JP2603143B2 - Information pattern display member - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an information pattern display member in which information patterns are arranged inside a circular area or an annular area.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a method of patterning information, attaching an obtained information pattern to a product or the like, and reading the attached information pattern by an optical method, such as a barcode mark, has become widespread. At present, in this type of system most widely used, information patterns are generally arranged on the same straight line. Therefore, information graphics are inevitably distinguished vertically and horizontally, and scanning is required to make the reading scanning direction of the reading device coincide with the pattern arrangement direction.

In order to solve the above request, as shown in FIG.
A method has been proposed in which radial code patterns P are arranged in the circumferential direction, and further, as shown in FIG. 10, concentric code patterns P are arranged in the radial direction. In any of these cases, attention is paid to the fact that vertical and horizontal distinctions do not occur in a circle or a ring. When reading, the former only needs to rotate in the circumferential direction to perform scanning and the latter has the innermost scanning. It is sufficient to search for a monotonous reading scanning path that passes at least once inside the code pattern. That is, in any case, at the time of reading, it is not necessary to perform an operation for matching the reading scanning direction with the arrangement direction of the patterns P.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-mentioned case, for example, in the former case of performing the circular scanning, if the center of the circle to be circularly scanned deviates significantly from the center of the circle in which the code pattern is arranged, the code width and the code interval may not be correctly read. is there. That is, in this case, the width and the interval of the code on the side where the center of the scanning circle is deviated due to the eccentricity are largely evaluated.
On the other hand, even in the latter case, if the scanning path deviates greatly from the center of the concentric code pattern, correct reading is difficult.

(Object of the present invention)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems and to make it possible to quickly and accurately read an information pattern by accurately and easily aligning the center of an information pattern row with the scanning center of a reading device. An object of the present invention is to provide an information pattern display member.

[Means for achieving the purpose]

The present invention provides an information pattern display member having an information pattern display unit for arranging radial information patterns in a circumferential direction or arranging concentric information patterns in a radial direction. In addition to adding a positioning means used for positioning the information pattern and the information pattern reading device, the information pattern display unit is configured with a circular area or a ring area, the positioning means, A straight line that passes vertically through the center of the circular region or the annular region is defined as a rotation axis, a line segment or a monotone curve inclined with respect to the circular region or the annular region is defined as a generating line, and the generating line is formed around the rotating axis. Is constituted by all or a main part of a rotating surface (that is, a short cylindrical surface or a truncated conical surface or a rotationally symmetric convex or concave surface) generated when is rotated.

[Action]

According to the present invention, when aligning the information pattern display member with the information pattern reading device, the rotation surface of the former alignment means and the complementary rotation surface of the latter fitting means can be quickly and easily adjusted. It can be fitted and abutted.

As a result, the reading operation of the information pattern reading device can be executed quickly and accurately.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS.

1 (a) is a plan view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view. For example, an annular ridge 3a is formed along a circumferential direction on a base 2a of an information pattern display member 1a made of synthetic resin. Inside, radial code patterns 4a are arranged by a method such as printing.

In order to read the code pattern 4a of the display pattern member 1a, the code pattern 4a is brought into contact with the information pattern display member 1a by using a reading device 10a as shown in FIG. The housing 11a of the contact portion of the reading device 10a is provided with a concave portion 12a in an annular shape. Is made to abut with each other, the center of the code pattern 4a is made to exactly coincide with the scanning center of the light beam B circularly scanned by the beam forming scanning means (not shown).

In this way, the relative displacement between the code pattern 4a and the reading device 10a is prevented and positioning is performed, and erroneous reading due to eccentricity is prevented and accurate reading can be realized.

Note that this reading is performed by detecting the reflected light of the light beam B to be scanned by the code pattern 4a. Here, a desired information sequence is included in the information sequence read by at most two round scanning. It will be included at least once without interruption. Therefore, if at least one code string for discriminating the start and end points of information is provided in the code pattern 4a, only a desired information string can be easily extracted. In other words, in this case, if at least two round scans are performed, the start and end points of the scan can be anywhere, and the information pattern display member 1a and the reading device 10a, that is, the circumference of the ridge 3a and the recess 12a. The relative deviation of the direction angles does not matter at all. Therefore, at the time of reading, the convex ridge 3a of the information pattern display member 1a and the concave 12a of the reading device 10a are used.
By just fitting, the alignment is almost complete,
Accurate reading of the code pattern 4a is performed.

The position and shape of the rotating surface serving as the above-described positioning means are not limited to those shown in FIG.
For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a truncated cone-shaped convex portion, that is, a truncated cone 3b is formed on a base 2b, and a code pattern 4b is provided on the upper surface of the convex portion 3b by printing or the like. In the reading device 10b used for such an information pattern display member 1b, a concave portion 12b that fits with the convex portion 3b is provided on the housing 11b of the contact portion.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a concave portion 3c is formed at the center of the code pattern 4c on the base 2c, and the contact portion of the reading device 10c facing the concave portion 3c is a transparent portion provided inside the housing 11c. The contact member 13c is made of a material, and a protrusion 12c is formed at the tip of the contact member 13c so as to fit into the recess 3c. In this case, positioning is performed by fitting the concave portion 3c and the convex portion 12c. The light beam B passes through the contact member 13c and is projected onto the code pattern 4c, and the reflected light from the code pattern 4c is detected again by the detector (not shown) in the housing 11c via the contact member 13c. Will be.

