JPH04113483A - Bar code reader for cylindrical material - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a bar code to be read even when it is located at any position on a cylindrical material and to dispense with manual work by rotating the cylindrical material in a circumferential direction, and reading the bar code by sending it in an axial direction. CONSTITUTION:The cylindrical material 10 is rotated in the circumferential direction for one or more times of rotation in the optical scan area of a reading mechanism 30 by a travel mechanism 20, and it is possible to respond to even the case where the bar code 11 is attached on any position on a circumference. Also, it is carried in the axial direction, and the bar code 11 can be confronted with the optical scan area. In such a way, it is possible to read the bar code of the cylindrical material code as carrying on a conveyer or carrying with a robot without performing the posture and direction regulation of the cylindrical material 10 manually.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Table of Contents] Overview Industrial Field of Application Conventional Technology Problems to be Solved by the Invention Means for Solving the Problems (Fig. 1) Working Example (a) First Example Explanation (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) (b
) Explanation of the second embodiment (Fig. 3) (C) Explanation of the third embodiment (Fig. 4) (d) Explanation of other embodiments Effects of the invention [Summary] Cylindrical bar with a small radius Regarding the barcode reading device for cylindrical objects that reads codes, the purpose is to eliminate the need for manual posture regulation of the cylindrical object, and the cylindrical object with the barcode attached in the axial direction is rotated in the circumferential direction and moved in the axial direction. and a reading mechanism that scans the barcode in the axial direction of the cylindrical object.

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a barcode reading device for a cylindrical object that reads a barcode on a cylindrical object having a small radius.

Automated systems that attach barcodes to objects to identify ID%1, read the barcodes on line, and use computers manually are widely used in fields such as production, distribution, and inspection.

In this barcode reading, a reading mechanism optically scans an object and receives reflected light to read the barcode, so the barcode is generally attached to a flat part of the object.

Such automatic identification technology using barcodes is required to be applied not only to flat objects but also to cylindrical objects such as test tubes.

For example, in a clinical test automation system that is an automatic testing system for blood, urine, etc., the ID of the test tube containing blood, urine, etc.
Barcodes are used for recognition.

[Conventional technology]

For alcoholic beverage bottles, etc., which have a large radius, cylindrical objects can be read by optical scanning even if a bar code with the same number is attached to the circumference.

However, in the case of a cylindrical object with a small radius such as a test tube, if a bar code is attached in the circumferential direction, the reflected light of the optical scanning is disturbed in many directions, making it impossible to read the bar code.

For this reason, a barcode is attached to the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical object,
Barcodes are read with the optical scanning direction of the reading mechanism as the axial direction.

In this case, the cylinder or the reading mechanism is manually positioned so that the barcode on the cylinder is within the optical scanning area of the reading mechanism.

Problems to be solved by invention C] However, the conventional technology has the following problems.

■ When reading a cylindrical object while it is moving,
Second, it is necessary to place the cylindrical object (object to be identified) in a box or to regulate its orientation so that the barcode can be easily read, which requires an enormous amount of manual work.

■ In clinical tests, etc., there is an increased chance of infection and other accidents due to manual handling, which poses safety issues.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a barcode reading device for a cylindrical object that can eliminate the need for manual posture regulation of the cylindrical object.

Therefore, it is possible to read the barcode of a cylindrical object while it is being transported by a conveyor or by a robot, without having to manually regulate the posture and direction of the cylindrical object.

[Means to solve the problem] FIG. 1 is a principle diagram and a perspective view of the present invention.

As shown in FIG.
It has a moving mechanism 20 that rotates the cylindrical object 10 with a mark attached thereto in the circumferential direction and moves it in the axial direction, and a reading mechanism 30 that reads the barcode 11 by optically scanning the cylindrical object 10 in the axial direction. be.

[Effect]

In the present invention, the moving mechanism 20 rotates the cylindrical object 10 one rotation or more in the circumferential direction so that it can face the optical scanning area of the reading mechanism 30 no matter where on the circumference the barcode 11 is attached. , and can be conveyed in the axial direction so that the barcode 11 faces the optical scanning area.

〔Example〕

(a) Description of the first embodiment FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.
A) is a front view thereof, and FIG. 2(B) is a sectional view thereof.

The explanation will be made using FIG. 1 as a perspective view.

