Registers – Keyboards – With total transfer to keyboard or the like
Patent
1994-02-14
1997-03-25
Spyrou, Cassandra C.
Registers
Keyboards
With total transfer to keyboard or the like
200 5A, G06C 702
Patent
active
056147023
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a keyboard for a fully electronic, microcomputer-controlled commercial scale with call-up memory, in particular for self-service or quick-service purposes, having a keyboard consisting of a plurality of individual keys with actuating elements, whereby symbols and/or alphanumerical characters are assigned to the individual keys, the keyboard comprising a guide plate with a plurality of individual keys arranged at a certain grid distance from each other and having switching contact elements, and whereby the guide plate is provided over its entire surface with actuating elements for the individual keys.
By means of such a keyboard which is, for example, known from DE-A-3 345 372, the stored basic price (price per unit of weight) of a certain product is called up from a memory which is then multiplied by the weight determined by the scale, whereupon the scale calculates and displays the sales price of the product placed on the scale.
Depending on whether such a commercial scale is used more for self-service ("S-S") or quick-service ("Q-S") purposes, the individual keys of the keyboard are normally provided with pictograms (symbols) or alphanumerical designations, whereby generally in S-S scales, individual keys with larger pictograms are used and in Q-S scales, smaller, alphanumerically labelled individual keys are used in greater numbers. This is mainly due to the fact that the range of goods offered in the environment of a S-S scale is, as a rule, smaller than the range of goods offered in connection with a Q-S scale and trained sales personnel.
Depending on the purpose of use of the commercial scale and the range of goods offered, an interchangeable product designation on the keyboard is desired. Such an interchangeable designation is described, for example, in DE-A1-3 345 372. Furthermore, it is known (DE-A1-3 802 660) to design the size and the type of the key descriptions as a function of S-S or Q-S operation. Moreover, a special type of keyboard is known (DE-A1-3 915 645) in which, however, it is disadvantageous that the key switches (switching contact elements), in general, are not optimally arranged with respect to the possible actuation point of a key-covering film placed over it or that the keyboard is constructed as a touch sensitive keyboard without perceptible snap effect and normally without overload protection.
A general disadvantage of the solutions used today is in the fact that the keyboard is designed, with reference to the size of the pictograms, only for a single size or that the pictograms are not interchangeable in a simple manner.
The object of the invention is to design a keyboard of the generic type such that product designations in the form of pictograms and/or lettering can be quickly and easily changed according to type and size and so they can be adapted to the respective range of products offered and designed so as to be reliable with respect to operational as well as overload safety, whereby it also ought to be possible, in particular, to highlight special offers by oversized, optimally-placed key areas and to operate the keys jointly in this area.
The object is accomplished in accordance with the invention by the characterizing features of patent claim 1.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the guide plate is surrounded by an outer frame. The guide plate can be provided with actuating elements variable in size for the individual keys.
The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention serves to explain the invention in greater detail in conjunction with the attached drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows schematically, a graphic view of a self-service commercial scale with integrated keyboard;
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of part of the keyboard from FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a cut-away plan view of the keyboard from FIGS. 1 and 2 with individual actuating elements bearing product designations and
FIGS. 4a-4b show an actuating element with hinge-like weakenings.
The self-service commercial scale 1 represented in FIG. 1 essentially
REFERENCES:
patent: 4620075 (1985-06-01), La Belle et al.
patent: 4710597 (1987-12-01), Loheac
patent: 5021638 (1991-06-01), Nopper et al.
Dekorsy Gerhard
Kraft Horst
Bizerba-Werke Wilhelm Kraut GmbH & Co. KG
Spyrou Cassandra C.
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