Patent ID: 6389328
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: A47F,B65G

Abstract:
A checking process in an eating establishment, comprising the steps of:a) providing merchandise item plates (60) on surfaces thereof with colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) that identify at least one of kinds and prices of merchandise items for loading thereon; b) pre-storing in a computer (68) data for the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) of merchandise item plates (60) in relation to said at least one of their kinds and prices respectively; c) loading the merchandise item plates (60) of colors, patterns colored patterns with merchandise items whose kinds said at least one of and prices are identified by the colors, patterns and colored patterns (62), thereby offering the merchandise items (60); for checking by a guest paying a charge for merchandise item plates (60) the guest consumed, d) placing the consumed merchandise item plates (60) one on top of another in a plate conveying start side (A); e) causing an attractor means (12) carried by a conveyer arm (14) to attract by suction thereto each of the consumed merchandise item plates (60) so placed; f) causing the conveyer arm (14) to convey the consumed merchandise item plate (60) held attracted and retained by the attractor means (12) from the plate conveying start side (A) towards a plate conveying destination side (B); g) in the plate conveying destination side (B), releasing the consumed merchandise item plate (60) conveyed from suction retention by instantaneously removing suction at the attractor means (12) to permit the released merchandise item plate (60) to detach from the attractor means (12); h) during the steps e), f) and g), reading with a sensor (64) a color, pattern or colored pattern of the consumed merchandise item plate (60); i) repeating the steps e) to h) for all the consumed merchandise item plates (60) in the plate conveying start side (A); and j) in the computer (68), storing data for the colors, patterns or colored patterns (62) read by the sensor (64) and collating the stored data with the pre-stored data for the colors, patterns and colored patterns (62) of merchandise item plates (60) in relation to said at least one of their kinds and prices to determine the number and the charge of the consumed merchandise item plates (60) for each of said at least one of the kinds and prices, and to compute a total charge therefrom.