A shopping cart comprises a basket and a wheeled base. An upper portion of the base has a coupling feature reversibly joined to a lower portion of the basket when the shopping cart is in an assembled, non-weighing configuration. The cart further comprises a weighing kit assembled from a lower frame, an upper frame with a coupling feature that emulates the coupling feature of the upper portion of the base member, and a load-cell assembly that mediates between the upper and lower frames. The lower frame is designed for being reversibly joined to the coupling feature of the base member, whilst the coupling feature of the upper frame of the weighing kit is designed to be reversibly joined to the basket member.
B62B 3/14 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor characterised by provisions for nesting or stacking, e.g. shopping trolleys
B62B 3/02 - Hand carts having more than one axis carrying transport wheels; Steering devices therefor; Equipment therefor involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable, or convertible
G01G 19/414 - Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in groups with provisions for indicating, recording, or computing price or other quantities dependent on the weight using electromechanical or electronic computing means using electronic computing means only
2.
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONDUCTING WEIGHT-BASED TRANSACTIONS
A method for conducting a retail transaction comprises: monitoring weight measurement data corresponding to a shelf and a plurality of non-homogeneous products arranged thereupon, said weight measurement data measured by the plurality of weighing assemblies and transmitted therefrom as respective streams of weight measurement data-points comprising at least one of weights and voltage inputs thereto; responsively to a change over time in the values of said weight measurement data-points and contingent upon said values reaching respective steady states according to a stability-tracking rule, determining a set of weight-event parameters of a weight event, the determined set of weight-event parameters comprising one or more products and a product-action respective of each one of the one or more products; and performing at least one of: recording information about the results of the determining in a non-transient, computer-readable medium, and displaying information about the results of the determining on a display device.
An assembly including a load cell body having contiguous cutout windows, each formed by a pair of cutout lines and connected by a cutout base, the second window being transversely bounded by the first window,; measuring beams, disposed generally along edges of the body, each defined by a respective line of the first pair of cutout lines; first and second arrangements, each having a pair of flexure beams connected by first and second bases, respectively; a loading element, extending from the second base; and strain gages, attached to the beams, and a transverse flexural arrangement.
G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
G01L 1/04 - Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring elastic deformation of gauges, e.g. of springs
G01G 9/00 - Methods of, or apparatus for, the determination of weight, not provided for in groups
4.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WEIGHING PRODUCTS ON A SHELF
A method for tracking non-homogeneous products on a shelf comprises monitoring weight measurement data points corresponding to the weight of the shelf and the products arranged thereupon, determining a set of weight-event parameters of a weight event, such as product identification and an action taken with respect to the product, and at least one of recording information about the results and displaying information about the results. A system for tracking non-homogeneous products on a shelf comprises processors for carrying out stored program instructions for carrying out the steps of the method.
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
G07F 7/00 - Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
A shelving unit having weighing capabilities has at least a first shelf assembly including a shelf and a plurality of load cell assemblies, each of which includes a load cell body having a free end and an anchored portion, a spring element and at least one receiving element, and a strain-sensing gage. The shelf assembly also has a load cell base. The shelving unit also has a shelving unit housing forming a shelving volume and attachment elements attached to walls of the shelving unit for effecting securement of the shelf assembly, typically to the left and right walls.
G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
G01G 3/12 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing
G01G 23/37 - Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells involving digital counting
G01G 19/414 - Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in groups with provisions for indicating, recording, or computing price or other quantities dependent on the weight using electromechanical or electronic computing means using electronic computing means only
6.
WEIGHING LOAD CELLS AND ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING THEM IN SHELVES
A weighing assembly having first and second shelf brackets supporting first and second planar load cell assemblies, each planar load cell assembly having at least one load cell arrangement disposed on a metal load cell body, each load cell arrangement including first and second contiguous cutout windows passing through the load cell body, a pair of measuring beams disposed along opposite edges of the load cell body, a first flexure arrangement having a first pair of flexure beams, a loading element comprising a receiving element and extending from an innermost flexure base, and at least one strain gage, fixedly attached to a surface of the measuring beam.
G01G 3/12 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing
G01L 1/04 - Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring elastic deformation of gauges, e.g. of springs
G06Q 10/08 - Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
An assembly including a load cell body having contiguous cutout windows, each formed by a pair of cutout lines and connected by a cutout base, the second window being transversely bounded by the first window, the third window being transversely bounded by the second window; measuring beams, disposed along edges of the body, each defined by a respective line of the first pair of cutout lines; first and second arrangements, each having a pair of flexure beams connected by first and second bases, respectively; a loading element, extending from the second base; and strain gages, attached to the beams.
G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
A load cell assembly, including an adapter adapted to receive a vertical load, and having loaded and unloaded dispositions; a load cell body including a spring element having a first cutout window defined by a top beam and a bottom beam, the window transversely disposed through the body, the spring element adapted such that responsive to a downward force exerted on a top face of the adapter, the beams assume a primary double-bending configuration; a strain-sensing gage, attached to the spring element, the strain-sensing gage for measuring strain in the spring element; and an at least two-dimensional flexural member having a second cutout window, the second cutout window being transversely disposed through the body; the adapter disposed in mechanical relation to the flexural member such that, in the loaded disposition of the adapter, the flexural member assumes a secondary, substantially double-bending configuration.
An integrated weighing system having a calibration system for calibrating the weighing system based on geographical location information, and optionally, based on barometric information.
A weighing scale and a load cell assembly therefor, the weighing scale including: (a) a weighing platform; (b) a base; and (c) a load cell arrangement including: (i) a load cell body, disposed below the platform and above the base, the body secured to the platform at a first position along a length of the body, and secured to the base at a second position along the length, the load cell body having a first cutout window transversely disposed through the body, the window adapted such that a downward force exerted on a top face of the weighing platform distorts the window to form a distorted window; and (ii) at least one strain-sensing gage, mounted on at least a first surface of the load cell body, the strain-sensing gage adapted to measure a strain in the first surface; and (d) an at least a one-dimensional flexure arrangement having at least a second cutout window transversely disposed through the body, the second cutout window shaped and positioned to at least partially absorb an impact delivered to a top surface of the load cell body.
A WIM system and method for weighing a moving vehicle on a roadway, the system including: (a) a base for anchoring to a roadbed; (b) a weighing platform mounted on the base and adapted to receive the wheel of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the platform, the platform having a length of at least 0.5 meters along the axis; (c) a load cell disposed between the base and platform, and adapted to provide vertical load signals indicating vertical loads applied by the wheel on the platform; (d) a longitudinal differentiation mechanism, mechanically associated with the platform and the base, including: a mechanical resistance-measuring unit adapted to provide a resistance to a relative horizontal movement between the base and platform, the movement generally along the longitudinal axis, to differentiate horizontal forces produced by the wheel acting on the platform, and a measuring unit, associated with the resistance-measuring unit, and adapted to make a measurement of a parameter associated with the resistance to the relative horizontal movement, and to produce an output signal relating to the measurement; and (e) a processing unit configured to: (i) receive the vertical load signals from the load cell, and the output signal from the measuring unit, and (ii) measure a weight of the wheel on the platform by effecting a compensation for error in the vertical load signals with the output signal from the measuring unit, to produce a corrected weight signal.
G01G 19/02 - Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in groups for weighing wheeled or rolling bodies, e.g. vehicles
G01G 3/14 - Weighing apparatus characterised by the use of elastically-deformable members, e.g. spring balances wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing measuring variations of electrical resistance
G01G 23/00 - Auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus
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