In the figure, 10 is a cylindrical object, for example a test tube, and 11
is a bar code, which is pasted along the axial direction of the cylindrical object 10, and 20a and 20b are a pair of rollers that rotate in the direction of the arrow, contact the supported cylindrical object 10, and rotate it in the circumferential direction. 20c is a conhair roller, which has a spiral protrusion around the roller, rotates in the direction of the arrow, and sends the cylindrical object 10 in the axial direction; 30 is a reading mechanism (bacode league); The area SCA is scanned with a single optical scanning line, reflected light is received, and the barcode 11 is read.

To explain this operation, the cylindrical object 10 entering from the direction of the arrow is sandwiched between the three rollers 20a to 20c,
The cylindrical object 10 is conveyed in the axial direction while being rotated little by little to change its posture and position.

Since the Harcode reader 30 performs scanning (light scanning) from between the rollers 20a and 20b, the cylindrical object 10 rotates one or more rotations in the circumferential direction, and the cylinder 11 opposes the fixed scanning area SCA in the circumferential direction, and further Since it is transported in the axial direction, the hard code 11 has a fixed scan area SCA in the axial direction.
The barcode 11 is read.

Therefore, at which position in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical object 10 is the barcode II placed?
Even if the bar code 11 is attached, the bar code 11
It is possible to automatically read barcodes even if they are marked with a barcode.

Therefore, there is no need to manually regulate the posture and direction of the cylindrical object 10, and scanning by the barcode reader 30 does not need to be done in multiple directions, but only one barcode reader 30 is required.

In this way, while the cylindrical object 10 is being transported, the barcode 11 can be read regardless of the posture and direction of the cylindrical object]0.

(b) Description of Second Embodiment FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention, showing an example in which the apparatus is installed on a conveyor line and is read while being transferred.

In the figure, 40a and 40b are respectively heat converters, which feed the cylindrical object 10 horizontally, and 3 is a barcode reader for the cylindrical object, as shown in FIG. 3(B). Feed rollers 20a, 20b and conveyor roller 20c
The cylindrical object 1o is rotated in the circumferential direction between the cylindrical object 1o and conveyed in the axial direction.
1 is read.

In this embodiment, the cylindrical object 10 conveyed by the first belt conveyor 40a is read by the barcode reading device 30 and the roller 2.
0a to 20c, and roller 2°a to 20c to receive the cylindrical object 1.
0 is rotated and conveyed in the axial direction, the barcode 10 is read by the barcode reader 30, and the second belt conveyor 40
b.

In this way, the barcode of the cylindrical object can be read during transfer at the container line.

(C) Description of Third Embodiment FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention, showing an example in which the device is installed on a robot hand and the percot'° is read just before packaging.

In the figure, 41 is a box into which the cylindrical objects 10 are packed, 42 is a roller conveyor that conveys the boxes 41, and 50 is a robot that handles the cylindrical objects 10 placed at positions not shown. 51a and 51b, and pack it into a box 40, one hand 51a has a feed roller 20a and a container roller 20c, and the other hand 5
1b is provided with a feed roller 20b.

In this embodiment, the hand 51a151b of the robot 50
The cylindrical object 10 is sandwiched between the rollers 20a, 20c, and 20b and conveyed in front of the barcode reader 30, and the rollers 20a to 20c are rotated in front of the barcode reader 30 to rotate the cylindrical object 10 in the circumferential direction. After being sent in the axial direction and having the barcode 11 read, it is packed into a box 41.

In this example as well, the bar code of the cylindrical object can be read while the robot 1-50 is packing the box.

(d) Description of other embodiments In addition to the embodiments described above, the following modifications can be made to the present invention.

■ Although the moving mechanism is composed of a pair of rollers and a conveyor roller, other configurations may be adopted.

■ Although the cylindrical object was explained using a test tube, it can also be applied to other cylindrical objects with a small radius, and is not limited to a completely cylindrical object, but may also be partially cylindrical, such as a bottle-shaped object.

Although the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention can be modified in various ways according to the gist of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

■ The barcode is read by rotating the cylindrical object in the circumferential direction and feeding it in the axial direction, so the barcode can be read regardless of the position of the cylindrical object, and there is no need to manually control the posture or direction. Manual labor can be eliminated.

■ Since it does not require manual labor and there is no need to touch cylindrical objects, it eliminates the chance of infection.

■ Only one scanning line is required for the reading mechanism, simplifying the reading mechanism.

cylindrical object, half-hard, moving mechanism, Reading mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Cylindrical object (10) with a barcode (11) attached in the axial direction
a moving mechanism (20) that rotates the bar code in the circumferential direction and moves it in the axial direction;
11) A barcode reading device for a cylindrical object, comprising a reading mechanism (30) for reading a barcode.