A rangefinder for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette packs

Abstract

This utility model provides a rangefinder for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes, including a rangefinder body and a positioning plate. The measuring end of the rangefinder body is equipped with a light emitter. A channel is opened through the measuring end of the rangefinder body where the light emitter is located, allowing the positioning plate to pass through. The channel is located below the light emitter, and the extension direction of the channel is parallel to the measuring direction of the rangefinder body. The rangefinder body is slidably mounted on the positioning plate through the channel. The end of the positioning plate facing the measuring direction of the rangefinder body is a free end, and a reflective plate is provided at its free end. The reflective plate is directly opposite the light emitter of the rangefinder body. The reflective plate can abut against the outer edge of the cigarette boxes placed in the cigarette pusher being inventoried, so as to achieve positioning of the free end of the positioning plate and reflect the light beam signal emitted by the light emitter. The rangefinder body can slide freely along the length direction of the positioning plate, adjusting the distance between it and the reflective plate, thereby measuring the arrangement length of the cigarette boxes being inventoried.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cigarette box inventory technology, specifically to a measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes. Background Technology

[0002] In the tobacco commercial distribution sector, retail terminals, as key nodes in tobacco product sales, rely heavily on accurate inventory management for tobacco companies to achieve efficient distribution, inventory optimization, and supply chain management. To enhance the convenience and standardization of cigarette sales, tobacco retail terminals commonly use cigarette pushers as storage and sales containers. Individual packs of cigarettes of different brands and sizes are placed in their respective pushers. These pushers typically feature automatic cigarette pushing functionality, automatically pushing the remaining packs forward after a single pack is removed, facilitating access for retail staff and selection by consumers. This has become the mainstream cigarette display and sales equipment in tobacco retail terminals.

[0003] In actual tobacco commercial distribution operations, staff need to regularly inventory the tobacco inventory (including whole cartons and loose cartons) at each retail terminal. This serves as an important basis for tobacco commercial enterprises to formulate replenishment plans and verify inventory data. Currently, when inventorying the loose cartons stored in each cigarette pusher, staff must first remove each pusher from the display shelf one by one, and then count the number of loose cartons in the pusher by visual inspection. Since there are many brands and specifications of cigarettes for sale, retail terminals often need to be equipped with dozens of pushers, which is a very large number. During manual inventory, it is necessary to frequently take and put away each pusher, which is cumbersome, inefficient, and very inconvenient. Moreover, staff are prone to visual fatigue during long-term repetitive counting, leading to omissions and overcounts, making it difficult to guarantee the accuracy of the data. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a measuring ruler to assist in counting the number of loose cigarette boxes, so as to solve the technical problems of inconvenience and error in counting loose cigarette boxes in the cigarette pusher in the existing technology.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is:

[0006] A rangefinder for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes includes a rangefinder body and a long, narrow positioning plate. The measuring end of the rangefinder body is equipped with a light emitter. A channel is formed through the measuring end of the rangefinder body where the light emitter is located, allowing the positioning plate to pass through. The channel is located below the light emitter, and its extension direction is parallel to the measuring direction of the rangefinder body. The rangefinder body is slidably mounted on the positioning plate through the channel. The end of the positioning plate facing the measuring direction of the rangefinder body is a free end, and a reflective plate is provided at this free end. The reflective plate is directly opposite the light emitter of the rangefinder body. The reflective plate can abut against the outer edge of the cigarette boxes placed in the cigarette pusher being inventoried, thereby positioning the free end of the positioning plate and reflecting the light beam signal emitted by the light emitter. The rangefinder body can slide freely along the length of the positioning plate to adjust the distance between it and the reflective plate, thus measuring the length of the cigarette boxes being inventoried.

[0007] Preferably, the reflective plate is a thin plate structure, perpendicular to the positioning plate. The upper end of the reflective plate extends upward and blocks the light emitter of the rangefinder body to form a reflective part of the reflected light beam signal. The lower end of the reflective plate extends downward to form a stop part at the far end of the cigarette box arranged in a stop arrangement.

[0008] Preferably, the reflective plate is pinned to the lower edge of the free end of the positioning plate, and the lower end of the reflective plate can freely rotate inward towards the positioning plate under the action of external force.

[0009] Preferably, the weight of the lower end of the reflective plate is greater than the weight of its upper end. After the lower end of the reflective plate flips inward toward the positioning plate, it can adaptively return to its original position under the action of gravity after the external force disappears.

[0010] Preferably, the free end of the positioning plate is provided with a reset spring. The reset spring acts on the reflective plate to keep the reflective plate perpendicular to the positioning plate. After the lower end of the reflective plate flips inward toward the positioning plate, and after the external force disappears, the reset spring can reset the reflective plate under its own rebound force.

