Article arrangement apparatus

Abstract

Provided is an article arrangement apparatus with which it is possible to save labor for a person by facilitating confirmation of remaining articles. When some of a plurality of articles 5 that are arranged close to each other side by side in a row along a front-rear direction are taken out, the arrangement apparatus 1 moves forward the articles 5 that are behind the taken-out articles 5 and arranges the remaining articles 5 close to each other in a row. The article arrangement apparatus 1 comprises: a detection unit 141 for detecting that a rearmost article of a plurality of articles 5 has moved to a predetermined position; and a signal output unit 142 for outputting a signal to the outside when the detection unit 141 has made a detection.

Description

Article Arrangement Device

[0008] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an article arrangement device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a product display fixture used for displaying products in stores such as supermarkets or convenience stores. This product display fixture is configured to press the products arranged along the front - rear direction of the display shelf from the rear to the front, and when the front - most product is taken out, the remaining products are pushed forward. As a result, every time a product is taken out, the front surface of the display shelf is always in a state where products are arranged.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021 - 137413

[0004] With the product display fixture of Patent Document 1, every time a product is taken out, the labor of the store staff to rearrange the products is saved. However, since the products are arranged toward the back of the display shelf, it may be difficult for the store staff to grasp how many products remain on the display shelf. Also, the store staff needs to check the remaining products in the display shelf.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an article arrangement device that can save human labor by making it easy to check the remaining articles.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is an article arrangement device that, when a part of a plurality of articles arranged in a row and close to each other along the front - rear direction is taken out, moves the articles behind the taken - out article forward to arrange the remaining articles close to each other in a row, and includes: a detection unit that detects that the remaining articles after a part of the plurality of articles is taken out becomes less than or equal to a threshold value; and a signal output unit that outputs a signal to the outside when the detection unit detects.

[0007] The present invention can save human labor by making it easy to check the remaining articles.

[0008] Figure 1 shows an article arranging device according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the rail, extrusion member, and coil spring. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the extrusion member and coil spring. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the article arranging device. Figure 5 shows an article arranging device according to the second embodiment. Figure 6 shows an article arranging device of a modified example of the second embodiment.

[0009] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows an item arrangement device 1 according to the first embodiment. The item arrangement device 1 is used to display items 5 on the shelf board 101 of a display shelf 100 installed in a store such as a convenience store. Examples of items 5 include confectionery, cigarettes, and beverages, but are not particularly limited. Multiple items 5 (six in Figure 1) are arranged in close proximity in a single row along the front-to-back direction on the shelf board 101 of the display shelf 100. The front-to-back direction corresponds to the depth direction of the display shelf 100. When some of the multiple items 5 arranged in close proximity in a single row are taken out, the item arrangement device 1 moves the items behind the taken item forward to arrange the remaining items in close proximity in a single row, and outputs a signal to an external notification unit 105 when the number of remaining items 5 becomes small. In Figure 1, the shelf board 101 is inclined, but it may be horizontal.

[0010] When the notification unit 105 receives a signal from the item arrangement device 1, it notifies store employees or others that there are few items 5 left on the display shelf 100 using sound, light, or text. The notification unit 105 may be a speaker, LED (Light Emitting Diode), display, or information processing device such as a smartphone or personal computer. By notifying store employees that there are few items 5 left on the display shelf 100 from the notification unit 105, the store employees can avoid the trouble of periodically checking the display shelf 100.

[0011] (Specific configuration of the article arranging device 1) The article arranging device 1 comprises a rail 11, an extrusion member 12, a coil spring 13, and a sensor unit 14. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the rail 11, the extrusion member 12, and the coil spring 13. Note that in Figure 3, the rail 11 is omitted from the illustration for illustrative purposes.

[0012] The rail 11 extends along the front-to-back direction and is installed on the shelf board 101. The rail 11 is constructed so that both ends of the long, plate-like member in the width direction are folded back toward the center, creating a hollow structure. The folded ends face each other with a gap in the width direction, forming a groove 11A along the front-to-back direction in the center of the rail 11 in the width direction. Hereinafter, the folded ends that face each other in the width direction to form the groove 11A of the rail 11 will be referred to as the rail top surface 111 and 112, respectively, and the part facing below the rail top surface 111 and 112 will be referred to as the rail bottom surface 113.

