging areas that have bag rack positioning that meets ADA requirements force the bag racks to the front edge. This greatly reduces the utilization of the area behind the bag racks as bagging and lifting over the bag racks is an inconvenient process for non-ADA patrons.
This invention disclosure addresses the dual need issue by providing adjustment capability in the form of sliding the bag racks to reachable distance when needed to meet ADA requirements during checkout.
In addition to satisfying ADA requirements the adjustment capabilities can allow the capability to satisfy the differing preferences of a variety of patrons.
In addition to sliding capability the invention disclosure also aims to cover height adjustability to accommodate those taller customers, so they don't have to bend down as much to bag their items.
Claims:
Method to automatically adjust bag rack positions, either sliding within the same plane surface for easy reachability to ADA customers, as well as adjusting to appropriate height requirements for improved ergonomic during scanning and bagging items.
Enabling Technology:
Auto-adjusting bag rack positions with shoppers’ data retrieved during checkout.
TGCS Reference 4027