[0011] Preferably, a stop is provided at the other end of the positioning plate away from its free end, and the stop can block at the channel opening to prevent the positioning plate from separating from the rangefinder body.

[0012] Preferably, the lower end face of the rangefinder body is provided with a baffle for stopping the near end of the cigarette box, the baffle is directly opposite the stop part of the reflective plate and is flush with the measuring end of the rangefinder body where the light emitter is located.

[0013] Preferably, a locking cavity communicating with the channel is provided on the side wall of the rangefinder body. The locking cavity is located at the upper end of the channel. A locking block is horizontally arranged in the locking cavity. The middle part of the locking block is pinned to the locking cavity. One end of the locking block is the locking end, and the other end is the pressing end. The locking end of the locking block extends along the locking cavity towards the upper part of the channel. The pressing end of the locking block extends along the locking cavity to the outer side of the side wall of the rangefinder body. A compression spring is sandwiched between the locking end of the locking block and the top of the locking cavity. The compression spring is located directly above the channel. The compression spring can press the locking end of the locking block towards the channel, so that the locking end of the locking block makes frictional contact with the positioning plate that passes through the channel, thereby preventing the rangefinder body from sliding and shifting along the positioning plate. Pressing the pressing end of the locking block in the opposite direction can separate the locking end of the locking block from the positioning plate.

[0014] Preferably, the upper end face and the side end face of the rangefinder body are respectively provided with display screens for displaying measurement results.

[0015] Preferably, the rangefinder body is an infrared rangefinder or a laser rangefinder.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the rangefinder provided in this application for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes includes a rangefinder body and a long, narrow positioning plate. A channel is provided through the measuring end of the rangefinder body where a light emitter is located, allowing the positioning plate to pass through. The channel is located below the light emitter and parallel to the measuring direction of the rangefinder body. The rangefinder body is fitted onto the positioning plate through the channel and can slide freely along the length of the positioning plate. A reflective plate is provided at the free end of the positioning plate facing the measuring direction of the rangefinder body. The reflective plate can reflect the light beam signal emitted by the light emitter and can block the outer edge of the cigarette boxes placed in the cigarette pusher being inventoried. Its beneficial effect is that the sliding of the rangefinder body and the positioning plate... In conjunction with the positioning and beam reflection of the reflective plate, the reflective plate at the free end of the positioning plate only needs to be placed against the outer edge of the far end of the cigarette box. The sliding rangefinder body can then complete the measurement of the length of the cigarette box arrangement. Combined with the standard thickness of a single cigarette box, the quantity of cigarette boxes can be quickly calculated. There is no need for staff to remove the cigarette pusher or manually search and count, which greatly simplifies the inventory operation process, improves inventory efficiency, and effectively solves the problems of having to manually take and count each loose cigarette box in the existing cigarette pusher, which is cumbersome and prone to errors. Furthermore, by using optical rangefinder instead of manual counting, it avoids visual fatigue caused by long-term manual work and the omissions and oversights caused by the obstruction of cigarette boxes, significantly improving the accuracy of inventory data. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a side view of the structure of the utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the utility model from another angle.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lower structure of the utility model.

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rangefinder body.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rangefinder.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the utility model in use.

[0025] Figure 9 This is another schematic diagram showing the utility model in use.

[0026] In the figure: rangefinder body 10, light emitter 11, channel 12, baffle 13, locking cavity 14, locking block 15, compression spring 16, display screen 17, positioning plate 20, reflective plate 21, pin 22, return spring 23, stop block 24, ear plate 25. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3This utility model embodiment provides a rangefinder ruler for assisting in counting loose cigarette packs, including a rangefinder body 10 and a long, narrow positioning plate 20. The measuring end of the rangefinder body 10 is equipped with a light emitter 11. A channel 12 is provided through the measuring end of the light emitter 11 for the positioning plate 20 to pass through. The channel 12 is located below the light emitter 11, and its extension direction is parallel to the measuring direction of the rangefinder body 10. The rangefinder body 10 is slidably mounted on the positioning plate 20 through the channel 12. The end of the positioning plate 20 facing the measuring direction of the rangefinder body 10 is a free end, and a reflective plate 21 is provided at its free end. The reflective plate 21 is directly opposite the light emitter 11 of the rangefinder body 10. The reflective plate 21 can abut against the outer edge of the far end of the cigarette pack placed in the cigarette pusher to achieve positioning of the free end of the positioning plate 20, and can reflect the light beam signal emitted by the light emitter 11. The rangefinder body 10 can slide freely along the length direction of the positioning plate 20 to adjust the distance between it and the reflective plate 21, thereby measuring the arrangement length of the cigarette packs being inventoried.