As a similar example, as shown in FIG. 5, a hole 3d is provided in a base 2d, and a protrusion 12d is formed in a contact member 13d.
A configuration in which these fit together is also possible. In this case, the inner peripheral surface of the hole 3d forms a short cylindrical surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the projection 12d forms a complementary short cylindrical surface.

Further, the positioning means using the rotating surface is a base 2d.
However, when the base 2e is made of metal or the like, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the projection 3e may be formed by press working or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the base 2f is made of a flexible material such as paper, an auxiliary member 5f made of a transparent material is attached on the code pattern 4f, and the projection 3f is formed on the auxiliary member 5f. It may be provided to fit into the concave portion 12f provided in the contact member 13f of the reading device 10f. In this case, the light beam B
Is detected via the auxiliary member 6f.

In the above description, the information pattern has been described with reference to the radial code pattern 4a shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 1 (a). In this case, the code pattern 4a may be provided over the entire circumference. Alternatively, an arc may be provided on a part of the outer periphery.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the present invention can be applied to a case where the code patterns 4g shown in FIG. 10 are arranged concentrically. However, in this case, it is preferable that the scanning direction of the light beam 6 of the reading device 10g be the radial direction and the code pattern 4g be provided over the entire circumference.

From a bird's-eye view of the entire embodiment described above, the part that plays the most important role in positioning the information pattern display member and the information pattern reading device is the first embodiment (FIGS. 1-2).
Is the outer peripheral surface (short cylindrical surface) of the convex portion 3a,
In the embodiment (FIG. 3), it is the outer peripheral surface (frustoconical surface) of the convex portion 3b, and in the third embodiment (FIG. 4), the concave portion.
3c is an inner peripheral surface (frustoconical surface) of the fourth embodiment (fifth embodiment).
In the figure, it is the inner peripheral surface (short cylindrical surface) of the hole 3d, and in the fifth embodiment (FIG. 6), it is the outer peripheral surface (rotationally symmetric convex surface) of the convex portion 3e. In the sixth embodiment (FIG. 7), it is the outer peripheral surface (frustoconical surface) of the convex portion 3f, and in the seventh embodiment (FIG. 8), the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion 3g. (Short cylindrical surface), and these short cylindrical surface, frusto-conical surface, and rotationally symmetric convex surface belong equally to the concept of a rotational surface. It is easily understood that the present invention is limited to a range of a line segment or a monotone curve. (Here, the term “rotation surface” is a concept of geometry, and refers to a curved surface generated when a generating line (line segment or curve) is rotated around a rotation axis (straight line).) With respect to the embodiment of the present invention, the degree of freedom of rotation around the axis of the information pattern reading device is secured by the positioning means comprising a rotating surface, and the generatrix of each rotating surface is formed by a line segment or a monotone curve. It is also easily understood that the ease of fitting and disengagement between the information pattern display member and the information pattern reading device is ensured.

It should be noted that the rotating surface of the convex or concave portion 3 or the fitting means 12 provided in the reader
It is sufficient that only the abutment surface is formed in the entire circumference or partially in a convex shape, and the other portions may be notched as needed. There is no.

〔The invention's effect〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, when aligning the information pattern display member and the information pattern reading device, the rotational surface of the former alignment means and the complementary rotational surface of the latter fitting means are used. Can be quickly and easily fitted into contact with each other, whereby the reading operation of the information pattern reading device can be performed quickly and accurately.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 8 show an embodiment of an information pattern display member according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a plan view of the first embodiment, FIG. 1 (b) is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. Is a longitudinal sectional view at the time of reading, and FIGS. 3 to 8 are longitudinal sectional views of other embodiments, respectively.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a conventional radial bar code mark, and FIG.
The figure is a plan view of a concentric barcode mark. Reference numeral 1 is an information pattern display member, 2 is a base, 3 is a convex or concave portion, 4 is a code pattern, 5 is an auxiliary member, 10 is a reading device, 11 is a housing, 12 is fitting means, and 13 is a contact member. It is.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An information pattern display unit for arranging radial information patterns in a circumferential direction or arranging concentric information patterns in a radial direction, and an alignment used when aligning an information pattern reading device. The information pattern display section comprises a circular area or an annular area; the alignment means uses a straight line vertically passing through the center of the circular area or the annular area as a rotation axis, and An information pattern display member comprising a whole or a main part of a rotation plane generated when the generatrix is rotated around the rotation axis, with a line segment or a monotone curve having a slope with respect to the annular region as a generatrix.