[0013] The rail 11 is fixed to the shelf board 101 along the front-to-back direction. Multiple items 5 on the display shelf 100 are placed on the rail top portions 111 and 112 of the rail 11. The rail 11 may be installed so as to be embedded in the shelf board 101, or the rail bottom portion 113 may be fixed to the surface of the shelf board 101 with magnets, screws, adhesive tape, etc. A stopper 102 (see Figure 1) is provided at the tip of the rail 11 to prevent the items 5 from falling from the shelf board 101. The stopper 102 may be installed at the tip of the rail 11 or on the shelf board 101. In addition, although it has been stated that multiple items 5 are placed on the rail top portions 111 and 112 of the rail 11, if the rail 11 is embedded in the shelf board 101, the items 5 may be placed on the shelf board 101.

[0014] The extrusion member 12 has a pressing portion 121 that contacts and presses against the article 5, and a sliding portion 122 that slides the pressing portion 121 along the rail 11 in the front-rear direction. The pressing portion 121 is a plate-shaped member and is positioned substantially perpendicular to the rail 11. The sliding portion 122 is located below the pressing portion 121 and has clamping portions 122A and 122B that are positioned opposite each other vertically and are provided at both ends in the width direction. The top surfaces 111 and 112 of the rail 11 can be inserted between the clamping portions 122A and 122B. As a result, the extrusion member 12 can slide along the rail 11 by clamping the top surfaces 111 and 112 of the rail with the sliding portion 122.

[0015] The coil spring 13 is constructed by winding a leaf spring. The coil spring 13 has a rolled winding portion 131 that is held behind the pressing portion 121 of the extrusion member 12. The extension portion 132, which is extended from the winding portion 131, passes below the pressing portion 121 and extends linearly forward along the groove 11A of the rail 11. A cap 11B, shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, is provided at the end of the rail 11, and the end of the extension portion 132 is fixed to this cap 11B. When the extension portion 132 of the coil spring 13 is pulled out from the winding portion 131, a force acts to rewind the extension portion 132 and return it to its original state. As a result, when a store employee or someone else moves the extrusion member 12 backward, the extrusion member 12 is subjected to the elastic force of the coil spring 13, that is, a force that moves it forward.

[0016] When store staff display items 5, they move the extrusion member 12 backward and position the items 5 between the stopper 102 and the extrusion member 12. When the extrusion member 12 is moved backward, it attempts to move forward due to the coil spring 13. As a result, the multiple items 5 between the stopper 102 and the extrusion member 12 are pressed forward. When some of the items 5 are removed from the multiple items 5, the extrusion member 12 moves forward by the elastic force of the coil spring 13 by the amount of space taken up by the removed items 5. In this way, each time an item is removed from the displayed items 5, the extrusion member 12 moves forward, so that the remaining items 5 are always pushed to the front side of the shelf 101.

[0017] The sensor unit 14 detects when the last item of a group of items 5 has moved to a predetermined position and outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 via wired or wireless means. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 14 detects when the forward-moving extrusion member 12 has moved to a predetermined position. As described above, the notification unit 105 notifies that there is little remaining stock of items 5 on the display shelf 100. As shown in Figure 1, the sensor unit 14 is provided on the stopper 102. The sensor unit 14 has a detection unit 141 and a signal output unit 142.

[0018] The detection unit 141 has a magnetic sensor such as a Hall IC and outputs an electrical signal with a voltage value proportional to the strength of the magnetic field. The extrusion member 12 is provided with a magnet 25. As the extrusion member 12 moves forward, the distance between the detection unit 141 and the magnet 25 decreases. The detection unit 141 detects the magnetic flux of the approaching magnet 25. In this embodiment, the detection unit 141 generates a voltage that is proportional to the strength of the magnetic flux of the magnet 25. In other words, as the extrusion member 12 moves forward each time an item 5 is taken out of the display, the detection unit 141 generates a higher voltage as it approaches the detection unit 141.

[0019] The signal output unit 142 outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 according to the voltage generated by the detection unit 141. In this embodiment, the signal output unit 142 outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 when the voltage generated by the detection unit 141 is above a threshold. Preferably, this threshold is determined based on the items 5. For example, after deciding how many items of the displayed items 5 should remain before an announcement is made, the distance from the detection unit 141 is estimated from the thickness width of the items 5 and the determined number. The voltage generated by the detection unit 141 at that distance is determined as the threshold. As a result, the signal output unit 142 outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 when the extrusion member 12 reaches the estimated position. In other words, the timing of the announcement can be adjusted by adjusting the threshold according to the type of items 5 or the number of remaining items to be announced.

[0020] The processing in the sensor unit 14 described above may be performed by either software or hardware. If implemented by software, the sensor unit 14 may have an input unit for inputting a threshold value. Alternatively, a data table containing a correspondence between the type of item 5, the remaining quantity to be announced, and the threshold value may be stored, so that the threshold value is set when the type of item 5 and the remaining quantity to be announced are input.