[0029] Specifically, the rangefinder body 10 is preferably a laser rangefinder, which is equipped with a laser emitter, namely the aforementioned light emitter 11. The channel 12 is located below the light emitter 11, and the extension direction of the channel 12 is parallel to the measurement direction of the rangefinder body 10. The positioning plate 20 is a parallel elongated plate that matches the channel 12 on the rangefinder body 10. The rangefinder body 10 is fitted onto the positioning plate 20 through the channel 12 and can slide freely along the length of the positioning plate 20. The reflective plate 21 is a thin plate structure, located at the free end of the positioning plate 20 and perpendicular to the positioning plate 20. The upper end of the reflective plate 21 extends upward and blocks the light emitter 11 of the rangefinder body 10, forming a reflective part that reflects the light beam signal. The lower end of the reflective plate 21 extends downward to form a stop part at the far end of the cigarette box that is arranged in a stop-stop arrangement. The stop part and the reflective part of the reflective plate 21 are located on the same plane.

[0030] The measurement principle is as follows: the free end of the positioning plate 20 is used as the measurement starting point. A reflective plate 21 is set at the free end of the positioning plate 20. While the reflective plate 21 stops and positions the free end of the positioning plate 20, the reflective plate 21 can also stop and reflect the beam signal emitted by the laser emitter 11, so as to achieve the purpose of length measurement through the rangefinder body 10.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9During inventory checks, a person manually holds the rangefinder body 10 and extends the free end of the positioning plate 20 parallel to the front end of the cigarette pusher being inventoried, towards the rear end of the cigarette pusher. The stop portion of the reflective plate 21 on the free end of the positioning plate 20 is positioned against or locked against the outer side of the far end of the cigarette boxes arranged in the cigarette pusher to assist in positioning the free end of the positioning plate 20, ensuring it is flush with the far end of the cigarette boxes arranged in the cigarette pusher. Then, the rangefinder body 10 is manually pushed to slide along the length of the positioning plate 20, adjusting its position so that the measuring end of the rangefinder body 10 is against the outer side of the near end of the cigarette boxes arranged in the cigarette pusher. In this way, the cigarette pusher can be measured using the rangefinder body 10. The staff observes the overall length of the cigarette boxes arranged in the pusher and obtains the length value displayed on the rangefinder 10. Then, based on the individual packaging dimensions of the cigarette boxes placed in the pusher, they perform a simple calculation to obtain the actual remaining quantity of cigarette boxes stored in the pusher. The calculation method is: Remaining quantity of cigarette boxes = Overall measured length ÷ Individual packaging thickness of cigarette boxes. For example, if the thickness of an individual cigarette box in the pusher is 12 mm, and the overall measured length of the cigarette boxes arranged in the pusher is 180 mm, then 180 mm (overall measured length) ÷ 12 mm (individual packaging thickness of cigarette boxes) gives 15 boxes (remaining quantity of cigarette boxes). By following this method, the remaining quantity of cigarette boxes arranged in each pusher can be quickly inventoried.

[0032] It should be noted that: typically, in daily retail operations, the cigarette boxes placed in the same cigarette pusher are of the same brand and specification, and their external dimensions are identical. By measuring the length of their arrangement and dividing it evenly, the number of cigarette boxes in that pusher can be determined. In addition, the external dimensions of different brands and specifications of cigarette boxes are determined by the model of the cigarette wrapping machine (production equipment). Before inventory, staff can know the thickness dimensions of different brands and specifications of cigarette boxes in advance and classify them accordingly. During inventory, cigarette boxes with the same thickness can be measured together, which facilitates calculation and improves inventory efficiency.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 1 or Figure 2 Furthermore, a stop 24 is provided at the other end of the positioning plate 20 away from its free end. The stop 24 is fixed to the positioning plate 20 by screws. When the rangefinder body 10 slides to the end of the positioning plate 20 where the stop 24 is provided, the stop 24 can stop at the channel 12 opening of the rangefinder body 10 to prevent the positioning plate 20 from separating from the rangefinder body 10.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 4 or Figure 5Furthermore, during actual inventory checks, due to the relatively narrow space at the top of some cigarette pushers, to improve the convenience of inventory checks, the reflective plate 21 is pinned to the lower edge of the free end of the positioning plate 20. Specifically, a pin is horizontally positioned on the lower edge of the free end of the positioning plate 20, and an ear plate 25 is provided in the middle of the side wall of the reflective plate 21. The pin passes horizontally through the ear plate 25, pinning the reflective plate 21 to the lower edge of the free end of the positioning plate 20. The reflective plate 21 can freely rotate downwards. When the reflective plate 21 is rotated to a state perpendicular to the positioning plate 20, the positioning plate 21... The upper edge of the free end of the positioning plate 20 will stop the reflective plate 21, restricting the reflective plate 21 from flipping upward. Furthermore, the weight of the lower end of the reflective plate 21 is greater than the weight of its upper end. Under its gravity, the reflective plate 21 can naturally maintain a drooping state at the free end of the positioning plate 20. When the free end of the positioning plate 20 is extended towards the tail of the cigarette pusher, if the lower end of the reflective plate 21 is subjected to an external force from the cigarette box or other objects, it will adaptively flip freely inward towards the positioning plate 20. After the external force disappears, its lower end can adaptively return to its original position under its gravity.

