International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Scott Wesley Dickover

Wesley Dale Dickover

Wes Dickover

Mike Radzimski

Derek E Williams

Scott Andrew Martin

Brian Michael Kerrigan

Timothy Andreas Meserth

Mike K Lee

John C Allard

Chuck Kurtz

Ron Wallace

Terry Nesbit

A backside initiated uniform heat sink loading system includes a system board assembly, a heat sink assembly, a loading plate, and a fastener. The system board assembly includes at least one processing unit. The heat sink assembly is mounted upon the processing unit from a topside of the system board assembly and includes a plurality of tension members that extend through the system board assembly. The loading plate is mounted to the plurality of tension members from a backside of the system board assembly. The fastener engages with the loading plate from the backside and forces the loading plate away from the system board assembly. As a result, the tension members uniformly force the heat sink assembly upon the processing unit to seat the processing unit with the system board assembly and to thermally contact the heat sink assembly with the processing unit.

Backside initiated uniform heat sink loading

A transition plate assembly and a position sensor assembly are used to detect a dislodged or removed transition plate from a gap between the discharge end of a conveyor and the first end of a run-out ramp. The position sensor assembly may detect a safe seated position of a hinged transition plate protecting the gap and generate a motor-enabling signal to a drive motor that drives the conveyor. An interrupted motor-enabling signal, corresponding to an unsafe condition, may turn off the drive motor to prevent damage to articles or persons until an enabling signal is restored. In one embodiment, the termination of the power to the drive motor continues until a delay period has elapsed following the detection of an enabling signal.

Transition plate position sensor for safe check-out counter conveyor operation

A conveyor system for a self-checkout apparatus including a first side support rail having an inner side and an outer side and a second side support rail spaced apart from said first side support rail and positioned parallel thereto, where the second side support rail includes an inner side and an outer side. The system also includes a first motor mount affixed to the first side support rail at a first end, a second motor mount affixed to the second side support rail at the first end, and a drive roller having a knurled surface. The drive roller transmits a driving force from a drive motor and positioned at one end of the first side support rail and the second side support rail. The system further includes a return roller positioned at a second end of the first side support rail and the second side support rail, a pair of first tracking guides provided adjacent both ends of the driver roller, a pair of second tracking guides provided adjacent both ends of the return roller and a conveyor belt. Other embodiments of the present invention are directed to inclined roller delivery conveyors for transporting articles down an inclined under power of gravity.

Methods and apparatus for improved self-checkout system

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for facilitating product weight identification in a checkout lane. The apparatus includes an open-frame back, a pair of opposing support arms to support an open plastic bag, a pair of opposing open-frame sides, and a gate. The opposing sides are connected to the back and are positioned to define a receiving area for the plastic bag. The gate may be connected to a side or the back and retains an item placed in an open bag within the receiving area. Furthermore, guards may be mounted near the top of each side to retain handles of the bag supply within a predefined area. The apparatus may be attached to a scale associated with a self checkout lane.

Apparatus, system, and method for facilitating product weight identification in a checkout lane

A self-checkout system includes a first conveyor having a security tunnel which measures a characteristic of a product placed on the conveyor. A code identifying the product is first input into the system through UPC scanning or other input means, and then placed on the conveyor. When the characteristic of the product is measured (e.g., weight, height, width, length), it is compared to corresponding information within the system. If the data matches or is within a predetermined tolerance, the product is transported down the conveyor to a second conveyor, which further transports the product to a bagging area. When the customer is finished scanning products, an input device allows the customer to select self-payment through either cash, credit, debit, or other means (e.g., ebt, store credit and the like). Other features include automatic security tag deactivation and coupon redemption.

Self-checkout apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Scott Wesley Dickover