[0021] (Regarding the operation of the item arranging device 1) Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the item arranging device 1. First, multiple items 5 are displayed on the shelf board 101 of the display shelf 100 by store staff or the like (A1). When one or more items 5 are taken out from the displayed items 5 (A2), the extrusion member 12 moves forward (A3).

[0022] If the extrusion member 12 moves forward and the detection unit 141 does not detect the magnetic flux of the magnet 25 (NO in A4), the process returns to A2. If the detection unit 141 detects the magnetic flux of the magnet 25 (YES in A4) and the voltage generated by the detection unit 141 is above the threshold (YES in A5), the signal output unit 142 outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 (A6). The notification unit 105 then notifies that there are few items remaining on the display shelf 100. If the voltage generated by the detection unit 141 is not above the threshold (NO in A5), the process returns to A2.

[0023] As described above, the item arrangement device 1 of this embodiment makes it easier to check the remaining items 5 by notifying the remaining items 5, thereby saving human effort.

[0024] The detection unit 141 compares the generated voltage with a threshold value and outputs a signal to the notification unit 105. However, the distance at which the detection unit 141 detects the magnetic flux of the magnet 25 may be adjusted by changing the magnet 25. In this case, the signal output unit 142 may output a signal to the notification unit 105 regardless of the magnitude of the generated voltage of the detection unit 141. The magnetic sensor may also be a reed switch, and the on / off switching may be used to detect when the extrusion member 12 has moved to a predetermined position. Furthermore, the detection unit 141 may use infrared light, ultrasound, or light (visible light) to detect when the extrusion member 12 has moved to a predetermined position, or it may use image processing for detection. Multiple sensors may also be used in combination for detection. Alternatively, the detection unit 141 may have a switch at a predetermined position on the rail 11, and when the extrusion member 12 reaches that predetermined position, the switch is pressed to detect that it has moved to the predetermined position. Furthermore, the detection unit 141 and the signal output unit 142 may be located at different locations. For example, when the detection unit 141 detects something, a signal may be output from the detection unit 141 to a signal output unit 142 located at a separate location, either via wired or wireless connection.

[0025] (Second Embodiment) The article arrangement device of the second embodiment will be described below. In the article arrangement device 1 of the first embodiment, the articles 5 are pushed forward by an extrusion member 12, but this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the article arrangement device does not have an extrusion member 12, and the articles 5 move forward by their own weight.

[0026] Figure 5 shows an article arrangement device 2 of the second embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, the article arrangement device 2 is installed on a shelf 101 of a display shelf 100 installed in a store such as a convenience store. The article arrangement device 2 has a mounting surface 21 on which a plurality of articles 5 are placed. The mounting surface 21 extends in the front-to-back direction and is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction such that the front part is lower than the rear part, and by utilizing this inclination, the plurality of articles 5 are arranged in close proximity in a single line. A stopper 102 is provided at the tip of the mounting surface 21 to prevent the articles 5 from falling from the shelf 101.

[0027] The articles 5 are preferably heavy articles such as beverage cans, and the surface of the mounting surface 21 is preferably a surface with low friction. As a result, when some of the articles 5 are removed, the articles 5 behind the removed article 5 move forward due to their own weight, so that they are arranged in a close line. The mounting surface 21 may also be configured such that, for example, multiple rollers are arranged in a row, and the articles 5 slide forward as the rollers rotate.

[0028] The item arrangement device 2 includes a sensor unit 15 that detects the position of the last item among a plurality of items 5 and outputs a signal to an external notification unit 105. The sensor unit 15 has a detection unit 151 and a signal output unit 152.

[0029] The detection unit 151 is a sensor provided at a predetermined distance from the front of the mounting surface 21 to detect whether or not an article 5 is placed at that location. When the detection unit 151 detects an article 5, at least the last article of the multiple articles 5 will be located behind the location where the detection unit 151 is provided, so it can be determined that there is sufficient space for articles 5 on the mounting surface 21. On the other hand, when the detection unit 151 does not detect an article 5, the last article of the multiple articles 5 will be located in front of the location where the detection unit 151 is provided, so it can be determined that there is little space for articles 5 on the mounting surface 21. The location where the detection unit 151 is provided can be determined from the thickness of the article 5 and a predetermined number (threshold) for reporting the remaining space. The detection unit 151 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect whether or not an article 5 is present at the location where the detection unit 151 is provided, such as a photoelectric sensor, proximity sensor, pressure sensor, or load sensor.