[0035] Please continue reading. Figure 5 In addition, to facilitate the return of the reflective plate 21, a return spring 23 is provided on the pin at the free end of the positioning plate 20. The return spring 23 is a torsion spring. The lever arm of the torsion spring acts on the reflective plate 21, keeping the reflective plate 21 perpendicular to the positioning plate 20. After the lower end of the reflective plate 21 flips inward toward the positioning plate 20, and after the external force disappears, the return spring 23 can reset the reflective plate 21 under its own rebound force.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 or Figure 2 Furthermore, in order to facilitate the positioning of the rangefinder body 10, a baffle 13 is provided on the lower end face of the rangefinder body 10 to stop the near end of the cigarette box that is arranged in a stop. The baffle 13 is directly opposite to the stop part of the reflective plate 21 and is flush with the measuring end of the light emitter 11 of the rangefinder body 10.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7Furthermore, a locking cavity 14 communicating with the channel 12 is provided on the side wall of the rangefinder body 10. The locking cavity 14 is located at the upper end of the channel 12. A locking block 15 is horizontally arranged in the locking cavity 14, with its middle part pinned to the locking cavity 14. One end of the locking block 15 is the locking end, and the other end is the pressing end. The locking end of the locking block 15 extends along the locking cavity 14 towards the top of the channel 12, and the pressing end of the locking block 15 extends along the locking cavity 14 outward from the side wall of the rangefinder body 10. A compression spring 16 is sandwiched between the locking end of the locking block 15 and the top of the locking cavity 14. The compression spring 16 is located directly above the channel 12 and can press the locking end of the locking block 15 towards the channel 12, thereby enabling... The locking end of the locking block 15 makes frictional contact with the positioning plate 20 that passes through the channel 12 to prevent the rangefinder body 10 from sliding along the positioning plate 20. A friction pad to increase friction is provided on the end face of the locking end of the locking block 15 that contacts the positioning plate 20. The friction pad can be made of rubber. When in use, hold the rangefinder body 10 by hand and manually press the pressing end of the locking block 15 in the opposite direction to separate the locking end of the locking block 15 from the positioning plate 20. After the position of the rangefinder body 10 is adjusted, release the pressing end of the locking block 15. Under the reaction force of the compression spring 16, the pressing end of the locking block 15 can re-make frictional contact with the positioning plate 20 in the channel 12 to prevent the rangefinder body 10 from moving relative to the positioning plate 20.

[0038] Furthermore, during the actual inventory process, since some cigarette pushers are located at a relatively high position, in order to facilitate the observation of the measurement values ​​on the rangefinder body 10, the rangefinder body 10 adopts a multi-screen structure design. That is, a display screen 17 that can simultaneously display the measurement results is set on the upper end face and the side end face of the rangefinder body 10. During the inventory, when measuring the cigarette boxes in the cigarette pushers located at a relatively high position, the staff can also observe the measurement results through the display screen 17 on the side end face of the rangefinder body 10.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the core components of the laser rangefinder include a laser emitter 11, a photodetector, a microprocessor, a display screen 17, and a battery. The battery powers the laser emitter 11, the photodetector, the microprocessor, and the display screen 17. The working principle of the laser rangefinder is as follows: the laser emitter 11 is responsible for emitting a measurement beam signal (laser). When the beam signal (laser) shines on the reflector plate 21, part of the beam signal (laser) is reflected back. The photodetector captures or receives the beam signal reflected back from the reflector plate 21. The microprocessor obtains the round-trip time of the beam signal, calculates the measurement distance data, converts the data into easily understandable numbers, and displays it on the display screen 17. This laser rangefinder is an existing measurement tool, and its specific working principle will not be elaborated here.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the rangefinder body 10 can also be an infrared rangefinder, and its measurement method and setting method are the same as the above-described scheme.