[0030] The signal output unit 152 outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 according to the detection result of the detection unit 151. For example, while the detection unit 151 continues to detect item 5, the signal output unit 152 does not output a signal, and outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 when the detection unit 151 stops detecting item 5. When the notification unit 105 receives a signal from the signal output unit 152, it notifies the system with light, sound, or other means that there are few items 5 left on the display shelf 100.

[0031] As described above, the article arranging device 2 of this embodiment makes it easier to check the remaining amount of articles 5 by notifying the remaining amount of articles 5, thereby saving human effort.

[0032] (Modified Version) Figure 6 shows a modified version of the second embodiment of the article arrangement device 2A. The article arrangement device 2A in this example is equipped with an end member 103 provided at the rear end of the mounting surface 21. A sensor unit 16 is provided on this end member 103. The sensor unit 16 has a detection unit 161 and a signal output unit 162. The detection unit 161 is, for example, a LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) and measures the distance between the end member 103 and the last article of the plurality of articles 5. The signal output unit 162 outputs a signal to the notification unit 105 when the distance measured by the detection unit 161 exceeds a predetermined distance (threshold). This threshold is calculated from the thickness width of the articles 5, the determined number of articles, the length of the mounting surface 21, etc., after it has been decided how many articles 5 remain to trigger a notification. When the distance measured by the detection unit 161 exceeds a predetermined distance (threshold), the signal output unit 162 determines that there are few items left of the item 5 and outputs a signal to the notification unit 105. When the notification unit 105 receives a signal from the signal output unit 162, it notifies the system that there are few items left of the item 5 on the display shelf 100 using light, sound, or other means.

[0033] As described above, even in the modified article arrangement device 2A, by notifying the remaining amount of the displayed articles 5, it is possible to make it easier to check the remaining amount of articles 5, thereby saving human effort.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above description, the item arrangement device may be configured to notify when the weight of the items 5 falls below a predetermined value. For example, a weight sensor may be installed on the rail 11, and when the detected weight falls below a preset weight, the device may notify that the remaining number of items 5 has fallen below a threshold. The preset weight is calculated from the weight of each item 5 and the number of remaining items to be notified.

[0035] 1, 2, 2A Article arrangement device 5 Article 11 Rail 12 Extrusion member 13 Coil spring 14, 15, 16 Sensor unit 25 Magnet 100 Display shelf 101 Shelf board 102 Stopper 105 Notification unit 141, 151, 161 Detection unit 142, 152, 162 Signal output unit

Claims

1. An article arranging device that, when some of a plurality of articles arranged in a line in close proximity along the front-to-back direction are removed, moves the articles behind the removed article forward to arrange the remaining articles in close proximity in a line, comprising: a detection unit that detects when the remaining number of articles after some of the plurality of articles have been removed falls below a threshold; and a signal output unit that outputs a signal to the outside when the detection unit detects this.

2. The article arrangement device according to claim 1, comprising: an extrusion member that presses the last article of the plurality of articles forward, and when a portion of the plurality of articles is removed, moves forward by the amount of the removed article to arrange the remaining articles in a close line, wherein the detection unit detects that the remaining articles have fallen below a threshold by detecting that the extrusion member has moved forward to a predetermined position.

3. The article arrangement device according to claim 2, further comprising a magnet provided on the extrusion member, wherein the detection unit has a magnetic sensor provided near the leading edge of the plurality of articles, which detects the magnetism of the magnet that has moved forward together with the extrusion member, and when magnetism is detected, it is detected that the remaining articles are below a threshold.

4. The article arrangement device according to claim 3, wherein the magnetic sensor generates a voltage corresponding to the magnetic field, and the detection unit detects that the remaining amount of articles has fallen below a threshold based on the voltage generated by the magnetic sensor.

5. The article arrangement device according to claim 4, wherein the detection unit detects that the remaining amount of articles has fallen below a threshold when the voltage generated by the magnetic sensor is greater than or equal to a threshold based on the articles input from an external source.

6. An article arranging device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, comprising: a rail on which the extrusion member can slide along the front-rear direction; and a spring that applies a force to the extrusion member to slide it forward.

7. The article arranging device according to claim 1, having a mounting surface on which the plurality of articles are placed, extending along the front-rear direction and inclined with respect to the horizontal direction such that the front portion is lower than the rear portion, wherein when some of the plurality of articles are removed, the articles behind the removed article move forward due to their own weight, thereby arranging them in close proximity in a line.

8. The article arrangement device according to claim 7, wherein the detection unit detects that the remaining number of articles has fallen below a threshold by detecting that the distance from the rear part of the placement surface described above to the last article of the plurality of articles in the front-rear direction has reached a predetermined distance.

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