[0041] In practical use, this rangefinder for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes works by sliding the rangefinder body 10 and the positioning plate 20 together. Combined with the positioning and beam reflection of the reflective plate 21, the rangefinder body 10 can be slid along the outer edge of the cigarette box by simply placing the reflective plate 21 at the free end of the positioning plate 20 against the outer edge of the cigarette box. The length of the cigarette box arrangement can then be measured by sliding the rangefinder body 10. The number of cigarette boxes can be quickly calculated by combining the standard thickness of a single cigarette box. This eliminates the need for staff to remove the cigarette pusher or manually search and count the boxes, greatly simplifying the inventory process and improving inventory efficiency. It effectively solves the problems of manual counting of loose cigarette boxes in the existing cigarette pusher, which requires picking and placing each box individually, is cumbersome, and prone to errors. Furthermore, by using optical rangefinder instead of manual counting, it avoids visual fatigue caused by prolonged manual work and the omissions and overcounts caused by obstructed cigarette box placement, significantly improving the accuracy of the inventory data.

[0042] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can understand that implementing all or part of the above-described embodiments and making equivalent changes in accordance with the claims of the present utility model are still within the scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette packs, characterized in that: The device includes a rangefinder body and a long, narrow positioning plate. The measuring end of the rangefinder body is equipped with a light emitter. A channel is formed through the measuring end of the rangefinder body where the light emitter is located, allowing the positioning plate to pass through. The channel is located below the light emitter, and its extension direction is parallel to the measuring direction of the rangefinder body. The rangefinder body is slidably mounted on the positioning plate through the channel. The end of the positioning plate facing the measuring direction of the rangefinder body is a free end, and a reflective plate is provided at this free end. The reflective plate is directly opposite the light emitter of the rangefinder body. The reflective plate can abut against the outer edge of the cigarette boxes placed in the cigarette pusher being inventoried, thereby positioning the free end of the positioning plate and reflecting the light beam signal emitted by the light emitter. The rangefinder body can slide freely along the length of the positioning plate to adjust the distance between it and the reflective plate, thus measuring the length of the cigarette boxes being inventoried.

2. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The reflective plate is a thin plate structure, perpendicular to the positioning plate. The upper end of the reflective plate extends upward and blocks the light emitter of the rangefinder body, forming a reflective part that reflects the light beam signal. The lower end of the reflective plate extends downward to form a stop part at the far end of the cigarette boxes arranged in a stop pattern.

3. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The reflective plate is pinned to the lower edge of the free end of the positioning plate, and the lower end of the reflective plate can freely rotate inward towards the positioning plate under the action of external force.

4. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The weight of the lower end of the reflective plate is greater than the weight of its upper end. After the lower end of the reflective plate flips inward toward the positioning plate, it can adaptively return to its original position under the action of gravity after the external force disappears.

5. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 3, characterized in that: A reset spring is provided at the free end of the positioning plate. The reset spring acts on the reflective plate to keep the reflective plate perpendicular to the positioning plate. After the lower end of the reflective plate flips inward toward the positioning plate, and the external force disappears, the reset spring can reset the reflective plate under its own rebound force.

6. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A stop is provided at the other end of the positioning plate away from its free end. The stop can block the channel opening to prevent the positioning plate from separating from the rangefinder body.

7. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end face of the rangefinder body is provided with a baffle for stopping the near end of the cigarette box that is arranged in a stop. The baffle is directly opposite the stop part of the reflective plate and is flush with the measuring end of the rangefinder body where the light emitter is located.

8. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The rangefinder body has a locking cavity on its side wall that communicates with the channel. The locking cavity is located at the upper end of the channel. A locking block is horizontally arranged in the locking cavity, with its middle part pinned to the locking cavity. One end of the locking block is the locking end, and the other end is the pressing end. The locking end of the locking block extends along the locking cavity towards the top of the channel, and the pressing end of the locking block extends along the locking cavity out of the side wall of the rangefinder body. A compression spring is sandwiched between the locking end of the locking block and the top of the locking cavity. The compression spring is located directly above the channel. The compression spring can press the locking end of the locking block towards the channel, so that the locking end of the locking block makes frictional contact with the positioning plate that passes through the channel, thereby preventing the rangefinder body from sliding and shifting along the positioning plate. Pressing the pressing end of the locking block in the opposite direction can separate the locking end of the locking block from the positioning plate.

9. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The rangefinder body is equipped with a display screen for displaying measurement results on its upper and side surfaces.

10. The measuring ruler for assisting in the inventory of loose cigarette boxes as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The rangefinder body is an infrared rangefinder or a laser rangefinder.

Images